Twas The Night Before Christmas (BETA Style)

 'Twas the night before Christmas, in the gym, you know. 
 Way out in Westhills, where we all have to go. 
 Asleep in the trainer room, were Alison and Sue, 
 A dreamin' of Christmas, like me and you. 
 

 
 Not stockings, but bras, at the foot of their bed, 
 For this was BETA fitness, what more need be said, 
 When all of a sudden, from out of the still night, 
 There came such a ruckus, it gave me a fright. 

  
 And I saw 'cross the parking lot, what looked like fun, 
 A loaded up treadmill, come on at full run, 
 The driver was "huffin" an "puffin", and goin up hill, 
 The old gals (not reindeer) she drove with such skill. 

  
 "Come on there Diane, Debbie, Paula and Vicky, the end is in sight, 
 There'll be plenty of “in zone” exercisin’ for all you tonight." 
 The driver in spandex and Beta pink shirt, instead of red,
 Had a shinny new Polar watch strapped to her forehead. 

  
 As she stepped from the treadmill, she was really a sight, 
 No batwings or love handles, only solid muscle might. 
 As she burst in the trainer room, the ladies awoke, 
 And were so astonished, that none of them spoke. 

  
 And she filled up their bras with such presents galore,

 Shorts, t-shirts, socks brand new from the fitness store.
 When Donna recovered from surprise and a pause, 
 She asked in a whisper, "Are you really Christine Claus?" 

  
 "Am I the real Santa? Well, what do you think?" 
 And she smiled as she gave a mischievous wink. 
 Then she leaped in her treadmill, and called back to us all, 
 "To all the women at Westhills, BETA Christmas, to You-all" 

Donna’s Fitness A to Z

A – Attitude – A positive attitude makes it easier to work out so start each workout with the understanding that your commitment to this program is a benefit to women in the future – our daughters, grandchildren and female friends.

B – Breast Self Exam –  To keep your breasts healthy be diligent with breast self exam.

C- Control - Control your fitness and your body so it doesn’t control you.

D- Dream – dream about a world without breast cancer and how your commitment to this research study will make a difference in some small way to this future.

E – Evaluation – Look forward to you 3, 6, 9 month and final evaluations to help you understand your personal accomplishment and your current level of health.

F - Dr. Christine Friedenreich  is the Principal Investigators for the BETA Trial that has made this project possible.

G – Goals – Have you set goals for yourself for after the program?  This will help you keep up your level of fitness that you have worked so hard to achieve.

H- Help - Get by with a little help from your friends – most of us need encouragement at some time during the program and words of encouragement are appreciated from others in the program.  Give someone a smile and a few words of kindness.

I – Interest – to keep yourself interested and motivated in fitness you need variety during the program so try new equipment, join a fitness workout, try a class in the pool.  Do something new this week.

J – Jiggle – did you giggle when you wiggled before this program?  You will see things “tighten” and firm up.  Some of the jiggle is gone and our jeans probably fit better now!

K – KISS– keep it simple stupid  - meet with the trainers 3 days a week and do 2 on your own.

L – Listen to your body. If you need to take a rest day take it.  Our bodies are giving us messages but we need to listen and hear what they are telling us.

M – Mammogram – Once a year without fail get this done and encourage one friend to do it at the same time.

N – Neglect – some things will get neglected in order for you to fit in workouts.  It’s ok for this to happen but you can ask your family members to pitch in to get things done.  You’re not in this alone.

O – Organized – keeping organized in your life allows you the time to workout and juggle all of the other things you need to do.

P – Prioritize – put yourself first for once in your life so you have a life!

Q – Questions – ask questions about the equipment you are using, about your health and your fitness level.

R -  Rest, Reenergize, Relax – Your body needs rest 2 days a week free from workouts.  Workout 5 days and rest 2 days so your body can recover.

S – Stretch – End each workout with stretching.  Stretching can help to relax and balance tension on muscles that have just been exercised and can increase our range of motion and besides it feels good after a hard workout!

 

T – Time – Schedule your time for your workouts at the beginning of every week.  This way everyone will know that you are busy at this time and unable to take on other commitments.  It’s your time to accomplish things for yourself and your family by being healthy.

U – Understanding – understand your body and your ability to strive to improve.  Our bodies all react differently to the fitness so we have individual changes.  Don’t measure yourself against others in the program.

V – Vacation – everyone deserves a vacation during the program but remember you can still do your workouts if you plan to.  Take along your fitness equipment with you when go and you will get it done!

W – Work Life Balance – Take time from your work every day to go out for a walk or to enjoy a bit of personal time for yourself.  You will be more productive the rest of the day and have a smile on your face.

X –eXploration – Review the new things you can do now that you could not do prior to joining this program.  You will be surprised at what you have achieved!  Can you jog, cross-country ski, snowshoe, swim, run upstairs?

Y – You – life is not a test run and you are the CEO of your body.   Remember where your health goes in your life is up to you. 

Z – ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ – get plenty of sleep.  Sleep reduces stress, improves your judgment, mood, and ability to learn and retain information.

Fitness and vacation

For the past week I have been on a much needed vacation and had the opportunity to visit one of my “bucket list” places.  I had the extreme pleasure of visiting Oahu, Hawaii.

Before I left for Hawaii I was concerned that my fitness that I have worked so hard to achieve, would  go by the way side and I would also take a vacation from fitness.  So many people did comment and tell me that I deserved a break and had earned a vacation where I didn’t need to think about fitness.  At first I thought you bet – why not!  I’ve worked hard for the past 9 months and I am sure that 10 days is not going to do any harm to my level but in the back of my mind I heard that inner little voice saying “who are you trying to fool?”

In the past I have heard and listened to many of those little talking voices that whisper in your mind giving you excuses to ignore what you need to do to maintain a healthy body.  Just one day, just one week….you deserve it!  We’ve all heard these little messages and all too often have heeded their message to steer us down the path of weight gain, the middle tire, love handles and unhealthy lifestyles.  Not this time – I was determined that this time it would be different – I hoped!  One of the first things I asked my sister who I was going to be staying with was “Is there a gym where we will be staying?”  She said no but that there was 39 steps to the 3^rd floor of our condo and that might work.

Before I headed to Hawaii I made sure I got in two workouts.  One was on the Sunday and then the next day Monday morning before I caught my fight I went to the gym for my sweat out before sitting for over 5 hours on the plane.

On vacation there are MANY distractions to keep you from thinking about fitness and working out  -  soaking up the sun, relaxing in the pool, bubbling in the hot tub and not to mention go old retail therapy.  This was not to be I soon discovered on my first morning.  At 5 am my friendly little exercise monitor started calling me.  Yes at 5 am the my fine feathered local rooster would start my wakeup call reminding me of my commitment to keep it real.   I guess it was destiny for me that I received this “divine” assistance to get my workout  done early before the blazing sun had slipped over the horizon every morning and I had the excuses down firm and no time to get it done.

I felt that this was my own personal wake up call to remind me that I needed to get up and get my workout done for the day before I got distracted by all the vacation activities or heat.  I would ever sooooooo slowly pry open my eye lids to look out the window to see if it was light yet and to think in my mind “rooster stew” and slowly slip my feet into my flip flops to slid out of bed to have a bit of food to get ready to jog since where we stayed there was no gym in sight!  I knew that once the sun was well up that it would be way too hot to jog.  I think that the rooster had been given my Makha address by the fitness trainers from Westside to ensure that I got my workouts done while away.  It would have been all to easy to say – no gym around so I will forget it until back in Calgary.  I tired to close my eyes but that little rooster would have none of that – cock-a-doodle-do!  I am sure he could see my eyes.

Once out of bed, dressed and warmed up by jogging I noticed that there were quite a other joggers out there that had been roused by the “rooster alarm” as well as an ever vigilant group of peacocks scattering as I jogged by.    Jogging in Hawaii certainly has advantages.  The scenery is beautiful with the view of the serene blue ocean on the horizon, the golden beach sand beckoning at me for a post workout swim, palm trees gently waving in the morning trade winds breezes, the air filled with the sweet aroma of flowering plants and my ears treated to the chirping of what sounded like thousands of  birds cheering my every step and not to mention that ceaseless crowing of that silly little rooster!   It was an experience that   anyone who was not out jogging at 6:15 in the morning missed!  I felt truly blessed to be able to experience the undisturbed peace provided by the great Creator (except for that rooster.)

I soon learned that the jog from the condo to the ocean was only 15 minutes there downhill  and 15 minutes back uphill.  Didn’t see any women out jogging but there were senior men and some with friendly dogs.  Most people looked very healthy so I guess this was a good and inspiring sign.  Everyone had a smile on their face and always gave a friendly smile and a wave as they went by.  Most, if not all, were faster than I was but I was giving it a try.  That’s all I could ask of myself and at least I wasn’t laying in bed wishing I could find my ear plugs to drown the rooster call.

Once my jog was done for the day I was ready to go and get on with being a tourist on vacation.  One day was spent on a bus tour of the island.  I would highly recommend doing a bus tour your first day on the island if you haven’t been there before.  The bus ride gave me a real sense of the layout of the island and places I might want to go back and spend more time at as well as giving a historical background on the important parts.  Well worth the outlay of the cash and I got to visit the Dole pineapple plantation as well as the macadamia nut tasting store, numerous beaches, jungle and ancient volcanic structures.

What else does one do for exercise in Hawaii?  Well there is the pool…much colder than the ocean to say the least however you can get a good workout there by doing just your basic swim or you can do your own version of aerobics or water jog.  The ocean is another good place to get a bit of exercise and not having to work up a sweat.  The waves and current are enough to keep you having to constantly move your body to keep close to shore.  Walking on the sand is a chore in itself.  Not sure how one might be able to run in this almost quick sand sucking your feet at every move.  Seems like there is so much to see that you are constantly walking and of course there is always retail therapy (but can get costly) where you can walk for hours shopping – it’s all exercise.

Well I’m back in the land of ice and snow. Missing my workouts in Hawaii but like all good vacations they come to any end with a screech of reality with a wakeup this morning of -19 C.  Aloha!

Journey of the Exercise Queen

Journey of the Exercise Queen

A cure for breast cancer the Pink Ribbon of Hope

For some it’s too late and their families need to cope

Beta study cancer research is all for the breast
Applied for the program it was best

Road to good health and supervised fitness

Will help all women avoid this terrible illness

Answered all the questions then had a blood test
Walked on the treadmill until I needed a rest
DAX and CT scan had my body assessed

Will they really let me begin

Once they find out what bad shape I’m in?

Who said layin on the couch was such a sin?

I got the call the day before my birthday, I felt I was blessed
Keep it easy, start slow is what they suggest

Heart Rate monitor, water bottle, diary, pink shirt and shoes

They said hard workouts get rid of the blues

Cold wet strap on my chest

I’m sure this is going to give me cardiac arrest!

They said it would be easy and lots of fun
They didn’t tell me I was going to have to run

What do you think does this all seem extreme

I guess I need to pay for eating that ice cream

They tell me exercise hard and it will make you lean

I’m a couch potato trying to be the exercise queen

Wake me up fast this must be a bad dream

Pink ribbon warriors, we’re Christine’s old gals

Focusing on this study instead of ourselves

Our trainers are there to maintain the reign

Checking to see if we are ok and don’t have any pain

Three days a week I head to West Side Fitness Centre

Walking slowly and thinking about reasons to enter

Meeting new friends as we pass coming in

30 or 60, how long has it bin?

You look like you lost weight your face is now thin

Jason, Tanya, Shannon, Margo, and Sue do their walk-about

I think they are checking to see who has passed out

They laugh and tell us that we’ve misunderstood

They’re really checking that we’re still doing good

We laugh and call them the slave drivers

But really they are encouraging us to be thrivers

Checking my numbers and staying in range

All I can say is I feel kind of strange

Everyone else is skinny and buff

Fat hanging over my shorts in a puff

I look like I must have ate to much stuff

Spare tire in front and love handles on side

No longer look like a skinny young bride

Thighs that rub and boobs that bounce

Every step moving toward goals by the ounce

My body has padding and plenty of giggle

Will exercise really get rid of this wiggle?

My husband has said I have a new man called “Jim”
That I meet after work and now neglect him

I’m working so hard but not getting slim

Give me some air it’s too hot in this gym

Help me please I can’t stand extreme heat

My face is so red it looks like an old beet

Exercise in here this is definitely no retreat
No air conditioner here so turn on a fan
Help isn’t here yet, quick find me an iceman

Give me some deodorant I think I need Ban

Rivers of sweat running fast down my back
I smell like a racehorse run hard at the track
Working so hard my legs are now shaking
Muscles are cramping and slowly aching

Ten more minutes I mumble “determination “

Stay focused, stay focused, Lord give me motivation

Monitor won’t work when I take a swim

Guess it is elliptical to help get me trim

My shoes are hurting and seem to tight
Is it possible to get them to fit just right?
Crash in my bed for a long sleep tonight

Dreaming of running and that they have finally won the fight

First the deadmill that seems all up hill

Next the swearmaster who am I trying to kill?

My breath is now coming in little short puffs

I keep telling myself this must be enough

I must be done soon because I’m running out of steam

Just keep on going, you’re almost there, you’re part of this team

Check the mirror quick when I get undressed

Have I changed yet and do I look like Mae West?

I am now strong, healthy and trying my best

I working so hard for the breast cancer quest

Huffin, puffin gettin ready for the 6 month test

I now know why they call the test stress

Because I’m on the verge of cardiac arrest

But they tell me keep pushing it’s all for the best

Once you are done you can have a rest

They crank up the treadmill incline until I think I am dying

Sweat pouring off me until it looks like I’m crying

Some of the familiar faces are now gone

Must be all done, could they have been here this long?

I’m still here yet and so think I’ve done wrong

But no, I need to work harder and get strong

Protecting my breasts for my full lifelong

Exercise fast while listening to song

The gym feels like home now I’m starting to belong

Six months has past in a flash

I can now even do a fast dash

Really this fitness has been a blast

I can thank Beta for this wonderful chance

To help medical science advance

The finish line is now here

I can’t believe that it is already a year

Though at first the journey seemed long

The end is now here and I am now strong

I will miss the friends and like to have stayed

Wishing somehow to continue the crusade

My sacrifice was small and one that I wouldn’t trade

Thank you Beta for the new body I’ve made!

Hoping that this intervention will help me survive

And keep my breasts healthy to past ninety five

Donna deMan

30 minute program

Results of 9 months of blood, sweat, and tears!

Nine months of blood, sweat and tears has now passed!  I am surprised that I have survived this long in the program.  I may have mentioned in passing that it has not been easy at times.  No, I can't say the trainers really work us that hard however it is more about the commitment and the motivation to workout.

I have been dedicated to this research project.  I have not missed one workout since I started in the program.  Not sure actually how many work outs that has been - but it's been a lot of them.  I worked out when I was in Austin, Texas at a conference for a week and I worked out when I was on vacation for a week in the summer with scorching heat.  I was out there jogging and sweating.  Sometimes I had to put my mind in auto pilot because there were MANY distractions while away from home having a good time.  I made the choice to put my exercise plans 1st and committed to them just like this program.  Do you think this has helped?  I'll let you be the judge. 

Here are my fitness results after 6 months.  At the start of my program my VO2 rate was assessed as 27.5 and fell in the fair category for my age.  At my 6 month assessment my VO2 rate was 31.4 moving me into the good category.  Yesterday on my 9 month assessment Vo2 rate was 35.45 moving me into the excellent category.  I still have 3 more months to go and am wondering where will I go from here???  Is there another category about excellent - what's it called - Super Duper?  Or perhaps Senior Super? 

I don't think that I look excellent so perhaps there is another area that I will need to look at.  One would think that someone one that was in the excellent category would have a certain appearance wouldn't they?  Perhaps someone that is in the excellent category would look like one of those particularly fit athletes that are displayed on those fitness magazine.  Maybe I have read the wrong fitness magazines?  Is there something I'm missing are there fitness models in the elderly fitness magazines?  Are there elderly fitness magazines?  Could be a whole new category of magazines that we are missing in this age of the coming of the baby boomers wave!  There has got to be something to understand what someone fit at this age is supposed to look like.  It appears that there are no visual role models for us to aspire to.

Monday next week I am off to Hawaii for a vacation.  The first thing I asked my sister "is there a gym near by?"   I will be working out in Hawaii one way or another and am already thinking that perhaps that everyone in the program should have the opportunity to workout in Hawaii!  What do you think?

Tomorrow night I am attending the Beta Trial event and have been asked to participate.  I'll be updating shortly on this exciting evening!  We will get to meet the staff of the Beta Trial, the sponsors and others that support and run the program.  Hope to see you at this event!

I'm 9 months!

I’ve been going to the gym and have discovered that I have now been in this fitness program for 9 months!  I have booked my 9 month fitness test for next week and of course it is on the dreaded treadmill again!

For every fitness test I have to study.  I am sure you wonder how do you study for a fitness test?  It’s on a treadmill so what can you bone up on?  My studying includes actually using the treadmill.  The only time I really ever use the treadmill is for my test or to practice up before my test to see if I can actually do it.

I guess by now you have figured out that the treadmill is not one of my favorite pieces of equipment.  So why is that?  I can tell that that I have had one of those dust bunny catching cloths hanging machines in my house and it was used very little.   I do think that they are nice to have around in the winter when it is really cold outside but I find them noisy and if I am going to be on a machine I like to be able to watch a bit of TV to pass the time.  It’s hard to hear over the treadmill noise unless you turn up the TV and then it is so loud that the neighbors are wondering if there is a party at my house.

Next week I will be participating in the Beta Fitness event where I will have the opportunity to read and talk about my poem.  I am surprised that they would want me to do this.  When I wrote the poem it was only to submit to the cook book that the Beta team will publish with the participant recipes.  I am excited to participate however I think it might be an emotional experience!

I have another accomplishment I want to share.  I participated in the Run for the Cure and jogged the 5 klm.  I was so worried if I would be able to do this that the day before I jogged 5 klm just to see if I could do it.  So 10 klm in 2 days - I feel very proud of this accomplishment.  Not to mention that I was able to raise $540 for breast cancer research.  I started my fund raising 4 weeks before the big day so if I had started earlier I probably could have raised quite a bit more.    

There we thousands of people for the run.  Dog, strollers, people running, walking, and then there were the people watching from the side lines.  Some of the houses along the route had set up entertainment.  One house had a live band playing and they were pretty good too!  Another house had a cloths line of bras struck from one side of the street to the other that we ran under as we went by.  Another house had a display of pink stuffed animals, flowers, umbrellas and cloths.  Someone else has made up a funny looking mammogram machine.  Everyone along the route was there to cheer us along.  It was very motivating.  I am really glad that I was able to participate and raise funds. I am already planning on doing this again next year for sure and hope to have some of my friends join me next time around.  My friend Jane was kind enough to meet me at the finish line.  It was nice to have a friend there to see my accomplishment.  Thanks Jane!

 October 31 I will be going to Hawaii.  It’s my very first visit to Hawaii.  I fly into Honolulu and will be staying there for 3 days and then in Makau for another 4 days and then fly out on Nov 7^th.  I am sure it will be a fun time.  The first thing I asked my sister who I was going to stay with was “is there a gym near by”?  When I stay in Honolulu there is a gym in the building I will be in however here I am in Makau there is no gym however maybe I can find one near by.  If I can’t find one near by then I know that they is a set of stair, 37 to be exact, that I can use or perhaps I can jog.  If not then I guess it is laps in the swimming pool or swimming in the ocean. 

Sweat is....

Lite 95.9 supports Breast Cancer

Lite 95.9 Pay For Play All Request Friday

for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Lite 95.9 plays Today’s Best Music everyday, and on Friday, October 21st we’re going to play YOUR music…but we’ll make you pay for it!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease, we’re asking our amazing listeners to pledge a donation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
We’re letting you choose the music for the day!  Just complete the form below to request your song.  Be sure to share the reason you’ve selected the song. Is it a dedication to a loved one?  A song that reminds you of a specific moment? 
We’ll be taking your requests online until Thursday, October 20th.  If your song and story is going to be used, you will receive an email with a link to make your donation.  Check out our website  for more information click  Lite 95.9 Pay for Play
Pay for Play All Request Friday is October 21st 6am-9pm.

Thanks for your support

5 Klm jogging Saturday and then 5 klm again jogging on Sunday in Run for the Cure.  $540.00 raised for the Run for the Cure.  Thanks everyone for your support! 

Documentary about breast cancer

About Her, a new documentary about breast cancer featuring a Chatelaine blogger.

"You can never know when or how you'll die. You can only choose how you'll live." — Leanne Coppen

Scared Fitless!

I just finished 32 weeks of fitness - that's 8 months and so I have 4 months left in this research program on Breast Cancer and the correlation it has to fitness.  I am starting to feel what I call "scared fitless"!  Why you might ask?

I have gone from sitting on the couch with a starting VO2 Max of 27.5 to achieving 31.4 at my 6 month test.  I hope that I am improving but will only know when I have completed my total 12 months at the end of the study when the Beta Breast Cancer study team do my final evaluations.  That is the end of the program for me in their study.  I feel that have gotten somewhere in improving my overall fitness level and want to know to how to continue to keep my level at what I have achieved but am not sure what I should do.

I know I have 4 months left to figure it out so why worry now?  I am a firm believer that if you don't have a success plan ahead of time it will be all to easy to slip back into old habits and make excuses to put off what I am doing 5 days a week.  Granted it hasn't been easy to do this fitness schedule while working full time however somehow I have managed to fit this into my life and have learned to let some things go as a sacrifice for improving my own health while contributing to a scientific study.

I know that this journey has not been easy at times and many times during the day I have said to myself - "Just skip today and do it tomorrow" but no I headed to the gym.  People were counting on me to be there - Dr. Christine Friedenreich, the fitness trainers, the Beta office study team and the other women working hard in the program.  I couldn't let them down.  Who will be counting on me to be at the end of my portion of the study at the end of January 2012.

Who will care if I am working out?  Of course me but some times you need a bit of extra motivation. Where is this going to come from?  Thinking about the end of my program is making me feel a bit nervous and it feels like finishing high school and wondering what is next in life and what should I do.  Wishing someone would just decide for you.  It's like becoming a parent for the first time.  Before the baby arrives you think, yup got all down, I know what to do but then when the little one arrives you think - "help - now what...does the nurse come home with you from the hospital? No nurse - that's not in the book!"  I'm on my own?  Is there a book?  Some how you muddle through and get it right be trail and error and friends and relatives helping you along with friendly encouragement.

I am still not at all sure what I will do at the end of the program.  I have heard that many people in the previous study did not continue to keep up their fitness level.  I know that I am no different that any of the women that have gone before me in this study so am trying to figure out how to keep doing what I have done.

I don't know much about exercise and fitness as you probably already know however I think that really in the grand scheme of things I am about average with most people about knowledge of exercise.  Sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous and can actually cause injury instead of helping you improve.   This is my dilemma - how to continue and make my schedule interesting without injuring myself or returning to my inactive ways!

I know how to set goals and how to achieve them and my currently goal is to run in the October 2nd Run for the Cure in Calgary.  For me this is a huge achievement since I would never have attempted to run 5 klm in my life for fear of collapse or worse yet - a heart attack.  I know feel that I can do this and will be lacing up my shoes on October 2nd.  I feel that I can set a goal and achieve it if I know enough on how to do it.  My next goal will be to develop some kind of a strategy to continue on my fitness plan so that I can keep healthy.   How....hmmm not sure but I am going to be working this out and have a draft plan in place by the end of November on what February 2012 will look like for me.  I have a couple of vague ideas that I want to incorporate but for now want to apply the SMART goal setting acronym so that I can at least have a plan on how to I am going to do this.  I believe that by writing down my goals and sharing them on this blog that I too can continue along my already improved (what I perceived as successful) fitness .

So what are SMART goals you ask?  They word SMART is an acronym and the S is for specific, the M is for measurable, the A is attainable, the R is for realistic and the T is for timely.   Goals need to be written them down and shared to be successful.   If no one knows what you want to acheive it is easy to not follow through and know one will ever know if you haven't been successful.

I want to slide from the end of my current program into working out on my own and make it a smooth transition so that I don't loose momentum.  Is it possible?  I hope so...more to come in the next weeks as I work toward my goal of having my SMART goals developed by the end of November!  Stay tuned!

Journey of the Exercise Queen

Journey of the Exercise Queen

A cure for breast cancer the Pink Ribbon of Hope

For some it’s too late and their families need to cope

Beta study cancer research is all for the breast
Applied for the program it was best

Road to good health and supervised fitness

Will help all women avoid this terrible illness

Answered all the questions then had a blood test
Walked on the treadmill until I needed a rest
DAX and CT scan had my body assessed

Will they really let me begin

Once they find out what bad shape I’m in?

Who said layin on the couch was such a sin?

I got the call the day before my birthday, I felt I was blessed
Keep it easy, start slow is what they suggest

Heart Rate monitor, water bottle, diary, pink shirt and shoes

They said hard workouts get rid of the blues

Cold wet strap on my chest

I’m sure this is going to give me cardiac arrest!

They said it would be easy and lots of fun
They didn’t tell me I was going to have to run

What do you think does this all seem extreme

I guess I need to pay for eating that ice cream

They tell me exercise hard and it will make you lean

I’m a couch potato trying to be the exercise queen

Wake me up fast this must be a bad dream

Pink ribbon warriors, we’re Christine’s old gals

Focusing on this study instead of ourselves

Our trainers are there to maintain the reign

Checking to see if we are ok and don’t have any pain

Three days a week I head to West Side Fitness Centre

Walking slowly and thinking about reasons to enter

Meeting new friends as we pass coming in

30 or 60, how long has it bin?

You look like you lost weight your face is now thin

Jason, Tanya, Shannon, Margo, and Sue do their walk-about

I think they are checking to see who has passed out

They laugh and tell us that we’ve misunderstood

They’re really checking that we’re still doing good

We laugh and call them the slave drivers

But really they are encouraging us to be thrivers

Checking my numbers and staying in range

All I can say is I feel kind of strange

Everyone else is skinny and buff

Fat hanging over my shorts in a puff

I look like I must have ate to much stuff

Spare tire in front and love handles on side

No longer look like a skinny young bride

Thighs that rub and boobs that bounce

Every step moving toward goals by the ounce

My body has padding and plenty of giggle

Will exercise really get rid of this wiggle?

My husband has said I have a new man called “Jim”
That I meet after work and now neglect him

I’m working so hard but not getting slim

Give me some air it’s too hot in this gym

Help me please I can’t stand extreme heat

My face is so red it looks like an old beet

Exercise in here this is definitely no retreat
No air conditioner here so turn on a fan
Help isn’t here yet, quick find me an iceman

Give me some deodorant I think I need Ban

Rivers of sweat running fast down my back
I smell like a racehorse run hard at the track
Working so hard my legs are now shaking
Muscles are cramping and slowly aching

Ten more minutes I mumble “determination “

Stay focused, stay focused, Lord give me motivation

Monitor won’t work when I take a swim

Guess it is elliptical to help get me trim

My shoes are hurting and seem to tight
Is it possible to get them to fit just right?
Crash in my bed for a long sleep tonight

Dreaming of running and that they have finally won the fight

First the deadmill that seems all up hill

Next the swearmaster who am I trying to kill?

My breath is now coming in little short puffs

I keep telling myself this must be enough

I must be done soon because I’m running out of steam

Just keep on going, you’re almost there, you’re part of this team

Check the mirror quick when I get undressed

Have I changed yet and do I look like Mae West?

I am now strong, healthy and trying my best

I working so hard for the breast cancer quest

Huffin, puffin gettin ready for the 6 month test

I now know why they call the test stress

Because I’m on the verge of cardiac arrest

But they tell me keep pushing it’s all for the best

Once you are done you can have a rest

They crank up the treadmill incline until I think I am dying

Sweat pouring off me until it looks like I’m crying

Some of the familiar faces are now gone

Must be all done, could they have been here this long?

I’m still here yet and so think I’ve done wrong

But no, I need to work harder and get strong

Protecting my breasts for my full lifelong

Exercise fast while listening to song

The gym feels like home now I’m starting to belong

Six months has past in a flash

I can now even do a fast dash

Really this fitness has been a blast

I can thank Beta for this wonderful chance

To help medical science advance

The finish line is now here

I can’t believe that it is already a year

Though at first the journey seemed long

The end is now here and I am now strong

I will miss the friends and like to have stayed

Wishing somehow to continue the crusade

My sacrifice was small and one that I wouldn’t trade

Thank you Beta for the new body I’ve made!

Hoping that this intervention will help me survive

And keep my breasts healthy to past ninety five

Donna deMan

30 minute program

Support me in the Run for the Cure October 2nd

I’m participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday, October 2, 2011. Can I count on your support?   A donation will really help me get closer to my fundraising goal. Any donation will make a difference and help create a future without breast cancer.

When I think about the estimated over 23,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in Canada, it feels good to support a cause that touches so many of us.  You can make a difference too. With your support, the Foundation will continue funding breast cancer research, education and health promotion initiatives across the country, making a difference from coast to coast. To learn more about the work the Foundation does, visit http://www.cbcf.org/.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Funds from this run are utilized by Alberta Cancer Foundation for a number of research projects.  One of the projects funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation is one that I have been participating in for over the past 6 months and it involves following 400 women that complete extensive aerobic fitness 5 days a week. This study is for one full year and the study follows women who have never had breast cancer to understand how aerobic fitness impacts the reduction of the factors that contribute to breast cancer. To learn more about this study http://www.beta-trial.com/beta-trial-basics.html <http://www.beta-trial.com/beta-trial-basics.html>

Rainy day office 15 minute workout

Rainy Day office 15 minute workout 

This workout requires no special equipment and can be done in your office and is supposed to be equivalent to walking 1 mile.  If you need it click on red for a Free online stop watch so you know how much time to spend on each activity.

March in place for 2 minutes

Side step 3 minutes

March in place 1 minutes

Knee high 3 minutes
March in place 1 minutes

Kick in air 3 minutes

March in place 2 minutes

You are now done 15 minutes of activity!

Follow me on Twitter

Check out my Twitter account Beta Fitness Twitter Account .  Please follow me.

Excellence

“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”

My 6 month results

I have worked hard! Darn hard over the past 6 months. Sweating buckets and climbing the stair way to heaven on the stair master, jogging to the ends of the earth, tread millin somewhere. I got my results from my 6 month test. Drum roll please.....

My VO2 at the beginning of the study was at 27.5 and it is now at 31.4. I have gone up. It is so hard to tell how you are doing with out the 6 month test. No more tests until the end of the program now. I hear that is more difficult to improve much after this point so that is probably why there isn't another test until the end.

This week I feel like a guinea pig. I have two devices monitoring my every move. I have the activyPAL3 glued to my right front thigh and I have an accelerometer strapped to my waist. Who knows what this will tell. I have to wear them both for 7 full days but you take them off when you go to bed at night or into water but that's the only time.

Back to my regular program at the gym again. Not sure if I want to put any to my program but I might decide to practice for my 12 month test. I think I might have to start now and do a bit every week. That's really only 24 weeks. Not sure as I really don't like the treadmill at all. Time will tell if I can psyche myself out enough to do it.

Ziploc Omelette

Ziploc Omelette

Ingredients

1 Ziploc Bag
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Diced Slice Ham
1 Tbsp Diced Raw Onions
1 Tbsp shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp Diced Sweet Red Pepper

1. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (but not more than 2). Seal bag. Squish and shake to combine eggs. Open bag.
2. Add two to four of the following: Cheeses, ham, onion, green or red pepper, tomato, salsa, mushrooms, etc. (1 tablespoon of each)
3. Seal bags, and shake and mix well.
4. Remove all the air from the bag and ZIP it up.
5. Place in microwave for 35 seconds for one bag (depends on your microwave) or Place the bag(s) into rolling, boiling water for 13 minutes. (You can usually cook 4-8 bags in a large pot)
6. Open the bags and the omelettes will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed!!

It is possible to prepare the bags the night before, then refrigerate until adding the bags to boiling water the next morning.

In 13 minutes, everyone gets their omelette for a quick breakfast!!

Number of Servings: 1

Practice for my 6 month test

I don't normally use a treadmill in my aerobic workouts because I have never really enjoyed the treadmill however I am preparing for my fitness test next week and it will be on the treadmill.

Last night at my gym aerobic workout I thought I should at least give the treadmill a try so that I will be ready for my test. The treadmill test is done walking at 3 mph and the only change that is made is to the elevation of the treadmill.

I started off at level 0 so that treadmill was flat and had to put the incline up to level 5 before I could get my heart rate even close to my aerobic range. My workout consisted of:

Level 1 - 7 was 10 minutes warmup
Level 8.5 was 5 minutes (in heart rate zone)
Level 8 was 10 minutes (in heart rate zone)
Level 7.5 was 8 minutes (in heart rate zone)
Level 8.5 was 7 minutes (in heart rate zone)

Level 0 - 4 was 5 minutes cool down

Total time walked while in zone was just over 2 miles.
Average heart rate was 133 over 30 minutes

My fitness test is next week and I will be going to the gym again tonight to use the treadmill again.

HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID??

As I was washing my hair in the shower this morning, I took time to read my shampoo bottle. I am in shock! The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my entire body says "for extra volume and body"!

Seriously, why have I not noticed this before? Now I understand why I am so "full-figured"!

Tomorrow I am going to start using Palmolive dishwashing liquid. It says right on the label "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."

It pays to read the warning labels, my friends!

Where has the time gone?

The time has flown by so fast and I have had less time to post now that I am exercising 5 days a week. Yes, the couch potato lost her throne and moved on to a more active life style. Driving to the gym, changing, warming up, working out, cooling down and stretching and meeting with the trainers and then driving home takes up about 2 to 2.5 hours per day. After I get home we still need to have supper. Somethings just don't get done. Things do fall behind.

I am now in week 22 and can't believe that I have almost reached the 6 month mark and my 6 month tests to see what improvements I have made. It is really difficult to see where you are when it is happening to you. The improvements are slow and they are hard for me to notice however I would say that I think I have more stamina. I have met many amazing other women on this journey to help others by contributing to this study.

I have a couple of pieces of equipment that I tend to focus on. One that I use at least once a week is the stair-master that I affectionate call the swear-master. If you have ever used or been on this machine you can understand my comments. Early in the study I observed people on that equipment and gave it a go but really couldn't manage however I was not to be outdone by a machine. I kept at it and slowly built up my stamina and today I can warm up on it and do a full 30 minutes within my heart range. Lets just say it's a VERY good and pretty hard workout - for me anyhow. It is also not one of the most popular machines at they gym and is often easy to get on even though there are only 3 of them at the gym. Most people don't give them a try.

The other piece of equipment that I will use is the elliptical but I save that for my lazy days as I now find it pretty easy and it is hard to get my heart rate up on it now so can get frustrating. I also have started jogging on the indoor track and also jog on the days when I don't need to go to the gym to meet with the trainers. Jogging really requires no equipment and can be done pretty well anywhere and it is much cooler outside than at they gym. I can go out in the early morning or after it has cooled off after the hot day.

The new piece of equipment that I have been using this past 2 weeks is called the Espresso which is a type of stationary bike that has a computer screen monitor hooked up to it and it appears that you are riding on a trail depending on which view you take. It cuts the boredom while doing your work out and has a variety of inclines so have to work harder to maintain your heart rate.

I am starting to look for other pieces of equipment to use so that I don't get to bored with using the same ones all of the time.

I'm out of the office to a conference in Austin, Texas next week and am a bit concerned with not being here to get to the gym. I can do two workouts before I leave but will have to make up 2 to 3 while I am way. There is a gym at the hotel so I am hoping that it will accommodate my required fitness level. The other option is of course to jog however I have been told that Austin is very very very hot at this time of the year so that may not be possible. I will also be going on vacation right after I get back from conference and this time will not have access to any gym equipment so am VERY concerned. I know I will have to rely on jogging entirely to meet my commitment so I am hoping the weather and the mosquitoes cooperate. I don't want to lose my momentum now that I have come this far and besides I have my 6 month tests to do as soon as I get back. Bad timing for sure!


Lessons Learned from the Gym and Beta program

1. Exercise and fitness improvement is a slow process however does work but it takes much longer than we would all like.
2. Fitness improvement is much like maintenance on anything else that you own. No maintenance and the item deteriorates. My body now has improved but my house has deteriorated but in the grand scheme of things I know what is more important!
3. Fitness requires a commitment of time and some things in your life will have to be sacrificed to allow the time commitment to fitness.
4. There are only 24 hours in the day and 8 of them are for sleeping and about 8 for work and that leaves 8 for eating, grooming, housework, family etc. Fitness must be scheduled in this time or it WILL not happen.
5. You must put yourself 1st or you will put off fitness. No one will tell you to do fitness 1st and then your other activities.
6. Start your fitness week on Sunday and do as much as you can for 5 days and take Friday and Saturday off if you can. That way if you miss a day or two you still can get your workouts done because you still have Friday and Saturday to do them.
7. Fitness becomes easier as you go along and it is not a chore so much as part of your life but you need to keep a positive attitude about it and how it is a benefit to you and the study.
8. Fitness is easier when you have a commitment to a common goal – like the Beta Study
9. The Fitness trainers are the best and always happy to see you and treat you with respect, kindness and encouragement. Thank you staff!