Brian 'before'

Brian 'after'

Before I started with Tanja I was 205 pounds and not very active.  I started going to the local gym trying to get back into shape with not much success.I had noticed Tanja working with clients one on one, after some time i got the courage up to ask about personal training.

Tanja helped me learn about how to eat properly and to exercise to get results. My weight went down to 163 pounds and i had started doing triathlons with Tanja’s encouragement.

After time I had started with Tanja’s boot camp which I enjoy very much. It gives me the opportunity to workout with other people, from beginners to experienced exerciser. Also, the workouts are different all the time.

Fitness with Ascend Fitness has changed my body and my mind. Exercise helps me with deal with day to day stress and keeps my mind active.

For anyone thinking about getting into shape, I would encourage them to call Tanja. -Brian McGrath, Chilliwack, BC

On June 10th of 2011 I suffered a stroke which required emergency  brain surgery and was hospitalized until August the 1st .

Upon my release,  my wife began a search for a personal trainer to help get me back on my feet again. I had lost muscle mass, strength and my sense of balance, and most important my self confidence.

Because she is a regular at the Cheam Centre, her inquiries began there and she was put in touch with Tanja Shaw, a Kinesiolgist.

Thus my journey back to health began.  We met with Tanja  and set up a recovery program consisting of 2 – 1 hour sessions a week for six months.

I had lost a lot of muscle mass , my sense of balance and my self- confidence.  So with Tanja’s firm  but kind dedication to her work and my determination to regain my health  after only six months with Tanja I am strong, confident and in better health than I have been in years.

It is without  hesitation that I recommend  Tanja and her programs to get you back on your way to feeling your best, looking your best, and enjoying life to the fullest.

Boot Camp definitely achieved my goal of increased cardiovascular fitness. It helped me in
some unexpected ways as well. My speed, agility and strength have all improved. I feel more energized, and have become more toned. I have met new friends, and look forward each week to the challenges I will face doing boot camp.

I would recommend Ascend Fitness Boot camp to everyone! It is a fun way to get fit and meet new friends. The camps are set up to challenge you no matter what level of fitness you are at.  Tanja provides options for each activity -to either provide an added challenge, or to make it less intense. Each class is different so you never get bored! Join boot camp and you will be amazed at what you can achieve! -Sharon Fast, Chilliwack, BC

I have to admit, at first I thought this life-changing journey was only about weight loss.

I remember sitting at the doctor’s office at about 100 pounds more than I wanted to be, after putting off a medical checkup for years. I”d been keeping some of the important things in life at arm’s length for a long time, even though I knew better.

Now I was sitting in the waiting room, ashamed and angry at how I had let myself go.

After shedding many tears, my doctor gently suggested I needed to lose weight, but emphasized how important it was to take it slow and do it right.

As advised I joined Weight Watchers in July 2010. I started walking, and changing my eating habits, but early on, I found even one kilometre was a big deal.

The turning point came at work one day when my very-active boss Liz Lynch suggested I join her in the ‘Learn To Run a 5km’ with the local running club. I have to say Liz was the major catalyst for the fitness part of this odyssey I’ve been on.

I was scared stiff, weighing 232 pounds, and not knowing how I’d manage to run at all. Liz said to come and try running for 30 seconds. Everyone can do 30 seconds, right?

Fast forward to today, and I have stayed with Weight Watchers and have not only become a runner, with six race events under my belt including the Sun Run, but I also now attend fitness ‘boot camp’ three days a week.

In just one year I have lost 74 pounds of that 100, and my last 8 km race, I beat my best time of 58 minutes! It was a proud day for me indeed. After everything I’ve been through, I realize a balanced approach to getting healthy is not only about weight loss but about the all- important fitness and positive attitude link. Even getting involved and trying new things makes a big difference.

Everything has come full circle. Some of my friends have even asked me to help them embrace an active lifestyle. I am now helping train two of them to learn to run 5km, and they have become a source of inspiration for me.

These days I approach activities of a physical nature with pure, unbridled excitement and not a lick of hesitation. The shame and anger has now completely subsided, and been replaced with a deep pool of energy and confidence. I can say with pride that means the world to me. -Nordina Newton, Chilliwack, BC

Last summer, while I was camping and repeatedly reaching into a bag of chips and dip, feeling overly full and tired – I got a text from my friend saying “Boot Camp! Tomorrow morning at 5:30, BE THERE!”  I had been thinking to myself that I needed to start walking more, maybe join a gym, but who was I kidding? I knew I wouldn’t do it, or if I did I wouldn’t stick to it.  But for some reason I replied back to the text and said “OK! See you there!” I decided no more negative self talk, time to take action and now I’d committed! I have to admit I was very nervous, worried that I couldn’t keep up, worried I’d not like it or even quit. I also thought “what am I doing? I’m not a morning person!!” but too late, I committed, let’s go!  I didn’t sleep much that night, worried I’d sleep in, worried I couldn’t do it – but I went! I lasted the entire hour of boot camp, was encouraged by every single person there, and especially Tanja. No special treatment, just a gentle reassurance that I could keep going, I could do it. That was last July, and I’ve been going faithfully 3x a week to Tanja’s boot camp classes at 5:30 am ever since. I have found out some things about myself:  I actually AM a morning person (although it took about 4 weeks to train my mind to believe that my body is actually ready to work out that early!); exercise actually DOES give me an enormous amount of extra energy each day; exercise improves my mood; I thought I just wanted to lose weight – but in fact have gained muscle and lost inches, 2 clothing sizes and haven’t felt this good since I used to exercise back in my 20’s. It’s said that it takes two weeks for you to notice a difference in yourself after starting an exercise program, and about 8 weeks for others to notice – and I’d say that’s absolutely right.  Ever heard a friend or colleague complain about their weight, or about being tired all the time? Bring them to boot camp – believe me anyone can do it, and working out with others in the wee hours of the morning brings you close! We encourage each other, we laugh, and I respect Tanja’s knowledge and experience and way she keeps me motivated to keep on trying, even on the mornings that I think I have less energy.  So thank you to my friend for texting me last summer (who is still coming with me to boot camp, and looks great!); and thank you to my other friends at boot camp who cheer me on; thank you Tanja for all of your work you do with and for us; and thank you to ME for ignoring the negative self talk and trying something new, it has all paid off!!  I have to go now, have to get ready to go for a jog, I completed the 5K Run for Mom, and now I’m signed up for the 10K Vancouver Sun Run! Anything’s possible if you let it happen!!

Why do I do it?

Why do I keep on getting up at 5 am for 5:30 boot camp?
Why do I push to be active at least 1 hour per day?
Why do I keep putting one foot in front of the other when my body is so tired that all I can think of is the couch????  Sometimes I wonder that myself.

For the past 25 years I have worked as a physiotherapist.  Through this work I have been privileged to meet some incredible clients.  It is them that have taught me that whether healthy or struggling with a chronic condition or disability, we all fight the same fight.  We are all traveling the same path of getting a little bit older everyday.  And it is only through sheer determination that we can keep the mobility we need to enjoy our daily lives.

When I watch my client with Multiple Sclerosis struggle through a floor stretch and strength program simply to be able to keep managing independent transfers from bed to wheelchair.  I am in awe.
When I watch my 94-year-old client persevere through a standing balance exercise routine simply so she can continue to live independently in her own home.  I am humbled.
When I watch my bedridden palliative client endure the pain as I assist them through a Range Of Motion session simply so that they can be positioned to breathe more comfortably.  I am grateful.
Grateful to be able to move despite all of the snap, crackle and pops throughout all of my joints, despite the pain and the fatigue.
So why do I keep exercising every day????
Well, simply because I can.

Namaste,

Isabelle

HEMP HEART COOKIES

1 egg
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup sugar
handful of dark chocolate chips

Super simple instructions:
Combine everything in a bowl.
Roll into balls
Put onto a greased or parchment paper pan, flatten with a fork
bake at 350 about 12 minutes

Some modifications to spice things up:
Instead of using an egg, make a chia seed gel using chia seeds. Use 1 Tbsp of chia seeds and 1/4-1/2 cup of water. Let soak for 10min and use a 1/4 cup in the recipe.

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar- but 1/4 cup is plenty. For a lower glycemic option use Organic Cocunut Palm Sugar has 1/3 of the calories of white sugar.

If you don’t eat peanut butter you can try almond butter.

Packed with tons of protein, these are delicious cookies you don’t have to feel guilty about eating….even for breakfast which is what I do!

To get you started, you can find chia seeds and organic coconut sugar at Sardis Health Foods in the Chilliwack Mall.
YUM!!  THANKS KARA!!