Darrin Robinson is the founder of Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness Training located in our hometown of Oakville.

It is time to Emerge with Darrin…Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness Training. The Wine Ladies get in shape!

Our fitness journey with Darrin Robinson of Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness Training

With Darrin Robinson Day #1 Training begins! Our 90 day transformation.Check out the H2O in our signature wine glasses!

With Darrin Robinson Day #1 Training begins! Our 90 day transformation.Check out the H2O in our signature wine glasses!

With Darrin Robinson Day #1 Training begins! Our 90 day transformation.Check out the H2O in our signature wine glasses!

We love our job as “The Wine Ladies” and appreciate every day and all that it brings.  Fabulous, entertaining and interesting people and places, incredible wines and spirits and delicious and diverse foods from around the world…. all make up our daily diet for life!

Yes, we know… it’s a tough life…. but believe it or not, this amazing lifestyle definitely has a few major challenges too!

The major snag in all of this is…. the challenge to maintain a healthy balance, an abundance of energy and a healthy body!  A fit strong body with enough lean body mass to allow us to indulge in all of the above.

The last couple of years have definitely become more of a struggle. We recognized that we needed to take some kind of action but what? And that’s where Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness Training comes in… and so does super personal trainer/nutritionist and author/ Darrin Robinson.

Darrin Robinson is the founder of Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness Training located in our hometown of Oakville.

A quick visit to his studio, a thirty minute chat and learning Darrin’s philosophy that we “can bid adieu to our treadmill and stair master”…is all we needed. “We are in, when do we get started?”

Oh and the testimonials and before and after posters of a few of his clients.... well those helped too.

Oh and the testimonials and before and after posters of a few of his clients…. well those helped too.

Oh and the testimonials and before and after posters of a few of his clients…. well those helped too.

Our individual food plan... key is planning ahead!

Our individual food plan… key is planning ahead!

Our individual food plan… key is planning ahead!

In a nutshell, Darrin says “the goal is to achieve a certain level of fitness, a reasonable percentage of lean body mass that will allow you to indulge guilt-free, in whatever strikes your fancy whether it be in a glass or on a plate… or both!

It has been two weeks since we had our preliminary consult with “kick-@#5$* Darrin. Our goals are a little different but the journey is the same.

My goal, Georgia is to rid myself of these skinny legs and put on some serious muscle!

My goal, Georgia is to rid myself of these skinny legs and put on some serious muscle!

My goal, Georgia is to rid myself of these skinny legs and put on some serious muscle!

I’ve been on an extended hiatus from working out and its definitely time to hit the weights… “not the treadmill or the bike “ says Darrin, but weights… that’s what you need to achieve a place of fitness and body composition that will allow you to enjoy those amazing foods and wines guilt FREE! Really? Guilt FREE?

As for me, Susanne, I am ready to be the best that I can be. Super strong, fit and looking FF (#oxo%%4* FABULOUS!!!). 

As for me, Susanne, I am ready to be the best that I can be. Super strong, fit and looking FF (#oxo%%4* FABULOUS!!!).

As for me, Susanne, I am ready to be the best that I can be. Super strong, fit and looking FF (#oxo%%4* FABULOUS!!!). 

To be able to slip on an outfit and it looks just right. No fuss, no bother.   Confident everytime. My goal is to be at about 15-20% body fat! Hey I might even apply for a Fitness Model  competition too. Lets see where this adventure takes me.

Be sure to look for our weekly posts of “Darrin says”, little golden nuggets of knowledge that will help us in our quest to meet our goals”

1.Darrin says…. too often we think about sacrificing certain foods when trying to get get fit or lose a few pounds… why not think about what your fit body is sacrificing to eat those foods instead?

2. Darrin says…. Eat frequently….

3.Darrin says…. Post workout shakes. It’s very important to feed your muscles within an hour after finishing your workout.You require a quickly absorbed protein and quickly absorbed high GI simple carb. At Emerge each client is given a custom post workout shake with whey protein and a dextrose based carb source to ensure rapid recover for our client’s muscles.Stay tuned for our progress results o Monday Nov 25th, 2013!

It is important to eat frequently, but not too frequently! Six meals a day is the way to go, eating every 21/2 – 3 hours. More often than and your body will never get the chance to tap into your “reserve tank”. Why is this important? Think of what you eat as going into two tanks… in the first tank the calories are used for your dietary needs/calories,  while in the second your “reserve tank” these calories are storing fat. If you continuously are dumping calories in your dietary tank, your body will never get an opportunity to tap into the “reserve tank” and use up those calories  that are storing fat. Bottom line, eat often, not too often, use up the appropriate calories from both tanks for optimal fat burning, weight loss and overall health fitness

Darrin you see has the formula, once you reach a certain level/degree of fitness many of those calories get cheated, they have very little affect on your body, because your body is equipped to metabolize, metabolize, metabolize! We still have to be reasonable,  although “The Wine Lady” reasonable might be slightly skewed, if you get our drift!

Darrin has so much valuable info to share, we really would like to share some of his tips with you. This guy rocks! Every week we will share a little bit of our journey with you as we strive to each of our individual goals! We have our eyes on the prize…

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We don’t mind sharing…. if you would like to book a consultation with Darrin contact him directly.

November 11th, 2013; 1st Progress Report.

Two weeks into our Emerge Lifestyle and Fitness program with Darrin, our stories are not alike…

For me, Georgia  my first progress today report put a smile on my face! With a little increase in muscle and a reduction of fat! Darrin is pleased, but with slight reservation! Darrin says… the goal was not necessarily to lose pounds (which I did, unceremoniously) but to  gain lean body mass and reduce my percentage body fat. Although I did that too, almost a full pound of muscle, Darrin says “if you are not consuming your quota of good fats and carbs accordingly, your results will be slower and/or compromised”.  My mandate this week, to pay more attention to consuming the required healthy fat quota of the program, incorporating the 3-6-9- essential fatty acids, easily done when the Omega 3-6-9- oil is used for salads, veggies etc). “Make sure you eat those calories Georgia, as dictated in your tailor-made individual program”. Seven days from now, the callipers will make a comeback. I am feeling good! Stay tuned… will the scale tip downward to Darrin’s chagrin or will the “skinny-#$%$# arms and legs gain some strength and tonality? I will do my part, hopefully the body parts will cooperate.

Now as for  me, Susanne… to be truthful I was a little bit disappointed in my results INITIALLY…I am still stuck on the master in the bathroom the bleep bleep bleep scale… I only lost 1 lb in 2 weeks! With years of yo yo dieting my metabolism is a lot slower than my sister Georgia who lost 3lbs!!!! But all is not lost, the good news is I also put on 2 lbs of muscle. This will help speed up the metabolism .

To be truthful on this plan I am not hungry at all and was skipping a few of the protein drinks and some of the 6 mini meals required every day. A big no no… so this week I will be much more diligent with the food plan. The good news is I can already fit into my leather pants that have been way toooooo small for many years. Just in time to, because leather pants are back in style!

November 25th, 2013; 2nd Progress Report.
Darrin Robinson and Georgia.

Darrin Robinson and Georgia.

For me Georgia…Over the last nine months or so leading up to my knee surgery this bod of mine has taken a serious hiatus from working out. The affects of that are plain to see…long, skinny, whimpy legs, with very little muscle… oh come on, how bad can it be you might ask? Pretty bad… one of the major wake-up calls happened when I was getting a spray tan for a fashion show. After I came out of the cubicle I noticed a bunch of white lines around my knee cap area. “What happened here I ask the owner? Oh, it’s not the tanning equipment, you just don’t have any muscle there, so the spay couldn’t access that area…you really should work on that! Yikes, thanks, now that bites!
And lets not even go to the other long, thin extremities, my arms!
Alas, four weeks into working at Emerge, I feel like I am beginning to Emerge! I have gained 2 pounds of lean body mass and am leg pressing 360 pounds! Wahoo! And my skinny arms… well lets just say I got quite a few compliments on a “small bulging bicep at a recent event!

Thanks Darrin, I am slowly starting to feel a little like my old self again… and who knows the way things are going I may not need that second surgury on the other knee. Fingers crossed! .. legs and toes!

Darrin Robinson and Susanne.

Darrin Robinson and Susanne.


For me Susanne….How does one measure happiness? One of the ways is by going through your closet and trying on things that have been gathering dust for quite some time. Trying them on
and lo and behold they fit! This has been my delightful experience this past week.
Just 3 weeks and 3 days into my physical transformation I am down 8.5 lbs of fat and up 5lbs of lean muscle mass! It truly is incredible.
I have been dedicated to the cause and have my eyes on the prize… wearing a bikini in Barbados in early January. Its been a few years to be sure! I’ll even post a picture lol. The workouts and the food plan have been great. My only real challenge has been the omission of wine from my diet for NOW only… soon to be reintroduced once I have achieved my goals
Here Darrin uses calipers on 4 body areas to measure my results! Darrin thank you for your encouragement, friendship, sense of humour and giving me this 
wonderful gift!
December 13th, 2013; 3rd Progress Report.
Darrin Robinson and Georgia.

Darrin Robinson and Georgia.

For me Georgia…
EMERGING…. with definition! So thrilled with my results so far after just 6 weeks with our awesome trainer Darrin over at EMERGE Fitness. Progress report #3. I am feeling a transformation happening.  Starting off just 6 weeks ago with very little muscle, feeling a little “broken” I remember calling it, Darrin promised if I followed the program we would start to see “ripples”  and a gain in muscle and strength pretty quickly. It’s actually been an enjoyable experience… the “diet” or way of eating Darrin tailor-made for me  is very, very palatable! And the workouts are challenging but also an hour I truly look forward to. Darrin’s expertise, his personality and sense of humour ( he did do a little stand-up comedy) makes the time fly by, and this “back” view is not too bad… Next goal… to work on my “stilts” !
Darrin Robinson and Susanne.

Darrin Robinson and Susanne.

For me Susanne…
Just finished up our 6th week of training with my “new best friend” Darrin over at EMERGE! I am ecstatic over my results… 10lbs of fat… count the number of fingers here! GONE and 7 lbs of new muscle is now mine! Overall, the scale shows a loss of about 6 lbs… I have to say the journey has really been a wonderful experience.I am not hungry at all, am enjoying healthy foods and the training although challenging, Darrin has created a program that is challenging for me and fits my physical condition.

We are off to Barbados in January to shoot another episode of The Wine Ladies TV and I know I will be proud to walk the beach!
Merry Christmas from Darrin, Georgia and Susanne

Merry Christmas from Darrin, Georgia and Susanne

We ask Darrin, as The Wine Ladies “vino cheer” is a big part of the holidays! Can you offer us any hints on how we can enjoy without risking losing ground on the progress we have made in the last 7 weeks on our program?

So Darrin says… absolutely! Here are a few tricks of the trade that will allow you to indulge (without going crazy ladies) while still keeping the waistline in check!
Tip #1 If you know you are in for an indulgent evening ahead, plan ahead and cut back on the carbs and the fats thoughout the day. Stick with lean protein choices and plenty of veggies and salad to fill you up..


Tip #2 Stay hydrated before, during and post party time.


Tip #3 Decide ahead of time what your goal is for the holiday season. Do I want to maintain the momentum of losing fat and gaining muscle? Or, do I simply want to maintain my present weight/body composition throughout the holidays and resume my program in the new year? Or do I want to say to heck with it, I am going to enjoy myself, not deny myself (within reason hopefully) and get back on the program in the new year, even if that means taking a few backward steps and re-losing the 4-5 pounds you previously lost. Everybody is different, depending on where you are at this moment any one of the three choices might work for you, but the idea is choose where you are at, and embrace it. Making that mental decision alone will go a long way in your enjoyment of the holiday season. Any if you elect to take option #3, no guilt necessary, enjoy and pick up where you left off… you will get there

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

 

Healthy living, from the plate to the glass to the strong and sexy body!EMERGE Lifestyle and Fitness.

Cheese and wine fat burning? Yes, its true say 4 the Luv of Food! The Wine ladies TV

Georgia and Shannon choose a primo piece of cheese!

Cheese and wine, fat burning? Yes, its true say founders Shannon and Danielle of 4 the Luv of Food ! They say eat what you want and lose body fat without dieting! Get healthy and transform your body!The Wine Ladies TV goes on a shopping expedition at Oak Ridge Food Markets for unpredictable, and healthy food pairings with Canada’s iconic wine, Icewine. What shall we find to pair with the Ice House Winery Icewines?

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Horseback riding in the vineyard, Bodegas Salentein, Argentina, The Wine Ladies TV.

Horseback Riding, Bodegas Salentein, Argentina, The Wine Ladies TV, March 2013.

Super Bowl Sunday XLVII

Super Bowl Sunday XLVII Super Snacks

Super Bowl Sunday XLVII

Happy Super Bowl Sunday XLVII!

May we suggest you forget the beer this year and enjoy some vino with your ahhhh food, like a bowl of chili and a glass of Malbec, spicy chicken tacos and Pinot Grigio, potato chips and Champagne (celebrate when your team wins in style!!),chicken wings and Riesling or for zzzeee pizza a glass of Italian red! Hope your team wins!

Score a Super Bowl touchdown with The Wine Ladies TV!

What will you be serving at your Super Bowl Sunday XLVII party? It doesn’t have to be Bud Light and Buffalo wings…. bring a touch of class to your Super Bowl event as The Wine Ladies and their guests Rudy Florio founder of Liaison College,  former Alouette and Chef Shawn Whalen offer up a food and wine pairing touchdown! Whats a party without the wine? Also joining us from New York, home state of the New York Jets, Steven Shaw Jr. proprietor of Shaw Vineyards small boutique winery located on Seneca Lake  located in the Finger Lakes our neighbour and wine region just to the south of us. Shaw Vineyard- Wine is not our business it is our passion.

Super Bowl grub kick it up a notch! www.thatchannel.com/thewineladies TV

Zip n Sip Wine Adventure with The Wine Ladies Sept 9th

Join The Wine Ladies on a mission to experience first-hand the excitement and rush of zip lining and rappelling, followed by a luxurious lunch and beautiful wine tasting at Burning Kiln Winery. We’ll be leading a tour here sharing this unique adventure and culinary treat. On the road to the “South Coast” an upcoming wine region, soon to be Ontario’s newest designated viticulture area, we are headed for an exhilarating day of adventure for not only our palates, but our body and soul too!

Burning Kiln Winery

Burning Kiln Winery

If you’ve never tried it, here’s the perfect opportunity to join an intimate group of 14 for a fun filled, food and wine excursion! We have done it and loved it so much we wanted to share it with our fellow wine lovers and friends.

Check it out here.

Burning Kiln Winery

Burning Kiln Winery

Purchase your exclusive ticket on line here http://guestli.st/116742 or call 905-338-6797 for your all inclusive exclusive VIP ticket.

We’ll start at Long Point Eco-Adventures www.lpfun.ca , where we will be 2 groups of 8 (Georgia’s team and Susanne’s team) led for 2 hours by 2 handsome, fully trained young zip line guides. Of course, games, fun and prizes always a part of the wine adventure experience with The Wine Ladies. So stay tuned!

Long Point Eco-Adventures

Long Point Eco-Adventures

The Wine Ladies invite you, for what promises to be a fun filled culinary and sport adventure, something a little different for couples, groups of friends or singletons too.

Date: Sunday, Sept 9th,2012

Time: 11:00 am-5:00 pm

Day itinerary:

11:00 am – Arrival at Long Point Eco-Adventures – registration, outfitting and zip lining school.

11:30 am – 1:30 pm – Zip lining and rappelling

1:30 pm-3:00 pm – Lunch at Burning Kiln Winery

3:30 pm -5:00 pm Vineyard and winery tour, meet the winemaker, exclusive wine tasting and shopping.

Limit: 14 persons

Price is $129.00/person. Includes zip lining and rappelling, complementary wine tasting and exclusive tour of the vineyards and winery and a spectacular lunch hosted by the winemaker.. Just bring yourself, all gear is provided. Please wear comfortable/running shoes.

If you are searching for the perfect culinary and sporting adventure please join us for Zip n Sip with The Wine Ladies.

DIRECTIONS

Please allow 2.5  hours drive from Toronto. If you are interested in car pooling with someone please contact us at 905-338-6797. We will meet at Long Point Eco-Adventures for 11:00am on Sept 9th.

Long Point Eco-Adventures
1730 Front Road,
Turkey Point, Ontario  N0E Canada

Adventures in wine with The Wine Ladies

Adventures in wine with The Wine Ladies

Newtopia for the mind, body and soul, is feeling strong, healthy and balanced

U topia for the mind, body and soul, is feeling strong, healthy and balanced

We discover Newtopia, our singular and fulfilling paths to getting there…

 

Just a few short months ago we were introduced to Newtopia. Always on the look out for new and meaningful ways to help us achieve optimal health, from the inside and out, plus a healthy dress size, we were intrigued with this innovative scientific approach that was based on our genetic codes. Apparently there are certain genes or “fat genes” such as one that has the brain tell us when we’re full, and another that has to do with how efficient our metabolisms are… that once identified can be key to losing those extra pounds and keeping them off.  Hallelujah!

These genes play an important role in determining the kind of food we need, the kind of exercise, kind of supplements, and even how we manage stress.  Hmm…sound interesting? We thought so.  As three sisters we often discussed who got the “good genes” and who got the “not so good” ones with the greater propensity to carry a little extra weight. Well now, we were about to learn that we COULD blame our genes, at least partially on our second helpings…did I really need that second piece of chicken, and/or the multiple trips to the candy store. Having said that, homogeneity of the “fat marker” genes eluded the three of us. Although none of us hit the jack- pot, Georgia came close with only one of the marker genes showing a variation (the geneticist’s lingo), Susanne on the other hand, had all three rear their ugly heads or shall we say molecules, on her double helix. We were in…but wait not so fast, where does wine fit into this lifestyle plan we were about to embark on? “ It is welcomed,” said the founder Jeff Ruby. Perfect! And so our journeys began, with an individual mandate, path and execution, based on what our genetic roadmap revealed.

http://www.newtopia.com/thewineladies

 

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Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa shadows on the red mountains.

Hiking and Fitness Adventure Desert Cliffs Fitness Spa in Utah

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa

The day of great anticipation has finally arrived. We are Utah bound, to the glorious red mountains, stunning canyons, incredible sand dunes and the most extraordinary hiking one can imagine. Desert Cliffs Fitness Spa located in St George, Utah is our destination. Specializing in breathtaking hikes, a range of first class fitness classes, fabulous healthy food and an environment of beauty and calm.

Whats the skinny on the skinny white jeans? Every girl has a pair she needs to get back into and these are Susanne's. The plan is to leave www.DesertCliffs.com wearing them — with John Kemp

Whats the skinny on the skinny white jeans? Every girl has a pair she needs to get back into and these are Susanne’s. The plan is to leave www.DesertCliffs.com wearing them! John Kemp.

Chateauneuf du “Tap” will be our beverage of choice while here in the desert.

Yes, we’ve put away our signature over sized wine glasses and replaced them with extreme backpacks, complete with 2 liter water bladders, special pockets for our cameras and of course lots of sun block! We arrive late Sunday afternoon and are welcomed to Desert Cliffs, by the very friendly and fit John Kemp, the proprietor of this fabulous resort. A “boutique” fitness resort if you will, with room for a maximum of only fourteen guests, all housed in a beautiful 7,000 square foot home. Personalized attention for each of the guests is what Desert Cliffs is all about. All the amenities are provided including two in-house chefs ready to cater to your personal needs.

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa – Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 1

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa - Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah - The Wine Ladies Part 1

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa – Hiking,Weight loss, Fitness Spa in Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 1

After the introductions and a little lively and engaging chatter, John gives us a brief tour, an orientation to the program and shows us our room, spacious and bright, we love it. “If you can come back down in about an hour,” he says “we can get started right away and do your weigh-ins and measurements” Yikes, already” we exclaim “we just got off the plane, we’re all bloated, maybe we should do it in the morning”. Within the hour we find ourselves filling out a questionnaire, being measured and standing on a NASA looking machine, a scale that tells you much more than the number of pounds you have to lose! “Sometimes less is more John”, we say, but not to worry based on the program we are about to embark on including the level of personal attention, the challenging hikes and more, we are confident our goals will be met, and Susanne will fit once again into her white skinny jeans! Let the adventure begin!

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa with Tracy L. Crane.

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa with Tracy L. Crane.

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa – Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 2

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa - Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah - The Wine Ladies Part 2

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa – Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 2 

Hiking,Weight loss, fitness spa, Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 3

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa - Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah - The Wine Ladies Part 3

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa – Hiking,Weight loss,Fitness Spa in Utah – The Wine Ladies Part 3

Day 2: Kanarraville, a hike of splendour and adventure. Incredible waterfalls, climbing ladders up to new heights. No worries about the hiking boots, got to rough it sometimes. Steep climbing meaning you got to come down, had to go down on the behind in a couple of spots. How unsophisticated is that!

Canyon slots with the walls stretching over 100 feet high into the brilliant blue sky, down in the canyon , protected from the sun, we relish the coolness, and take in the magnificence of this geological wonder, A glistening fresh, rapid water fall, rushes over a man made wooden, somewhat unbalanced ladder, we are to ascend. the water is Freezing, Georgia takes the plunge and starts the climb, in a moment, legs feeling numb…. No one else is coming! She turns back, soaking, and a little more than refreshed.

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa Chef Salad.

Desert Cliffs Hiking Spa Chef Salad.

To see all the pictures from this amazing hiking and fitness adventure visit The Wine Ladies Facebook Fan page here.

On this week’s radio show….Healthy living, from the plate to the glass to the strong and sexy body!