70 degrees out and I've just finished setting up my seven year old son’s lemon aid stand/garage sale out front of the house and am now able to sneak downstairs to jump on my spin bike in the basement. I've gotten back on the fitness wagon so to speak in the last two weeks. I lost all balance in my life when I took on a new sales job in February. A few pounds later and a feeling of blah both mentally and physically, I as so sick and tired of my own negative self talk I knew change was needed. I'm proud to report I am now an early morning riser as a participant at bootcamp 2x a week.
I should have known better but I dealt with my stresses in all the wrong ways. After a long day of working, juggling jobs, part time training and parenting I took solace at the end of my day on my couch with my friend, Cadbury Fruit and Nut. I was even sneaking into my husband’s potato chips when he’d go to bed early. I don’t even like chips!
It's hard work mentally getting back to healthy routines and while I'm not always at the back of the class at the 6am runs most of the time I am but I am there. I'm humbled, getting stronger and really happy at 7am when it's all done! So my couch comrades I agree coming back is hard and getting started is as well but nothing good come easy or without some ACTION. One workout at a time and having to constantly squelch the inner pessimist who wants me to fail I am now giving the power back to my inner optimist!!!
My fitness goals this month have been:
• Week one goal was to show up to class!
• Week two keep going to class!
• Week three I’ve had two goals; add an extra workout in between classes and in honor of my sister Catherine who after she died in April 2009 gave the gift of life donating two kidneys, as well as to support my good friend Pauline who is on dialysis for kidney disease; I’ve signed up to run in the 5km Kidney Walk/Run on August 12, 2012.
https://kidney.akaraisin.com/pledge/Participant/Home.aspx?seid=4894&mid=9&Lang=en-CA&pid=1055346
If you are struggling and contemplating change please pick up that 1000lb phone if you need to register for a class, a trainer or to get help and as they say, just do it!
http://www.dragonflyfitness.ca/
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Variety the Spice of Life
Hey I’m Spin-blogging again! This multi-tasking, busy mom/trainer seldom does one task at a time!! I haven't been online or blogging for months as work was so busy in the fall that by the end of the night I’d fall asleep in front of my computer as I completed more schooling for my senior's fitness certification. Life is a little saner now in 2012. Variety has become the new spice of my work life. Last year I started a new one day contract at a local seniors centre running a day program for physical and brain fitness for seniors and I just love it! What a superb group of people.
While some may think that chair fitness is for the frail let me tell you how wrong you are. One client who is 98 years old keeps up both physically and mentally and she prefers standing up to do her weights. She can also touch her toes from a standing position and is very happy to show this amazing skill off. Can you touch your toes? The physical abilities in this group are varied and the conversational and brain fitness component is the highlight to my work week. Most of our abdominal workout comes from our laughing!
You do know you can do a full body resistance workout sitting down. Of course it is preferable for your heart if you move at a pace that makes talking uncomfortable and a few beads of sweat are a good indicator to working in the correct training zone. If at any age not just when you are a senior when you cannot motivate yourself to do any physical fitness, have an injury, a sedentary lifestyle or are just plain lazy it really is a downward and slippery slope to either illness, injury, obesity, or in some cases depression.
The amazing seniors I work with know that the key to longevity and good health (at least the part we play a role in) is eating smaller portions of healthy food more frequently, moving more, loads of laughter and being connected with others. For your sake, find a class, Google a routine or if you really need help to give it a kick, your buttocks that is - hire me (or another trainer if you must) to work with. 2012 - invest in your health!
Dragonfly Fitness is happy to provide in 2012 a new SENIORS MOBILE FITNESS AND COMPANIONSHIP Options at very affordable prices as well as telephone coaching to help you achieve those goals by breaking through and working through the issues that block you! Call me for more information at 604 803-7757 www.dragonflyfitness.ca Have a healthy and happy day!
While some may think that chair fitness is for the frail let me tell you how wrong you are. One client who is 98 years old keeps up both physically and mentally and she prefers standing up to do her weights. She can also touch her toes from a standing position and is very happy to show this amazing skill off. Can you touch your toes? The physical abilities in this group are varied and the conversational and brain fitness component is the highlight to my work week. Most of our abdominal workout comes from our laughing!
You do know you can do a full body resistance workout sitting down. Of course it is preferable for your heart if you move at a pace that makes talking uncomfortable and a few beads of sweat are a good indicator to working in the correct training zone. If at any age not just when you are a senior when you cannot motivate yourself to do any physical fitness, have an injury, a sedentary lifestyle or are just plain lazy it really is a downward and slippery slope to either illness, injury, obesity, or in some cases depression.
The amazing seniors I work with know that the key to longevity and good health (at least the part we play a role in) is eating smaller portions of healthy food more frequently, moving more, loads of laughter and being connected with others. For your sake, find a class, Google a routine or if you really need help to give it a kick, your buttocks that is - hire me (or another trainer if you must) to work with. 2012 - invest in your health!
Dragonfly Fitness is happy to provide in 2012 a new SENIORS MOBILE FITNESS AND COMPANIONSHIP Options at very affordable prices as well as telephone coaching to help you achieve those goals by breaking through and working through the issues that block you! Call me for more information at 604 803-7757 www.dragonflyfitness.ca Have a healthy and happy day!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
What's your pain?
I picked up the phone today to connect or network with a fabulous lady and successful business owner of www.bodyexchange.ca she said something Epic to me at least and I feel it’s worthy of sharing.
We were talking about health and fitness and what it is that is blocking our clients and sometimes ourselves from achieving our desired fitness levels. What is causing the self destructive behaviours that block us from greatness such as: over-eating, over-drinking, over-anything that works in numbing us out.
Pain! What's your pain? Not the one in your knee or your back or your backside; but the one in your heart? That pain untouched, not healed or not shared will continue to cause the unhealthy self-sabotage that many of us are afflicted with.
My pain is still loss and grief. In the last decade I've lost my mom at 63 after two leg amputations, my dad 6 months later to heart attack at the age of 66 and my mother-in-law who passed three weeks later from cancer. They all missed the birth of our first son by 6 months. Just when I got a little bit of balance and what I thought a grip on parenting I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. I was treated for depression but I believe it was unresolved or repressed grief.
After that next dark valley came the most unexpected and sudden loss when my baby sister dropped dead at 42 years old from a massive brain aneurysm. My bottom fell out. I have never experienced such earth shattering pain. I really thought I had experienced walking through loss until this loss. I had done multiple grief groups and counseling all good work but the loss of Catherine had me completely derailed for a good six months.
All I knew is I had to fake it for my kids and I had to keep on the path of health and wellness. I continued to teach (all the while faking joy) and yet was inspired by others wanting to change their lives and my sister was all over that. So I continue and will continue to trudge along this journey and while I've come out that dark tunnel and see sunshine again, when I experience those valleys of emotions or if I'm up late eating junk I try to pause as those are my signals to share with others my pain. Even if my head and heart aren’t connecting what's going on my negative behaviours are my signals that something is going on and usually if I talk it comes out.
A burden shared is a burden halved. I keep teaching, moving, sharing, motivating and educating so I (we) can share abundant health. So go move and be grateful for your body regardless of the shape. Remember wellness starts in our heart, then our mind, and then by moving and healthy eating. I wish you abundance.
We were talking about health and fitness and what it is that is blocking our clients and sometimes ourselves from achieving our desired fitness levels. What is causing the self destructive behaviours that block us from greatness such as: over-eating, over-drinking, over-anything that works in numbing us out.
Pain! What's your pain? Not the one in your knee or your back or your backside; but the one in your heart? That pain untouched, not healed or not shared will continue to cause the unhealthy self-sabotage that many of us are afflicted with.
My pain is still loss and grief. In the last decade I've lost my mom at 63 after two leg amputations, my dad 6 months later to heart attack at the age of 66 and my mother-in-law who passed three weeks later from cancer. They all missed the birth of our first son by 6 months. Just when I got a little bit of balance and what I thought a grip on parenting I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. I was treated for depression but I believe it was unresolved or repressed grief.
After that next dark valley came the most unexpected and sudden loss when my baby sister dropped dead at 42 years old from a massive brain aneurysm. My bottom fell out. I have never experienced such earth shattering pain. I really thought I had experienced walking through loss until this loss. I had done multiple grief groups and counseling all good work but the loss of Catherine had me completely derailed for a good six months.
All I knew is I had to fake it for my kids and I had to keep on the path of health and wellness. I continued to teach (all the while faking joy) and yet was inspired by others wanting to change their lives and my sister was all over that. So I continue and will continue to trudge along this journey and while I've come out that dark tunnel and see sunshine again, when I experience those valleys of emotions or if I'm up late eating junk I try to pause as those are my signals to share with others my pain. Even if my head and heart aren’t connecting what's going on my negative behaviours are my signals that something is going on and usually if I talk it comes out.
A burden shared is a burden halved. I keep teaching, moving, sharing, motivating and educating so I (we) can share abundant health. So go move and be grateful for your body regardless of the shape. Remember wellness starts in our heart, then our mind, and then by moving and healthy eating. I wish you abundance.
Monday, September 12, 2011
I'm perfectly Imperfect I'm a Progressional Athlete
It's tough some days being a self-employed personal trainer. You see it’s a lonely business when I’m away from my clients and left to my own mind. When alone my mind defaults to the negative loop tapes and I do believe three tapes play at once in my mind. They tell me I should have rock hard abs, I should not have had that berry crumble last night, horrors if I'm online or reading a fitness magazine that I see those images and feel a sense of failure as I don't look like those super athletes or the super models who by the way have great pressure and magical tricks to capture those professional images of perfection. Usually after my workouts the tapes stop and I remember I'm just perfect the way I am.....perfectly imperfect.
For each person being ‘in shape’, the shape you desire is a very personal thing. Just the word ‘shape’ leads one to believe that this quest is an actual body shape and of course our society screams ‘skinny” is the shape. Don’t get me wrong it would be greet to be firm all over and have the muscle tone and definition I absolutely desire but people its progress not perfection. I am a Progressional Athlete. Professionals or elite athletes do NOT achieve what they do without sacrifice; be it relationships, never having treats or time with their kids (if they have any) and the list could go on. Define your own success. If I can fit a workout in everyday, be a good mom, wife, train my clients and keep a home somewhat clean - I am laughing and I am generally happy.
In regards to shape I learned awhile back to ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and fit isn’t about size. I have been blessed to work with some extremely strong and fit trainers and clients at the Body Exchange Health and Fitness. These plus-size clients are strong and fit and are achieving their goals long-term one day at a time, one workout at a time. They know results take time and loads of effort.
As a working mom balance is my constant challenge. For me to be the best person I can for my family and for you as a trainer I need to eat well and sweat hard daily. I cannot afford to call a walk my workout today - maybe later in my life. Today to shed unwanted calories and achieve the endorphin release I need to keep me sane I must raise my heart rate to my acceptable training zone. Google that folks. Depending again on the time I have that day sometimes it means splitting my desired 60 min into 2-30 minute workouts or 3-20 minute time frames. Be creative, today my workout was in the basement on my spin bike while I did laundry, spinning while watching the spin cycle. We can't all be carrying our yoga mats into a studio while wearing our lulu pants and then going for skinny lattes (but I can dream).
Look around your home got a room you can groove in? Spin, do a fitness DVD, join a class, walk, run, or dance. What's holding you back? No money get a workout off the internet or at the library, got money hire a trainer or join a group fitness class or bootcamp. People, it is progress not perfection.
If I can fit a workout in everyday, be a good mom and wife, eat healthy, train my clients and keep a home I am a success – if I don’t succeed at all the above I am still a success. Move more and eat less! Blessings to you and yours!
For each person being ‘in shape’, the shape you desire is a very personal thing. Just the word ‘shape’ leads one to believe that this quest is an actual body shape and of course our society screams ‘skinny” is the shape. Don’t get me wrong it would be greet to be firm all over and have the muscle tone and definition I absolutely desire but people its progress not perfection. I am a Progressional Athlete. Professionals or elite athletes do NOT achieve what they do without sacrifice; be it relationships, never having treats or time with their kids (if they have any) and the list could go on. Define your own success. If I can fit a workout in everyday, be a good mom, wife, train my clients and keep a home somewhat clean - I am laughing and I am generally happy.
In regards to shape I learned awhile back to ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and fit isn’t about size. I have been blessed to work with some extremely strong and fit trainers and clients at the Body Exchange Health and Fitness. These plus-size clients are strong and fit and are achieving their goals long-term one day at a time, one workout at a time. They know results take time and loads of effort.
As a working mom balance is my constant challenge. For me to be the best person I can for my family and for you as a trainer I need to eat well and sweat hard daily. I cannot afford to call a walk my workout today - maybe later in my life. Today to shed unwanted calories and achieve the endorphin release I need to keep me sane I must raise my heart rate to my acceptable training zone. Google that folks. Depending again on the time I have that day sometimes it means splitting my desired 60 min into 2-30 minute workouts or 3-20 minute time frames. Be creative, today my workout was in the basement on my spin bike while I did laundry, spinning while watching the spin cycle. We can't all be carrying our yoga mats into a studio while wearing our lulu pants and then going for skinny lattes (but I can dream).
Look around your home got a room you can groove in? Spin, do a fitness DVD, join a class, walk, run, or dance. What's holding you back? No money get a workout off the internet or at the library, got money hire a trainer or join a group fitness class or bootcamp. People, it is progress not perfection.
If I can fit a workout in everyday, be a good mom and wife, eat healthy, train my clients and keep a home I am a success – if I don’t succeed at all the above I am still a success. Move more and eat less! Blessings to you and yours!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Stress and Belly Fat
Did you know that stress can be your worst fat loss enemy? In the past few days working with my clients and talking with lady friends the subject of tummy fat has come up more than a few times. What is causing it? STRESS!!!!
While cortisol is an important hormone and a helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event. Higher and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream not only have numerous negative health effects on your immune system it is also responsible for increased abdominal fat. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress. So what does one do? You must build in some ‘de-stressors’ and if you can do even one of these steps your body and belly will thank you!
1. Exercise – Of course this is number one for me and should be for you! This is one of the most effective and healthiest ways to deal with any kind of stress. Get moving, do something that you enjoy, do it daily and try your best to get a sweat on!
2. Network, Fellowship, Find YOUR Tribe – Reach out to family and friends to develop meaningful relationships. Stay in touch, even when you feel the most stressed.
3. Meditate and Slow Down – Build in some down time where you do nothing. Practice sitting for five minutes and just focus on your breath or something positive like gratitude. Increase that time and see how much more effective you are after re-setting your body’s stress response timer.
4. Be of Service and get out of yourself– Sometimes the best way to help yourself feel better is to help someone else. Small gestures can make a big difference and can get you out of yourself. I don’t know about you but I sure get sick of me, me, and more me.
5. Powerful words – Develop positive self talk or a mantra to encourage yourself. You are a grown woman and don’t need to hear it from others (although geez sometimes it’s nice).
6. Rest – Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep and almost everyone gets over tired. Stress can seem insurmountable under these conditions, so try to get your zzz’s on a regular basis.
7. LAUGH – Have a laugh, or plan something fun. Even if you’re under a timeline, sometimes by taking a break or having something to look forward to, it gives you renewed strength and energy. So take a break and have some fun.
8. WALK AWAY from or limit the time you spend with the people in your life who are negative, scared and fearful. They will drag you down and take your energy. Trust your intuition on who they are.
9. 70% is good enough – Accept imperfection for some things. Be realistic, don’t purposely set the bar low, do your best, but then accept your best even if it’s not perfect. Take imperfect action.
10. Be Creative – Nurture this side of yourself. Journal, paint, garden or cook.
11. Get organized – De-stress your mind and de-clutter your life. By getting organized you will save time too. Anyone looking for service work you are welcome to come by and help me out here.
12. Say ‘NO’ – Don’t over plan your life and prioritize what’s important to you (like exercise (put it in your day timer – make a date with YOU or a trainer!) This may mean saying no to some things like volunteering, social invitations, work commitments.
While cortisol is an important hormone and a helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event. Higher and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream not only have numerous negative health effects on your immune system it is also responsible for increased abdominal fat. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress. So what does one do? You must build in some ‘de-stressors’ and if you can do even one of these steps your body and belly will thank you!
1. Exercise – Of course this is number one for me and should be for you! This is one of the most effective and healthiest ways to deal with any kind of stress. Get moving, do something that you enjoy, do it daily and try your best to get a sweat on!
2. Network, Fellowship, Find YOUR Tribe – Reach out to family and friends to develop meaningful relationships. Stay in touch, even when you feel the most stressed.
3. Meditate and Slow Down – Build in some down time where you do nothing. Practice sitting for five minutes and just focus on your breath or something positive like gratitude. Increase that time and see how much more effective you are after re-setting your body’s stress response timer.
4. Be of Service and get out of yourself– Sometimes the best way to help yourself feel better is to help someone else. Small gestures can make a big difference and can get you out of yourself. I don’t know about you but I sure get sick of me, me, and more me.
5. Powerful words – Develop positive self talk or a mantra to encourage yourself. You are a grown woman and don’t need to hear it from others (although geez sometimes it’s nice).
6. Rest – Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep and almost everyone gets over tired. Stress can seem insurmountable under these conditions, so try to get your zzz’s on a regular basis.
7. LAUGH – Have a laugh, or plan something fun. Even if you’re under a timeline, sometimes by taking a break or having something to look forward to, it gives you renewed strength and energy. So take a break and have some fun.
8. WALK AWAY from or limit the time you spend with the people in your life who are negative, scared and fearful. They will drag you down and take your energy. Trust your intuition on who they are.
9. 70% is good enough – Accept imperfection for some things. Be realistic, don’t purposely set the bar low, do your best, but then accept your best even if it’s not perfect. Take imperfect action.
10. Be Creative – Nurture this side of yourself. Journal, paint, garden or cook.
11. Get organized – De-stress your mind and de-clutter your life. By getting organized you will save time too. Anyone looking for service work you are welcome to come by and help me out here.
12. Say ‘NO’ – Don’t over plan your life and prioritize what’s important to you (like exercise (put it in your day timer – make a date with YOU or a trainer!) This may mean saying no to some things like volunteering, social invitations, work commitments.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Trying to figure out how to lose weight fast and safe can be confusing and overwhelming. There is so much information out there that can be baffling, overwhelming and it just makes you want to throw your hands up in the air or rather into a bag of chips. I hope this information can help you begin the path to weight loss safely and without pills. While weight loss isn't complicated (it's simply calories in minus calories out), how to lose weight fast and healthy is not so simple. Here's a 12-step plan for how to lose weight fast naturally. It starts with 5 basics:
• Make a commitment.
• Eat only healthy foods.
• Consume fewer calories.
• Get super quality nutrition.
• Exercise enough every day.
And while slow weight loss tends to be more permanent, it's still definitely possible to lose weight a little faster. But how fast is fast and how fast is safe?
12 Steps to Lose Weight Fast Naturally
You could lose 20 pounds of water weight your first week. But that's not fat. It takes approximately 3,500 calories to add or subtract a pound of body fat. So for each 500 fewer daily calories, you lose about a pound a week.
1. Reduce calories per pound. If you currently eat 2,700 calories a day, by cutting down to 1,200 daily calories, you could possibly lose 3 pounds a week. But never average less than 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day.
2. Eat small meals more often. Eating every 2-3 hours helps you keep blood sugar stable, avoid ravenous hunger and make healthier choices. Don’t get too busy to eat or you will sabatoge all your efforts. Plan ahead and think of healthy choices and prepare those healthy snacks and bring them along on those errands, don’t look for them at the mall or work that’s where you find sugar and empty calories! BEWARE.
3. Include way more daily fiber. Try filling up on high fiber foods that are low in calories, you can satisfy your hunger and feel full on less food.
4. Keep a daily written record. Tracking calories, exercise and emotions in a weight loss journal, keeps you aware, accurate and accountable.
5. Manage time for weight loss. Learning how to lose weight fast, safe and healthy is a major project that takes time management and focus. Research nutrition online there are so many incredible sites dedicated to your health and wellness. If you don’t know what protein or carbs really are then Google it and learn it. Print if off and post it on the inside of your kitchen cupboards. My favorite website: www.sparkpeople.com
6. Exercise and be more active. Since physical activity burns calories and muscle burns more calories than fat, including exercise and weight training in your lose weight fast plan will help you lose weight faster. Weight training is especially important for women to prevent osteoporosis and ladies it helps to speed up your metabolism, burning calories faster and more efficiently. Hire a trainer to get you started or ask for help at your local gym. Correct form for your exercises is critical in achieving your goals and preventing injuries.
7. Drink pure calorie-free water. A high water intake fills you up, carries nutrients to cells and detoxifies your body. So drink at least 8 cups a day.
8. Choose the healthiest foods. We all know that a low calorie diet is much healthier – as long as you're eating the healthiest foods. This includes:
• Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably organic meaning (chemical free),
• Good quality low fat, high protein foods,
• And enough good fats with limited bad fats.
9. Avoid sweet and salty foods. Salt and sugar cause water retention and food cravings. Stick with low sodium and low glycemic foods.
10. Get every important nutrient. If you want to be thin, looking good and feeling good too, you need to include quality health supplements.
11. Stop feeding your emotions. Hunger is generally not the cause of overeating. Emotions are. So to lose weight fast (or slow) it's absolutely necessary to learn how to stop emotional eating and overeating. Get help, your life depends on it.
12. Focus and keep your eyes on the prize. To win the battle, you must make "lose weight" the goal through visualization. Do you have a holiday or event coming up? Picture what you want to look like and keep that image as your focus when grabbing for the junk food or the extra drink. Picture where you want to be in 5 or 10 years or even 1 year from now? Healthy and hiking or testing blood sugar levels and bedridden due to some self-inflicted health condition. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? The choice is yours and you have to be ready to make your change!
To lose weight fast and healthy you still need to put these 12-steps for how to lose weight naturally into action. It works when you work it!
• Make a commitment.
• Eat only healthy foods.
• Consume fewer calories.
• Get super quality nutrition.
• Exercise enough every day.
And while slow weight loss tends to be more permanent, it's still definitely possible to lose weight a little faster. But how fast is fast and how fast is safe?
12 Steps to Lose Weight Fast Naturally
You could lose 20 pounds of water weight your first week. But that's not fat. It takes approximately 3,500 calories to add or subtract a pound of body fat. So for each 500 fewer daily calories, you lose about a pound a week.
1. Reduce calories per pound. If you currently eat 2,700 calories a day, by cutting down to 1,200 daily calories, you could possibly lose 3 pounds a week. But never average less than 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day.
2. Eat small meals more often. Eating every 2-3 hours helps you keep blood sugar stable, avoid ravenous hunger and make healthier choices. Don’t get too busy to eat or you will sabatoge all your efforts. Plan ahead and think of healthy choices and prepare those healthy snacks and bring them along on those errands, don’t look for them at the mall or work that’s where you find sugar and empty calories! BEWARE.
3. Include way more daily fiber. Try filling up on high fiber foods that are low in calories, you can satisfy your hunger and feel full on less food.
4. Keep a daily written record. Tracking calories, exercise and emotions in a weight loss journal, keeps you aware, accurate and accountable.
5. Manage time for weight loss. Learning how to lose weight fast, safe and healthy is a major project that takes time management and focus. Research nutrition online there are so many incredible sites dedicated to your health and wellness. If you don’t know what protein or carbs really are then Google it and learn it. Print if off and post it on the inside of your kitchen cupboards. My favorite website: www.sparkpeople.com
6. Exercise and be more active. Since physical activity burns calories and muscle burns more calories than fat, including exercise and weight training in your lose weight fast plan will help you lose weight faster. Weight training is especially important for women to prevent osteoporosis and ladies it helps to speed up your metabolism, burning calories faster and more efficiently. Hire a trainer to get you started or ask for help at your local gym. Correct form for your exercises is critical in achieving your goals and preventing injuries.
7. Drink pure calorie-free water. A high water intake fills you up, carries nutrients to cells and detoxifies your body. So drink at least 8 cups a day.
8. Choose the healthiest foods. We all know that a low calorie diet is much healthier – as long as you're eating the healthiest foods. This includes:
• Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably organic meaning (chemical free),
• Good quality low fat, high protein foods,
• And enough good fats with limited bad fats.
9. Avoid sweet and salty foods. Salt and sugar cause water retention and food cravings. Stick with low sodium and low glycemic foods.
10. Get every important nutrient. If you want to be thin, looking good and feeling good too, you need to include quality health supplements.
11. Stop feeding your emotions. Hunger is generally not the cause of overeating. Emotions are. So to lose weight fast (or slow) it's absolutely necessary to learn how to stop emotional eating and overeating. Get help, your life depends on it.
12. Focus and keep your eyes on the prize. To win the battle, you must make "lose weight" the goal through visualization. Do you have a holiday or event coming up? Picture what you want to look like and keep that image as your focus when grabbing for the junk food or the extra drink. Picture where you want to be in 5 or 10 years or even 1 year from now? Healthy and hiking or testing blood sugar levels and bedridden due to some self-inflicted health condition. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? The choice is yours and you have to be ready to make your change!
To lose weight fast and healthy you still need to put these 12-steps for how to lose weight naturally into action. It works when you work it!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Nothing changes until something changes
I’m off to a friend’s bbq and it’s just not the same as when I used to head out to indulge. Today I load my plate but it’s done with awareness. I have too much information in this brain to live with my head buried in the sand when it comes to how many calories are going in the shoot and how hard I have to work to work to burn those calories off. Today I am trying to live in a constant state of awareness so that I can combat that sneaky accumulation of weight that happens when one doesn’t live in awareness of what is going into their bodies. Some people choose not too be in awareness or are even in defiance and by all means that’s their choice; yet deep down I believe we all want abundant health. We were made to enjoy abundant health!
So tonight I will make conscious choices of what I eat. If I choose the dessert it’s because I’ve had the extra long workout today, planning ahead I call it. Yet if I’m looking to loose weight (which I am) I’m going to have to stick to some healthier options on the dessert platter such as: fruit. It always helps if I tell myself I CAN have that cake if I really want it and perhaps tomorrow I will but just for today – no thanks!
Just Google ‘calories burned’ and look at how hard you have to work to burn the excess calories you’ve consumed. Look up how many calories your favorite dessert or drink has and you may make different choices. You do need calories folks don’t get me wrong it’s the excess you don’t want. Start educating yourself and you will begin small changes in your choices. Based on your sex, age, and activity level you can find numerous tools on the internet so you know how many calories you personally need. Anything in access of that will be stored as fat in your body. Pick one or two manageable changes in calories consumption that you can live with and start small. Don’t jump on the diet wagon and deprive yourself because if you are like me the self sabotage kicks in and I’ll double that consumption.
So many people complain about how hard they workout and that nothing is happening with their body. They go to boot camp or the gym 2 – 3x a week and nothing. It is a two part process effective workout routines and you must look at what you are consuming (nutrition). Here it is for fun and for free, the secret to weight loss: You must burn more calories than you consume.
If you eat more than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) , you give your body more energy than it needs and it will store those extra calories (energy) as fuel reserve which unless you are burning those calories off will more than likely settle in fat stores in places you just don’t want them. So …..
1. eat more than your TDEE, your weight will increase
2. eat exactly your TDEE, your weight will remain constant
3. eat less than your TDEE, your weight will decrease
My best friend Maria in Ottawa has a trainer 2 x a week now and is ALSO maintaining her boot camps 2 x a week AND tossing in a run or two and is NOW seeing the changes she’s wanted and she’s proud. I too am so proud of her! It’s the best investment you can make – investing in you! Remember folks ‘nothing changes until something changes’.
So tonight I will make conscious choices of what I eat. If I choose the dessert it’s because I’ve had the extra long workout today, planning ahead I call it. Yet if I’m looking to loose weight (which I am) I’m going to have to stick to some healthier options on the dessert platter such as: fruit. It always helps if I tell myself I CAN have that cake if I really want it and perhaps tomorrow I will but just for today – no thanks!
Just Google ‘calories burned’ and look at how hard you have to work to burn the excess calories you’ve consumed. Look up how many calories your favorite dessert or drink has and you may make different choices. You do need calories folks don’t get me wrong it’s the excess you don’t want. Start educating yourself and you will begin small changes in your choices. Based on your sex, age, and activity level you can find numerous tools on the internet so you know how many calories you personally need. Anything in access of that will be stored as fat in your body. Pick one or two manageable changes in calories consumption that you can live with and start small. Don’t jump on the diet wagon and deprive yourself because if you are like me the self sabotage kicks in and I’ll double that consumption.
So many people complain about how hard they workout and that nothing is happening with their body. They go to boot camp or the gym 2 – 3x a week and nothing. It is a two part process effective workout routines and you must look at what you are consuming (nutrition). Here it is for fun and for free, the secret to weight loss: You must burn more calories than you consume.
If you eat more than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) , you give your body more energy than it needs and it will store those extra calories (energy) as fuel reserve which unless you are burning those calories off will more than likely settle in fat stores in places you just don’t want them. So …..
1. eat more than your TDEE, your weight will increase
2. eat exactly your TDEE, your weight will remain constant
3. eat less than your TDEE, your weight will decrease
My best friend Maria in Ottawa has a trainer 2 x a week now and is ALSO maintaining her boot camps 2 x a week AND tossing in a run or two and is NOW seeing the changes she’s wanted and she’s proud. I too am so proud of her! It’s the best investment you can make – investing in you! Remember folks ‘nothing changes until something changes’.
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