2011 Lists Archived

The list is complete.  The workouts are done.  The books have been read.  The end of the year is always a weird feeling.  This year is no different.  Sure I feel accomplished.  I met my goals for the year.  There is a sense of "a weight being lifted off my shoulders" mixed with a slight feeling of anxiety.  As a list maker I realized there are 2 distinct parts to "the list."  Part 1 is completing the list and part 2 is short time in between when there is no list. I get a teensy bit anxious when I have no clear direction.  One thing I have realized over the last 4 years of tracking my workouts is I need to track them.  It's just my personality. Zig Ziglar says it best "when you aim at nothing you will hit it every time." That resonates with me because I can go back to weeks this year where I completed a workout just to be able to write it down.   

As for the books of 2011, there were quite a few that were pretty darn amazing.  My father-in-law has always said that you will know the impact a book has on you if you can recall the information 6 months later.  The books that I can do this with but also really hit home are highlighted below.  That's not to say the others didn't but the ones highlighted were paradigm shifters and/or were huge insight reads.

Here she is: the type-A, list-making, organizing, tracking page that makes me real nerdy.


20 Books
Curiosity should be my middle name. Gaining new knowledge is a passion. I love reading but have to make a list and check it off as each book is completed. Otherwise, books are rarely opened. So here's to year number two at reading 20 books in 52 weeks.

1. On Becoming Babywise (Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam)
2. Cruise Ship or Nursing Home (Lerner, Loman, Majors, Pellow, Shuemake)
3. Chi Running (Danny and Katherine Dreyer)
4. Weird: Because Normal Isn't Working (Graig Groeschel)
5. The Coffe Mom's Devotional (Celeste Palermo)
6. The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers (Meg Meeker, MD)
7. The Power of a Praying Parent (Stomir Omartian)
8. More Than Enough (Dave Ramsey)
9. Crazy Love (Francis Chan)
10. Heaven is for Real (Todd Burpo)
11. Radical (David Platt)
12. Made to Crave (Lysa TerKeurst)
13. Intuitive Eating (Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch)
14. The One Minute Entrepreneur (Ken Blanchard, Don Hutson, Ethan Willis)
15. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
16. Mocking Jay (Suzanne Collins)
17. Boys Should Be Boys (Meg Meeker)-IP
18. The Edge of Evolution (Dr. Michael J. Behe)-IP
19. Poser my life in twenty-three yoga poses (Claire Dederer)-IP
20. EntreLeadership (Dave Ramsey)-IP
52 Weekly Workouts
It's a given that exercise is a major part of my weekly routine. It makes me feel a bit more accomplished and motivated to keep at it if I keep track of what I do on a weekly basis. I've done this since 2008. However, this year I thought it would be neat to keep track of it via the "nerdy list" page.

1. 7 miles
2. 5 hours natural childbirth
3. Week of rest/recovery
4. 2 strength workouts
5. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class
6. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 2 miles
7. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 4 miles
8. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 2 miles
9. 1 strength workout, 1 yoga class, 3 miles-sick half of week
10. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 4 miles
11. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 5 miles
12. 1 strength workout, 2 yoga classes, 5 miles
13. 3 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 6 miles
14. 3 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 7 miles
15. 1 strength workout, 3 yoga classes, 8 miles
16. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 3 miles
17. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 9 miles
18. 2 strength workouts, 3 yoga classes, 7 miles
19. 2 strength workouts, 1 pilates class, 0 miles
20. 2 strength workouts, 10 miles
21. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 10 miles
22. 2 strength workouts, 11 miles
23. 2 strength workouts, 11 miles
24. None-Bermuda Vacation-Week Off!
25. 1 strength workout, 5 miles-still coming off the vacation+painting whole house
26. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 5 miles
27. 1 strength workout, 2 yoga classes, 7 miles
28. 3 strength workouts, 12 miles
29. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 11 miles
30. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 9 miles
31. 2 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 10 miles
32. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 10 miles
33. 3 strength workouts, 15 miles
34. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 12 miles
35. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 8 miles
36. 2 strength workouts, 4 yoga classes, 2 pilates classes, 6 miles
37. 2 strength workouts, 3 pilates classes
38. 1 strength workout, 3 yoga classes, 6 miles
39. 2 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 1 pilates class, 6 miles
40. 2 strength workouts, 1 spin class, 6 miles
41. 3 strength workouts, 1 spin class, 8 miles
42. 3 strength workouts, 1 spin class, 6 miles
43. 3 strength workouts, 4 pilates classes, 6 miles
44. 3 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 1 pilates class, 6 miles
45. 2 strength workouts, 1 pilates class, 12 miles
46. 3 strength workouts, 8 miles
47. 3 strength workous, 2 yoga classes, 1 aerial yoga class, 1 cardio class, 40 minutes of cardio intervals
48. 3 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 80 minutes of cardio intervals
49. 4 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 1 aerial yoga class, 1 spin class, 30 minutes of cardio intervals
50. 3 strength workouts, 1 yoga class, 130 minutes of cardio intervals
51. 3 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, 1 spin class, 70 minutes of cardio intervals
52. 3 strength workouts, 100 minutes of cardio intervals
Totals for the Year
50 yoga classes
13 pilates classes
4 spin classes
2 aerial yoga classes
100 strength workouts
288 miles
450 minutes of cardio intervals

31 pounds lost*
10% body fat lost
*Disclaimer: was 39 weeks pregnant at the beginning of the year when initially measured. :-)

Wonder Wednesday: Books!

My relationship with books is love-hate.  I love to read them I just hate finding time to read them. It seems like there isn't enough hours in the day.  This year my goal was to read 20 books: 10 the first half of the year and 10 the second half of the year.  I have 3 books to go.  Right now I'm in the middle of Dave Ramsey's Entreleadership (EL) book.  I love the book and highly recommend any business owner or leader of any type to pick it up.  I think it even deserves a "must read" label.  Granted, I am a faithful Dave Ramsey follower so take my opinion with that in mind.  I think Dave is brilliant.  One page in the book stood out (so far) I want to share it for my wonder Wednesday edition this week....

Focused intensity over time multiplied by God equals unstoppable momentum.

LOVE IT! On page 83-85 of EL he explains that many people can have focused intensity for awhile but not many of us have whatever it takes to keep focused intensly over TIME.....and a long time at that. It's not completely our fault though, we're surrounded by a culture that is fast-paced and ever-changing.  The key may be to never lose focus and know that it takes time.

Pulling Up or Pushing Down?

Thought: when people talk badly towards us...do we believe it? When people talk good towards us...do we believe it? I find when someone hits a nerve, either good or bad it's highly impactful....either negatively or positively. Why is it that we put so much stalk in others words? This was a post I entered on facebook last week.  I thought it up in my head because recently a good friend told me about someone (another trainer) who had tore me down on their facebook profile.  Granted, I am not friends with this person (on facebook or in person-only acquaintances) so I had no idea they posted such a thing.  I was told that the post had to do with her observance while I was training.  She commented on how horrible the form was and that she wanted to come over and help the people I was working with-clearly stating that I didn't know what I was doing.  One of my good trainer friends told me about this because she thought it was horrible-and if she was in my place she would want to know.  Granted, there is nothing I can do about it, everyone has their opinions.  I just wish that she would have approached me in private and told me her thoughts/disagreements.  But then again, maybe I'm glad she didn't.  

With all that negativeness, I'm attempting to put a positive twist on the situation.  If there is one thing humans have in common it's to be accepted by other people.  When I heard what the trainer said I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.  It hit a nerve.  It hit a nerve because my whole reason for training is to help others "do it the right way."  I have spent countless hours in classes, lectures, reading books, observing the gurus and obtaining degrees and certifications in order to ensure I'm helping others exercise correctly.  So it hit a nerve.  A nerve that everything I had done up until this point wasn't good enough.  A trainer in my industry disapproves of what I'm doing and what I'm about and that made me just plain sick to my stomach.  So then it made me realize that if someone can have this much power over me by saying something negative, surely they can also have quite a bit of power over me by saying something positive?  And it's true, they can.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by good, uplifting people....family, friends, clients and acquaintances.  One thing I try very hard at sustaining is close connections to quality human beings.  People I admire, want to mimic and learn from.  It's selfish, I know but I can't help but be attracted to other humans that possess good characteristics.  So to everyone reading this and to all of you wonderful people out there that only say and do things that pull people up....way to go!  You are doing it right...and that's why I call you my friend.       

What really feels the best is when someone sees something in you that is invisible to your reality thus far.  They see potential that you are blinded by....but once it's pointed out....you are unstoppable!

Thoughs on Thursday: Motivation (or Lack of it)

I have sneaky clients.  They are good for me.  They keep me on my feet and catch me off guard.  I love how they can be so real with me because it helps me help them so much more.  This morning that happened.  I had a really amazing woman tell me she was just not motivated at all.  That she just didn't really care.  Granted, it was early in the morning so it could be a combination of what she said plus the early morning hour. I'm sharing this because you know, this could be you right now.  Maybe you just don't care....and guess what, that's okay.  This will happen in life!  I know I've definitely been there...where I could careless if I did much of anything.  Really, true story.  So I tried real hard this morning to think on my feet.  The combination of me thinking on my feet and early morning is not good.  So I've been chewing on it for a couple of hours (because that's what I do, I chew) and here's what I came up with:
1. Fake it until you feel it. I like this saying because it’s true...while we may not be “feeling” the whole motivation thing right now because of who knows what: the weather, the grey skies, it being Christmas time/hibernation season, or plain just not caring at the moment...we will care at some point so why not keep pushing through until we “feel it?”

2. Growth involves moving out of our “comfort zone.” While it may not be very comfortable to get up a couple of days a week early, you are doing a good, positive thing for yourself. I need to affirm you in this. You are taking care of yourself and getting stronger by the session. This does involve doing something that is uncomfortable because Lord knows it would be much more comfy to stay in bed awhile longer....that warm, toasty, soft, cozy bed. I know, I totally get that.

3. What if you allowed yourself to dream a bit? Go ahead, give yourself permission to daydream! Dream about what you want, what you want your life to look like and what kind of a lifestyle you wanted to have. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that most all of us want to live a bit more healthily? Dream and then believe in your dream. Add focus and clarity to it. Then it turns into vision.

4. You can do whatever you want to do...the only person that will stop you is yourself. Think of how far you've already come in your life, what you've overcome and what you can continue to push through.  Healthy living is not a quick fix.  It's a constant process of refining.  You can do it....just do yourself a couple of favors: believe in yourself, give yourself grace when things don't happen exactly according to plan and if you do nothing else just keep going, don't stop.

Wonder Wednesday: 23 1/2 hours

Twister

The article below is such a good read I had to copy and paste it to my blog so I'd always have it.  Todd Durkin is a trainer of trainers, author, NFL trainer and much much more. I get his newsletters and this one caught my eye.  The reason it caught my eye was because I've been to fitness conferences and heard Peter Twist (the industry icon) present. He's amazing (and pictured to the left).  I had no idea he was battling for his life this year.  At any rate, I would encourage you to take the minutes it requires to read this article.  It's MOTIVATING, INSPIRING, and extremely INSIGHTFUL.   You might not have a dry eye after but you'll also be incredibly motivated and informed.

Twister… Industry Icon in the Fight of His Life

By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS
I need to share a remarkable story of a fitness professional in the fight of his life. He is someone I have long admired. Someone I have shared the stage with many times. One of the best presenters I have ever heard. A wildly successful entrepreneur who has earned more accolades in his storied strength and conditioning career than most can dream.

Peter Twist is one of the most successful trainers and performance coaches of ALL-TIME. His business, Twist Sport Conditioning, is a world-class training & performance facility in Vancouver, Canada, with franchises in the US and Canada.

For eleven years, Pete was an NHL strength coach. And since then, has devoted his life to helping kids and adults become their very best. His passion and energy are infectious, his intelligence is incredible, and his spirit is unbreakable. As a matter of fact, Pete may be in the best shape of any forty-seven year old I know, male or female. With the fitness and conditioning of an elite pro athlete, he looks like he can still suit up and play. And dominate!

But life took a strange turn earlier this year. Out of nowhere, Pete was diagnosed with Stage 4 Nasopharyngeal cancer (head/neck) that had spread throughout his lymph system. He was asymptomatic when he first went to the doctor in January 2011 (just about a year ago), and has been through hell and back since then, fighting one heckuva fight to force this thing into remission. He would tell you himself that this has been tougher than any fight he has ever faced in his long and successful hockey career.

I recently had dinner with Pete at his home in Vancouver. It gave us some quiet time to sit and talk. About fitness. About our industry. And about life. What a conversation it was.

I asked Pete if I could share his story, it truly is inspirational, because not many people know of his battle. As a matter of fact, for four of the hardest months earlier this year, only six people even knew Pete was sick. More know now, but the chance to share Pete’s story here with you is a chance to share some of the most IMPACTFUL words I have ever heard from another person. There are “deep lessons” from Pete’s journey, and I share them with his blessing and his hope that they might empower others in a similar battle for their health or other challenge in their lives.
****
One of the interesting things about Pete’s story is that there were no detectable signs or symptoms when he was diagnosed. He acted on his own intuition that something was wrong and asked to be tested. At first, doctors resisted because “he had nothing wrong.” His physical appearance, strong vitals, and healthy lifestyle, said (on the surface) that nothing “appeared wrong.
When the truth of the situation was revealed, doctors found a tumor the size of a baseball located about 2 mm from the brain stem. A thorough diagnosis placed the chance of survival for three-years at 25%.
What followed was brutal. Two months of chemotherapy and radiation at the highest intensity one can receive. When I asked what that felt like, Pete described it as “severe burning of my mouth, face, and neck from the inside out.” Taking in nutrients was next to impossible; requiring “thirty minutes under layered pain-killers to get down a glass of vanilla protein drink.” Knowing Pete, he was probably yelling like a gladiator to get it down and get it done.
I learned that the effects of head and neck radiation continue to accumulate for five to seven weeks post-treatment. That means the side-effects get worse and worse even after treatments stop. Pete said this was one of the most frustrating parts of the entire experience.
From Pete: “My objective was to keep as much strength and physical mass as possible and to do little things HOURLY to deal with symptoms and set myself up to have a little higher starting point when I could manage to start ramping back up. A one percent difference was worth fighting for relentlessly.”
****
We talked about life lessons and as always, his words were deep and introspective.

“QUARTERBACK YOUR OWN HEALTH AND OWN THE PROCESS” Doctors: oncologists, nutritionists, naturopaths, chiropractors, you name it – all come from different backgrounds, academic paradigms, and philosophies. Many of them do tremendous work, but are often overwhelmingly busy in their day-to-day and guided by the ‘system.’ It is critical that YOU determine what is right for YOU and take charge at each step. Quarterback your health and quarterback the team you assemble for any acute challenge in life.

FOLLOW YOUR GUT, FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION. “If you’re strong and healthy, you won’t get looked at the same or as thoroughly by your doctors. They make assumptions based on fitness, appearance, symptoms, and positive energy. Insist they look deeper.”

Pete went in because of a premonition, a gut-call that something “wasn’t right.” He really had to press to get the right team together and get the tests done to eventually be diagnosed and then treated because he looked healthy. Had he waited until symptoms appeared, the results may have been….

BE PROACTIVE. How you feel, your physicality, your health metrics, your blood work, and lack of symptoms do not necessarily mean you’re A-OK at the cellular level. Pete did crazy research on cancer, and believes, “We all have cancer five to seven times in a lifetime. Most we naturally eradicate from our systems… some we do not.”

DON’T PLAY THE VICTIM CARD. It took a tremendous amount of grit and determination for Pete to get this far in the fight. He doesn’t like “wearing the cancer hat.” When going to the hospital for chemotherapy and radiation, he would drive his car “straight to the top” of the roof of the cancer center and park. He did not want to park where it said “PATIENT” painted on the wall. He would enter the parking garage with inspirational music cranked (AC/DC or POD if I know him!) and later would say, “Is that all you got? Give me your best shot!” After each radiation and chemo treatment, he would attempt to exercise right away, sometimes right in the parking garage. Literally.

HEAL FROM WITHIN. Look beyond traditional nutrition guidelines and organic foods and invest in a deeper understanding of all the variables affecting cellular health.
WE DON’T “RISE TO THE OCCASION”; WE “SINK TO THE LEVEL OF OUR TRAINING.” This is a message for trainers: Make sure you are ready for a battle and that your clients are too—one day everyone will face an immense challenge. I like what Pete says, “You can’t be your best when your best is needed and you aren’t in peak condition.” He adds, “I believe survival is in part determined by a will to live, a will to love, and a willpower to do the hard things well every minute during challenge, pain, and suffering. Become very passionate about LIFE and engage in activities in a way that grows WILL and WILLPOWER.”

WOW. Don’t wait until there’s a problem to start training like an animal and begin living TODAY like it’s your last day on earth. Powerful words.

BREAK ALL THE RULES. “You must be willing to change YOUR rules: to adopt healthful strategies that give you an edge, to step up and break from the traditional medical model, to return to action.” Pete is an example that we are capable of more than we might be told. Fight to give EVERY effort any moment to build your physiology and physicality. Work at YOUR pace – not the pace of the average sick person. Not the pace expected by the disease model. Be willing to do everything it takes to get back to where you were. Act on your personal pride, conviction, and your will to live “FULL ON” for yourself and all those around you.

Pete’s words really stuck with me. He is an incredible man and truly inspirational. He ended his story with this (and I will paraphrase): Growth comes from challenges and of these, there are very few that will force you to draw upon absolutely one hundred percent of every single element of your being. One hundred percent of every personal resource within you. When one of these challenges presents itself, it will be an amazing opportunity. After the anger and fear have ripped through you, after you face your sadness and concern for loved ones, be sure to see the amazing opportunity you’ve been given. The battle will become a set of scars you carry with quiet pride and deeper gratitude for the chapters ahead of you. The personal growth is strong and real. Don’t be bound up or held back from the beating you’ll take. Springboard from it and let it ignite every single day for the rest of your life.
****
My evening with Pete ended with some “HEALING FROM WITHIN.” Pete’s diet for this past year has been mostly raw vegetables and a concoction of organic foods, supplements, and powerful antioxidants to fortify his system. So when he asked me if I would like one of his “desserts,” I willingly obliged. It was here I was introduced to what I now call “Twister’s 27-Ingredient Jungle Juice.” This “shake” has so many things in it I can’t remember them all. Three times a day for almost a year: cabbage, broccoli, spinach, raspberries, blueberries, cranberry juice, greens mix, fish oils, and many other “goodies” in it. Sounds disgusting, huh? Pete said, “You think this tastes horrible? Try cancer and then tell me if you like it.” Despite not knowing all that’s in it or if there are really twenty-seven ingredients, by the end, it tasted real good! For me, that night, sharing Twister’s 27-Ingredient Jungle Juice was a spiritual moment.
****
Pete is now almost one-year post diagnosis. He powers UP mountains running and laughs rambunctiously as he races down; he lifts hard and heavy again in his Twist Sport Conditioning Center and does wind sprints like he did when he was competing. He’s teaching again and back in the trenches making a difference. But most of all, he’s enjoying life and is as vibrant and FULL OF LIFE as I’ve ever seen him.

Pete recently developed a CREED for himself, his team, and all the clients they touch. Think to this as your life motto: “Life is short…LIVE EVERYDAY. Today I will GIVE everything I have, what I keep inside I will lose forever.”

Thank you Pete Twist for the man you are. The trainer you are. And the friend you are. I hope your story IMPACTS thousands of people to live their BEST LIFE EVERYDAY just as you do. Thanks brother.

**Note: Connect with Pete on Facebook: http://facebook.com/peter.twist13

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized performance coach, personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide. He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele. Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes. He is the head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, serves on the Gatorade G-Fit Team, and is a featured presenter on the Perform Better educational circuit. He is a two-time Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE). Additionally, Todd provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide.

Men’s Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US. Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post. Todd has authored 35 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.

His new book, The IMPACT! Body Plan, debuted in September 2010 and is a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance. You can sign up for Todd’s FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

Wonder Wendesday: GOALS! Think it Through

The new year will be here before we know it.  Do you have goals for the new year?  I am no expert, I only learn from past mistakes and triumphs.  I've been setting goals since 2008.  In that time I've realized there are 3 key concepts that have helped along the way.  My wish is that these tips will help you in 2012.  May it be a different year, one that follow-through and adherance play a lead role.

1. Think about the goals for a good month or two.  Do not decide on a whim what the next 365 days will look like.  Think it all through, process and chew up all the ideas that float around in your head. Maybe even take December as a "practice month."  That way you are ready to go in January.  You may have some tweaks by then from the end of the year trial session.

2. Visualize success.  Can you see yourself WITHOUT A DOUBT succeed?  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to sacrifice, prioritize and plan your success.  Do you have enough, time, energy and willpower to follow through? 

3. What motivates you?  For me it's numbers, blogging about what I'm going to do and my OCD in finishing what I've started.  The trick is to capitalize on those motivators.  Set yourself up for success by identifiying and locking down motivators.  This will be key as you begin to change behavior.

Hope this helps!  Like I said, I am not an expert.  I'm only sharing what I realize has helped me along the way.

4 Reasons It's Not Happening

Don't we all hit those places where we don't know what we're doing wrong but for some reason we aren't going in the direction we want. Because of that I've come up with 4 reasons you may not be losing weight.
1. There's no program in place. There might be thoughts of working out and dreams of living a fit lifestyle but no method to the madness. Or there may be occasional workouts but nothing organized as planned, consistent activity.

2. Diet isn't in tune with goals. The problem varies here: it could be not eating enough, not eating the right kind of foods, or not eating at the right times. I find that it often seems that we don't eat often enough throughout the day in order to keep our metabolism up as well as night time hunger at bay.
3. Lack of motivation. Or we have Fat Loss ADD and keep coming off plan to follow another, exciting looking strategy. The key here is to find some accountability. A gym buddy, a coach, a class... whatever it takes to keep you on track.. a study by Nicolai et al (2009), which compared the results of two groups of obese individuals, found that the group who worked out under a coach lost on average 362% more fat than those who were just given advice and access to equipment. 362%!

4. Focus is on body weight and not body composition. Weight (when you are close to your goal weight) is immaterial and can be manipulated dramatically via water intake, which isn't even vaguely representative of progress and only lasts a day or two. It isn't reflective of bodyfat % either, which is what you should ultimately be focused on if you want to be fit.

Lastly, a bonus reason. I think too many of us aren't doing enough HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This is interval training for cardio and ultimately fat loss. It's a win-win exercise program because it doesn't take as much time as typical get on the treadmill for x number of miles or minutes and it's burning a ton of calories and fat!

Wonder Wednesday: CECs

A couple of weeks ago I went to a course in order to obtain continuing education credit.  The presenter, Brett Klika had a lot of valuable information.  I learned a lot so I wanted to share some key points from my notes.

*You cannot grow without getting out of your comfort zone.
*Journal everyday.  Write 3 hours per week.  When we write things down they come to life.
*At the beginning of everyday make a list of 5 things you need to accomplish. Don't go to sleep until they are done.
*10,000 hours is how many hours it takes to master a craft.
*2 ways to mess yourself up---1) do the same thing everyday (we need a variety of movements) 2) don't do anything
*Read Mike Boyle's books.

In a nutshell, that's it!

Learning to Fly

Every time I look at this picture I laugh a little on the inside.  It's a perfect picture for what happened.  I felt like a little kid.  I also felt like a complete idiot because all the moves and exercises were completely foreign.  But I had a playful attitude and had a lot of fun experimenting.

In preparing for 12 Adventures in 2012 I went to an aerial yoga class.  It was a blast. So much of a blast that I want to get some fabric to hang in my living room.  We'll see if Aaron goes for that.  I'll keep you updated! :-)  In the meantime, I'm still working on that list and happy I tried out an adventure.  It makes me even that much more excited for 2012 and all the fun that will be had! 

Think about joining me...please!  Make your own list, maybe even start a blog for the adventures and then at the end of the year you can make a book about what you did.  How fun would that be?!  Think about it.  Your list will look completely different than mine and that's awesome.  Just make sure to share it with me!

The New Year. Right Around the Corner.

“You have to understand, in your heart and mind and soul, that NO ONE else is going to turn the corner for you until you turn the corner for yourself.  And it never has been or ever will be about the food itself.  All food is just proteins and amino acids and blah blah blah…it’s not about the food!  You are your own best advocate, and you are not doing yourself any favors by cheating.  You are perpetuating your own failure, and are teaching others to expect this failure of you.”  That's just a tiny excerpt, read the whole article here. 

A friend emailed this to me months ago (the above).  I think it has a lot of value this time of year with New Year's coming up.  Last week I found this quote (below) that I love so much.  It too is a very timely statement. Remember, knowledge and awareness give us power to overcome.  Realize patterns and focus attention to change the cycles.

"Most people don't have a problem starting. Everybody easily gets excited, joins, signs up, starts and begins. Millions of people make New Year's resolutions, start diet programs, join gyms, buy personal development books, go to seminars, but their life doesn't change. Because success is not defined by how you start, but how you continue over a long period of time." Darren Hardy

Thoughts on 2012

When people ask me what I do for a living, what I really want to say is that I'm a brainwasher. I like planting new ideas into heads. It's fun to tell someone that they can do what might have seemed impossible before the idea was imbedded in their brain via a view from the outside. Sometimes the words we feed ourselves internally are not productive. I believe this happens to all of us because we're human. But how powerful is it when someone else sees in you what you don't see in yourself? That hidden potential that is visible to others around you but what you may be blinded to day after day. Isn't it crazy what someone else's confidence can do for personal growth?


I believe you are reading this for a reason.  The reason being more than one.  But I want to ask you some questions in order to bring light to areas that you may be overlooking. Where are you now in life? Where were you a year ago from now? What are you doing in your life that's working? What's not working? Do you have people in your life that are breathing and speaking positive, motivating, insightful and powerful words to you? What do you want to do with your life? How will others remember you? What will they say about who you are and how you lived your life?
The questions could go on and on but the gist is you have this opportunity every 12 months. Every 12 months we get a new year; a renewal to your life in a way. Will this be like every other year or will you do something extraordinary?!

We're nearing the end of 2011 which means 2012 is right around the corner. It's that time of the year where I begin to reflect on how this year went and what I can do to tweak next year. I also begin thinking of a project. In the past I've worked on 52 sweets in a year (1 sweet a week), read a book a month, read 20 books in a year or tracked weekly workouts for 52 weeks. I'm thinking in 2012 it would be fun to track 12 new adventures; things I've never done before. I'm a curious person and there's a lot I've always wanted to try. I just haven't made it a priority....but 2012 is the year! On the list for 2012 is white water rafting in Oregon, hot yoga, an aerial silks class, snow skiing with my almost 5 year old son, trying a crossfit class, and maybe embarking on an adventure race with my husband. That's all I've got so far. And who knows, the list will most likely get tweaked and will definitely grow. But the bottom line is there's emphasis in living life in an adventurous and curious way!

Wonder Wednesday: Weaknesses

I've learned something over the past few weeks and had some really great revelations.  They all center around finding, pinpointing and becoming aware of weakness. 

Weakness is something I've spent most of my life dodging.  It's something that I've never wanted to look dead straight in the eye.  I'd rather focus on what I'm good at and keep that as the center of my universe.  And then if we really don't want to beat around the bush; I'm just plain prideful.  I want to hide the things I'm not good at.  I want to hide it from myself and others.  Maybe my thinking is that if I hide it, it doesn't really exist.  I'm not sure.  What I am sure of is that way of living isn't helping me or anyone else in a positive way.

So now what to do with this big reality?  I think step 2 is what I'm on right now.  I'm becoming aware of my weaknesses, realizing that I don't walk on water and notice that it's a blessing to be aware of weakness because that's the only way to get stronger.

However, I think it's important and fascinating that I haven't beat myself up about my it.  Maybe what I've been afraid of all along is the realization that it will feel really bad if I acknowledge it's there. 

While I don't want to put all my focus on this I do want to know it's there so I can fix it.  Ignoring it does no good. 

Words

Words inspire me so much.  Words are powerful.  Words hurt, they wound, they are remembered forever.  Words can also empower, strengthen, and they can be a gift.  Please use words wisely. That being said, I'm using these words to empower, not to tear down. 

High performing individuals... "begin with two beliefs: (1) the future can be better than the present, and (2) I have the power to make it so."

Always, always remember that.  You have the power to do WHATEVER you want.  We live in a free country.  We can make choices. 

Now I want to speak into whoever eyes come upon this blog entry: you can do it.  You have the strength, the knowledge, and the power to do what you want.  Go for it!!!! And let no one stop you.  Fly.  Put those people that speak good to you be in the forefront of your life.  The people who tear you down, the people who are full of critical spirits (a judgemental attitude that tears people down instead of building them up) are people to consciously steer clear of.  They do us no good.

Systems

In the wee early hours this morning my clients and I were talking and training (of course) about the shake.  Some absolutely love it, some could never do it and some won't even try it.  Here's the beauty in that and why I love our conversations in these training sessions so much: we all don't and won't do the same thing.  The key is finding the system that works for you.  So now the question becomes:

1. Do you have a system?
2. If you don't are you willing to experiment in order to get it right?
3. If you have a system are you willing to share it here via comment?

Got to love new perspectives!

Wonder Wednesday: Poser

I'm reading this book, Poser my life in twenty-three yoga poses by Claire Dederer.  Granted, I'm only on chapter 5 but so far it's a great read.  I connect with it because I've been practicing yoga since August of 2008.  How I fell into yoga was linear: I got pregnant in 2006, gained 50 pounds by 2007, started running to help lose the weight in 2008 and by mid 2008 had horrible knee pain from running too much, saw a chiropractor that also teaches yoga in August of 2008.  I've been in love ever since.  Fast forward three years which brings me to this book.  I relate to it well because the author is a mom that practices yoga. Go figure!  It's deep and I connect through her experience of mom and yoga-hood.  In this edition of wonder Wednesday I wanted to outline 3 things I've gotten from the book this far:

1. from page 35---I had discovered something; there was a pleasure in becoming something new. You could will yourself into a fresh shape.  Now all I had to do was figure out how to do it out there, in my life.

I love this because it describes transformation: trans·for·ma·tion/Noun:1.A thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. It's what we go through in life but sometimes never grasp that it's happening in order to embrace and enjoy the process.

2. from page 50---Until then, I would fake it.

Reminds me of the expression, "fake it until you feel it."  I don't think there's anything wrong with that because in my experience it normally works.

3. from page 4---Fear. I hadn't even known it was there.

This takes me back to some of the first times in class attempting the pose below and I was incredibly scared.  At that point I realized there were many things in my life that I feared and often operated in response to that fear.  

Wonder Wednesday: Sunrise and Sunset

The beginning of the day starts like this nowadays.  Try it with an open mind.  It's really good!  I should clarify too that the shake gets me through the first half of the day from around 8am-noon.  It's really made all the difference in the almost month that I've changed to this kind of a shake I've lost over 2% body fat and feel really great.   

50g of fresh spinach
1 scoop whey isolate protein
1/2 oz. walnuts
2T Flax seed
1T chia seed
1/4c dry oats
1/2 c mixed berries
1 orange or apple--I use an apple
1T raw honey--optional
1/2 c ff cottage cheese
1/2 c ff plain greek yogurt
--Add as much or as few cups of water and blend
725 cal. 64protein

The day ends with half an avacado worked into each dinner.  Avacados are packed with nutrients and help reduce belly fat.  Promise.

Wonder Wednesday: When I Grow Up

This sums up my training philosophy . Got to love pinterest for finding a picture that depicts all the ideas I have in my head about growing up healthy.  Because a picture of strength and flexibility far outweighs skinny fat in my mind.  Remember, there is so much more than the number on the scale.  Researchers (and just plain common sense) are finding that how much a person weighs is not an accurate assessment of health. Rather, what can you do with your body?!?!  Because, contrary to popular belief, age doesn't mean a darn thing.  I love the headline, 100 year old man runs marathon, what have you done today? And this comes out right after a woman gave birth 7 hours after running a marathon.  See, I wasn't so crazy after all!

The Skinny

I preach this because I believe that it's the truth.  I think we spend too much time obsessing about something we can't control.  We can't control our weight.  And if you've been around me long enough you'll know not to protest that comment just yet.  Because it's followed by a statement on what we can control; our choices.  Our choices affect our state of "skinny."  So if we stop focusing on our weight we could start focusing on our behavior and how to change that towards healthier.  Granted, I know that's all easier said than done because I struggle with it too. 

Wonder Wendesday: They are all LIES!!

Wonder Wednesday can also be clumps of information I run across that I don't want to forget.  That is today! This was sent to me by a great friend; it's notes from a speaker.  She rocks for taking time to type out the notes and send to me.  Kristine knows me all too well...I love stuff like this because I often have to remind myself....don't believe the lies.

LIES WE BELIEVE

DON'T BELIEVE THEM :)

1. Everyone else is fine
this is obvious
the grass is always greener
keeping up with the Jones
we believe that everyone else has something we have
we forget to be ALL RIGHT in our own moment
we change our standard to what someone else has or is achieving
The example she gave is that when she sees another woman with great thighs she thinks their life must be perfect. that they have it all.
we all know that our lives are not perfect so why do we believe that everyone else's is????

2. I can do it all...by MYSELF
--recovering perfectionist
when we try to do it all we suffer from
BUSYNESS
FATIGUE
EXHAUSTION
DISSATISFACTION
RESENTMENT
BURDEN
lower your standard.
we are our toughest critic

3. "I SHOULD..."
we give ourselves an impossible to-do list full of "I shoulds" and we should on ourselves (pun intended!)
I should do the laundry, cloth diaper, vaccinate, make dinner, do a craft, decorate for the holiday, sweep, dishes, mop, volunteer, dust, read, ETC ETC ETC
pressure, stress, anxiety, wish list
"I have to", failure, anger
-keeps us burdened, overworked, stressed, exhausted
Imagine all the things you tell yourself that you SHOULD be doing. How do you feel?
Imagine if someone else were telling you the things you SHOULD be doing. How do you feel?
When it's ME, I feel pressure to maintain all that I want.
When it's someone else telling me, I say SHUT UP!
So why is it different? or the same?
so we GIVE out of obligation and duty and we VEIL this as serving others
*CHALLENGE: eliminate "should" from our vocabulary

4. It is sinful and/or selfish to take time for myself
-our soul needs to be replenished
-God rested! I am not better than Him! I need rest too!

Yay, Good News!

Wahoo!  Confirmed in this article that summarizes a study made up of 255 women ages 40-60 found that women who exercise at moderate levels were happier and were more likely to continue working out than peers who exercised more intensely.  Proof!  I love it but because this is the way I think.  If it leaves us feeling happy we're more likely to continue.  So when we're talking about incredibly random things during my small group training classes; we're able to talk and laugh (not easily might I add) while exercising which means we're at the right exertion point in order to want to do it again.  Interesting note too, these ladies in the small group training sessions are consistent.  They show up....and they keep showing up.  Consistency!

I love research that disproves what the vast majority falsely believes as accurate.

Wonder Wednesday: Twitching

Sometimes I feel like I'm the most curious person on earth.  I'm the one who will never run out of questions.  I'll ask you a question and then have a dozen more where that came from.  I'll never know enough, I'll never be satisfied with what answers I have.  I try not to say never but really this has been going on most all of my life.  While I feel like I'm always learning something new, sometimes I wonder how much I really retain.  When I was in college dating my husband (we met my the last part of my freshman year) while I was knee deep in my first biology class.  I'm not sure what he saw in me other than the nerdy biology girl that regurgitated every possible detail I could remember from that morning's lecture (and with a ton of enthusiasm, might I add). 

That introduction leads nicely into my next segment: the nuggets of information I'm going to enthusiastically relay via blog entries titled, "Wonder Wednesday."  Because I can't stand it, I have to tell someone what I've learned.  Thus the first of many Wonder Wednesdays...

Did you ever wonder why sometimes we are sore from exercises and sometimes we are not?  For example, let's take a side-lying leg raise series.  Your gluteus medius BURNS with pain and the thought is surely I'll be extremely sore tomorrow.  But you wake up the following morning with no evidence; there's no tiny ache or pain.  Then sometimes you do exercises where you hardly feel anything or maybe you feel it but nothing like the cramp in your outer thigh from the side lying leg raises. 

Very curious situations, right? Well, I have the answer as to why this is typically the case.  The reason is because the gluteus medius (along with the gluteus minimus) is a stabilizer for the hip.  It's a deep muscle that is mostly made up of slow twitch fibers.  This means that because it's a stabilizer muscle and made up of slow twitch fibers it doesn't get tired as easy because stabilizer muscles work all the time to helps us stabilize.  But perhaps when you do those squats, the next couple of days your gluteus maximus is talking to you all 48 hours.  The reason is opposite.  The gluteus maximus is made up of fast twitch muscle fibers.  It's a big mover and thus doesn't work as long or as often so it gets sore because of fiber type and exercise performed.

Whew!  Glad we got that covered.
Happy Wonder Wednesday!  Do a little wondering today.

The Average of 5

"When I was about your age, my uncle taught me that at any given time, we are becoming the average of the five people with whom we are most closely associated.  Don't ever underestimate the importance of whom you choose to be with." -The One Minute Entrepreneur (p. 3)

I didn't have to very deep into that book to hear the most important thing I've learned all week.  Isn't this so true?  Not only did I read that a week ago but today I got an email from fitness guru, Todd Durkin, emphasizing the exact same thing:

•Associate with GREAT PEOPLE. Our life and business is built on relationships. We are a product of the books we read, the things we listen to, and the people we associate with. Seek out and find great coaches and mentors, like-minded leaders who are pursuing common goals and passionate about living a world-class life. One of my own coaches once said, “If you want to be a great athlete, train with great athletes; if you want to be a great coach, learn from great coaches; if you want to be a millionaire, hang out with millionaires; if you want to be spiritually strong, hang out with spiritually strong people; who you hang out with and who you learn from strongly influences the person you become.” What great wisdom!

Maybe this is a hard thing to do because it may force out some unhealthy relationships but in the end most likely for the best.  Seek out people you want to be like, because in the end we are like the people we associate ourselves with.  I can honestly say I'm drawn to people I want to be more like....now I just need to make sure they are my average of 5! 

it began with a parade

This weekend I helped out the gym I train out of by walking in the local parade.  Our goal was to create awareness about this new women's gym by handing out flyers good for a free week of classes along with a gym membership.  When I handed women the flyer I got mixed reactions. Some were very thankful and seemed genuinely interested as they had not heard about the place.  Some didn't seem to care and I felt like they were probably just annoyed by the flyer they would now need to dispose of.  Some responded with, "do I look like I need to workout?!?!"  It was said with a lot of attitude, annoyance and disgust.  And in comes my strong thoughts on this:

No matter who you are or what you look like I think everyone needs exercise.  This isn't based on a judgement of appearance.  It's based on the belief that I have about exercise being an important role in everyday life.  Our bodies were meant to be used.  Day to day modern American culture doesn't typically include a physically grueling experience.  We have to work at it.  That means we might belong to a gym, get a workout buddy, sign up for classes or hire a trainer.  I'm a trainer, I do this for a living and I sign up for classes, I have a workout buddy, and believe it or not I'm fixing to hire a trainer.  I just do what I have to do in order to workout and I've found that I'm not very good at working out by myself.  I used to be good at working out by myself but I'm not anymore because I've found it's so much more fun to go to a class or workout with someone else. 

And lastly on exercise, but not least, because I believe this is very important and widely overlooked. Exercise and feel the difference!  I think far too many of us go through life on auto-pilot and forget to enjoy a situation when it's not obvious to do so.  The primary reason I exercise is because I feel good while doing it.  I understand there may be a lot of people reading this that don't understand this concept.  There may be a ton of reasons as to why that is the case.  One possible explanation could be because we're typically resistant to exercise.  We put it to ourselves as a task we have to do versus one we get to do. Maybe your view has always been "no pain no gain" or maybe there's a negative connotation because of a past experience.  Either way I'm here to shake your view on this topic in that exercise is meant to be enjoyed.  It's an area of grey: it can (and should be) eased into, you don't have to break a sweat, you don't have to do any exact thing; just move.  The whole purpose is to move our bodies as a constant reminder that it can move.  If it doesn't move it forgets how.  Be thankful it can move. There are many bodies that cannot move.  If yours can move, practice moving it in a different way daily because we're never thankful for what we have until we don't have it anymore.

Special side-note: make any form of exercise a priority especially if you have trouble sleeping.  Chances are your brain is tired from working all day but your body is not because it hasn't worked nearly as hard as your brain.  I get this response most often when working with someone that has been on an exercise sabbatical, they tell me they slept the best they had in years because of the work we did that day.  There really isn't anything like a good nights sleep. 

Confused?

kickboxing, pilates, yoga, triathlons, marathons, 5K's, boot camps, dance classes, obstacle course races, muddy bike/run races, strength training, cardio classes, hot yoga, swimming, running, walking, biking, spin classes, crossfit, p90x, insanity, tracey anderson's metamorphosis, brazilian butt lift, kettle bell workouts, gym memberships, pole classes, acroyoga, hoolahoop classes, aerial silks, barre classes, circuit training

The list could go on and on and on.  There are so many options out there to keep us from getting bored.  It can get confusing though; which one is the best method?  Answer: any that look fun to you and have a beginner option.  There is one thing I've recently learned: it doesn't matter what you do but do many things.  Don't get stuck with your same, run or walk or strength routine.  The best advice I can give it mix it up!  Be adventurous and try out new things.  I'm about ready to order the Tracy Andersen metamorphosis (yes, I'm an infomercial junkie) and I want to try an aerial silks class in the near future along with getting my fill of yoga and pilates and of course I can't leave out that strength training.  Seems overwhelming doesn't it?!  Take it from the girl who wants to read 10 books at a time and be a full-time class tester all around the metro; slow down and pick one or two things that look interesting.  Do what I say (because I'm working diligently to follow my own advice too. You'll have a blast trying out new things and your body will get stronger in the process because it's working with foreign movements. 

Now I say all that to also say that I firmly believe that pilates is the foundation for movement.  Pilates is a core centered movement focused on always integrating the transversus abdominus (TVA).  Not only integrating the TVA but strengthening and becoming more aware of how to engage it all day long in order to prevent injury.  If you're going to the right classes with the right instructor this concept will be reinforced throughout the whole class.  So we have to be exploratory with our fitness but also smart in where we're at now and what our body can do at this moment.  Really effective exercise is safe exercise that remembers progression is mandatory.

Contentment

I may have covered this briefly before but it's on my mind from the previous post. 

"Contentment" seems realistically defined as "enjoyment of whatever may be desired". That definition is realistic because the more contented an individual or community becomes the less extreme so more acceptable their desires will be. Contentment is an intuitive natural concept, whereas "peace" is a civil and so non-intuitive concept dependent on restriction, whereas contentment was and is self sustaining. (Wikipedia)

Does it make sense that we first have to be content with our current state in order to progress?  I grapple with this because I've studied (via observation) when people change.  It seems like (now this is not scientific so don't quote me-just an observation) whenever a person loses weight or changes their eating or adds exercise into their weekly routine on a consistent basis they were content when they started their journey.  Now stay with me here.  Think about it.  People who are already content have a healthy state of mind from the get-to.  People who aren't content but think they will be content if they lose the weight might not be in the most healthy state of mind.  Here's the kicker though, I think there are varying degrees of contentment.  I don't think it's black or white.  I think it's something that we're either mostly content or mostly not content. 

So try something for me.  Do it on your own and then tell me about your experiment months or years from now.  Here's my proposal: take a hard look at your state of mind.  Are you always nagging on yourself, putting yourself down (either thinking it or saying it out loud). If you answered yes to any part of that question also answer this: does it parallel with your inability to lose weight and/or eat healthy and exercise regularly?  Just because I firmly believe in the definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results) how about trying something different?  The mind is a powerful thinking organ.  If we pollute our brain with nasty thoughts and words it's not going to work nearly like it should.  Maybe this isn't an issue for you but something else is.  Or maybe it is an issue and you need input from someone else.  Check out www.insightkc.org.  I betcha they can help!

We All Say It

"I want to live a healthy lifestyle."

Do you think the verbiage just spins off our tongues without really thinking it through?  That it's ingrained in what we know we should do but don't fully believe in it enough for daily practice? I'm going to talk straight for a moment. So often I hear of people making a bigger deal of what they just did but should be doing anyway.  For example, someone feels really good about running 4 miles. They haven't ran 4 miles in years but they did it just this one time so they tell the world via facebook.  I'm not digging on the person running 4 miles (or on facebook).  It's sort of dangerous but sort of a step in the right direction, sort of (but not really).  They are trying and what they did feels like such a big deal and they are so proud of themselves. 

Here's what I'm trying to say, would we have to tell every person we see in a given day that we brushed our teeth this morning?  Of course not!  It's a given we do it everyday in order to maintain oral health.  So why do we make such a huge deal about exercise?

A hobby of mine is studying people who have what I want. I ask myself what they are doing to get what I apparently want. How did they get to where they are now? And I ask myself what are they doing every single day. When I ask these questions about a person that has what I want; I replicate.  The same is true for health.  I look at someone that's healthy.  A person that "lives a healthy lifestyle." To them, exercise and eating right are just the same as brushing their teeth.  It's no big deal because they don't give themselves the option.  Brushing their teeth everyday is mandatory.  Exercise everyday (or most days out of a week) is mandatory.  Eating lots of veggies and fruit and whole grains is mandatory.  They have bought into the theory of "living a healthy lifestyle."  They've bought into it so much that it's a non-issue.  There is no stress about if they are going to the gym or not. There is no stress about if they are going to eat loads of sugar today. The answers are ingrained into who they are.  There is no bragging about what they ate today or how many minutes they spent on the treadmill.  It's an everyday occurrence and would get extremely old talking about and obsessing about everyday.   

So that's the idea of where we want to go and who we want to be.  I think we all can say it would be refreshing to stop obsessing.  To stop talking and just do.  There's so much more to live for than being unhappy about where we are and dramatize over what we "know we should do" but aren't living it out daily. 

Here's the kicker: you don't have to talk about what you're doing because after time people will notice.  We all hear people talking about what they are doing or what they are going to do.  To me, it's fluff.  It became fluff a long time ago because I'm the most gullible person out there.  Seriously.  I used to get made fun of for all the random things I would believe.  As my husband says, "I'm a marketers dream."  Okay, so maybe I'm still a little gullible (you can make fun of me later).  And I am because when someone tells me they are going to do something, I believe them with my whole being.  I believe that what they are telling me is the 100% God's honest truth.  This might be a result of one major concept: I believe in people and know they can do whatever it is they really want to do. Isn't believing the ticket?  If we believe in ourselves to the very end, believe that even when it gets really, really tough we can still pull through because what we sought out to do matters.  I think so.

Nuggets of Motivation

Random words that have inspired me lately:

The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.

What if this whole journey of getting healthy could be more about what we're in the process of gaining than what we're losing?

Virtually everyone who overcomes will tell you their victory is the sum total of a whole lot of wise decisions that they made day by day.

I had to stop thinking about what I shouldn't have and park my mind of thoughts of being thankful for what I could have.

September Schedule

I bet it almost kills me but I've decided to try out an early morning schedule (with 1 night class option) in September.  While I'm a night owl and I think this new schedule will be difficult, I'm open to change.  This should be a good change for 4 reasons: 1.) I'll get to spend more time with my little family in the evenings. 2.) The women that sign up for the class should be able to make it to every class as there isn't much else going on at the wee hours of the morning. 3.) Beginnings.  Each month is a new beginning.  A new start but a continuance from the previous.  They all add up but it's completing small parts to a bigger whole. 4.) Budgeting. I think going to a monthly schedule will make budgeting for training a whole lot easier and manageable when it's a monthly investment that is predictable.

"Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret." ~Jim Rohn


That being said, don't regret inactivity this fall. Email me if you're interested in joining in the inspiration and motivation that comes with training4women classes. They can be life changing if you're open to it!

All classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Dates: September 6-27
Number of Classes: 7
Location: FIT gym (new women's only gym located at 152 and 291)
Investment: $105
Session Options:
5am-Class FULL
6am-Class FULL
6pm-3 spots

I'm in the business of helping so if I can't help you personally because a class is full, the time doesn't work or whatever, email me. I'd love to refer you to a class or someone that can help. There's always a way...if you're willing!

Transformation

I have a different perspective about weight loss than the media, the weight loss stores and all the hype in our culture.  There's got to be a paradigm shift in one's mind to think this way. What if we started thinking in terms of decades, in years, not in days, weeks or months?  I know that my body will transform in the next year and in the next decade one way or another.  It will either slowly get stronger or slowly get weaker.  All the little things are what make up how we look and feel each passing year and decade.  Think about it and it really does make sense.  The reason a person looks and feels the way they do today is a result of their habits over the past year. 

Researchers have found that visualization is key.  If we can envision and believe that we will be a healthier person we will start making changes.  So believing in the change is key.  We have to first realize that the change is worth the end result.  If we don't completely buy into the end result we won't make the change.  Visualizing yourself being the healthiest, fittest and physically strong in the next year and decade is the root concept. 

What I'm not a fan of at all is extreme dieting that looks like starvation, extreme diets or lots of regimen that we can't follow long term.  Sure it might get us from point A to point B quickly.  But then point C is ugly.  And what is point C?  Answer: worse than we were at in point A because all the extreme dieting only gave us a short term answer.  We didn't transform, we didn't truly change. The snail route completely revolves around transformation.  And isn't transformation what will get us long term success?

So we have this knowledge that every year we get older, every decade that passes us by, our metabolism slows and our body ages.  It can become weak, decondition and aged.  If we took that information and embraced it with open arms and an open mind we'd get somewhere as a society.  Instead we play the insanity game.  We keep going around the crazy circle of losing weight quickly only to put it back on quicker.  We skip the TRANSFORMATION process because we don't want to face it.  We don't want to face that we have issues that have to be addressed.  The key here is continuing to refine.  It's not big flashy changes but small polishing to slowly create a big change. 

Say It Like It Is

I really appreciate people who talk straight.  My husband does it and many other people that I completely respect do it too.  Tony Horton, creator of the very popular P90X, recently wrote a blog entry that I really enjoyed reading.  It's a whole lot of straight talk.  While I understand this sort of talk doesn't motivate everyone, a good kick in the pants really gets me going. 

I'll list the link to his blog and the entry here but also paste it below.  Take a minute to read it as I rarely copy and paste other's words but this is a different sort of perspective than what I would normally write or talk about.  My approach offers more grace (not excuses) and more of you finding where you need to go with guided direction.  I'm different than most trainers and I know that but I can definitely appreciate where other trainers are coming from.

You know who you are. You’ve got all the answers and your lousy at taking sound advice because it’s easier to be lazy. The tilt-a-whirl of disappointment goes round and round and you pretend everything is okay. You’re not fooling anyone and everyone else knows what you’re up to. It’s easy to lack self discipline because you’re not alone. Misery loves company.
I’m sick and tired of hearing why you can’t stop eating crap. Stop blaming your thyroid, boyfriend, childhood and ancestry because it’s not working. The problem is your inability to face reality. The real issues are your lack of accountability, willpower, determination and the lousy company you keep. It’s also your lame plan or lack there of. Your reasons why suck and you don’t tell the truth about what you stuff in your face when no one is looking.


Your horrendous eating habits is the American terrorist within. If the level of disease caused by unhealthy choices continues at this alarming rate then we will destroy ourselves without any help from the bad guys. Fad diets, pills and miracle potions used to lose weight never work in the long term and they never will. Dozens of studies show that calorie control diets that still allow you to eat forms of unhealthy food always fail. I’ve never met anyone who started a “weight lose only” diet and stayed on it. So you lost 50 pounds and kept it off for 5 years. Why did you gain it all back in 6 months during year six? Are you proud of that?
When diet deprivation becomes too much the closet eating begins. Your reasons for falling off the wagon are plenty and you’ll defend them till you’re blue in the face. Good for you for choosing the option that required you to be lazy again. Choosing gluttony is no way to build your manifesto my friend. What is your reason for being on this earth? Why do you really put that garbage in your mouth? Do you want to know why? Do you want to look at it closely? Do you care enough?


The simple answer is choice. I hope you weren’t expecting something more complicated. How do you choose what to be? How will you work to be better than before? Who will you surround yourself with? How long will your better choices last? Will you continue to be the closet garbage eater or will you finally get your act together, stop making it about you all the time and begin to be an example to the people in your life who need your help?

Doing Less to Get More

What if we lived a life where material possessions didn't matter? A life where contentment met us every single day just because we got what we needed and there wasn't anything we wanted?  We didn't have to work long hours, stress about the mortgage, worry about how we're too heavy, not pretty enough or not good enough.  What if we just were?

Couldn't this be our life if we reached out and grabbed it?  Every single day I work on contentment because I know dissatisfaction is my reflection in the mirror.  Last week and into the weekend we painted most of the inside of our house including the garage (because I'm just that way).  Don't get me wrong I feel so great about it. I just love the colors and am so glad that it's over and done and we did it.  But I couldn't help but think during the process how insignificant the color of my walls on the inside of my house really are.  How the time I spent painting I could have spent playing on the floor with my 5 month old or riding bikes with my 4 year old.  Granted I squeezed in both activities but not for as long as I could have without the project.  It seems so meaningless in the whole big realm of things yet in my mind it has to be done.  Dissatisfaction.  Discontentment. Those two words seem to constantly overpower contentment. 

I think those two words are the root issue.  We have to be pleased with who we are, where we are in life's journey in order to get anywhere effectively.

Instead of adding more, strategically plan items out of your life.  Maybe I'm just wired differently but I'd rather have a small simple house with a small mortgage payment that's on it's way out the door in order to live without bills being jammed down my throat.  If we do less and consume less I think we get so much more.  Don't you?  Granted, it's not the American way but is the American way really the right way?  I think we can all agree something is completely wrong in our culture.

A Book Review

It's been over a month dear trainwithmandy blog.  I've meant to write.  I've had things to write about. Sometimes the thoughts in my head come across is the form of a blog post.  I've been busy.  Busy putting two boys ahead of my own agenda.  It's been good.  Although you know me, if I have something I'm excited about I have to let it out in some form or fashion.

I read Dave Ramsey's More Than Enough. It had more than enough fantastic thoughts and information.  One reason I love Dave is because I can translate anything he says into the health/wellness world.  Here's what I took away from the book, my favorite parts:

Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it everyday.  When you mature into work it actually becomes discipline: doing it every day. Discipline understands that get rich quick is a joke. Discipline understands that the best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow. (p. 187) Change out rich with healthy and you've got my motto.  There is no fast track to health because it's something we have to practice day in and day out.  When we put it that way, what's the point in going fast?  If we go fast we can't sustain it.

Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day.  Diligence is doing it well every day. Work and discipline are important keys. Diligence, however, comes with a guarantee.  When you are diligent over a long period of time you are guaranteed to become w(h)ealthy and have more than enough in all areas of life.  Diligence has an element of vision to it that tells you a real comfortable place to live is inside your income (or total calories for the day). Diligence is knowing that if you can live like no one else can, eventually live like no one else. When you reach a place of diligence in your life you are maturing. Children, whether they are four or fifty-four, are always in a hurry and looking for a shortcut. h(p. 199) This is long term thinking here!

Patience and endurance play tag. You will always find one where the other has been. Endurance through tough times always increases your measure of patience. Patience is also strength of character, which gives you the ability to endure. Patience that can endure is true power. (p. 216)

There is a gift that causes blessings to flow to anyone who possesses it.  If you have this gift it will lead to your heart's every desire.  The happiest people you will ever meet have this gift in abundance, and they seem to be almost eerie. They have a sense of destiny and perspective that is so deep it will almost spook you.  What is this magnificent principal, this gift from on high? CONTENTMENT. (p. 228-229)

Back in psch 101, we were taught the concept of "dissonance," which basically means disturbance. When someone recognizes a way to get more pleasure and avoid pain they are moved, motivated, in that direction. (p. 234)

Art Williams says, "All you can do is all you can do and that is enough."
I once read that happiness is not a state to arrive at, it is a manner of the traveling. I believe one key to contentment is to understand that. (p. 249)

See why I like Dave Ramsey now?  He's a motivator of the TRUTH.  He doesn't fill our heads with empty promises but the wise words to get there with work, sweat, blood, patience, diligence and discipline.

Try Weird

Doing something drastic over a short period of time.
-Normal people do this.


Doing small things over a long period of time.
-Weird people do this.

Isn't this the picture of our culture?  Always working to fit in with everyone else.  Take a look at the picture of normal in America.

•Finances: normal is debt, worry, tension, fear. Normal is broke.
•Schedules: normal is overwhelmed, overworked, stressed, burned out.
•Relationships: insecurity, betrayal, fear—unfortunately, normal marriages struggle and often end in divorce.
•Careers: normal to feel stuck working for a paycheck in a job you don’t like.
•Normal to feel empty—longing for something more, something better.

Instead of trying to take in the entire scope of your life's mural, maybe it's time to zero in on one major detail, one significant color, one delicate brushstroke. Focus all your attention on it over a long period of time instead of making a complete overhaul for a short while only to ultimately get burned out on the drastic change with no satisfaction.

Getting it Together

Do you know how many days I've told myselt I'm going to write a "trainwithmandy" entry today?  Too many to count.  Life is different now with two kiddos at home.  I love it, it's just that things don't get done like they used to. Throughout the past 11 weeks I've worked toward balance.  Some days it happens and other days it doesn't.  As a stay at home mom and owning my own business there is a crazy new reality that's been created.  Food journaling has been put on the back-burner, prioritizing workouts, reading time and doing two things at once is slowly becoming perfected.  I find that my little escape is diving into a book where I never fully appreciated the time-out before; I sure do now.  Don't get me wrong, my passion and love are my children (check out my reading list if you don't believe me), but too much of anything is never healthy.  Plus, I sure do love learning and reading seems to fill that need.

So in the spirit of getting it together, which I completely understand is a lifetime process, here are two quotes I've read recently that have inspired me to keep working at "getting it together."

"Champions know that there is a difference between interest and commitment.  When you're interested in something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results!"  -Author Unknown

I find that this is so true with a busy schedule.  We all have busy schedules.  My interest that has turned into a commitment is leading a healthy lifestyle and setting an example by living out the best me I can be for my boys.  If I want that for them then I need to step up to it myself so they can witness it firsthand.  Granted, they will witness firsthand my failures but hopefully we can all work through them together.

"To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of practice itself." - George Leonard

Everything is a practice (for me) nowadays.  It's practice of oral hygiene-the new and improved cleaning routine (brought about by the new hardware in my mouth)-to eating breakfast every morning to practicing strength training 2 times a week.  The focus isn't the outcome, its the day to day practice.  If I have the practice down, the outcome will follow.

Lower Body Weight Workout

As you can imagine, having a baby leaves the lower half of a woman's body...well, changed.  Here's to another workout that only requires 1) you, 2) doing it.  The focus here is the whole hip/booty/thigh region.

2 sets of 15-25 reps
on all fours-diagonal kicks (leg goes out at a diagonal and comes back in)
touch the ground and come back up (bend your knee here)
back lunges (make sure to not press through toes)
curtsey lunges
squat with taps out to the side with one leg
knee up repeater on a step (any step will do in your house)
step up and down on a step using the same leg
wide leg squats--slow

Glass Half What?

I blog a lot about the how to of becoming healthier.  I think most of us know what we need to do it's just a matter of how to blend it into our life.

Action Follows Belief. I firmly believe this.  If we see success in our mind before anything happens, we will succeed.  However, if we see failure in our mind before anything happens we are already defeated.  I believe this because I've seen it.  Not necessarily with fitness but with anything.  The glass half empty people have far less successes than the glass half full people. 

I came across this article the other day.  Its a short article and worth reading if you need some ideas to shift your perspective. 

This is not rocket science but for some reason it can easily be overlooked.  Not only will success come with a positive outlook, other things will happen. People want to be around the glass half full person.  They attract success in most every capacity.  Besides, there's no reason to try something if you already know in your mind that you will fail. What areas of your life do you look at the glass half full or the glass half empty?  Recognize those differentiating areas, write them down, change them.