I have pretty good body image, I think. Sure, there are things about myself I’d like to change but I only focus on the things I can change with healthy habits. For every part of myself I am not crazy about, I can name another thing with which I really am satisfied – even happy. I am still breastfeeding, and I have some weight left to lose after my last baby was born in November, but overall I feel alright.

But cellulite.

If there is one part of postpartum that makes me feel as unattractive as possible, it’s the cellulite. I got it the first time around, I got rid of it, and now it’s back.

Mostly, if I avoid looking at my own ass in the bathroom mirror before I step into the shower, I don’t think about it.

Except… the yoga pants I wear every day for work are not looking so hot. I swear, if the light hits right from above you can see the dimples on my ass through the pants.

Got cellulite?

The oh-so-familiar "cellulite squeeze"

Cellulite is just fat. More specifically (in case you actually don’t have any cellulite… humph….) cellulite is the term we use to describe the dimpled pockets of fat on the thighs, upper arms, butt and abdomen. “Orange peel” and “cottage cheese” are a couple of terms you might have uttered before while squeezing that patch on your inner thigh. While your hubby might have the odd bit, mostly cellulite – like menstruation, childbirth and bikini shopping – is a woman’s problem.

Here’s the bad news:

• Cellulite is believed to be largely genetic – a woman can be overweight and have very little cellulite while another, leaner woman might have particularly stubborn patches of it. Thank your mom.
• Cellulite cannot be “cured” with any lotion, potion or procedure. Not a single method or product has solid scientific evidence behind it. Results are minimal, temporary and not worth the money.

Here’s the good news:

• Cellulite – like all fat - can be dramatically reduced with regular exercise to lower body fat and strength training to tone the underlying muscle
• Cellulite’s appearance can be reduced with a healthy diet, lots of water (in you, not on you) and limited consumption of alcohol and caffeine.

My recommendation: move your butt, watch your diet and avoid bad lighting.  But isn’t that the answer to most of life’s mysteries?

Where’s your cellulite?  Have you ever tried any magic potions to “cure” it?

The “fat burning zone” is one of those exercise myths that just. won’t. die.

If you work out at a gym, you’ve probably encountered that little box on your favourite cardio machine – the box that tells you where your heart rate should be for the “cardio zone” and the “fat burning zone”… as if the two are not compatible.

Well, ignore it.  It’s about as outdated as the notion that a woman shouldn’t lift heavy weights or she’ll “bulk up.”  That’s another blog, by the way…

Where does this antiquated workout philosophy come from?

The body stores fat to use as daily fuel.  Not just to make you fear swimsuit shopping or give you dimples in those white pants you wish you could wear, but for an actual purpose.  Regular, low intensity activity like walking around the shopping mall, vacuuming, blinking, breathing and just generally existing is fuelled primarily by fat. Through chemical reactions, fat molecules are converted into a form of sugar for the muscles of the body to use.  Great news, right?  So keep moving – there is some very interesting research now to tell us that daily movement might be the key to staying slender!

At higher intensities, fat recruitment is just too slow to provide enough fuel for the muscles.  At real workout intensity, about 60-90% of your maximum effort, the body begins to rely more on sugar available in your blood for just that purpose.  Fat is still used, but at a smaller percentage.

Here’s the catch.  A pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories.  A pound of fat is a pound of fat is a pound of fat. If you stroll on the treadmill for 30 minutes and burn 120 calories, you’re definitely worse off than if you had mixed lower and higher speed intervals for 30 minutes, with a heart rate at about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate, for 30 minutes to burn 300 calories.  Which would you rather burn?  120 or 300 calories?  Not a difficult choice.

In fact, we now know there is evidence that exercising at a lower intensity level when you’re trying to shed pounds has no substantial effect on the amount of fat you’ll lose.  Overweight and obese women on a low-calorie diet were told either to exercise at a moderate intensity (approximately 50% of their maximum effort) or vigorous intensity (approximately 75% of their maximum effort), and there was no substantial difference in the amount of abdominal fat lost by either group.

Another reason to go intense?  More intense workouts, like those involving heavier weights or speed intervals, have a greater

Add sprints to your cardio workout to maximize your calories burned!

effect on your body after your workout. Train hard and you’ll elevate your metabolism for the next 24-72 hours.  That means your workout is still working for you the following day, and maybe even the day after that!

Here’s a quick way to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) to find out where your heart rate should be for optimal cardiovascular training and fat loss:

MHR = 220 – age

Example: 220 – 35 = MHR 185 beats per minute (bpm)

To train optimally, perform your cardio workouts in a heart rate range of 65-85% MHR. This is your target heart rate range (THR).  Grab your calculator and figure out 65% and 85% of your maximum heart rate.  In the case of our example, a 35-year old woman, her THR is 120 – 157 bpm for her to make an impact on her body fat level and/or cardiovascular endurance.

That’s the real fat burning zone.

Fall is an exciting time for both parents and children alike, with the seasons changing and the return to school fast approaching.  As a family that does more than their share of walking - whether that is to the park, around town, or to get the weekly groceries, I find myself outraged by the carelessness of drivers that I see every day.  We’ve all seen them - cars speeding in residential zones, driving over bike lanes, and ignoring pedestrians in the shoulder on streets without sidewalks.  The new cell phone laws and texting laws are a great step in the right direction, but there is a lot more that could {and should} be done to protect pedestrians, bikers, and other vehicles on the road.     

Now that I am a mom, I realize that I cannot keep my child safe every second of every day.  I hate the fact that I must trust that others will keep my child safe when I can’t be around, and even more so that I must trust strangers to behave in ways that don’t endanger my children while we are out of the house.  We all pray that nothing like this ever happens to us, and that we will never find ourselves in the position little Elle’s parents found themselves in.  This new law is a step in the right direction as far as holding others accountable for their actions and making sure that everyone is acting like their little ones could be that child in the crosswalk. 

When I heard about Elle’s Law, I was really excited that there was progress being made to make this accountability a possibility everywhere.  Although this law only affects New York, it should serve as a wakeup call to every state that pedestrian safety cannot be overlooked and a reminder to parents everywhere that in order to keep back to school time fun and happy for everyone, it is crucial to keep traffic safety top of mind.

About Elle’s Law:

Last September, a three year old little girl named Elle was on her way to preschool when she was hit by a driver who had illegally backed through an intersection in search of a parking space. Elle spent weeks in a coma, had a stroke and lost most of the left side of her brain. The driver only received a slap on the wrist - a minor traffic ticket.

Fortunately, Elle has made a miraculous recovery and will be returning to school this fall, but many children have not been as lucky. The summer is long and drivers often forget that come fall, the streets will once again swarm with children heading to and from school. When a traffic accident involves a child, it is a tragedy that affects the entire family and its community. Unfortunately, in the majority of states in the US, there are no laws in place to deal with reckless drivers who are not under the influence of alcohol who harm pedestrians. New York, where Elle was struck, is one of those states. Because the driver who hit Elle was not drunk, he would not be punished beyond a minor traffic ticket. Elle’s mother was told that the only thing she could do is sue him.

Elle’s mother, Heather Vandenberghe, took a different approach.   Instead of suing that one driver and receiving only limited compensation for a life that is priceless, Heather decided to take action to protect other children from being the victims of careless drivers and pushed through legislation that would create harsher penalties for reckless driving.

You can see the facebook page set up for Elle’s Law here

Governor Paterson Signs “Elle’s Law”

Signing comes less than two months after bill, sponsored by State Senator Dilan and Assemblyman Kellner, was unanimously passed by the NYS Legislature;

“Elle’s Law” will strengthen penalties for injuring pedestrians while driving recklessly; law named for three-year-old Elle, who was struck by car driving wrong way on Manhattan street to get a parking spot

ALBANY, NEW YORK (AUGUST 16) – Governor David Paterson has signed “Elle’s Law,” which will strengthen state motor vehicle laws by hiking penalties for similar driving violations, helping to ensure pedestrian safety – and acting as a deterrent for reckless drivers.  The signing came less than two months after the New York State Legislature unanimously passed bills sponsored by Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner (D-Manhattan) and State Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (D-Brooklyn).

“Elle’s Law” is named after young Elle, who was struck down by a motorist driving backwards down a Manhattan street – just to get a parking spot.  Elle continues to recover from massive head trauma and significant brain damage; meanwhile, the driver was given a traffic summons, and nothing more.  “Elle’s Law” will result in any driver injuring a pedestrian while driving recklessly having his or her license suspended for up to a year.  (Current laws are already very strict for reckless driving either under the influence or impaired by alcohol.)  

“I want to thank Governor Paterson for signing this important piece of legislation into law, and extend our gratitude to Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senator Dilan, Assembly Member Kellner and the members of the State Legislature for shepherding ‘Elle’s Law’ through the process,” said Heather Vandenberghe, the mother of Elle.  “The main goal of ‘Elle’s Law’ has always been to protect pedestrians of all ages across New York State from suffering the same fate as my daughter.  Elle’s Law will serve as a strong deterrent to motorists who might consider breaking traffic laws, and as a result will make our streets safer.”

“I’m proud to have co-sponsored this piece of legislation, which will protect pedestrians and drivers alike,” said State Senator Dilan, who also serves as Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.  “Elle’s Law sends a clear message that blatant disregard for traffic regulations can have devastating consequences.”

“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” said Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner.  “Elle’s tragedy exposed a huge loophole in the law — since there is no criminal penalty for reckless drivers who injure pedestrians unless they are intoxicated, we needed to ensure that there was some way to get dangerous drivers off the road.  That’s why I introduced Elle’s Law.  By signing Elle’s Law the Governor turned this little girl’s tragedy into a legacy: making it safer for every New Yorker to cross the street.”

Last Friday, on August 13^th, Governor Paterson signed “Elle’s Law” into law. Under Elle’s Law, any driver who causes serious physical harm to another person will committing a traffic violation will receive license suspension of up to a year.

If you know me, you know I love my Starbucks.  Or “S-bucks” as we simply call it around my house.  I am at S-bucks almost every day, at some point, to stop in for my usual: a grande bold blend with a bit of cream (yes, cream) and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  We even grind and brew S-bucks at home every morning.  Really… I should have shares.

That’s nothing special, though.  S-bucks is everywhere these days.  When I schedule a walk or park playdate for our New Toronto Moms Meetup (www.newtorontomoms.com), I often choose a Starbucks as our meeting point.  Not just because I’m an addict.  They really are everywhere.  They have change tables, they’re breastfeeding friendly, and they have such a wide variety on their menu (both food and drink) that they can usually make everyone happy.

OK, so I like Starbucks.  But the lovefest ends here.

Here’s a question for you: What’s your usual Starbucks order? Is it a “tall soy latte, easy foam” or a “venti iced coffee with milk” or maybe a “grande mocha frappucino, hold the whip”…?

Starbucks (or Second Cup, or Tim Horton’s or whatever your poison is) can be the pick-me-up in your day.  But it can also really mess up your diet.

Starbucks drinks range from 0-500+ calories per serving.  500 calories? That’s a meal!  Here are a few drinks to avoid when visiting S-bucks next time.  Loaded with saturated fat, sugar and calories, these drinks are diet bombs! Is your drink on this list? (all nutritional info is for grande size)

• Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino - 500 calories, 9 g fat
• Strawberry Vivano Smoothie - 280 calories, 2 g fat
• White Chocolate Mocha - 400 calories, 11 g fat
• Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha - 470 calories, 12 g fat
• Dark Cherry Mocha - 320 calories, 8 g fat
• Caffe Mocha - 260 calories, 8 g fat
• Iced White Chocolate Mocha - 340 calories, 9 g fat

Those calorie counts are all without whipped cream!  Add the whipped cream topping and you’ve added an additional 70 calories and 6 g fat to your “drink”!  You’d be better off drinking a regular cup of coffee and selecting a small pastry than choosing one of these beverages.

Here are a few tips to down-size your fat and calorie intake the next time you’re placing your order:

• avoid anything ending in “frappuccino” or “mocha”
• select hot or iced coffee or tea, unsweetened, and sweeten yourself with one packet of sugar for just 25 calories
• order sugar-free syrup when flavouring your drink
• not a fan of artificial sweeteners?  ask for just “half-sweet” iced coffee or tea
• skip the whipped cream
• order skim milk instead of 2% to save 40 calories per cup
• ask for a “light” version of your favourite drink and save up to half the calories of the regular version

Remember, S-bucks is not in the business of making you skinny.  They concoct their beverages to taste as yummy as possible.  And, like most cafes and restaurants, that means adding the sugar and fat necessary to give you that “WOW” flavour that keeps you coming back.

Be aware and you’ve taken the first step to changing your eating habits. Make yourself aware; check out the nutritional information for your favourite beverage on the Starbucks website.  Then order a plain coffee and be on your way…

It’s the Move of the Month! These are all moves I really use with my Fit Family personal training clients and in our fantastic Belly Bootcamp prenatal and postnatal classes. The Moves of the Month are all simple and effective, and they’re perfect for exercising at home,or at your gym… or even your local park.  Try this month’s move!

THE YOGI SQUAT

Target Body Parts: Hips, Thighs, Calves, Core

Equipment: None

Combine the focus and balance training of yoga with a dynamic move to tone hips, calves and thighs, and what have you got? The Yogi Squat! Begin standing with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and toes and knees turned out. Cross hands on chest. Keep chest lifted and abdominal muscles contracted as you squat until thighs are parallel with floor. Maintain squatting position and contract calf muscles to lift heels off floor; hold for 3 counts. Keep heels lifted as you press up out of squat. Return heels to floor and repeat.

Complete 8-20 reps or continue to the point of fatigue.

Too easy? Hold each squat position for 5 or 10 counts.  Want even more?  Hold a single dumbbell, heavy book or other object against your chest.

A little public service message here: There are risks with any kind of exercise. If you are unsure, I always recommend you ask questions first, shoot later. You can shoot me an email at dara[at]fitfamily[dot]ca if you have a question about this or any other exercise.

It’s probably pretty obvious, but when the baby arrives, the time you’ll have to prepare meals dramatically decreases… to practically zero! For the full first month of Leah’s life, I don’t think I cooked a single full meal. I relied on meals that my family and friends brought me, supplemented with prepared (canned, packaged or frozen) foods.

I suggest you accept all offers for people to bring over food! If friends and family come to visit during the day, suggest a meal time such as lunch or dinner so you can have some help holding the baby while you eat (and of course, let them bring the meal!). It’ll help you to take care of the baby (and especially with breastfeeding) if you stay nourished and healthy.

Stock up on some easy meal options beforehand. If you’re the main person in charge of cooking in your household, make sure you get your hubby to familiarize himself with some easy recipes in advance. Stock up your freezer and pantry. Some suggestions for frozen foods are lasagnas, casseroles, meatballs, dumplings, pizzas, Chinese stick rice bundles (’joong’) and M&M foods. Consider also stocking up on canned soup, instant noodles, and canned tuna or fish for protein. Also having quick snacks around was really helpful to have since breastfeeding made me ravenous! Having granola bars, fresh fruit (bananas!), cheese, bagels, yogurt and granola within reach helped to keep my hunger at bay without sacrificing a lot of time.

A favourite easy recipe:

Apricot Glazed Chicken

250 ml zesty Italian dressing
250 ml apricot jam
One pack of onion soup mix
6 chicken breasts

1) mix and spread over chicken
2) bake at 425 F for 25-30 minutes

So you’ve set the time aside to get to the gym, you’re parked, changed, watered and ready to go.  Now what?  If you’re going to spend the time at the gym, make sure it counts.  There is such a thing as exercising too hard or too much, but most of us are not at risk of doing so…witness

Pay some respect to your reading material... and your workout!

the countless gym-goers catching up on the latest celebrity tabloid or highlights from last night’s hockey game as they “work out.”  The truth is, what most of us fall victim to is exercising at too low an intensity to produce the desired effects.

If you want to lose fat, tone muscle and improve your cardiovascular health, you must push your body.  Not to its absolute limits, but far enough to make it a bit uncomfortable.  When your body gets uncomfortable, it pays attention.  The body does not like to play games that it can’t win.  It is, in short, a poor loser.  If you put your body in the position of doing something out of its comfort zone, it will respond in two ways.  First, it will pay you back with some sore muscles the following day.  Then, as it repairs those muscles, it will grow stronger and fitter to better cope with the next workout.  You have to stay one step ahead of that body of yours if you hope for change.

One of the simplest ways of ensuring you are challenging yourself enough is to do the Talk Test.  The Talk Test is as solid a method as any, and it requires no equipment or professional help.  Simply say something.  If you are too short of breath to speak even a sentence, slow down and lower the intensity.  If, on the other hand, you can easily carry on a conversation, kick it into gear because you’re not working hard enough to reap the rewards you seek.  You should be somewhat challenged to talk when you are exercising in your target heart rate zone, needing more breaths than you would normally but experiencing no shallow breathing, dizziness, pain or nausea.  As you get fitter, you will find you can talk more easily doing the same exercises that used to make you short of breath.  When that happens, it’s time to add some variety to your cardio program or step up the intensity to get yourself back to your target zone.

It’s your reality check.  Don’t waste your work out time.

This spring my family enjoyed 2 glorious weeks in the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. It was the first time we had traveled with the kids, and the first time that the Twin Toddlers were away from home for the night. Many preparations and plans were done in the months before departure. I am an organized Mom by nature, so you can imagine that this adventure was a huge undertaking for myself - and a huge success at that, I must add! Yippee!

The girls loved everything about the trip, especially being able to play outdoors in the sun. Our cold Canadian Winters last far too long, and the warm outdoor days are very limited where we live. So, this was a huge change for the kids, and the hot weather is something we are all not used to. To protect the kids form sunburns and UV rays, I took quite a variety of sunscreens and hats with us for the trip. But nothing proved to be more effective that the clothing, provided to them from UV SKinz.

I featured the PTPA award winning company, UV Skinz, in Spring 2009 on my personal blog, My Organized Chaos, and if you are not familiar with the heartfelt story behind the origins of the company - you must update yourself on how UV Skinz came to be. It’s is a family owned and operated business that is driven on providing sun safety and protection of health to families everywhere. They provide Sun-safe clothing {that block 98% of harmful UV rays} for members of the entire family.

Now, here is my story: After just a couple of days in Mexico, I became very disappointed in the sunscreen products I brought with us. I wore 50 SPF sunscreen and burnt my skin so bad it blistered, which surprised me as I have never burned in the sun before. I became almost OCD about applying sunscreen and slathered the girls with it almost hourly. In fact, I went through an entire bottle of sunscreen for my family in just 3 days! To my disappointment, the girls got red and blotchy as well. And this was from the 50 SPF sunscreen for kids!! Now, what caused our burns I’m not sure, yet something needed to be done to protect my family for 2 weeks in the hot Mexican sun. I was wasting my time and money by using the sunscreens I had, not to mention putting my family’s health at risk.

Fact: One bad burn in childhood doubles the risk factor
for melanoma later in life.

My friends at UV SKinz came to my rescue and sent the girls some UV protectant clothing, priority mailed right to our resort in Mexico. Yes, they are that passionate about skin protection!!

The UV protectant clothes my kids received were all Skargyle tops with matching hot pink board shorts. The tops are a black and pink skull and cross bones pattern, very trendy and appealing to both the adults and my pink-loving girls. This particular top is long sleeved, yet there are many with short sleeves as well. The board shorts are the perfect length, especially for the Twins who like to crawl occasionally. It kept the Twins knees covered from the sun and also the abrasive sidewalks and pool floors. The board shorts are also a thicker material, making them extra durable. Since my girls bodies were almost entirely covered, I only had to sunscreen their hands and lower calves and feet. From the day that they started wearing their UV Skinz {until the end of our trip}, their skins didn’t get red nor irritated anymore. Their UV Skinz were comfortable for them in and out of the pool, and the clothing dried surprisingly fast too, making it easy for them to sit comfortable at the pool Bar for a lunch break in between swims. The UV Skinz apparel they wore were great hits ot the resort - we received many compliments on their attire from people from all over the world. Yes, my 3 girls looked pretty cute, but their safety for their health was always on my mind too. As they played safely in the sun, I was able to put down my bottles of sunscreen and relax knowing that UV Skinz was doing it’s job!!

My family and I send a HUGE Thank You to UV Skinz for ensuring that we had a comfortable, fun and safe time in the Mexican sun.