Janina's competition prep check-in

For those of you who I am facebook friends with, you may have seen the pictures I have posted of my friend Janina who is currently prepping for her first fitness competition. I've asked her to share her training, nutrition and feelings of the process so far. Have a read below :)
- Alli

So after years of contemplation…I have finally decided to compete in my first fitness competition! I am planning on competing in OPA’s Henderson Thorne Classic; bikini division on July 7th…just under 7 weeks away, yikes! So far my training has consisted of 6 workouts a week, which have included a mixture of strength training, P90X workouts and Insanity workouts. I have had to do a mixture of workout’s because of my hectic school schedule and because I like to keep things interesting. I also try to play basketball at least once or twice a week. In terms of my nutrition plan I eat about 6-7 small meals a day with about 2-3 hours in between depending on my schedule. I have egg whites mixed with vegetables, chicken, lean turkey, salad’s etc. I try to experiment with different recipes as much as possible. I also have 2 ‘Body by Vi’ shakes each day, one for breakfast and one after my work out. These shakes have been awesome for me. They take care of 2 of my meals and taste delicious which really helps me stay on track with my nutrition because unfortunately I have a HUGE sweet tooth and these shakes help satisfy that which is awesome! I have been using the shakes now for about 45 days and have definitely noticed a difference in my energy levels, yay!

My exercise and nutrition regimen are quite strict, however I did not go into my fitness competition training ‘cold turkey’ so to speak. I have been working out 6 days a week since August where before that I was doing 4 days a week. I also cut out dairy and bread from my diet since this past December. So, when the idea of competing in a ‘Fitness Competition’ was brought to my attention once more I felt that I was already in the right mindset to train. This type of training is not for everyone. I wake up on numerous days of the week at 4:30 AM to train because I have long days at school and won’t be able to train later or I know I will be to exhausted to train. I go to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College to become a Doctor of Chiropractic (in 3 longggg years, almost done year 1! :) and some days I am at school for 10 hours and then I commute. So I get my work outs in first thing that way I have no excuse for missed work outs, and call me crazy but I prefer early morning work outs! Eating healthy also takes a lot of preparation. I try to cook every 3 days and prepare my meals for the next day so that I do not get off track. Some days I bring 3-4 meals to school! Once again the Vi shakes have been a lifesaver because they are a quick, nutritious meal! With my nutrition I think the toughest times to stay on track are ‘social gatherings.’ It is tough to find nutritious meals at restaurants so I usually stick to a salad because I know its safe, or at least I hope it is! What is even tougher is watching my friends eat things that I can’t have. However that being said, its tolerable and my goals are more important to me then getting off track. Will power and determination is key!

I am still learning though. Now that I am finally training for a fitness competition I learn new tips every day on how to adequately train. So far what I have mentioned above has worked for me. I have lost 5 lbs and 2.5 inches in my first month and this was not even my goal (can’t say that I am complaining though!). I don’t think I will lose any more weight or inches but it was definitely nice to see an objective change. Since this is my first competition, yes I do hope to place but I will not be completely disappointed if I don’t. How could I be? I am proud of myself for even pursuing this health fitness goal and I have learned so much in the process and I know I will learn so much more once its finished, which is more then I can ask for. I am doing my best to prepare by sticking to my exercise and nutrition regimen and will be having posing lessons with IFBB Canadian Pro Fitness Champion Mindi O’Brien.

So far I have loved my experience with my training both with the exercise and the nutrition because like I said it is not a huge difference from what I was doing before except for the incorporation of the Vi shakes. I feel great and I see positive changes to my body. I am extremely excited to compete and am thankful to my friends and family who have supported me. This may be my first fitness competition…but it won’t be my last!! Wish me luck!

--Janina Duliunas, Bkin
www.janinaduliunas.bodybyvi.com

I have been taking some pictures to track my progress…take a look!





Here is my baseline photo taken exactly 12 weeks prior to my competition on July 7th.

Measurements: Shoulders- 39’, Chest- 33.5’, Waist- 29’, Hips- 39’

Weight: 136 lbs




Here is a photo taken at 4 weeks.

Measurements: Shoulders: 39’, Chest: 32.5’, Hips: 38’, Waist: 28.5’

Weight: 131 lbs

Running brings clarity...

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

I had a pretty fantastic weekend, despite having 5 exams written and 8 to go until SUMMER.

My life lately and for another 3 weeks.... ewwwwww



Friday I drove downtown to visit my good friend and former roommate Jess at her new condo - such a nice place! (Check out her blog). Some other friends from uni were there too, and it was great to visit with everyone for a bit. Saturday was a surprise bday party for TJ, who owns UTC (which is where I run ACAINtraining out of). I loved this surprise party but I couldn't even say Happy Birthday to him all week because I was so scared I was going to ruin the surprise! lol I was tame (Miley Cyrus would be mad) because I was running the sporting life 10K this morning and wanted to do well (more on that later!).

Sometimes, I struggle to maintain balance in my life. I like to have my hands in so many things, that I say 'yes' to everything, and have to allocate my time appropriately in order to ensure success in all of my ongoing projects. I love everything I do - studying to become a chiropractor, running a training business, training myself 6x/week, working on a research project and helping others with their health and fitness through nutrition changes and Body By Vi. Being back in school for another 3 years, I often find myself saying to others "my life is on hold until I graduate," and most times, due to my busy nature, time spent with friends is sacrificed. Recently, I have had several epiphanies, and at somewhere about the 8k mark it really came clear to me that my life is not on hold - this is my life.

It's time for me to just reallocate how I spend my time! I've made a real effort to visit my family and friends more frequently, to drop what I'm doing and have people over, drive to where my friends are or meet up for a coffee. So maybe I stay up a little later, get up earlier, or cut my workout a minutes short - family and friendships are more important. My busy lifestyle needs to always include my amazing friends!

Fitness is part of my busy lifestyle. Fitness IS my lifestyle. Whenever I really start to think about my personal "brand" or the type of person I hope others see me as, I do often associate with that term. Lifestyle fitness, to me, means that you train for your personal health, your personal goals and to make yourself happy. Lifestyle fitness is part of your weekly schedule and soon becomes as routine as brushing your teeth - whether its 1x/week or 6x/week, if it's going to the gym or for a leisurely bike ride - it fits YOU. So, in my "struggle" for balance in my life, I want to make visits with friends as routine as my fitness, as routine as my 'daily hygiene.' lol. I am lucky that my two closest friends live the fitness lifestyle too, and we have committed to golfing at least once a week this summer! :)


The race! Well, the weather this morning was just how I like it - overcast and just a little bit of rain. I started off my morning with a coffee and a shake, brought my 'GO' for just before the race and a post-race snack as well.


I drove down with my Mom (happy mother's day!), and family friends and then met up with my Dad who flew in from Saskatchewan for this race. This was his 90-day challenge goal if you remember me mentioning it in this post.

Here he is! Down 35 (233lbs-198lbs)



I ran a personal best time of 40:59sec, placing 11/1092 in my age category and 336/17500 overall! Successful weekend! Mom ran 51min and Dad ran 54min!

Now back to the books...

My favourite topic...

Food!

If I'm not in the gym, you can find me in the kitchen. Seriously, you want a sandwich? PLEASE let me make it for you! I love cooking, baking and experimenting with different recipes.

I subscribe to the 80/20 rule, whereby 80% of my meals are healthy - lean proteins, unlimited veggies, lots of water, complex carbs and good fats... and 20% is whatever I want.... banana bread, wine and pizza usually make up this list.

In my experiments with food, I have come across some particular favourites that I always stock up on in the 80% category ;) The 20% stock is usually available by the pizza delivery boy or at the local lcbo haha

Broccoli slaw


I love my broccoli slaw mixed with chicken and then I usually use an olive oil dressing like this:


(why did the tomato blush? he saw the salad dressing... ;))


Chocolate almond milk is another staple that I always blend with my meal replacement shake for breaky or post-workout


Egg whites for breaky or late-night snack... great with mrs.dash!




I would describe my daily nutrition as pretty consistent... these are foods I enjoy eating, that make me feel good and that I don't have any adverse reactions too. While I don't specifically have any food intolerances, I definitely notice a difference when I eat certain things like bread. A couple weeks ago during a 20% rule kind of day I had a chicken schwarma... I swear I thought my stomach was going to fall out...

Now, nutrition is a crazy tricky thing.... there are pros and cons to every food, everyone has different likes and dislikes and some people care more about what they feed themselves than others. As a trainer, I get tons of questions about nutrition and therefore I try to keep current with the literature surrounding different products, recommended daily intakes, intolerances and etc. I see people who will promote only foods NOT to eat, without ever giving alternatives or congratulating someone for making a BETTER choice, even if it's not necessarily the BEST choice.

My stance on nutrition is simple; we take a look at wherever you are on the current spectrum of health and make it better. If that's switching your double big mac to a small burger.... that's a good step! If it's someone focusing on lean proteins and veggies, and eating 5 small meals a day, that's a good step too. Take whatever you're doing and go in a healthier direction and I'm happy! I don't ever want to force MY own lifestyle on you.. I want to provide people with my insight and let them make their decision.

What are some healthier choices you have incorporated into your diet?

Happy Monday!

I was feeling inspired this morning by many of my friends who completed half and full marathons this weekend. I think I had a bit of "runner's envy," actually!
Luckily, that envy is fuel for my training, and I got up extra early to put in a workout before school.




My Workout this morning was based on the UTC metabolic boot camp circuit (www.utcnewmarket.com)

Drop set of 20/15/10/5
- Snatches
- Pushups
- KB Deadlift
- Push Press
- Stability Ball In/Outs
- Coreboard steering wheel
- Slideboard lunges
- Pullups
- Bike kcals
- Rope Slams
- 50 double unders
5 hill sprints to finish

Felt good!

This weekend I will be running the sporting life 10K with my Mom and Dad (his 90-day challenge goal), so I anticipate my strength training this week to be more body weight based, and my runs to be anywhere between 8-15km, with one track workout, and a hill workout (tonight).

Have you ever thought about your top three exercises? It's hard for me to pick just three, but in terms of the exercises I see popping up most often in my plans, I would say my top three are:

- double unders (I love these, my record for consecutive double unders is 63 and I always am trying to beat it!)
- deadlifts (I love what they do for my glutes and hams, and it's a bit of an ego boost because I can put on lots of weight lol)
- pullups (These do the opposite to my ego as what deadlifts do, I still have yet to do more than 2 pullups without assistance. It's a goal though, and it keeps me coming back to try to improve.)

What are your top three?


Training tip: Get outside! The weather is beautiful, and if you live in the Newmarket area, the Tom Taylor trail is a beautiful place for a run, walk or bike ride.
Nutrition tip: Turkey Muffins are a great protein source. Quick to make, and easy to bring with you.
Chop up peppers, celery, broccoli or whatever veggies you have. Mix it with some ground turkey, and use bbq sauce to keep them together. You can add spices, flaxseed etc. Bake in a muffin pan. Enjoy :)
Song pick: Kid Cudi - Up, Up and Away

Be sure to check out my other websites!
www.acaintraining.com
www.allicain.bodybyvi.com

Pre-Race Nutrition

With many people gearing up to run their 5, 10, half and full marathons over the course of the next few weeks, I am getting some questions regarding pre-race nutrition. For those of you who are first-timers, or people who want to improve their performance through better nutrition, I have provided some guidelines for you.
Not one meal is a perfect fit as a pre-race meal for all athletes, but if you are interested in making changes to your nutrition, have a read!
 
It's important to remember that everybody is different in terms of likes, dislikes,  and what their body can tolerate and absorb. This outline is meant to offer you information in order to help with your personal pre-race meal selection.

1) HYDRATE!!
This is very important for your running performance. Increase water consumption prior to race day to ensure adequate fluids, and make sure to have an appropriate amount with your pre-race meal. You "fluid reserves" should be full, but you do not want to overconsume and risk a mid-race "uh-oh."
 
The race will have water stations, however some runners opt to carry their own bottle. 
 
2) Keep it simple, keep it clean! 
Don't make any huge changes to your regular nutrition prior to the race. A change in diet will always affect your GI tract, and could ellicit a negative response. Stick to foods your body can easily digest, and that you eat regularly. "Clean" foods such as proteins (powder form, egg whites, small portion of chicken), complex carbs like sweet potatoe, brown rice and veggies and fruit are a great choice. The last 24 hours before a race, you want to avoid any foods that are "slow" to empty from your stomach. Avoid foods that are high fat, high fibre or highly processed prior to a race.
 
3) Pre-Race Breakfast. Liquid vs Solid?
Liquid breakfast: calories are easily digested, hydrating and timing is less critical as it will empty from your stomach faster than a solid meal.
Solid breakfast: If your body is usually able to tolerate a solid meal before physical activity, be sure this meal is finished roughly 2 hours prior to race start. Ensure proper hydration! Keep water or an electrolyte drink on hand right up until the race starts.
 
There are many elements that go into perfecting your pre-race nutrition but I hope that this has offered you some insight into what can best help with your running performance.
 
 
GOOD LUCK!!!!

"Where did his neck go....?"

.... is the question I keep hearing when people see this before and after picture of my Dad!





Wow. WOW!

Dad, you hit your goal! I posted your email a few weeks ago, but a picture is truly worth 1000 words.

I saw my Dad last weekend on Easter - and he looked DAPER, despite his leather jacket draped around him, the collar of his shirt not fitting his neck, and his arms swimming in his sleeves ( hehe- I think it's time to go shopping :)). 30lbs is remarkable, and what is even better is that he is so happy, feels good and isn't going to give up this healthy lifestyle, as he has found it easier week by week to incorporate new, healthier solutions into his everyday routine.

The 90 Day Challenge and the Vi-Shake itself, aren't magic. Are you shocked? The system, just like a signing up for a gym membership, requires proper use in order for results to be seen.

What is different about the Challenge is it's simplicity, the taste and the design of the program whereby you commit to a goal, and are held accountable by whomever you are working with.

The Challenge is simple because: you pick a goal, select a kit, and have it delivered to your home. For my Dad, he made a shake in the morning for breakfast, along with a coffee, and made another shake to take in a thermos to drink at lunchtime. He brought snacks to munch on during the day, and had a snack and dinner once he got home.

It tastes good. Not sure how I can prove that by any other way than you actually tasting it. (If you're interested - send me an email - I can mail out samples.)

He was held accountable, by ME! By assessing someone's current health and fitness status and provide suggestions to compliment their own, personal challenge, they will more likely be set up for success. If you're like my Dad starting off without much knowledge of proper nutrition, we take it slow. Simply replace your two meals, and then you have leeway with what you're eating for your snacks and dinner, so you don't feel deprived, and possibly quit. As we progress throughout the challenge, we start to make small, simple changes, "how about replacing the burger and fries with a turkey burger, whole wheat bun, and homemade sweet potatoes." It's working on the challenge in this manner, that changes it from a 90-Day quest for better health and fitness, to a lifetime of healthy, active living.

In terms of physical activity, my Dad has been a member of the Running Room for a few years now, and along with the 30lb goal, he also will be running the Sporting Life 10K. Let it be known that my Dad does not like exercise, but knows of it's importance, hence, why he continues to run! Our next goal is to get him to start strength training - he has said that he would only do this with a personal trainer, and as he lives in Saskatchewan, we cannot work together on this.

Although I did attempt to make a youtube video for him to do at home!

Oh, and I made him do pushups on the glass floor of the CN tower......


Here is my fam at Easter Dinner at the CN Tower:



Way to Go :):)

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

I am mo-ti-vated today! I am inspired. If you visited me at home, you would think I was ready to take on the world.
Every fibre in my body is excited!

It might be the huge transformations I've seen this week in Arlene (down 15 inches, 4lbs), my Dad (down 30lbs in just 10 weeks) among many, many others.....

It could be the verbal commitment many people have made to their health and fitness by setting goals of completing their first 5k, 10k or half marathon, a weight loss goal and the like....

Perhaps it's seeing my friend take the first step to entering a fitness competition, after thinking about it for ages!

Or maybe it's a former teammate who just became a teacher and is using her education to help her friends and family get to better health.

You have all inspired and motivated me to make April the most successful month!
I will commit to my school, training and work goals. I will surpass expectations. I will be successful.




 
Make April YOUR month, too.
It's not the blowing of the wind, it's the set of the sail..."
 
If you have been hesitating on beginning a journey - take the first step today.
If you have been dissatifisfied with an aspect of your life - make a change.
If you need help getting there, ask for help.
 
Whatever your ambitions are, you have the ways and means to do it. GO!
 
If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
 
Thank you all for making this week so great, and I can't wait for my mind to be blown when even more goals are achieved!