Attitude DOES matter. Instead of obsessing over what things you cannot change, focus on what you can: Your ATTITUDE. Your MINDSET. Your ENERGY.
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Being fit and healthy is no easier for me than it is for anyone else. People often see me and comment on how 'easy' it is for me to be healthy, or how lucky I am..........really, luck? I assure you this is the farthest thing from the truth. I grew up underweight, then overweight, with disordered eating, a severe lack of knowledge about food, and some crazy ideas about what it means to be healthy. The difference for me? When I realized no one else was going to do it for me. And in the end, I couldn't blame my state of health (or lack thereof) on anyone but myself. So, I took charge. I educated myself about fitness and a healthy lifestyle. I started moving my body, consistently. I sought out others who made their health and fitness a priority. Through trial and error, I found what works for me. I still have bad days, don't get me wrong. I still wake up some days and don't want to work out, or just want to eat nachos all day long, and some days, I do (well maybe not ALL day long;) After years of feeling guilty about such things, I came to realize that this is all ok. It's part of the deal, and its probably going to happen for most of us. But you still need to show up for yourself, take care of yourself, move consistently toward your goals. Get up th next day and start again. Fall down seven times get up eight. AND JUST DO IT. The tough choices in life are hardly ever easy. We all have our fears and reasons that get in the way of us taking action. But what we forget is how supremely powerful we really are. I'm sure you can remember a time when you just did something, just took action without any indecision. At those times, usually you were driven by something bigger than yourself, a purpose, a desire, a vision....something that was clear and got your butt out of bed in the morning. In those moments, you are certain, you know exactly what it is that you want, so there's no question about what you're going to do. You're driven. This is a state of power and we can achieve this state more often. It takes some effort and awareness about what we want out of life. You need to heed what your heart and soul are telling you. But I assure you, it's worth it, the view is beautiful. Take the time. Listen to your heart. It already knows, you just need to hear it. #motivationmonday Photo credit: Joe Manabat Most of us spend our days running from one thing to the next. Work, kids, friends, volunteering, extended family, shopping..…the list goes on and on. It seems there is an endless stream of things to occupy our time. Then, add in all the distractions that are available to us: movies, tv, special events, news, social media, sports, etc. We live in a society of constant stimulation. All day we are bombarded with things to do, commitments, responsibilities, distractions, its not surprising that most of us feel stretched to our limit, and just plain exhausted. Add in any life challenge and we’re looking at full scale catastrophe. Some stress is good. But once it reaches a chronic stage, it becomes damaging to the body. The body’s main stress response comes in the form of adrenaline or cortisol, which can reveal itself in the way of unexplained weight gain, depression, and a decreased immune system, to name a few. Long term, our bodies begin to break down and we could be looking at developing chronic disease that may be difficult to reverse. And let’s face it, when you’re running around from one thing to the next, are you really being present to the experience at hand? Are you showing up for your partner fully? Are you truly listening to your friend who needs a shoulder? Are you giving your full attention to your job, your child, yourself? Many of us are living on auto-pilot, trying to check off all the things on our lists, but not really engaging in life. This can end up feeling unfulfilling, as what we truly want is to fully experience life in all its glory. So, what can we do to alleviate this situation? Turns out, you don’t have to DO anything. There is a powerful simplicity to doing nothing. And when I say do nothing, I mean something as easy as sitting down in a quiet area and just breathing. You could go for a slow stroll, do yoga, meditate, take a bath. Something quiet that allows you time to slow down. This has several benefits: First of all, it immediately brings your heart rate and blood pressure down, which is always a good thing. Second, when we give ourselves time to slow down, be quiet, and literally do nothing we allow our mind to stop the relentless hamster wheel we can get stuck on. We can focus better on ourselves. What do you need in this moment? What do you want in this moment? With all the hustle and bustle of life, it can be difficult to stay in touch with what we truly need and want. Nonetheless, knowing what we need and want can prove critical to our appreciation of life. It allows you to live authentically, and to truly connect with people. Not to mention, the better we take care of ourselves, the more equipped and willing we are to take care of others. Doing nothing also gives you an opportunity to take back your attention. With all the demands for our attention out there, it can be difficult to hold firm on your goals in life. When you take time to be still, you can reclaim your attention and then aim it intentionally at the things that help you forward your dreams. Our society is very ‘busy’ as a whole. So much so, that we now equate busy-ness with getting things done. We think if we appear busy, running all over the place, we are being effective. In fact, the opposite it usually true. We become scattered and lack the intention of doing what really matters. Its no wonder why years can literally go by and we just haven’t had time to finish that degree, or teach our kids to cook a family recipe, or start that new business. When we take time to do nothing, we can more easily strip away the fluff, discern what is important, and intentionally focus on that. The beautiful nuances of life are there for us, it just takes a bit of practice and a stillness of mind in order to notice. Sugar is pretty insidious. Everywhere we turn, there is sugar in our modern world. And I’m not talking about the teaspoon you add to your coffee every morning or that dollop of whip cream on your dessert. I’m talking about all the added sugar to the processed/packaged foods we eat. If you look carefully you’ll find sugar in just about everything you buy that is not freshly grown. It’s in ketchup, bagels, yogurt, chips, salad dressings, bread. The frustrating thing about this is, we become conditioned to want these foods because they have been CHEMICALLY ALTERED to be more appetizing. They are saltier, sweeter, stronger in many ways than any natural food, so your body is tricked into thinking this is what you want, what you need! And the more you eat, the more you want. Physically, all this sugar puts your body on a roller coaster, starting with driving up your insulin levels. Short term this gives you a high, but as you well know, I’m sure, there’s always the resounding low that shows up with you feeling like crap. In addition, these excess amounts of insulin usually get stored as fat, and typically as visceral belly fat. This type of fat is especially dangerous as the Harvard Medical School states, “Visceral fat is directly linked with higher total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and insulin resistance.” Not to mention, sugar then inhibits nutrient absorption, assuming these processed foods have any nutrient value whatsoever. The result is your body is HUNGRY! It’s hungry for the nutrients it needs to do its job. And so, you find yourself ever looking for that next hit, that next serving of sugar that will not only spike your insulin back up, giving you a false sense of energy, but your body is trying to find the nutrients it needs. And so the cycle goes. This is not fun on a daily basis, but the longterm effects are much worse. All this sugar we are consuming can bring on conditions like depression, decreased sex drive, weight gain, heart disease and of course, diabetes, to name a few. Below are a few suggestions for how to start kicking the sugar habit:
Many of these tips may seem extreme to you, and I can admit some of them are, but then so is heart disease. Nonetheless, these tips are first and foremost just information, something you can consider and think about how sugar may be affecting you. It would be silly to think we could all just go cold turkey on sugar, but what we can do is change just one thing at a time: perhaps cutting our soda/juice consumption by half each day, or maybe trying a new, whole food recipe instead of going out for dinner once a week. We can certainly make small changes to our daily/weekly habits. And soon, you may find that your tastebuds have woken up a bit, maybe remembered how good fresh pineapple tastes! You can re-train your body to want fresh, whole foods again. Armed with some new insight into our food landscape you can go forth with your eyes open and make little changes that in the end, add up to good health. After all, we are not what we do on occasion, we are what we do consistently, day in and day out. Make today your day to start your journey to better health! The big day is almost here, are you ready?! With all of this holiday hectic-ness (just made up that word cuz it sounded appropriate;) I know how easy it is to lose sight of our health & fitness goals. With that in mind, I'm reposting my thoughts I posted at Thanksgiving (updated) on how to plan for the holiday AND not completely fall off the fitness wagon. And at the end, there's a little workout video to get you moving! Ah, yes, the day after. I know I go big at Christmas dinner, as I’m sure you do too. That extra glass of prosecco, that double serving of mashed potatoes, and where I really fall down is at the dessert table! Most of us put on at least 5 pounds over the holiday season, and each year it gets tougher and tougher to take it off. Over time, this can add up to a lot! Not to mention, the stress this type of weight gain/weight loss has on your heart and body. So this year, instead of just falling into that cycle again, let’s take a look at how we can nip that holiday bulge in the bud, BEFORE it starts! 1) HAVE A PLAN!: I definitely enjoy myself at the dinner (and dessert) table during the holiday, don’t get me wrong. And, at this point in my journey, I do it without any remorse. I go into it knowing full well what I’m going to do and I do not beat myself up for it. The biggest reason I don't have any guilt about it is because I have a plan for the Christmas Day Splurge. I prepare beforehand by taking the following steps: 2) GET YOUR WORKOUT IN!: While I’m planning our holiday, I’m also planning my post holiday re-boot. I make sure to schedule time in to workout during the holidays. Often, at this busy time of year, fitness is the first thing to get cut from our schedule. But, getting some regular exercise during the holidays, is actually more critical than at other times of the year. At this time of year, not only do we exercise less, but we are also consuming more food and drink due to holiday parties, stress, etc. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever, not to mention, you're taking time to take care of yourself during what is usually a crazy time of year. Even just a 30 minute brisk walk each day can keep you on track with helping to control your appetite, but it can also help you maintain a sense of sanity during a very hectic time of year. So break out your calendar (or your iPhone) and schedule in some workouts for yourself. These appointments are just as important as any other appt, so don’t skip out on yourself. 3) SHOP FOR THE DAY AFTER!: As far as food goes, when I’m doing our Christmas shopping, I also work in my post Christmas shopping. This means buying lots of fresh greens, some fruit, clean protein and loads of goodies for green smoothies! I plan ahead to break the splurge cycle immediately after Christmas day by making lots of green smoothies on Friday and some clean protein and veggies for dinner. Doing this takes a little discipline, but usually I’m so over food its easier to go cold turkey :) and jump right into some healthy eating. And I find the quicker I reel it in, the easier it is to get back on track. 4) GET ENOUGH SLEEP!: Often our sleep cycle is altered during these days of holiday parties and late night gift wrapping sessions, but it is critical at this time, to make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can make us irritable, forgetful, impatient and unable to concentrate. It also messes with our immune systems, and with all the germs flying around at this time of year, we need all the immune boosting we can get! Chronic lack of sleep also lowers our control and inhibitions, so we tend to eat more when we're tired. Worst of all, chronic lack of sleep alters our metabolism and affects our hormones. So make sure you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night if you can. If you want to keep your holiday weight in check, try to keep ‘party mode’ to a minimum and get right back on track the very next day with some clean eating, lots of water, and get in your exercise. It is possible to enjoy the holidays AND keep your weight in check, it just takes a little planning and foresight. And if you need any workout ideas, click on over to my YouTube Channel where you’ll find plenty of videos! Ah, yes, the day after. I know I go big on Thanksgiving day, as I’m sure you do too. That extra glass of prosecco, that double serving of mashed potatoes, and where I really fall down is at the dessert table! Most of us put on at least 5 pounds over the holiday season, and each year it gets tougher and tougher to take it off. Over time, this can add up to a lot! Not to mention, the stress this type of weight gain/weight loss has on your heart and body. So this year, instead of just falling into that cycle again, let’s take a look at how we can nip that holiday bulge in the bud, BEFORE it starts! 1) HAVE A PLAN!: I definitely enjoy myself at the dinner (and dessert) table during Thanksgiving, don’t get me wrong. And, at this point in my journey, I do it without any remorse. I go into it knowing full well what I’m going to do and I do not beat myself up for it, and I can do this because I have a plan! I prepare beforehand, by eating healthy leading up to this day, and being sure I’m getting my workouts in. And the biggest reason I don’t have any guilt about it is, I have a plan for the Turkey Day Splurge. 2) GET YOUR WORKOUT IN!: While I’m planning our holiday, I’m also planning my post holiday re-boot. I make sure to schedule time in to workout during the holidays. Often, at this busy time of year, fitness is the first thing to get cut from our schedule. But, getting some regular exercise during the holidays, is actually more critical than at other times of the year. At this time of year, not only do we exercise less, but we are also consuming more food and drink due to holiday parties, stress, etc. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever, not to mention, you're taking time to take care of yourself during what is usually a crazy time of year. Even just a 30 minute brisk walk each day can keep you on track with helping to control your appetite, but it can also help you maintain a sense of sanity during a very hectic time of year. So break out your calendar (or your iPhone) and schedule in some workouts for yourself. These appointments are just as important as any other appt, so don’t skip out on yourself. 3) SHOP FOR THE DAY AFTER!: As far as food goes, when I’m doing our Thanksgiving shopping, I also work in my post Thanksgiving shopping. This means buying lots of fresh greens, some fruit, clean protein and loads of goodies for green smoothies! I plan ahead to break the splurge cycle immediately after Thanksgiving by making lots of green smoothies on Black Friday and some clean protein and veggies for dinner. Doing this takes a little discipline, but usually I’m so over food its easier to go cold turkey :) and jump right into some healthy eating. And I find the quicker I reel it in, the easier it is to get back on track. So, if you want to keep your holiday weight in check, try to keep ‘party mode’ to a minimum and get right back on track the very next day with some clean eating, lots of water, and get in your exercise. It is possible to enjoy the holidays AND keep your weight in check, it just takes a little planning and foresight. And if you need any workout ideas, click on over to my YouTube Channel where you’ll find plenty of videos! Hey Fit Fallers!! To celebrate the completion of our 30 Day Challenge, we are doing a QUEST BAR GIVEAWAY!! Yes, you read that right! All you Quest bar fans are cheering I'm sure, and for those of you who have yet to try them? You need to get on that! These are the BEST protein bars on the market, in my humble opinion :) They are high in protein, high in fiber, low in carbs and sugar. And they taste ridiculously good! I carry one with me at all times for a snack or when I find myself ravenous and unable to eat a decent meal. They keep me on track, and if I have a sweets craving, they definitely hit the spot. And have you tried them heated in the microwave? Don't even get me started! Anyway, to be in the running for the Quest Bar Giveaway, please send me your success story from our 30 Day Challenge. If you took before and after photos, send them too. The best success story (determined by me and my trusty sidekick, Clio (my dog;) will win a 12 Flavor Sample Pack of Quest bars!! Thank you for sharing your stories with me, I can't wait to hear about them! Send your story and/or photos to brooke.buttgen@gmail.com. Good luck! We did it! Congratulations on successfully completing the Fit Fall 30 Day Challenge! You are all so inspirational, I'm completely blown away by your participation. Thank you so much for being a part of our community and working towards your continued health & wellness. I've got just a few parting words for you... Here it is Fit Fallers, the final workout of our Challenge!! We're almost there! The end is in sight! We've got one more round of exercises to complete our incredible journey. Let's finish it out with some waist slimming ab exercises that will have our tummies toned and tight in no time. You'll need your weights and be sure to have some water close by because this one is gonna make you sweat :) P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox for the final video of our Challenge! |