Goals for April-June

Hmmmm, I've been reminded that it has been some time since I've blogged about anything, and goals keep coming to mind!  Everywhere you go, people have goals - it's what keeps us focused and driven, ambitious and fierce, passionate about what we want/expect out of life.  I decided to give myself short term goals, April to June - 90 days!


My goals are as follows:

• Spend more time with my family, as a unit!  This has become impossible lately, and look forward to making it possible over the next few months.
• Support other stay at home mom's into extra income by opening a Partylite account.  I make good money, and everyone should have that opportunity too!
• Lose 30 pounds - this includes working out at the gym 3-4 days per week, and incorporating a Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge.  A friend of mine has turned me onto these ultra yummy, very affordable and highly nutritious shakes.  My husband is using them to add calories to his daily intake while I am using them as meal replacements twice per day.  Don't worry, I'm still eating food and lots of if!  I've heard so many good things about Visalus and can't wait to show everyone the results!  I will blog more about my progress as soon as my order arrives!

If anyone wants more info on my Partylite business, email me!  My address is jobriggs@shaw.ca, or visit my website:  www.partylite.biz/joannebriggs.   

Challenge, challenge, challenge!  What is it about the word "challenge" that is so motivating?  I have been involved with a 90 Day Challenge - and it has been very successful for me - but now...I want to kick it up a notch! Bring on the summer cause I`ll be ready!

My adventures with the 90Days2Life women has been amazing (find our group on facebook!), we support each other daily, workout together often and we're always trying new types of exercises, including dance, boxing, swimming and of course Fitness World.  Oh and I must add the amazing friendships and contacts that have been made, yes yes yes!  I have lost 20 pounds between Jan and March of this year...holding steady now though.

Being introduced to Visalus' weight loss 90 Day Challenge could not come at a better time - it is fate!  I am so excited about it, I have every belief that this will be what my body needs, and am thrilled that I can support my body into a more healthy and nutrient rich lifestyle. A good friend of mine has opened up a distributor account and I think he will be very successful as it becomes more Canadian known :) Let me know if you want his info - I guess I could share...

I look forward to blogging more frequently and making more meetings with the 90Days2Life gang!

A Physical Kinda Day

I've had a personal trainer appointment booked for some time now at Fitness World where I am a member and between Carson getting sick, and the trainer getting sick, our reschedule appointment ended up being rescheduled for yesterday...the same day I'm supposed to try this boxerfit class at 30min Hit.  Yikes!

Of course the Fitness World Trainer (Tracy) was not going to let me go easy on all the new fabulous moves she was teaching me - I seriously never would have thought to do these cool movements she was showing me, and look forward to putting these to work on my own on Friday!  I only wish I had an extra $1800 lying around to work out with her 3 days a week - but I will just have to take what she's shown me and implement for now and maybe in a month or so Corbin (Manager of FW) will have some specials for us 90 Days 2 Life existing members...he did hint at this yesterday!  Watch your emails ladies, he's got something in the works for us 90 Days members who were already a Fitness World member...or rather save the dates March 21 and 22nd - not sure what he has planned, but he was pretty excited about it :)

The 30min Hit club was a workout I've never had to do before, oh my goodness!  2 minutes at each station, boxing style movements and cardio for half an hour, holy sh#t!!!  I highly recommend getting into a class if you can, although they do not do drop-in appointments right now, I'm really hoping they will consider it down the road.  This for me is a perfect style class to mix up the everyday workout - you know that feeling of just kicking butt on something, feeling extra strong and aggressive?  This class does it - totally.  The only thing I forgot about was stretching afterwards, and yes, I am very sore because of it today!

So where am I at today?  Since January I am down 12 pounds, but I don't get too concerned over the scale and weight numbers.  What is more important to me and I feel everyone should re-focus themselves on this too, is the inches lost.  I-N-C-H-E-S.  I'm now wearing Medium sized shirts, fabulous!  And I'm down 2 sizes in the waist, fabulous again!

My husband has treated me to a shopping spree in the US, and in fact some of the new clothing I bought at Victoria's Secret is already showing to be too large in the width...sorry hun!  Well, not really :)

And mentally I feel like I could do just about anything, confidence, energy and attitude - it's all there.

Feeling the good pain

You know, that tight feeling in your muscles...isn't it great!  Making the time to exercise, creating a balanced routine, and setting goals are hard enough, but add to that the muscle soreness that comes with adapting to that regimen, and it IS difficult to stay on track!


Stretching and flexibility are underrated!  Let's take my weekend for example - bootcamp yesterday and an hour's run today, a really good run.  How long of a stretch is enough?

Answer: A basic static stretch – holding the pose for an extended period – should last about 30 seconds. Anything less than 20 seconds won’t make a significant difference in lengthening muscle fibers and tissue; hold too long and you risk injury. While some recent studies suggest stretching doesn’t necessarily improve performance or decrease one’s risk of injury, the American College of Sports Medicine still advises stretching your major muscle groups two or three days a week. (Originally published in Fitness magazine)

Stretching breaks up the cycle of sore muscles which can go from soreness to muscle spasm to contraction and tightness.  But after much research I have come to understand that by no means should we stop exercising when we are sore!  Try some light exercise such as walking or swimming, keeping the muscle in motion can also provide some relief.


Soreness serves as encouragement in my workout program because I know I like immediate results. Muscle don't visibly grow overnight; something like soreness can give us encouragement that we are in fact working the muscle, yay!

Benefits of stretching (info provided by mayoclinic.com)

Regular stretching is a powerful part of any exercise program.

• Stretching increases flexibility. Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring.
• Stretching improves range of motion of your joints. Good range of motion keeps you in better balance, which will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls — especially as you age.
• Stretching improves circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Improved circulation can speed recovery after muscle injuries.
• Stretching promotes better posture. Frequent stretching keeps your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture and minimize aches and pains.
• Stretching can relieve stress. Stretching relaxes the tense muscles that often accompany stress.
• Stretching may help prevent injury. Preparing your muscles and joints for activity can protect you from injury, especially if your muscles or joints are tight.

Can Somebody Tell Me...

Why and how is it, that I am a stay at home mom who has no time to do anything?  Granted, I have my Partylite business but that isn't time consuming, so where are the hours in each day disappearing to...


My husband can tell that I have not been doing my yoga, my emotions are all over the place and I cannot seem to even prioritize what it is that I have to do, how can I accomplish my goals this way!  I need a kick in the pants, someone to "push" me.  Stuck in a rut is me!


I feel like I can make time for everyone else, my boys, hubby, my team of consultants and yet when it comes to me I just make excuses!  Like today, I baked cookies, did laundry, prepped a gourmet dinner all just to avoid doing my exercises, why?


Oh yes, I know where I need to be right now, somewhere that my body can generate an increase of serotonin levels.  In case anyone here suffers from serotonin deficiencies, and does not know it, here are some root causes - now that I have found these, I see which are similar and will work one day at a time to fix them (except I cannot make it sunny out no matter how hard I try, lol!):

• Prolonged periods of stress can deplete serotonin levels. Our fast paced, fast food society greatly contributes to these imbalances. 
• Poor Diet. Neurotransmitters are made in the body from proteins. Also required are certain vitamins and minerals called “cofactors”. If your nutrition is poor and you do not take in enough protein, vitamins, or minerals to build the neurotransmitters, a neurotransmitter imbalance develops. We really do think and feel what we eat. (I am 100% in this area of diet, need to re-motivate)
• Genetic factors, faulty metabolism, and digestive issues can impair absorption and breakdown of our food which reduces are ability to build serotonin.
• Toxic substances like heavy metals, pesticides, drug use, and some prescription drugs can cause permanent damage to the nerve cells that make serotonin and other neurotransmitters. 
• Certain drugs and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, NutraSweet, antidepressants, and some cholesterol lowering medications deplete serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels. (ahhhh caffeine - I thought you were my friend?)
• Hormone changes cause low levels of serotonin and neurotransmitter imbalances. (hmmm, good ol mother nature's fault I presume?)
• Lack of sunlight contributes to low serotonin levels (absolutely, its so dark and the mood translates accordingly, *sigh*)

Well, back to the starting gate I suppose:

1. I will negotiate with my body's diet intake - ok, I will simply stop eating out.  Life has been extremely busy this last week that eating well has not been an option. period.  
2. I will scale coffee back to 1 cup a day, not quite sure but yesterday I had the equivalent of 4 cups - yuck!  At least I hardly use sugar anymore
3. I will do my yoga!

Now, it is said that it takes 90 days to change habits, I supposed there are meant to be bumps along the way.  

I am so thankful that I have such a loving and supportive family, and wonderful new friends from 90Days2Life as well as my dear close friends who help pick me up and push me back into the direction I need.

Hugs and kisses

Blissfully Aware

What a day - is it over yet?  All the right things, and all the wrong things happened...but I'm actually ok with it.  


I had my Wednesday edition of my Blissful yoga dvd, so glad I did.  It helped me prepare for the required energy of the day.  


I was able to help another person with extra income and the Partylite opportunity.  I will help her be as successful as she wants to, and look forward to mentoring!  


However, enroute to her house I found out my husbands employer has decided to shut their doors.  I am not too surprised, but one can always hope that the gaming industry wouldn't be so volatile.  He is fortunate to have time left to assist his employer close out the studio.  Hubby is a very dedicated person, and gives 110% even after facing unemployment.  I know that karma takes over many things in our lives, some believe in religion, have faiths etc - I just know that he has been talking about moving his career closer to home and now he is forced to go out and find his dream job.  Things happen for a reason.


Thank goodness I had my yoga this morning, I believe it really helps with the ability to handle stressful situations a lot easier.  I have no idea about yoga, why did it take me so long to find comfort in it.  What is it about yoga that has me so captivated?  Maybe its because I am at the point in my life where something needs to step in and slow me down.  Enjoy life while I am healthy and have energy, makes me think...about absolutely nothing.  My body craved this relaxation for so long and thank goodness for Amber suggesting we start the new year off with a bang!  Thank you Amber!  Hot yoga is fab, but pricey - yoga at home is just about as good, even with a toddler climbing all over, I promise! Just try which works best for you. (as you can tell I am in "bliss" over my new dvd!)


Look forward to seeing the group tonight, hopefully some new faces too :).

Feeling Great!

Feeling great has its advantages, like energy levels, positive outlooks, and an overall healthier attitude.

Every day that I do some kind of physical activity I feel great, when I don't have the opportunity to fit any in...I feel sluggish.

This past week with the stomach flu still making rounds in my house, there just was no time to get any yoga or exercise in.  Sad!  And I was totally in a blue mood too!

Got out to Yanick's bootycamp on Saturday, needed that - incredible!  And this morning was Sun Run Training.  Yes, I can hardly move my limbs now - two days in a row of hard exercise, but I am NOT complaining!!!

As for hot yoga, I won't be able to continue this new favorite activity of mine.  It is too time consuming of my evenings and there is no childcare option for daytime classes...if anyone knows somewhere that does offer this, LET ME KNOW! 

I was downtown with a girlfriend of mine yesterday...downtown Vancouver.  Cannot remember the last time I had a chance, no kids, to go and shop, walk, talk and take in the sights - it was pouring rain but even that didn't deter us!  We ended up in quite a few shops, and I did purchase a couple of "rewards" for my work this far!

Reward #1 - Yoga DVD.  Its called the blissology project - yoga, meditation and lifestyle with Eoin Finn.  Purchased at Lululemon.  Looks really interesting - two clerks saw me looking over the DVD set with interest and approached me saying they had done the set and absolutely loved it.  I explained about how I have really fallen in love with hot yoga and am struggling with finding time to incorporate it without abandoning my family weeknights...they said the DVD set will be just what I need.  There is a yoga disc to use each day, along with optional meditation exercises.  I almost cannot wait till tomorrow to start it!!!  Hmmmm

Reward #2 - a gorgeous sweater with tie wrap from Roots.  OMG it stopped me in my tracks, so adorable!  5 more pounds and it will fit amazing with a pair of dark blue jeans.  Dark blue jeans will be my next reward! 

To date, I have no idea what my weight is, could be, or how much I have lost.  I do know that I feel fabulous, have lost one waist size for sure, and even then I'm almost sure I could do another size down.  Goodbye 15, 13 is almost gone...11 is looking good for end of this month!

Nutritionally speaking, I really try to do my best each day with this, incorporating things I have learned from Andrea @ Life Designs.  I know I could do more, and look forward to Jan 26 and Feb 2 when we have 2 different nutritionists come to our weekly meeting to give us nudges in the right direction!

Hope to meet and inspire more people along the way, that is what life is about to me!  If you haven't been out to a meeting, come!  You are not behind for not having been to one, you are just missing out on what you can "take away" from it. :)

Exercise Improves Depression...

OK, I don't suffer from depression, but I do suffer from anxiety and symptoms are very similar and linked in many ways.  I found an article, rather the article found my inbox and I wanted to share this with everyone as I mentioned before how amazing my life feels right now and I was positive it had to do with all the exercising I was doing!

The idea that regular exercise can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety has been around for thousands of years. If you suffer from major depression, exercise probably won't be the only treatment you'll need, but it will help along with your treatment plan. Working out can enhance the benefits of antidepressant medications, and even produce similar results. But while medication and psychotherapy can take weeks to work, you can start feeling the positive effects of exercise right away.

Research shows that exercise:

• Positively effects the same neurotransmitters that antidepressant medications target
• Produces feel-good brain chemicals called "endorphins," which promote the sense of well-being and satisfaction
• Releases tension in muscles that contributes to depression-related soreness and insomnia
• Reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, relieving feelings of anxiety and agitation
• Raises body temperature, which appears to have calming effects

Exercise can also promote the following psychological and emotional changes:

• Distraction. Exercise compels you to focus on something besides your troubles for a little while, helping you find pleasure.
• Confidence. By meeting a goal, like a small amount of exercise each day, you can begin to rebuild confidence and self-esteem.
• Self-respect. Taking the time to do something positive to help yourself every day can help you reconnect with the part of you that wants to be healthy and productive.

Thanks to SparkPeople for this article: http://www.sparkpeople.com/