Category: Tips

When it comes to motivation, most of our barometers are running pretty high at this time of year. Imagine what we could achieve if we could harness that same drive all year long?! Here are a four tips to keep you on track beyond the resolution season.
1. Find The Right Gear
With those shiny new resolutions posted on your mobile screen or bathroom mirror, you may be eager to launch full blast into a new workout schedule. Training five or more days a week is not necessary for most of us, and in some cases, counter-productive. Go out too hard and you may risk losing steam or overtraining which can lead to burn out and injury. Go out too slow and you may lose interest or get discouraged from a lack of results. Aim for 2-4 weekly workouts, based on your personal circumstances and goals. You can always gear up or down based on your results. You can also supplement your workouts with activities outside of the gym, if you’re eager to move more.
2. Take Aim
As our chiropractor, Dr. St-Pierre, would ask: “Are you working out or are you training?” Training implies actively working toward a performance goal – be that walking a flight of stairs without pain, completing a 5K or improving your SUP game. Determine a measurable goal that is fun, challenging or meaningful for you. Spring and summer charity events are great ones! If it’s more of a long term goal, break it up into shorter mini goals to keep you excited in the interim.
3. Team Up
Chances are that you work nearby, live nearby or both. Chances are as well, that you have friends, family or colleagues nearby who would make great workout partners. Consider doing classes together, claiming side-by-side treadmills, or doing semi-private training. If your best accountability buddy can’t make it to Totum, you can still share goals and check in with each other routinely.
4. Schedule Check-ins and Tune-ups
Getting bored with your routine? Already met your short term goal weeks ahead of schedule? Unsure about that pain in your knee? Scheduling monthly or quarterly check-ins with a trainer is a great way to stay on your game. You can use these sessions to measure progress, set new goals and modify programming, or to address areas of concern. Our training and client teams have a wealth of knowledge to help you stay healthy and motivated throughout the year.

Have you signed up for gym membership or consulted with a nutritionist to kick off your 2016 fitness goals? Awesome! You’ll soon be feeling strong, svelte and generally more fabulous. Yes, I have absolute faith you can do it. But be warned. Achieving success in the gym can wreak havoc on your closet!
As a fashionista, you may jump at the chance to coordinate new purchases in your new smaller size. To others, the task of restyling may be daunting, stressful or even upsetting. Before you throw in the towel or take your credit card out for a marathon shopping spree, consider these smart solutions to help manage your wardrobe as your size and shape shift:
1. Start at The Bottom
A sharp look starts with good foundation garments. Your bra and underwear size may change as you lose inches. If the underwire rides up or if that pretty black lace is no longer snug to your skin, it’s time to refresh. Visit a local boutique for a professional bra fitting and consider investing in at least one high-quality bra that fits well now and will also fit if you lose another half inch off your bust line. With the girls well supported, you’ll appear taller and slimmer through the torso, while the right underwear will ensure a great rear view in your favourite outfits.
2. Tailor to Your Needs
Like your hairstylist and naturopath, a tailor could become your next best friend. A skilled tailor can alter different parts of your blazers, shirts, pants, skirts and dresses to ensure a better fit as your measurements change. This small investment in your best pieces can extend the life of your outfits by several months.
3. What’s Old Is New Again
Second hand shopping is a smart way to get “new to me” items while saving on cash and your environmental footprint. Bonus points for this eco-friendly option. Patience, savvy and comfortable shoes will serve you well in treasure-filled consignment and thrift shops where you can spend shockingly low prices on pre-loved pieces. Online classified groups and clothing swaps are another fantastic way to find gently worn casual or work wear. This one’s win-win as you can also unload those larger sizes that no longer fit and often have leftovers donated to charity.
4. Rent vs Buy
Whether you’ve achieved your goal or are still working toward it, special occasions are the perfect opportunity to celebrate your success. Go ahead, get dolled up and strut your stuff with new confidence and a fancy frock. But instead of spending a small fortune on a dress that may not even fit by time the next wedding invitation arrives, consider a designer dress rental.
The expert stylists at Rent Frock Repeat will help select a style and size that shows off your assets and all your hard work! Did you know Rent frock Repeat carries sizes 0-24 and you can even rent a second size for only $10 to make sure the fit is perfect the day of your event? And did you know that Totum members receive 15% off dress rentals? Become a member on rentfrockrepeat.com (it’s fast and free), to view their entire dress inventory.
5. Hold On
If you’ve followed the plan, you should arrive at a size, shape or fitness level that you feel great at and which you can sustain healthfully. At this stage, you’ll inevitably have a few great items in your closet that are just a bit too big and too nice to part with. Consider hanging onto these select few pieces for one more season. Life happens and in the case that you gain a few pounds or inches again, you don’t want to find yourself in the same situation with nothing to wear eight months from now. If by the next season they are still too big, part ways!
Tip: The same principles apply when your weight and body move in other directions.

Pack Snacks! If you are trying to stay healthy then plan ahead for daily snacks. Mixing veggies and protein or veggies and a healthy fat will provide an energy boost between meals, without a spike in blood sugar. Avoid breads and baked goods and try 1-2 cups of veggies and a 1/3 cup hummus or two hard-boiled eggs or 1oz of nuts. If you have a workout planned within 2-3 hours then add a piece of fruit.
Clean Up! Avoid refined, processed foods with additives, preservatives and chemicals such as artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavourings, as they will only deplete your body of nutrients. Read the ingredient list – if you don’t know what it is, don’t buy it!
Get Cooking! Try cooking foods more often so that you can control what goes in the meal. Home made foods are generally better for you. During the week plan for quick meals such as quinoa, chicken breast and a pile of bright vegetables that can be made in 15 minutes. Make a little bit extra for lunch the next day. When you have more time try making a larger portions of soup, chili or a roast that can be used over a couple days.
Water Up! Make sure you start all workouts in a hydrated state. When dehydrated you can’t perform at their best and you increase risk for injury, such as muscle tears or strains. Consume 2-4 cups of water in the 2-4 hour window leading up to your workout. For workouts lasting longer than 60 minutes make sure you carry water and consume 1/2 to 1 cup of water every 15 – 20 minutes to prevent dehydration.
Eat your Veggies! Do you get the 7-10 servings of vegetables that an active individual needs per day? Vegetables are dense in nutrition but low in calories. They offer lots of fibre, vitamins, minerals and bioflavanoids. It’s important to eat a variety of them from all colour groups to increase your nutrient spectrum.

Help control inflammation through your diet. Face it: training is hard on the body with all that pounding our muscles, joints and ligaments face a lot of stress. Too much stress leads to inflammation in the body, which over time can lead to injury. Add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet daily, such as ginger, turmeric, pineapple, fish oil and garlic, to help keep your inflammation in check and your immune system strong.
Build a Better Breakfast. It’s important to eat a good breakfast daily. Aim to consume 20-25% of your daily calories at breakfast to keep you fuelled longer and help ward off evening eating excess. On days when you are not training first thing, try swapping out the oatmeal for some eggs and handful of nuts. Or have a protein rich smoothie with veggies, 1/2 an avocado and only 1 cup of fruit. Proteins and fats will give your body long lasting energy and make you feel more satisfied and reduce cravings later on in the day. If you are training first thing in the morning, easy to digest carbs are the way to go, as they digest quickly so you can get on with your workout.
“I Train To Eat!” Sound familiar? Well, training is not an excuse to eat whatever you want! The more stress you put on your body through training demands, the better your diet should be, not the other way around. Not only do you need to worry about the number of calories, carbs, proteins and fat — you also need to consider all the micro-nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes and bioflavanoids that your body needs increased amounts from to support your training. Focus on the more nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense foods, to offer you the most bang for your buck. Load up on veggies throughout the day, and say no to refined carbohydrates and processed foods.
Grocery Shop with a Plan! Wandering through the grocery aisles without a list will leave you open to poor food choices. Take 10 minutes before going to the store an plan out a few days worth of meals and then identify what ingredients you need and stick to the list.
Up your Omega-3! Fish with the highest amount of EPA/DHA omega-3s are salmon, mackerel and sardine. Other good sources include herring, anchovy, lake trout, rainbow trout and tuna. Seven to ten ounces of fish per week is a good start to reaching your omega-3 intake. Another type of Omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid which is found in certain plants. There are fewer contaminants in vegetable oils. Flax is the highest source of alpha-linolenic acid, then chia seed, hemp seed, pumpkin seed and walnut.