Part 3 in the Runtex University Bucky & Bob Speaking Series In the ongoing debate of whether someone can be overweight and be healthy, one thing is clear: Being active and incorporating intentional exercise into your lifestyle is going to positively contribute to your quality of life as you age. It may or may not help you live longer, but then who wants to live until the age of 150 if you’re strapped to a wheelchair and feeding tube? The body and mind are so tightly inter-connected that regular, intentional exercise improves mood, quality of sleep, decreases stress and the risk of disease. What I have also found intriguing is that as individuals become more active, their bodies start to crave healthier options. Don’t be surprised if you start craving broccoli or salmon once you incorporate activity into your day. Your body was meant to move; treat your body well Read More . . .
3 Tips for Maintaining Motivation
Part 2 in the Runtex University Bucky & Bob Speaking Series We’ve all done it; whether it’s a New Year’s Resolution, or disliking the way you look in pictures, or even wanting to fit into a cute pair of pants again that have gotten a little too snug. We start off with a vengeance; vowing to change our life this time for good. Then, about 6 weeks later (maybe sooner, maybe later) our stick-to-it-iveness begins to wane. What strategies can you use so that you maintain your motivation & make those behavior changes that you desire? 1) Set Goals Goals are SO important in life in general. Goals allow you to be proactive in your life instead of re-active. When I think about life without goals, I think about the song Once In a Lifetime by the Talking Heads. The tips I’m outlining here can be applied to health, personal, Read More . . .
3 Tips for Eating & Weight Loss
Part 1 in the Runtex University Bucky & Bob Speaking Series My husband tells me that I eat more food than anyone that he knows. He’s probably right. I can eat large volume of food. I also remember as a kid going to an ice cream parlor with my sister. After I finished mine, I finished hers too. She looked at me & stated "Your stomach is a bottomless pit." Looking back, it’s really not a mystery to me that I ended up overweight, but also that I’ve devised a few really good strategies for being able to eat, not depriving myself & still being able to maintain my smaller size. 1) Don’t Drink Your Calories Have you seen the calorie counts on some of the Starbucks coffee drinks? A Venti Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème has 670 Calories! That’s about a third of my calorie budget! Plus, in Read More . . .
The Quality of Your Diet is Revealed at the Grocery Store Check-Out
Have I mentioned that I’m cheap? Well, I don’t want to say "cheap" because I truly believe that you get what you pay for. I don’t like spending money – (okay, that’s better!). I don’t have grocery coupons down to a science like the Economides Family, and honestly never really understood them, but on Sundays I look through the ads of the Sunday paper circular. I don’t really know why I look through the coupons, the stores don’t supply coupons for the foods that I buy. Maybe it’s a curiosity of "What new and evil processed food have manufacturers dreamed up now? And how are they marketing it as ‘not so bad’ to unsuspecting consumers?" Next time you look at any food advertising that you get in the mail, or along with a paper, notice the types of products that they’re advertising. All coupons are for processed foods: microwaveable meals, Read More . . .
The Little Thing in Your Head That’s Keeping You Fat
Guest Blog By Tom Venuto www.BurnTheFat.com I have no doubt that a scientist somewhere just read the title of this article and said out loud, “YES! Venuto is right! That little thing in your head – the hypothalamus – it IS the thing that is keeping you fat! By George, that Venuto guy isn’t a dumb bodybuilder after all – he’s been doing his research!” At which moment, I will be shaking my head and thinking, “you need to get out of the laboratory and into the real world, with real people, buddy.” Okay, okay, to be fair, Neuro-endocrine control of appetite and body fat really is quite fascinating. But today, I’m talking about PSYCH-ology, not PHYSI-ology. The little thing in your head that’s keeping you fat is actually just a…. Limiting belief! Self-limiting beliefs are among the biggest problems that people deal with in their struggles to achieve a Read More . . .
Do you need to take Supplements to be Healthy?
As a Health Educator, I receive countless offers from companies wanting me to offer their products to my clientele. Everything from whey protein to vitamins & Acai berry drinks. I do take supplements myself, but believe that with the right diet, my clients really don’t NEED to take supplements. So here’s a list of the supplements that I currently take & why: Multi-Vitamin – I do recommend that everyone take a good multi-vitamin. I don’t recommend a particular brand. Just make sure that it has the Consumer Lab’s seal of quality on it. Calcium – Women between the ages of 24 & 50 have an RDA of 800/1000mg of Calcium for bone health. Calcium is best absorbed in quantities less than 500mg, so I take one tablet 2x daily. Although I do eat a lot of leafy green vegetables, I don’t always consume dairy. This ensures that I have strong Read More . . .
The Gift of Elizabeth
NOTE: pronouns (he/she) were intentionally interchanged in this post A few years ago I had a client approach me for a Valentine’s Day gift-certificate of Nutritional Counseling for her husband. "He really needs to start working out and eating better. He’s getting fat & I think he could really use your help." He never called me to schedule his appointments. I knew that he wouldn’t. One would probably think that I would be a huge advocate of giving the gift of Elizabeth; after all, it’s a win for everyone. Right? Well, not necessarily. Purchasing health related gifts for your loved ones is a delicate gift to give. This applies to purchasing personal training, nutritional counseling, gym memberships or even workout equipment and fitness gadgets like the bodybugg. If you’re reading this blog, you are probably somewhat interested in your health. You know how good you feel by eating foods that Read More . . .
8 Reasons Why You Keep Falling Off The Diet Wagon
Guest Blog Post By Tom Venuto www.BurnTheFat.com Clearly, we have an obesity problem in America and many other countries across our planet. Yet, I propose that we do not have a weight loss problem today. In case you’re confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics: According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 years, about 80 percent of all ‘weight losers’ have regained the lost weight, and often gained back a little extra. According to research by the National Weight Control Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent. For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%. This means that lots and lots of people have “successfully” lost weight. But not many have kept it off. Therefore, we don’t have a weight loss problem, we have Read More . . .
Do You Want To Do It On Your Own?
People have been asking me lately what makes me different. What differentiates me from other personal trainers? Well first, I am not "just a personal trainer". I am a nutritionist & wellness coach as well. Each of these skills allows me to have different relationships with my clients. Nutritionist When I’m a nutritionist, I inform, educate & give feedback. Depending on the client, and what their goals are, I will do as much education as I need to in order to get the client to a point where they’re able to make good decisions. The second step is to do weekly check-ins, where the client keeps an online food journal & we review those food choices; discovering how different foods affect mood, energy, sleep, etc. and also reflecting on any emotional eating that may have popped up. Personal Trainer As a personal trainer, I am focused on working my client Read More . . .
The Best Kept Secret in Austin
I’ve lived in Austin for almost 8 years (yikes! has it been that long?). I’ve been actively engaged in the fitness community for about 3 years now. When you come to Austin, you can’t help but know about RunTex & the running community here – Runtex has such a presence here. I think they sponsor absolutely every race imaginable; they provide cold water on the town lake hike & bike trail; through word of mouth, they are THE store for runners, everyone talks about RunTex; and they have RunTex University, which I had heard of but never understood: until now. RunTex University’s mission is to improve the fitness of our community, state and nation through the support of endurance events and training programs. We look forward to sharing our passion with each of you. I was confused about RunTexU because when I went to look at their training programs, I Read More . . .
The perfect little jacket
I think I have found the most perfect running jacket. Do you hear the sound of angels? No? Well, if you get this jacket, you just might. It’s the Sugoi Hydrolite Jacket. It’s translucent & has a tacky, rubbery feel. It’s waterproof, yet breathable, light, wind resistant & has reflective material on both the front & back. Yes, it’s expensive, but if it follows the $1 per wear rule*, and I think it will, then I feel that it’s worth it. And I did get it on sale – so that makes me happier. Getting good gear is so important to exercise adherence. If you don’t have gear that fits well, then you don’t want to put it on, and you won’t exercise for as long as you’d like because it’s not comfortable. Plus, if you’re excited about your exercise clothing, you’re more likely to put it on & want Read More . . .
What are your expectations for yourself?
Yesterday I was reading this blog about photo retouching. It started me thinking about how much magazines and how they influence our expectations of our own bodies. I am a magazine junkie. I love reading short articles about whatever. When I travel, People Magazine is my guilty pleasure of choice. I wonder though, how the images that I see in the magazine influence the way that I see my own body, and how I feel about it. Are the expectations that I have about the way my body looks realistic? It’s easy to see how one could get caught up in "perfection". Take a look at some examples of photo retouching to see the areas that are modified. Dove Commercial Magazine Cover Retouch Another Example What do you think when you look at those pictures? Do you think, "she is so gorgeous, I’ll never be successful because I don’t look Read More . . .
My Pet Peeve
Okay – so I really don’t have just one pet peeve; I have many – but this one has to be pretty much at the top. It drive me NUTS when folks go to school, work, gym, etc when they’re sick. There’s a new Human Resource term for it: presenteeism. Presenteeism is defined as when employees are at work physically, but not mentally. I don’t really know why people do this. It seems like there’s a badge of honor associated with it. It’s as if they’re saying “I’m so committed to the company (working out, or whatever) that I’m here when I’m sick.” or maybe it’s an “I’m so tough that not even the flu can keep me down.” Whatever the attitude or reasoning behind it, it’s just plain stupid. Pain and illness are your body’s way of telling you that there’s something wrong, and ‘it’ needs attention. That attention Read More . . .
You Can’t Fool Mother Nature
Last night I saw this commercial for the Jenny Craig weight loss system. It's Valerie Bertinelli stating that for the first year in 20 years that she will not be making a new year's resolution for weight loss, because she has hit her goal & maintained it. The commercial kind of hit a chord with me because I feel very similarly. For the first time since I've been on my nutrition journey, I feel like I'm not 'white knuckling' it. People who know me probably want to smack me right now. They'd probably say, "What the h*ll are you talking about? You're not fat." I was over-fat 10 years ago & came to my smaller resting size about 6-7 years ago. To the unobserving eye, although my weight has shifted in small increments (maybe not even enough to notice), I haven't had huge fluctuations; I am at a good size Read More . . .
In the interest of Self-Disclosure
To so many folks battling with their weight, next month’s O Magazine cover shows an unre-touched Oprah at her current weight, next to a photo taken 4 years ago, is like reading a page from their own diary. It’s an all too familiar story of weight lost, feeling confidence & power over food, and then regaining the weight. Oprah: "I’m mad at myself. I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, ‘How did I let this happen again?’" I empathize with Oprah’s struggle, and anyone else who has struggled with their eating and health habits. And HABIT is the key word there. We are the size and shape we are because of our habits. As a Wellness Coach I help people change their behaviors, or rather, Read More . . .
Why Vicky won’t sustain her weight loss
In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m a HUGE fan of NBC’s reality weight loss show, The Biggest Loser. I think Jillian totally Rocks! Last night was the last pre-taped show before the season finale being held live next week. Although I am fascinated by the dramatic weight loss & transformations that the contestants go through, we assume that once the cameras & lights go off, that the contestants live happily ever after, maintaining their weight loss. The truth is that although some have maintained their weight loss, many have regained some of the weight, and some have regained most of their weight. Why? Well, I suppose that there are a few contributing factors, and therefore ways to learn from their mistakes if weight loss is on your list of to do’s in 2009. Neither Vicky nor her husband Brady like vegetables. Last night she said that her kids Read More . . .
Where the Sidewalk Ends
When I was a kid, I remember having this really cool book of poems by Shel Silverstein called Where the Sidewalk Ends. I loved this book because it addressed things that kids care about: boogers, & daydreaming, & annoying brothers & sisters, just to name a few. I grew up in a suburb just West of Chicago. Every street had a sidewalk on both sides. I remember looking at the drawing on the cover of the book, thinking, "That’s silly. Sidewalks don’t end. There are sidewalks EVERYWHERE." And to me, there were. Now I live in Austin, Texas. I moved here about 7.5 years ago. I run on the streets in my neighborhood & surrounding areas. I wear a Road ID because I’m afraid of getting clipped by some distracted driver, and since I run from my home, I don’t carry ID or keys with me. So, you might ask, Read More . . .
Bonana fanna fo Fana
Let’s see here… I need to take role of all the stupid diets that don’t work. Grapefruit Diet? Check Cabbage Soup Diet? Check Cookie Diet? Check Maple-Syrup/Lemon Juice/Cayenne Pepper Diet? Check Check Check Banana Diet? What? You haven’t heard of the new Banana Diet that is sweeping Japan like a Giant-Sized Godzilla/PokeMon character? Here are the specifics: A banana (or as many as you want) and room temperature water for breakfast Eat anything you like for lunch and dinner (by 8 p.m.). A three o’clock snack is okay No desserts after meals You have to go to bed before midnight Unsure of what the “room temperature water” is all about for breakfast, the only problem I have with the diet is #2, oh yeah – and #3. So for lunch, I’d like a Bic Mac & a large fry; Dinner, I’d like a whole pizza. And that 3 o’clock snack? Read More . . .
Retirement Savings up in Smoke?
Everyone is talking about money these days; politicians, news presenters, even health educators! Most folks are worried about the money that they’ve lost due to the tanking stock market. Questions running around in their heads: “Am I going to have to work until I die now?” “Do I have enough money to send my child to college?” “If I do send my child to college, do I have enough money to retire when I had planned?” I was inspired when I read this article in Sunday’s paper about those same questions. Here’s the specific quote: Associated Press: What general advice do you have for people in their 50s and 60s who have seen their retirement accounts shrink and now figure they will have to delay retirement or scale back their goals? Nelson: Start taking better care of your health. It’s easy to say you’re going to work longer, but Read More . . .
My Cloud
So I was playing around on Wordle & was curious what my website would look like as a word cloud. I think it's pretty cool: And here's my blog: Fun! Read More . . .