Vacation

It's that great time of the year again. Summer vacation! It means kids are at home, maybe you've planned a relaxing getaway and probably lots of bar-b-q's are just around the corner. I often remind myself that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Stay away from insanity, instead try doing something different. I promise by trying something different with a spirit of adventure, you'll reach outside your comfort zone and learn something! I know I did last weekend.

My small family; husband, son and I went on a little vacation for ourselves. Every time I've gone out of town I stop the food journal or even worse, I just eat plain terrible. Before we set out on our adventure I promised myself, no matter how bad my eating was, I would record each and every bite...even if I didn't want to. It was an experiment for myself to see how bad I actually do eat on vacation. The results came in...you can see for yourself on eatwithmandy (but I beg you not too!) as it was all horrible. I didn't get too down on myself for eating french fries, some cheeseburgers (I'm working on becoming a vegetarian/flexatarian) or flopping my sweet-a-week plan by eating, well let's just say more than one sweet. Insead I was very happy I wrote it all down and posted it to the world. It's a step in the right direction.

My plea, make SMALL changes you can live with. Even though my vacation eating was HORRIBLE, I counted every calorie and didn't throw my journal out the window. It was something I could manage but still feel like I was on "vacation." Maybe your SMALL change is different, whatever it is focus on the tiny thing you can live with changing and build from there. That's my plan as perfection doesn't happen over night.

Quote

One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.
Sidney Howard

Reaching Full Potential

Here's some random tidbits to help with the journey!

Top 5 Exercises
-Back Lunges
-Squats
-Pull Ups
-Push Ups
-Sprints-30-60 seconds
Top 5 Foods
-Organic Spinach
-Fruits and Veggies
-Lean Protein
-Raw Organic Nuts
-Sweet Potato
Avoid
-Artificial Sweeteners (use stevia)
-High Fructose Corn Syrup
-Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG)
-Hydrogenated Oils
My Soap Box
Did you know that people who do NOT eat breakfast are 450% more likely to be overweight or obese? Eat Breakfast! It doesn't have to be anything more than a shake-just plan for it and do it.
Tips for losing 10 pounds
-Set a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
This will be your overall goal/dream. Maybe it's to complete a marathon. Think big!
-Set a short term goal.
This is a day or week goal. For example, my weekly goal is to eat no more than 1 sweet.
-Join a contest. Sign up for a race!
-Sign up for a group class. If it's with a trainer, it's even better!

Quote of the Week

“If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.”

—Nora Roberts

Wishy Washy

It's sooooo hard for me to disclose what I eat to the world. I know it's a good thing to go outside my comfort zone but it doesn't make the process any easier. Some of you may have noticed that the eat with mandy link now only allows invited readers. I go back and forth and back and forth about this. I would LOVE to share my food with everyone but some days feel it's such a private thing...and then I feel I will definitely be judged. After all, I am a trainer. I'm suppose to be the strong one that's a perfect eater all the time. Of course, I'm not and by no means ever advertise myself as such. It's just a stereotype I put on myself. Anyway tonight, after a horrible day of eating, I've decided to once again allow the public to view my food journal. This will probably only be a limited time thing as I'm sure tomorrow I'll feel the need to make it private again. Arg!

Quote of the Week

“Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

—Napoleon Hill

Eat with Mandy

Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law I've been consistently writing down what I eat everyday for almost the past two months. It has also been something I've required all my clients to do. When they do this...funny thing, something crazy happens...they lose weight! Anyway, I've been emailing a group my food journal each day in exchange with their food journal but yesterday had a thought that seemed just right for this type A obsessive personality; a food blog.

My initial thought was to keep it private as it's SO hard for me to open this part of my life up to the world but now, at least for the time-being, I'm going to have it open to whoever wants to read it.

Disclaimer: My specialty is in EXERCISE not nutrition. Read with caution and don't count it as an example to follow by any means, this area of my life will most likely always be a work in progress.

To visit the blog click here.

Proof of Hope

Author and Speaker, Andy Andrews says, " the tragedy is not that we lose but that we almost win and yet we don't go onto the field for the second half."

He also talks about the proof of hope.
In the worst time of our life if we are still breathing that means we are still here. If we are still here, that means we haven't accomplished what we were put here to accomplish which means that our very purpose has not yet been fulfilled. If our purpose has not been fulfilled that means the most important part of our lives has yet to be lived.

His book the noticer is next on my list of books to read after a couple of others:)

Slow Cooker!

This weekend I was able to attend Dave Live. I love listening to Dave on the radio during the day or on TV at night because he gives really practical advice on finances. He's motivational and uses a lot of common sense. I also like listening because he gives me ideas on money that I can use for fitness!

Dave has a proven plan. Meaning between five and ten million people across North America have and are using his plan to build wealth and get out of debt. The word proven sticks out to me because his plan isn't a theory that might work for certain people. It's something that works for everybody.

The same is true in the fitness and weight loss world. A proven plan that works is keeping a food journal. Last month I had women food journal to me each day. The women that were diligent in emailing me daily along with coming to sessions with me each week lost weight. The average weight loss was anywhere from 3-6 pounds last month. This average is the slow cooker part of my fitness theory. Notice 3-6 pounds isn't a flashy, crazy, unrealistic number for one month of weight loss. It's something that everybody could do if they just put their mind to doing it. Where 3-6 pounds per month that isn't snazzy number can easily turn into anywhere from 36-72 pounds in one year! Now that's snazzy!

Changing behavior is a process and as a matter of fact, engaging in change is one of the hardest things a human will do throughout life. We are creatures of habit and feel comfort in our daily habitual routines. Changing too many areas of our life all at once (the microwave approach to fitness) can lead to:
1) a lot of stress
2) unrealistic expectations
3)inadequate follow-through
which all ultimately concludes as reverting back to old behaviors.

Make small changes. Tiny, microscopical things that don't even seem like change. Then build upon that. Who knows, before you know it you very well could turn into a skinny millionaire!

Quote of the Week

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better."