Competition & Performance: the mental & emotional aspects of triumph
(Lining up at the start...I was so excited for my number plate!)
Competitions in any sport give us something to set a goal for, to work for, to feel a purpose for. They help us stay motivated on days we don't feel like training and they can move us into the next level of our sport.
Yesterday I participated in a mountain bike race after almost 4 years of no mountain bike racing due to an injury. I have never been an outstanding rider... but I could typically hold my own in the middle somewhere. Races were fun for me (well, the fun usually came after the race was over and a sense of accomplishment would wash over me) and they were a goal that kept me engaged in my training.
(On the very hot bus headed to the start line)
As I get older, I realize more and more that a competition is almost all about competing against my own mind and what it is telling my body it can and cannot do. I have found the more time and energy I spend working on my mental and emotional game plan (replacing some of my physical training time) the better I become in all different aspects of competition and life.
(A few of the riders waiting for the start signal)
Here are some of the things I use to mentally/emotionally train:
1. Mindfulness/prayer every morning.
I spend 20 minutes every single morning, before my day starts, in mindfulness/deep breathing/prayer. I am distracted easily so I used a guided mindfulness activity that takes me through the breathing and reminds me to focus on my breath (I need lots of reminding). I also spend time in prayer. Neither of these are focused on the race itself but instead prep me for a more joy-filled, peaceful day which does translate into more energy and stronger training workouts as well as a better ability to listen to my body and rest when I need it (something I've never been good at).
2. Visualization.
This one is huge. I spend 5-10 minutes every day starting about a week before a competition, visualizing the day. I start imagining getting to the venue and getting ready and how I will feel. I literally practice keeping my emotions (nervousness) at bay and practice feeling calm and peaceful before the race begins. I then visualize myself on different parts of the trail and at different times throughout the race, focusing on feeing energetic and strong.
3. Mantras.
I came up with 2 mantras to use during the race that I knew would work for me. One was simply, "I am strong". The other was, "Life is beautiful". I used these over and over the moment my head started to tell me I had to quit because "your quads are on fire" or when my head told me, "it's way too hot out here, you need to stop". The very moment negative, self-defeating thoughts were in my mind, I repeated my positive mantras over and over. It works.
Actually, these all work. They work for athletic competitions and they work for everyday life. Try them out. See the possibilities that you never thought could happen happen in your sport, your work, your life.
How to spend less time training & still get the performance & body benefits you want
If you are an endurance athlete looking to up your performance while limiting injuries, taking less time to train, and lessen your exposure to stress due to high-volume training, there is an answer.
If you are an average joe or jane just looking to create the best body composition of your dreams while lessening the time needed and energy expended at working out to create this body, you are also in luck.
New, up and coming research streaming from the triathlon, marathon, and ultra racing world is challenging the notion that chronic training (tons of miles and time) will bring the best performance and body composition results.
This science-backed training wave will no doubt begin surfacing in different ways all over social media and throughout endurance sport communities quickly as it gives the best of both worlds: less stress to the body and mind while increasing performance and body composition. Some of this new information in regards to food has already surfaced over the past 5 years as we begin to understand that calories in/calories out is an illusion and that fat will actually make us lean.
I'm excited by this prospect as it allows people the freedom to hop off the chronic training bandwagon and into a lifestyle more sustainable, more healthy, less stressful, and at the same time increasing performance and healthy body composition.
Along with this type of training comes different ways of eating with a focus on real food, more satiating fat, and less sugar (duh) which means no cravings, no crashing, no bonking, and a very lean body. When we truly feed our bodies real, whole foods our hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters all are optimized for physical and mental performance.
Want to learn more? Shoot me a message at info@heatherheynen.com. I offer performance training programs, food plans, accountability programs, and emotional eating cessation programs.
Meal Prep Tips & Tricks For The Busy Individual
Most of us know that to stay at a lean, healthy weight and/or to perform physically at our best, meal prep and planning is a must! This is especially true for those just starting their health and fitness journey.
Unfortunately, many of us believe we are too busy, too overwhelmed, and have too much going on to take the time to make meal planning happen. The problem with this type of thinking is that if we don't take the time to take care of one of the most basic components (food intake) that creates our health, our bodies, our moods, etc., in life, we will fail at living a life full of vibrancy, health, longevity, happiness, peacefulness, etc. Not a pretty picture.
Here are some quick tips and tricks to get your meal planning and prepping organized, simplified, and done in a small amount of time so you can live a healthy, happy, active life!
1. Make sure your food decisions for the week are made ahead of time. Decision fatigue occurs when you've made too many decisions throughout your day/week. When this occurs, you're current decisions will be foggy and poor. This is when we grab convenience food/fast food/processed food.
2. If you are limited in time and cooking is not necessarily a fun task (me) then focus on simple, clean recipes. Gather 4 recipes with a limited number of ingredients (just google "clean recipes"... there are tons out there... don't reinvent the wheel). I try to do recipes with 5 or less ingredients. Less ingredients save time. (I do a lot of grilling and slow-cooker-ing of mass amounts of proteins and veggies and lots of fun spices).
3. WRITE A GROCERY LIST based on your recipes and how many you are cooking for. I also typically double many of my recipes so I can have the leftovers for a second meal the following day or I will freeze certain ones for a later date when I'm really time crunched. Organize the list so that all the foods you need are in order, based on the aisles in the grocery store. Hopefully most of your time at the grocery store is only spent in the outside aisles (produce, meat, eggs). Keep the list on your phone or a place you can always access it.
4. Gather your groceries. (Don't go food shopping while hungry).
5. Break down the groceries by cleaning and cutting up veggies immediately (I hate to admit it but sometimes I buy the precut veggies when I'm struggling for time. I'm also known for using lots of frozen, organic veggies... Another trick to eating clean when you're on the go a lot).
Get your proteins ready to go by opening packaging, trimming meats, etc. Make it easy to find and grab ingredients to make dinners...put them close together in the fridge.
7. If you're going to prep meals for the entire week, you will need some containers. Go for glass but if you can't at least make sure they are BPA-free and microwaveable. From experience, I believe it's best to use the same sizes of containers (fits better in the fridge and keeps portion size in control and looks cool when you open up your fridge!)
8. Eat the same breakfast and lunch every day or at least Monday-Friday. You won't believe how this one thing will keep you on track with your body and health goals and also simplify your life and time spent in the kitchen.
One last thing.... Make your time in the kitchen fun. I've found if I listen to an interesting podcast or music while I'm prepping, I actually can enjoy my time spent in the kitchen. I also remind myself how important the time I spend planning and prepping is for me and my daughter's health and how this small part of my week has one of the biggest impacts on our entire lives.
Life is not a dress rehearsal.
Here's an update on yet another superstar client....
Tami is following my on-line, individual training program to a T. As a result, she continues to lose fat, drop weight, get lean, and meet or exceed all her goals.
Tami is getting ready for her first 1/2 marathon, a ToughMudder race, and her second Strongman competition (this time in the LIGHTWEIGHT category!).
Although her before and after weight-loss pictures are remarkable, my favorite pictures of her are the ones she took last weekend....topping out on her first rock climb with her daughter by her side. The determination to try new adventures, fight for the top, laugh and enjoy the climb along the way, epitomizes her journey.
Tami inspires everyone she touches with her positive energy, hard work, commitment to her health, and living the life she desires. She is the first to say if she can do it, so can you.
Why the phrase "just let it go" should be let go....
I have always taken issue with the words "just let it go." I probably even tried it out on clients back in my newbie days as a therapist.
Unfortunately the words, "let it go" give no comfort, no peace.... I always wondered "How ??!! How in the *#%^% do I let it go?!!!" I tell myself to, but it keeps coming back.... The embarrassing moment, an unfortunate incident where I said something I shouldn't have and felt guilt for days and days, the anxiety, the worry, etc, etc.
But when I learned to "let it be", (thank you Beatles), my life changed. Learning to be mindful (which helps me 'let it be') has put me in a place of peace and comfort. It moves me through fear and anxiety and creates calm in my mind. When this occurs, my behaviors are healthy... my emotions are appropriate and stable.
Just telling yourself to 'let it be' is great but it takes practice to be mindful and create a new pattern in your brain of 'letting things be'. Learn about mindfulness (it's easier than meditation, by the way), practice it daily (you can do it while you're doing anything), and find some freedom!
Why can't we stop our unhealthy eating behaviors when we really, really want to?
Why can't we stop when we really desire to stop?
My grandma's relationship with food was different than mine. She spent a lot of time during the day collecting food, preparing food, and being creative with it. She served meals to her family, made special foods for the holidays, and was they way she nurtured family and friends. Food was the way family members were nurtured psychologically as well as physically at meals. She sat down with her loved ones and connected. They ate until they felt satisfied, and stopped once they had enough. Food wasn't an issue back then as much as it is now.
For so many of us, food has become the enemy. It makes us fat, tempts us, bad makes us feel bad about ourselves. Food is something we want to avoid, ignore, and control. Through constant dieting, we've learned to change our natural signals that tell us it's time to eat or to stop eating. Instead, we now make those decisions with our minds. Minds that tell us to restrict when very physically hungry and minds that tell us to continue to gorge long after our stomachs are full. We have become disconnected from food. We have become disconnected from our bodies.
But we continue to crave physical and psychological nourishment. Our diet, unhealthy nutrition habits, excessive intake of processed foods, fast foods, sugar, food additives; and lack of real, fresh, highly nutritious foods have left our appetites completely unsatisfied so we continue to eat and eat and eat to try to feel nourished. But because of our poor food choices we are stuffed full but lacking nutrients so we keep ingesting more and more food. It's a vicious cycle that makes us overweight, hormones out of whack, depressed, and anxious.
Our fast-paced, high-stressed lives of trying-to-do-it-all have left us searching for something to soothe us and stop our minds from racing for just a moment. We think the answer is a quart of ice cream or a box of cookies but it never is. Only when we can make friends with food, reconnect with our bodies, and follow the natural signals of both bodies and minds will we find peace.
I can help you gain the tools you need to make peace with food; learn to love, respect, and listen to your body and ultimately find peace with food and your body.
Food & Emotions: 90 percent overlook the key to weight loss
"Expert says diets fail because people don't address the emotional aspects of food..."
As the new year approaches, most of us will turn our attention to new hopes, goals, and dreams for the new year. For many of us, those goals will focus on weight loss, fat loss, and getting healthy...... And, research tells us, that by January 21 95% of us will have failed at maintaining our food and exercise plan.
Research and case studies are finding that the biggest hurdle to staying on a fat loss and health plan is our mental and emotional connection to food and exercise. At the bottom of this post I have included a link to one of those studies.
If you are one of those people with a fat loss and health goal for the new year, and you tend to fall off your plan, I can help. As a personal trainer and health coach, I work with clients on-line to create individualized food plans, exercise plans, and keep my clients accountable by utilizing behavioral, mental, and emotional health strategies from my 15 years as a licensed mental health therapist and life coach. I can help you understand the emotional and mental connections that hold you back from reaching your health goals which in turn will keep you on track to creating and maintaining the body, the health, and the life you want now.
Change your story....Change your life
At the heart of one of my professions (mental health therapist), is the goal of facilitating a process for a client to change something (a habit, a destructive behavior, interactions with others, their life, or to meet a desired goal). To do this, I often use a therapy technique called "narrative therapy". The following article describes how changing your story can change your life.....
WHAT STORY AM I TELLING MYSELF?
Instead of taking responsibility for any difficulties, I brushed them off as fate, bad luck or I would convince myself I just had numerous valuable lessons to learn.
My troublesome scenarios felt almost natural as they mirrored my inner beliefs.
For years I was perpetually trapped in my own head and I paid close attention to the warning words whispered by the critical voice that lived there. I fully believed that the daunting dialogue was my inner guidance resounding to protect me.
Whenever something bad happened certain associated words or feelings firmly attached to my mind where they soon became limiting affirmations. All of my memories were highlighted and glaringly shone to remind me not to travel along similar shadowy routes again.
However, what I failed to realise was that the more importance I placed on anything that went wrong, the more chance I had of manifesting the same problems again.
I had rehearsed the painful and destructive scenarios that were made up of hurtful words, actions and intentions so many times that they eerily felt comfortable and as though they naturally belonged somewhere in my life.
I then chose to be around people who confirmed the horrible bedtime stories I repeated in the darkness while alone each night. I placed myself in circumstances that left me vulnerable and at risk and instead of acknowledging I was playing a part, it was easier to blame destiny as my life was unfolding exactly as I had imagined it would.
Anything that I thought might go wrong “coincidentally” went wrong. I couldn’t see that I was the one encouraging these unhealthy fantasies by indulging in fearful and irrational thoughts and beliefs.
I held on to my experiences and turned them into stories and then believed at some level that they reflected what I deserved. I played the role of a victim by thinking I was powerless and had no control over the uncomfortable and unwanted sections of my life.
Yet, the most magical aspect about these unique stories is that at any moment we can take charge of them and choose to change the script.
Whether we are consciously or sub-consciously aware of it, there is a narrative running through our mind that tells us an influential tale. We also may not realise that even though we think we are the only ones to hear or read this tale, everyone around us is aware of it too. That is why some people treat us the way we believe we deserve to be treated.
If we have low self-worth and believe that we are not valuable, others around us will pick up on these beliefs. We will attract people who will easily take advantage of our weakened state.
Whatever story we are currently telling ourselves will quickly become our reality.
Our story captures the information that is stored in our belief system. It holds all of our previous experiences including many false truths.
The little white lies we tell ourselves, dated emotions and feelings, as well as everything that we have been conditioned to believe mixes together and plays on repeat, mostly without us being aware that it is happening.
Sometimes our stories inspire and empower us. However, left to their own devices many of our stories can hinder and haunt us.
The trouble with stories that keep us stuck or spinning in the same vicious cycle is that they are disorganized and badly out of context. Because we don’t read them word by word and from front to back we often don’t realise that they don’t make sense or that they are stories that relate to our past, not to our current or future existence.
We can alter our story simply by identifying why, where and when it originated from.
As we look at the negative information we have internalized we can address it to figure out what caused its presence in the first place. Even if we cannot discover the reason for our debilitating thoughts, we can at least diffuse them by acknowledging them, taking responsibility for them and then letting them go so that they no longer control how we perceive ourselves.
The more we release negativity and put positive thoughts in place the healthier our stories become as we nourish ourselves rather than continue a process that results in self-fulfilling prophecies and then rapidly on to self-destruct.
It starts to become clear to see why we allow people to treat us in certain ways and also why we are triggered to respond the way we do to their treatment. We have spent our whole lifetime gathering data that has conditioned us to feel and react the way we do.
Therefore, if we feel unworthy on the inside, whenever we are treated as though we are unworthy we make excuses for it, as it matches how we feel internally and also confirms the identity of the character in the story we have attached to ourselves.
If we feel like we have always been a victim, we will naturally fall into the role of playing a victim. We only remain a victim while we are blaming other people for our circumstances.
When we take responsibility for how we feel and refrain from accusing anyone else of being responsible for our emotional state, regardless of what anyone may have done to us, we are no longer the victim in our own unpleasant story.
When we try to blame anyone else for how we feel we not only lose our personal power, we also forsake the ability to change how we feel so we are then unable to alter what we are attracting or strong enough to turn around our current situations.
When we have repeated thoughts over and over they can easily become ingrained in our subconscious where they become our automated belief system.
If we focus on our thoughts and believe them, very soon they become how we feel and the stories in our mind will match up with how we feel on the inside.
Therefore, we can replace any negative thoughts with positive ones so that the story we tell ourselves is one that we have consciously and carefully crafted rather than one created from all the illusions and dust from our past.
Our stories are not just the thoughts we tell ourselves.
Our stories are the thoughts we allow ourselves to believe in the heart of our core selves.
It is not enough to just change the narrative in our minds. We have to have absolute faith that we deserve whatever is associated with each word and that we are worthy of our beliefs coming true.
When we change our story, our life may not unrecognizably change overnight. However, we will very quickly notice amazing new opportunities that are capable of guiding us swiftly towards incredible transformation.
Although, the first and most noticeable transformation will take place immediately. The alteration of our mind.
-Via Alex Myles
Emotional Eating and How To Fix It
Ever wonder why you can't lose fat or change your body composition even though you really, really want to? Ever wonder why just eating that whole pint of ice cream/bag of chips/10 cookies/3 beers makes you feel momentarily awesome even though you know you will feel horrible in about 5 minutes?
The results of a national survey about weight loss barriers finds 90 percent of respondents discounted one of the most important factors -- your mind. A neuropsychologist says the most crucial factor is your psychological relationship with food and exercise, yet the majority (60 percent) listed diet and exercise to be the biggest barriers of weight loss, and only 10 percent of people thought psychological well being was the biggest barrier to weight loss.
Another recent national survey of more than a thousand people commissioned by Orlando Health found that 31 percent of Americans think a lack of exercise is the biggest barrier to weight loss, followed by those who say it's what you eat (26%) and the cost of a healthy lifestyle (17%). Another 12 percent said the biggest barrier to weight loss was the necessary time commitment. (Although I'll save this topic for another blog, check out how more people thought lack of exercise was more of a barrier than what you eat.... It is sooooo the other way around!!!)
Only 1 in 10, however, thought psychological well-being was a factor. "That may explain why so many of us struggle," says Diane Robinson, PhD, a neuropsychologist and Program Director of Integrative Medicine at Orlando Health. "In order to lose weight and keep it off long term, we need to do more than just think about what we eat, we also need to understand why we're eating."
Creating an awareness in ourselves and coming to grips with the fact that our emotions and mind are a huge barrier to the body composition and health we desire, is the first step in helping ourselves create a healthy body that is lasting.
"From a very young age we're emotionally attached to food. As children we're often given treats, both to console us when we're upset, and to reward us for good behavior. Most celebrations, like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day are food-focused, and birthdays are spent sharing cake. Even the mere smell of certain foods, like cookies in grandma's oven, can create powerful emotional connections that last a lifetime," explains Robinson.
"If we're aware of it or not, we are conditioned to use food not only for nourishment, but for comfort," said Robinson. "That's not a bad thing, necessarily, as long as we acknowledge it and deal with it appropriately."
Whenever the brain experiences pleasure for any reason it reacts the same way. Whether it's derived from drugs, a romantic encounter or a satisfying meal, the brain releases a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. "We feel good whenever that process is activated," said Robinson, "but when we start to put food into that equation and it becomes our reward, it can have negative consequences."
In fact, researchers have found a link between emotional issues like stress, anxiety and depression, and higher body fat percentages. Many of us can relate to the idea of overindulging at happy hour after a bad day at the office, for example, or eating a pint of ice cream to help us deal with bad news.
If you think you might struggle with emotional eating, (most of us do), try this:
1. Recognize the emotional attachment you have with food.
2. Keep a daily food and mood diary or log and look for unhealthy patterns.
3. Identify foods that you love to eat and why you love them. Do they make you feel good? Do they bring up a memory? Do they help alleviate stress?
4. Before you eat anything ask yourself if you are eating it because you are hungry. If not, look for the root reason why you are reaching for food. Stressed? Bored? Want to celebrate? What is it?
5. Practice mindful eating at least once a day. (This has been my saving grace for emotional eating). If you don't know what mindful eating is, check out this link:
http://www.livingwell.org.au/mindfulness-exercises-3/3-eating-mindfulness/
6. Pray/say grace/say thank you (doesn't have to be religious) before you eat (whether you're at the dinner table, in your car, at your desk). This slows you down, creates a space for more mindful eating, and, in turn, creates a healthier you.
Awareness and a little mindfulness can go a long way in helping you solve emotional eating!
Why Paleo (or any specific diet) Might Not Work For You
Not Gonna Sleep Tonight
In this day and age there are so many diets available to follow. We get told that following a particular diet will help us lose weight, get six pack abs, and feel blissful 24/7.
The truth is that we all have different aspects of our physical and biochemical makeup that relates to how food will impact us. Science backs up this claim.
One example of how our individual physical and biochemical makeup can influence how we react to food is the enzyme amylase. Amylase is an enzyme found in our saliva that helps break down starch. We all have different levels of amylase and those of us with high levels can break down starch quickly and those of us with lower levels have difficulty breaking down starch. If you have higher levels of amylase, you will most likely be able to tolerate a diet higher in carbs. If you're an individual with lower levels of amylase in your saliva, your body will react poorly to carbohydrates including putting on weight easily, feeling lethargic and sleepy, as well as physically feeling ill.
The least-expensive way to figure out what type of nutrition will help you thrive is to pay attention to how you feel after you eat. If you find yourself feeling tired, putting on weight, and just not feeling motivated, it's time to readjust your nutrition. Our ways of eating influence us physically, mentally, and emotionally and what works for one person may not work for another person.
The wave of the future is individualized nutritional diets based on your individualized genetic make up, your hormone levels as well as enzyme productions, and many other biomarkers. The average consumer many not realize it but you can (and I did) have a genetic test run to give you feedback on what type of diet and exercise will optimize your health and longevity markers. Although, if I look at the results, I could have predicted many of them. Example: I'm ultra sensitive to caffeine. I already knew this due to the fact if I drink coffee after 10:00am I can't sleep that night. It's up to each of us to pay close attention to how we feel, think, and physically react to the foods we consume and make our choices from that feedback to optimize our health.
Paying attention to how food impacts you physically, mentally, and emotionally is very important for your health, maintaining a healthy weight, and also performing and feeling your best. Understanding what works for you and what doesn't is the basis of finding freedom in your diet and health.
Do your research, pay attention, use a food journal, talk with someone who specializes in this stuff and figure out how to find freedom from the mass marketing of diets and make your own individual diet to create your most healthy, thriving life!
Survive & Thrive Through the Holidays
We are in the Holiday Domain....but don’t freak out! You don’t have to gain inches or fat or lose your momentum. If you’re smart during this time of year, your progress doesn’t have to slow down or stop.
One of the definitions for "survive" is "keeping your body and soul together"....
...And the definition of "thrive" is to "floursih, do well, and succeed"....
So, I find it's fitting to talk about maintaining body and soul health throughout the holidays with the title: Survive and Thrive through the holidays.
The holiday season is always a tough one for so many of us. There is always extra food available everywhere we go, more social experiences that revolve around food, and busy schedules that lead to less time to exercise. I find that every year, to maintain my weight and sanity, I have to have a specific plan for every day that keeps me on track in regards to my weight, activity level, and mental/emotional health.
If you are used to struggling during the holidays with making healthy choices, sticking to a plan, and staying accountable to your goals....This year can be different. You can survive and thrive through the holidays!
I've had huge success using this program with my clients. My clients drop weight, gain energy, feel healthy and tell me "it feels easy".
The program includes:
• Initial assessments to clarify your individual needs and goals
• Weekly meal planning including "flex foods" (cheat meals....but I dislike the word cheat .... So "flex foods" it is!) and advice based on your goals
• Weekly workouts that can be done at home, are quick, and proven effective for weight loss and maintenance
• Weekly relaxation tips and advice that can be accomplished in just a few minutes a day
• Your weekly plan broken down into a daily checklist to keep you motivated and accountable
• Email and text check-ins that keep you accountable to your plan
• A different plan every week based on how you are doing in regards to reaching your goals and what your needs are
• Individual Design, Individual Plan, and Individual Accountability
Why We MUST Be Active With Our Children
I work as a mental health counselor, life coach, and personal trainer and often write about how mental health and physical health are so closely intertwined. In the office, the first thing I prescribe my depressed and/or anxious patients is 20 minutes of walking most days. In the gym, the first thing I talk to overweight clients about is any major mental/emotional issues they may have that may be impeding their physical goals. Our physical well-being greatly impacts our emotional well-being and vice versa.
I recently read a research report that makes perfect sense but is also an eye-opener to the impact physical exercise can truly have on our children's mental and emotional well-being. The research study concludes that exercise among teens reduces suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. (Here's a link to the actual research study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150921095433.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Ffitness+%28Fitness+News+--+ScienceDaily%29 ).
It is quite unsettling in that we know these things to be true and yet we are reducing recess time and physical education classes within our schools.
Remember to encourage your kiddos to move, move, move! Talk to them about why exercise and play is so important for them. Make sure you are setting an example for them by being active and having them be active with you. Even a simple walk after dinner every evening creates a wonderful behavior pattern that a child can take with them into adulthood (My mom did this for me and it's a gift I could never repay her enough for!) Remember that when we are active with our children, we are not only creating physically healthy individuals but mentally and emotionally healthy individuals as well!
5 Best At-Home Exercises For Fat Loss & Building Strength
1. The dreaded burpee. The burpee is despised because it's hard. That's why it works. That's why you need to do them. Start standing. Touch chest and thighs to the ground. Quickly come back up to a standing position and jump. (You can do them without the jump at the end if you have knee/hip/ankle issues).
2. Push-ups. The push-up is the standard for fitness and weight loss. The push-up strengthens the upper back, shoulders, and arms while also working the core (mid-section) through stabilization.
3. Lunges. Want a great butt and nice legs? Start lunging. Walking lunges, standing in place lunges, weighted lunges.... It's all good stuff.
4. Air squat/weighted air squat. Want to lose weight and get great-looking legs? You need to squat. If you have good position and can get into a good squat, then by all means throw on some weight to intensify the goodness that squatting brings. If you're not sure you can get into a good position for squatting, talk to a professional who can help you get there through squat-strengthening and mobility exercises.
5. The pull-up. Pull-ups are the mac-daddy of I-want-to-be-able-to-do-one-of-those-exercises. You know why? Because when you can do a pull-up, you feel like you can do anything. Conquer the world kind of feeling. "I'm awesome" sort of feeling. Can't do a pull-up? Get a pull-up bar and start practicing some scaled versions of pull-ups. They take time but through consistency, they will come.
Workouts and exercise don't need to be complicated and they dont need to happen at the gym. They just need to happen. Get motivated, make a plan, then move!
Quick, Healthy Lunch For Your Kiddos and The 80/20 Principle
Vegetables
Organic applesauce
Hummus
Rice crackers
Black beans
Black olives
My daughter, Muira, has been fed vegetables since she was able to eat solid food. I'm a firm believer that taste buds adapt and change (scientifically proven to be true, by the way). So starting a kiddo early on with vegetables will ensure their taste buds won't reject them later on.
I work hard to make sure she eats healthy but I also allow for a few treats here and there. She also eats whatever she is served when visiting friends/family/on vacation/etc. I believe too much restriction on diet can rebound into disordered eating patterns (not healthy). I believe this is not only true for our kids but adults as well.
A healthy existence can truly be experienced where food is used only as fuel and boosting health AND we can have moments of just enjoying and taking pleasure in our food.
I like the 80-20 principle (eat for health and nutrition 80% of the time and 20% of the time allow for some pleasure). This doesn't mean that 20% of your day is eating for pleasure, this means that 20% of your monthly intake of food is for pleasure, 80% is for health and nutrition.
Most days are clean eating and one to two meals on the weekend can be for pleasure to maintain weight.
Allow yourself (and your kiddos) to enjoy food for pleasure once in a while and the rest of the time focus on food for health and nutrition (which can also be simple, easy and pleasurable).
How Your Brain Chemicals Are Making You Fat & What To Do About It
Ever wonder why you can't lose weight even though you really want to? Wonder why most of your weight is all sitting around your middle? Wonder why you're feeling unmotivated? Wonder why you're feeling depressed? Anxious? Both?
The four main neurotransmitters (dopamine, Acetycholine, GABA, serotonin) in your brain hold the key. They direct our personality, our character, our memory, and our attention. And although they direct all these things, our behaviors, actions, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings can influence them. We really are in charge and in control of who we want to be and what we want to accomplish in our lives. We can reach our objectives and goals easier and quicker by utilizing thinking patterns, behavior patterns, and belief patterns (which all influence our neurotransmitters).
Here's a quick example: If one has excess Acetylcholine (me), one has the tendency to be driven, goal-oriented, and prone to anxiety. If one is deficient in GABA (me), one has difficulty relaxing and often feels anxious and nervous. Double whammy of anxiety!
This is how the above example figures in to the food, weight, and health thing: A person with excess Acetycholine and deficient GABA may use food to find calm. Overprocessed carbs, sugar, and/or alcohol/drugs will probably be over-consumed to produce temporary sedation (termporary relief from anxiety). This person will most likely experience extreme cravings for foods like chocolate and carbs. This person will tend to over-exercise, producing injury and illness.
Here's one example of how I use the knowledge of my neurotransmitter dominance and deficiency: When I put on a few (or four) extra pounds after a vacation (which just happened) I immediately eat foods that produce more GABA in my brain which helps me stay on track with my eating and reduces my cravings. I supplement with glutamine and eat a lot of shellfish (produces GABA). I also change how I exercise for a week. Instead of only short, intense bursts, I switch out for some longer, less intense bike rides. I make sure my brain is producing more GABA is by spending 15 minutes every day relaxing (to turn off the hormone cortisol). I schedule this relaxation time into my day so it actually happens. Usually it's using a mindfulness technique or a bath or a quiet walk. This allows me to quickly and easily lose weight.
The fun part is that we can figure out neurotransmitter dominance and deficiency through a research-based, quick, and simple written assessment. No blood draw needed. Our current dominant and deficient neurotransmitters are due to our genetics, our past experiences, our beliefs, our current behaviors, etc. But they can be changed by small behaviors performed on a daily basis. By understanding and utilizing them, one can begin to have an easier and quicker time creating the life one truly wants to live (including the body one wants to live this life in).
My passion in life is to help others live their most amazing life. I provide life-design and daily structure to get people living the life they have always wanted as well as the bodies they have always wanted. I provide an accountability component to people's programs. Research tells us accountability is the number one element that drives people to reach their health, fitness, and life goals..... But I'll save that for another post.
You cannot reach your weight, fitness, and life goals by willpower alone. None of us can. We can reach our objectives and goals easier and quicker by utilizing thinking patterns, behavior patterns, and belief patterns (which all influence our neurotransmitters). Fun stuff!
Confidence, Baby!
My daughter and I were playing a game where each card we turned over gave a "dare" to do. My daughter drew a card that directed her to perform 12 sit-ups and every time she "sat-up" she had to finish the sentence, "I'm so _________" and fill in the blank. This is what happened:
"I'm so awesome!"
"I'm so smart!"
"I'm so happy!"
"I'm so fabulous!"
"I'm so excited!"
"I'm so special!"
"I'm so adventurous!"
This went on for all 12 sit-ups. Every sit-up was accompanied by a positive description of herself. And enthusiastically, I might add. She's nine. I pray she continues to believe these things about herself. I sat wondering when this changes or why it changes......
I tried to say these positive statements about myself and asked some clients to do it and we all agreed....it felt .... unfortunately uncomfortable. I do know that if one thinks positive things about themselves, one will typically be more successful, more accomplished, and most importantly, one will feel more happy and peaceful. And most of us want that....peace and happiness. So why can't we think nice thoughts about ourselves?
I've discovered it comes down to practice. Everyone thinks you have to believe good things about yourself before you feel good about your own awesome self. Not true. Think or say nice things about yourself and you start to believe them. Then you start to feel them. Then you get to experience more peace. More happiness. Try writing out 5 positive self-statements and repeat them out loud every day, multiple times. Cheesy?... Yes! Can it work?... Yes! Try it for 5 days. See what happens. As my adventurous daughter would say, "What do you have to lose?!!?"
Get Uncomfortable
Seeking comfort is as human as human gets. Unfortunately this brain pattern of ours, this undeniable lust for regularity of the every day, the unconscious desire for the mainstay, the common, the predictable, puts us in a place of stability, soothing, boring, and ho-hum-diddly-dum.
Seeking comfort is a pattern. It's good for some things.... It provides us with safety and security which are important for our development into adults. But once we are adult-ing, comfort can breed unfulfilled feelings, lack of invigoration, and no motivation.
Consider what happens when we allow uncomfortable (un-comfort) into our lives. Feeling uncomfortable allows us to move closer to a fear, to move through a fear, and to emerge renewed and refreshed. Allowing the feeling of uncomfortable leads us to a place of adventure, of fulfillment, a journey, a quest, a soul-fulfilling epic, vibrancy, satisfaction, and ultimately peace.
And peace really is the quest, isn't it? I mean, we all say we want happiness but happiness is temporary. Peace can be always. Peace is always, if we let it. I can feel peace even when I am sad. Peace is what most of long for when we really get honest with ourselves and our lives.
I challenge you to get uncomfortable today. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, go sky diving, skip instead of walk, be vulnerable, workout past that comfort zone, be completely honest, show kindness to someone you do not like, don't eat that food that will temporality bring you distraction and sedation, take that first action that is going to move you closer to your delight, your wonder, your joy.
Get uncomfortable and get ready to live the life you have desired all along.
Strategic Holiday Eating: Enjoy the Holidays Without Gaining a Pound
The month-and-a-half-long adventure of food and festivities are upon us. The average person will gain 3-4 pounds during this one month. The strategic person can keep these pounds off and enjoy the holidays without uncomfortable jeans at the end of 30-plus days by following a few simple tips:
1. Since we were talking about jeans...... always wear jeans to holiday meals. Do not wear sweat pants, yoga pants, or a dress. If you wear jeans, you are less likely to take in as much food as you would wearing comfortable, baggy clothes. Simple.
2. Plan for your treats. Don't sample everything. Choose a few things you really, really, really want.... like your Grandma's pumpkin pie or your mom's homemade buttery mashed potatoes. Don't consume things you don't fully and truly enjoy. Be mindful of what you put in your mouth.
3. Chew gum. Chewing gum will keep you from nibbling on all kinds of things that just add up to unwanted pants sizes. Chewing gum also reduces anxiety for some people. Anxious people eat. If you are anxious or stressed around the holidays, chewing gum may lessen those anxious feelings and lessen the amount of food consumed.
4. Focus, focus, focus on what this time of year is all about. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year.... all have a deeper meaning behind the food. Meditate on this deeper meaning.
5. Stay active! During the holiday season, daily schedules become disrupted with friends and family in town, programs to attend, extra shopping that needs to be done.....don't let a disrupted schedule get in the way of working out. Continue to make your workout time sacred and follow through. Make a calendar of times you promise yourself you will get a workout in, and stick to it. Not only will you feel better, less stressed, and more emotionally stable; you will also be able to fit into those same jeans in a month from now.
Enjoy the holidays!!!
Crockpot Buffalo Chili Recipe
Crockpot Buffalo Chili Recipe
This recipe is one I've used for a long time. It is great as a vegetarian chili if you roll that way (just leave out the meat) or, if you're not into buffalo, use ground turkey or beef (organic, grass-fed). This recipe is really tasty and simple! I don't always like spending a ton of time in the kitchen but I'm committed to eating healthy, so recipes that come in a crockpot are, (in my eyes), brilliant. I make a bunch and freeze the rest in mason jars. I then take one out to thaw for lunches.
Another tip: when making stews, soups, or chili always add in some healing spices. Its an easy way to slip some good health into your meals. This one has a bunch of turmeric.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground buffalo browned on stove
6 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 onions, cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoon cumin
2 T turmeric
2 t cayenne (or to taste)
4 bay leaves
2 (15 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (this is key....make sure your tomatoes are "fire-roasted"....it adds a wonderful smoky flavor to this chili)
4 tablespoons (1 small can) tomato paste
4 cups water
Instructions:
Brown the buffalo
Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Add extra water to make sure all ingredients have enough moisture to cook. This chili tastes better and better the longer and longer it sits. Enjoy!