Posts Tagged ‘healthy-living



01
Aug
12

It Is Not About Them

In the world of weight-loss it’s easy to play the victim.  Blame all of our shortcomings and lack of results on our upbringing, our past relationships, our lack of relationships, our jobs, our family time, our lack of money, and the list could go on for a full paragragh.  In all honesty, it is not about them, it is about you.

You can make valiant attempts to make lasting change, but until you realize that you are ulitmately responsible for your food intake and moving your butt, you are playing victim.  Sure life will give us lemons on occasion and we’ve got two choices, sit and sour along with the juice or make some lemonade.

Today I was heading outside to work-out with a coworker.  As I turned the corner to go down to the locker room I glanced to the left and saw two gentlemen coming into the facility to enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. 

One was suffering from health related issues, I have no idea what, but he struggled to walk slowly with his friend supporting his arm on one side and walking with a cane in the other hand. 

I smiled and nodded as I usually do and as I continued on to the locker room I was overcome with gratitude.  Gratitude that the man had a friend to lean on and walk with and emmense gratitude that I am now healthy.

When I weighed 328# I used to see the obstacle of weight-loss as  chore.  I used to pout when I would have to eat a salad and someone around me would be eating crap, that whole “why me” thing. 

Over time (not overnight) I realized that I was starting to feel better, my clothes fit better and then it got easier.  My mind shifted from this is a chore to this is a choice.  That one little switch changed everything.  The sooner you acknowledge that you are willing to do whatever is takes willingly to succeed the easier this path will become.

Hat Tip: Elements of Your Life

 

31
Jul
12

Roller Coaster

My last post was about having patience to put in the necessary work to achieve your goals. 

I had lunch with a group of friends today and during lunch one of the girls made the comment of “yesterday’s workout made me feel bad about myself last night.”

The irony in that comment is that it was exactly what I was thinking Friday night after having such a great workout on Thursday. 

My conclusion is there will always be something that makes me question myself.  Especially if I desire to grow as an individual.  There will always be triumphs and trials.   It is in the aftermath of the trials that I have the opportunity to experience true growth.

I’ve got two choices, I can sit back on my ego and whine a little or I can dig deep and realize that it makes me better and better.  Do nothing or work on the skills that it takes to get better and better.

Today the workout left me feeling good simply because I finished it and got just a smidge better in the process.  It is taking the time to settle down and realize that with each and every hurdle, I can jump it or walk around it.  It truly doesn’t matter as long as I move forward.

Hat Tip to Wikipedia for the pic!

27
Jul
12

Do You Have Commitment?

“Commitment is what transforms a promise in to reality.  Commitment is the words that speak boldly of your intentions and the actions which speak louder than words.  Commitment is making time when there is none.  Commitment is coming through time after time, year after year, after year.  Commitment is the stuff character is made of, the power to change the face of things.  Commitment is the triumph of integrity over skepticism.” ~unknown

I wish I could remember who wrote this so I could give them credit.  It has been hanging on my bulletin board in my office for years now.   I moved it higher so I could read it daily.  Do you have commitment to your health and fitness? 

25
Jul
12

Leaning on Accountability

Some of us require accountability.  Not someone to police us, but instead a person that knows our intent and that will call us out when we are not holding ourselves to the standard of which will take us closer to our goals.

I have a couple of these accountability buddies.  They know who they are.  

Recently I talked about a goal I had and made the comment to my friend “What if such and such is still there?”.   It took her all of 3.2 seconds to send me a response that simply said “Oh, I didn’t realize we were living in the world of “what if.”

I love her for it.  It was an eye opener of the underlying lack of belief I still carry in some areas.  That just means there is more work to be done on my personal belief system. 

I have another accountability buddy that shares daily meal structure along with pictures of her meals.   We strive for small balanced meals every 3 hours.   I’ve begun to do the same with her.  It keeps my meal plans fresh because I know she will call me out for not having a variety of fresh veggies. 

I also have hard-core friends that never ever need anyone to hold them accountable, they don’t judge me just as I don’t judge anyone else.  It’s not my place.  Weight loss and fitness are a process, that process is different for everyone.

I like having someone to lean on from time to time.  It makes leaning solely on myself much more doable. 

Want to eat cleaner and work harder?  Find someone that will call you out, even if it stings a little.  You’ll be better for it!

19
Jul
12

Discipline

It sounds like we are in school today but we’re not, bummer. 

Occasionally I have people seek me out for advice on how I successfully transitioned from obesity to being fit.  I’ll help anyone out there.  That’s probably one of my biggest blessings and at the same time one of my biggest flaws. 

The old adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” applies here.   I’ve found that people want me to tell them exactly what to eat and when (key word is exactly), what to drink, and when to breathe, etc. 

I’ll help up to a point, I’ll give you menu’s, workouts, etc.  I’ll point you to every resource I’ve ever used. 

One thing I won’t do is feed you and do your workouts day in and day out.   You’ve got to have some self-motivation, self-discipline and learn to do that stuff yourself.

I know all about the insecurity of being left to your own devices and eating healthy.  I used to get paralyzed with over thinking about food.  Some days I’d freak out and not eat much at all for fear of eating too much of the wrong thing.  Wrong to who?  I still laugh over my naiveté.

If you keep it simple and LEARN the difference between a complex carb, a lean protein, heathly fat and healthy veggies you can then make great choices. 

In today’s world things get so confusing so that’s the first thing I try to teach any client or friend.  You’d be amazed at how many people use almonds and bacon as their sources of protein, when in actuality they are fats. 

There are a ton of resources and some of my favorites are Body-for-Life Library.  You’ll have to register and then visit the library tab.  Secondly The Zone Diet both of these programs are relatively easy to follow with cut and dried food lists.  If you are starting out, they are great resources.  Lastly, I’m a fan of Primal eating Mark’s Daily Apple for folks who are more advanced in their nutritional journey.  Meaning you don’t eat fast food EVER.  If you are still eating fast food, stick with the first two choices.

You can mix and match!  YES. YOU. CAN.  I promise at least up to this point, there are no food police that will come to your house and tell you that you are eating improperly.  Learn how to fuel your body to feel better.  Listen to your body NOT YOUR EMOTIONS when deciding what to eat.

In a perfect household everyone is on board and all the junk goes in the trash.   In my house that’s not the case. 

So I keep my food in a seperate veggie bin in the fridge and the other stuff in a separate pantry with all the small appliances I don’t want sitting out. 

No one goes in that pantry except for me, they don’t like appliances. 🙂 

I don’t have to look at bread, crackers and chips when I’m selecting my food. 

I’m optimistic as time goes on that things will get better in my house. But until they do, I don’t use that as an excuse.

Everyone has their own favorite complex carbs.  These are two of my favorite carbs. 

17
Jul
12

Getting Fit! Tami Rose

I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to a woman I know.  I met Tami a year ago when she joined the CrossFit Box I attend. 

With her permission, this blog is for her.  To celebrate the victory of consistency with both her nutrition and her workouts.  Tami has made changes that have now become visible results.  No super secret code or plan. 

Clean conscious eating and working out.  I do not train Tami.  She works out at CrossFit Impulse.  She does this on her own with the support of other CrossFit community members, friends and trainers at the box.

For all of you out there struggling, use this as motivation. 

Instead of me saying a thousand words, I’ll let the photo’s do the talking.  Congratulations Tami!

March vs July 2012 Congratulations Tami!!

10
Jul
12

Trust The Process

I was having lunch with some friends today.  I love our lunches.  We are all fitness junkies and we all care about what we eat.  Most of the time that is.  I say that because as a collective group we are at different points in our fitness and nutritional journey.

Interestingly enough there is never, ever a case of “you know you should be doing better”.   There is talk.

Inquisitive questions that help each person think through why they are willing to give up weeks and weeks of good clean eating or consistent training for food culprits, ie. sugars, or processed food.

Ironically most of the time it usually comes back to not progressing as quickly as one would like.

I used to get so jammed up that I wasn’t progressing fast enough, getting stronger fast enough, getting faster fast enough.  All of these thoughts started hindering my ability to progress at all.

I finally came to the realization that trusting in the process is just as important as eating clean, working out and getting enough rest.  

A friend asked just yesterday:  “On a scale of 1-10 where are you in your fitness?”  I can soundly say I’m sitting at 7, I’m above average in both my clean eating and nutritional disciplines.  The interesting thing was the acknowledgement that I have no idea was levels 8, 9 and 10 are for me.  Not what someone else thinks my levels should be or are, but instead how do I define them.

Love that thought-provoking question and I’m working on identifying those levels.  Identifying them results in action.  Leaving them blank and unanswered leaves me right smack dab  where I am today. 

09
Jul
12

Be Weird. Be Random. Be Who YOU Are.

 

Love this saying.  I wish I had made this one up myself.  I see people, especially women hiding behind what they think everyone else wants to see.  The lucky few may get a glimpse in to who that person really is. 

This morning I was the woman laying in the gym floor rolling on a foam roller shortly after doing five sets of heavy dead-lifts.  I got stared at while doing the lifts.  I don’t care.  That is who I am.  By today’s standards seeing a woman dead-lift isn’t common place.  It’s weird.  AND. I. LOVE. IT.

Want big biceps?  Secretly behind closed doors flexing your guns to see if they’ve grown?  Show ’em.  Be proud of ’em.  You bet I want nice bulky biceps and shapely shoulders.  Side effect?  I can paddle a mean kayak when I want to.  I can also whip up a good omelet with those same guns.

I have a paddle board and a kayak to haul up a steep lot when I’m finished playing on the water.  Every single weekend when I’m doing that hauling I thank my lucky stars that I made the decision to shed 168# and get fit.

Some say I’m getting too old for all that.  Pfffhhhttt, I’ll never be too old.  The day I get too old will be the day I stop having fun.  Living this life today is the only choice we have, I’m taking full advantage of it by keeping myself in great shape. 

If you’ve got pounds to lose, don’t waste another day trying.  Get busy DOING.  Hold yourself accountable.  You are the ultimate keeper of your success!  DO. IT.

 

 

 

 

06
Jul
12

Drink Water Like it’s Your Job

I saw some helpful hints about getting back on track after a holiday, lets face it, not everyone is perfect all the time. 

“Drink water like it’s your job” was at the top of this list.  This one really stuck with me.  I’ve been at this fitness and nutrition thing for a while and I love it when an idea hits me like it’s brand new. 

Maybe it’s because I work at my day job really hard.  Putting the water into that perspective is a dead ringer for accomplishing it.

We are creeping up on another weekend already and I aim to keep this like it’s my job mindset for the entire weekend. 

Have a safe and well hydrated weekend!

Drink water like it’s your job!

05
Jul
12

Just Get Away

If at all possible, just get away.  This came to mind as I came back to my day job after 5 days of being away. 

Steal yourself away from what others make you think is important and spend a little time on what is truly important.  Yourself, your loved ones, your friends.  You will thank yourself for it.

We all think we are too important to step-away, that the job just won’t get done without us.  If it’s important enough they will either find you or someone else to handle it.