You’ve seen the memes on the Internet, or heard the phrases: “What’s your excuse?” Or heard the phrase, “if it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” I actually like this second quote – and not because of the judgement that’s implied with it, but rather the truth that it conveys. We all have priorities. A list from 1-100. And we can’t do everything. On our list of priorities, we all have the same things: family, partner relationship, travel, money, career, health, and self-care, to name a few. They’re just in different orders. My list is in a different order than your list. Only one thing can occupy that top spot. Only one thing can occupy the second, and so on. As a health coach, I would love for everyone’s list to have ‘health’ as their #1 priority. But the truth is that it Read More . . .
Why the rules are bullsh*t
Do you have rules around your eating habits? They might be something like, “I can only eat sugar on the weekend.” Or “Bananas are loaded with calories and starch. So, I can’t eat bananas.” Whatever they are, do they help you? Or do they hinder you? I think most people create these rules because the grey area of our food can become so… GREY. H*ll! I don’t even know if there IS any black or white when it comes to food anymore! With all the media hype, and misinterpreted studies, something that you would think should be intuitive is now confusing. There’s so much fear and uncertainty when it comes to our food. What’s good for us? What’s not? And once we’re in that grey zone of ‘Eat these foods in moderation’, how do we know where we are in that moderation scale? How do we know when we’re slipping? If Read More . . .
What’s in Your Perfect Day?
One of the exercises that I have my Health Coaching clients do in their first habit is to describe their perfect day. I love hearing what folks love to do: spend time with their families (or not ;), pampering, what their favorite meal is, activities, what makes them feel good, and what their priorities are. And it got me thinking about what elements I would need to have a perfect day everyday. Sure! There are always things that we don’t want to do: chores, conflict, maybe errands, and things like that. But what key elements would be present in order for the day to be pretty close to perfect? How can you construct your life so that it’s pretty darn close to perfect? I came up with four elements that I can add in to any day to have a pretty awesome experience. I’ve tagged it #TAGY Treats – Everyday needs to have a treat in it. Read More . . .
What do elephants and cancer have to do with my fat-loss journey?
In thinking about how the cancer had destroyed my mom’s body, it occurred to me that in order to avoid this disease, I needed to prepare my body so that it would be able to fight off any disease that it might encounter. Not only did I need to get down to a healthy weight, but I also needed to eat better quality of foods, become active, and well, become a responsible adult. Read More . . .
How to dump crappy habits
Anyone who says that the issue of obesity, weight management and fitness is all about knowing what is/is not good for you, or about willpower is over-simplifying the problem, and hasn’t fully grasped the gravity of the issue. It is a hugely complex issue because it all starts in the brain, and the brain is a hugely complex organism. We all do things that we know don’t serve us in our goals, and yet, we often find ourselves powerless to change. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about eating habits, spending money, smoking, or some other habit that we want to change. In Kelly McGonigal’s audio program, The Neuroscience of Change, she talks about our destructive habits. Destructive habits are things that we do that either don’t serve us any longer, or are getting in the way of things we do want in our lives. It could be smoking, eating Read More . . .
Why diet plans give me anxiety
Me: “So, are you making any changes with your diet?” Her: “Well, I don’t know. I was thinking about that last night. I’ve been walking, but I don’t know if I should do Paleo, or cut out carbs, or what. What do you think?” Whenever I hear someone mention a certain ‘plan’, whether it’s The Paleo Diet, The Zone Diet, or even The Eat Clean Diet, or even make drastic, sudden changes, I always cringe. Yes, I know it’s easier when you have a list of ‘rules’. This is what you can and cannot eat. There’s no grey area; that grey area where you’re unsure, “Am I on plan? or off?” It’s definitely easier to say yes or no to food if you know where the line of on and off are. We understand the rules. I basically have rules for my diet. But I’ve created those rules myself. And they’re not rules. They’re barely guidelines. And Read More . . .
Can I do that?
I’ve been through a lot of fitness phases in my journey. There’s one phase that I’ve been thinking a lot lately: that time that I was doing Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga is a yoga practice done in an ungodly hot and humid room. The class is a series of 26 poses, done in the same order, held for the same amount of time. You could go to a Birkam Yoga class in California, Brazil, Germany, or Japan, and each instructor is taught to cue the poses the same way. Some will look at this form of a class and think that it sounds boring: Doing the same exercises in the same order every single time? Ugh! I need some variety! Yes, you could look at it that way, but here’s the thing. Doing yoga this way taught me something about my body. Well, to be truthful, about bodies in general. Read More . . .
What you know about dieting is bullsh*t
Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself from another time, and think, “What the hell was I so hard on myself for? My body was adorable! And I remember hating my body when that picture was taken!” For years I was looking for the magic pill. You know the one. The one that you find in magazines, diet books, following health gurus online. The one that is going to make you instantly the size and shape that you desire to be. I read everything. I scoured every magazine: 10 Days to a Bikini Body? I’m in. 5 Secret Fat Loss Foods? I need it! How to eat until you’re stuffed and still lose weight! Hey – Right on. I would look at what foods women were buying in the grocery store. Nope! Same foods (or junkier) that I was buying. I would see women at the gym, and think to Read More . . .
Just Show Up
Happy New Year! As with every change in the calendar, folks start to look at the blank canvas of a new year, and get inspired with ideas of what this year can look like. What new opportunities will present itself? WIll I have more wealth at the end? Will my business grow? What steps can I take to make my life better? Is my personal health part of that equation? Will I be moving the needle (in a positive way) for my personal health? There are lots of ways to improve your personal health. Yes, you can go to the gym. Yes, you can eat less junk. You could try incorporating some better sleep habits into your routine, or maybe practice deep breathing when you feel stressed out.I know those last two ideas are not what typically come to mind when we think about healthy habits, but stress management and Read More . . .
#GSD – Inspirational Totem
“My mother always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said, ‘Just wait.” ― Judy Tenuta I’m really kind of over New Years resolutions. I find that if I dislike where my life is headed, I can change directions any time I want. I don’t need a new calendar year to start a new habit. And yet, I like the concept of having a focus, or something to drive towards. Last year I was introduced to the concept of an “inspirational totem“. The concept is a word or phrase that guides you through the year. Not unlike New Years resolutions, but without the ‘resolution’ part. It’s more of a mindset shift. Just a word or a phrase, that you connect with, that keeps you focused on where you want to go. I love it that we have the opportunity to change our mindset. We can change Read More . . .
Out with the old, In with the New
Health with Friends is partnering with other Austin area health based businesses to host a free athletic wear clothing swap at Pathway to Fitness, a personal training studio at 4009 Medical Parkway. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their clean, gently used athletic wear to Pathway to Fitness July 18 – 22nd, and return July 23rd from 12 noon to 3:30 pm to shop for free. Unclaimed items will be given to Goodwill, or sent via the Red Cross to recipients in Alabama, Tennessee or along the Mississippi Delta. Join Us! It’s going to be So. Much. Fun. Find out more: Details on Clothing Swap Read More . . .
Bodybugg Calories Burned
Another Frequently asked question about the bodybugg application is: "Why do I have two different Calories Burned Numbers? I just got my Bodybugg last night. It seems to be working and when I uploaded data from the armband to computer, at the bottom it said I had burned 31 calories-had only been wearing it for a few minutes. The top display for the overall day is completely out of whack says 381 calories burned so far which can’t be done in wearing it a whole ten minutes?" The Red arrows in this screen shot point out the conflicting data. Clearly the numbers are different, but why? The top number shows the total number of calories burned during the entire day. The bottom number shows the number of calories burned during a specific time of day, typically your waking hours, which is illustrated by the darker gray area that the blue Read More . . .
Consciously Incompetent
When I imagined that I would be skating in rollerderby, I didn’t necessarily imagine that I would be blocking every body hit & skating with the fluid moves of a butterfly: zipping in & out of other girls around me. I guess I thought that it might be a little difficult at first, but with a little time & stick-to-it-ness, I’d be okay. After I invested in all of my equipment, I certainly felt the pressure to make it work. But after 8 weeks of skating 2-3 times per week, neither did I imagine that I would lose my balance & fall when I was just standing on my skates! I’m completely in awe of my coaches, Sparkle Plenty & Devil Grrl. They’re both so at ease on their skates. When Sparkle talks, she “paces” in her skates – backwards, forwards, sideways… it’s as if her skates are part of Read More . . .
How Quickly Will I See Results?
I received a question on Twitter today that I thought warranted a blog post. @dasschus asked “how long does it take for a surplus of calories to show up as a weight gain? How long until is shows as stored fat? Curious.” The answer to this question is pretty complex & like everything in health & the human body, what may be the answer for one person may not be the solution for all. Therefore, I’m going to answer this question from my own personal experience. The short answer is that it doesn’t happen instantly. That’s good and bad news because just as one day of eating poorly isn’t going to derail your weight loss goals, neither will one day of excessive activity make a noticeable difference either. The body ultimately takes an average of my calories in & calories out over a period of time. I notice a lag Read More . . .
Which Burns More Calories?
I was talking to one of my clients yesterday about what great exercise walking is, when I realized that everyone else might want to know too! Years ago, when I started my quest for fitness, I would walk my neighborhood. Eventually, I got an elliptical machine and a treadmill – I had always wanted to be a runner, and was finally able to make that happen through the help of the treadmill. I spent hours on each of those until I started running outside & the rest is history. I was a gym rat for a really long time, spending countless hours on the cardio machines – even on perfectly beautiful days because I thought that I was burning tons of calories that way. One of the most fun aspects of the bodybugg, is discovering how many calories each of my activities burns. For example: cleaning the house can burn Read More . . .
There are No Short Cutz
Studies show that one of the keys to losing and maintaining weight loss is a strong social support system. But what if you don’t have a strong social support system? Are you doomed to a future of being overweight? Nope. Not at all. If you know my story, you know that it took me a long time to get where I am today, and I don’t know if I would be where I am without my support family. I don’t really remember when it happened, but Gary had started working out with his trainer, Mike, who was really into bodybuilding. It was through Gary that I learned about the user forums on bodybuilding.com. I started participating in the online forums there, & learned a LOT about lifting weights, eating cleanly, and losing weight. I also learned that although the forums were moderated, any shmoe with a keyboard can write whatever 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 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 . . .
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 . . .