Start With The Inside

Sacrificing for your health

2012-01-31T13:44:00.000-05:00

Are you sacrificing your health or are you willing to sacrifice for your health?

In our quick weight loss, pill and shake-dominant society, what is considered a sacrifice anymore?

A strict diet plan?
A regimented workout plan?
Not eating chocolate?

Oh no, she brought up the subject of chocolate again. But another research just came out that said chocolate is good, so good for you. Uh huh. Take a look at our chocolate-laden, sugar-addicted society and ask yourself a question - "Who is making money on these 'health surveys' and 'research' that shows that chocolate is good for you?" Anyway, back to the subject. You know I shouldn't have brought up the "C" word.

We sacrifice in other areas of our life. We put ourselves on a budget and try to stay within it. We work at a job and are successful at it. We have children and teach them right. Is that a sacrifice? Yet, when it comes to our health, egads, it becomes a sacrifice. Oh no, I have to work out or oh no, I cannot eat a candy bar every day. It's a sacrifice. We don't like being told we cannot do something. Because we work hard in all those other areas - we handle our money, we work hard at our jobs and we love our children. But when it comes to the thing we have to do every day regardless of if we want to or not - we have to eat and we want to do it our way. And so we do it our way.

The stores make it easy for us - unhealthy food is cheap.
The fast food restaurants make it easy for us - unhealthy food is fast [and cheap].
The medical community make it easy for us - they have pills and shakes and if that doesn't work, surgery for obesity will cure all.

But what about what our heart says?

What about that inside voice telling you that you know it is not right. You know it not right to overeat. You know it is not right to be sedentary. And yet, the easy way is to sit on the sofa and watch TV with your chocolate and your glass of wine. And forget about sacrifice, it's too hard.

So, are you sacrificing your health, day by day, and hoping it will get better by magic some day?

Or, are you willing to make a sacrifice for your health?

Why do we have to give up so much to be healthy?

2011-10-17T16:03:00.000-04:00

When it comes to weight loss, why is it more about deprivation than enjoyment? Why is it more about hard work than just getting by? Why can't it be smiles and balloons instead of crying and cravings?

One of the most common complaints I hear when someone starts a weight-loss program is the deprivation factor. The fact that they cannot eat like they used to. The fact that it is so hard to get workouts in a busy schedule. The fact that they can never have a certain food again, ever. But is it really forever?

Do you have to give up the 'forbidden' foods forever?
Do you have to give up having an occasional treat of sugar or alcohol?
Do you have to work out every day for the rest of your life?

NO.

But, do you want to lose weight or what?

No, you don't have to give up the 'forbidden' foods forever. But, what's wrong with limiting them for a short period of time and seeing if you can overcome the EMOTIONAL obstacles associated with that food. Instead of thinking of it as a chore to 'give up' that food, look at it realistically. Could that food or over-indulgence of that food be stalling your weight loss efforts? Sometimes you don't have to give it up. Sometimes you can just limit or moderate it. But other times, it seems to have a hold over you. Why? If you have been trying to lose weight for many, many years and what you have been doing DOESN'T work, then doesn't it make sense to try something else that may work? Think about it...

No, you don't have to give up having an occasional treat of sugar or alcohol. But, again, what's wrong with limiting them for a short period of time and seeing if you can overcome the EMOTIONAL obstacles associated with that food or drink? We are a give-me-everything-now society and what has that done for us? We have what we want when we want it. We don't take care of what we have and we get rid of things we don't need to. Is it working for us? No, we are more overweight and more obese as a society. So, if it's not working for you, why not try something else.

No, you don't have to work out every day for the rest of your life. But are you trying to lose weight or are you trying to maintain your weight? I have been lucky enough to maintain my weight for the last 10 years and I can tell you, I haven't worked every day during those 10 years. I've taken days off, sometimes weeks off. But, I am not trying to lose weight. When you make the commitment to LOSE weight, you are going to have to do something different. So, if you had to work out 5-6 days a week for a short period of time to lose the weight, is that so bad? It's not going to kill you. It's going to save your life. It's going to make exercise a habit and help your body so much.

Why do we have to give up so much to be healthy?

Who is giving up? When you make the commitment to lose weight, you are not giving up your life. You are living it. You are changing it. You are proud of it. You are becoming the person you were meant to be. So do it. Will you?

Gwinnett's Losing It! takes it to another level

2011-10-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

Weight loss is hard. Permanent weight loss. Not the temporary, here take this pill or drink this shake 3 times a day weight loss. The kind of weight loss that changes your life. With our national obesity rate rising every year along with the increase marketing and promotion of "special" products designed to help you lose weight, why is it so hard? If all of these pills, shakes and workout equipment worked, then wouldn't we as a society be healthier? We can be. It starts with the inside and Gwinnett's Losing It! is a good example of that.

A second round of Gwinnett's Losing It! started August 15, 2001 in Gwinnett County and ends 12 weeks later on November 4, 2011. 20 participants have 12 weeks to change their bodies, and their lives. How do they do this?

By learning how to incorporate strength training into their workouts
By learning how to do effective cardio workouts
By learning proper nutrition strategies for their daily life
By attending weekly teleconference calls
By attending monthly group meetings
By competing against other people with the same goals and same frustrations

The participants met for an afternoon at Lake Lanier Islands Resort for a kick-off in August, which included a boot camp workout and hike, a healthy lunch and emotional boot camp workshops. They train for a 5K in September, in which many complete for the first time. They attend another boot camp workout in October and conclude at a ceremony in November to celebrate their success.

But let's hear it from the participants themselves:

"The past eight weeks have been very exciting. They flew by and I am wishing this contest was much longer as I am having too much fun! Training for the 5K unified us as a team. I am extremely proud of myself that I have worked hard to consistently lose 1 lb a week and pushed myself to run the entire 5K. I am feeling healthier and happier."
"I have not lost a lot of weight during this contest, but I am losing inches and gaining muscle. I am wearing two sizes smaller. This contest has helped me 'like' myself again. Overall, I try to be a positive person around other people and they think I am happy. When I am by myself, I do not smile much. I have been unhappy with myself for quite a while. Because of this contest, however, I am eating right, treating myself right and seeing some results. The other day, I caught myself smiling inside."
"My workout routine is now becoming a way of life. I never realized how important weight training was before but now I plan to make this a forever thing. I can't and don't even use the term 'diet' anymore. I still enjoy an occasional bite of dessert or special 'family' food, but really don't enjoy stuffing myself with bad nutrition choices. It has been very valuable to me to know that I'm not in this battle alone!"
"I am learning how to take better care of myself in various ways. Learning to jog has been great. Running the entire 5K with my friends was very special and motivating. Seems like I am surrounded by sick people, however I am staying healthy and strong. Sometimes, I just giggle to myself about what I am becoming. I like her."
"When the 12 weeks are up, I will have a plan that I can continue to follow and that I can live with. Because I am not in this just for the 12 weeks. I am in this for the rest of my life. I am not on a diet, I am living healthy. Sure I will still have days when I will struggle to get my workouts in, I will still forget lunch and be tempted by those chicken fingers, but I have learned that I have to be a priority in my life and that taking care of myself is as important, no really, more important than anything else I do. And I think I have made strides that will make this easier in the future."
"I am so excited by my week 8 results. I have lost a total of 9" and lost 24 lbs. I completed my first 5K race and ran a mile for the first time in 30 years. My blood pressure remains normal and migraines appear to be a thing of the past. While these physical changes are impressive, I have found the emotional changes to be even more important. I have learned how to really push myself. I have consistently planned and cooked healthy meals for my family, even when fast food restaurants called to me on the drive home from work. I have found an inner strength that I never knew I had and intend to use that strength to achieve my weight loss and fitness goals long after this competition is over."
"The past eight weeks, I have made major improvements to my nutrition. I have completely cut out soda and junk food. I think making the decision to cut those two things completely out has been one of my best decisions ever. Knowing that my life will and always be changed from doing this competition. I can't wait to continue my life on the right track."
"It has been an amazing eight weeks. I have dropped 14 lbs in a plain ol healthy way with good food and exercise. The best part is I have done this in a realistic approach that I can live with. I have not done any extreme fad dieting, taken any pills or even extreme workouts. I have not given up every food I've ever enjoyed, I'm simply learning how to use moderation in my eating. This time is different. I have no special occasion goal, I have a life goal. I am learning, slowly but surely, how to 'start with the inside' and I am confident that I will continue losing at least 1 lb a week until I'm at my goal and maintain it."

Congratulations Gwinnett's Losing It! participants and good luck during the last three weeks! Cannot wait for the Finale Celebration on Wednesday, November 9th at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville! Stay tuned for more details.

Why so hard on chocolate and candy?

2011-09-30T06:28:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, time for October and chocolate overload. The stores are jam packed with chocolate candy bar bags, candy corn, candy pumpkins. All designed to lure you [and your kids] to the other side. The candy sugar side. Don't worry. Only 70% of our population is overweight and obese. Sugar has nothing to do with it. Chocolate is good for you. They keep telling us that.

So why is Sandi so hard on chocolate and candy?
Why does she have to ruin all the good chocolate holidays?

Because I have a job to do and I do it well. I do my research, I love my job. I deal every day with overweight and obese people who are addicted to these things. I deal every day with overweight and obese people who have bought into the idea that chocolate is good for you and helps with PMS and helps you get antioxidants into your body. Because I have been there myself. As a chocolate devotee myself, I know the devastating affect it can have on your body when you are trying to be fit and healthy. Now don't get me wrong, I have chocolate. But not like I used to. And not all the time. I believe in moderation in all things. HOWEVER, there are times when you have to take it a step further than moderation and steer towards elimination. Temporary elimination. Why?

Chocolate/candy is a trigger food for you. Meaning you have one and you want another one immediately.
Chocolate/candy is an emotional food for you. You eat it when upset, or when PMS strikes, or when you celebrate. The food is linked to good times and bad and it is a HABIT.
Chocolate is a unhealthy food for you. The chocolate in today's candy is NOT the healthy chocolate all the research articles are talking about. The cacao bean is healthy, but the FORM of cacao bean that they are talking about, the healthy one, is not even present in today's chocolate. It is full of preservatives, unhealthy additives and unnecessary ingredients to make it palpable for our sweet-loving palates.

I know, stop already. I'm like a chocolate nazi.

I don't care. I am going to keep speaking the truth, even when it hurts. I care about my client's health and well-being. I care about our children and the unhealthy habits we carry on to them. I care about our nation's obesity rate and the link between unhealthy foods and habits.

Hence the No-Candy Pledge. What started as a joke last year around this time became a fun thing to do. Could you not eat candy or chocolate for one month? Would it be good for your health? Would you be willing to try? If chocolate is a trigger food or problem for you, I challenge you to try it. Visit my fanpage on Facebook to download the pledge. Print it out, sign it and put it somewhere so you can see it. Challenge yourself. And then tell me what it does for your health. Will you?

What to do when everything goes wrong

2011-08-10T05:43:00.000-04:00

Life is hard. Weight loss is hard. Put the two together and yikes, double-hard. Everything goes okay for a while, and then bam - chaos happens, somebody dies or gets hurt, people change, events happen - and before you know it, everything seems to be going wrong and you lose focus. Or lose your mind. Or so it seems.

I see this all the time with my clients. In reviewing their weight loss history, there always seems to be a time when everything goes wrong. Something happens that sets them back - an event, a person - something happens to them and they just let themselves go. They lose priority in their lives. And their health suffers. I deal with this all the time - trying to help clients overcome the emotional chaos that keeps them from living a healthy life and having a fit, healthy body. It happens to everybody, it happens to me.

In July, everything pretty much went wrong. At least it seems that way. Less than two weeks out from doing a tri with a client and coming home from a great ride with a friend, I crashed my bike. Totaled it. No big deal, right? At least that's what those around me said. "Just get another one". Um, I don't just ride any bike. It's my baby. I ride 100+ miles a week. It's my workout partner. I love my bike. And it's expensive. Boom, just like that, starting over. I ended up backing out of the tri because I am too stubborn to borrow a bike from anyone and ended up letting down my client as well.

Just like the United States right now, I am having debt and financial difficulties. Like everyone else around me. Every time I hear something about the US debt in the news, I think about my situation and how to apply what they are doing to what I am doing. It doesn't work that way. But the pressure is on and I feel it all the time. It feels overwhelming and never seems to end.

Ups and downs in relationships. I don't believe in true love because it's too much work. Seriously, when will I ever get a fraction back of what I give? I know, that's not the intent of love. You are supposed to give and give and give and not worry about getting back. But crap, you'd think I'd get a little something back more than this. I see relationships around me crumble and wonder if I am next?

So through the stress and the time when everything goes wrong, what happens to my health? What happens to my fitness? Nothing. I don't win in the triathlon with my great bike. I don't pay off all my bills in a flurry. I don't get the love I deserve. I just muddle on through it. I'll figure it out. I still eat clean, pretty much anyway. I had a brief sorrowful return to the 'ol ice cream solitude, but got over that quick. I still get in my workouts. Dropped the tri schedule, quit the bike rides, but found some other workouts that I hadn't done in a while, so kept moving. I'll figure it out. Kept doing the things you are supposed to be doing. Kept my family intact and kept my faith that someday I'll be rewarded for doing good. I'll figure it out.

It doesn't all have to make sense. But you can't lose your health over it. You can't just stop working out because things happen. You can't just start eating crap because things happen. You can't just give up because bad things happen and everything goes wrong. You just have to pick yourself up, believe in the good in people and situations, and go on. You'll figure it out.

It's August and I still don't have a bike yet. I'll figure it out.
They cancelled my upcoming Olympic tri in September [who cancels a tri?], so now I am raceless goal-wise. I'll figure it out.
The bills keep on coming and I keep paying them. I'll figure it out.
The relationships keep going up and down. I'll figure it out.

But while I'm figuring it out, I'll stay healthy, I'll stay fit. I'll keep living a healthy lifestyle because otherwise, I'm just a statistic that happens when everything goes wrong.

The big egg debate

2011-04-19T15:38:00.000-04:00

We are approaching Easter weekend and the eggs are plenty, which brings us to the big egg debate. Yes, big egg debate. Okay, you knew it was coming. I'm taking on the "Cadbury Egg". You expect as much, right? Not only did I author the "Candy Pledge" during Halloween, call for moderation during the holidays and the ever-popular "Let's find an alternative healthy present instead of chocolate" on Valentine's Day, but now I am attacking another sacred holiday, Easter.

Chocolate Easter bunnies
Chocolate Malt Balls
Jelly Beans of every color and size
Marshmallow Peeps
And of course...Chocolate Eggs, Reese's, Cadbury, Russell Stover, just name a brand, they have chocolate eggs galore

Let's look at the regular egg. Okay, we decorated it up a little bit for the Easter celebration.

Nutrition Facts:
90 calories
7g fat
0.4g carbohydrate
6.3g protein
Ingredient: Egg

An egg is a healthy food, right? Let's compare it to one of our friendly chocolate counterparts, a Reese's chocolate egg...

Nutrition Facts:
180 calories
11g fat
18 carbohydrate
4g protein
25g sugar
Ingredients: Milk chocolate made with sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, nonfat milk, lactose, soy lecithin and PGPR [emulsifiers], peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, TBHQ [preservative].

Okay, a little bit of difference. Yes, calories for our little Reese's chocolate egg are double that of a regular egg. Yes, there are more carbs and less protein. Yes, if you have attended my Healthy Shopping 101 class, you know that the chocolate egg has some "-ose's" in there and what that means. You have to come to class to find that out. Okay, I'll give you a clue. If an ingredient ends in "-ose", it is a processed sugar. You can remember that by -ose = Gross.

But, let's take it a step further. What's the most important part of this comparison? The ingredients! What's in an egg? Yes, that's right, an egg. No additives. No preservatives or emulsifiers. What's in a chocolate egg? Not only that, but picture eating an egg. How is that egg processed through your body? Picture eating a normal egg. It's natural, it breaks down easily, it goes thru your body. Picture eating a chocolate egg. It's processed, it sticks, it doesn't go thru your body easily. Oh, and the chocolate egg has 25 grams of added sugar. 32 grams is daily recommended. That could be a problem.

Here's the hard part. We as a society are programmed, marketed heavily to, convinced that "chocolate is healthy" and that eating one of these sales and marketing wonder eggs is going to make us healthy. But it's not. And most of the time, we can't just eat one. If you eat one of these, fine, but what about 2 or 3 or more. Multiply that 25 grams x the amount you eat. And now we are talking sugar overload and guess how your body processes that? Ever wonder why when you wave goodbye, the upper part of your arm goes with the wave? Ever wonder why when you walk up the stairs, somethings jiggle a little bit more than they should? Ever wonder why you look in the mirror and are unhappy with your body and the way it looks?

Hey, now I am not blaming the lowly chocolate Easter egg for all of those things. But, it plays a part. The egg, the natural egg, is healthy for you. The chocolate egg, the processed egg, is not healthy for you. So if we know that, then the next step is finding out how we can convince our mind so that when we are at the grocery store, we reach for the healthy egg and not the unhealthy one. And then when we are at a friend's house for a meal and there are chocolate eggs abound, we use moderation or control because we care about our bodies. And then when we decide what to give our kids pretty Easter baskets filled with goodies, we use moderation and control and focus on the reason for the holiday, or the reason for showing our love to them.

Love does not equal a chocolate egg
Love does not equal a chocolate bunny

Still with me? I know this is hard. I know I am attacking something that is very near and dear to people's hearts - chocolate goodies. It takes time to overcome a habit and eating chocolate eggs is and has become a habit for many people. It's just something we do every Easter. And then beat ourselves up because it makes us feel awful. There is an easier way. There is a way to overcome our chocolate obstacles and it start with the inside. What are our emotional ties to chocolate? What are our emotional habits? Why are we afraid of being good and sticking to what we know we should eat?

There is no real definite answer to these questions. All you can do is start today. Start doing what you know you should be doing. Start making healthier choices for your body, your health, your life. And no sales and marketing company is going to do that for you, you have to. So my question to you is, will you?

Gwinnett's Losing It! Videos

2011-04-13T12:11:00.000-04:00

Here are the links to the two videos that were shown on the Finale...

Yes, it's the "Rocky" theme, you know I was going to put that in it! The participants talking about what they want to accomplish and why during the 12-week contest. Honest talk from honest people. Can you relate to any of them?

Another theme song, this time from "The Biggest Loser". This time after 12 weeks. Do they look different to you? The 14th participant is "Miss Kit", my black and white kitty who is a prima donna and who wanted desperately to show off for the camera. Notice what the last participant Vicki says at the end of the video, "I AM GOING to be..." Wow.

Celebrating Success - Part Two

2011-04-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

An update for Gwinnett's Losing It! continues...

Gwinnett's Losing It! is not just about losing weight. It's about changing your body and improving your health. The participants in this program were judged on four criteria:

Weight, starting and ending
Photos, starting and ending
Essays, including goals and 3 other essays every 4 weeks in the competition
Progress Reports taken every 4 weeks, including measurements, clothing size and bodyfat percentage

This is important to remember because losing pounds alone does not make you a healthy person. Our society places too much emphasis on weight alone, when we should really be looking at the whole health of the person as well, which is what this contest was striving to do. So, while the person who lost the most amount of weight did not win 1st place, he certainly made a lot of other changes as well.

January 2011

After 12 weeks

Winning 3rd place is Mickey Hamilton. Mickey is married and has 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren. As the only man in the competition, he has enjoyed it immensely. His goal was to live longer and be here for his family and friends and to start walking 3 miles a day with the family and liking it. His obstacle was travel and eating in restaurants. His biggest accomplishment for this competition was conquering the nutrition challenge. Mickey has lost 52 lbs., 12% bodyfat and untold amount of inches in this 12-week competition. While the weight loss is impressive, even more impressive is the fact that Mickey has drastically reduced his diabetes medication, he has made remarkable progress in that when he started he could not walk for short distances and recently, he just completed his first two 5K's. He is amazing! He has truly changed his life and I look forward to working with him even more as he continues his weight loss/health journey! These photos are of his legs when we started and after 12 weeks.

Winning 2nd place is Velma Busby. Velma has been married for 30 years. She has 2 sons and 3 grandchildren. Her goal was to lose weight and get healthy and make this a permanent loss and lifestyle change. Her obstacle was to not give in and eat the way she used to. Her biggest accomplishment for this competition was learning how to eat clean and put workouts in her everyday life and enjoying it. Velma has lost 24 lbs, 10% bodyfat and 8 inches. Velma is a hot grandma! When Velma started with me, she was discouraged about her body and her energy level. She is not now! Velma has stuck like glue to her workouts and nutrition changes and has really changed her life. She no longer has to take medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, and has truly made the changes to better her body and her health.

Winning 1st place is Vicki Rice. Vicki is a widow and has 2 sons and 3 grandsons. Her goal was to be able to do the exercise program and reach set goals. Her obstacle was food and eating out at restaurants. Her biggest accomplishment in this competition was running a 5K and reaching her weight goals. Vicki has lost 26 lbs, 8% bodyfat and 16 inches. Vicki is a powerhouse. 6 years ago, Vicki's husband died unexpectedly. She took it hard and was not good to her body. This contest changed the way she looked at her body. She overcame bad habits and learned new ways to deal with the hurt in her life. She, like all of the 13 contestants, learned to share with our group in a private, safe setting, the hurt that has held her back for so long. She let it go. And in doing so, she flourished in this contest. My nickname for Vicki is "Ms. Consistent" because she is. She is consistent in her workouts. She is consistent in her nutrition. She is consistent in setting and meeting her goals. Week after week, she continued to make progress and set the standard high for herself and those around her. I am so unbelievably proud of Vicki and her accomplishments. And she was on the front page of the Gwinnett Daily Post, which I absolutely loved!

There is so much to tell you about this contest that I think I will have to do a "Part Three" to truly show you what we accomplished as a team. So I will do that. But in closing, I want to point out that these three individuals have many things in common:

They are all grandparents [can you believe that? Do you understand why I always say that AGE is just a number!]
They all had obstacles and they overcame them.
They all had goals and they met them.
They all had to deal with special situations-traveling, stress in the job, eating out at restaurants, time constraints, life. And they did it anyway.
They are all winners - they have their bodies and their lives back.

I hope when you read their profiles, you see something that strikes you - either for you or for someone you know - that gives you a glimmer of hope. Hope that you too - or that someone you know - can finally overcome the obstacles of losing weight. Hope that you too can set and make weight loss goals with success. Hope that you too can change your body and life. So, now will you?

Our next Gwinnett's Losing It! will be August 15, 2011 through November 4, 2011. See my website for more details. Part three to come...

Celebrating Success - a Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

2011-04-12T15:22:00.000-04:00

Wow - what an amazing 12 weeks! Our Gwinnett's Losing It! team finished their weight-loss journey, but ended up changing more than just their weight. As a group, they lost 293 lbs. As a group, they lost an average of 7% bodyfat and 10.5". In 12 weeks! But they won more than they lost...[in their words]

No more blood pressure medication. This may mark the end of a competition, but not the end of a journey as a team and family.
I'm learning not to focus on the scale so much but the total picture of becoming healthy and building lean muscle. The change in nutrition has made the biggest difference for me.
After starting this challenge, it was like my life started coming together and gave me the ambition to get out and do something with my life. I no longer have to take my diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure medicine.
I have gone from a person who thought they were going to die by overeating to a person that is in total control of what goes in my mouth.
I have more self confidence and self esteem than I have ever had in my life. I don't ever recall being happy with me. I can finally say "I love me".
I have finally taken control of many cravings that I thought I would never be able to overcome. I have accepted that I cannot passively live my life, I have to be an active, attentive participant.
I now know that my body is capable of. I am now on the road to recovery for a lifetime. I feel awesome.
I have found me again. I have learned I should come first. My health allows me to take care of my family and my business.
I am proud of myself. Proud to have met a great group of new folks from our community, and proud to have been given the chance to change my life forever.
I am better, fitter and stronger because of this challenge. Although I've lost a few pounds and a few inches, I've gained a new perspective on what being a winner means. It means finishing the race.
I have a newfound respect for my body and soul and what I do with it and put into it.
I have learned that by sticking to routine and being mindful of my nutrition is the way to make my goal. I have learned that by setting smaller goals to reach for is better than looking for that end result.
We no longer have the identity of extra pounds to hide behind. Instead we are a group who have changed for the better. I am going to live to see so many other journeys because I made the change and became the winner.

Do you see what I mean now? This was NOT just a weight loss contest. This was a contest to change lives. I'll have another post with photos of our celebration night as well as additional information on the winners, but I'd like to end this blog with a portion of my speech on that special night, directed towards the competitors of Gwinnett's Losing It!:

"Every single one of you has made an impact in my life. Every single one of you deserves to win this contest. You have given me your trust. You have given me your health. You have given me your lives. And I am truly grateful for that. I have worked hard to not let you down and I can tell you, you didn't let me down. I truly love all of you and I wish the best for all of you. Whether you win 1st, 2nd or 3rd, you all deserve winning and you already have the prize you need - you have your body and your life back. And one last thing, I will be watching you, I know where you live and I will come and beat you if I have to."

Yeah, I know, I had to add that last line. That's just me. Congratulations to Gwinnett's Losing It! competitors who changed their lives. So, now are you ready to take the plunge? Stay tuned...

Realizing a dream - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

2011-03-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

We are going into Week 10 of Gwinnett's Losing It!, a 12-week weight loss contest in Gwinnett County. Week by week, the stakes are higher as we get closer to the end of the contest and the realization. Realization that this is going to be over soon and realization of a dream. The dream of losing weight.

It hasn't been easy. At all. The battles are still there. Outside forces, inside forces, you name them, all of the reasons why 60-70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Not these people. They have decided to realize their weight-loss dreams and actually enjoy part of the process. They completed a 5K together. From Week 8 Progress Reports:

"The past 8 weeks of my journey to weight loss has been filled with what I know realize is "fear". I realized that I have been afraid to push my cardio workouts. Why? Simply put, I have been afraid of being alone and collapsing."
"I thought even looking at cupcakes and dessert would be my biggest temptation. No, that wasn't it. It was the outside influencers who just don't care and are annoyed that I'm taking parts of my life back. That was scary, difficult to rationalize and sad. There were tears this time and hurt feelings that not everyone got what I was doing to change my life."
"I've had hard times when I didn't think I could do another minute on the treadmill or when I made a bad nutrition choice. Reality has set in. The newness factor is gone. This is it, no going back."
"This contest has shown me that what I'm really hungry for can't be found in the bottom of a bag. I'm hungry for a healthy lifestyle, which includes coming to terms with my emotional eating, changing my relationship with food and fitness and improving my body image."
"Why is it so difficult for me to stay concentrated and my head aiming forward? I allow my blinders to become transparent. I have not gotten into the full mindset that I can do this; that I can lose the weight once and for all. I have been trapped for so long now it is like an affliction that is hard to let go of."
"My body has finally responded to the change in nutrition. The cravings have subsided and I have embraced a healthier eating lifestyle. It was tough mentally more so than anything else."
"I haven't been concentrating on setting the examples per se, because I have learned that losing weight and getting yourself right physically and mentally is a very selfish process and until I get myself right, I can't fully devote myself to helping someone else, even if she is my child."
"The day Sandi told me that nutrition was 80% of the battle saved my life. I went from the person who thought they were going to die by overeating to a person that is in total control of what goes in his mouth."
"This has truly been a life changing experience for me. My health and habits get stronger and better every day."
"These last 8 weeks is proof positive that the weight loss journey is not an easy one. I believe that you must have your heart in this process and that doesn't mean you have to be perfect but it does mean that every day I have choices to make with what I put in my mouth and what time I have planned to get my workouts in just as if it were a Dr's appointment."
"I am putting on the blinders and removing all negative thoughts. Week 12, here I come."
"I think the most valuable thing I have learned so far is to listen to my body. My body has been screaming at me for years. I chose not to listen. I was sluggish all the time. Exhausted all the time. It never occurred to me that I was so sick inside. A bad diet and lack of exercise is toxic. Just as if it were hazardous waste."
"I have found a strength and perseverance that normally I would have given into self pity and indulgence. I have learned that life surely has it challenges and it is how I respond to them that will make me stronger and better."

Do you believe these people? Do you believe that they winning their battle at weight loss? They are. Please help me encourage them as we face the last two weeks of this contest. After 9 weeks, they have lost a total of 244 lbs. Want to see it in person? Come to our Finale Event and Health Fair at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville, hope to see you there!

sandi@startwiththeinside.com

16 Principles of losing weight

2011-03-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

Do you want the honest truth? Losing weight is hard work and it is an emotional battle, as well as a physical battle. Yes, you can try to work out. Yes, you can try to eat right. Yes, you can try to get your head into it.

But - if you cannot do all three of those things - you won't lose weight!

Here are 16 principles I shared with the Gwinnett's Losing It! group on our conference call this week:

You have to forgive yourself for getting to this point in your physical life. You got overweight, but it’s in the past. You have to get over it.
You have to realize that you have what it takes inside of you to get healthy. You have to start listening to your inside voice, your instincts about what is good for you and what is not. Stop listening to outside forces that are out to make a quick buck.
You have to push yourself past your preconceived limitations. You have to realize that in order to make progress, you must push yourself to go beyond what you have been doing in the past. Esp. in weight loss mode, which is where you are right now. When you get to maintenance mode, you won’t have to work this hard, but get there first.
You have to realize that to take care of everyone else, you must also take care of yourself. You have to understand that being flippant about your health is not going to help you lose weight.
You have to realize that you are worth this.
You have to realize that this is not a temporary change. This is a lifestyle change.
You have to give yourself a break if you are not perfect.
You have to stop making excuses. If you get injured, you deal with it and move on. You can still make changes in your nutrition to offset an injury.
You have to leave the drama behind and change your reaction to people around you that are stressing you out so that you are healthy and you are positive, no matter what is going on around you.
You have to forget the past and what you have done in the past to lose weight. It didn’t work, because you are overweight now. You have to stop looking for an outside thing to help you lose weight and focus on just getting the job done. Get your workouts done, eat right, just get it done.
You have to realize that it takes time to get your journey finished. Celebrate the small things along the way that happen.
You have to not quit. Ever.
You have to be open to change.
You have to not be fearful of your future, whether you are alone with someone. Be healthy for you, for your life.
You have to keep the good stuff going. Ask when you need help. Call on your friends when you need help. You can’t do it all alone.
You have to stop thinking that just because you are in a contest, you are going to lose weight. It takes work – both in your workout as well as your nutrition, but mostly in your nutrition. If you are not going to make any nutritional changes, then you will not see a change in your body or your weight.

Do any of these apply to you? Which ones?

What can you do today to make the changes necessary so you CAN workout, you CAN eat right and you CAN get your head into it? Will you do it today?

Tears and fears - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

2011-02-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

We are going into Week 7 of Gwinnett's Losing It!, a 12-week weight loss program in Gwinnett County, Georgia. There's been plenty of tears, screaming, frustration, facing fears and success in the first six weeks. But enough about me, let's talk about the contest...here's what I've learned at the halfway point of our contest:

All 16 participants have come from different backgrounds, but we all connect in some way or another.
All 16 participants want to win the contest. From our 55-year old grandmother to our 36-year old single mom, they want to win.
All 16 participants are working hard to overcome obstacles of every day life during this contest, some more than others. They are finding out that most of the time, the emotional obstacles are even harder to overcome than the physical obstacles.
All 16 participants are learning about healthy weight loss and that it is not always as it seems out there in the real world. Our media glamorizes weight loss and continually bombards us with crazy diets and programs that are designed for a quick, temporary fix. They are learning to put on their blinders and focus on their own success, as small as it may be from week to week

It has been a battle of tears and fears:

"I know that I have set a better example to my family and friends who are watching me"
"I'm learning to take time to plan meals and prepare for the following week. This is a lifestyle change and I realize it takes time to be fit and healthy"
"What an eye-opening experience these first four weeks has been. I never would have thought that I would be eating clean and working out"
"More difficult than cutting out fried foods is the mental struggle of removing the words 'I can't' from my vocabulary"
"My doctor decreased all my medicines by 25% and eliminated one that I have taken for 4 years now and this is only the beginning"
"I have heard 100's of times that nutrition is the key to weight loss. I have always believe that if I work out hard enough, I can eat whatever I want. With this contest, I have paid close attention to my eating habits and have made some real substantive changes"
"I have learned how proper nutrition is mandatory to how your body feels. I look forward to working out every day. I don't feel deprived, hungry or tired. I feel clean mind, body and soul"
"Although competing against other contestants, my toughest opponent is myself. It is a daily struggle, fighting against bad habits, busy schedules and lack of confidence"
"I am loving how my clothes are fitting and the comments I am beginning to get from people who are noticing how I am looking"
"It was frustrating to realize that it wasn't the food that was the problem, it was me"

Tears have come - tears of frustration, tears of happiness, tears of realization
Fears have come - fears of the past, fears of the future, fears of the unknown "Can I do this?"

And the answers are still to come. We are halfway through this journey. And it is exciting. It is exciting to see each person literally and physically change during these 12 weeks. It is challenging, it is heart-breaking, it is life. Each of these 16 people, these hard-working, beautiful inside and out, people, all came to Start With The Inside to change their life. Inside and out. And they are doing it. And I'm so proud of them! After 6 weeks, 180 lbs. have been shed!

Please make plans to come to our Finale Reveal/Health Fair on Thursday, March 31st at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville. More details to come...

Also, please help me encourage these courageous 16 people for wanting to change their lives and then doing it.

Chocolate Lies - The Truth about Dark Chocolate

2011-02-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, there she goes again. Before I go into my next tirade about the un-benefits of chocolate, let me explain a little of my writing style...

Start With The Inside Fanpage - Updated daily with tips, recipes, motivation, quotes and facts to keep you educated about the emotional battle of losing weight.
Examiner.com/Atlanta Articles - Two to three published articles per week, one is Biggest Loser Recap and others are geared toward losing weight. More education and facts and some opinion.
Start With The Inside Blog - All opinion, most of it biased because of my experience in losing a large amount of weight and being successful at keeping it off. May have a tendancy to piss someone off because here, I don't like to mince words.

Okay, thought I would give you some options in case you are one of those tender hearts who just can't hear anything bad about chocolate. And you don't want to hear the truth. The truth is that as a fitness professional, I am like a square peg that doesn't fit in the round holes of society.

I don't think that chocolate is good for you.

I know. Unbelievable. Every day, we hear of a new "study" - surprise - "chocolate is good for you" and leading the pack now is "dark chocolate is good for you". Blah, blah, blah. I guess it would go over better if I hadn't so much experience in the chocolate arena myself. I used to be a chocolate addict. Every day. Every occasion. Just name a month. I can tell you something chocolate-related in that month. So can you, I bet. Our society is fixated on chocolate, esp. women. As women, we are bombarded daily with:

Chocolate helps PMS
Chocolate helps stress
Chocolate is good for you
Chocolate has vitamins

The chocolate of older days, remember I am the "horse and buggy", old-fashioned girl, was healthier. It actually had cocoa in it, healthy cocoa, which in today's product has been so overloaded with sugar and added preservatives that it is now officially "crap". Sugar and fat crap.

Now, before I lose you completely, do I still have chocolate today? Yes. I do. But I don't have it every day. And if I do have it, it is a portion, not a overload of it. I still love chocolate. I still consider myself a chocolate addict. But moderation is KEY! And it is not a daily or weekly part of my life now.

And, I love the feeling of being healthy and fit.

I don't feel that way when I eat chocolate. Here's what it does to my body:

It affects my bodyfat percentage and how my body burns fat
It affects my emotional wellbeing, makes me feel depressed
It affects my body, makes me feel like crap

Granted, I am super-sensitive now because I live my life as a fit and healthy person, so I notice much more now then I did in my chocolate-addicted days. Back then, it was just a tool that I used to get me through my day.

Don't deal with reality, just have chocolate
Don't make the changes you need to, just have chocolate
Don't open your eyes, just have chocolate

I got tired of it. I don't want to have chocolate run my life again. And so I challenge you to see what role chocolate has in your life. It doesn't mean you can never have it again, I do. But, is it a crutch that has you not dealing with certain issues? If it is, then guess what? You can live without it. It's not socially acceptable. It's not fun. But it is possible and if I can do it, so can you.

The chocolate "studies" are going to keep coming out because someone's going to make money from it. Who do you think is behind all of these studies? Do you think they would actually say that chocolate is bad for you? What would that do to food retailers and other companies who rely on our addictions to make money? What would that do to Valentine's Day? Would we actually have to find another substitute for love, or for showing our love?

Okay, biased opinion done. It is possible to have a chocolate-free Valentine's Day. Just thought I would throw that out there. Now here come the chocolate-lover hate e-mails and smart-ass responses. Go ahead, I'm a big girl, well not as big as I used to be, but go ahead, I can handle it. Criticize me, blow me off, but if you have an inkling in your heart that what I said might be true, I say go with it. Will you?

Counting Weight Watcher Points - What's the point?

2011-01-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

I don't get it. I shake my head again as I talk to another friend/acquaintance who tells me the same story I hear over and over "I'm going back to Weight Watchers to count my points". Oh, okay, because it worked so well for you last time?

I do not understand the concept of counting points to lose weight!

Oh, I can understand the technical part of it. You have a certain amount of points that you eat per day. You have a certain amount of points for activity each day. Your job is to count points and stay within your range for that day. Kind of like counting calories, but it's not. A calorie is not a calorie in Weight Watchers apparently because you can still have a day of desserts and not go over your daily allotted points. Huh?

But - the emotional part. Two things:

The counting part. Taking the emphasis off the nutrition of the food, the wholeness or goodness of the food you are eating, esp. eating natural food as opposed to packaged foods. But just counting. Doesn't that get old? It's a die-it, which means you will most likely "die doing it". Well, that's what it means to me.
The part where you think it will work this time. Most people start with this program, lose some weight, but not all, but keep working the program and never actually get to their goal weight. BUT - their mind REMEMBERS that they lost a few pounds using this, so they go back to it, time and time again. Anytime you need to lose weight, oh, get out the points, here we go.

Why not deal with the emotional part of losing weight?
Why not deal with food cravings?
Why not deal with emotional attachments to foods?
Why not deal with emotional habits to foods?

Because the bottom line is:

You're not going to make the changes that you need to make by "Counting Points". This is a temporary fix. Do you really want to count points every day of your life. Can't you just enjoy your life without living inside a points box?

You can.
You can lose weight.
You can do it by using common sense.
You can do it by a good nutrition program, a good cardio program, a good strength training program, a strong backbone that allows you to become stronger emotionally.
You can do this.

I can show you how. So, will you?

Why you should be involved with Gwinnett's Losing It!

2010-12-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

When is the last time you accomplished something you thought was impossible?

I have been advertising Gwinnett's Losing It! for the last month and maybe you've seen bits and pieces of it here and there. Now, I want to tell you about it from the heart. Because it's been on my heart. For a few years now.

I love my job. I love training and helping and educating people improve their health. I am not your typical trainer. I truly believe that health and wellness has to start inside before you can make changes on the outside. I do things a little differently than most trainers.

I listen.
I train you to workout at your home.
I incorporate nutrition training as well as physical training.
I teach how to overcome emotional obstacles to losing weight.
I will be your best cheerleader and I will be there when you need it.
I do not sell pills/shakes/magic potions and I don't ask you to buy them.

10 years ago, back in 2001, I had my "breaking point" when I saw a photo of myself after a visit with family. I was discouraged. I had always been able to control my weight to some extent, but after I had babies, I just kept getting bigger and bigger and unable to lose weight no matter what I did. My doctor did not help. Just a recommendation to "lose weight". I did not know that I was obese when I was. So, after seeing this photo of me in my blue jean maternity pants, I realized something had to be done. The baby I am holding is my nephew, my "baby" is sitting on the floor and is 4 years old.

Desperate for help, I started with Body for Life, a 12-week challenge. I lost 11 lbs. over 12 weeks, but my size didn't change at all. I took the free-day literally and ate like a wild woman on that one free day. I found a coach in Woodstock, about one hour away, and I met with him monthly. His words changed my life when he told me one day "Sandi, you will never lose any more weight [I was on a plateau] until you get this fixed" - pointing to my heart. He knew I was having problems at home and he told me I had to fix it. So I tried. And then, he guided me to another 12-week challenge called Leanness Lifestyle with Coach David Greenwalt. Through this intensive, 12-week program, I was finally able to lose weight and get closer to my goals. I lost 23 lbs in 12 weeks, but this time, my size changed. My weight changed. My bodyfat % changed. My life changed.

I found the support I needed.
I found the workouts and nutrition guidelines that I needed.
I found out how to deal with the "inside" stuff that had held me back for years.
I found out how to set goals and make them.
I found out how to get my life back. And I've been living it ever since then.

I no longer wear big clothes to cover my bottom. I no longer sit on the sidelines when doing things with the kids. I compete in races. I challenge myself. I love being fit and healthy. I love it so much that I made it my job to help others. I love the expression on a client's face when they "get it". I love the tears that come when they overcome. I started this contest, Gwinnett's Losing It!, for those very reasons.

I want to change the way we view our health in Gwinnett County.
I want to help our citizens live a healthy lifestyle.
I want to educate and motivate and help others to make the changes they need in order to make their goals.
I want to get companies involved in the health of their employees.
I want you to feel the same way about your body and your health that I feel about mine - like anything is possible. I will be 45 years old this year and I don't feel a day over 20, ever! Okay, maybe 21.

I know there are other programs out there. Take this pill, lose weight. Drink this shake, lose weight. Buy a membership in this gym, lose weight.

It's not that easy, is it?

I know where you are.
I've been there.
I can help you.
I can help you get your body back.
I can help you get your health back.
I can help you get your life back.

It's on my heart to help you. What's on your heart?

Registration is through December 31, 2010. Sign up on my website for an application packet. First teleconference call is Monday, January 3, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST.

If you know someone who could benefit from this, please forward this information to them -- OR -- if you know a local business that would like to sponsor this program, send them my contact information. I am also looking for businesses that will sponsor an employee to go through the program - or would sponsor someone who cannot afford the program. Cost is $199.00 for 12 weeks.

Our gold sponsor is Legacy Wellness @ Lake Lanier Islands Resort.

Contact me directly at sandi@startwiththeinside.com or 404-925-2626.

Be strong and be healthy, friends!

Sandi Porter
Start With The Inside

What if you don't make a set goal?

2010-12-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

Mid-December is a great time to set goals for the new year. Goals for what you want to accomplish. Goals for your business. Goals for your family. Goals for your financial life. Goals.

Goals = an opportunity to get "it" done. "It" being the sincere desires of your heart.

But, what happens if you set a goal and you don't make it?

Goals can be tricky because they if not done properly, it can become or might be conceived as a failure. And failure is not good. Because it makes you think you can't do something that you want to do. Because it keeps you in a small place thinking you can't spread your wings.

When you are making goals, it's important to:

Be specific. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get more organized", tell exactly how much weight you want to lose and how you will do it. Or what steps you will take to get organized.
Be realistic. In regards to weight, normal [and safe] weight loss is 1-2 lbs. a week. If you have 50+ lbs. to lose, know that time-wise, it is going to take a good year to lose that amount of weight. Set goals that you can meet.
Be flexible. Things change, weather happens, people change. Be prepared for the unexpected if it happens. Don't give up on a goal just because something happens. Revise it if you need to, but don't give it up.

I encourage all my clients to set goals, not just at this time of year, but during the year as well. Whenever you have a tug on your heart, a "I would love to do that, but..." thought, a task that would challenge you, I encourage you to set a goal to do it, the desires of your heart.

Losing weight - is it all a numbers game?

2010-11-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

How much can you lose? How quickly can you lose it? How many carbs do you have a day? Numbers, numbers, numbers. Is that what it is all about? Weight loss, that is?

What if you follow the numbers game and it doesn't work for you?
What if you are not a numbers person and just don't get it?

Is it all a numbers game when it comes to weight loss?

Don't get me wrong, the numbers are important. You gotta know your numbers:

Your weight
Your measurements
Your body fat percentage

And you may even know or want to know:

The percentage of carbs you should be taking in each day
Your heart rate when you exercise
How long it will take you to lose weight

But, as focused as we are on the NUMBERS, does it really work for us when we are trying to lose weight? I go crazy this time of year when I see the marketing and advertising for the fitness/health/nutrition products and services.

Lose 20 lbs. in 10 days!
Lose 10 lbs. in 3 days!
Try this diet for 17 days!
Take this pill for 30 days!

Really? My question - What happens after those 10 days, or after the 3 days, or the 17 days, or the 30 days? When you take a pill for 30 days and "lose weight", what happens when you STOP taking the pill? Do you gain the weight? Do you continue taking the pill for another 30 days, or indefinitely? When you are so focused on the NUMBERS, you tend to forget the obvious.

What about your heart?
What about your head?
What about your gut instinct?

When you see these ads and promotions and are tempted by the "easy-ness" of taking a pill or shake, think about it. Is a pill or shake really going to change your body? Is a new "diet" going to fix your body? Is a quick-fix, high-weight-loss going to help your health?

What does your heart tell you?
What does your head tell you?
What does your gut instinct tell you? Your inside voice?

Read my Thanksgiving detox article and remember the three E's we talked about in that piece:

E - Eat right.
E - Exercise.
E - Emotionally prepare.

This not only applies to getting ready for the holidays, it applies to your health life as well. Get your head into the game. It's not all about the numbers, it's about your health, your life. It starts with the inside...

I am here when you need me - sandi@startwiththeinside.com

Injuries and the emotional affect

2010-11-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

When you are used to working out and you cannot, it hurts.
When you have a physical injury, it hurts.
When you try to recover from an injury, it hurts.

So, when does it get better? Do you have to put your life on-hold while your body heals?

These are questions I get asked a lot. Having gotten older and hopefully wiser through the years, I put into practice for my clients what has worked for me. I've been injured before and it is not fun. It hurts your pride. It hurts your body. It hurts your emotional well-being. But bear with me while we look at some of the most common conditions surrounding injuries. Causes and affects:

Causes:

Overtraining. Doing too much too soon.
Poor form. Lifting too heavy or not having proper form during exercises.
Equipment. Poor shoes cause many feet issues.
Just a fluke. Hate those. An accident or a twist of the body. Unfortunate, but still an injury.

Affects: [on you]

Not making a goal.
Hurt body.
Doctor's visits and frustrations.
Broken, strained, sore body part.

Now, let's add one more cause and one more affect:

Cause - Emotional stress over a situation.
Affect - More emotional stress over a situation. Lack of resolution to situation.

What? Have I eaten too much turkey this Thanksgiving? What do you mean by emotional stress?

I truly believe that most injuries are the cause of emotional stress that is not resolved and it is your body's way of:

Slowing you down
Making you look at the problem and then
Resolving it

However, most of us skip #2. Really we do. #1 is easy - we have to slow down. We have to rest and recover and let the injured part of our body heal. #3 is hard, but we do it. We eventually go back to our previous exercises and get back to it. But #2 - actually looking at your "problem" - that's not fun. That's not necessary, you may think. But I truly believe it is a part of the healing process. And if you continually skip #2, you will continued to get injured and frustrated, injured and frustrated, and never totally get healed. By the second or third time, you may just give up and stop trying. And this doesn't just have to do with a physical injury - this may apply to your life in general. Push it under the rug. File it away. Don't deal with the real issue.

The real issue is uncovered when you:

Admit the emotional stress
Deal with the problem causing the emotional stress
Recover from the problem causing the emotional stress

Every injury is an opportunity to heal what is really going on in your body. But, will you listen?

Handling the pressure - Journal or Punching Bag?

2010-11-21T21:02:00.000-05:00

Stress. Holidays. Family. Bills.

Hey, the holidays are here. Your heart starts being faster. Your to-do list starts getting longer. Your patience grows weary. Your body starts getting sick. You might lose your focus. Heavy holiday meals take their toll on your body. Missed workouts become common as you adjust to your over-booked schedule. Is it any wonder that we become "stressed out" this time of year? Is it inevitable - or is there something you can do about it?

How do you handle the pressure?

One of the first things I give my clients is a journal. A Health Journal. This is not a "Dear Diary" journal, nor a workout journal, nor a nutrition journal. It's a health journal - to record what you feel and say about your body and your health. It's a place to record your frustrations - and your successes. It's a place to record your questions and fears. It's a place to go inside and see what the real reasons are for what is holding you back.

Back in 2001, when I entered a 12-week weight loss contest through David Greenwalt's Leanness Lifestyle [the best coach ever], we were required to submit journal entries every 4 weeks as part of the contest. I recently uncovered these and read through them and I was astonished at what I read. Here are some excerpts that show my progress through the 12 weeks:

Week 1 - "I want to find the missing person I used to be. She is hiding behind 20+ of unhealthy, unwanted fat. She is hiding behind unrealized goals and dreams. I need a support group to push me. I need a challenge to break my old ways and feel alive again. I don't want to be stuck in this same place - in the same unhealthy weight for one week longer".
Week 4 - "I learned how many extra "little" calories I was adding to my meals and snacks that were healthy foods, but put my caloric intake over the top. My ultimate goal was to watch the pounds, but I have seen other results. I am starting to envision other goals becoming reality as to my role in this life and how I can help others".
Week 8 - "Three important aspects key to my on-going success were motivation, focus and attitude. My attitude turnaround came week after week of seeing my goals being met. I feel empowered. Emotional changes include confidence and a feeling of accomplishment."
Week 12 - "I found the missing person I was looking for! I feel alive! I love life! I made these seemingly unattainable goals 12 weeks ago and now today I look back and it seems like a dream. I was consistent. I was driven. I accomplished my goals!"

My journal entries were key to my success. They pointed out, in writing, my fears and uncertainties. But writing them down did something for me. It allowed me an outlet, a safe outlet, where no one would judge me, where I could finally be honest with myself, and where I could finally start overcoming my issues.

Get a health journal! Use your health journal! Start writing down your frustrations with your body and life. Don't keep it all inside!

Part two of this blog is a Punching Bag. I learned the importance of a punching bag when I starting taking karate classes with my kids 7 years ago. They would have us do "sessions" of kicks and punches on the bags and I found out - "Hey, this is not just for exercise". This is emotional! This is fun! This is a way to get out aggressions in a safe way - oh, just like a journal. But this gets it OUT of your body.

Now, I have Eugene at home. Eugene is my punching bag. And when times get rough or I get stressed, I put on my gloves, put on my resolve and go to town on Eugene. Left hook, right hook, kicks, punches, whatever it takes to quell me. It usually doesn't take long, just a few minutes. Then I breathe, and move on. And give Eugene a break.

Do you have a journal?
Do you have a punching bag?

How about getting one? How about using one this holiday season? Handle the stress of the season by getting your emotions OUT and getting HEALTHY - inside and out!

Eating out at restaurants - How to make healthy choices - Part 2

2010-11-17T14:38:00.000-05:00

Okay friends, let's move on to another group of restaurants:

Chick-fil-A
Subway
Zaxby's

If you missed our post on previous restaurants - Frontera, Macaroni Grill, O'Charley's and Nagano, you can find it here.

Again, not going to throw numbers at you, well maybe a couple, but not many. What's more important to me than the numbers is the mindset. The mindset of making healthy choices, the mindset of not caring what people around you think when it comes to your food, the healthy food that your body needs. Make sense? So, here we go:

Chick-fil-A

Love:

Chargrilled chicken sandwich, Southwestern chargrilled salad - any chicken that is grilled, not fried
Chicken soup, in moderation. This soup is great is you are sick! But, it is high in sodium, so be sure to drink plenty of water if you have it and only once a week!
Cool wraps with grilled chicken.

Avoid:

Chicken salad sandwich, over 500 calories
Yogurt parfait with granola, 39g sugar
Waffle fries, between 300-400 calories alone and no nutritional value
Here's a little trivia for you - just because they come out with "holiday" flavors, it doesn't mean it is healthy for you. Peppermint chocolate chip milkshake has 930 calories and 127g sugar. At 32g a day, yes, that's nearly FOUR days worth of sugar!

Subway

Love:

6" Sub sandwiches are great! Best meats to choose: Oven-roasted chicken, roast beef or turkey breast.
9-grain wheat bread or wrap
Pile of veggies on sandwich: Green peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes
Olive oil and vinegar drizzled on top
Fresh fit sides - apple slices or yogurt

Avoid:

High sodium meats like ham
Mayonnaise
Cheese, too fatty and processed
Chipotle southwest sauce, over 100 calories for just a small amount
Pickles, high in sodium
Cookies

Zaxby's

Love:

Grilled chicken sandwich meal, honey mustard dressing on the side
House Zalads with grilled chicken
Buffalo wings meal, all meals are served with celery sticks
Basket of celery sticks with Zax sauce

Avoid:

Onion rings, over 600 calories in appetizer
Fried pickles and crinkle fries
Chicken salad sandwich, mayonnaise alone adds over 200 calories to this sandwich [just because it says "chicken" doesn't always mean it is healthy]
Milkshakes, Caramel pecan pie is over 800 calories and 92g sugar, not as bad as Chick-fil-A's above, but still almost 3 days of sugar in one beverage

Remember friends, as I said before:

You are in control. No one is making you order something you don't want to eat.
Keep it light. Restaurant portions are 3 to 4 times a normal serving. So take some of it home for lunch tomorrow.
Don't stress and don't be swayed by opinions of others at the table. It's your business what you eat, not theirs.
Be strong and be healthy, you CAN make good choices.

You CAN eat healthy when you go to restaurants, you CAN be in control. Is it worth it to your health to be?

Saving your calories for dessert - is it worth it?

2010-11-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Have you ever uttered those same words?

"I'm going to save my calories for dessert!"

Said at a restaurant, at Aunt Sally's for Thanksgiving dinner, at home when you just want dessert. Really bad. You decide to not eat much of your dinner, if any at all, and splurge your calories on a dessert. This was illustrated last week on The Biggest Loser when one of the contestants, in a nutrition-eating challenge, chose to do the exact same thing. So, it is worth it? More specifically, what does it do to your body and your efforts to lose weight?

Let's look at it more closely. Let's pretend we are going to O'Charleys for dinner. We order:

House salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Cedar plank salmon with asparagus
Ultimate chocolate cake

Here's the breakdown for those:

House salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing - 270 calories, 15g fat, 19g carb, 10g protein
Cedar plank salmon with asparagus - 610 calories, 38g fat, 6g carb, 59g protein
Ultimate chocolate cake - 1080 calories, 59g fat, 151g carb, 12g protein

Total for this meal: 1960 calories, 112g fat, 176g carb, 81g protein

Kind of high, huh? Let's make it lower by just eating 1/2 of the meal:

980 calories, 56g fat, 88g carb, 40g protein

Now, let's take 2 scenarios: One with just salad and entree [eating 1/2 and taking the rest home], and one with just salad and dessert.

Salad and entree: 440 calories, 26g fat, 12g carb, 34g protein
Salad and dessert: 675 calories, 37g fat, 85g carb, 11g protein

Okay, a couple of red flags:

Calories increase from 440 to 675
Fat grams increase from 26 to 37
Carb grams increase from 12 to 85, big jump
Protein grams decrease from 34 to 11, big jump

Now, first of all, and please listen when I say this - I DO NOT expect you to count calories and fat and protein and carb grams when you eat out. Really, I don't. It is too time-consuming and too much like Weight Watchers, designed to take your emphasis off the FOOD and put it on a NUMBER. I am simply showing you the differences here so you can compare.

One of the concepts I teach in my Healthy Shopping 101 classes is that it is NOT always about the calories or the grams, but it is about the ingredients as well. What do you think the ingredients are for the salad? Mixed greens, balsalmic dressing. What about the entree? Salmon, asparagus. What about the dessert? Chocolate and sugar and a little bit more sugar. About 114g of sugar - daily recommended amount is 32g.

You cannot just look at the calories, but look at the food. How do you think your body is going to process the first choice? What about the second one? So, did the Biggest Loser contestant make the right choice? Do you make the right choice by skipping entree and saving your calories for dessert?

No.

It's not the same.

And it's not all about the calories.

I know you want the dessert. You crave it. But, if you are trying to lose weight, it is not the best option for you. Please visit my Facebook fanpage for healthy recipes in the "Notes" section - especially the recipes designed to help your sweet tooth.

It is possible to eat healthy when you eat out! Good luck, friends!

Eating out at restaurants - How to make healthy choices - Part 1

2010-11-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

"I try to eat healthy, but my family eats out a lot"
"I can't eat healthy when I go out"
"I eat healthy all week until I go out with my friends"

Eating out is a given in today's society - whether it is once a week or several times a week. But, here's a little trivia for you:

You CAN eat healthy when you eat out at a restaurant.

Really, you can. I'll show you how. But first a disclaimer:

I am NOT your typical trainer. I am going to tell it like it is. I am not going to throw numbers at you, because, does it really matter? Sure, it may for a little while if you see something 500 calories vs. 1,500 calories, but here's the kicker - I want you to get it in your head and your heart - what the good choices are, without even knowing the numbers. I want you to start getting it by listening to common sense, by listening to that inside voice. So let's get started:

Mexican - Frontera Mex Mex Grill
Italian - Macaroni Grill
Japanese - Nagano
American - O'Charleys

Only two of these restaurants have nutritional info available on-line - Macaroni Grill and O'Charleys. Go to the links if you want to see how your choices add up. Again, I'm not going to throw a bunch of numbers at you, I am going to be honest and tell you what I WOULD HAVE if I went to this restaurant [a question I get asked all the time].

1. Mexican - Frontera Mex Mex Grill
Love:

Salsa, the spicier, the better and homestyle guacamole - would not have chips with these, but have them with my main entree.
Xochitl Soup [chicken and avocado with rice and pico de gallo]
Crazy Taco, would order with no cheese or sour cream and would only eat half of shell provided.
Fish Tacos, the menu says "lightly fried", I would ask them if they would broil or grill the fish, sometimes they will.
Parilla chicken, charbroiled, order with no sour cream.
Tacos Al Carbon, no sour cream.
Fajitas, chicken or shrimp, no sour cream.

Avoid:

Cheese dip, even though it is famous and delicious.
Tortilla chips - this is a whole other blog. Just don't even start eating them. Concentrate on who you are there with at the restaurant, not what is put down in front of you.
Mayan Tortilla soup - too much cheese and cream-based.
Nachos, quesadillas and chimichangas - too much cheese period, greasy.
Mexican pizza - see above.

2. Italian - Macaroni Grill
Love:

Roasted vegetable appetizer.
Margherita Pizza, would eat 1/2 of it and take the other 1/2 home.
Chicken Marsala, again, would only eat 1/2 of it.
Grilled Halibut or King Salmon, only 1/2 of it.
Pomodoro sauce [tomato basil], Arrabbiata sauce [spicy red]

Avoid:

Bread basket, just don't even start, unless night before big race.
Spinach artichoke dip, calamari - too much fat.
Italian Sausage Pizza.
Parmesian-crusted chicken, Penne rustica, Lobster ravioli, Chicken scaloppine.
Fettuccine alfredo.
Basically any cheese-covered dish or creamy sauce dish.

3. Japanese - Nagano
Love:

Miso soup, no fried crackers in it.
Side salad.
Steamed rice.
California roll.
Grilled chicken and vegetables.

Avoid:

Soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, loaded with sodium, try tasting your food without it.
Fried dishes including fried sushi and fried rice.

4. American - O'Charley's
Love:

California Chicken Salad, vinaigrette dressing, eat only 1/2 of salad, take the rest home.
Cedar-planked salmon with broccoli
Cedar-planked tilapia
Grilled turkey burger with sweet potato fries or asparagus

Avoid:

Southwestern twisted chips and overloaded potato skins
Teriyaki Sesame Chicken, too much sodium
Pecan chicken tender salad, chicken is fried
12-spice chicken pasta, creamy sauce
Fish n chips, fried
Better cheddar bacon burger, dripping with fat
French fries
Broccoli cheese casserole

Okay, that's it in a nutshell. I don't dread going out to eat. I enjoy it. Just keep this in mind:

You are in control. No one is making you order something you don't want to eat.
Keep it light. Restaurant portions are 3 to 4 times a normal serving. So take some of it home for lunch tomorrow.
Don't stress and don't be swayed by opinions of others at the table. It's your business what you eat, not theirs.
Be strong and be healthy, you CAN make good choices.

So now, will you?

Stay tuned for Part 2 - Subway, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's and McDonald's.

Battle of the wills in weight loss

2010-11-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Weight loss is a battle. Nothing new, right? Why is it so easy to gain weight and so hard to get it off? It's a battle with...

Food - what to eat and what not to eat
Working out - getting through workouts that are tough
Excuses - keeping you from making progress
Time - scheduling workouts and food preparation
Family obligations - dealing with family members who need your time
Your mind - overcoming emotional obstacles from your past or present
Your will - your desire to make a change

How strong is your will? Can you overcome the battles that you face everyday?

Your WILL to succeed
Your WILL to change
Your WILL to live healthy
Your WILL

Your will can be your biggest enemy or your best supporter. Your will will get you through the hard times or break you. You have to find out if your will is strong or weak. So, how do you do that?

After living fit and healthy for almost 10 years now, it's almost become standard for me.

I am no longer tempted to overeat or eat things that aren't good for me.
I get in my workouts, even if they are tough.
I set goals and overcome any excuses that I might have.
I manage my time by planning ahead for my week.
My family understands that they are my first priority.
I have let go of past hurts and regrets.
My will is strong.

But, it's still a battle. I struggle with doing the right thing. I struggle with the direction to take my company. I struggle with my relationships. I struggle with setting goals and achieving them. But you just have to keep going on. The battle of the will's.

Will I - eat healthy today? It's pretty much a given, I will.
Will I - workout today? Yes, even though I am injured, I will find something I can do.
Will I - give up when times are tough or buck up soldier?

One of my battles right now is swimming. I don't like it. I don't know if it is my time in the Potomac in September, but I don't like it now. Of the three triathlon sports, it is the one that I need the most help. I suck at it. I am slow. And it is a pain in the ass to schedule a swim workout in my life. But I have to do it. I'm injured and it is the only cardio I can do right now. So I do it, twice a week. And it is a battle every time I go there. It is a battle packing my workout bag. It is a battle driving over there. It is a battle changing, dealing with the hair, blah blah blah, but I just do it. About 20 laps into it, I start to feel ok. It is tedious. It is boring. But I always feel the same at the end. So glad I did it. Energized. Healthy. Happy to have won another battle.

Battles are not bad things. Battles show you how strong you are. Battles make you stronger so you can face the next one. In the battle of the wills, I am ready to take it on again, are you?

Okay, so you overdid it on the candy, now what?

2010-11-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm the LAST person you're going to tell, right?

Don't worry, I've heard it all before. I've done it all before. You don't spend 8 years being overweight/obese and not over-indulge on candy. Why do you think I take the no-candy pledge now?

But seriously, it started out as one a day, a handful a day, candy corn, chocolate candy bars, candy suckers, and those awesome candy corn pumpkins. What was a handful a day now turns into a handful an hour and you start snipping at anyone who comes near the candy jar and wondering just how much more you can get at the 80% off candy at Kroger. You just need a little something-something to get you through now. Every day, every hour. Pretty soon, you start noticing:

A definite change in your attitude. It's everybody else, you say, who's in a crappy mood. They just need some of your candy, damn it.
A cloudiness that just doesn't go away. Can't finish a sentence, a thought, a project. Crap, so unmotivated.
Parts of your body are jiggling a little bit too much now. When you walk up the stairs, somebody else's ass is coming with you. When you wave goodbye, there is jiggly skin under your arm now. The jeans are NOT fitting now and dang, that button makes such an impression on the skin on your belly.
Your skin looks bad so you put on more makeup.
You feel helpless.

Now what?

First, breathe. It's going to get better. I won't even say "I told you so"... let's get you feeling better. First steps to detox your body from candy:

Drink water, lots of it. If you drink 16 oz. water bottles, strive to drink 4-6 a day.
Limit sodas and alcohol during this time. Cut up lemon or lime and put slice in your water. Lemon is a natural detoxifier.
Eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Eat these in place of the candy. A banana in the morning, an apple in the afternoon. Have a green vegetable with dinner, like broccoli or asparagus.
Make your snacks in advance. You can find plenty of snack recipes on my fanpage under "Notes".
Get out and exercise, even if it is just to walk. Push your body a little bit.

And here's the hardest steps, if you can:

Stop eating the candy. Just stop.
Start writing down why you started eating it in the first place. Keep a journal of your frustrations, your dreams, your goals - physical goals. Keep track of your emotional health like you do your food and workouts. Why does candy have such a hold over your life? Start writing. Start the healing process.

You CAN overcome a candy overload. You CAN. You just have to buck up soldier and do it. So, will you?

What's the difference between sea salt and table salt?

2010-10-26T09:37:00.000-04:00

Which one is better for you? Sea salt or table salt?

Table salt is probably the most common salt found in our pantries and stores. Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. It is chemically processed to eliminate minerals and contains additives to prevent clumping. Table salt is very fine. You usually put it in a salt shaker and use during cooking or eating.

Sea salt can also be found at grocery stores. Sea salt is produced through the evaporation of seawater. There is very little processing and it contains other minerals like iron, sulfur and magnesium. Table salt is course. If you put it into a salt shaker, it may clump. It can be used during cooking or eating as well.

Salt is a necessary part of our nutrition, but here in America, it is overused to the extreme. A healthy daily consumption should be 1500-2000mg, while most fast foods, restaurant foods and processed foods like frozen meals, contain this amount for one serving. As a society, we are generally eating way too much salt.

Personally, when I started losing weight, I reduced my salt intake. It was just the healthy thing to do. I realized that salt, like many other things in my daily nutrition, was a habit. A habit that I could break. I started to go without it at the dinner table. I started to taste my foods first instead of shaking on the salt without tasting. Salt can be damaging to your health if you have an overabundance of it. Ways it can affect your body:

High blood pressure
Bloating
Metabolism and hormones

All of these affect your weight loss to some degree. It wasn't worth it to me. Do I use salt today? Yes, in moderation. I prefer sea salt because I believe it is less processed. It is different than table salt in flavor and in consistency, but again, I don't use it that often so it's not that big of a deal to me. I would highly recommend if you are a salt person to do two things:

Reduce your daily salt intake and learn to taste your food without salt
Change to sea salt for a period of time and see if it makes a difference for you

The bottom line is - and this is how you should view other foods as well - pick the one that is least processed and the most natural.

"Why are you always dissing candy and chocolate?"

2010-10-18T16:17:00.000-04:00

I get asked this question again and again.

From my friends, from my family, from complete strangers who follow my Facebook fanpage. Followed by other assorted comments "I feel bad when I eat candy now" or "You're making me feel bad when I want chocolate" or "What are you? A chocolate nazi?" or the worst "You're trying to bring down my Halloween". Sigh. Bring down Halloween? Okay, well, let's get started then. Here's why I am "dissing" candy and chocolate:

Short story -- When I was overweight, I was addicted to candy and chocolate and it affected my body negatively.

There, I said it. I am a candy-aholic. I am a chocolate-aholic.

Do you know what it's like to be overweight? To not be able to fit in clothes? To be embarrassed to be at the beach or pool in a swim suit? To feel emotionally in a long tunnel with no way out? To have rolls of fat in your back, in your belly and in your butt?

I do.

I don't like it.

I fixed it and I don't ever plan on going back. I like being fit and healthy. I like being able to fit in my clothes - ALL of the time. I like going to the beach or pool in my swim suit. I like being emotionally healthy. I like my strong back, my flat belly and well, you get the point...

Candy and chocolate were HUGE obstacles in my weight loss - for MANY years. And after training women for the past five years, I have noticed the same thing - that candy and chocolate are HUGE obstacles for not just me.

It has become an American habit.
It has become an emotional addiction.
It has become a part of the reason why we can't lose weight.

When I "diss" candy or chocolate, I am just putting the information out there for you. Did I know how much sugar was in candy corn before I ate it? No. I just ate it. Did I think about it more after I found out how much sugar was in it? Yes. I don't eat candy corn now. I haven't for a couple of years now. And I'm okay. Yes, I still love it. Yes, I could still eat it by the handfuls. But, no, I choose not to now. I choose not to because I know what it will do to my body. I know the results of sugar-overload for me and it's not pretty. Not only the physical affects, but the emotional affects as well. It is an immediate depressor for me.

I'm not trying to make you feel bad when I post about candy or chocolate. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or take away your Halloween. I'm trying to EDUCATE and HELP those that want it. I'm trying to make a dent in obesity in America. I'm trying to save your life like I saved mine. So, will you let me?

Emotional healing and scabs

2010-10-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

When you fall down as a child, you may skin your knee. You get up, wash it off and put a bandaid on it.
When you fall down as an adult, you may skin your knee. You get up, wash it off and put a bandaid on it.

You keep the bandaid on it to keep it protected.
You change it when needed.
You may put some medicine on it.
You wait for it to heal.
It may hurt for a while, but it gets better.

So, what do you do about emotional hurts? Where is the bandaid that helps you recover and heal from the other things that happen in our lives?

How do you keep it protected from harm?
How do you change when needed?
How do you "put some medicine on it"?
How long does it take to heal?
Will it ever get better?

Wouldn't it be great if our emotional healing was as easy as our physical healing?

Wouldn't it be great if we fell down in a certain area of our lives, got up, washed it off and put a bandaid on it? It would eventually scab over, we'd put some medicine on it if needed, and wait for it to heal. The bandaid comes off and poof, it's like it never happened before.

But unfortunately, it doesn't seem that easy or it doesn't seem to happen that way. When we get emotionally scarred, it stays with us.

If someone hurts us, we hold onto that.
If someone disappoints us, we hold onto that.
If someone tramples our hearts, we let them.

Where's the bandaid for that?

You are the bandaid.

You are the source of the healing that you need. It's inside of you. So many times, people go through their lives shoving things under the carpet, hiding things in their heart, with emotional scabs all over their body, showing up in the form of obesity, physical conditions related to being obese, fat, cellulite. It's time to get out the bandaids.

You keep the bandaid on it to keep it protected.
You change it when needed.
You may put some medicine on it.
You wait for it to heal.
It may hurt for a while, but it gets better.

Do this with your emotional hurts. Get it out there. Let it heal. It may scab over and not be pretty, but it will heal.

No-Candy - Is it a physical addiction or emotional tie?

2010-10-07T15:51:00.000-04:00

It's day 7 of the official No-Candy Pledge. How are you doing? Feeling strong? Feeling weak? I know, I've been there. It gets easier every year, I've done it for so many years now that it is second nature to me and you could not PAY me to eat candy this time of year [or any time].

It's a battle. It's there ALL the time. Of course, now you are noticing it even MORE because you are not having it. Keep NOT having it. Keep walking by the piles of it in the store, keep walking by the bowls of it at work, keep refusing your friends when they offer it to you, keep being strong. We started this for a reason - what was your reason?

Is candy a physical addiction or is it an emotional tie?

Physical addiction - Addiction defined: The state of being enslaved to a habit orpractice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, asnarcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. Yikes. Is it that serious? Uh, yes, in day 7. In day 1 also, but more in day 7. So severe trauma - is that what we have to go through in order to get over our candy addictions. Well, that depends on how you look at it.

Yes, you will have to learn how to say "no".
Yes, you will have physical cravings that are hard to deal with.
No, it shouldn't be severe.
No, it shouldn't be traumatic.

Friends, we're talking about candy here. It's just a little bit of unhealthy, over-processed, unnatural piece of goo. It's not your life. Read on...

Emotional tie - Aahh, here's where it gets hard. Dealing with the emotional stuff. When you have a fight with your husband, do you want a piece of candy? When your kids are driving you nuts, do you want a piece of candy? When you've had a hard day and just want to relax, do you want a piece of candy? When you've worked out hard and you deserve a treat, do you want a piece of candy? It's a habit. You talk yourself into thinking that it's okay because you do this "_____", whever "this" may be for you.

Again, we're talking about candy here. It's just a little bit of unhealthy, over-processed, unnatural piece of goo. It's not your life.

I know you want it.
I know you need it.
I also know what it does to your body -and-
You started this for a reason - What was your reason?

Was it to break a physical addiction?
Was it to break an emotional tie?
Was it to see how strong or weak you are?
Was it to see if your body can do it?
Was it to make a goal and feel success?
Was it to change your life?

All of these can happen for you, if you choose to stick with it. Please stick with it. You can succeed. You can be strong. You can make this goal and feel good about it. You can change your body. You can feel like you are on top of the world and can overcome any obstacle. Are you still with me?

Which peanut butter should you choose?

2010-10-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

Choosing a peanut butter is hard! Let me rephrase that, choosing a healthy peanut butter is hard! It's not as easy as "Choosy moms choose Jif".

You're eating healthy and want to incorporate peanut butter into your nutrition plan but are unsure about which kind to get. So, let's look at some...

You can do this at the grocery store, or you can simply type in Jif peanut butter and it will take you to the site, press on "Products" and it will bring up a photo of the product and the food label. For these purposes, let's look at "Creamy" peanut butters, serving size is 2 tablespoons for each one:

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
190 calories, 16g fat, 7g carb, 7g protein, 3g sugar
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.

Jif Creamy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
190 calories, 12g fat, 15g carb, 8g protein, 4g sugar

PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR AND SOY PROTEIN, CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, NIACINAMIDE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, AND COPPER SULFATE.

Calories are the same. Reduced fat has 4g less of fat, but look at the other differences - more than doubled the carb and added a little bit more sugar. Look at the ingredients for each. If I had to choose between these two products, I would go with the more natural product, being the first one.

Important: When you are comparing products side-by-side, you need to look at more than just calories. Look at breakdown of foods as well as ingredients. There are many more preservatives and additives to this reduced fat peanut butter, which makes it more unhealthy.

Second, Smucker's...

Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
200 calories, 16g fat, 6g carb, 7g protein, 1g sugar
PEANUTS, SALT.

Smucker's Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
210 calories, 16g fat, 6 carb, 7g protein, 1g sugar
ORGANIC ROASTED PEANUTS, ROASTED PEANUT OIL, CONTAINS 1% OR LESS OF SALT.

The organic version has more calories, everything else is about the same, except the ingredients. The organic has peanut oil. You would think that the natural would have less ingredients than the organic, but in this case, it doesn't.

Now, let's look at another organic peanut butter...MaraNatha...

MaraNatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
190 calories, 16g fat, 8g carb, 7g protein, 3g sugar
organic dry roasted peanuts, organic palm oil, organic unrefined cane sugar, sea salt.

If organic ingredients are important to you, then buy organic. It is a little bit more expensive than regular. But is it truly better? Well, only you can make that decision, but out of all of these, I would lean towards the Smucker's Natural product.

So, if you are at the grocery store, needing to buy peanut butter and totally confused - I understand! It is confusing. Do what I do at the store - take the products, 3 or 4 of them, put them in a row, food labels facing you and do a comparison. In those items listed above, we learned...

Calories - not much of a difference in either brand or type of peanut butter.
Fat - is lower in reduced-fat types, but more additives to make up for it.
Carb - higher in reduced-fat types.
Protein - not much of a difference in either brand or type of peanut butter.
Sugar - not much of a difference in grams, but types of sugars.

So, overall, remember this when adding peanut butter to your nutrition plan:

Use in MODERATION. Serving size is 2 tablespoons. Stick to that, measure it out if you have to. Very high calorie food for a small amount.
Know what is more important to you. Is it important that your nuts are organic? Is it important that there are as few additives in your food as possible?
The choice is yours. But look at the whole story before you make your decision.

Peanut butter can be tricky. My personal preference is to get the most natural peanut butter - the most natural ingredients with the least amount of food additives. I am here to help you - just let me know...sandi@startwiththeinside.com

How do survive the No-Candy Pledge for 31 days

2010-09-30T13:12:00.000-04:00

Remember friends, you are NOT alone in this battle. We will be going through this together if you choose to take the pledge. The response I got in e-mails was more than what I saw on fanpage, so I encourage you to comment on the SWTI fanpage under "Discussions". Share your experiences, your fears, with others who may be having the same thoughts.

This pledge is not punishment.
This pledge is not impossible to do.
This pledge is not the worse thing in the world.

Do you want to know how to live healthy in an unhealthy world? This is it. Taking steps that the average American is afraid to. Doing things that others may see as extreme but are healthy for you. Why is this so hard, giving up candy and chocolate for a month? These are the issues I hope to address during these 31 days:

Excess sugar and sugar addictions - This is harmful to your body. Your metabolism is affected by excess sugar and your body is NOT able to burn fat efficiently. When it is constantly being fed sugar, it starts showing up AS fat on your body. Your body cannot process it effectively. You may have muscle on your body, but it is covered by a layer of fat.
Physical addiction to candy and chocolate - You've got to have it. You're used to having it. You feel sad when you don't get it. Mad. Angry. Depressed. May not treat the people around you very well. It is a physical feeling that you NEED just a little bit just to get through the day. This is addiction.
Emotional ties to candy and chocolate - Just a little bit won't hurt. It's a special occasion. I did good today, so I can treat myself. It will help my PMS symptoms. It will help me FEEL better. It will take my stress away.

My plan is to educate you through these 31 days. To help show you that it can be done. To show you how good your body can feel. To show you how you can break free of your addictions and not let them control your life.

So, now, how do you do it?

Well, first you make the decision. Print out the pledge, check the boxes and sign it. Hang it by your desk or a place you will see it daily. You do NOT have to share this with everybody you know, it's up to you. You can just do it. Believe me, people will have their opinions on it either way.

Then, come up with options for not eating candy. What time of day do you usually eat it? What could you make as a healthy substitution for it? Go to my Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/startwiththeinside and go to "Notes" section where I post recipes. You will find recipes that you can make. I like to make something healthy like muffins or bars or bread once a week and keep them in ziplocs or container in the refrigerator and then take one a day as I need it. If you are craving something sweet, make one of the sweet recipes. Other things you can do is get grapes and put in sm. ziplocs. Keep them with you when you normally have candy. Chew sugar-free gum. Drink water.

We are dealing with physical and emotional habits. But you CAN do this! It is an emotional frame of mind. Do you believe you can do it?

I am here to help you. Send me your concerns. Share your concerns. Again, this is not punishment, this is finding a way to break free and be truly free. And that's a great thing. Come on, let's go...

No-Candy Pledge 2010

2010-09-29T07:24:00.001-04:00

Okay kids, here it is…the official No-Candy Pledge of 2010. You thought I was kidding, didn’t you? You were HOPING I was kidding, right?

Before I publish the actual pledge, I wanted to give you some information on the background of the Pledge. It began back in October of 2001, 9 years ago. After spending many years overweight and miserable, I was in the middle of a weight-loss contest. We started in August of 2001 and ended in November of 2001. October has always been a bad time to lose weight for me. Why?

Because I am a candy and chocolate addict.

Plain and simple.

As soon as the stores started carrying the bite-size chocolate bars, I bought them and hid them in the cupboard. Thinking no one knew where they were but me. I ate them during the day like they were, well, candy, duh. I told myself “at least I am not eating a whole candy bar”. But you know what? If you eat 10-20 a day, umm, that’s a candy bar, or two. But I was addicted.

So here’s my problem. I was in a contest. I wanted to win. I wanted to lose weight. The pressure was on, so here’s what I did. I sat down with my kids who were at that time 4 and 7. I made a promise to them that I would not buy any Halloween candy. I made a promise to them that I would not take any of their Halloween candy. I asked them to help me so I wouldn’t eat any candy. I looked into their eyes, held their hands and made a promise to them.

That changed everything.

Not only was I holding myself accountable, but now I was accountable to my kids. It worked. I made it through the holiday without indulging. And I lost weight.

Now back to 2010. 9 years later. What happened during that time? Well, I got into a habit. A good habit. I sat down every year with my kids, held their hands and looked into their eyes and PROMISED them. And I kept it every year. And I have been the same size 4 since 2002. Not bragging, just being realistic here. This is coming from someone who NEVER thought I would get below size 10, ever. But I have been for 9 years now. This is not a fluke. This is life now. This is health.

I was addicted to something that was not good for me. Candy and chocolate played havoc on my hormones and my metabolism. It kept me fat. It kept me miserable. Not only the physical affects of overeating sugar and crap, but the EMOTIONAL affects of having something else take the place of what I really needed – LOVE.

Eating the candy is not going to replace the love you want.
Eating the candy is not going to make your relationships better or easier.
Eating the candy is not going to give you the love that you want.

I’m being honest here. You’re not going to find the solutions to your problems by eating candy. So there’s my candy story…now about the pledge…

Yes, it’s funny
Yes, it’s serious
Yes, it’s radical

You may think…

She’s gone over the edge this time.
She’s trying to make us feel guilty about eating candy.
She’s making a big deal out of nothing.
And of course, she’s trying to take the fun out of Halloween.

Well, here’s the reality…

If you don’t want to do it, DON’T. No one is forcing you to do it. Stand up, come on, let’s do it together, put your hands on your hips, and collectively, roll your eyes up, all together now. There. Just don’t do it. Problem solved.

HOWEVER…if you feel the slightest twinge that something in this blog clicked with you. Or you have been wanting to get control over candy and chocolate in your life. Or you are stuck in your weight loss. Or you just want to be healthy for once and all. THEN…take the pledge. Go out on a limb. Do it.

I will hold your hands, I will look into your eyes, and I will do it with you. You are not alone. This will change your life. I guarantee that this will change your life. So are you with me?

Notes: You can download the No-Candy Pledge on my Facebook fanpage, print it out and keep it somewhere you will see it daily.

To lose weight, sometimes you have to stand out in a crowd

2010-09-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

Losing weight is not easy and it's not fun. You have to work hard. You have to concentrate. You have to set goals and make them. And sometimes, you have to stand out in a crowd. You have to be different than everyone else around you, you have to act different than everyone else around you. It can be quite intimidating.

Why?

People get used to routine. They get used to being around people at work or home. They get used to eating certain meals at certain times. They get used to habits that they have just done for years. And then, in comes the weight loss. To effectively lose weight, you are going to have to change SOMETHING. Either your exercise habits, your eating habits, something has to change. And that's where the conflict comes in. Most people have a hard time with change. Because now...you're the oddball:

You're the one who brings in a healthy lunch instead of eating out every day.
You're the one who plans ahead and makes healthy meals instead of fast food.
You're the one who makes time in the day to exercise.
You're the one who sets a weight loss goal, and makes it.
You're the oddball.

Get used to it.

Get used to being teased. Get used to jealousy. Get used to snide remarks and rolled eyes. Get used to lack of support from your biggest supporter.

It's okay.

You can STILL do it!

It's okay to be the red apple in a sea of green apples. It's okay to swim against the current. It's okay to go in through the out door [as my daughter says about me]. It's okay because it means that you are sticking to your convictions. You are sticking to your true desires. You are sticking to your plan.

And if your plan is to lose weight in a healthy way, then it shouldn't matter what anyone else has to say, or do. Continue doing what you are doing. If it is working and it is healthy, then get stronger emotionally and learn how to stand up to your critics. Stand UP and stand OUT in a crowd. Will you do it today?

Did the Biggest Loser premiere go too far?

2010-09-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

aka from a trainer's perspective now...

I write articles for examiner.com/atlanta on weight loss and will be reviewing The Biggest Loser each week, but I wanted to take it a step further and maybe a little bit more politically incorrect here, because I can...

First, read my first review: http://www.examiner.com/weight-loss-in-atlanta/did-the-biggest-loser-premiere-go-too-far

Okay, now let's talk about the trainers. Bob and Jillian. Everyone loves them.

They train.
They motivate.
They help all these people lose weight.

Okay, that's all good. But let's look in between the lines.

They are paid performers.
They do what they need to do to get an increase in ratings.
They [well one of them does] sponsor and advertise for fat-burning supplements or "speed pills" as I call them.

But that's just MY opinion, let's see what they say out of their own mouths: [comments from Tuesday night's premiere]

"Your body wants to be healthy and will respond with small changes" - Bob - totally agree
"I manipulate her with every card I've got" - Jillian, in talking about pushing client Anna when she wanted to give up
"Patrick, I'm going to break your legs and beat you with them. Now get up" - Bob training a client
"Don't roll your eyes at me girl, I will ruin your life in this place" - Jillian training a client

Okay, you've heard worse at the gym, right? Uh no. Not at any gym I've been to. And I know - this is "reality TV" - it's for the ratings, it's supposed to be dramatic and get people's attention. But, here's some of the things that bothers me the most:

The training scenes that they show. Bob standing on the chest of a person while he's holding the bars of the treadmill, screaming at him. Jillian on the back of a person who is trying to walk/run across the gym, screaming at her. In the face, yelling, belittling, disrespecting. Get my point? Do you know what would happen if I did that to my clients? I would get fired, I would lose my insurance. Period.
The emotional devastation they put their clients through. "I feel like I failed and my life is over" says one of the contestants who didn't make it through one of the challenges. Yes, overly dramatic, but is it worth it? Will these contestants KEEP the weight off? Will they learn to LIVE a healthy lifestyle or is it just for the show.

You've seen the people from past seasons. They don't always keep it off. Yes, they have some very successful past participants and I love them, I think they are great role models. But they also have a lot more that they DON'T show or when they do show them, you realize that person still has issues and has NOT kept the weight off.

My job is to change lives.
My job is to change bodies.
My job is to EMPOWER my clients, to EDUCATE them, to HELP them live a healthy life.

And here's my biggest gripe:

The average person sitting at home watching it. Will it motivate them to get off the couch? Or is it just entertainment? Do they eat the same bowl of ice cream - while watching the show - that they do every other night? Will they look at the crazy antics of the trainers and think "I can't do that" or "I'm not ready for that" or "I'm not strong enough for that" or other unrealistic, negative emotions that will keep them STUCK and not moving forward towards a healthy lifestyle.

Okay, that's it in a nutshell. I will continue to be honest. I will continue to tell the truth. I will continue to educate my clients and anyone else that will listen. This show is not an answer-all show, but it does have some good outcomes that I will highlight, along with the bad, which I will also highlight. But every week after I watch it, I am more and more convinced and more and more dedicated to what I believe - that it TRULY STARTS WITH THE INSIDE. Do you?

Cutting calories to lose weight

2010-09-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

Wow, what an amazing concept! Cutting calories to lose weight. Could it actually work? Should it actually work? Let's talk about it...

There are three effective tools to help you lose weight [and surprise, there are no pills or shakes involved...]

A good strength training program - lifting weights, girls!
An effective cardio program - it's about more than the stairmaster or running.
A good nutrition program

So, let's go deeper into #3 - a good nutrition program. What does that include?

Eating healthy foods
Staying away from unhealthy foods
Eating in moderation

Now let's add a fourth onto that - cutting calories. Usually, when you talk about losing weight or starting a new nutrition program [we don't say "diet" around here because "diet" means you are going to "die" doing "it"] - the thing that comes to most people's minds is cutting calories. Cutting calories does help. But it's not the only thing. Along with cutting calories, you should be concerned with:

Nutritional value of food
Nutritional breakdown of foods; what percentage protein, carb, fat
Total calories according to what you are doing that day

Cutting calories does help when you are:

Eating too much food or
Stuck on a plateau

The only way you can know if you are eating too much food is to write it down and find out. You can go to FitDay.com and enter in the food you eat each day. You will see a chart at end of day showing your nutritional breakdown for the day. However, there are times when - even if you are eating healthy foods - you can still be overeating. Stuck on a plateau is a good indicator.

During my weight loss battle, I got stuck a few times. In one of the times, I was doing everything I should be doing - exercising, eating right - and I still couldn't lose the weight. I was stuck. My coach at the time told me to cut what I eat in half. What? "I'll starve" was my response. "You won't" was his response. For example, for a snack [my favorite snack] during the day was a protein bar and an apple. I could eat this on the run or during carpool. Cut the protein bar in half, cut the apple in half. What? I don't think so. Again, I'll starve. But, I was desperate and so I tried it. When I scooped out my cereal in the morning, I only did 1/2. When I made a sandwich for lunch, I made it open-faced and only used one slice of bread instead of two. I did this for two days.

It worked!

Please read on...

Was my weight-loss success due solely to cutting all my food in half?
NO!
It was much more than that. However, it did help me see that I was still overeating, even when I thought I was being good. It did help me acknowledge the power that food had in my life. The dependence. The habits we get into. I did not have to do this forever. Really. In fact, I only had to do this for a short time, until I met my weight goal.

When you are in weight loss mode, you have to do things differently. You cannot just keep everything the same and think you can make progress.

You can cut calories to lose weight. You just need to do it the right way.

Will you?

Food and Pain

2010-09-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

No one likes to be in pain, right? But, what if the food you are eating is causing pain? Would you stop eating it? Or would you just go on eating it, day after day, thinking that it's just the way it is and it's just too much work to change?

In dealing with clients with nutritional issues, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon:

The average American is willing to deal with pain caused by bad food choices:

Heartburn
Indigestion
Inflammation in their body
Joint pain

The average American is NOT willing to deal with pain caused by saying "no" to bad food choices:

Hunger pains
Emotional distress over not getting what they want
Physical habits of eating a particular food

Read that again. Americans are WILLING to deal with physical pain caused by foods, because, well, just because. It's too hard to change. It's not going to make a difference in the long run. It's too hard to deprive yourself of what you want. But, if you want to change, if you need to lose weight, this is one of the obstacles that must be overcome.

You have to get hunger pains.
You have to get over not getting what you want every time you want it.
You have to retrain yourself and your habits.

Certain foods cause pain. And coincidentally, these foods should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight:

Fast foods
Fatty foods
Fried foods
Sodas

So, what kind of pain are you willing to deal with?

Milkshakes at Zaxby's

2010-09-07T13:36:00.000-04:00

Zaxby's has a new milkshake - a Birthday cake shake! Now you can have your cake and milkshake at the same time...or so you thought. The question of the day is...is it healthy?

It looks pretty.
It looks pretty healthy?
Is it?

Let's look at the details: [hang onto your chair]

860 calories [yes, you read that correctly]
37.5g fat
113g carb
10g protein
98g sugar [read that again, and again]
256mg sodium

Do any of those numbers look healthy to you?

This is a carb-loading, fattening, over-the-top sugar coated, high calorie DEATH TRAP! Really, it is. It's scary how UNHEALTHY this one item is. Do you think you'll go to Zaxby's and have this alone? No, it's dessert. On your birthday, I guess. But still, if you already eat a reasonable meal - let's say 850 calories - and then you add this?

Obesity is sky-rocketing in the United States and this milkshake is a good reason why. No, it's not all the milkshake's fault. It's Zaxby's fault for making and advertising such a product. It's our fault as consumers for eating it, for not looking up nutritional information on-line before we go.

It's time to stop the craziness. Just because you hear the phrase "milkshake" doesn't mean that it's healthy because it has milk. If you are SERIOUS about living a healthy life or helping your kids live one, then you have to be serious about what you are eating. And it starts with taking these out of your nutrition plan.

The final day of my challenge

2010-08-31T07:55:00.000-04:00

I joined a challenge, 30 days ago: http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/
The challenge was to blog 31 times in 31 days in August. I joined it for many reasons:

To learn about blogging
To meet new people and expand my network
To find out what this is all about

And so I did:

I learned this is much more complex than just writing. I tried to write a variety over the last 31 days - product research, emotional eating issues, exercises, general fitness and health - but mostly on what I founded my company on - learning to listen to your instinct, your inside voice.
I met many new people, outside my normal network. I learned how to tweet, even though my son says I am cheating on Facebook. I know just enough to be dangerous now. I am not an expert, but this horse-and-buggy-girl has come a long way in 31 days to understanding the power of blogging and networking.
I am still trying to figure out what this is all about. I found out that the most important things to me for my blog is to educate and encourage others. One client may have a question about a product and if I can do the research for that client, yet share it with all my clients [and potential clients], then it is a good service that I can provide. One client may have an issue that they are having a hard time dealing with and I can write about it, showing her that she is not alone, and help other people at the same time.

It's over, so now what?

Well, I'm not going to give it up. I am going to continue blogging. I probably won't blog every day or twice a day when I was trying to catch up. I don't want to overwhelm people with information, but I want to keep educating and encouraging others. I don't want to just write about myself either. I want to do what I set out to do:

Help others who are struggling to lose weight
Educate and expose the truth about weight loss scams and advertising
Encourage everyone to live healthy and fit lives

So, now, please tell me. If you have ready any of my blogs for the last 31 days, I need to know:

Has it helped you?
Was it information overload?
What would you like to see in my blog?

I'm going to celebrate that I did it! I entered the challenge and did what I said I could do and learned a lot along the way. So now, I'm going to celebrate, it's my birthday as well, so that worked out well :) Please send me your comments and have a great, healthy day!

Sandi Porter
sandi@startwiththeinside.com

Dinner at Little Caesar's

2010-08-30T19:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, time to pick on Little Caesar's...just kidding, kind of. When I pick a product to evaluate, esp fast food, it is usually because I get asked about it or I see it in a sales flyer with a coupon, urging one of my healthy clients to purchase it for money savings or convenience' sake. My job is not to discourage you from ever eating at fast food restaurants. My job is to educate you and inform you and maybe open your eyes a little bit. It's not to offend someone or be negative in any way or even make you feel guilty. You choose your health and you make decisions about what you eat.

So, Little Caesar's. This week's sales flyer shows 3 products:

Crazy Bread and Crazy Sauce
Caesar Wings
Ultimate Supreme Pizza

Let's say you purchase these products for your family and for the sake of our research, you eat:

2 crazy breads [look at the sizes of these, you would probably eat more but I'm being conservative]
2 Caesar wings [again, these are small, you would probably eat more]
2 pieces of pizza [ditto]

For the totals, we will just count calories and sodium.

Crazy Bread:
Serving size: 1 breadstick, 100 calories, 3g fat, 15g carb, 3g protein, 150mg sodium
TOTAL = 200 calories, 300mg sodium
Crazy Sauce:
Serving size: 1 container, 45 calories, 5g fat, 10g carb, 2g protein, 260mg sodium
TOTAL = 45 calories, 260mg sodium

Caesar Wings:
Serving size: 1 wing, 60 calories, 4g fat, 1g carb, 4g protein, 290mg sodium
TOTAL = 120 calories, 580mg sodium

Ultimate Supreme Pizza:
Serving size: 1 slice, 310 calories, 14g fat, 31g carb, 15g protein, 640mg sodium
TOTAL = 620 calories, 1280mg sodium

GRAND TOTAL = 985 calories, 2420mg sodium

Okay, quite a total. What's the big killer? The sodium. Normal range is 1500-1800 for a WHOLE DAY. If you ate like this once or twice a week, you are looking at physical problems caused by sodium overload - bloating, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, high bodyfat%, obesity. And we haven't added any drinks yet.

Do you understand how our society is getting more and more obese by the day? We cannot continue to eat like this and just think it will get better one day. It won't without serious action on our own behalf. Do you HAVE to eat at Little Caesar's? Do you want to eat at Little Caesar's? Is it just easy? Is it just convenient?

Is it just easier to sweep it under the rug and forget about it?

Knowledge is power. Education is power. Esp when it comes to weight loss. It's your choice. What will you choose?

When does "I'm committed!" mean "I should be committed?"

2010-08-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

"I'm committed!"

To my weight loss program.
To my healthy eating.
To my exercise and workouts.

Yippee, you're on the way to changing your body, and your life. It's all peaches and roses now. Right. Except why are people treating you differently now?

They say you're crazy if you want to get up early to exercise.
They say you've gone overboard if you are strict in your nutrition.
They say you should be committed when you want to lose the last 10 lbs., even if you've already lost 50 lbs.

"I should be committed?"

Get ready, your seat belt on and let's go. Welcome to the life of the fit and healthy. There is a new double standard and you better get used to it. Not only do you have to be strong to set your goals for weight loss, follow-through with those goals, but you have to become emotionally tough. Tough enough to put up your "blinders" when you get comments from those around you, even well-meaning or close friends. You don't know why they say it. It doesn't matter.

Hold your hands up in front of you, thumbs facing you. Place your thumbs right under your ears and hold your hands in front of your face. "Blinders".

You focus on you. You let them focus on whatever.
You stay strong. You let them falter, if that is going to happen.
You be the example. You can't force them to accept your new life.

Having blinders on doesn't mean that you don't care. It doesn't mean that you are cold-hearted either. It just means that you are COMMITTED. You are going to be tough when it comes to saying "no" to bad food. You are going to workout when you don't feel like it. You are going to change your body even when it gets tough. This is all good. Commitment is good. Don't worry about those who say you are taking it all too seriously. They may have issues you don't know anything about. And even if you do know about those issues, keep it to yourself.

It has become commonplace for unhealthy people to comment or criticize healthy people for the "choices" they make.

Can you imagine if you, as a healthy person, decided to comment on every unhealthy choice someone else makes? Don't. Don't even be tempted. You cannot bully someone into being healthy, just like someone else cannot bully you into faltering. Sometimes, people are afraid of change and the change they see in you. That is their issue, not yours. So, don't let it be yours. Keep your blinders on and stay strong. And committed.

When your body hurts

2010-08-30T10:56:00.000-04:00

Pain is inevitable when you start working out to lose weight. At some point, you will be uncomfortable as your body adjusts to new exercise. But what about when you are in pain - all the time? What do you do when your body hurts?

Physical ailments are hard. Not only on your body, but emotionally.

You may start a new workout program and get injured your first week. Or your second. Then you can't workout.
You may want to start a new workout program, but have old injuries that either inhibit what you want to do or start hurting again.
You may think about starting a new workout program, but your body hurts now.

So what do you do?
What can you do?

If your physical ailment is constant or a recent injury, have it checked out by your doctor. If you have done that and everything is okay, but you still hurt, consider these options:

The food you are eating or not eating causing nutrient imbalances
Your hormones are shot and need help
You may have emotional issues tied to your physical issues

#1 and #2 - okay, we can deal with these.
#1 - Eat clean. Find out how to eat clean. Eliminate those foods that cause inflammation - sugar, alcohol. Find out your trigger foods and find healthy substitutions for those foods.
#2 - Get it checked out. If your doctor takes blood tests for thyroid and they come back negative, get another opinion. Seriously ladies. Go somewhere that specializes in hormones and tests your thyroid and cortisol levels by saliva testing. This takes time and effort, but go on your instinct if your doctor says there is no problem but you FEEL like there is. Get balanced in your hormones!

But now #3...this is a little harder. Emotional issues? How can they affect your physical body?

In every way you can imagine.

Please remember that I am not a doctor, this is my personal opinion from a Fitness Professional who has helped hundreds of clients and who has been through this myself...emotional issues can greatly affect your body. From the overuse injury of not listening to your instinct and inside voice, to a mystery injury that just shows up one day.

Your body responds to your emotional well-being. If you are not happy or going through a hard time, your body will respond. Kind of like a wake-up call "Hey, pay attention to me" that you ignore and keep thinking it will get better.
Your body listens to your emotional well-being. You may say everything is okay, but hold your emotions and feelings inside, not wanting to put them on display for everyone to see or even validate them.
Your body reacts to your emotional well-being. If you are hurting emotionally, your body wants some of that action. It wants to protect you from getting hurt again. So, if you are not listening to an emotional hurt and taking the time to fix it, a physical injury will stop you.

Take care of your body!

Do things that will help your body heal:

Eat clean
Take an epsom salt bath twice a week
Schedule a massage once a month [not fru-fru massage, a deep tissue massage]
Find a way to handle your stress
Be honest with yourself and get everything out on the table - whether this is through seeing a counselor [which I highly recommend] or talking with a close friend

When your body hurts, many times, it is a reaction to an emotional hurt that hasn't healed, so heal it. Do what you have to do to heal your mind. I am always here to help you...sandi@startwiththeinside.com

Why is it always something?

2010-08-28T08:17:00.000-04:00

Insert big sigh. Why is it whenever you want to make a change or lose weight or start a new program - that something always happens? Something changes your plans, messes with your schedule, changes your life. It doesn't go as planned. It sucks. Why is it always something?

Life is hard. Trying to lose weight and do life at the same time is hard. Because life doesn't stop. Esp. when you are trying to lose weight. Guess what? It doesn't stop when you're fit and healthy either. So many times, an overweight person will get frustrated with the whole thing of trying to lose weight.

It's too hard
It's too time-consuming
It's too slow
It takes too much time

And then something happens.

Someone dies
Someone gets sick
Work schedule changes
A relationship changes
Someone puts a dessert in front of you

Doesn't matter what it is. Something happens in your life that disrupts your routine and before you know it, you stop doing what you know you should. You stop working out or you stop eating clean. You take a day off, then another. Start sitting on the couch more, start blaming the metabolism, start talking about how it just doesn't work for you, you're just one of those people that can't lose weight, and on and on.

As a fitness professional and someone who has been through this myself, I can honestly tell you this:

If you are planning on starting a new routine or
If you are planning to lose weight or
If you are wanting to change your life...

Then

Something will happen to get you off-track

Definitely
Untimely
Unfortunately

Every single time

I haven't taken one person through a weight loss program without something happening that distracts them. Guess what? This is life. Listen closely. There's never going to be a perfect time to change your life and your body. Never. Life is going to happen. Every single time.

You have to get emotionally tough. You have to expect the changes and STILL workout. You have to go through hard times and STILL eat right. You have to be heartbroken and financially broke and STILL stick to your goals.

Can you do it?

Absolutely.

Now, will you?

How special is Special K?

2010-08-26T15:53:00.000-04:00

If you participated in one of my "Healthy Shopping 101" classes this summer, you'd know that the one aisle in the grocery store that just makes me crazy is the cereal aisle. Ugh. Or when I ask a client what they had for breakfast and they say "cereal" and then say "But it's okay, it was Special K". Oh. Special K. That makes it okay then...not.

Kellogg's is great at marketing the Special K brand. Their commercials are high-quality, their ads are classy. They have one for their new crackers that actually shows the serving size - 17 crackers for 90 calories - spread out on a page. Well, it's actually 24 crackers for a serving size, but hey, they were close.

Great marketing and advertising doesn't mean it's healthy for you.

And it's not all about the calories. And that's usually the first thing that people look for when and if they look at the food label. You can do this on-line, for any product. Just plug it into google.com, find the manufacturer's website, find product and hit "Nutritional Information".

My biggest problem with cereal and crackers is the ingredients. They are not natural. You know, fruits and veggies, they've been around for a while, you can even find them in the Bible. I don't think there's anything in the Bible about cereal. I could be wrong. But seriously, too many people rely on it from childhood habits [cereal was big in the 70's and 80's as breakfast food] or the sweetness of it. Try to find one under 10g sugar - it's hard.

The best alternative to cereal is oatmeal. Real oatmeal, not the boxed, processed kind.
The best alternative to crackers is fruits and veggies. Real food, not processed.

Does this mean you have to give up your favorite cereal and crackers. No, not necessarily.

However -- if you are trying to lose weight and you get stuck on a plateau - or you want to lose weight and can't seem to - then you may have to moderate or eliminate cereal and crackers for a temporary time. Would that be bad? Most of the daily foods we eat are habit-based. If you gave up cereal and crackers for a short period of time and ate oatmeal and fruits and veggies instead, would it hurt you? The worst part of it would be dealing with the cravings and just the habit of eating something crunchy like that.

Those can be overcome.

Read food labels.
Educate yourself on what you are putting into your body.
Don't be swayed by good marketing and advertising.

Then you will see yourself coming off the plateau's, you will see yourself starting to lose weight. And that is more special than any product.

What to do about sagging skin aka Saggy Boobs, Part Deux

2010-08-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

Ladies, I know this is a huge issue when you are losing weight, trying to lose weight or thinking about losing weight. I know this because I get questions on it constantly and out of all the blogs I've written over the last year, the most google-searched blog was the one entitled "Saggy Boobs". Now, I'd like to think this is from other ladies searching for an answer to weightloss obstacles and not a dirty old man googling something else...which brings me to my first point.

If you are a man, please consider being a gentleman right now and leaving this blog. I know, you're "interested" in losing weight, blah, blah, blah. I need to speak to the ladies right now, talk about personal stuff, and I don't need the pressure of thinking you guys will be reading this. Thanks so much.

Ladies, again, I will say this...if you are going to lose weight, esp. fat weight, you are going to lose weight in your breasts. See the previous blog for more detailed information. In this blog, I want to talk more about the emotional chaos that might happen to you when you lose a lot of weight.

Marketing and advertising in the weight-loss arena has done us wrong. Really and truly. We have come to see, and sometimes believe, things that just aren't real:

Unrealistic pills and potions designed to draw us in
Unrealistic photoshopping of models in magazines
Unrealistic expectations of what a body is supposed to look like

Seriously, what's real anymore?

The pills are fake.
The pictures are fake.

We have become a society that doesn't like their own bodies, esp. women.

Ladies, we have to change this. We need to be proud of our bodies. And when I say proud I don't mean wearing skimpy clothing or flaunting them, I mean understanding that our words mean something when we talk about our bodies, understanding that our bodies are beautiful, understanding that they take us through our lives.

So, back to the boobs. Guys, I swear if you are still here, did I mention I am a brown belt in tae kwon do - GO! Now! Girls, when you lose weight, you will lose in your breasts. When you lose a lot of weight, you will lose in your breasts. But you have to keep going on, keep going towards your ultimate goal - whether that is a clothing size, weight, measurement, or bodyfat percentage. Then when you meet that goal, you need to maintain your new body and just wait it out.

Yes, wait it out. And this is the hard part. I told you in Part one how devastated I was when I reached my ideal weight how badly I looked in that area. It's terrible! Just wait it out. Keep eating healthy. Keep working out. Keep enjoying your new clothing size. Keep positive. Your body is a wonderment. Your body is amazing. So treat it as such. Now, I did pay a little bit more attention to that area - applying lotion every day. But I didn't do extra chest exercises to help that area. I just waited. And slowly, it got better and better, but it took a good year for that skin to adjust. And I was in my mid-30's. It will get better. You just have to wait it out. You have to maintain your weight and wait it out. Trust me, if you do this, you will realize that the body can adjust, the body can heal, the body is beautiful.

Now there are always going to be cases where [I hate to even say this] surgery may be an option. But I really don't see this unless we are talking about extreme obesity, more than 200 lbs. You see this on folks on The Biggest Loser where they lose extreme amounts of fat and are left with a lot of sagging skin. But remember, they do this in a short period of time. They don't have time to maintain their weight because it's all about the final show. For the average woman who is 20-100 lbs. overweight, surgery should not even be considered.

Part of losing weight is being patient with your body. Learn how to do this. Learn how to respect your body. Don't talk negatively about it - or to it. I encourage you to continue losing weight to meet your goals, even if your skin starts sagging. You can do it and yes, it will be alright.

Are desserts killing us?

2010-08-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking. Oh no, she's going after our desserts now. Is nothing sacred? You know I've got to. I made a promise to educate and inform and help people live a healthy lifestyle. Plus - I'm going to tell you a little bit what the others won't tell you.

So, are desserts killing us?

Uh.
Yes.
There I said it. What did you expect? If you come here, expect honesty and no sugar-coating [I know, I had to use it].

So, what's the big problem with desserts? Where to start...

Excess sugar - a typical piece of chocolate cake has 15g of sugar, cupcake has 16g, ice cream has 23g. Sugar overload. What does sugar do to your body? It slows it down. Slows down your ability to burn fat, slows down your hormones [ladies], slows down your metabolism. It's the worst thing in the world for you if you want to lose weight.
High in calories - a typical piece of cake would be 400-600 calories. Same with cupcake and ice cream. Seriously, my ice cream can't be that much, you say. Really? Read the food label. What's the serving size? Measure that out. Now measure out how much you normally put in that big ol bowl. Come on, do it. If you have three 1/2 cup servings, then you have to multiply the calories X 3.
No nutritional value - typical ingredients include: sugar, sugar and more sugar. White flour. Nothing natural, nothing that you can pronounce. But what about chocolate - that's good for you, right? Oh, don't even get me started with the marketing-and-advertising-bs-detrimental-to-your-health-dark-chocolate-skam that we have going on.

Okay, so it's not a healthy food group for you. Let's put those issues aside for now and address what I think is even bigger than those reasons above:

It's addicting and it's an emotional battle to fight your body.

Cravings
Addictions

How long have we been told - ladies - that chocolate will solve your PMS? At least help it? Does it really? Could it possibly be that our hormones and metabolism are so damaged by sugar and we are so addicted to it that we will just throw up our hands and eat it. It can't hurt, right?

Wrong.

It can hurt. And it does.

People tell me all the time "I need to cut back on desserts" or "I know this is so bad for me" or "I know I should not eat this". This is followed by a trip to the dessert buffet where they load up on the sugar special of the day and bring it back to eat.

We need to start listening to our inside voices. Especially regarding sugar. If you KNOW that it's bad for you, then STOP eating it. If you KNOW it's a problem and you can't lose weight, then STOP eating it. Buck up, put your blinders on, and move on. Not eating one little dessert is NOT going to kill you.

But eating them all the time will.

Too much junk in the trunk?

2010-08-24T16:01:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or have our standards for booty size shrunk in the past few years? Seriously. They say the average clothing size for women is 14 and for men is 44. Two points of contention with me:

• Are you seeing size 14 in marketing and advertising ads?
• Are you seeing size 14 in the general public?

First question, no, unless you order a plus-size catalog. The majority of models are way less than size 14, way less. What does this do to a woman who doesn't fit that category or size? Does it give her unrealistic expectations?

Second question, no, mostly bigger. Seriously. I see a lot of women trying to fit into size 14 clothes that have no business doing so. There's so much more junk in the trunk now!

Why?

And before you write me off as a mean trainer, know that hey, I've been there. I used to be very overweight and have plenty of junk in my trunk. When I made a decision back in 2001 to make a change, I had my husband take photos of me, from - front, back and side. When I saw the photo from back, I flipped out. I was furious with him. I know, he had no chance...but I was furious. I was furious at how big I looked and I was furious with him for letting me walk around like that. It was bad. I still have those photos somewhere, but you'd have to pay me $$ before I would post them.

I had a huge problem with my butt. My standard outfit was jeans [with elastic waist], long shirt and then tied jacket or sweater around waist. Sound familiar anyone?

Too much junk in the trunk means you are overweight, dangerously so.
Too much junk in the trunk means you're bodyfat percentage is too high.

Does this mean you are a bad person?

No, absolutely not.

It's about your health.
It's about taking charge of your body and taking care of it.
It's about being healthy, saying no when you have to [nutrition] and yes when you need to [workouts].

It's about being free and healthy and fit, not skinny, fit. It's about loving your body and being proud of your body. No more junk in the trunk!

Are Lean Cuisine Products really lean?

2010-08-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

I love when new products come out. Whenever I see a new product advertised, I look it up on google.com, which was invented for people like me. Brings it right up - anything I want to know about it. So let's look at one of Lean Cuisine's new products "Market Creations".

Love the name. Sounds like it is fresh, right? From the market anyway. I like the packaging better. It doesn't come in a box to heat up. Has "steams fresh" on front of package. But as you know if you follow my blogs or Facebook fanpage, marketing and advertising can be deceiving, so let's look a little further. Let's visit leancuisine.com and find out more:

280 calories
7g fat
20g protein
33g carb
680mg sodium

Not too bad, calories are okay, protein looks good, sodium is really high. Just for grins, I looked at some of their older products to see the difference, because you'd think that anything labeled "Market Creations" would be a healthier version, right? So I looked up Chicken Fettucini, a similar product:

330 calories
6g fat
26g protein
42g carb
770mg sodium

A little bit of difference. The "Market Creations" is lower in calories and just a tad in sodium. So in reality, it is healthier than the older stuff. But what gets me is the list of ingredients. Remember - you cannot just look at the numbers. You need to look at the whole picture and that includes ingredients. When I hear "chicken alfredo", I expect to see these items in the list of ingredients - pasta, chicken, maybe some veggies, maybe cream? So here's the list of ingredients as listed on the package for Chicken Alfredo:

Ingredients:

Skim Milk, Blanched Enriched Pasta (Water, Enriched Semolina (Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)), Herb Glazed Chicken White Meat (Cooked Chicken White Meat, Water, Seasoning (Salt, Maltodextrin, Garlic, Sugar, Spices, Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Carrageenan, Orange Peel, Onion, Soybean Oil, Chicken Fat, Paprika, Chicken Broth, Dehydrated Celery, Natural Flavor), Isolated Soy Protein, Modified Corn Starch, Caramel Coloring, Maltodextrin, Sodium Phosphate, Canola Oil), Broccoli, Carrots, Yellow Carrots, Water, 2% Or Less Of Modified Cornstarch, Cheese Flavor (Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Salt, Disodium Phosphate, Natural Flavors), Romano Cheese ((Made From Cow's Milk), Cultured Milk, Enzymes, Salt), Soybean Oil, Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Butterfat, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Asiago Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Yeast Extract, Spices, Enzyme Modified Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Milk, Water, Salt, Enzymes), Flavor (Maltodextrin, Flavoring And Modified Food Starch), Enzyme Modified Cheese (Cultured Milk, Water, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Mono-&Diglycerides, Whey, Carrageenan, Seasoning (Wheat Starch, Extracts Of Annatto And Turmeric Color, Natural Flavor), Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate, Seasoning (Maltodextrin, Flavor, Enzyme Modified Butterfat).

Contains: MILK, SOY, WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Well crap, doesn't that seem like a lot of ingredients for Chicken Alfredo? See enriched several times, dextrose [anything that ends in -ose is sugar], sodium several times, maltodextrin several times, natural color [if it's natural, why is it colored? duh].

So would I recommend this product? No, probably not.
Here's an easy alternative for you to make at home:

Peso Pasta with Spinach

Whole wheat pasta
Pesto
Baby Spinach
Grilled chicken breasts

Boil pasta, drain and return to pan. Scoop in several tablespoons pesto with olive oil, then stir in handfuls of baby spinach. Stir until well blended, adding more pesto if needed. The spinach will wilt as you stir. Serve warm and top with grilled chicken.

The key to good lunches if you have to take your lunch - leftovers! Cook a pot and then put it in containers that you can take to work. There are options to taking a frozen meal to work for your lunch, you just have to plan ahead a little bit. But the health benefits will be well worth it!

What's so wrong with weight loss products?

2010-08-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

Lose 10 lbs. in 2 weeks!
Drop 4 dress sizes instantly!

Wow! Just by taking a little product. A pill. A shake. A pill and a shake!

Fasting!
Starving!
Eliminating entire food groups!

Does any of this sound reasonable to you? Seriously? Read it back slowly and really think about it - does any of this sound reasonable to you? Does it sound like common sense? Do you think it will really work? Well, millions do, because they're buying the products. They're buying into the pills and shakes and fasting programs. Spending thousands and thousands of dollars chasing the elusive - what? What exactly are they chasing?

Perfect health?
Perfect body?
Perfect life?

Life is not perfect. So, what's so wrong with taking a weight loss product? As a fitness professional, here's my take. And let me just say - I know I am in the MINORITY when I say this - because I have seen all the sellout trainers, esp. the celebrity ones who endorse such products.

When you take a weight loss product, no matter what it is, you are telling your body "You can't do it, you need help"

There, I said it.

"You can't do it, body, you need help. Here, take this pill and let it help"

A little extreme? Really? What exactly are you telling your body? You know I am big on what you say to your body because I believe your body will respond. So, here's my BIG problem with taking a weight loss product:

What does your body do when you stop taking it?

99% of the time, you regain the weight. Because, seriously, if these products "worked" - then wouldn't we all be fit and healthy? If they WORKED?

Here's my other BIG problem with taking a weight loss product:

Your body remembers that it worked, even if it is for a short, temporary time.

I've seen this a lot with people and diets such as the Atkins Diet. They do it for a short period of time, then go back to normal because it is unsustainable for their lifestyle. But they "remember" when they lost the weight. They "remember" that for a short time, it was successful. So in their mind, whenever they want to lose weight, they "remember" parts of the diet - cutting out carbs mainly - and resort to doing it again, until they remember why they quit that crazy diet in the first place.

They are telling themselves that their body cannot lose weight without that diet.

I believe the opposite.

I believe you CAN lose the weight.
I believe you CAN do it without pills, or shakes, or instant programs.
I believe you CAN change your body and your life.

I believe it because I've done it. I've taken the pills, I've taken the shakes, I've tried all the programs. They don't work.

I work.
I listen to my body.
I listen to my inside voice.
I do what's right for my body.
I put up my blinders to today's marketing and advertising and I do what's right.
I don't look for the quick fix, I look for permanent change.
I feed my body good foods because I want to.
I workout because I want to.
And I've never been healthier.

And you can too. So, will you?

Could the answer to weight loss be in our feet?

2010-08-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

Our feet are so important. They take us where we want to go. Our feet take us walking, even running. We stand on them for hours or walking to and fro. So, how can our feet help us in weight loss?

Unfortunately, we don't really think about our feet until we have a problem with them. And at some point, we all have some kind of problem with them. From stubbing toes to toenail problems to heel issues to plantar facsciitis, which is a common injury when you start working out. We notice the hurts from new shoes, from heels that are too high, or from shoes that are worn out. It's not fun when you're feet hurt.

Reflexology can be a way to help with not only your feet, but with all areas of your body. Reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet and hand with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work affects a physical change to the body.

You may have even see a Reflexology chart like the one here. Each part of the foot corresponds to a part of the body. For example, the head area is at the top of the foot and toe area. The pelvis and sciatic nerve are at the bottom of the foot. If you ever have a chance to visit a Reflexologist, I would highly recommend it. Even if you don't think it would work, just try it. Or you can ask your massage therapist about it.

How can it help in weight loss?

The main benefits of reflexology are relaxation, pain reduction and rejuvenation.

Relaxation - Helping the entire body relax by spending time rubbing your feet.
Pain reduction - If you have a problem area in your body, focus on that area while rubbing your feet.
Rejuvenation - Spending time on your body.

Most of us do not spend enough time on our body. Yes, we workout. Yes, we try to eat right. Yes, we feed our bodies and yes, we may even put our feet up on the coffee table as we sit on the couch at night. But what about really focusing on our feet? Rubbing them nightly? Paying attention to their needs? Releasing stress?

Now, I may have lost some of you by now, but I encourage you to stay with me. This is one of my Health Tips for my book coming out soon. I consider it very important to my physical health, as well as emotional health, to rub my feet nightly. It doesn't take long. About 5 minutes. I keep a good aromatherapy lotion at my bedside table, I love Bath & Body Works, and each night before I go to sleep, I rub my feet. Rub your toes, your heels and your feet all over. Reflexology is a science of touch and rubbing your feet is a very good way to relieve stress. Do this nightly and you will see results. You will sleep better, you learn how to let go of stress and your feet will feel great!

My friends at the park

2010-08-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

I love running at my park! It's such a peaceful, soothing place for me as a get my training hours in on the track. It's hard, don't get me wrong, and it's so hot! But you know what, we live in Atlanta and it's hot. Can't wait for the weather to start training right. So, I make my way to the park.

First thing I love, lights around the track, for those sleepless early mornings when I can run in the dark and feel safe. I am always the first one there. And it's quiet. My first friends are already there.

Two tiny, energetic birds who sit on top of the fence around the track. They tweet me hello and it is hilarious to watch them. They take turns following me, weaving in and out of the fence, but they ONLY do it on one side of the track. They get so far and then they go back and wait for me to come round again. I don't know why they do this, but I love it. They cheep the whole time, encouraging me, and it's so great because I know when I get to that side, my friends are waiting to cheer me on. They are so little. I call them Fric and Frac.

Then there's Bambi. Yes, that's a deer. I know, I have no other original name than Bambi. But I love her! She stays at the edge of the trees, chewing on leaves and grass, but she lifts her head up each time I run by. We watch each other and I always tip my hat to her. I know, it's silly. I love Bambi! It's so peaceful to watch animals in nature.

One by one, people start coming to the park. There are the regulars and the newbies. One by one, they start walking or running on the track. There's the overweight guy who can hardly walk, but he does. There's the athletic women with the great quads, a true runner, who does sprints down the lengths. There's the couple who talk to each other. There's the girl who talks on her cell the entire time. There's the firefighter who comes in a sweatsuit - long sleeves and long pants - and a mask over his face. There's the overweight lady walking fast.

These are my morning friends. We smile and wave at each other as we pass. I am always passing them because while everyone goes counter-clockwise around the track, I run clockwise. I know, it's wierd. It has to do with my hip and when I run counter-clockwise, it hurts my right hip. So I run the wrong way on the track. Wow, that pretty much sums up my life right there, running the wrong way on the track. Anyway, my favorite friend is a lady who carries a cane. She comes with her little dog, who diligently stays by her side as she stumbles through her laps. When she is done, she opens the back door of her car, sits down while keeping the door open, and she holds her dog in her lap and just rubs his belly. For about 30 minutes. It's so funny. He is all relaxed and limp in her arms, just enjoying life. No wonder he stays at her side so enthusiastically while she walks!

I put in my time and wait for the best part, the sunrise coming over the trees. It's beautiful. And I'm done. I stretch out and wave goodbye to whoever is still around. And I go about my day. Knowing I'll be back to see my friends at the park...

But it's low in calories...

2010-08-19T20:38:00.000-04:00

Oftentimes, I am asked about different products and if they are healthy or not. Would I feed them to my kids? And sometimes, someone will bring a product to me and say "But look, it's low in calories".

It's NOT all about the calories, friends.

Case in point, Kellogg's Rice Krispie treats, packaged in snack-size packages.

Serving size is 1 bar

[a small bar at that, I can see my teen eating several]

90 calories
2.5g fat
17g carbohydrate
less than 1g protein
105mg sodium

Okay, looks fairly good so far, not the best, but not overboard in any area, including calories or sodium. But let's take it a step farther and look at the ingredients. Yes, the actual ingredients:

TOASTED RICE CEREAL (RICE, SUGAR, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MALT FLAVORING, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), MARSHMALLOW (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, GELATIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), FRUCTOSE, MARGARINE (VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN, PALM, AND PALM KERNEL OIL WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS], WATER, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL BUTTER FLAVOR [CONTAINS MILK], DATEM, ACETYLATED MONOGLYCERIDES, BHT [PRESERVATIVE], VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN D), CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF DEXTROSE, GLYCERIN, SALT, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), SOY LECITHIN.

Okay, I've highlighted some red flags for you. Just the most blatant ones. Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar. Anything that ends in -ose [rhymes with "gross"] is a sugar substitute. It is processed. It is not natural. These are not healthy ingredients.

While at first glance, this may appear to be an all-right snack for your child, you cannot just look at calories anymore. You must look at the entire label, including the ingredients of foods. It's up to you as a parent to do so. Marketing and advertising will tell you differently. They tell you it is fun and good and satisfying. And it may well be. But you know better.

How do you "refuel after school"?

2010-08-19T20:16:00.000-04:00

Kids get hungry. Kids get home from school. Kids get real hungry.

They don't want to wait until dinner to eat and you haven't even started dinner yet. In comes Tyson's new Any'tizers Chicken Fries.

It's made by Tyson, a reputable company
It's chicken, must be good, right
It's quick - you can heat it up in minutes in the microwave
It has a great slogan "Refuel after School"

Okay, so let's check it out...

Even the name sounds appealing to kids - chicken fries! Are they chicken nuggets? Or fries? Who knows...

Serving size 3 pieces, yes, that is 3 pieces, just how many do you think your child would eat? Probably more than 3...

230 calories
13g fat
14g carbohydrate
14g protein
560mg sodium

Okay, so let's say your child has 6 "fries":
460 calories
1120mg sodium

Let's go off the deep end and say your child has 9 "fries":
690 calories
1680mg sodium

Breathe [that's for me]. How easy do you think it would be for a child to eat 9 "fries"? Pretty easy, huh? Mine would, esp. a growing 13 year old boy. This is NOT a healthy product for an after-school snack.

Yes, it is easy.
Yes, it appears to be healthy.
No, it is not.

A better snack would be pita and hummus, veggies and dip, a granola bar or an apple. Less fun? Yes probably. But think about your child's health. It may not affect them right now, you might even say they don't have a weight problem, but if they continue to eat foods like this, they eventually will. But it's not all about the weight. Look at the high sodium content. Average for a child daily is 1500mg. For a day. Eating high sodium products on a consistent basis will eventually cause physical problems for your child. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and weight issues.

You can refuel your child after school. Just be smart and do it the right way - with healthy and natural foods!

Using your mind to lose weight

2010-08-19T07:48:00.000-04:00

Your mind is a powerful thing. It can control whether you are having a good day or not. It can keep you busy or keep you bored. It can control your body to some degree. But, can it help you lose weight?

Ever heard the phrase "get your head into it"? What's that mean? Get your mind into it. Get your mind in the game and the rest will follow. So, why is that so hard when it comes to weight loss?

When you are trying to lose weight, you are most likely going to have to change something in your life. You may have to start working out when you are not used to it. You may have to start eating right when you haven't been. You may have to start changing your habits and changing your routine in order to make changes in your physical body. But the change has to start in your mind first.

"Mindfulness is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to weight. In studies on what causes obesity, researchers have found that overweight people tend to underestimate how much they eat while overestimating their activity...Once you learn mindfulness, you'll be better able to figure out what makes your body and mind healthy" - Tara Stiles, Women's Health Magazine

You think you are doing good. But are you really? If you think you are doing good, but you are not losing weight, then your mind may be playing tricks on you.

True health comes when you stop playing games with yourself and learn how to be honest with yourself.

I love how one of my favorite writer Lisa McLeod puts it:

"The human mind is pretty impressive. However, one of the major design flaws is that we can't tell the difference between what's actually happening and our perception of it."

She also says:

"Your thoughts are like the tires on a bicycle, they keep drifting back to that well-worn groove in the road. Once they find the familiar track, they want to stay there, because the pedaling is easy and it doesn't require much work"

This is so true.
We all get into habits.
We all want to take the easy way out.

And when, it comes to weight loss, we can't.

We can't continue to let our bodies down just because it's easier.

I encourage my clients to keep a journal, not to record workouts or nutrition, but to record their everyday thoughts and feelings about their weight loss. What do you see and hear everyday? How can you combat it? What are your excuses for not losing weight? All of these questions can be answered by your mind - if you take the time and you truly be honest with yourself.

Your mind CAN help you lose weight, so are you ready?

A muffin top is not from overeating muffins!

2010-08-17T10:03:00.000-04:00

Okay, you know by now I am an old-fashioned girl. There is one fashion statement that I detest - and it's the tight tops that creep up - exposing the belly area. And not only exposing the belly - but the excess belly fat - which no one seems to mind showing off these days.

What's up with that?

First of all, when I had a tire around my middle, I did everything I could to hide it! Really! This included:

Wearing maternity pants with the little pouch in front
Wearing long shirts to cover my opened-button jeans
Tying a jacket around my waist to cover waist and butt area

Ever do any of those? Are you doing any of them now? Please, don't tell me you've succumbed to the dreaded "muffin top" styles of today...

The first thing I wanted to wear when I lost the weight was a belt. I told myself that I would NEVER again wear a long shirt to cover my belly. I would wear a belt and actually be able to use it. But even now, after 9 years of being fit and healthy, I haven't succumbed to the newer fashions of showing my belly. Some things never change.

So, how did the "muffin top" happen?

From eating too many muffins???

Well, that could be one problem. I love muffins too! Belly fat - in women or men - is dangerous. It's dangerous to your physical health - your blood pressure, your cholesterol levels, your overall health. However, it's also dangerous to your emotional health. Seriously? Uh, yes. A muffin top, or a tire around the middle, is not normal. It is a sign to you, or it should be, that something is wrong. Our bodies are not meant to have a tire of fat around our middle. It is meant to be flat and lean.

A "muffin top" is excess body fat. It is considered dangerous for women to measure more than 35 inches in waist, men to measure more than 40 inches. A "muffin top" affects more than just your measurements. It affects your weight, your clothing size and most importantly, your body fat%. This all must be taken into consideration when looking at the big picture.

So, how do you lower your body fat%?

Three simple ways:

A good strength training program
An effective cardio program
A healthy nutrition program

All of these done at the same time. I highly recommend working with a trainer/coach to do this. Lowering your body fat% will bring your body into a healthy range. It will bring your weight down. It will help you fit into your clothes. And it will get rid of the "muffin top". So, what are you waiting for?

What about the sugar in fruit?

2010-08-17T09:36:00.000-04:00

A common misconception about food when you are trying to lose weight is the sugar in fruit. When I do a nutritional analysis for a client and see no to little fruit, I always ask why. The response: "I thought fruit was bad for you - too much sugar".

So, is fruit bad for you? Is there too much sugar in it?

I love fruit. I don't think fruit is bad for you. But, I hold it to the same standard as all the food I consume - moderation! You can eat too much of a healthy food. Really, you can. Fruit included. I love fruit because it is natural. It is good. It is fresh. And as the seasons change, the fruits change. I think all of this is good.

Now there are some other options. Let's look at some of them.

An advertisement caught my eye - Del Monte's Fruit Naturals - with the tagline "It's healthy snacking made simple". Okay, healthy snacking is good. Simple is good.

1/2 cup serving size
70 calories
Okay, not too bad so far...
16g sugar

Would this product be better or the same as real fruit? This is an interesting website - Sugar Stacks - that gives you a visual of the amount of sugar in natural fruits.

Okay, for our little peach here, it is 12g sugar for 1 cup serving. So, if there is that much sugar in it, would the "Fruit Naturals" be a better choice?

Not necessarily.

The "Fruit Naturals" is a packaged product. Imagine sitting down and eating a serving of Fruit Naturals peach and then eating a natural peach. Look at the colors. Smell it. Taste it. Yes, the packaged product is going to taste sweeter, because of what they have added to make it so. But what you will taste from the real peach is real flavor. It's not processed. It's grown. It's natural.

Yes, there is sugar in real fruit.
Yes, there is sugar in processed fruit.

But, if I had to choose - I would choose real fruit - every day!

You can eat more of it. 1/2 cup serving of packaged fruit vs. 1 cup real fruit.
It's healthier, fresher.
It's good for you, natural.

So, going back to my previous comment - moderation! How much is too much? The USDA recommends 1-1/2 to 2 cups daily of fruit. That's not a whole lot, considering our little peach is 1 cup. So, moderation is key, as with any food you eat.

Don't be afraid of fruits. Take the time to eat a variety of fruits. Eat as natural as you can. Healthy snacking can be made simple - by eating natural fruit.

How to learn how to shop healthy at a grocery store

2010-08-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

When you are trying to lose weight, grocery shopping can be dangerous! So many new products, so many things to look for...

What should you look for in a product?
How do you read a food label?
How can you tell if a food is healthy for you or not?

I will be answering these questions, and many more, at my next Healthy Shopping 101 class. This class is designed to educate you on your options. Don't be fooled by marketing and advertising, know what to look for, know what to stay away from. We will walk down every aisle in the store, so get ready!

You will learn...
• How to read food labels
• Which ingredients to look for in a food and which to avoid
• The difference between low-fat and fat-free products and which to choose
• Healthy replacement items for packaged foods
• How to feed yourself and your family and be cost-effective at the same time
• New products - should you choose them or not?

Are you ready to make a change?

For more details, visit my Facebook fanpage. Healthy shopping, friends!

Epsom salt bath - a natural healer

2010-08-12T07:10:00.000-04:00

An old-fashioned remedy that still applies today - epsom salt bath!

I absolutely love epsom salts! I call it my natural healer! It truly is. I started using it on the advice of my massage therapist when I was injured. Helps with sore muscles, but I found out that it helps out in many other ways.

Epsom salt is basically magnesium sulfate. You fill a tub with warm water and add 1-2 cups of epsom salt. You can buy it at grocery store or any drug store. Very inexpensive. You will see other items out there that have epsom salt in it, along with perfumed oils and such and if you like that, try it. But I like good, old-fashioned epsom salts, in the plain, inexpensive bag, and it works just as well.

When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more. It is not only helping your sore muscles, but it is helping your skin AND your emotional health. People, we need to relax! We need to relax our bodies, but we need to relax our minds as well.

Over the years, I have come to consider epsom salt baths as part of my training program. Seriously. 2X a week. Sometimes it is hard to make that time - it takes about 15-20 minutes, but my kids are old enough now to not be at the bathroom door saying "Mom, are you almost done?". It was a struggle at first to make the time to do it, but now I couldn't live without it. Try it today and let me know how it works for you!

Perfect Asparagus Recipe

2010-08-12T06:56:00.000-04:00

I finally figured out how to make a perfect asparagus dish! Took me a while...

Whenever I cooked it, it would come out overcooked, too tender, too slimy. Ick. And I tried many, many ways.

Asparagus is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is a natural detox for your body. Knowing this, I tried to incorporate it into my nutrition plan, at least once a week. So, here is a very simple recipe:

1/2 - 1 lb. fresh asparagus
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

Rinse asparagus and tear off rough ends of stalks, drain. Spray cooking pan with non-stick PAM, place over medium to high heat, add coconut oil and let it dissolve. Add asparagus and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to pan, lower heat and cover. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Put on plate and serve.

You can find coconut oil at your grocery store, most likely in the health foods section. It is expensive, but I use it sparingly and so far, it has lasted quite well. Normally, I would use olive oil to saute, but coconut oil is so light and really adds a nice flavor to the asparagus. Enjoy!

Okay, so is there anything I can eat?

2010-08-11T06:58:00.000-04:00

I hear this phrase from clients as we are going over nutritional information. We start talking about food - what needs to be eliminated, what needs to be added - and the process can be overwhelming. Or when I spotlight a product on my Facebook fanpage and give you the "real" dish on a particular food. Or when I take a class through Publix in my Healthy Shopping 101 class and teach them how to read food labels. People get discouraged. What they thought was healthy is not. And so they ask me the inevitable question:

"Okay, so is there anything I can eat?"

And they ask this with despair, by the way. Nothing fun about being deprived of your favorite foods. But, is deprivation the only way? Do you have to give up everything you enjoy eating to lose weight?

Tough question. It's really a matter of focus and goals, education and inspiration, and just plain "how bad do you want it?".

If you educate yourself on the nutrition of foods, you start to realize what is in the packaged and fast foods.
If you focus on your goals, including nutrition, you start to prioritize what is really important in your food life.
If you really want to lose weight and have tried for years and haven't been able to, and if you have cried about your weight, then you might want it bad enough to make the hard changes.

Because there will be hard changes. If you want to lose the weight.

You may have to give up ice cream. You may have to give up chocolate. I did. I had to give up "trigger" foods that just negatively affected my body. Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely. Was it hard? Yes, absolutely. But it's possible. And now, I can go back and have those foods - once in a while, not daily - and it's not a problem now.

The hard part is finding your food addictions, facing your food addictions which involves asking what is this food replacing that I am not getting in my life, and then dealing with it.

Yes, there is food you can eat. Healthy, nutritious, beautiful food. You don't have to deprive yourself. You need to educate yourself. And I'm here to help you...

Celsius - a healthy sports drink?

2010-08-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

Celsius joins the ranks of sports drinks designed to - wait for it - HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT. Wow! It will magically take away those nasty food cravings. It will shoot you up with caffeine and it will just burn the fat off your body. No more worries, when it comes to weight loss. Okay, so I'm being a little sarcastic. But really? Is this a good drink for you?

Well, it has a great advertising program.
And, it is endorsed by Mario Lopez, dimples and all [who doesn't love a guy with dimples? That's all I'm sayin'].

So, let's look at the food label - oh yeah - that thing that tells you what's in a product:

10 calories, that's good
0g sugar, that's good
It has vitamins, that's good
Low sodium, good
It even has green tea extract and ginger, gotta be good!

Now read the last line. Contains 200mg total caffeine per serving. Okay, is that a lot?

Well, if you compare it to:

Chocolate bar - 30mg
Tea - 30-70mg
Cold relief tablet - 30mg
Cup of coffee - 90-150mg
Vivarin or other speed pill - 200mg

That's a lot of caffeine. Note the warning "Not recommended for..." at the bottom. I don't know about you, but I don't like warnings on the bottom of my food product. Kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. This is a caffeine-loaded product. If that's what you're looking for, fine. Caffeine is addicting and even though it may make you feel good for a short time, there's a crash coming. Not to mention what it does to your hormones [ladies AND guys].

Do you need it to lose weight? No.
Would it help you to lose weight? Maybe in extreme cases where you are NOT sensitive to caffeine and can handle the side affects.
Is it worth it? No.

You have everything you need inside of you to lose weight. It's not going to come from a beautifully-designed can of caffeine, no matter how cute the spokesperson is.

Wendy's new salads - are they healthy?

2010-08-10T06:59:00.000-04:00

Have seen some pretty advertisements lately for the new salads at Wendy's - have you tried them yet?

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
Baja Chicken Salad
Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad
BLT Cobb Salad

Yum, they sound healthy. So, are they? Let's find out...

First of all, before you partake a new item, esp. at a "fast food" restaurant, always check the company's website under "nutritional information". It only takes a minute and this will give you the information you need to make an informed choice.

Here's a brief summary:

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad - 580 calories, 27g fat, 50g carb, 38g protein, 1590mg sodium
Baja Chicken Salad - 740 calories, 47g fat, 49g carb, 35g protein, 1990 sodium
Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad - 740 calories, 49g fat, 41g carb, 37g protein, 1860 sodium
BLT Cobb Salad - 670 calories, 47g fat, 50g carb, 47g protein, 1920 sodium

Okay, red flags...

High calorie item. If you are consuming 1500-2000 calories a day, this is 1/2 of your day. Too high in calories, esp. for a salad.
Check sodium. Normal intake for the day is 1500-2000mg. For the day. All four of these salads exceed 1500. That is not good. Too much sodium in your system causes bloating, water retention, and negatively affects your hormones and metabolism [your ability to burn fat], as well as other physical problems.
Don't be overwhelmed by the details. It's important to know the other breakdowns, carbs, proteins, fats, but if you don't know what to look for - just look for the obvious - calories and sodium.

So, what's your option? If you HAVE to go to a Wendy's, what can you eat? Well, there are many other options. The key is to look at the nutritional information yourself and find something that you like. For example, the garden salad has 220 calories, 14g fat, 19g carb, 4g protein, 440mg sodium. The Grilled Chicken Wrap has 260 calories, 10g fat, 25g carb, 20g protein, 750mg sodium. Not the best on the sodium, but a better choice than the salads listed above.

Don't be intimidated by eating at a fast food restaurant! It is possible to eat healthy - but YOU have to control what you eat. Don't be fooled by pretty pictures and hefty marketing and advertising. You do the research and know what is going into your body. It's worth the time and effort, so will you?

What if the bad food is not the problem?

2010-08-09T14:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, we all know about bad food. We are told about it all the time, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Okay, so you know what to stay away from:

Fried foods
Fatty foods
Creams and butters
Ice cream
Sugar foods
Salty foods

And if you're trying to lose weight, you sometimes wonder "What food can I eat at all?" and are left to ponder this while you shop for more fruits and veggies and other boring foods.

But, what if, in our quest for getting to the "perfect size", what if we find out that the bad food is not the problem?

What if we eliminate the bad food, but still can't lose weight?
What if we workout like crazy, but the scale still doesn't budge?

Could it be possible that the bad food is not the problem?

When you are used to eating "bad" foods, such as those listed above, it is hard when you start eliminating them from your daily life. You have to deal with cravings, you have to deal with a growling tummy and you have to deal with your emotional ties to food. Cravings, you can deal with. Growling tummy, you can control to some extent. But, the emotional ties, oh, that's when we get into trouble.

We find out that there is a REASON we are drawn to these foods, whether it is:

Habit
Lonliness
Lack of love
Comfort
Unhappiness with life

And that's the hard part.

That's the reason most diets don't work. It's not all about cutting out the "bad" foods. It's about finding out WHY those foods are important to us and then dealing with those emotions. It truly does start with the inside, so will you?

When you're too tired to workout

2010-08-06T07:19:00.000-04:00

You're too tired to workout. No energy.

So, now what?

Do you just take a day off exercise? And what if a day becomes two days? And on and on? How do you know when to take a day off?

There are many reasons why you are too tired to workout and have no energy:

Exhaustion
Overtraining
Illness
Boredom

Now, for the first three, these are legitimate excuses for wanting to miss a day. When you are exhausted, your body is weak and asking for a break. Give it one. When you are overtraining, your body is stressing and asking for a break. Give it one. When you are sick with an illness, your body is recuperating and asking for a break. Give it one and let it recover.

However, if you are just bored and feeling lazy in your muscles, that is the time to get off the couch. I know, you're too tired to workout. I know, you have no energy. Do it anyway.

If you can't do your normal workout, do something.
If you can't run, walk.
If you can't lift weights, do light exercises.
If you can't do cardio, stretch.

Do something to get your body moving. Talk to that inside voice in your head. If you know exercise is good for you, then say it. If you know you NEED to get up and exercise, then do it. Remember - whatever you tell your body - your mind is listening! Always remember that!

Tell your mind - you can succeed, tomorrow will be a better day, you are strong!
And you will...

Emotional eating

2010-08-05T05:59:00.000-04:00

Emotional eating can derail even the best workout plan.

Why?

Because when you look at weight loss as a whole, 20% is the workouts, 80% is nutrition. Good nutrition. Emotional eating is very common due to stress, boredom, a way of stuffing feelings as you stuff your mouth. Sound familiar?

This is a great article by my mentor Tosca Reno...

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/newsletter/augrise10/

Here's an important quote from it:

"The sudden onset of hunger is triggered by an emotional event. All of us have been conditioned to eat food when we’re sad, bored, frustrated, anxious and even when we’re happy (think of all the times we choose to celebrate an event with cake and desserts). Emotional eating also tends to become a vicious cycle of self-sabotage. Once we allow ourselves to eat emotionally, we feel guilty, and that guilt feeds another bout of emotional eating that moves us even further away from our goals."

Tosca also talks about recognizing your trigger foods and using a journal. I highly recommend using a health journal. In fact, every client of mine gets a health journal on their first visit. It's crucial, not to record food, but to record the emotions that go along with the food.

You can conquer emotional eating. If I can do it, you can too...

Healthy oatmeal bar recipe

2010-08-04T06:50:00.000-04:00

This is a recipe I modified a little bit. I make this on Sunday, cut it into bars and keep them in ziplocs or container in the refrigerator. Then, throughout the week, I eat one bar with a fruit for a snack. This is particularly good for those PMS weeks when chocolate cravings are strong. It replaces chocolate or a protein bar. The ingredients are healthy. Enjoy!

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/8 tspn sea salt
1 scoop protein powder [I like to use chocolate]
1 tbsn cocoa [optional - if you want a chocolate flavor]
1/2 cup peanut butter [I use natural crunchy]
1/2 cup organic sugar [you can leave this out if you want or use agave nectar]
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tbsn olive oil [I use extra-virgin]
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 cups oats [old-fashioned, like me]
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9 baking pan with nonstick spray.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, protein powder and cocoa in a medium bowl. In separate bowl, beat peanut butter, sugar and honey with electric mixer until blended. Blend egg and egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Add to the peanut butter mixture, along with oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula. Mix in oats, dried cranberries and walnuts. Scrape batter into baking dish.

Bake the bars until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into bars. Serving size is 2 x 2 bar.

Carnation Breakfast Essentials - Is this a good breakfast for you?

2010-08-03T05:44:00.000-04:00

Carnation Breakfast Essentials

"Good Nutrition from the start"
-2x protein of an egg to help build muscle
-2x calcium of yogurt to help build strong bones
-21 vitamins and minerals

So, it's good, right?

If you are trying to lose weight, it is easy to be deceived - by clever advertising wording, by beautiful packaging, by the idea that instead of eating real food, you could drink a shake. Drinking a shake, in a "dieter's" mind is always better for weight loss than eating.

But is it?

Let's look closer at the food label: http://carnationinstantbreakfastessentials.com/Products/Bottle/Rich-Milk-Chocolate/Nutrition.aspx

260 calories
5g fat
4g carb
14g protein
230mg sodium
39g sugar

Calories are not too bad, for a breakfast anyway. Fat, carb and protein percentages are ok, not great, but ok. But it is definitely a carb-loaded drink, not a protein drink. 230mg of sodium, a little high if you want to stay in daily intake of 1,500-1,800mg. But the sugar! Daily recommended sugar is 32g a day. This has 39g!

If you look at the ingredient list, sugar is second ingredient, followed by many other forms of sugar.

This is a SUGAR drink. Plain and simple.

Yes, it's popular.
Yes, it's pretty.
Yes, it's packaged to help you eat [or drink] healthy and advertising even shows giving it to your children in order to help them eat healthy in the morning.

It's a SUGAR drink.

It is NOT a good option for breakfast. When you are trying to lose weight especially. Sugar affects your hormones [ladies] and your metabolism, your ability to burn fat. Better options would be oatmeal, fresh fruit, real food.

Another dead giveaway that this is NOT a healthy option is that it comes in a box. Read the labels. Know what you are putting into your body - and your child's. Don't be fooled by marketing and advertising. You know better, right?

**Join my Facebook fanpage for daily tips, recipes and healthy inspiration**

A product or pill will not change your life, you will.

2010-08-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

This is me. Well, it's not actually me. It kind of looks like me. But this is what I look like today, mouth open, hands by my face, totally frustrated.

I'm a fitness professional. I love my job. My job is to change lives. This is all good. But sometimes, it's so frustrating. Sometimes I want to stand on a mountain and scream, mouth open, hands by my face and SCREAM:

"A product or pill will not change your life, you will"

If you are a member of my Facebook fanpage, you have heard this for the past two days. It's been my status update for two days now. Hoping that it will sink in.

So, as a fitness professional, here's my dilemma and my frustrations:

The unending "marketing and advertising" of beautiful, fake, unhealthy food
The distortive and truth-bending "marketing and advertising" of super products - pills, shakes, exercise equipment - that is going to make you drop 7-10 lbs immediately - complete with a barrage of before and after photos that really make you want it
The sell-out trainers that promote these products - Jillian Michaels - oh yes, when it comes to the "show", it's all about emotional healing, get inside, do the hard work, but in reality, it's "here, take this speed pill [fat burner] because it's the only way you can do it" - sell-out

That's it in a nutshell. And that's why I feel like screaming. Because...

You have to do your research when a new product comes out and read labels
You have to do your research when something looks too good to be true and find the true sponsor of a product
You have to use common sense and look for the true motives of a person, even a popular fitness trainer

But, this is too hard. It's too much work. It's too time consuming. It's easier to just sit on the couch, watch these unbelievable ads and promotions, listen to the complete bullshit, and take that frickin' pill. Deprive yourself of real food. Don't worry about real exercise. Stop listening to that inside voice that gives you guidelines.

Friends, it's not going to happen that way.
I've been there.
But maybe I'm the stupid one here.

Because...

They are making money
They are selling product
They are convincing people

And what am I doing?

I'm not making money
I'm not selling a product
I'm trying hard to convince people

So, see the screaming part now? I want to make money. I want to support my family. I want to change the world. To do this, do I have to give up one or the other? I could have just given up years ago and just SOLD THE FRICKIN' PRODUCT, but I didn't and I haven't. I keep training, I keep educating, I keep talking to anyone who will listen that there's a good way to lose weight, to live a healthy life. And it doesn't involve taking a pill. It doesn't involve taking shakes. It doesn't involve exercising for hours a day. It does involve common sense. It does involve listening to your instinct, your inside voice. And it does involve change, doing the hard things that you know you ought to do.

So, I will say one more time for emphasis and then I will go on and do what I do:

"A product or pill will not change your life, you will"

So, now do it.

Is this cereal good for you?

2010-08-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

Gotta love that "marketing and advertising". Not.

Kellogg's Low-Fat Granola Cereal

Has all the key "diet" phrases: "low-fat" and "granola"

Look carefully - serving size is 1/2 cup. Does this beautiful bowl of granola cereal look like 1/2 cup? 1/2 cup is 190 calories. How many 1/2 cups do you think are in this bowl?

Then, check ingredients. Second ingredient is sugar, third ingredient is corn syrup. Further on down the thick list is high fructose corn syrup.

It's a beautiful package. It appears to be healthy. It's low-fat. It's granola. But you have to do your job and read the label. This is not a healthy food for you. Better alternative? Oatmeal, a true low-fat granola, oats. Real ingredients. Real food.

Take the time to find the truth about what you are eating. It's worth it to your health.

Getting out of your normal routine

2010-07-27T15:41:00.000-04:00

Have you ever done something and it's just out of your normal routine? It catches you by surprise. It makes you think. Sometimes it messes you up. Sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes, you think "Why haven't I done that before?".

We, as Americans, are creatures of habits. We typically wake up at the same times, eat the same meals, hang out with the same people, do the same things, go to bed in the same bed. Comfort, familiarity. Nothing wrong with that, right?

But what if you got out of your normal routine?

Would that be bad?

I had that happen several times in the past week. Some little things. Some bigger things. I was at the sink one day taking grapes off the vine to rinse. Habit, just taking them off gently one at a time and putting them in the colander, thinking while I do it. In a bowl next to the grapes bag was cherry tomatoes from a sweet friend's garden. [in case you are wondering, home-grown tomatoes are the best gift you can give me] Well, I was thinking about those ripe cherry tomatoes and popped one in my mouth. I did this without thinking and while my hands were on the grapes. My mind expected a grape, but as it popped in my mouth, it was a juicy tomato. I loved it. I had another. And then I stood there thinking - I was expecting to taste a grape and was pleasantly surprised when it was a tomato. Just a little out of the normal.

When it comes to my training, I am pretty strict. I have a weekly schedule and I have workouts written down according to my work schedule. I rarely miss a workout. But this week, I did. I am putting in some mileage on my swim workouts in addition to adding two bike rides a week. By mid-week, I was tired and facing another hard swim workout. My body was just exhausted. I was already to go for my lunch-time swim, when my teenage son came to me. He was bored. And I was leaving for another workout. Something in his eyes and I put my workout bag down and went out swimming with him. I spent the next hour playing frisbee - and it's competitive frisbee with a 13-year old boy - and then having lap races with him. I was scheduled for 48 laps that day - 3/4 mile - but I spent the time moving the whole time and we raced about 20 laps that day. But when it was over, I wasn't exhausted anymore. I was refreshed. And my son was happy so it was worth missing my scheduled workout. Just a little out of the normal.

My friend Irene, or as I call her, "bully" starts bugging me, I mean texting me, on Thursday about Saturday's weekly bike ride. She is a maniac. In a good way. We talked about how hot it was, how we wish we could get started earlier on the group ride. It typically starts at 8:30 am, but it is run by guys, so we usually leave at 8:45 am [sorry, guys, but if girls ran it, we'd start at 8:30 am sharp]. By the time we finish 2 hours later, it is hot and humid. So, as bully can only do, she devised a different plan. We'd meet earlier and her husband, "animal" [I love pet names] would scout out a ride for us. Maybe a little more than the normal 30+ that we do. No problem I said. Until it was 40+. That 40+ number threw me a little. Now bully has already talked me into several rides that I didn't think I could do, but I did them, so I put my trust in her. I got up early on Saturday and did the ride. It was more than 40, 49 to be exact. But it was an awesome ride, took me farther than I thought I could go, beautiful scenery, different experiences. Just a little out of the normal.

What could do this week to get just a little out of the normal?

Would it be worth it?

YES! Yes, it would be. Don't be afraid of change. Eat some cherry tomatoes, play with your son, take a bike ride you don't think you can. Do something different. It's good to get out of your normal routine. It truly is.

So will you?

Coffee, Tea or Me?

2010-07-19T14:21:00.000-04:00

When you are trying to lose weight or improve your health, sometimes you have to make decisions about the things that you are putting into your body. This is a question I get quite often and is something that I discuss with my clients when helping them with a nutrition plan. So which is better?

Coffee?
Tea?
Or me? [fitness trainer]

Ooohh, pick me, pick me. Just kidding. I'll save that for later.

Coffee

Coffee has been around a long time, since the thirteenth century. Coffee beans were first roasted and brewed in Arabia and have a long history as being a strong beverage. Strong usually meaning has caffeine.

I love the smell of coffee, I always have. But I have to admit, I have NEVER had a cup of coffee. I know, crazy! But seriously, I've never had a cup of the stuff. I grew up with it in the house, my dad had it every day. I love the smell of brewing coffee, I just can't drink it. It's too strong for me. But I've been around coffee drinkers, two of my sisters swear by it and have had it for years.

Coffee, when made from beans, and WITHOUT anything added, this being a key point, is a healthy drink. It does have caffeine, which does have a different affect on each person. When I come across coffee on a food log of a client, there are a couple of things I look for - is there anything added to it and how often is it consumed? Very important because the biggest downfall is what is ADDED to coffee to make it unhealthy - sugar, sugar substitutes, cream, etc. As well as quantity consumed. If you need more than 2 cups a day, it could be a problem. If you need a cup to get you going in the morning, it could be a problem. A small mocha frappe is 450 calories and contains 56 grams of sugar. [32 grams recommended per day]

Tea

Tea has been around even longer than coffee. Fresh tea made from leaves is healthy for you. In fact, almost all teas contain high levels of antioxidants which are good for your body. Tea is sometimes an alternative to coffee or an alternative to water, which some people get tired of drinking. There are so many varieties of tea as well - green, black, white, etc. I have learned a lot more about tea from my friend Jessica, who owns Aristeacrats in Lawrenceville, and am happy to say I can now brew my own tea at home.

Do I drink tea? Yes. Almost every day. I prefer the "softer" taste than coffee. I prefer not having the caffeine. But again, like coffee, when I see it on a client's food log, again, I have to ask - is there anything added to it and how often is it consumed. We have this thing in the South called "Sweet Tea". Yeah, sweet tea. You've had that once or twice, right? A typical glass of sweet tea is 230 calories and contains 59 grams of sugar. That's right, 59 grams. [32 grams recommended per day].

So, at this point, which is healthier for you? Coffee or tea? But wait, what about me, your fitness trainer? Where do I fit into the equation? See, I told you, pick me...

                                   Coffee                   Tea                     Fitness
                                                                                           Trainer

Contains caffeine            Yes                     Maybe                  No
Increases metabolism      Yes*                    Yes*                    Yes*
Burns fat                        Yes*                    Yes*                    Yes*

* No sugar or sweetener added

Coffee and tea can be healthy beverages for you - AS LONG as you limit consumption - AND you don't add unnecessary sweeteners. Sugar and sugar alternatives are harmful to your body in excess and can hugely affect your body's ability to increase your metabolism and burn fat. As your fitness trainer, I'll work to find the right combination of strength training, cardio and nutrition plan to increase your metabolism and burn fat. And it will probably cost you less than your current beverage costs.

So, what's it gonna be today? Coffee, tea or me?

You can't microwave your fitness!

2010-07-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

In any home now, a microwave is standard. It's part of the necessary appliances. If you send your child to college, you give him/her a microwave for their room, if there's not one in there already. In some cases, it replaces the stove or oven. It's quick. It's easy. It's modern technology, let's make it simple and fast, it's a miracle!

I realize this as my 13-year old son is talking to me while using the microwave, not aware of what he is doing because it is second-nature, fixing his food snack while talking to me. He doesn't even notice the steps he is taking to prepare it, he just does it because he's done it so many times before. It's quick. It's easy. It's a modern technology miracle!

The first microwave was developed in 1946 and cost between $2,000-$3,000. In 1952, the first home model was introduced at a cost of $1,295.00. By 1975, sales of microwave ovens exceeded that of gas ranges, even though there were myths and fears about the safety of them. From 1952 to 1975, marketing and advertising focused on the "convenience" and "necessity" of the microwave oven, making it - yes - a convenience and a necessity.

And that's the way many of us think about our fitness life. We want it to be quick. We want it to be easy. We want to use the newest modern technology tools to make it simple and fast. We want a miracle!

We don't want to wait for results!
We want it to be convenient.
We know it's a necessity.

Why should we wait?

But there's other things to consider - including:

Is the microwave the healthiest way to cook something?
Is the microwave the best way to cook something?
Is the microwave the ONLY way to cook something?

When you see an advertisement that shouts "Lose 10 lbs. in 2 days. Guaranteed" - do you buy the product? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. But when you see that advertisement and many others like it over and over and over, you begin to believe that hey, maybe it is true. Maybe it will work. You start listening to marketing and advertising. You start thinking that maybe a pill or shake isn't such a bad option. After all, it's:

Quick
Easy
Modern technology

Except one thing, it may not be.

Now, I'm not saying you should go home and trash your microwave. Don't get me wrong. But in looking at your fitness life or what you want your fitness life to be, sometimes we hold onto set ideas in our head. We are used to getting things fast and easy, like our microwave. But in the world of being healthy and fit, it doesn't happen like that.

There is no modern miracle, no pill that's going to make a difference.

It's going to be YOU. You working to make a difference. You working out your body. You eating good, healthy foods. You saying "no" when you need to. You getting your head into it. You are more than a machine.

And it may not happen quick.
It may not be easy.

But it will work. I promise you. So will you try it?

Using dates and time frames to lose weight

2010-07-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

I am a date person. I realize this as I carry around my 2010 At-A-Glance calendar with me everywhere I go. All my appointments and upcoming dates are written down. I know, I should put it in my fancy phone or I-phone and all that techno stuff. I don't. I carry my book. Dates are very important to me. It keeps me organized. It keeps me balanced. I know each day and week what is coming up. It motivates me. And if I write something down in my book, it's a given. I don't cancel appointments or dates unless I truly have an emergency. So if it's written, I do it, even if I don't feel like it at the time.

Dates keep me focused, esp. when used with goals. I love to use dates and time frames to make those goals. So, can you use them to lose weight?

Absolutely!

When I am writing a plan for a client, I use dates and time frames to help them make their goals - by realistically planning and by putting it in writing. This is usually only helpful if that person is a date person as well, meaning if they write something down, they will follow through on it. On occasion, I'll have a non-date person who cancels appointments routinely and is not motivated by the calendar or time frames. There are other ways to motivate these people, including:

Money
Contest
Fitting into a certain clothing or size
Health issues

Fortunately, it is my job to find what will motivate each person.

So, if you are a date person, how can you use dates and time frames to lose weight?

When writing down goals and planning using dates, it's important to look at the big picture first. Is there an important event in the near future - a birthday, an anniversary, a wedding or reunion? Something that will motivate you to want to be in shape for this event. Then, break it down further and look at time frames. For example, if your birthday is in three months and you have a 20-year school reunion in six months - instead of saying you want to lose 50 lbs. by the reunion, break it down and set a goal for your birthday. Then at that time, re-evaluate, take a short break and then set new goals for the reunion. That way, it is not so overwhelming and it seems easier to break it down into smaller time periods so you don't feel like you are just doing a "healthy lifestyle" for a certain event, then you'll go back to being unhealthy.

I like to use 10-12 weeks at a time for a good weight loss program. A good weight loss program meaning - a good strength training program, an effective cardio program and proper nutrition. 10-12 weeks is 2-1/2 or 3 months. Can you do a program for that long? Yes. You can focus and make your goals, as long as they are reasonable, during that time. Then, if you are not at your final goal, you can make another goal.

When you have a certain date in mind, or written down, it helps motivate you. It keeps you on-track. It's temporary. Especially if getting into a good weight loss program is hard for you to stay on. There's an end in sight. The hope is that once you start seeing results and making changes, it will be easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Having a date for weight loss can keep you committed, can keep you organized and balanced. So, what's your date?

Living healthy in an unhealthy world

2010-06-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak at workshops for the Georgia Teen Institute at Oxford College in Atlanta. One day was high school leaders, the next day was middle school leaders. They were awesome! They were very active and interested in learning how to live healthy. They had lots of questions, esp. the younger ones. They still had that child-like innocence of not being afraid to ask questions or tell you things.

I was going through the workshop evaluation forms and it truly made me smile. Here are some of their responses when asked what they learned during the workshop:

• I've learned how important it is to be healthy.
• That most things are in the head and become habits but seem like necessities.
• How to eat less food so you can lose weight.
• That we should moderate the way we eat. We should do more activities in our life related to health.
• I learned that pills and other substances aren't the best way to lose weight. A healthy food plan and a good workout is better to lose weight.
• Don't always eat fast foods, change it up.
• Sometimes you can overcome your weight problem with a healthy lifestyle if you start from the inside. [no coaching on this one, I promise, it's what she wrote :)]
• I learned that you could also suffer from having too much healthy food as well.
• When your body stops growing and if you are not active, you may gain weight.
• The "ose" in "fructose" means sugar.
• That not everything that looks good for you is good for you.
• There's a solution to everything. [I love this one!]
• If you go to a fast food place, look on the website to see what you need to get.
• As you get older, you can't eat the same things you ate when you were younger.
• I learned that eating right and working out and not taking weight loss pills will help you lose weight.
• Weight loss stuff can hurt you in many ways.
• Diet pills can kill you.
• Your workshop changed my life. [I really love this one!]

From the mouths of babes, people. These are from our future leaders.

Do any of them apply to you?

We don't have to make everything so complicated, even weight loss. It's not about being skinny, it's about being healthy and doing everything you were meant to do in your life.

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing with these kids and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to talk with them about how to live a healthy life. Now, how about you?

Can you live healthy in an unhealthy world?

How to stop sneaking food and crashing

2010-06-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

Those nasty squirrels! My 16-year old daughter and I stand with hands on our hips gazing at the toppled bird feeder. The squirrels got in again. And then she quips "If those squirrels are so smart that they can continually get past obstacles and get into our bird feeder, why aren't they smart enough to not run out in the road and get struck by a car?" That's my Amelia.

But it makes me think...those squirrels are pesky creatures. They sneak their food. They are relentless. They have other good food, but they want what they can't have, or shouldn't have. And then, they're dumb enough to run out in traffic and get run over. Kind of like a person trying to lose weight. Sneaking food, feeling out of control towards food, and wanting what they can't have, or shouldn't have. Then crashing and wondering what happened.

Do you ever sneak food?

I mean, be honest, do you ever eat things when no one is looking? That private time, maybe after everyone's in bed, maybe something you grab from the cupboards and eat in your bedroom or somewhere where it is just you. Just you and the food you shouldn't have. Junk food. Packaged food. Candy, sugar, foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Just a little bit to get you through. A little bit here and there. No one knows about it, so it's okay. And you just need a little bit, so it's okay, it's not like you are binging or anything.

Except...

Except for the fact that you keep crashing. You are stuck. You are unable to lose weight. You are doing everything you are supposed to be doing - or let me clarify - you are doing what you think you need to do to lose weight. You are counting calories, you are working out. But the weight's not coming off. And the body's not changing.

Reality meets the road when I ask a new client to write down everything they eat and drink for two days. I tell them to be honest. Most are. They are embarrassed, but they are honest. And most say the same thing - I didn't realize how much junk I had until I had to write it down. That's a starting point.

We can't just sneak food when no one's looking and think it doesn't matter.
We can't just sneak food and pretend it doesn't matter.
We can't just keep crashing, stalling, and thinking that it doesn't matter.

It does matter.
It does make a difference.

Don't be that pesky squirrel who sneaks around and then gets run over. Face your reality. If your reality is a food addiction, then face it. If your reality is an emotional attachment to a food, then face it. If your reality is a broken relationship masked by food, then face it. You can change this habit. It takes work, but you can change it. You can stop sneaking food and you can stop crashing. I'm here to help you...

How to stop eating crap

2010-06-09T08:49:00.000-04:00

What's wrong with 80% of the food in the grocery store aisles? It's crap. That's right. Crap. Marketing and advertising wrapped up in a pretty box or bag. Yes, there is some good there, but you have to look hard and you have to be educated. You have to do this because the food companies out there are not going to do it for you. Here's a little tidbit - they want to make money. They make money when you buy their products, their boxes and bags.

So - how can you stop eating crap?

Well, first of all, let's try to define crap, at least my definition of it. I write this after teaching a Healthy Shopping 101 class at local Publix last night when I introduced the word "crap" to attendees. As in, this food is crap. This marketing is crap. And the ever popular, this aisle is crap. I guess you had to be there...

Crap is processed foods. Crap is high-sodium, high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar processed foods that come in a box, bag or can. They do not have to fit ALL of these categories, just one or two. Crap is not natural. Crap is loaded down with high fructose corn syrup [don't even get me started on that, that's enough for a whole blog, okay making a note, next blog will be on hfcs, ugh]. Some examples of crap:

• Cereals
• Frozen meals
• Most soups
• Most canned veggies and fruits
• Most protein bars

So - let's talk about 3 ways you can stop eating crap:

Substitution - This is when you are used to eating a particular food and you get addicted to eating that food. When you decide to lose weight or live a healthy lifestyle, that food has to go. So you find a substitute. For example, if your weakness is ice cream, like mine was, then you find an alternative for ice cream. Mine was cottage cheese, specifically, blending cottage cheese with frozen fruit and pudding mix to make a concoction that resembled ice cream. If your weakness is chocolate candy, like mine was also, then you find an acceptable protein bar. Another substitution - baked potato with butter and sour cream. A healthier alternative would be a baked sweet potato with butter buds and cinnamon. See what I'm getting at? Let's move onto the next way...
Moderation - This is when you have already made the substitutions and you are eating healthier foods, but you still need to cut back. For example, a protein bar replaced my daily candy bag of M&M's, but still, a protein bar is not natural. For a while, it was a good substitution for me, but continuing in my weight loss journey, I had to give it up a little bit. Moderation. Moderation means cutting back. Instead of having a protein bar every day, I would have one every other day. Then, after weeks or months of that, I would cut it back to once a week or so. Just because a food is healthy, you can STILL overeat a healthy food. Moderation means balance, not eating the same thing day after day, finding healthy alternatives and eating them moderately. And the last way...
Elimination - This is when you have already made substitutions, you have already made moderations, now it's time to really cut back. Plateau's are a good reason for elimination. You lose 20 lbs. but you cannot lose the last 10. You lose 50 lbs. and have 50 more to go, but you cannot get past a certain number on the scale. You are close to making your goals, but can never seem to reach it. Elimination. That's right, cut-throat, eliminating the food from your life. This can be permanent, this can be temporary. I have had to do this several times from my own life. It's okay. You will live through it. For example, I had to give up chocolate for a period, to get me to the next level. There are a couple of things I had to give up in order to get me where I wanted to be - examples - peanut M&M's, ice cream, cereal, protein bars. Now, some of those I can eat in moderation, some I cannot. The ones I cannot are trigger foods for me. Meaning if I have one, I have to have another or something like it, and it triggers me to eat poorly.

Most people fail to stop eating crap when they completely skip #1 substitution and #2 moderation and go straight to #3 elimination. Some people can do that, most cannot. If you cannot go cold turkey and give up what you are used to eating, don't be discouraged, take it slow and start with #1 substitution.

You can stop eating crap. You know you need to. So do it.

I'm here to help you.

Saying "no" to what's not good for you

2010-06-07T16:15:00.000-04:00

How do you say "no" to what's not good for you?

If you know you should not eat chocolate, but you want it, what's gonna keep you from eating it? A goal? Will power? A hammer? [just kidding on the hammer]

How do you say "no" when you have to?

I was reminded about the power of saying "no" when one of my holiday visitors reminded me constantly by saying "no". It was my nephew Isaiah, who is 3 going on 20. I love his voice. I love his personality. He looks like an old man in a little boy's body. And he says "no". A lot. It's part of being 3. I don't take it too seriously, of course, that's probably because I don't have a 3 year old anymore. My youngest is 13 and has gotten out of the "no" stage long ago.

So, he says "no". He says "no" when he means "yes", he says "no" when he when he gets mad, he says "no" when he's happy. He just says it all the time.

So why can't we as adults say it?

Why can't we say it when someone close to us does something that is wrong?
Why can't we say it when we get in a relationship we shouldn't?
Why can't we say it when we eat the wrong foods?
Why can't we say it when we want to eat the wrong foods?
Why can't we say it when we are pressured by others to eat the wrong foods?

What's wrong with saying "no"?

Is "no" a bad word?

I ponder this as I have clients who are struggling with trigger foods, feeling helpless and bound to their bad choices, along with my own personal demons. How much of this could have been avoided by just saying "no"? How do you get strong enough to say "no"?

You just say "no".

You just say it. You just do it. You just live it. My Isaiah doesn't worry about the consequences every time he says it, he just says it. My Isaiah doesn't fret about setting boundaries, he just does it. My Isaiah doesn't care what the people around him think, he is who he is.

And I want to be just like him.

You get strong by saying "no" to what YOU KNOW is not good for you. You know in your heart. You know by your instincts. So, do it. Say "no". Will you?

Flaws or Possibilities?

2010-06-02T14:26:00.000-04:00

When you physically see someone, do you notice their flaws - or their possibilities?
When you personally know someone, do you notice their flaws - or their possibilities?

In this world today, it is very easy to be negative. We are surrounded by negative influences like TV, media and other sources who may not be completely telling the truth or may be hyping some version of the truth for good ratings or for a profit. So, we get used to seeing the negative. And we get used to seeing the flaws, of those around us, of those we meet.

But what about the possibilities?
What about the positive?

I am not a visual person, but I am married to one. He's an artist. He can walk into a room and immediately know what color would be best, what patterns, what shapes to decorate. I walk into a room and just look around and say "huh?". I'm more of a list person who can handle the details of something or organize it. But, in my job of being a Fitness Professional, I do consider myself a visual person.

When I see a person in front of me, I see the possibilities.

You have to understand, when most people come to me, they are at their wit's end. They have tried over and over to lose weight and have failed over and over. They have cried about their weight. It is rare that I just have someone come to me and say "I want to lose a little bit of weight" and go on their merry way. Don't get me wrong, I can work with them and I will, but my heart goes out to the woman who comes to me, obese and overworked, stressed and sick, but is ready to make a change.

She is worn down by life, but I only see the positive.
I don't look at the double chins, I see their eyes.
I don't look at the flap of skin in the back of their arms that wave when they raise their arm, I see muscles and leanness.
I don't look at their extended pooch in their belly, from numbered pregnancies or whatever, I see a flat smooth belly.
I don't see their fat asses [sorry, thought I'd be real honest today], I see a fit person.

How is that possible? And why is that not what they see?

It is so easy to be critical of your body, especially when you are not at a place that you want to be. But, part of getting where you want to be is visualizing what you want to look like. Seeing the possibilities of where you could take your body. And I'm not talking about physical perfection either. Don't get me wrong. I'm talking about being healthy, about being fit, about looking in the mirror and loving your body. It's not about being skinny and showing off your skinny ass to everyone. It's about knowing that you are the best you can be and loving it. There is a difference.

So, what do you see? Do you see flaws? Or do you see possibilities?

10 Ways to Just Shut Up and Live Healthy!

2010-05-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

Living healthy. Ah, everyone wants to do it. Everyone wants to know what it feels like. Everyone wants to look healthy, feel healthy, be healthy. Right? Then, why are we not? Why is a daily struggle it seems? Why can't it be easy to lose weight? Why can't it be easy to live healthy?

Just shut up and live healthy. What? Shut up? I love the line in "Sleepless in Seattle" when Tom Hank's son says that, "Shut up? Shut up? Mom never told me to shut up?" I use that line all the time. We want to talk about it, read about it, think about it, contemplate making a change, blah, blah, blah, just shut up and do it.

Can it be that easy?

I'm emotionally tough on my clients. I give them workouts, give them nutritional guidance, I give them support, but when it comes down the emotions, I am like a mirror in your face, showing you what you cannot see at first glance. I don't change your face - I show you - and you change. So, here's the mirror for today...

Exercise your body. It does NOT have to be excessive. It does NOT have to be for an hour a day. But you need to work your body. You need to lift weights, you need to do cardio, you need to stretch. Our bodies are meant to be active, not sit around on a couch all night. Make your body happy by treating it right and moving.
Feed your body. Starving does NOT work. Crazy diets do NOT work. Eating good, nutritious foods does. Eating in moderation. Making healthy choices. Eating food that will nourish your body. Eliminating things that are bad for you - you already know what they are - excessive sugar, poor fats and colas [all colas, don't even say the word "Diet" coke around me].
Deal with your cravings. Break it down. Were you raised to have it as a comfort food? Are you emotionally attached to it? Why? Figure out how you can deal with it. From cold-turkey elimination of it [not bad if you can do it] to gradual reduction, learn how to be in control and NOT let the food be in control. Find out if your body is low on a certain vitamin or mineral that causes you to crave certain foods.
Become emotionally strong. Who cares what people say? Who cares what people around you are doing, or eating? Does it really matter to you? FOCUS on you - what you are doing, what you are eating. Take the comments and either prepare your comebacks in advance or just shut up and smile. Buck up. Don't worry about what others say about your desire to live healthy. Don't criticize and don't let yourself be criticized. Just make healthy choices and live with it.
Educate yourself. When you see an advertisement, ask yourself "Is this marketing and advertising?". Do the research. Read food labels. Read trusted websites with health information. Find out your bodyfat% and BMI. Know your weight and where it should be.
Challenge yourself. Set goals. Find something that will motivate you - whether it is a photo, a race, a weight number, a bodyfat% number, a clothing size. Go with your heart's desire - what have you always wanted to do but don't think you can? Really, be honest with yourself.
Be an example. When the going gets tough, the tough get tougher. When you have to eat at a buffet, be an example and choose healthy items. When you are stuck at a reception with sweet overload, be an example and choose the fruit and veggies. When you are at work and are looking at a long afternoon, get a healthy snack. Don't just run for the candy bowl or vending machine and call it a day. Be an example without shouting it out to the world.
Handle stress. Crucial. Find something that works for you. Whether it is meditation, working out, massage [I highly recommend], weekly epsom salt bath, do it. Relax your body and your mind and get the tension out.
Be positive. Your body listens to everything you say about it. Be nice. Don't say "I hate my butt", say "I am working to be healthy and I love my body". Think about what you say about yourself to yourself. Would you say that to your child - or to your spouse? Then why would you say it to yourself?
Learn to trust your inside voice again. Your instinct. Remember that? That voice that tells you when you do something right or wrong? That voice that knows what is best for you that has been pushed aside. Start listening to it again. Start believing in yourself. Start trusting your instincts and what you need to do to live healthy. If you know that something is bad for you, listen to that voice and don't compromise.

You can live healthy. You just make that choice.

I am always here to help you. Now shut up and get to work on living healthy...

Running in the Rain and Other Obstacles in Life

2010-05-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

It's Friday morning, my track day. On the training agenda - 4 miles on the track - working on sprints and speed. So I wake up to a little sprinkling. That's okay, I don't mind running in sprinkles. So I gear up with my running apparel and pink Arnold hat and grab a jacket on the way out. It starts raining a little harder. That's okay, I can run in the rain.

I'm on a schedule, a training schedule. It's important for me to get in my workouts. And it starts raining even harder.

Sigh. Is this life or what?

My training is going good. Real good. I am making progress, I am having fun and it never seems to fail...when my training is great, my life falls apart. However, when my training sucks or I'm injured, my life is good. What's with that? Why so many obstacles and how can I overcome them?

I am all about overcoming obstacles, but this "problem" in my life seems insurmountable. Is that a word? So, here's a picture of my "problem".
Isn't it pretty? It's all wrapped up with a pretty pink bow. Pink is my signature color, ya know. I keep it wrapped up with the pretty bow around it because it's easier to handle that way and I don't have to deal with the harsh reality that I screwed up and made a mistake again.

And it keeps raining.

So, I arrive at the track. No one to be seen. Anywhere. It's just me. Just me and my stupid training schedule. 4 miles. 12 laps. I can do this.

As I put on my jacket, I wonder why I didn't grab my red waterproof jacket instead of this one, I put on my hat and the jacket has a hood so I put that on over the hat. I gear up my music which today is a compilation of:

-Michael Jackson [gotta have]
-Rick Springfield [duh]
-Guns and Roses
-MC Hammer [can't touch this]
-Theme song to Biggest Loser [what have you done today to make you feel proud]
-Taylor Hicks
-And of course, Rocky theme song [you knew that was coming]

I get out of the car into the rain and start jogging. I say to myself "Okay God, it's you and me today" and I hear a rumble of thunder. Cool. I can do this.

The first few laps were jubilation, "I'm running in the rain, I can do anything". Then it really started raining. And my feet got wet. Oh no, not wet feet. I can handle the rain, but I can't stand having wet shoes and socks. So miserable to run in.

Then my pretty little package started coming undone. Lap by lap, I became drenched in my problem. Is it ever going to go away? Am I ever going to fix it?

And it keeps raining harder.
And the puddles are getting bigger.

At first, I went around the puddles, but now they are so big that I have no choice, I just plunge right through them. More wet feet.

No thunder during this whole time. I'm on my own. It's my decision now. Do I fix the problem? How do I fix the problem?

The rain continues to beat down on me and at lap 7, I can't tell which direction it is coming from now. Is it from the side or from the ground because it's everywhere now. I have never been this wet before, ever, I am sure.

At lap 9, I must have been delirious and sure that they would send someone out to get me for the funny farm. Still not a soul in sight. I'm still by myself, alone, trying to figure out my problem.

And it keeps raining harder.
And the puddles are getting bigger.

My clothes are weighing on me now, I'm completely drenched, and I don't know how I'm going to do the last mile. I want to go to the car so bad, but my training schedule looms in front of me, one more mile to go.

And the rain eases up. Finally. Not all together, but a little bit. I keep running. I keep thinking about what I can do to fix my problem. And then the final lap. I promised myself if I got this far, I would take off my jacket and hat, all my protection, and just run free, so I did. I ripped everything off and ran the last lap, free of protection, face to the sky, rain falling on me. It was glorious.

And when I was done, I felt good. My problem was still there, but the bow was undone, and I had some ideas now on how to fix it.

And there was no rainbow. And I was really looking for one too. It would have been so perfect. But it wasn't there. Only another rumble of thunder as I got a blanket from the trunk, God telling me I made it through the rain. I smiled. It's going to be okay. Whether I lose a relationship, my house, I'm still strong enough to make it through the rain.

The obstacles are always going to be there, every day. It's what you do with them and how you get through them, even when it keeps raining and the puddles get bigger.

Now, I wonder, how long it will take my shoes to dry...

So what's the deal with P90X?

2010-05-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

I must get asked this question 10-20 times a week. By clients, by people I meet on the street. Everyone wants to know the same thing - does it work?

P90X

First of all, P90X was developed in 2004 by Tony Horton, a follow-up program to Power 90, a program he had developed in 2001.

"Power 90 combines quick, intense cardiovascular exercises with moderate-level strength and weight training. P90X (for “Power 90 Extreme”), which promises a “ripped” physique to those who follow his rigorous workouts and diet plan for 90 days. P90X features a number of different bodyweight and resistance training exercises, and cardio formats including plyometrics and the martial art of kenpo. The varied workout schedule is based on the concept of “muscle confusion,” a form of cross-training, which holds that the body will continuously improve when faced with unfamiliar movements."

So, does it work?

I have the P90X system. No, I didn't buy it. Actually, I did buy it. But not for me. It was a present for someone who used it a couple of times and then let it sit in the box, no names will be mentioned.

I love P90X. I love Tony Horton. I think he is a great trainer.

Do I use it?

No.

Why not?

Since I started working out in 2001 and made my big transformation, I have tried many workout programs. I have gone through many 12-week workout programs designed to help me be a better runner, weight programs to help tone up, cardio programs, you name it, I've tried it. I have a weakness I'll admit - I love to get and read fitness magazines [the good ones] and try their workouts. I am always trying something new. Or if I see something on the Biggest Loser during one of their challenges, I'll try it at home. I love to continually challenge my body.

So, yes, I have tried the P90X program. I liked it, for a little while. Maybe a week or so. I got bored. I love the exercises. I loved Tony the first couple of days and then after that, the "P90X" whispered while using arm motions to form an "X" kind of got on my nerves a little bit. Actually, I think I stayed with it for 4 weeks at one point. Then I went onto something else. But that's me. I train for triathlons so the majority of my training is spent on the things I do on race day - swimming, biking and running. There is not a lot of cardio in P90X. I have found that it works better for MEN than WOMEN. If a female client wants to do it, she usually has to add more cardio in addition to the workouts. Not to say it is easier for the guys.

There are a few things about P90X:
-The before and after shots are awesome. I love seeing the reduction of bodyfat %. However, if you read the FINE print, you will see that these results are not typical AND only if you follow the P90X program to a T for 12 weeks, ALONG with the P90X nutrition program.
-The nutrition program is very strict. I wish I had it here in front of me, but the Type A male that I gave it to lost it somewhere. However, from what I remember, it is very stringent and might be hard for a beginner or moderate exerciser to follow.
-You have to stick with the program. You cannot just do it for two weeks and expect results. In fact, here is a breakdown of a typical 12-week program - NOT just P90X - any 12-week life-changing program:

Week 1 - Exercise is great, nutrition is great, excited about making a change
Week 2 - Ouch - exercise makes you hurt, it's hard to eat right, reality is setting in
Week 3 - Oops - missed a couple of workouts, had a couple of nights out, starting to get frustrated
Week 4 - Why am I working my ass off for this little result? I am working out, I deserve a break to eat this. Still not seeing results

This is a critical point. We are only in Week 4 of a 12-week program. WHEN will you see the results of your hard week? Hang on, I'll tell you...

Most likely, not until Week 8 or Week 9. Please write this down.

Yes, that's what I said. So, what does that mean?

It means you have to put your head down, shut up and get to work. You have to do the workouts every day, you have to eat right, you have to be focused. AND you have to do this for 12 weeks straight. So, can you do it?

Uh, yeah.

Will do you it?

Uh, not so sure. 80% of people won't. They might make it to Week 5 or 6, but somewhere along the way, something happens - someone they know dies, someone they know loses their job, stress with a child, stress with a relationship, family concerns - something happens and they lose their focus. Who am I talking about? All of us. It's called life. And it's NOT going to stop just so you can get your 12-week program in. I love when someone tells me "I'll start as soon as ..... " because I know most likely, they will not start because pretty soon, something else will come up.

The P90X program is a great workout program. It can help you lose weight and tone up. But you have to use it properly to see the best results. Just like ANY workout and nutrition program. If you do it half-assed, your results will be half-assed. The real key is making it past that 8-9 week mark and I would challenge you to set that goal first of all - regardless of the program that you use - to be emotionally strong and get past that 8-9 week mark, and then, you'll see some results that you are expecting.

I am here to help you. sandi@startwiththeinside.com

Finally a cure for weight loss - It's a Miracle!

2010-05-17T10:37:00.000-04:00

My goal this weekend was to go to a great health expo in Atlanta - http://www.aliveexpo.com/
and learn about new products, new health and wellness companies, sharing information. Great location, good crowd participation, Sunday afternoon spent going from booth to booth. The best part was going with my sister Diane and daughter Amelia. But some disappointment, and I guess I should have been prepared for this, but at times I felt like a person going through the County Fair where the weird-looking guy with tattoed body is taunting me "Come here, try this, you'll like it". Ewww. I can handle it, I'm an adult, but I could tell after 5 minutes after being there that Amelia was uncomfortable, and I felt bad about that.

So, here's my report - from a Fitness Professional whose goal is to transform my clients and help them have healthy & productive lives, to save them from obesity one client at a time - yeah, yeah, yeah, get on with the show, we know...

It's a Miracle!

Finally! A cure for weight loss. No more workouts, no more eating right, no more getting your "head" into it. None of that crap. It's about time, dammit.

So, let's start with Miracle #1...

I saw this one while Diane was getting a massage.

Wow, only $25.00. No pain. Actual fat loss. Amelia had to hold me back as I fumed.

But no worries, it got worse...Miracle #2...

Oh my God, what a happy face on this poor woman. This was at another booth. Guaranteed fat loss. Doesn't she look comfortable? I can almost see the fat coming off her right now.

Here's another one from Miracle #1 from the other side. Notice the green neon sign on the corner of the booth "Magic Skinny Booth". See? It is a miracle, I wasn't foolin' ya. Only now it's "magic".

Then, onto one of my personal favorites...my beautiful sister Diane posed for this one...I especially love the title "Healthy Chocolate".

Ahhh, it's okay now, it's healthy, eat as much as you want. Yum, chocolate. It's a miracle!

Okay, I hope you know I'm being extremely sarcastic in this post. I'm sorry, I'm not usually so blunt. But people, COME ON!!!

The audience is a typical woman, walking around, looking for education, looking for someone who will tell her the truth, looking for help for health conditions, including obesity and all the medical problems it comes with. And don't get me wrong. All of the vendors were not like this. There were some very good ones, including Publix, which had an awesome booth with a lot of great information to give out, including samples.

But what is healthy about this?

A quick fix that's considered a Miracle?

At a health expo. It must be okay, right?

People please. My poor Amelia endured my rantings and going up to some of the vendors to discuss their "miracles" while she waited patiently for me, trying not to roll her eyes too much or pull my arm to get away. And the worse the product or service, the pushier the "tattoed" guy got with me. Ewww.

I want to STOP obesity and being overweight just as much as the next person.

But - like this?

Using expensive products or procedures that are considered quick fixes but that don't work, they don't last, they don't solve the real problem. They don't make you exercise your beautiful body. They don't make you choose good foods. They don't make you face your life and get your emotions in order. No - the exact opposite - just cover it up. Fix it up for a while before she blows again.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I used to be one of those people. Looking for anything that would help me get out of my misery.

It's not going to work.

There is a miracle. But it's not at a health expo. It's with you.

It's you - moving your body and getting good exercise.
It's you - making good nutrition choices and enjoying food without starving yourself.
It's you - starting from the inside, learning why you resort to foods that aren't good for you, learning why you make excuses, learning how to love your body.

It's not about being skinny or fitting into a certain size.

It's about being healthy. Being healthy and fit:

So you can take care of others around you.
So you can challenge your body and experience the joy of pushing yourself to new limits.
So you can enjoy cooking and eating in moderation the things that you enjoy.

Friend, YOU are the miracle. Don't look any further. You already have it. Now go make it work. If you don't know how, I am here to help you.

sandi@startwiththeinside.com

Excuse #2 - I Don't Have Enough Time... [Part 2]

2010-05-13T07:31:00.000-04:00

Okay kids, I finally have time to finish this.

Back to making time a priority in your life. You may say you want to be healthy, but you don't have enough time to do so. Really? We talked about going through your day hour by hour to see what you could squeeze out of there, but really, what is your time spent on? Are you saying 'yes' to too many people? Are you involved in too many things? Do you do things just because no one else will?

Believe me, I am guilty of all of the above. My biggest time is being a parent, taking them to and from places, volunteering at school and PTSA's, teaching them, spending time with them. It is very easy to get over-involved, esp. if you have more than one child. It's great for your child to be involved in activities, but sometimes it goes overboard. Do they really need to do 2 or 3 sports a season, along with outside school clubs, music lessons, etc, until you spend every spare minute taking them someplace? Sometimes you have to just sit down and pare down your responsibilities. If you are a mom who is frazzled and spends your life doing that - taking them from place to place - think about what you are teaching your child: To be frazzled. To be disorganized. To feel like they have to run from event to event, stressed out, grabbing fast food. You think the burden is all on you, but is it?

Sometimes you just have to say 'no'. I know it's hard. But your time is your time. All of us have the exact same number of hours in a day to do something with it. As far as being fit and living a healthy life, you need to spend time doing that. You need:

-20-30 minutes a day to exercise
-20-30 minutes a day to prepare meals
-1 hour a week to plan exercise and meals for the week

That doesn't sound terribly hard, right? Then why do we complain about time while we sit on the couch at night and watch tv? Why is our health failing and we are continuing to get fatter and fatter? Why do we keep getting more and more depressed? Do you think it's just going to POP - get all better one day? You're just magically going to have time, maybe when the kids graduate? Moms today are in a caretaker mode, but they need to understand an important function of being a caretaker:

You need to take care of yourself SO you can better take care of others.

You need to take the time to exercise, take the time to prepare meals, take the time once a week to plan each of those.

Friends, like I said in Part 1, listen to what you are telling your body [and others] each day. If you keep making excuses, then your body is listening and saying to itself "Hey, we get another pass today, relax". But how is this affecting your emotions? How is this affecting your well-being? How do you feel when you look in the mirror in the morning? Are you disappointed by your body?

One last thing...when I say look in the mirror, I do NOT believe that this is all about HOW YOU LOOK. On the contrary. This is about fitness, not being skinny. This is about health, not being pretty. True beauty comes from the inside. And so does being true to yourself. Taking time for yourself. Making time to do the things that you know in your heart you need to do.

Please make time this week to start from the inside. I know you can do it.

[I need to hear from you if these posts are making a difference in your life. Leave me a comment OR a suggestion for future posts. Stay tuned for more excuses, including "I can't afford a personal trainer"...tell me your excuse so I can blog about it. If you don't want to leave a comment, email me personally at sandi@startwiththeinside.com]

Excuse #2 - I Don't Have Enough Time... [Part 1]

2010-05-11T09:27:00.000-04:00

"I don't have enough time to work out"
"I don't have enough time to plan my meals"
"I barely have time to grab a fast food meal before I'm going to the next thing"
"I don't have enough time..."

Yes, the topic of this excuse is "time". Sit down and buckle up, here we go.

First of all, I am not here to be your friend. I am here to save your life.
I am not here to be your buddy, I am here to help you regain your health and live healthy.
Not that I don't enjoy friends and buddies, I do. When I write about excuses, it is really hard because people take it personally. I write it to help you. I am not out to single you out or criticize you, I am here to help you. Anything that I write about I have gone through myself. I have used all of these excuses too.

So...what's up with the lack of time?

People are busy today. Crazy busy. People are busy with their jobs. People are busy with their families. People are busy with their schools. People are busy with sports. Let's talk about my favorite people and my typical client - moms!

Moms are hard-working people. Moms today are balancing so many time-consuming things - they are carpooling, they are taking kids to sports games, they are being involved in their schools, they are shopping, cooking, cleaning - and oh yes, they have jobs on top of all this. Moms are busy. Moms are busy with no time. So, do they get a pass when I hear the excuse "I don't have enough time to ..."? Uh no, sorry moms!

When someone says "I don't have enough time", it means one of two things:
-You didn't or won't make time
-Your priority is not to make time

If you thought about it, could you write down hour by hour everything that you do each day? And if you did that, could you find some time in there to play with? Maybe?

When your priority is health, you find time.
When your priority is fitness, you find time.
When your priority is living a healthy life - so you can take care of others - you find time.

Time is everywhere.
Time is here.
Time is now.

And time has become a convenient excuse for some who are overweight and don't know what to do about it. Yes, you are a busy person. Congratulations. Now, let's lose some weight. Let's get your life back.

There are many misconceptions about time when it comes to working out and living healthy. Some people have an idea in their mind about HOW much time they need to spend - working out, eating healthy, etc. They think they need to spend one or two hours in the gym for any results. They think they need to spend hours preparing food. Then they look at their life - hour by hour - and they say "I don't have enough time for that". And there's the excuse. Another unhealthy dinner choice, another unhealthy day, another Scarlett O'Hara "I'll think about it tomorrow" day and there ya go. Sound familiar?

So, where do you find this time thing?

First, you look at your priorities.

Yes, you need to work. Yes, you need to take care of your family. But look at your life and see where you can find time. Could you find 20-30 minutes each day to work out? Could it be in the morning before everyone else gets up? Could it be on your lunch hour? Could it be in the evening while watching TV?

I will continue this post in the next few days, because...I've run out of time. Literally. I know, it figures. See, I told you I only write about those things that happen to me. I have to go to work and help change the lives of my clients - because that's what I LOVE to do. But until then, think about TIME. Think about the time you have and think about the time you need. In Part 2, we will talk about ways to get more time, how to use time more efficiently, and how to stop wasting time.

One more thing before I go...in my last post, I talked about saying "I'm so tired" to yourself 20 times a day and how your body is listening -- same thing with TIME. If you continually tell yourself [and everyone around you] "I don't have enough time" or "I don't have time", then your body is listening AND you won't have time. Again, your body is listening to what your mind is telling it. If you say "I am going to make time to be healthy" or "I will find time to change my body", then your body will listen. Think about what you say to yourself [or others] each day. Start taking those thoughts or sayings - claim them - and then CHANGE them.

It all starts with the inside, baby. Now get to work...

Excuse #1 - I'm Too Tired to Workout

2010-05-06T07:35:00.000-04:00

How many times have I heard this one? It's funny when I meet new people and they ask what I do. As soon as I mention health & fitness, they immediately tell me what they "should" be doing - I so dislike the word "should" - and then the excuses begin. I didn't ask for excuses! But I get them anyway! I decided to address some of the most common excuses that I often hear. I say "most common" because literally I could write for weeks on this subject with all of the excuses I have heard.

Yeah, gonna be a tough one today. Feeling a little tough.

"I'm too tired to workout"

Ever said that? Do you ever say to yourself OR to others "I'm so tired" followed by "I'm completely exhausted" or "I'm beat" and other not-so-uplifting statements. Did you know your body can hear you? Really. Take a typical "tired" day in your life, and count the number of times you say that outloud or to yourself "I'm so tired". I have to catch myself on those tired days. It comes naturally. It's a bad habit.

Too tired can come from many places:
-Not getting enough sleep [a huge one]
-Staying up too late
-Getting up too early
-Doing too much during the day, too busy
-Stress [another huge one]
-Eating habits
-Not working out

Of course, the biggest one is not getting enough sleep. For whatever reason. We tend to stay up too late and get up too early and expect our body to respond positively and then we are disappointed when it doesn't.

So, how can we not be so tired?

Well, changing your habits is a good place to start. Take the list above and tackle each point, one by one.
-If you are staying up too late, enforce a bedtime. Do what it takes to get to bed on time, shut off the computer and TV and start listening to your inside voice.
-Many times, we cannot control what time we have to get up in the morning, but try to adjust your schedule so that you can sleep in once or twice a week, just a little bit. Prepare a little bit the night before also - plan meals for the next day, clean the kitchen, do the little things that take time in the mornings.
-Learn to say no to some things. You cannot do everything, so don't try. Either say no or get the people around you to help. Yes, that includes kids. Busyness is good if it is productive and healthy; it's not good if it is draining.
-Learn to handle your stress. This is a huge one and there is no one answer. Each person has to find what works for them, but find it!
-Feed your body well. If you know you "shouldn't" eat something, then don't. Eat a balanced nutrition plan - fruits and veggies, lean meats. Eliminate sodas and sugar.
-Exercise your body with a good weight training program and an effective cardio program.

And last, but not least...
-Sometimes, you are just going to be tired. It's inevitable. But you have to go on. If you tell your body all day long [and everyone you meet] "I'm so tired" then YOUR BODY WILL LISTEN AND OBEY and you WILL be tired all day long. Watch your words that you speak to your body. It's time to buck up, soldier.

Words you can use...
"I know I didn't get enough sleep, but I am strong and I'll make it through the day"
"I am healthy"
"I am working on making my body stronger and healthier"
"I can do this"

I don't say these words in jest. I've been there too. Who hasn't? I've had the bad nights where you wake up just dead to the world and wonder how you are going to get through the day. Regardless, you can get through the day in two ways - in a healthy way or an unhealthy way. You already know the unhealthy way - did that help at all? Does it help your situation or make you feel more rested to say "I'm so tired" 20 times a day? Or can you try another way? A healthy way? You can get through the day, you can say nice things to your body, you can overcome this excuse. Now get to it, buck up soldier and have a great day!

Start With The Inside

Sacrificing for your health

Are you sacrificing your health or are you willing to sacrifice for your health?

In our quick weight loss, pill and shake-dominant society, what is considered a sacrifice anymore?

A strict diet plan?

A regimented workout plan?

Not eating chocolate?

The stores make it easy for us - unhealthy food is cheap.

The fast food restaurants make it easy for us - unhealthy food is fast [and cheap].

The medical community make it easy for us - they have pills and shakes and if that doesn't work, surgery for obesity will cure all.

But what about what our heart says?

What about that inside voice telling you that you know it is not right. You know it not right to overeat. You know it is not right to be sedentary. And yet, the easy way is to sit on the sofa and watch TV with your chocolate and your glass of wine. And forget about sacrifice, it's too hard.

So, are you sacrificing your health, day by day, and hoping it will get better by magic some day?

Or, are you willing to make a sacrifice for your health?

Why do we have to give up so much to be healthy?

Gwinnett's Losing It! takes it to another level

Why so hard on chocolate and candy?

What to do when everything goes wrong

The big egg debate

Gwinnett's Losing It! Videos

Celebrating Success - Part Two

Celebrating Success - a Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

Realizing a dream - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

16 Principles of losing weight

Tears and fears - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

Chocolate Lies - The Truth about Dark Chocolate

Counting Weight Watcher Points - What's the point?

Why you should be involved with Gwinnett's Losing It!

What if you don't make a set goal?

Losing weight - is it all a numbers game?

Injuries and the emotional affect

Handling the pressure - Journal or Punching Bag?

Eating out at restaurants - How to make healthy choices - Part 2

Saving your calories for dessert - is it worth it?

Eating out at restaurants - How to make healthy choices - Part 1

Battle of the wills in weight loss

Okay, so you overdid it on the candy, now what?

What's the difference between sea salt and table salt?

"Why are you always dissing candy and chocolate?"

Emotional healing and scabs

No-Candy - Is it a physical addiction or emotional tie?

Which peanut butter should you choose?

How do survive the No-Candy Pledge for 31 days

No-Candy Pledge 2010

To lose weight, sometimes you have to stand out in a crowd

Did the Biggest Loser premiere go too far?

Cutting calories to lose weight

Food and Pain

Milkshakes at Zaxby's

The final day of my challenge

Dinner at Little Caesar's

When does "I'm committed!" mean "I should be committed?"

When your body hurts

Why is it always something?

How special is Special K?

What to do about sagging skin aka Saggy Boobs, Part Deux

Are desserts killing us?

Too much junk in the trunk?

Are Lean Cuisine Products really lean?

Ingredients:

What's so wrong with weight loss products?

Could the answer to weight loss be in our feet?

My friends at the park

But it's low in calories...

How do you "refuel after school"?

Using your mind to lose weight

A muffin top is not from overeating muffins!

What about the sugar in fruit?

How to learn how to shop healthy at a grocery store

Epsom salt bath - a natural healer

Perfect Asparagus Recipe

Okay, so is there anything I can eat?

Celsius - a healthy sports drink?

Wendy's new salads - are they healthy?

What if the bad food is not the problem?

When you're too tired to workout

Emotional eating

Healthy oatmeal bar recipe

Carnation Breakfast Essentials - Is this a good breakfast for you?

A product or pill will not change your life, you will.