Welcome

I hope that this website can help all of you in some way. Whether it’s reading my blog and learning about a new workout or a new recipe, joining my Bod Squad, or visiting Dr. Philp and I at Yorkville Medical, I think there’s something here for everyone.

In this past year I’ve learned so much about being an entrepreneur. I believe that the most important qualities to need to have when you want to start your own business are:

1. Be proactive, my work ethic is admittedly ridiculous.
2. Staying power, don’t count an idea out until you’ve squeezed out all the juice.
3. Trust your gut, it will always be honest with you.

I’m not naturally a hard driving business person at all, but I’ve become a lot better at it thanks to a few key people; namely Ian, Cathy and Lindsay Preston, (a.k.a. “Team Preston”) who have provided unwavering support through multiple meetings, phone calls and dinners. They are always the first people to show up for my classes, and in true Team Preston style they always give it their all! Mike Preston (no relation), who took me seriously from day one and taught me how to get ‘granular’ with detail. Jim Beqaj, who makes me feel like I’m his 7th kid and taught me that we can all be happy doing what we love. Jim constantly inspires me with his words of wisdom, or as I call ‘Jim-isms’, the best one to date: “Nothing says I love you like cash.” And of course Matt, my teammate who believes in me and encourages me constantly.

{First flyer}

Preston Fitness programs all got started April 2010, I was flat broke coming back from South East Asia and after deciding that the conventional job route was not going to happen for me I had to get busy generating revenue quickly. I had passion but I needed to figure out how to materialize it into a business. I scrambled together flyers to post around my neighborhood to start my first Bod Squad. It went really well, especially considering I didn’t have a clue what I was doing business wise, we had a lot of fun and most people stayed for the entire summer which was wonderful. I also had the great fortune to meet Dr. Philp at Bod Squad and found that we instantly understood each other professionally and personally.

{Condo gym}

In the fall Matt and I moved into our beautiful new apartment so I had to figure out what the heck I was going to do to pay my rent once the snow came. I shifted my emphasis from Bod Squad to personal training, once I finally started getting clients I had to bike across the city to save on TTC money just to get to their in-home training sessions – as a growing business person I finally started to appreciate Matt’s thrifty nature! Meanwhile, Dr. Philp and I laughed and worked really hard while sipping more cups of coffee then we both care to count over her dining room table drawing up our Beauty and the Bod programs at Yorkville Medical. I’ve spent countless hours blogging into the wee hours of the night trying desperately to think of new and exciting topics. Basically, I’ve worked my bum off and I wouldn’t change it for the world! I’m doing what I was born to do and I’m going for it wholeheartedly.

I’ve said to myself many times in the last year that if I was a sane person I would have long dropped this dream. That’s where my passion comes in. I have a true obsession with helping people with their fitness. I care so much about the success of my clients. Helping them succeed is better than Christmas morning for me. I also care so much about you readers so thank you!

I want to hear your thoughts and feedback. Thank you for starting on this journey with me, although I feel like we still have even yet to begin!

Yours in fitness,

Christie Preston ღ

Four Favourites

This past week has been full of professional and personal excitement. Beauty and the Bod programs are starting to really take shape – literally! I couldn’t be more proud of what’s about to come. Thanks for being patient with Bod Squad sign-ups. We’re almost up with our new site!

I love Easter weekend. Really any holiday that focuses on chocolate and mini eggs is good in my books. I’m leaving tomorrow to visit my cottage in Grand Bend for the weekend. I hope to get in a few trail/beach runs and I also hope to follow some long chocolate trails. I hope you all have a great weekend!

{Easter “Eggs”: Mango frozen yogurt served inside half a Kinder Surprise for an Easter dessert!}

 

{My mom told me about this longevity calculator here, it will predict how long you will live for! I made it to 92.}.

{Gandhi’s guide to changing the world}

{To clarify this workout is a favourite thing … and this body is a bonus. Click here to take the workout with you to the gym!}

Beauty Review: Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

This is my best kept secret for great looking legs: (The leg on the right has the product on it!)

I have been using Sally Hansen Airbrushed Legs for about five years now.

Usually it’s just me and the 65+ crowd picking this up at the drug store, which I’m totally used to being associated with (Matt often refers to me as his ‘little 80 year old’). But you guys should seriously try this stuff. It will make your legs look amazing.

I’m not much of a tanner, despite my efforts to roast like a chestnut in the sun I usually burn faster than a marshmallow. This one time I went bed tanning and I had hives for weeks, that was the end of that for me. I rely on faux methods for my glow now.

With fair skin my legs tend to get pretty blotchy looking. In the winter not a big deal but with short season around the corner it’s nice to be able to put your best leg forward.

The key is blend this well – spray it directly on your legs and then rub it in with your hands well, make sure you cover your feet, ankles and knee caps well. It takes about five minutes to fully dry so I usually put it on first and then when I’m done getting the rest of myself ready it’s good to go!

What your poo says about you

The ideal poo is a type 3 or 4. Once or twice a day.

Regular poo type 3 and 4 is something that I now proudly can say I have but it’s also something I’ve certainly had my own struggles with … ok you’re all going to know WAY too much about me after this post.

When I was a kid I grew up in a household that firmly believed we shouldn’t eat junk food. To compensate for this harsh stance we were allowed unlimited amounts of fruits and veggies and I really took that unlimited to heart.

When I was around ten I got into the habit of eating anywhere from six to eight apples a day! I was a hungry kid and hey – they’re healthy right? At school one day I almost keeled over due to severe stomach pain. I had to be rushed to the hospital it was so bad. I was minutes away from being operated on to remove my appendix when the doctor asked when the last time was I went to the washroom. Initially I thought, ‘what a weird question’ but then I honestly couldn’t remember going number two in weeks. I’ll end the story here.

Basically I got that all cleared up and now I pay attention to my bowels and so should you! Especially if you’re trying to lose weight if you digestive system isn’t working like clockwork then you’re going to have a lot more difficulty dropping the pounds.

Here’s what I do now to say in the good poo books:

• I have at least 2L of water everyday
• I never have more than one apple a day … I guess one keeps the doctor away but take it from me eight will send you straight to the hospital
• I take psyllium husk supplement drink if I’m having trouble (so gross but works)
• Exercising regularly really helps keep things regular

If you’re over 50 and haven’t had your annual colonoscopy pick up the phone and get it over with. Uncomfortable for an hour but I’ve unfortunately seen what happens if you leave it too long, it can save your life.

How Long Will it Take to get in Shape?

I get this question all the time.

And truthfully I always answer, “the rest of your life.”

Back in October I started training this lady named Paula. Paula is a Brazilian bombshell and she often reminds me of Gloria from Modern Family – right down to the accent! When I met Paula our goal was to get her fit for her trip home to Brazil for Christmas. We worked on what we called “Project Brazil” three times per week for 12 weeks and boy was Paula ready. She lost about 7 lbs of fat and over 20 inches – her shape really transformed into a long and lean body – even more bombshell!

When Paula came back from her trip the plan was to cut out workouts with me. Paula realized, like many of us have that unfortunately there’s no box you can tick that will keep you fit without exercise. You have to keep going – forever! After about a week without me I got the e-mail, let’s keep going! We still workout together twice a week, now with a friend with a similar fitness level and the same type of intensity. When I train clients we have fun but it’s also totally focused. Paula’s old workouts used to consist of her walking on the treadmill at a 4.0 for 40 minutes. Last week I had her running intervals at a 10.0! She can easily do 40 real push-ups, compared to the eight we started with. Pretty soon Paula is going to start training me.

So keep going! Workouts are something you will have to do for the rest of your life so they should be fun. Start your own Project x and let me know how it goes!

Four Favourites

{Sneak peak at my new logo!}

It’s hard to put into words how much I appreciate you for watching this blog grow with me. I am truly humbled at your interest and I thank you for spending time with me each day. It’s time for a blog lift and I’m so excited to launch the new and improved format very soon. As always I want to hear your comments and feedback. I hope you all have a great weekend!

{Weekend cappuccinos at Dark Horse Espresso Bar}

{New Brooks Glycerin 8 = fresh meat. I go through running shoes faster than most people go through toilet paper.}

{Amazing candle, this makes the entire apartment smell like a cookie.}

 

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

I LOVE Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In fact, I love all things chocolate and peanut butter. Unfortunately my thighs and skin don’t take as well to milk chocolate and unnatural peanut butter.

I made these organic dark chocolate (70% cocoa) and almond butter cups earlier this week for a dinner and they were delicious little treats – and so easy!

Ingredients:
Makes 16 little mini cups

1 cup organic dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond butter

Directions:

Melt half of the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds
Fill a mini cup-liner halfway with chocolate. Make sure you smush it around so that it covers the entire lining. Put them in the freezer for at least 20 minutes or until hard.
Take out the cups and put about a 1/4 tsp of almond butter in each cup.
Freeze this for about 4 hours.
Then add the final layer of melted chocolate to the top and put in the freezer.

Bring them out and refrigerate before you serve them. The key is the mini cup, the normal sized ones don’t bite down as well.

Bon Appetit!

Help me get Dressed for the Ball

This weekend I’m so excited to be attending The Memory Ball, a charity ball benefiting Alzheimer’s disease. The ball is being organized by one of my best clients, she’s done such an amazing job with it and I’m sure it will be a great night!

I can’t decide which dress I should wear…

Option One: BCBG Bandage Dress

Option Two: French Connection Grecian Dress

I usually don’t get emotional while watching movies but I’ve never cried harder than at the end of the Note Book when the older Ali didn’t recognize her own family, truly a heartbreaking thought. I think Alzheimer’s is often a forgotten disease and I’m happy to be supporting it this Saturday night.

There are still a few more tickets left to be sold! If you’re interested in coming today is the last day to buy tickets! You can do so here. Hope to see you there!

I’ll be wearing the dress with the most votes on Saturday night.

How to Train for a 10k

When I was in high school I had the pleasure of running with the University of Toronto junior development track team. I’ve asked a friend and fellow (much faster) U of T runner, Jackie Todd for her tips on how to prepare for a 10k! Here’s what Jackie suggests:

The weather is getting warmer, the birds are chirping and it is time to get running! I know many people put running (especially outdoors) on hold over the winter, but it is time to put on those shoes and get out the door!

Along with the summer come a ton of road races and fun runs. Here is a quick and simple guide to prepping for a summer full of running!

1. Work up the mileage. The golden rule of mileage is never add more than 10% per week. It is important to remember that our bodies need to get accustomed to new or increased amounts of exercise. If you are new to running a great goal is to run a total of 10k (3-4k a day), second week up to 15k (4-5k a day) and work up from there.  Go at your own pace and keep challenging yourself! If you are already an avid runner and are confident running 10k, then work on gradually decreasing your 10k time throughout the summer, you can do this by introducing interval workouts.
2. Rest. It is important to remember that our bodies need rest! Running every day, especially for new runners may lead to fatigue and injury. Make sure you take at least 1 or 2 days off running each week.  Your body will thank you!
3. Variety, variety, variety. Running the same loop at the same pace every day may get really boring, really fast. Instead, try switching up routes so that you have at least 3 to work from.  As well, add some intervals into your runs! Try this to start: 1 minute running hard, 1 minute running easy, repeat 5-10 times.  Remember to always do a 5-10 minute warm-up before any interval workout!
4. Make friends!  Running with other people is great, especially if you have the same goals! You can work together to push and motivate each other, helping both of you stay committed to the program. If you have friends that run, make a point of running with them, if you don’t, think about joining a running group!
5. Have fun! You put in the hard work, toughed through some grueling runs, so its time to show off! Whether you want to race for time or just run with your friends, road races are a great way to see the benefits of all your hard work. Rewarding and fun, what could be better??

There are tons of road races and community runs throughout the spring and summer. Coming up in only a few weeks is the Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10k! This run series is known for having a great, fun atmosphere, and includes a 10k run/walk, 5k run/walk, 1k Junior Jog and 300m Toddler Trot! If you feel like you are ready to go, get on the road and run for a good cause! Check out the MB10k website for more info and to register! I’ll see you there!

Toaster Toss

When Matt and I moved into to our apartment we focused on the essentials: record player: check, exercise equipment: check, pretty bowls for serving food: check!

Ok so not totally.

One “essential” that we didn’t include was a toaster. It wasn’t a conscious decision. I was looking around for a pretty one and of course Matt, my forever thrifty boyfriend was happy not to spend any more money.

Our bread consumption dropped tenfold. I went from making toast every morning and sandwiches for lunch to now almost never having any bread. At first I did miss it a bit, but not really enough to warrant buying a new toaster. There is a loaf of bread in our freezer that has been there for almost three months and I’m not the least bit interested.

What I have noticed is how much better my constitution works. Once a day, like clockwork – this did not happen when I was eating toast all the time. It would be more like every three days which now I can’t believe.

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not totally done with bread. I don’t believe in food extremism. I find when I cut something out entirely I often overeat other foods to compensate. So bread is still ok but what I am done with making it part of my regular daily diet. We still make our own homemade pizzas once a week for date night and I will have a sandwich once a week if I’m out somewhere and it looks really good.

I’m a big believer in making your life easy to be healthy and difficult to be unhealthy. It’s now more difficult for me to turn on the oven and broil toast the bread than it is to make a salad.

So toss your toasters! Or just move it out of sight for a few weeks and see if you miss it.