Do you want a MINI for a Weekend?

We are currently playing Where is Charlie! Is the easiest way to win a MINI for a weekend!

Spot MINI Charlie around town and you could be our next winner!

Ever heard of "Where's Waldo?" Play our game called "Where's Charlie" and you could win a MINI for a weekend plus a candy bouquet from Bloom'a'licious valued at over $100 dollars!

Here is how it works:

1. Spot MINI Charlie anywhere - motoring around town, parked on the street, at a mall - if you spot him it counts!

2. Fill out the form located at adoptamini.ca and include your snapshot, the date and the location you spotted Charlie.

I'm even giving out clues on where and how to spot him! :)

From Twitter:

@Darlinglilred to @Goodwill_Carlos when I was driving home from work on Friday I drove by you in your KooL MINI Charlie headed onto Crowchild from 11

@JohnCornegge to @Goodwill_Carlos I saw your mini 1 minute ago! Crowchild taking the exit to Garrison Green :-)

From Facebook:

Lisa Gayle Hey Carlos! Make me a mini driver....do you think Minnie Driver drives a MINI? Happy Friday!

RE:
Carlos Cuevas Hi Lisa! You can win a MINI experience for a weekend from Mini Crowfoot all you need to do is play Where's Charlie! Spot him around the city at any time at any place on any day, take a picture and send it to adoptamini.ca for your chance to win! The MINI Experience for a weekend also comes with a Gift Basket from Bloom'a'licious!

-----

Carlos Cuevas Taking MINI Charlie to his first scary movie tonight. We're at Chinook Mall watching Paranormal Activity 2. He is right outside the theaters.

RE:
Ivy Tristan Hint hint hahaha im going to find him
Carlos Cuevas Good luck... He's easy to spot...

*Must be 18 years or older to win.

This is my idea of how your picture should look... it doesn't have to, but it would be nice... :)

Topless!

Oh, man! It seems like almost yesterday when we got all the donations to our adopted family from the McMan foster care program, and it seems like making people happy is what MINI does best! Weather you are the proud (and happy) owner of a MINI or if you are the one receiving a small gesture of gratitude from a MINI owner, we are always trying to make people happy.

Lately I’ve been driving into downtown with MINI Charlie and I can’t help drive with the top down. Yes, the temperature outside marks 3.5ºC but if you drive a MINI Convertible you want to take advantage of the littlest ray of sun you can find in the sky. My wife is not a big fan of driving around with the top down because it messes up her hair. So, I got her a small portable hair brush for her to carry around in her purse. I thought that would allow me to take advantage of the MINI convertible, but it didn’t quite worked out the way I planed.

So if you see MINI Charlie & I driving around the city quickly reach for your cell phone and snap a picture email it to Charlie@adoptamini.ca or loaded up to our website www.adoptamini.ca with the day, time and location you saw us. You could win a MINI experience for a weekend.

Where's Charlie?!?!

I have to say that I’m really grateful for my friends, my wife had to go to Vancouver for the thanksgiving weekend and I was left home alone. First on Saturday of the thanksgiving weekend my friends “The Dew’s” invited me over to spent thanksgiving with them alongside “The Coleman-Smith”, Brett & Cameron and then on Sunday I went to momma Wilde’s house for thanks giving and met more people from her family. I have to come clean… on both days I had the turkey sweats and I think at some point I had to loosen my belt… and it wasn’t until I got in to MINI Charlie that he kinda hinted at me oh so subtle with an audible alarm that I should probably try and loose some of that turkey weight… So we thought that I wasn’t the only one in the city with that problem after the long weekend. We talked to the guys at Bikram Yoga NW in the community of Varsity and we gave away for the day session passes for people to try Hot Yoga.

MINI Charlie also wanted to try it. I have to say I never thought he would actually be able to do some of the movements that yoga requires, but that’s to show that MINI will fit any active lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you wanna go snowboarding or play soccer or hockey… you can fit all your gear in the MINI, he showed me as I drove home from a friends house this weekend with my wife, my sister-in-law and my snowboard!

If you see MINI Charlie driving around town or at an event, take a picture and email it to Charlie@adoptamini.ca or simply take it to our website www.adoptamini.ca to play Where’s Charlie with us… you could win a MINI for a weekend and a basket from our friends from Bloom’a’licious… That’s KooL and Sweet!

Gobble, Gobble!

I have to say that I’m truly grateful for the last couple of weeks for 2 things. We had awesome weather and we got good donations for MINI Charlie’s foster family. During the first week we where down at Silverado and I remember a lady (teacher by the name of Melanie) stopped by and made a Big Donation. 2 Full Shopping bags, one with clothing and one with non-perishable food items for our family, also, one smaller gift bag with a few toys and a couple of GC’s and this was all from her! I was really grateful and I thank her a lot for taking the time for gathering this donations and stopping by to drop them off. At the end of the donation drive we got our MINI family around $500 dlls worth of donations! Between the personal donations from our listeners, the CrossIron Mills Mall and store gift cards, the Safeway gift cards, Subway, McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s donations I was really happy with the result and I’m sure that our foster family was really grateful.

Hotmail on iPhone/iPod Touch???

YES!!! It only took a little time of playing around here and there with the options and with the Magic of the internet to find a way to make this work!

I just got my own @hotmail.ca account :) and I wanted to set it up on my iPhone 4... it is possible even if the option is not right there when you try to add a new email account... just follow this easy steps and you are good to go...

Simply go to settings on your iphone

Go to settings, create a new mail account.

Enter your basic information
Name - First & Last Name
User Name - YourEmail@live.ca or YourEmail@live.com
Your Password - *******
Description - Name

Now in the next page, Select POP not IMAP

POP account information
Name - First & Last Name
Address YourEmail@live.ca or YourEmail@live.com
Description - Name

Incoming mail server
Host Name - pop3.live.com
User Name YourEmail@live.ca or YourEmail@live.com specify the email! wont work with just the username!
Password - *******

Out going mail server
SMTP.live.com
No need to add username and password here!

save it- it will ask you "wana proceed without ssl?" Say no, then save & save again.

Then go to Outgoing Mail Server> Primary Server> SSL ON. Port must be 587

Then go to advanced >incoming settings> SSL ON> Server Port 995



Please Check with your service provider to make sure you have the right data plan to avoid surprise overages in you bill.

Let me know how it goes... Good Luck!

Carlos

Adopt a Family...

Earlier in the year I adopted a MINI Cooper from MINI Crowfoot and named him Charlie after my own name - Carlos translates to Charlie, Chuck or Charles in English - We have become inseparable. I like to believe that he is having a life just as awesome as I am and that his MINI brother & MINI sisters are really excited for us.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and MINI Charlie told me he wants to give back to the community. After all, Calgary has given him so much over the past 6 months. In the spirit of giving, Charlie found out that nowadays there were still lots of families that needed a bit of TLC, too. So... Charlie and I came up with a plan. "We're going to adopt a family for this thanks giving!"

We enlisted the help of McMan Charlie & I are collecting donations until Friday for a special foster family, and we need your help Calgary!

This family has 6 Children (5 of them are foster children) that range between the age of 6 - 19 years of age. And trust me when I say this, they will appreciate any donations you can muster. From a Gift Card for any grocery store to a Gift Card from any other house hold store like Walmart, Zeller, Co-Op. It would be helpful because they can be used for everything from household good to children's toys & School Supplies.

How can you help out? Go to adoptamini.ca and fill out our donation form and schedule a pick-up date. Charlie & I will drive out and pick-up all the donations to help this family have a Thanksgiving like no other. Please know that your contribution will make a significant difference for one family in need this Thanksgiving.

MINI Blizzards for everyone!

It all started with MINI Charlie having a craving for a MINI Blizzard! "They are the perfect size" he said. So we decided to treat as many people as we could in Calgary to a MINI Blizzard!

Being in the south part of the city was great! I was really unsure about how big of a reaction we would have based on the weather. Man, did we ever pick the right location! I decided to follow Charlie's suggestion and make a few extra GC's just in case. Probably 20 minutes before 4 I was out of GC's!

The interaction with the people is amazing! Charlie love's getting his picture taken with everyone, and people love Charlie!

"We saw Charlie at the corner and we where sure you where here."

But people, please be aware that MINI Charlie isn't pretty, he isn't Cutre. Sorry let me elaborate. A listener walked up to me and told me:

"Wow, Charlie is so Pretty!" and I had to reply... "He's not pretty, he's AWESOME!"

This Friday we'll be on Stephen Ave hanging out with the rest of his friends from the Dilawri Automotive Group, and we'll have tons of prizes to give away. Make sure you stop in by between 11 and 4 to get your hands on some Free SWAG and to take a look at MINI Charlie!





PS. MINI Charlie's Blizzard Flavor... Strawberry with Golden Oreo Cookies... Delish!

MINI - Tailgate Part-A!

MINI Charlie and I where hanging out at MINI Crowfoot with all his MINI Friends and even his Uncle Matt. MINI Charlie wanted to help some people a great time over the long weekend and he decided to throw his first ever MINI Tailgate Party and give away 2 pairs of Tickets to the Labor Day Classic with some Stamp Bucks to use at the stadium the day of the game but how good is a Tailgate party without Burgers??? So Charlie decided to Keep it MINI and had a buuuunch of gift cards to give away for Mc MINI's!

We got to MINI Crowfoot shortly before 11 am and being the ladies man he is he wanted to get all dolled up and got him self a MINI Spa to look good for all the ladies as he was ready to throw the best MINI Tailgate party ever!

Thanks to everyone that entered thru our site on adoptamini.ca and to all of you that came on down to MINI Crowfoot for some food and to enter to win your Stampede Tickets for the Labour Day Classic. MINI Charlie and I saw the game on the big screen at home and we had a blast! I hope that Penny Covey and that Trevor Zaharechuk, our Draw winners, had a blast at the game!

See you all this Friday on Stephen Ave, as MINI Charlie will be hanging out at the Dilawri Detour. Make sure you stop by and say hi to Charlie. He loves pictures and trust me when I say, you want to get your picture taken with him, you'll thank us in a few weeks. Spot MINI Charlie anywhere, take a picture and tag your self on it on Facebook.

Hot.... Yoga with Bikram Yoga

Welcome to Erin's Hot Yoga Journey. I’ve recently started attending classes at Bikram Yoga Northwest (located in Varsity). They have three locations…the other two are located in Marda Loop and Midnapore respectively. Before the month of September is through, I’ll be attending classes at all three locations. We’ll wrap things up with a Hot Yoga Party on Saturday October 2nd-your only way “in” is to “win”! You can enter online… hit up kool1015.ca or you can win by listening to my midday show, 9am-3pm weekdays.

The day of my very first Hot Bikram Yoga Class, I was a big bundle of nerves. I’d been told to get myself very hydrated throughout the day-so I drank lots of water. I was also advised NOT to eat a heavy meal prior to the class. In fact, they recommend not eating anything an hour before. About 90 minutes prior, I had a small tin of tuna. A high protein snack is the smart way to go….cottage cheese, peanut butter, etc.

The yoga part of it didn’t scare me……it was the “heat” part of it that had me all worked up. The average room temperature during a Hot Yoga class averages 40° Celsius which is 104° Fahrenheit. HOT!! I was thankful to have our KooL Promotions Director Sonya with me for my first class. She had already attended four hot yoga classes-and was addicted! While patiently waiting outside the HOT yoga room, I met two young women who were also new to the hot yoga experience. They proceeded to tell me that their friend had attended the day before and “had to run out of the room in the middle of the class to puke”. Great. What they had failed to tell me was that their friend had had a huge meal right before their class. Remember?!... that’s a big “no-no”!

For my first class, Cheryl was my instructor (she’s awesome). I placed myself at the back of the class along with the other “newbies”. I immediately was put to ease when Cheryl welcomed all of the new hot yoga participants to the class and added “your challenge for today, is to stay in this room for 90 minutes… even if you don’t do any poses and just lay here, that’s all I ask”. Works for me!

In the middle of the class I did feel like “I can’t do this”… but I put the thought out of my head and soldiered on.

I’m proud to announce that in the end, I did in fact stay in the room for the full 90 minutes AND I attempted every single pose. I will also say, that hot yoga is intense… challenging BUT amazing. For me, it’s a workout for the body AND the mind. I admittedly surprised myself with the thought of being super excited about getting back in that hot room again.

I look forward to experiencing all the hot yoga benefits I keep hearing about… better sleeps, less anxiety, weight loss!! I’m also excited by the support of my co-workers. Our KooL Goodwill Ambassador Carlos (Me!) has already attended two hot yoga classes. KooL afternoon host, Zack will be joining me for a class next week… as well as our KooL Production Director, Rob! Strength in numbers!

Thanks for joining me on my journey… and don’t forget kool1015.ca to find out how you can join me for your Bikram Hot Yoga VIP Experience!

Oh what a ride!!!

MINI Charlie and I finally got a chance to go on a Day Trip! We wanted to make sure we had some time to reward some kids from the Kids Up Front Program. We wanted tot ake them out to the Calgary Corn Maze and man was the wait worth every minute!

What can I say, Charlie loves ridding with his top down when ever he gets a chance, and last week wasn't the exception. Perfect gorgeous weather and sunny skies.

I love feeling the wind blowing thru my hair when we are on the road, and he knows I love it. If we get stuck in traffic, it's really not aq big deal. We can wait and relax taking some sun and listening to some tunes as loud as we can, sing and have fun on the road.



I know that the kids from Kids Up Front loved seing MINI Charlie because as soonas we got to the Calgary Corn Maze they wanted to get around him and have some pictures taken.





rememeber that you can always go to adoptamini.ca to get all the information you need about Kids Up Front and the Calgary Corn Maze.

Blackberry Bold 9000 White Screen of Death!!!

Tongiht I had a small panic attack... I did some research and I found the solution for the Blackberry White Screen of Death... at least, it worked on my phone... if it happens to you, give it a try. It might work for you too...

The problem comes from the SD card (for my it was that)

- make a hard reboot (holding ALT + right SHIFT + DEL)
- once the red light off
- open the SD card slot and remove the card
- the system autoboot and the white screen desepears
- Welcome back to the world ...

ps: This happened to me offen when the weather is hot, or when the BBB stays under heavy sun a few minutes

Thanks to "spegase" from crackberry.com

Who would like a Spa GC???

I finally set aside some time to temporarily leave my Calgary family (MINI Charlie) and went to visit my family in Mexico. As hard as it was to be away from my beloved MINI, it was about time for me to see my family and friends. I knew that the distance away from him for a whole week was going to be hard, and driving another car just wasn't as fun and it felt sort of...wrong... like Cheating!.

During July Charlie & I had a lot of fun. We did crazy things and cool things, helping kids around the city and we ate a lot of pancakes. He even got a new haircut, hari color and New Tattoos! We made a ton of cool memories together that I cherished while I was away. I just couldn’t wait to get back to jump in my MINI , put the top down and ride topless around the city no matter the weather.





While I was down in Disneyland with my wife enjoying our anniversary, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I even found this cool store down in Downtown Disney District called Ride Makerz and I'm not going to lie, I took a picture of one of their MINI's and looked at it for a while... it made me really excited to come back to Calgary and Jump in on my Charlie to go out for another drive.





When I was away I made sure Charlie had the best care possible. I called his Uncle Matt from MINI Crowfoot and I know they had a lot of fun. I just wanted to make sure he was safe and having a good time. His Uncle Matt took great care of him; he even treated him to a MINI Spa! Charlie and I thought it wasn't fair for him not to share this with you Calgary, so he is still giving you a chance to enter to win 1 of 2 Spa GC's. We made it sooo simple! Just go to adoptamini.ca and enter to win. No catch, No Charge! It's Free!

Tomorrow Friday July 30th we are going to be on Stephen Avenue with some of his friends from MINI Crowfoot. Stop on by and say Hi! He loves being where the party is, loves having his picture taken and would love to meet you.

Taking advantage of the long weekend he invited our friends from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and we'll be handing out some cool swag for you to show your support. Come visit and say Hi! We'll be there until 4.30!

Fore!

"Fore!" is shouted as a warning during a golf game when it appears possible that a golf ball may hit other players or spectators. The mention of the term in an 1881 British Golf Museum indicates that the term was in use at least as early as that period. The term means "look ahead", and it is believed to come from the military "beware before", which was shouted when a battery fired behind friendly troops.

I just thought it would be a nice idea to add that little factoid. This last week MINI Charlie and I went to Nevada Bob’s in Signal Hill and because of Fathers day weekend Charlie, being a guy, wanted to make sure we reminded people of the importance of getting checked for prostate cancer. We had the guys from the Prostate Cancer Center join us with the Man Van to give free PSA testing’s to men over 40. We also held the MINI Putt for Prostate fundraiser where we invited people to join us for their chance to win a Loaded Taylor Made Golf bag valued at over $2,000 dlls! We want to thank everyone that came down and donated their time and money and specially all of those guys that got their test done.



While on location people where asking me if it was possible to even fit loaded golf bag in the MINI.


Oh man did I show them!


But of course if you actually put in the golf bags in the MINI the right way you can fit 2 of them! So you and a friend could be ridding the MINI on the Course! Your own Golf Cart! (please do check with your golf course allows you to take the MINI on the course)

I guess they didn’t hear about my Costco and IKEA trip with my whole family story… that day it’s when I cleared out all mi doubts about how much I can fit in a MINI.

This weekend Charlie and I are going to be at Spruce Meadows cheering for all the riders that are joining the Ride to Conquer Cancer. If you want to help the ride but don’t think that you can make the 200 kilometers ride check out our website and you can also check out the Dilawri's Website to find out more ways you can help the ride. Also if you spot us on site make sure you stop by and say hi. Charlie is very giving and doesn’t like to hold back on any of the stuff he has with him at all times!

If you want to help out the Prostate Cancer Centre please check out their website.

Great party, Good food!

I remember that for my wife’s birthday party we booked the owner’s lounge at our condo building. I wanted to have the authentic Mexican tacos and Salsa’s, but my wife asked me not to do that, she wanted me to have fun and not cook all night for our guests. So I had to come up with a quick and simple plan for food… Best/non-expensive thing I thought of serving was Pizza from Costco! Just heat/bake in the over for 6 minutes and they are done! But, you know pizza has been the hardest thing for me to quit so I had to come up with a plan b for myself. I made myself a whole pizza from the Herbal Magic cook book and before I knew it, people from the party wanted me to let them in on the secret of the Herbal Pizza!

I promised them that I would give them re recipe. So, here it is. You can always tweak it and make it with your own favorite ingredients. I know that this is by far one of my favorite things to make from the cook book. Make it your own and have some fun. That is one of the things I like about Herbal Magic, you get the guidelines and you get to have fun and experiment with your own favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Flat-Out Wrap
100 gr. Fat Free Deli Meat (Jamón)
1 oz of Cottage Cheese (Queso)
½ cup of Pineapple
1 Cup of Healthy Choice pasta sauce (Salsa de spaguetti marca Healthy Choice)

- Cooking Instructions:

Preheat the over at 400º
Add pasta sauce to your wrap
Slice and then add the deli meat on to the wrap
Slice and then add the pineapple to your wrap
Shred and then add the cheese to your wrap
Slide into oven until the cheese has melted (8 – 10 minutes)

You will enjoy it!

Surprise, Surprise...

On June 9th I wanted to treat my wife to some nice things due to her 28th birthday, her first birthday together since we got married. If you know me, I mean, really know me. You’d know that I'm the worst at keeping a surprise from my wife. I'm the one that gets too excited and I'll end up giving her hints here and there just so she can guess what it is, and if she can't guess what it is, I'll just bluntly tell her what the surprise is before I have to give it to her.

I woke her up by singing Happy Birthday (Las Mañanitas) and giving her a little cake for her that morning. Then I proceeded to give her her actual gift. Then I made breakfast for her. Later that morning I surprised her at work with a flowers from Modern Petals and Mini Cupcakes from Crave for her to share with her girl friends during her lunch break. Later that evening we went for supper to SKY 360 with my in-laws and I left the most exciting surprise of them all for Saturday night. We hosted a birthday party at our condo’s Owners Lounge and she invited all her friends. I made my wife believe I’d forgotten to buy her birthday cake. Little did she know that I ordered her cake 2 months in advance and I managed to keep it a secret from her!

I contacted Rose Sen and asked her to make a giant version of her favorite Crave Cupcake, the Crave-O-Licious and she knew exactly what I was talking about. We met a few times after I placed the order to polish ideas and to make sure we had everything covered for the surprise. She even got the flavor of the cake to match the flavor of the cupcake!



If you have some time to spare at work, you can always check out more of her cakes on her blog. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Just don't see if you are hungry.

7,447 feet above ground

Have you ever wanted to do something but never actually where able to do so? Over 1 year ago I thought I’ve been hiking before. Man was I wrong! I didn’t realize what I was missing on until a few weekends ago. My in-laws where visiting from Mexico and we went to Banff for the weekend. My wife wanted to take them up the Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and we did, I just decided to take the longer way up the mountain. I actually hiked it. It didn’t take me 5 minutes. It took me close to 3 hours but when I got to the top of that mountain, I was actually able to say I did it.



I’ve been doing Herbal Magic weight loss almost 9 months and I’ve lost 116.4 lbs. Not only was I able to do the Sulphur Mountain hike but then we went to Lake Moraine and then Lake Louise and still went swimming at the hotel pool!

Now, I’m only a few lbs away from my goal of loosing 120 lbs and stampede is just around the corner. I wonder how a pair of wranglers would look on me now. I guess we’ll find out in a month!

I wanted to share this picture with you. While hiking around Lake Louise I was jumping on some rocks along the lake. I don’t recall when was the last time I had this much energy. I’m great full I’m able to share these moments with my wife.

Just Chilling

There is nothing better than a nice hot day and a patio; well, MINI Charlie would disagree. He loves having his MINI Spa treatments at MINI Crowfoot. After spending the night before playing out in the rain I had to take him for a MINI Spa day at MINI Crowfoot before we hit up Stephen Ave and chill outside Milestone’s.

As usual, he loved being out in the public. He had tons of people sitting in the driver’s seat and lots more pictures taken. He also had a minute to admire the Calgary Tower.



MINI Charlie wants to remind you that you too can take your picture with him next time we are out and about. This Friday, make sure you join us at Neveda Bob’s in Signal Hill as we are hosting the Putt for Prostate from 10 am – 5 pm for your chance to win a fully loaded Taylor Made Golf bad for your dad on this father’s day.

Being a guy, he knows the importance of getting checked and he wants to make sure we raise awareness about prostate cancer.

From 52” to 36”

When I first started Herbal Magic weight loss back on September 18th 2009, I weighed 340 lbs and my jeans were size 52”. Looking back, I feel sad that I managed to do that to myself. I think that the worst part of it all is that I didn’t want to accept that I was out of control, that I had the solution in my hands and that it wasn’t going to go away on its own. Being overweight didn’t happen overnight. It literally took me all my life until September 18th to get to the point I was. If a healthier, better looking, happier me was going to happen I had to do it on my own and take my time to learn the right steps to get to a point where I felt comfortable looking at myself naked in the mirror.

When I went into Herbal Magic weight loss in September my personal coach told me based on medical charts, age, and height that my ideal weight was anywhere between 170 and 190 lbs; to me, that seemed too much. I have a big frame and I honestly don’t believe I’m supposed to weigh less than 200 lbs. They totally supported my decision and asked me based on the information I was given if I had a number in mind; I decided that 220 was the perfect number for me.

I’ve officially donated all my old clothes to the Diabetes Society except for but one pair of jeans, one shirt, one pair of boxers, and one undershirt. I have nothing else of the OLD CARLOS. I’ve started to do some shopping again and I’m taking advantage of as many sales as I can find. I started a few months back when I discovered I fit into Banana Republic Clothes, then Gap Clothes. At the recommendation of all my friends at the station, I finally bought new pants. I went to Gap Generation in Deerfoot Meadows and bought 2 pairs of jeans that I honestly love. I no longer wear 52” waist size. I bought 36”. That’s a number that I can’t recall when the last time I wore it or bought it for myself. I have one side of the closet taken by my wife and a bunch of empty hangers on my side that I will start stocking back up with time.

I’m happy to share my experience with Herbal Magic weight loss with you. I know that if I’m able to go through all these changes, you are able to also. I’ve said it a bunch of times and I’ll say it again, we can do this, Together.

He is family...

MINI Charlie & I wanted to show some of the less fortunate kids from the Kids Up Front program that a great time is possible no matter what kind of day. Charlie and I met up with the MINI Crew at Heritage Park in the morning. Despite the poor weather we had a great time - Charlie even got them all new MINI hats!





We spent a whole day enjoying Heritage Park. This made me realize that MINI really is the perfect family vehicle. If you have kids of your own and wondering if they would all fit in the car, guess what? They do! Currently I have my In-laws visiting and I thought I was probably going to have to make a lot of trips back and forth to get us to our destinations. Man, did Charlie prove me wrong! On Sunday I took my wife and in-laws to do some shipping at the GAP in Deerfoot Meadows and take advantage of their last day with 40% off on all their items. I bought some really needed new pants that actually fit me they way pants are supposed to fit. Then we all went to Costco to stock up on groceries that we would need for the time visiting, pretty much piling up the shopping cart.

Believe it or not, we fit 4 grown adults, shopping bags from GAP, and the groceries from a fully stocked-up shopping cart from Costco in MINI Charlie. I was pretty impressed. Charlie just doesn’t stop amazing me. Every now and then I find another thing that makes me say “That’s Awesome!”

This weekend we are going to Banff and Charlie is more than excited to go and spent a few days in the mountains being one with nature and maybe taking a plunge in the hot springs. I’ve asked him to keep his big bright eyes open for wild life. I know I have nothing to worry. People ask me why name my MINI? The best answer I have for them is that Charlie is not a car, he is Family. I’m positive that everyone that owns a MINI has named their MINI’s. It’s the MINI thing to do.

Are we there yet?

Back in April My wife and I had a few days off from work over the weekend and we decided to make a little vacation to enjoy a place we’ve both never been to and we both really wanted to see.

We decided to rent a car and drive down to Seattle, Washington. I have to say that I was really blown away by this city. I knew from conversations that I had with friends that it was a beautiful place. But even then, after seeing it with my own eyes, I think it was an under statement.

We decided to do all the touristy stuff we could do in the mere 3 days we where there. We stayed at the perfectly located Holiday Inn Express in Down Town Seattle. First thing we did on Friday; we went straight to the Seattle Premium Outlets and I’m thank full I decided to bring my Alberta ID Card with me because I found out that if you show your Alberta ID in Washington, pretty much any shopping place won’t charge you for taxes. So, the price you see on the tag, it’s pretty much what you pay! So, if a wallet at the Coach Outlet, for example, says 19.99, you really only pay 19.99! After noticing how much we where saving, we decided to buy a little more!

On Saturday we really where tourists in Seattle; I followed the suggestion of one of my friends on Facebook and went to Ride the Ducks! At first when she told me I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as soon as I saw them ridding around Seattle I told my wife that we had to do it! They take you on a trip around the city and they point out some of the spots that have been featured on cool movies like Sleepless in Seattle and 10 Things I Hate About You and unlike any other tour this one is really funny, kudos’s to all their Wacky Captains/Drivers, they now how to put the show on the road! When the tour finally came to an end right across the street from Ride The Ducks where the 2 places I really wanted to check out; Experience Music Project & Science Fiction Museum. You can’t miss it, it looks awesome on the outside and it’s just as cool on the inside. If you are a music fan you should go and see it with your own eyes and if you are a geek at heart you really should check out the Science Fiction Museum. The convenient part of it all is that they’re attached to each other; you don’t have to go outside to go to the other one.

On Sunday I promised my wife to take her to all the malls so that she can shop at all the stores she can’t find her in Canada. I’m a very, very poor planner and forgot that Sunday was Easter Sunday in the States and pretty much every mall and any other thing in the city was closed. I felt like the I was worst that day, it was never my intention to not give her a chance to enjoy her shopping spree. I even whore my runners that day because I knew I was going to do a lot of walking. We found out that the place that didn’t close for the day was Pike Place Market and we went for a walk there and we found The First Starbucks! I was looking and hoping to find the rumored Trenta Size Cup but I had no luck, then we went for a walk along the pier.

On Monday I had the plan of leaving Seattle no later than 10 am so that we get home no later than 10 pm, get a god rest and back to work on Tuesday, but I wasn’t able to leave Seattle without giving my lovely wife her shopping experience. So we went to a couple of malls bright and early and we got on the road by 4 pm that day. A lot of coffee cups and red bull cans later we got to Calgary. It was a crazy experience. But well worth the almost 12 hours driving each way. I’m happy I got a chance to go and see that beautiful city and that I had a chance to do and visit all the places I had a chance to see. I would go back to Seattle any time, or even maybe buy a summer getaway condo there and do the rest of the things I missed out on.

Sorry Mom...

I had all the intention of flaying down to Cancun, Quintana Roo then jump in the bus for 4 hours to get to Chetumal, Quintana Roo then jump in a Cab and go to my mom's house for mother’s day on May 10th (in Mexico, mother's day is always on May 10th) but unfortunately due to some problems with my work permit and finances I wasn't able to go see you and give you the best surprise I could've ever imagined to give you.

I know that it's been over 9 years since I spent a mother’s day with my mom, but it's not that I haven't been trying. It just hasn't been possible. but maybe things happen for a reason. on July 20th it's my mom's birthday and on the 25th it's my anniversary. My wife and I have been planning on going back to Mexico for our anniversary, but we just weren't sure if we were going down to her hometown of Culiacan, Sinaloa or my hometown of Mexicali, Baja California or to my mom's hometown which is also where I was raised and my friends there in Chetumal, Quinata Roo. We had options, but we just where not sure on what to do.

Now based on the current situation, I've agreed to meet my mom up in Mexicali, Baja California for her birthday. That way I can still be with my mom and rest of my family, friends and still give my wife a few days in Disneyland like we want to for our anniversary.

I just hope that it all goes as planned and that this time we are able to do what we want to. Also, I finally did it. I donated all of my old clothes to the Diabetes society. I went from using up half of my closet to one quarter of the space. Now I really have to do some shopping. I know I won’t be able to replace everything over night. But I will get new nicer things as time goes by and as finish taking care of all the legalities of status in this country. Herbal Magic weight loss has most definitely changed my life and I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to do so by myself. I just can’t wait until I’m able to show my mom what I’ve been able to accomplish in just 8 months. 110 lbs down and only 10 more to go.

Meet MINI Charlie!

I can´t believe we already got a name! MINI Charlie it´s pretty darn cool. Not a lot of people know this but Carlos in English could be: Chuck, Charles, Charlie or Carl. So having a listener nominate Charlie as the name for my MINI was crazy! But the funny thing is that she had no clue that Carlos meant any of those names in English. She said that the name just came to her and I couldn't have chosen a better name for someone that is part of the family. My MINI.

For the last couple of days we’ve been hitting the streets pretty hard. Making sure you can find us in any place you can imagine. Deep in the south, or way out there in the north, we want to make sure you get a chance to see us and get your hands on some of the cool MINI freebees we have to pass on to you.

Sometimes I get a message on Facebook asking how much does it cost to get some of the stuff I’m giving away. I’m giving it away! So, it’s Free! Have no fear to wave me down and say hi next time you see me driving, MINI Charlie and I are always packing lots of freebees and we want to make sure you get your hands in some.

MINI Charlie was visiting this last weekend his friends at MINI Crowfoot and we had a chance to see all the options they offer to suit him up for this summer season. I’m personally more of a bike rider more than a camper over the summer. I saw the bike racks that they have and how easy it makes loading and unloading your bike because of the height of the vehicle. I won´t have a problem with my back because of lifting the bike over my head. And the best part of it all is that he still looks cool and I don’t have to worry about hitting everything on top of him while driving into park aides. And if unique-ing is more of your thing, the sky is the limit. Your MINI will be the only one of its kind and I can guarantee you there will be no other MINI like your MINI.



No, that is not MINI Charlie, it's one of his cousins that already has a Bike Rack on. and he is ready to hit the mountains.

Thank You Calgary. Now, Let's MINI!

Is that really me?

So close, but yet so far. That's how I currently feel but I understand why. I went to Herbal Magic weight loss today after work and got on the scale I'm only 10 lbs away. I have to accept that I´ve plateau. It's hard to accept, but it's all part of the process. I've lost so much weight and so fast that I have to give my body size (inches) a chance to catch up with my weight loss.

Also, since I'm working out I'm starting to lose inches in certain parts of my body (my belly) but gaining a few inches in other parts (my leg muscle) Since I'm running 2 miles a day. My leg muscle is starting to grow. I've lost 110 lbs so far, and I've lost 103 inches overall. My size loss is finally catching up to my weight loss. I know I will get to my goal before I even know it.

This weekend I have a wedding to go to and I was planning on getting my old suit fix. I thought it would be an easy fix, but then again, I'm not a tailor. I went to visit my tailor with my old suit in hand and my tailor laugh when I asked him if it was possible for him to fix it. His answer? “it would be easier for me to make you a new one from scratch, you've lost so much weight that this has chance for repair” I felt bad, because I bought that suit a while ago and I really liked it. Look at it, I looked good in it!



I had to accept that I had to buy a new suit and I went on a Suit mission. I ended up at The Bay, I asked if Bonnie Brooks was in the building I was really disappointed. I asked one of the guys there if he could help me find a suit. I had no clue of what size I had to buy now since my last one was my tux for my wedding. He measured me and pulled the one I liked from the rack. I tried it on and to my surprise and for the first time ever NOTHING had to get altered, it's like Perry Ellis used me as a Model for that suit. I don´t recall when was the last time I was able to wear a suit and didn't had to get any alterations! And I have to admit that a suit makes anyone look good. I couldn´t believe that was really me reflected in the mirror.

I will show you pictures of me in my new suit next wee after we get back from my friends wedding. You'll be the one to tell me if it looks good or not.

Tomorrow, I go again to Herbal Magic weight loss, and whatever the number in the scale is I know it's a better number than the one I saw 8 months ago. It is not and will never be 340 lbs ever again! One step closer to the real me. I'm finally getting a chance to look the way I feel. Bring it on summer!

Room and lots of it!

This past Friday MINI and I decided that because of Mothers Day we had to do something to celebrate some very special Mom´s that probably weren’t expecting anything at all. We went to visit the Mom´s at the YWCA Mary Dover House but we could´t show up empty handed.

We made a few calls and brainstormed with the rest of the gang at the Energy Studios and decided to get flower arrangements for the Mom´s and our friends at Modern Petals (@ModernPetals) gave us a hand and donated all the MINI Themed Flower arrangements in 2 tone Pink Color. They were beautiful!



I had people say to me that there was no chance I was going to be able to pack all the flower arrangements in my MINI, but I decided I was going to prove them wrong. Once I got to Modern Petals (Dalhousie Station, #147 5005 Dalhousie Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta, T3A 5R8) I folded the back seats down and realized that I actually had room to spare! Check it out.



I still remember the look in some of the mom´s faces and to me that was priceless. I was unable to spent Mother´s day with my mom, but I knew that I had the chance to help some mom´s celebrate this special day in a way that I hope they don´t forget.



This week MINI get´s his name! If you still haven’t submitted a name you still have time to do so, go to adoptamini.ca and submit your name idea for my MINI and you could win the MINI experience for a whole weekend with a night stay at the Stoney Nakoda Resort. It would be an experience like no other.

Hurry!

This last week we were taking donations for the Calgary Food Bank and it made me realize that my MINI it's only MINI by name because, man can it pack a lot of things! Even during my weekend events, when the station is broadcasting from a live location around calgary, I was surprise I was able to pack all our gear, both promotional and broadcasting gear, into my MINI...

When people ask me: how cool is the car? I have no better way for them to realize how cool it is than by actually getting in and seeing it with their own eyes and I think I just found the perfect video for it. You honestly have to see it, and if you get goosebumps just like I do, you really should be driving a MINI.



This Friday MINI and I will do a little visit to the mom's at the YWCA, we are excited to help them celebrate and remimd them how special they really are.

I can't wait for the next MINI Club of Calgary get-together. We are hitting the roads to go to Banff, It'll be like: WOOHOO!!! I will keep you updated what the route will be for you to take a few minutes and see the caravan of MINI's around Calgary.

You still have a few days left to help me find the right name for my MINI, I'm starting to wonder what would his name be... I think that his name should be something cool, something catchy but at the same time fun... I know, I'm not making this any easier for you. Go to adoptamini.ca and nominate your name. You might win the MINI experience for a weekend. It'll be a weekend you will never forget.

Life Happens...

I feel HORRIBLE! For the last couple of weeks I’ve been super busy with projects at the station… by the time I get to go home my Herbal Magic weight loss clinic is already closed. And instead of being there by my usual 3 or 4 times a week I’ve only managed to go there once this week!

I’m not usually this busy but the girls at Herbal Magic weight loss understand that life happens, and even though I haven’t been in for my consultation I try my best to stay on track with my meals and my water intake.

So far in seven and a half months I’ve lost 112 pounds. 112! I’m only 8 lbs away from my weight goal. I don’t weight 340 lbs any more, I’m no longer wearing 52 inch pants; I’m no longer using XXL shirts! I honestly feel on cloud 9 - So many changes happened so fast, it seems like this is all a dream.

I get to go to Herbal Magic on Saturday and if I’m not closer to my goal weight I know it’s not the end of the world; I just have to be patient and keep doing what I’m suppose to be doing. Just focus, eat healthy, the right portions, work out and drink lots and lots of water.

How is your journey going? Remember that a bump on the road is just that, a bump on the road. It might slow you down but it won’t stop you. It takes more than that to stop us, especially when we are doing this together.

I just want to drive!!!

Since getting my MINI from MINI Crowfoot I look for a reason just to drive! Prior to getting my MINI, I was looking for excuses to just stay at home and not leave my house after both my wife and I got home after a day of work. Now, I don't care what it is... We need limes?! I'll go get them! We need apples? I'm on it! What? No gum! No problem! I even started trying different grocery stores; I found myself shopping at Zellers in Sunridge Mall on Friday even though there is a Zellers just a few blocks from my place.

Everyone asks me how is the MINI? I can only tell them "It's Awesome, so much fun to drive!" I had to get gas for the first time on Sunday Morning! I got the MINI on Friday at 4 pm and I've done A LOT of driving and didn't have to get gas until Sunday! I was blown away!

I was invited to be a honorable member of the MINI Club of Calgary and on Sunday we went for the first drive of the season around town then making a final stop at Cochrane for Ice Cream at MacKay's. I was impressed to see that they are all just people like you and me, with kids, jobs, and come from all walks of life. A MINI is a right fit for everyone, doesn't matter if you're in the computer biz, or if you are still going to school or just an employee. If you own a MINI or know someone that owns a MINI tell them to check the MINI Club of Calgary - they are fun people and I'm glad they welcomed me into their club.



This past week I went around the city introducing the MINI to listeners and people at different locations handing out cool prizing from the guys at MINI Crowfoot, and I still have plenty more to go around. Make sure you flag me down, I’ll pull over and hand some out to you.

Also, remember that you still have a couple of weeks left to get your Name suggestion for my MINI, so its personality can shine! Submit your name suggestion to adoptamini.ca and you could win a MINI experience for a weekend!


This week I want to see how many times I can pack my MINI, so I’m taking donations for the Calgary Food Bank. This is going to be a lightning round of donations, one day and one day only. It doesn’t matter if it’s one grocery bag or a box of donations, remember that every little bit counts.

I leave you all thanking you in advance for your kind donations, and I look forward to seeing you on Friday!

10 More Baby!

I can’t believe I’ve lost officially 110 lbs! I honestly have no words that could express how I feel. I’m still in disbelief that 7 and a half months ago I was weighing 340 lbs! If you have no clue on what 110 lbs looks like or even feels like, try this:

The last time Justin Bieber and I talked, and by “I” I mean Chelsea Handler, he said on her show that he weighs 110 lbs! So I’ve officially lost a Justin Bieber!



Like I said in one of my Mini Blogs, on Friday I went out shopping to Zellers at Sunridge Mall for new undershirts and socks. I was shocked when I realized the size I had to buy. Seven and a half months ago I was wearing XXL. This Friday I bought LARGE; I took 2 X’s off my size! And to my surprise they’re not even snug! I can’t remember when was the last time I bought a Large ANYTHING!

Seriously I don’t know where would I be if it wasn’t for Herbal Magic weight loss. I know that I’ve added years to my life, years that I’m using to be with my family. I have energy now that I didn’t have before, energy that I will use once my wife and I have kids.

Let me know how you are doing on your journey, my road trip is almost getting to the point I want to get to and I’ve never felt better.

Name my Mini

Hey Calgary, this challenge goes out to you. I need your help to find the perfect name for my Mini. go to adoptamini.ca and nominate your best idea for the name of my Mini. If we choose your idea. We'll name it just like that and you will get to The Mini Experience for a Whole Weekend!

A new addition...

My wife and I have been doing a lot of thinking recently... I mean, we've been married for almost a year now and we're think it's time for a new addition... Except I think we're going to adopt. Friday we're going to get the papers work started... Friday will be a big day.

Mmmm Pizza!!!

Oh My God!

It's hard to believe that only 7 months ago I was joining Herbal Magic weight loss and I got on the scale and saw a number that I've promised not to see ever again. 339.4 lbs.

Over the long weekend my wife and I drove down to Seattle and did some serious damage in the outlets. I actually enjoyed shopping! I can't recall when was the last time I actually walked into a store and had fun shopping! I walked into Kenneth Cole and bought a couple of shirts. What size? LARGE! I'm not longer using XXL! I don't know if how else to say how excited I am. I wish you can feel and see my excitement.

This hasn't been easy, but it really hasn't been hard either. Herbal Magic weight loss has given me all the tools that I need to help me get to my goal. Today I don't weigh 339.4 lbs. I weigh 233 lbs. 233!!! I've lost 106.4 lbs in 7 months!!! A friend of mine told me that these last 15 lbs where going to be the hardest, and I can see that he was right, but with my determination and with the help of Herbal Magic weight loss and their coaches and most importantly their recipes I know this is possible.

I'm a big BIG fan of Pizza so big that when I was younger (7 years old) and lived in Toronto for a month they are only two phone numbers I remember: 967-11-11 and 241-0-241. If you recognize these numbers, you probably are a BIG fan of pizza too and I'm actually high-fiving you right now! :)

I've been able to eliminate this craving thanks to the Pizza recipe that they have on the Herbal Magic cook book, and I'll share it with you, it’s easy to make and it takes 20 minutes to get it done:

- Ingredients:

1 Weight watchers tortilla wrap
¼ Cup of Healthy Choices Pasta Sauce
½ Cup of pineapple
50 grams of Fat Free Deli Meat
1 Oz of Cheese

- Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Pour the pasta sauce over the tortilla wrap
Cut the Fat Free Deli Meat into squares and toss it over the tortilla
Grate the cheese and toss it over the tortilla
Cut the Pineapple into bite size pieces and toss over the tortilla.
Just bake for 10 - 15 minutes and you have a great, healthy personal pizza!

If you want to make it "ala Carlos" just add Jalapeño slices over top or if you feel BOLD add Habanero Pepper Salsa to it. Give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.

This recipe is for one serving and all the ingredients count as a daily intake of ½ Protein, 1 Dairy, 1 Fruit, 1 Starch and ½ of your free exchange.

Be Fearless, accept the change

The weather is changing, that means it’s time to do some Spring Cleaning! I started on Sunday by gathering shirts (size XXL) and pants (size 48) that I don't use anymore and put them into a bag for donations, and then I ended up bagging winter coats. In one way it was hard to say goodbye to my old stuff, but it was just one more step in realizing that I’m not the guy that I used to be six and a half months ago.

Sometimes it’s hard to accept that we are actually changing, but its all part of the Herbal Magic Process. They help you see and accept the changes you are making to a healthier new you.

This week’s recipe is the Fearless Chicken Fingers, it’s easy to make and it takes 25 minutes to get it done:

- Ingredients:

4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Pechugas dehuesadas y sin pellejo)
½ Cup Corn Flakes (Corn Flakes)
1 Large Egg White (Yema de Huevo)
2 tbsp Fat-Free Salsa (Salsa baja en Grasa)

- Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Cut chicken breast into strips
Coat chicken strips in egg white then roll in Corn Flakes crumbs. To make the Corn Flakes into smaller crumbs I bought a cheap coffee grinder at Wal-Mart for 10 dollars and I granulate my Corn Flakes for my chicken fingers. You’ll see that you won’t use all of the crumbs, but you can still eat them, I put them on top of my vegetables, or you can mix it in with you salsa to get the consistency of a dip.
Arrange chicken strips on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Serve with Salsa for dipping.

This recipe is for one serving and all the ingredients count as a daily intake of 1 Protein, 1 Starch and ½ of your free exchange.

This is a picture of how my Fearless Chicken Fingers ala Carlos looked like at the end with a side of vegetables portions that I was saving for supper, its ala Carlos just because of the Jalapeños that I added to my veggies and to make the Fat-Free Salsa taste even better, I added Habanero Pepper Salsa to it. YEAY! It’s like a Spicy Explosion in my mouth and I Love It! Give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.

Herbal Magic’s Italian Chicken Bake.

Back in September when I just starting rolling on the healthy lifestyle I thought I wasn’t going to be able to quit fast food. With 16 pounds to go and entering the home stretch of my program, I’ve noticed that I really don’t miss it they way I thought I would. Herbal Magic has taught me that there are ways to still eat all the food that I love, but made in a healthy way.

I’m going to share with you my top recipes for healthy items, items that I love and still taste just as great as the regular fast food items you would get at any other place.

Today’s choice: Italian Chicken Bake:

This recipe is really easy to make. It actually serves 4 portions so you will basically make supper for 4 nights, or if you are cooking for your significant other, you’ve made supper for 2 nights.

- Ingredients:

4 - 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Pechugas dehuesadas y sin pellejo)
Black pepper to taste (Pimienta negra)
Garlic powder to taste (Ajo en polvo)
Thyme to taste (Tomillo)
Basil to taste (Albahaca)
1 Cup of Healthy Choice pasta sauce (Salsa de spaguetti)
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (Queso Mozzarella)

- Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and basil.
Bake for 10 minutes and then flip them over.
Sprinkle same spices over the other side and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Pour pasta sauce over chicken breasts.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over and heat up until cheeses melts.

Like I said earlier, it serves 4 and all the ingredients count as a daily intake of 1 Protein, 1 dairy and ½ a free exchange per portion.

I can’t stress enough that we all need to start reading the nutritional value on the food that we eat. Everything that we learn of the food that we put into our bodies will make us a little more conscious on making better decisions that are going to help us in the long run.

Based on the Nutritional Value of food I really encourage you to start eating Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce you can find this at any grocery store.

This is a picture of how my Italian Chicken Bake ala Carlos looked like at the end with a side of vegetables portions that I was saving for supper, it's ala Carlos just because of the Jalapeños that I added to my veggies. Give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.




I made a promisse that I was going to add this at the end of this blog. Rob Kealy is Awesome.

The Carlos Steak & Veggies on a BBQ

Last night I went back to Herbal Magic and I got the best news ever! I've lost 102 lbs! That means I'm only 18 lbs away from my goal weight. I can't believe that what I tried so many times before without results is finally working.

For the last few days I've been actually taking advantage of the gym in my building, and I'm really enjoying it. I get to work out with the same people, make each other laugh, and we encourage each other. I'm trying to get into the habit of getting on the treadmill, setting it up at a steady pace of 6 miles/hour and running like my life depended on it. I've been running 1 mile a day without stopping and to me, that's a huge accomplishment. I remember that last summer when Meg and I used to go running I wasn’t able to run for a while without stopping to catch my breath and because my joints hurt. My knees and ankles are not hurting anymore!

After working out I got home I posted on Facebook and Twitter: “Just ran a mile. A mile a day, keeps the doctor away… And supper looks great!” and then, one of our listeners, Sonia, asked what’s for supper? Herbal Magic gives us the daily planning option to plan out what we want to eat each day, and we get to make it fresh! Last night I had "The Carlos Steak & Veggies on a BBQ" Special. There is really nothing special about it, I just think it sounds cooler.

- Ingredients:

BBQ
4 oz Steak
¼ cup of Onion (Cebolla)
¼ cup of Carrots (Zanahoria)
¼ cup of Yams (Camote)
½ cup of Beets (Betabel) [I actually had to look this one up, I forgot its name in Spanish]
1 Jalapeño (this is completely optional, I do because I LOVE Spicy food)
1 pinch of Pepper
1 pinch of Oregano
Pam
Tin Foil

- Cooking Instructions

Turn on and warm-up for 15 minutes at full blast you BBQ
In the mean time you can go ahead and peel and chop the Beets and Yams, then chop the Carrots and Onion.
Using a piece large enough that will allow you to wrap the vegetables place on your counter and add a light coat of Pam.
Add the chopped vegetables and wrap them securely to avoid any spillage.
Once you’ve placed the veggie wrap in the BBQ wait for about 5 to 8 minutes before you flip them over. Please remember to keep the BBQ Lid closed to help keep the heat inside and cook your veggies throughout.
Season your steak with Oregano & Pepper. The secret to a good tasting steak is, the simpler, the better… Less is More!
Then just time out to cook your steak to your liking. I like my steak medium rare, so I wait another 5 minutes after I’ve flip my veggies over and then I add my steak on the BBQ and cook for a few minutes on each side. Don’t close your lid while cooking your steak to avoid overcooking your steak.

Serve on a plate and Voila!

If you think this is all I had for supper, let me tell you that I also had:

1 apple with ½ tbsp of peanut butter and 1 Chocolate Jell-O pudding and I was pretty much done!

Let me know how you like this little recipe, I hope it works for you as well as it does for me.

Herbal Magic "Cooking 101" with Carlos

I will start posting some recipes that I’m sure anyone can do, your kitchen/cooking skills do not matter. The recipes are simple, fast, delicious and last but certainly not least, healthy!

I like to make these burritos every morning and the cool thing is that you can always change them up to fit any craving you have. I’ll give you the basics and then you can change it accordingly.

I usually buy my groceries at Safeway and Superstore. There are some items I can only get at one place, for example I get Flat Out Wraps (120 calories per) at Safeway. Fat Free Deli you can find it at any market or deli store, vegetables are always great at Superstore. This is how I like to do it just because it helps the morning routine feel like a breeze.

- Ingredients:

1 Flat-Out Wrap
1 Egg (Huevo)
50 gr. Fat Free Deli Meat (Jamón)
¼ Cup of Onion (Cebolla)
¼ Cup of Green Peppers (Pimiento Verde)
¼ Cup of Cottage Cheese (Queso Cottage)
½ Jalapeño
Ground Black Pepper (Pimienta)
Pam

- Cooking Instructions:

Heat up a frying pan
While the pan is heating up chop up your veggies
Add a thin coat of Pam and saute your vegetables just to take off the raw onion taste and to make them a little juicier
Add the Deli meat and keep tossing it around to avoid burning
Add the Egg and then just scramble around with everything in the pan.
Add pepper to taste and Voila!
Just add it to the Wrap and add the Cottage Cheese

For fun and to take further advantage of my time, while my vegetables are cooking I drop to the floor and do 30 crunches and 10 pushups…

That way I do a little something to get that blood flowing early in the AM.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

E-mail me a picture of your final product to carlos@1015energyfm.com

Did you know ...?

Mother’s Day in Mexico is always on May 10th

I want to give my mom the surprise of a lifetime. Since I was a little Mexican boy I’ve always been a bigger guy, the Big Kid on the Block, and my mom always tried to help me get into a healthier life style. Now, at the age of 29, I’ve manage to do this - thanks to Herbal Magic and the encouragementof my wife.

On May 10th, I'm thinking about flying down home to Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico (4 hours south of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico) and surprising my mom on Mother’s Day. I haven’t spent a Mother’s Day with my mom in over 9 years. I first moved away from home at the age of 17, that’s back in 1998. Fast forward to today and I’m in Calgary.

Through the years, I used to justify not being with my mom on Mother’s day with “I’m away, she gets it” and I forgot the most important thing of it all, she’s My Mom, and we only get one of those in our lives! This year, I want to do things the right way. I want to be with my mom and hug her and let her hug me all the way; it’s been probably over 15 years since she’s been able to put her arms all the way around me.

If this is the first time you’ve read my blog, then I should probably fill you in. I started Herbal Magic back in September of 2009. At the time, I weighed 339.4 lbs. Six and a half months later, I weigh 244.4 lbs - I’ve lost 95 lbs!!! This also means I’m only 25 lbs away from my goal weigh of 220 lbs. I know that I never would’ve imagined myself to weigh this little ever in my life and I’m really looking forward to this last little stretch. I’ve been told many, many times that it would be the hardest one, but I love a good challenge. If losing weight was easy, there would be no one overweight in the world.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go home, but as Mother's Day approaches, I'm sure thinking about it.

The Canadian thing to do.

On Thursday I went to Chinook Centre with my lovely lady and one of her friends. The girls made two huge mistakes when they took me to the mall: they left me alone, and they left me with money in my wallet!

I really wanted to get a new gym bag that I had seen in Lulu Lemon previously. It must have been my lucky day - I found the very last one in store. Without any hesitation I bought it. As I was paying I noticed that the little compartment that it had for water bottles wasn’t going to fit mine, so that only meant one thing: I had to buy a bottle from there too.

I asked the young lady at the till to hold off on my payment as I was going to shop around for a bit longer for a new water bottle. After finding the one I wanted and making my way back to the till, I paid and walked away. As I got to Banana Republic, I added up in my mind how much I should’ve paid and compared it to how much I actually paid. At this point I realized they mischarged me, and I had to go back and notify them of their mistake.

I walked in, got the attention of one of the girls from the floor and told her, “I think you mischarged me”. She was very apologetic and asked if they had over-charged me. I just giggled and said, “No, you didn’t charge for my water bottle. I just want to make sure I do the right thing and that the girl who helped me doesn’t get into any trouble because she’ll probably have to pay for it”. The clerk looked me in the eyes and said she was surprised that I came back, when most people would’ve walked away. She then asked me for my receipt and for the water bottle. I gave them to her and I pulled out my debit card to pay the difference. She was punching buttons on the till, then handed both the water bottle and my receipt back to me and said “Thank you for your honesty”. This caught me off guard; I asked her again “how much do I owe you for the water bottle?”. I got an answer I wasn’t expecting: “It’s free. Thank you again for your honesty”.

I walked away in disbelief. A happy surprise! I guess that nice actions are rewarded.

Would you walk away or would you go back and try and do the right thing? I'd like to think that what I did was the Canadian thing to do.

Wow there, Take it easy!

I was wondering for the last couple of days what was going on with my journey, am I supposed to be sitting on 250 lbs for good?! Is that supposed to be the ideal weight of my body?! Was I ever going to get to my goal of 220 lbs?!

Then, the girls from Herbal Magic told me the truth, I was probably getting too comfortable, I had to go back to square one, measure everything, weigh everything and eating the right portions, no slacking on drinking my water portions... I was getting a little too comfortable eyeballing everything I was eating...

Good news - I've gotten back on track and just by following their instructions and keeping to my actual portions I've dropped a few pounds, I'm down today a total of 93.2 lbs! I tried carrying 90 lbs with my hands and I never realized the amount of strain I was putting my body through. I have to accept that it was hard trying to carry that now, I still don't know how I managed to function for over 28 years with that much weight on me.

Today, I sit back and look at pictures of the old me, the pre-Herbal Magic Carlos and I have to admit I'm lucky I found my wife and that I have a great personality, because God knows she didn't like me for my looks. I still can't believe I allowed myself to get to that point where a simple walk around the corner made me feel out of breath! I'm thankful for all the support I get from the girls at Herbal Magic, I know that I wouldn't be here at 246.2 lbs, just 26.2 lbs away from reaching my goal of 220 lbs... It seems like yesterday when I got on the scale for the first time and I felt so happy for dropping my first 10 lbs.

It took one of my best friends, Meg Tucker from the Chris & Meg Morning Show, to convince me to take that first step that it was much needed. Not for looks; looks would be one of the perks, but for my own health.

I would like to thank the following people: Meg for the encouragement, for the butt kicks and for all the support.

Amanda, Jamie, Kalli, Jessica and Christina, My Herbal Magic Coaches down at Lincoln Park (if you are around the neighborhood stop and say hi to them, they are amazing and super funny), and last, but most certainly not least, my adorable wife, who has to put up with me, and who has to pick me up when I fall down, when I feel that I won't be able to do it she is the one picking me up at home.

I Love You baby.

What would inspire you to take that first step? Call Herbal Magic (403) 246-9629 they will help you land on your feet when you decide to take that first step.

Yet... Another Update

Good Morning Meg & Carlos,

It has now been 2 weeks since I checked in with you. I am now down 20 lbs and 19.25 inches. Those size 12 jeans that I bought 3 weeks ago are now loose. OH MY GOD what a good feeling. There have been days when I haven’t lost much or even added a few ounces. I try hard not to let those days get to me, after all they don’t happen all that often. I try to look at the bigger picture, like how I am going to look in my wedding dress come October. My cravings have dropped considerably and I find that I can actually hang out with friends at a pub and let them eat all the “old good stuff” and not be bothered by it. The support I have received from both of you and from the Ladies at Herbal Magic is unbelievable. Thanks for believing.

Angie

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Angie, I knew you had it in you all the time! Congratulations and keep up the good work! We will get to our goals before you even realize!

Carlos

Bumpy Ride...

Back in September 18th, 2009 when I joined Herbal Magic I knew that losing 120 lbs wasn’t going to be easy. I knew there would be ups and downs - and this week was one of the "downs". I’m still sitting on 254.4 lbs; I’ve officially lost a grand total of 85 lbs, but I still feel like I failed this week, like I’m not doing what I’m suppose to be doing - even though I am.

I remember that when I was on the fence about joining or not (it took me 5 months to join and in that time I managed to put on close to 30 lbs in five months!) I’m thankful for the 85 lbs that I’ve lost, and I promise that I’ll do everything I can to lose the last 35 lbs. I’m almost there; I can feel my goal getting so close I can taste it!

For now, I need to maintain a clear mind and focus on what I need to do to get there. If I feel like I’m getting off track, I know the girls at Herbal Magic will steer me straight. That’s why I’m so thankful to them - they always manage to find a way to remind me of my goal, commend me on my determination, and help keep my focus in regards to the new me.

I have to focus on the fact that I’ve lost 85 lbs in 5 months, that’s an average of 17 pounds a month - over 4 pounds a week! There is no way I would’ve been able to do this without the help of Herbal Magic.

Trust me, whether you want to lose 20 pounds or 200 pounds, give Herbal Magic a call and book an appointment, it will be the best call you’ll ever make. It’s a hard decision to accept that we need help to take back the control of our life, but once you make that decision everything just gets better. (403) 246-9629

Lifes are changing in the best way possible

Good Morning Meg & Carlos,

As promised I am keeping you updated on my Herbal Magic Journey.

I Started on Jan 9th, weighing in at 183.6 lbs.

As of yesterday I have lost 15.2 lbs and 17.75 inches. I am now below the 170 lb mark, weighting in at 168.4

I actually went shopping on the weekend and “GASP” was able to fit into a size 12 (down from a size 16). I actually picked size 14's off the shelf and my fiancé told me to try the 12’s, am sooooooo happy that I listened to him.

I am actually buying clothes that I want to, that look good. Instead of buying what fit and what would cover up the rolls.

Thanks again for being the inspiration for me to start this.

Angie

Do I really?!?!

Not that you have to know this but I have one huge guilty pleasure: I've become a fan of Desperate Housewives. My wife has been watching that show for a long time, so I gradually started following the show, and I have to admit it's good!

I was talking to Chris and Meg and they where saying that before I know it I will hit my goal weight of 220 lbs, and that by then I will probably look like Carlos from Desperate Housewives. I mean, the name is already there, and he is also Mexican, so that's 2 out of 3 right there!

I have to agree with what most women say, he is good looking, but I'm not so sure if we really look alike. I asked my wife if she thought there was a resemblance and she said: "Yeah, I can see that". I'm sure it was meant it as a compliment but I'm still unsure, so I'll let you be the judge.

Since I started Herbal Magic I've lost a whopping 85 lbs. Do you need visuals?! YES!!!

After spending a few minutes on the Net researching I've found that:


The average Bicycle build for 2 weighs 85 lbs



An average 42" Plasma Flat Screen TV weighs 85 lbs



This Solid Brass World War II Ship's Bridge Pedestal Telegraph weighs 85 lbs

Oh yeah! the one that shocked me the most was that Lindsay Lohan, this time last year, she weighed 85 lbs! So, basicaly, I lost a Lindsay Lohan!

But, back to the question in hand, do I really look like Carlos from Desperate Housewives?!

You tell me:

Who knew that clothes shopping could be fun!?

Before I started Herbal Magic I was buying all my clothing on a need-to basis, based only on size - not necessarily things that I liked. I used to walk into a store (usually the Big and Tall) and if I found something that fit me I’d buy it. I was thankful just to have a choice at all. The last pair of jeans I bought were a 52 waist size. Do you know exactly how long 52 inches is?! Well, allow me to illustrate.

Svetlana Pankratova is the woman with the longest legs on Earth! Her legs measured 52” long! That’s He Pingping in the picture with her, the shortest man on earth able to walk. *source: wikipedia.org



My waist didn’t look as good as her legs… Trust me on that one; I don’t want to illustrate this one for your own mental health.

Growing up, my brother was always able to walk into Banana Republic and pick a shirt and walk away - something I always wanted to do. Then, on September 18th, 2009 I decided to start working towards that goal. I joined Herbal Magic after being encouraged by our very own Meg Tucker. Flash forward 4 months - on Friday I went to the BR factory store in Deerfoot Meadows and decided to walk in and see where I was standing to get to that silly, personal achievement, that little milestone.

I decided to try on an XXL and see how that felt. To my surprise it fit me. I couldn’t believe it; it took me a few seconds to realize it actually fit me. One of the staff at Banana Republic walked up to me and said: “that looks good on you, are you thinking of buying it!?". I replied: “you know what, I am…” . He made the suggestion that I should probably try on an XL, because the XXL looked kind of big. I was a little hesitant about it, still happy because I was able to fit into an XXL and I didn’t want to get disappointed by trying on an XL and having it not fit. Eventually after a few seconds of us exchanging thoughts I said: “You know what, you are the expert here, let me give it a try”. I went into the change room, put on the XL, started doing up my buttons, and as I was going further down on my shirt I was getting more and more stoked… I got out of the change room, looked at myself in the mirror and it literally took me a couple of minutes to realize that Yes, that was me standing on the other side of the mirror with an XL shirt on from BR. I couldn’t believe it, so I tried on another one thinking it was probably a shirt that wasn’t cut to the proper size. And it happened again, it fit me.

I was so happy. I decided to send a picture message to Meg, to thank her for encouraging me to join Herbal Magic. I can’t say what I wrote on the MMS because it’s not nice for me to say in public but it went something like: “Dude! I’m wearing an X (insert swear word here) L… an XL!”

Today, I’m wearing my shirt and new pants. It felt nice to actually have choices on what to buy in a store. It’s a feeling that I’m glad I’ve had the chance to experience. And I know that I have to thank first of all: Meg Tucker, then the ladies at Herbal Magic, and last but certainly not least my wife, she’s been my biggest support.

This doesn’t mean that I’m done with my weight loss, I’m almost there. I know that these are the first of many happy moments that I get to enjoy thanks to making the right choices. I’ve lost 81.8 lbs, and my goal is to lose 120 lbs so that leaves me with 38.2 lbs to go. Almost there, and I know that I can make it, Yes I can.

Oh yeah, this is are the new shirt and pants I just bought:



If you want to start your journey, please e-mail me, I will help you!

carlos@1015energyfm.com