A Decade7 Saturday

Experts tell us that we need to ensure we have balance, focus, good relationship with family and friends (including the canine world for me), and flexibility in our lives.  That being the case I think I have found the perfect Decade7 Saturday.

Sleep in until canine family members need to do their morning business or just want their breakfast - usually around 6:30am.  Normally this will be my centenarian old Pooh Bear Sydney as opposed to the youngster Boo who is not a morning person.

 Today, 4 March 2011 my “Decade7 balanced, focused, time for family and being flexible Saturday lifestyle” started with a wonderful cup of java made with my new Costa Rican coffee maker which I received from Christina Gonzalez after we had coffee at one of the plantations in Cartago province.

While I sipped in the pleasures from the coffee, I shifted through emails that came in overnight and caught up on the latest family gossip from our skype group, BBC Clan.  No breakfast for now as today is Weightwatchers weigh-in day at 12:30pm.

 

 Then it was the menial task of housekeeping, laundry, and gardening with the primary goal being to burn off some fat in anticipation of weigh-in – I am only partially kidding myself as I know I’m really just losing water but the ultimate impact on those scales will be the same.

Normally I would go to the 9:15am fitness class at Steve Nash Fitness World, but today I decided I needed something more like my Sunday morning fitness class which is led by the amazing Concetta.  Our 9:15am fitness leader is such a nice person, but seems to be stuck in a 1980’s mode with both her dress and routines – not a good mix for Decade7 as that was my style back then when I was a “self-certified” fitness instructor two decades ago.  The last time I was at the gym I notice on the schedule of my local club at Cap Road and Marine Drive Steve Nash Fitness World an 11am class led by “Marc”.  As the later time gave me more time to do house “stuff” and start the spring gardening work I decided to give it a try.

I arrived slightly late, so I scurried around getting my step and weights organised trying not to interfere with the maxed out class already in full swing.  I instantly noticed that it was a definite infusion of salsa and zumba plus the best of cardio and leg and core strength.  Marc is amazing, even for the Decade7 crowd – wonderful energy and challenges everyone at their own level. 

From my 11am fitness class my next stop was Weightwatchers for my weekly meeting and weigh-in.  The meetings are an essential element, especially with Sharon who is the leader at the 12:30 class.  Have I mentioned that I still haven’t had breakfast, in the hope of earning a negative sign before my total weight loss?  The theme for this week was “Learn it! Live it! Love it! The key messages were about planning ahead, keeping it fresh and moving more, not to mention a very yummy recipe for Butternut Squash Fries that I will definitely try.

A minus 2.2 lbs goes into my record for this Saturday, which is pretty amazing after 6 days at an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta.  The key extravaganza of my days in the sun was many “cerveza and clam”, a habit my brother in-law Kirk had establish the day prior to my arriving.  I think much of the credit for the weight loss goes to Silvia and the week prior to Puerto Vallarta.  Spending 8 days keeping up with Silvia was good for at least 5 lbs of weight loss with the amazing meals of Costa Rica’s fresh fruit and vegetables plus lots of good exercise at her club or in the Pacific Ocean.  

Next I decided to plan my meals for the week in keeping with the key messages from the meeting.  My first stop was our new Thrifty Foods in North Vancouver where I stocked up on lots of fresh and organic fruit and veggies as well as good whole grain products.  The interesting thing about this stop on my Decade7 Saturday is that it will soon shift away from Thrifty Foods to “Nourish Market” in Lynn Valley as soon as it opens its doors.

Then I headed to “Peter Blacks” in Park Royal which is one of the only places in the entire lower mainland where you can get good quality free range, medication free meat – and it’s not wrapped in plastic and sitting on the disgusting blood “pad”.  It is wrapped in traditional brown paper, which although contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria does make wonderful kindling for my “Chimenea”.

 

 Adam Black, the original owner’s son has recently taken over the family business.  I immediately noticed that Adam looked leaner, but was hesitant to ask, so I carefully phrased my questions, “Have you been away?  You look really great.”  He laughed and said, “No, I’ve lost 20 lbs – my wife and I joined Weightwatchers.  I stopped smoking a few months ago when my son said to me, “dad you stink”, but really packed on more weight.  I have another 40 to go, but doing it with my wife makes it really great.”  

Needless to say I was thrilled.

My next focus was to get the boys and head to Ambleside and the off-leash area.  It was a wonderful day and both dogs had lots of swims and a fair bit of “chuck-it”.  Even the old man Sydney, who is now well over 100 in dog years, desperately tried to keep up with Boo who is half his age.

 

 I capped off a wonderful day with an hour reading Anne Giardini’s book “Advice for Italian Boys” and then a walk through our local park with “the boys”.

At the end of the day I focused on a presentation I have to make at an ITU Facilitators’ Course this coming week.  Interestingly enough it is about “time management”.  I feel today was a perfect balance of maximising the time I had.