Sunday, August 30, 2009

Posture!

It's something I can't seem to get enough of lately. It affects so much of our life. I mean, if we can work towards perfect posture, we can decrease aches and pains, muscle imbalances and overall just look better. In my latest findings I found some bad/good habits in everday living. Review the list, these are all things I do on a daily basis that I'm going to work on changing. Remember, it's the little things we do everyday that add up. So even though it doesn't seem like much, it's the tiny things that gradually make us healthier.






Bad Habit
Talking on a cell phone while doing another task.
Good Habit
Just talk on the cell phone with your head straight.

Bad Habit
Doing your bills in bed
Good Habit
Bed is for relaxation

Bad Habit
Always lying on one side of your body
Good Habit
Vary your positions of rest

Bad Habit
Crossing your legs
Good Habit
Vary how you sit, cross your ankles


Bad Habit
Carrying a bad across one shoulder
Good Habit
Use a backpack or two bags

Bad Habit
Never warming up before exercise
Good Habit
Use a 10 minute activity as a warm up before exercise

Bad Habit
Standing on one leg while jetting out one hip
Good Habit
Stand well and evenly

Bad Habit
Never use the back support of a chair
Good Habit
Always use a lumbar support

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Critical Spirits

When you feel yourself beginning to have a critical spirit, stop, take a deep breath, silently ask for wisdom, then think of something that is on your thankful list. This is remolding a habit, and, in time, practice makes perfect.

FYI: Critical Spirit = a judgemental attitude that tears people down instead of building them up.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Bliss

Do you have a hobby or place that makes you feel alive? I've always known my "happy place" resides on or near a boat in body of water. A couple of weeks ago, I got to do just that. It was so wonderful to reassure myself I can still get up on 1 ski and spend some time perfecting my technique of "cutting." I am so grateful for that fun couple of hours playing on water ski's and riding on the bow of the boat, my favorite place. There really isn't anything in the world like the wind at my face on a lake surrounded by pretty trees.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Finish Strong

It's often a phrase I say during sessions with clients in especially tough situations. It's when the weight gets heavy and the brain wants to quit because it's too tough on the body. Or sometimes I say it to myself during a long run or when I'm holding an intense yoga pose. This phrase has recently entered my mind when encountering sweets. As you can see on the sidebar, I've taken a detour on my sweet-a-week goal. The main reason I post my sweets on the side and publish my food journal is for accountability. My client and sweet-a-week friend, Johnna, noticed I was getting off track and sent a very kind email asking if there's anything she can do to help. She already did it! Just by noticing I wasn't following through. So that's exactly what I'm going to do...begin following through again. Hopefully, finishing the 2009 sweet-a-week goal strong.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Welcome Julie!

I am so excited to announce that Julie McGinley will be joining the Training for Women team this September. Julie is one exceptional trainer because she believes and actually tries to live a healthy balanced lifestyle. This former Vice President from the merchandising world has joined forces with me to train the early morning gals. Her background from the business world is so empowering because she has played the balancing act of working in the corporate world and finding time to be healthy simultaneously. It can be done! Her goal is to help women discover the rewards of physical activity while living their lives, in whatever stage that may be.


Julie has been working with me since late spring and now will be training the early morning gals at 5:40am on Tuesdays this fall at Pinnacle. We'll be holding an open house (it's free exercise) on Tuesday, September 1st at 5:40am so you can meet Julie if you haven't. If you are at all interested in the fall early morning classes this is a must! Please RSVP and let me know if you'll be attending, we only have a limited number of spaces so please do this soon! I know it'll fill up quickly as it isn't often we give away free training sessions. Take advantage by starting September off right. All you have to do is tell me you'll be there and then show up!

No More Numbers

I really don’t like the idea of setting a goal as a number on the scale. The number is something we can’t control. The number of pounds we lose is DIRECTLY related with the amount, intensity, and consistency of effort we pour into our daily routine. So instead of saying “40 pounds by December 31st” set a goal in relation to action. Such as, "I'll food journal consistently 6 days out each week and I'll exercise intensly 4 hours per week." Set this goal for a month, then re-evaluate at the end of the month. Tweak your goals if needed for the next month and continue this pattern for the rest of this year.

We HAVE control over our own behaviors, we don’t have control over the number on the scale. We always try to control that number on the dumb scale when DIRECTLY we can’t do it. So instead of setting unrealistic expectations, look at the person staring at you in the mirror and change that person. Start to DIRECTLY affect the outcome by focusing on behavior.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Thought

Nothing ever stays the same, it either gets better or it gets worse.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Saving and Losing

It's truly amazing; the correlation between saving money (not spending it) and losing/maintaining weight. Read the following passage as it relates to saving money and also weight loss. There are so many similarities.

Saving money is not a matter of math.

You will not save money when you get that next raise. You will not save money when that car is paid off. You will not save money when the kids are grown. You will only save money when it becomes an emotional priority.

We all know we need to save, but most people don't save like they know they need to save. Why? Because they have competing goals. The goal to save isn't a high enough priority to delay that purchase of the pizza, DVD player, new computer or china cabinet. So we purchase, buy, consume all our dollars away or, worse yet, go into debt to buy these things. That debt means monthly payments that control our paychecks and make us say things like, "We just don't make enough to save any money!" Wrong, wrong, wrong! We do make enough to save money; we just aren't willing to quit spoiling ourselves with our little projects or pleasures to have enough left to save. I don't care what you make—you can save money. It just has to become a big enough priority to you.

If a doctor told you that your child was dying and could only be saved with a $15,000operation that your insurance would not cover and could only be performed nine months from today, could you save $15,000? Yes! Of course you could! You would sell things, you would stop any spending that wasn't required to survive, and you would take two extra jobs. For that short nine months, you would become a saving madman (or madwoman). You would give up virtually anything to accomplish that $15,000 goal. Saving would become a priority.

The secret to saving? Focused emotion. The secret to saving money is to make it a priority, and that is done only when you get some healthy anger or fear and then focus that emotion on your personal decisions.

The advertisers and marketing community are affecting our emotions every day and taking every dollar we have by making us see our wants as needs. It is time for this to stop! Emotions make great slaves, but they are lousy masters. No matter how educated or sophisticated we are, if we are not saving all we should be, we are being ruled by emotions, not harnessing them as financial planning slaves.
(money source: Dave Ramsey)

Take these same principles and apply it to a weight loss journey. Losing weight isn't a matter of knowing what to do. We know we shouldn't eat that donut at 9:30pm or that we should get up and go to the gym. The difference in making it happen and letting is slide is emotion. Being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Doing something different that is all but easy and results in lasting change. Maybe the emotional tie to weight loss is getting into a certain dress or being able to get up on 2 water skiis. It's something that you long for in a very deep, emotional sort of way.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Becoming the Noticer

One of the most painful things I've done is become a noticer. It's been one of the best things that's ever happened to me but it's not easy. I didn't even start out thinking I wanted to notice everything...but now I do.

Becoming a noticer requires diligence in caring about things. I started by recording my exercise on a calendar. This way I can trace back how much exercise I've really done versus what it seemed like I did. Sometimes it seems like we do more than we actually do.

Begin today. Notice things about yourself.