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How are those goals coming along? Are you feeling frustrated that you might not be progressing as quickly as you would like, only to be frustrated when warm weather rolls around? It’s easy to stop trying and go back to old routines, but when the mercury starts climbing, and those goals you set for yourself in January seem not so long ago we begin to ask ourselves, “If only I had started sooner!”
The best way to protect yourself from a regret-filled spring is to set a deadline and start now. Yep, right now. Deadlines are powerful motivators. Without a deadline, you really have no set-point toward which to work. You have nothing to pushing you and we need to be pushed. Deadlines create a sense of urgency. They help you position yourself to succeed, because that final date is always staring back at you. It forces you to prioritize and strategize. Otherwise, you will let things slide, you will keep putting off the workout or healthy food choices, and insisting that tomorrow you will start eating better. Without a deadline, tomorrow never comes. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get the results you have always gotten. It’s time to do something different. Ask yourself this question: If I keep doing what I am doing right now, will I achieve what I want to achieve? If you answered no, then it’s time for a change. Go get your calendar out and decide when you want to see your first wave of results. Be realistic and make sure you give yourself time to really dig in and see changes happen. But challenge yourself, too — make it a little tough so you can take full advantage of the power of urgency. If you have tried that before, then a deadline may not be enough. Why? Because you may be tempted to move it. Deadlines are not supposed to be moving targets. The best way to prevent deadline-creep is to get competitive. Entering into a competition or contest is a sure way to give you the edge you need to keep yourself on track and finish strong. There is something very motivating about competing with others. Just knowing that your effort and results are going to be measured alongside others really will give you an extra boost in motivation. This is a time when a little peer pressure can be helpful. And you will find that those with whom you are in competition will also be your biggest cheerleaders. They know exactly what you are going through and will be there to encourage you to keep moving. Deadlines and contests form the perfect combination to assist with your health success so put them to work for you. Spring is close enough to give you a push, but still far enough away to ensure that you have enough time to get some serious work done. Plan now to greet spring and warmer weather with no regrets. Want to do this? Join my February Healthy Living Challenge. You do not have to be a training client to join in. Everyone is welcome! Happy 2016. The first week of the new year is a time for resetting your mind and body. You have a clean slate to work with. Don’t worry about the past, focus on the now and future.
Last week, I discussed resolutions and refocusing on a smaller more attainable goal that will ebb and flow with your life. Let’s re-assess how your week went. Did your goal seem to fit into your day to day routine or not? If it fit well and you were able to adjust accordingly to life’s challenges then keep up the good work. If not, then let’s go back to the drawing board. What needs to change or be more flexible in order for success to happen? Perhaps this goal is still a good one, but you’re overthinking it and stopping yourself with negative thoughts. Take a moment right now in the middle of this column to stop and jot down on paper, phone, or computer anything that comes to mind, positive and negative. It might even make you feel relieved to have it out of your head. Now that you had a week to test a few things out, you might have come up with a few questions or researched a few topics about fitness, healthy eating, or even purchased a new product or two to assist in this new habit you have committed to. Besides executing the plan you have made for yourself, now what should you do to keep on moving forward. Ask a friend or family member to join you. Support is huge! Having another person to chat with, hang with, and even be active with can be a factor that contributes to success and enjoyment. You are going to have ups and downs, guaranteed. Find someone or a few people that you can use for support. We are not perfect at everything we do the first time. Having a solid base to come to for support during those rough patches can be the difference between quitting and persevering. Start a journal. Do not over think this one. Journaling can provide a great escape, support system, and feedback tool for everybody. You can write whatever you want, maybe it is more emotional, a spot to empty all the to-dos that are stuck up in your head, or a place to write your daily activity and progressions you have made. Use it as a way to start fresh every night, morning, or mid-day. You may be surprised at how useful little changes and additions will become once you start utilizing them. Remember that you are not alone in pursuing a goal. Goals may be different from person to person but with support, reflection, and positive thought you can achieve anything. Congratulations. You survived Christmas weekend and all the craziness that goes along with it. Now I am sure you are starting to think about the new year to come. It is approaching fast. Well, technically it is here.
What would I like to achieve this year? Where would I like to go? How should my life be different this year? So many thoughts and ideas on what I want to achieve in 2016. Time to set a resolution. You might think that it is weird that I encourage people to make a new year’s resolution. Especially since most people fall off the horse within a couple of weeks. However, I choose to promote realistic resolutions. No starvation diet plans or unrealistic leanness goals, please. Making a new commitment is important and healthy as long as you think about it. Think about how to add this new behavior into your “real life”. Your real life can be crazy and hectic at times. Perhaps you have a kid or two to feed, clothe, and interact with, a job to manage during the day, a household to care for and maintain and maybe even some animals, too. Real life is busy and active and just about the time you want to go for a walk another life situation stops you dead in your tracks. Therefore, this new year make a resolution that fits your “real life.” Really take a moment to think about what you want to achieve or how you want to live. It does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Truthfully, I discourage those types of resolutions because usually you end up with nothing, not all you desired in the first place. Maybe that fitness goal needs to be a bit more flexible with where it happens or striving for one healthier meal a day instead of an entire week of healthy meals. In order to fit this resolution into your real human life you must be prepared for hurdles. It may not be easy, but if you make a realistic goal, set a plan, and continue to move forward while being flexible great things will happen in 2016. I can feel it. Happy New Year! This week has been a challenging one. I am not sure if it is because of the added holiday things to do on top of normal day to day activities, but my schedule seemed tighter with less time for myself. Sounds a bit like life. In one particular instance I slowed down and read a facebook post that one of my old clients wrote. Here is the post:
“A few people have asked me lately what I want for Christmas and on a walk tonight with a friend I decided what it really is that I want and need. I want and need time with the people I care about. Whether it is a walk, celebrating the Christmas season at a church service, being together at Christmas, or just meeting for coffee somewhere to chat. Just TIME... that is all. Making time to just be.... That is all I really want or need for Christmas! Sounds sappy but it is true!” This made me so incredibly happy and also sad that I have not seen this person since I moved to Libby. I do my best to stay in contact and chat with her and other friends/clients as often as I can. Even though I can not be there in person, I want to give her and others the gift of time. To let them know that I still care about her even though I moved away. I care about her life, health, and happiness. That is why I took the time. During the holidays, I tend to get caught up in things that may seem really important at the time. Are they really important? I am starting to ask myself this question now more than ever before. I want to spend the last few weeks of the holiday season by giving. Not money or gifts, but the gift of my time. Volunteering at the schools, helping an organization with a fundraiser, assisting those that need a little help no matter how big or small, and spending time with family or friends (even if it is on the phone or videochating). These small acts of caring and kindness make me feel good and I hope it makes those people feel good, too. My message to you all this week is short and sweet. I encourage you all to really think about what you want or need this holiday season and share that thought with the ones you love. Remember that even a small act of being present and caring about someone else can go a long way. The same old same old. I tend to gravitate towards the activities that I am good. Why? Because they are easy for me and I enjoy them the most. Strength training and just about any physically active thing outside is what I prefer to do. It is engrained in my head and their is no struggle to complete once or twice in my day. This is healthy right? I am active. I do something every day. Is this enough? Well the answer is yes but no!
As human beings we are creatures of habit. We gravitate towards the same, comfortable activity all the time. Does that mean it is the best thing for us. Absolutely not! It means that you are comfortable with your routine. Maybe that routine is eating a pastry for breakfast everyday. While yes eating breakfast is important, however a pastry item may not be the most nutritious option for daily consumption. If you are looking for health improvements then maybe making a change or adding more variety to your breakfast will assist you in reaching your health goals. Trying something new takes time. Time to adjust your routine and make it second nature. This new routine can really enhance how you feel and act. The same goes for exercise. The same routine you have been doing to 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or maybe even longer might be doing as much harm as it is good and yet you still gravitate towards it. Why? Because it is comfortable and easy. It requires little thought or energy to complete and is part of your routine. I do the exact same thing. It is normal to do this, but lately I have been trying to expand and try new activities. I want to challenge my mind and body. I want to move my body in ways that I have never moved it before. I want to work on my weaknesses versus focusing only on my strengths. I want to add these challenges to my day, month, year, and life all the time. Stepping out of my comfort zone is hard. I am worried that I may not be good enough. I start to compare myself to others. I have to tell myself to stop, breathe, and just focus on me. Focus on my plan, progression, and personal goals all while supporting those around me as well. Over time this new challenging activity starts to become a normal part of my day or week and more familiar. Part of what I do as a trainer is help guide people through this process. You are not alone. I am here to help you as well as other dedicated health practitioners in town. I practice yoga to slow down and focus on each movement and clear my head of negative thoughts and feelings. I trail run/walk instead of road run to get away from the hustle and bustle of the word into the peace and quiet of nature. I also would like to relearn how to cross country ski this winter because it sounds fun and it has been a while since I have done it. Step out of your comfort zone. Sign up for a new class, learn a new exercise to incorporate into your routine, learn a new sport or activity, and better yet invite others to join in with you. There are plenty of opportunities for you. Take a step outside of your comfort zone and explore! Well it is official. The holiday season is here and it begins with Thanksgiving and Black Friday and moves into Cyber Monday, sending holiday cards, buying gifts, and the list goes on and on. As we move into December you may have more holiday parties and family get-togethers to attend as well. All of these extra events and tasks can add a lot of stress to your day and cause sleepless nights. How can we continue to move forward with everything we have to do and feel our best when it seems like a never-ending pile of stuff. I am not going to sugar-coat it. Life can be tough and hard to juggle at times. Let’s accept that and move forward with a plan of action. Here are some things that help me stay on task and motivated when I am feeling overwhelmed.
Sleep. It is one huge factor in how well my day is going to go. If I get my 7-8 hours I am a happy camper and my day seems to go by without any major hiccups. Even if their might be struggles, my ability to manage the stress and chaos of the day does not seem to overwhelm. I deal with it and move on. On days that I had 6 hours or less, watch out I may explode. OK maybe not the dramatic, but little things seem to really get to me. Even though I know they are not a big deal and life will be fine. Getting plenty of sleep at night is an important time for your body to recover from the day’s activities and reset your mind for the next day. Get those ZZZZs and you might start feeling better. Activity. When my schedule becomes crammed with things to do sometimes I forget about my workout. I get all caught up in everything else that I end up coming dead last. This is terrible. Because without me, none of these things would be completed. I prioritize my list of things to do and physical activity happens to be number one or two. I schedule it earlier in my day to complete it and get it out of the way or maybe I sign up for a class or plan a workout date with a friend. I feel so much better knowing that it is done and I can move forward and not have a lingering thought in the back of my mind. Write it down. Keeping a journal is something that I enjoy doing for many reasons, but I like to visually be able to see what needs to be done. It flows out of my head and onto paper therefore it does not float around in my head all day disrupting me. On the list I like to give each task a deadline of when it absolutely must be completed and I stick to it. I feels good to check it off once complete, too! Learning to say “no”. This is a very hard thing for me. I want to help out, contribute, and attend functions that I am invited to in order to support my friends, colleagues, or the community. I find that I am always saying “yes, I will do this” or “yes, I will attend that”, and then I feel like I am being pulled in too many directions. Sometimes you need to say no and saying no does not mean that you do not care. Saying no means that you have another higher priority task that needs your attention. I have learned that saying no is ok and at times makes me feel better even though it is hard to do. You are not always going to be able to be there for everything or do everything and accepting that is important. Above all commit to placing yourself higher on your priority list. Take the time to care for yourself first and then take care of those closest to you. As my mom says, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” In case you haven't heard (because news travels fast in a small town) we moved! Yep, we did it all in 2 weeks. Recieved the notification, began searching for rentals, toured rentals, found a house, applied, got accepted, packed, loaded, unloaded, unpacked, & decorated for christmas. All of that, 2 Weeks! We are crazy good at this moving thing. I have moved 8 times in the past 10 years, 2 of them being across multiple states
What is difficult about moving? Honestly, everything! Your priorities shift. What was important before the move is now at the bottom of the list, but alas they are back at the top now that everything is in place and our new home is organized. This is life. Their are constant ups and downs or sharp turns to maneuver around. I have learned to accept them and try to make the best of the situations that might be thrown my way. Getting all pissed off usually ends in disaster and leaves me feeling more upset. You can manage it. Take a deep breathe, make a plan of action, and attack it. So what if somethings don't get done as you hoped. You will find away to get there as long as you stay focused on the end goal. I promise! Halloween is upon us and with this holiday comes the temptations of candy. Now, if you have children, of course there will be trick or treating and then a large pile of candy. This candy just sits there in its bowl or bag staring at you. “Eat Me!” You might allow yourself to have one piece of candy, but then you grab another and another and another. Do not fall into this trap. Here are some strategies for avoiding the excess sugar and treats this Halloween.
If you plan to hand out candy Halloween night, then sitting around the house with a bowl of your favorite candy in tow is a recipe for disaster. My suggestion is to buy candy that you do not like. I love chocolate, therefore I usually by nerds or a sweet candy because I don’t really care to eat it. If your workplace has turned into a daily candy jar, I suggest a few solutions to manage your desires. Eat one piece of candy. Yep eat it, but just one. Now don’t just eat it in a mindless passing of a co-worker’s desk. Stop and take a moment to savor it at your desk or after you eat lunch. Think about how good it tastes and also how it makes you feel afterwards. Taking a moment to acknowledge how it made you feel could give you the energy to resist more treats later. If that jar is still sitting there on a desk or in the break room, ask your co-workers to hide it or if you can place it somewhere else. Out of sight, out of mind. What is fantastic about this is that when you pass by or take a break you do not see the candy, which equals no temptation. If those do not work and the cravings are building perhaps you are hungry. Truly hungry for real food and the candy is just easy. Take a moment and manage your hunger. Eat real food first. Have healthier meals and snacks available with you all the time: work, home and on the go. That way when your hunger strikes you do not reach for the quick and easy candy. Apples, string cheeses, and nuts are fantastic options and travel well. Still having trouble? Try chewing gum. That little piece of gum could be just the thing to prevent you from snatching a treat randomly between meals. When I have a nice clean, minty fresh mouth I do not want to ruin it with a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Now your kids’ candy can be a difficult situation. Of course, the kiddos want to eat it all and in one sitting. Do they really need to eat all of it? Go through the candy with them and pick out the candy they do not want and get rid of it. Give it to another kid who did not get any or very little candy or toss it out. Throwing it away might seem extreme, but if that helps you and your family make healthier decisions then do it. Think of Halloween as an opening of the flood gates to the holiday season. Stores begin to fill with holiday decorations and ads accumulate in your email inbox with “big deals.” Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to begin thinking of your plan of attack. Creating or changing to a few more healthier eating habits is going to help in prevent you from overeating, indulging too often and leaving you feeling beaten down. Start now and make a plan for how you want to deal with hunger and cravings. As always, enjoy the food you eat; it is fuel for your body and mind. We are what we eat. Literally! As I sit here writing this column thinking of a topic to write and browsing through journals for health/fitness topics to bring to you eyes, I spot the word “deskercise.” Yep, exercising at your work desk. We are all aware that inactivity is unhealthy and sitting has become our enemy! Today more than ever we find ourselves sitting in a chair for work, at home on the couch watching a season marathon on neflix, at school watching your kids play sports, and the list goes on and on. You may think that you do not have time for a fitness routine, but let’s change that thought process.. Instead of I don’t have time, say where can I fit in 5-10 minutes of exercise throughout my day. Here are a few examples of where and how to fit it in.
If you have a desk job, sitting at a computer and staring at a screen all day you know that you go a little crazy if you sit there too long without a break. A typical break might include chatting with co-workers, getting something to eat even if you are not actually hungry, or walking to get water. Let’s take this time for you and your mind and body. Setting a timer at your desk is a helpful reminder to take a break and get up out of your chair and move. Here are a few activities and movements that can be completed in under 10 minutes.
Now that we have tackled your work breaks, let’s find a few ways to fit in quick, mini workouts at home or on the go. Think of how great it will be for your kids to see you doing something physical and they may want to join you too.
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This is me, Liz. I am an, instructor, personal trainer, exercise physiologist, dog-mom, loving wife, little sister, coolest-aunt ever, and now blogger living in Libby, Montana.
Welcome to my blog! This blog follows my life and my interests in fitness, adventure, food, and healthy living. The Girls, Katy & Madi, and I. We have spent a lot of time together the past few years. I appreciate them for their quirks and how they love me unconditionally. They help me appreciate the small, simple things in life. Archives
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DiclaimerThis is a personal blog created and maintained by Liz Whalen. My blog posts document my life and sometimes highlight the food I eat and workouts I perform. I do not have professional medical training, nor am I a registered dietician. I am an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, while the content you see on my blog aims to bring you along on my health & wellness journey. The published information may not be right for you and should not be viewed as guidelines in any way. Seek counsel from a medical doctor when looking to incorporate or change your physical activity and/or dietary habits.
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