Resolutions that Can Change Your New Year

Each year many of us set resolutions for the new year and don’t see much change.  If done correctly you can set Resolutions that Can Change Your New Year and have a dramatic ripple effect on your health, and happiness.

I personally use and love the Shining Business & Life workbooks from Leonie Dawson, they have totally changed how I do things each year and really help me get my goals and values in line...but here are some simple tips you can get started with right away (perhaps while you wait for them to show up in the mail ;) )

Smile More Often:

It’s a well known fact that the simple act of smiling can make you happier and healthier, even if your smile is forced. According to the facial feedback hypothesis, smiling activates the release of dopamine, endorphins and serotonin, neurotransmitters that help reduce stress and elicit positive emotions. Plus, smiling can be contagious. When you smile, you are more inviting, attractive, relaxed and sincere to others. Choose to Smile Often!

Have a Health and Fitness Regimen:

Regular physical exercise and a healthy nutritional diet cannot only help with weight management, but also can reduce stress, fight disease, improve your mood, and improve your energy levels and sleep. Regular exercise and eating healthier can also help you appear be a better leader.

Schedule Personal Time:

YES… Schedule personal time. With our busy lives most of us don’t personal time, so schedule it. Evidence suggests that the most productive people are not the busiest but the best at prioritizing their free time. So schedule time for personal passions, family, and other activities that are important to you.

Only Commit to Things You Can Do:

Many people want to say maybe to things, or yes, even when they know that they will cancel when it comes up anyhow. Don’t do this! If you can’t make it to dinner with your friend next week don’t say maybe in fear of disappointing them, just say you can’t. Not overextending yourself will save you time and consternation down the road. Plus, when you can actually commit, the person knows you mean it and it will mean something to them.

Use Your Calendar:

The best way to stay on top of your goals is to be relentless about your calendar. Managing things to do, things that are important to you, your deadlines, and more will keep you organized, and ensure that you prioritize your most important tasks. Remember that your schedule and calendar should include time with family and friends, reading, personal hobbies, workouts, and all the other things that are important to you and your health.

You will be amazed how these guidelines can be the Resolutions that Can Change Your New Year. When you create your personal to-do list and make it as important as your work to-do list, you begin to create balance. Those these are Resolutions that Can Change Your New Year, it is important to re-evaluate everything you are doing on a weekly and monthly basis. You may want to consider setting up reminders for re-evaluation as well. You can create change in your New Year.

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Are you obsessed with food?

Today I want to talk to those of you who have been struggling with food and weight for longer than you care to admit…

I know some of you worry you’ll never get “there” with food and weight — the place where you’ll finally feel comfortable in your skin, and free of all the “food noise.”

Maybe you always “do well” for a while until something manages to throw you off course…and into a jar of peanut butter at 3 o’clock in the morning.

Maybe you know you’re eating emotionally, but just can’t seem to stop…

Maybe body shame triggers you into the same old restrictive patterns that always seem to backfire (and usually backfire into a bag of M&M’s…)

I know it can feel like a lot — and it can be downright crazy-making!

At some point, the diet-binge cycle and constant food noise, becomes so intrusive, that the only thing we want more than weight loss, is getting our sanity back.

That’s why I’m so grateful for coaches like Isabel Foxen Duke, founder of Stop Fighting Food — the ultimate resource on “ending the crazy” around food and one of the most unique and talented emotional eating coaches I know.

Isabel’s running a free video training series this month that I’m SUPER pumped about. This training shares some of her most critical insights on emotional eating, binge-eating, diet-binge cycling, and “generally feeling crazy around food.”

Isabel won’t only address your emotional eating patterns — she’ll help you end all the crazy-making food and body thoughts that instigate those patterns to begin with. Ya know, so food stops tempting, taunting and tantalizing you…and starts just being food.

Knowing Isabel’s work myself, I can attest that this chick knows what she’s talking about and produces serious results in the emotional eating world — if these are issues you struggle with, I highly recommend that you take a look and sign up for this free video training series.

What's it all about?

The Stop Fighting Food Free Video Training Series will teach you the skills you need to “stop feeling crazy around food.” For most women (and men as well!), this means ending the diet-binge cycle, addressing their emotional eating patterns, and putting a stop to the obsessive thought patterns that are so often triggered by compulsive dieting and food restriction.

This program addresses the thinking that underlies compulsive eating and obsession with food.


The Stop Fighting Food Free Video Training Series is a three-part video series covering the principles of Isabel's work:

VIDEO 1

(Available September 15th) discusses why emotional eating and binge-eating are not issues of willpower, but are reactions to diet-mentality and specific beliefs and thought patterns we hold about food. (i.e. why using willpower to try to control yourself around food often backfires).

VIDEO 2

(Available September 20th) discusses the two primary reasons people eat outside of physical need — specifically eating we do to soothe our feelings (emotional eating) and eating we do in reaction to restriction or shame (binge-eating).

VIDEO 3

(Available September 24th) discusses the importance of healing our body image in healing our relationship with food, and why body image woes are so often the root of compulsive food behaviors.


If any of the information that will be shared in these free videos sounds like something you (or someone you know) could benefit from, then be sure to sign up to get access to them.

Who is this program for?

This program is for those who feel depleted and frustrated by countless weight loss attempts; and generally feel trapped in the diet-binge-cycle-from-hell. Most of them identify as “emotional eaters” and feel out of control in their behaviors around food — like every emotional whim might send them straight into a jar of Nutella. They often believe there’s something “wrong with them” that they can’t eat like “normal people.” Thoughts of food, dieting, and weight consume much of their lives, and they struggle tremendously with poor body image.

What problems will these videos address?

“Feeling crazy around food” i.e. obsessive thinking about food, dieting, “health,” etc. on a regular basis

Emotional Eating i.e. compulsive feelings around food, feeling out of control around food, using food as a coping mechanism, etc..

Binge-eating i.e. periods of eating large quantities of food, generally after a period of “being good”with food, or restricting food in some capacity.

Poor body image or low self-esteem related to body size and/or food behaviors.

Who is this program NOT for?

This program does NOT provide treatment for people who are clinically eating disordered (i.e. at physical risk to themselves). If you feel you may fall in to this category, you can absolutely sign up for the free videos, but we strongly recommend you also seek medical attention from a licensed therapist and/or physician.

This is NOT a weight loss program. The goal is to help people achieve a healthful and sane emotional relationship with food first and foremost.

Does any of the above sound like you? If it does then sign up for the free video series and get started on working towards a better relationship with food.

If it doesn't, then great!! This may not be the thing for you, but perhaps you know someone who you think could benefit, and if that's the case, be sure to send this email on to them.

Your mindset around food is crucial to your health.

I see this issue a lot with clients that I work with on weight loss issues, sometimes it comes down to a matter of how you think about food and your body image.

And while I'm very well trained in the nutrition side of things, the what to eat, why to eat it, how it affects your health and well being, addressing the emotional side of things get's a bit trickier, so I refer to other experts, like Isabel.

By now you've probably gotten a good sense of what this program is all about, so if you even have the slightest feeling that this information in these videos could be of some benefit for you, then sign up for them, they are free after all.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and then make a purchase, I receive a small commission from the company at no extra cost to you. Using my links helps to support me and my business so that I can continue to offer you the support you need on your path to health and wellness, so thank you.

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The truth about being a health coach

It was one of those sleepless nights for me.

It's been hot where I live, I spent the day out on the lake playing on a stand up paddle board, I got too much sun, didn't drink enough water, and didn't eat enough carbs before going to bed.

You see, it had been a long and fun-filled day, but I had gotten it in my head that I wanted to shoot for trying out nutritional ketosis, so instead of eating the bowl of oatmeal that I initially felt like I wanted when I got home, I ate an apple with a lot of almond butter, and then some more almond butter, and then some macadamia nuts.

You see, when aiming for ketosis, you want to keep your net carbs low (net carbs being total carbs minus fiber) and your fat high, so your body will utilize fat for energy instead of glucose. The way to do this is to eat more fat, but it takes a few days (sometimes a week or more) for your body to switch into ketosis, and it isn't usually pleasant, you feel lethargic, hungry, cranky, foggy, and all sorts of other unpleasant stuff when making the switch, especially if you've never done it before.

So why did I think I wanted to be in ketosis?

Well, the truth of the matter is, I'm a tinkerer, and a self-experimenter, and even though 90% of the time I have fabulous body-love, I'm still human and subject to all of the same insecurities and self-doubts that we're all subject too.

As a health coach I feel like this is particularly true. Many health people I know got in to it out of a desire to heal themselves, and when they started finding out what worked for them, they became passionate about it and wanted to start helping others feel as amazing as they do.
Most health coaches are also self-experimenters, mostly because if you don't know what something is like, how can you recommend it to someone else? So as a breed, I think we tend to be the kind of people who are always looking for the next best thing, the bio-hack to improve our health, because if we feel good, we can feel better right?

Maybe.

Recently the idea of nutritional ketosis had been showing up in my life in a few different ways, one in the form of another successful health coach who has an awesome 30-day guide all about it, and in the form of someone I know on social media talking about how amazing she is feeling being in ketosis and how lean it's getting her.

I'll admit, that the 'lean' part of both of their stories is what really prompted me to want to try it.

There are some know health benefits to being in ketosis, but for women there are also some known health issues, mostly when it comes to throwing off hormones, which will in turn affect EVERYTHING about a person's health. In (HEALTHFUL PURSUIT'S) book and blog she talks about the need for women to do carb-refeeds every 3-4 days in order to keep your hormones balanced, which means every few days you are intentionally taking yourself out of ketosis (after getting yourself in to it for 30 days).

Which begs the question, is it really a healthy and sustainable way to be?

For these two women it seems to be, which is awesome and a big party of the reason it appeals to me, that and the fact that they both talk about how sexy they feel and how their bodies are dropping fat left and right...who doesn't want that?

Well not everyone will, but a lot of women do for sure, and I'm not immune to the idea either. Despite the fact that I truly do want to live a healthy and happy life, and that I have a loving partner who adores the way I look no matter what, I am still subject to the same vanity everyone else is. I still want to look killer in a bikini, and to not have to worry about how my clothes fit.

It's hard to say if this is a natural part of being human, or if it's a product of society's focus on physical attributes, but I know that for me, those thoughts are always present in the back of my head.

The good side to our culture's obsession with looks is that it can often be a powerful motivator for people to change their lifestyle to just be healthier, in fact I'll freely admit that I capitalize on this all the time, and I'm ok with that. If someone's main motivation for coming to talk to me about fitness and nutrition is because they want to loose weight, great, then do exactly what I tell you to do and I promise you will be healthier, and most likely, because you're healthier and your body is getting what it truly needs, then you'll stabilize at a happy weight for you.

The problems arise when someone is at a stable place (like me) and yet they still feel like they need to do more. This is partly human nature, (at least for me, I always feel like there is more to do, perks of being an entrepreneur I suppose) and partly the influence of society telling us what we should look like.

It is important to always be paying attention to what you're doing, fueling yourself well, exercising regularly, sleeping, you don't want to just stop doing all this once you've gotten started down the path towards better health, because it truly is a lifestyle, forever, not just something you do for 6 months then go back to what you did before.

It's a problem when you're body is healthy and you are feeling good, yet you seem to think you need to change things.

In the middle of the night when I wasn't sleeping, I was reading other health personalities stuff ('cause that's what I do) and I came across this quote, which isn't new, but it reminded me of a really important thing:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Duh.

My problem is that I was reading these other women's stories and somehow thinking I needed to be like them and do what they do, even though I'm already healthy and already happy. I've already found my homeostasis point, and sure, I fluctuate a bit here and there (we ALL do), but for the most point I feel pretty damn good. I don't need to try anything else because I've already found my happy place.

Now, if I hadn't, then maybe it would be a good idea for me to give their way of doing things a try, partly because that's another really important thing I've learned while doing this:

If what you're doing isn't working for you, you owe it to yourself to try something different.

That's what I did when I stopped eating dairy, and then soy, and then gluten and eggs. Those things weren't working for me, so I stopped doing them.

The same could be said for the time I tried to be vegetarian. I lasted a whole week. I seriously could not stop thinking about chicken, and I figured that if my body wanted it that bad then I must need it, so as much as a love the idea of being a vegetarian, it's not for me, and that's ok, it works great for some people.

So why do I think my need for carbs is any different? All I could think about as I was eating the almond butter was how much I wanted to eat my oatmeal. The almond butter tasted good, but I could feel myself eating more than I probably needed because I was trying to make up for the lack of giving myself what I really needed...not exactly a healthy thing to do.

Many people may hear this and say "well that's exactly why you need to try ketosis, so you don't crave those carbs," but I'm not sure it is really a craving, I know what a craving is and it doesn't feel like that, it feels more like a deep seated, my body is telling me it needs this specific nourishment kind of thing, and I ignored it.

Bad health coach.

So this morning the first thing I did was make my usually smoothie for breakfast, and then sat and listened to my body, and guess what, I still wanted the oatmeal, so I ate it.

The reason I felt all of this was important to write was because I think as health coaches, we get it in our heads that we have to be perfect, but there is no such thing as perfect, there is simply being perfectly you, whatever that is.

Do I really think I'm a bad health coach? Of course not, I think I'm a pretty darn good one, mostly because I know first hand what it feels like to be healthy and still want to do something else simply for the vanity of it, because I'm human, and I understand what motivates us to do what we do.

So next time you're considering making a decision to improve your health, make sure you take an objective look at what your motivations are behind it, and decide if the consequences of achieving it are worth it, because they may not be.

And if the idea of being a health has ever appealed to you but you were afraid of taking the plunge because you think you need to be in 'perfect' health and have the 'perfect' body before you do, then stop thinking that and just start doing it already! No one is perfect, even us health coaches, but what we do have is a desire to be healthy and to help others be healthy too, and that's all that matters.

If you need help getting healthy or have questions about being a health coach, get in touch with me, I'm here for you.

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3 tips to Stay Committed to Your Fitness Goals

Have you heard the one about the chicken and pig who want to make a bacon-and-egg sandwich for the farmer they liked so much? The chicken says, “I could provide some eggs.” The pig replies, “That’s fine, but while you’re making a contribution, I’m making a real commitment!”

The same adage holds true to anyone trying to get in (and stay in) shape. If you simply get involved in your nutrition and fitness plan, and contribute some time and effort toward living healthy, you will most likely achieve some results. You may feel stronger, more confident, and pleased with your progress. However, these feelings won’t compare to the satisfaction you’ll experience if you are 100% committed to each training session and meal.

Committing wholeheartedly to your health is not easy. There will be times when you’ll experience temporary physical, psychological, or emotional discomfort. You may feel torn between ordering that 350-calorie blended coffee drink or unsweetened peppermint tea. You may be hesitant to attempt more pull-ups today than you did last week for fear of failing. 

We all struggle to eat healthy when you have a late night craving (trust me, I’ve been there). In these moments of weakness, it’s only natural to want to waver on your commitment to the goals you set. But committing to your plan makes it possible to admire yourself both inside and out. You’ll stand more confidently. You’ll feel sexier. You’ll discover your true sense of well-being, purpose, and personal worth. You’ll feel grounded, energized, and intact. You’ll simply be happier in mind, body, and spirit.

Here are three ways to help you stay committed to achieving your goals that can help you stay strong when you’re struggling:

1. Post your goals where you'll see them everyday.

Posting your short-term daily goals in a place where you automatically see them each day will help you to stay focused, motivated, and committed to staying on task. Your bathroom mirror is a good place because you’ll see your goals first thing in the morning and right before you go to sleep at night. For greater results, also post your primary purpose for setting your goals, your Why (e.g., wanting to have more energy to play with your kids, to go on an adventure trip, to live longer, to feel more confident, etc.)

2. Prepare daily for “what-ifs.”

Before your day begins, ask yourself if there are any challenges that may interfere with your daily goals. For example, what if you get called in to a last-minute lunch meeting? What if your child asks you to play during the time you blocked off for training? What if you’re going out to celebrate a friend’s birthday? For each what-if make a plan to cope with the challenge while still staying committed to your fitness and nutrition. Of course, there are plenty of uncontrollable distractions, but strategizing on how to cope with your most common challenges will set you up to deal with anything that happens during you day.

3. Journal your daily effort.

There is no doubt that tracking your nutrition and fitness improves your chances of achieving your goals. But I recommend also keeping a diary in which you answer the following question each day: Did I exert every ounce of effort to achieving my goals today? If your answer is yes, great! If your answer is no, write down one thing you can do tomorrow to be better than you were today.

Having someone who keeps you accountable for your goals can be helpful too, a health coach, a mentor, a friend, anyone who is going to check n on you and make sure you're sticking to your goals can greatly improve the likelihood that you'll succeed.

When you follow these three tips, your level of commitment for fitness and nutrition will skyrocket, giving you the best shot at achieving your goals and feeling ultimate satisfaction. Better yet, when these three tips become part of your daily ritual, not only will you achieve your goals, but get results that will last!

What are your tips and tricks to staying committed to reaching your goals?

Need some support reaching your health goals? Then get in touch with me!

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What Does Your Thyroid do?

One of the most common questions I get from clients who have been diagnosed with thyroid issues is "What does my thyroid do?"

Maybe you've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, or told you have an under or over-active thyroid gland, or maybe you just don't feel well and someone mentioned your thyroid to you but you have no idea what it is, well here's some information to help.

What is the Thyroid? 

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits at front of your neck and sets your entire metabolic rate. Thus it controls your weight, whether you feel sluggish or energetic, mentally crisp or foggy, cheerful or blue, and is involved in the control of everything from your cholesterol to your female hormones.
When your thyroid is not functioning optimally, you can feel dull, tired, constipated, gain weight, your skin gets dry, your hair can become dry and even fall out, muscles and joints might ache, your periods become irregular, you might have fertility problems, brain fog, sugar and carb cravings (because your body is desperate for energy!) ), high cholesterol even if your diet is amazing, and other large to small symptoms.

What is Hypothyroidism? 

Hypothyroidism is a term used to describe a decreased metabolic state that is due to inadequate amounts of – or functioning of – thyroid hormone. Ninety-five percent of all cases are due to what is called “primary hypothyroidism.” This means that the thyroid gland is acting sluggish – or sometimes barely responding at all.

This can be due to a number of reasons ranging from leaky gut to autoimmune disease. Alternatively, we can be producing thyroid hormones effectively, but we can have “thyroid hormone resistance” similar to the way we can have insulin resistance. Our cells are not picking up and effectively using the active thyroid hormone we are making. We can also be making enough of the inactive form of thyroid hormone but not be effectively converting it to the active form.

10 Things you need to know about your Thyroid

1 | Having the right amount of thyroid hormone for your individual needs is essential to your well-being. 

With an underactive thyroid, you might experience fatigue, constipation, dry skin, brain fog or trouble concentrating, depression, anxiety, hair loss, depression, joint and muscle aches (even carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis!), generalized swelling, cold intolerance (or you always feel a little cold) dry skin, even an excessively low heart rate. If you have an overactive thyroid, you might experience a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, insomnia, insatiable appetite, diarrhea, and weight loss. If you think you have a thyroid problem, it’s okay to be a squeaky wheel to your doctor. Squeaky wheels get the testing they need!

2 | Women are way more likely than men to develop thyroid problems, 

and the months after birth are an especially high risk time for thyroid problems to surface. If you feel unusually blue in the year after the birth of your baby, or at any time, and especially if you have any of the above symptoms, get tested for thyroid problems!

3 | Your high cholesterol could be caused by an underactive thyroid. 

Say what? Yes, it’s true. Hypothyroidism can lead to high cholesterol because slower metabolism isn’t burning up your fat. So before you go on special diet or a statin drug to control your cholesterol – get your thyroid levels checked. The answer might be in finding the root cause – a thyroid problem!

4 | Most doctors UNDER-DIAGNOSE thyroid problems. 

Thyroid problems may affect as many as 10% of women – but for many of these women, the labs tests that doctors currently use, and the way those tests are interpreted, leads many women to be told that they don’t have a thyroid problem, and in fact, they are just fine. THIS TRANSLATES AS: “This is all in your head because I, with my medical degree, cannot find a darned thing wrong with you, Lady.” And this often results in an antidepressant prescription.

5 | Hypothyroidism can be causing your fertility problems and also increases miscarriage risk. 

Thyroid function controls fertility and menstrual regularity. If you’ve been having trouble getting pregnant, if you have irregular periods, think you are not ovulating, or have had a miscarriage, have your thyroid function checked BEFORE you get pregnant to make sure your levels are optimal.

6 | Optimal thyroid functioning is also essential for the healthy development of your baby’s brain. 

Pregnant women with hypothyroidism automatically need to have their thyroid hormone medication increased by 50% in the first trimester to support the increased metabolic needs of the baby. Make sure to talk with your midwife (who might not know this!), or your primary care doctor or obstetrician who might not remember to adjust your medication dose.

7 | Having a hard time losing weight? 

Tuning up your thyroid gland will rev up your metabolism and burn calories without you having to do anything extra. If you’ve tried diet after diet, exercise program after exercise program without success, it might be time to tap into the root causes – and hypothyroidism might just be one of them.

8 | Thyroid glands need nourishment! 

Make sure your diet and your daily supplements provide you with iodine, selenium, and zinc which are three key nutrients needed by the thyroid gland for basic functioning. Sea vegetables such as 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes daily provides you with a nice dose of iodine, just 1-2 Brazil nuts each day provide you with ample selenium, and zinc is found in beef, oysters, dark meat chicken, cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds, yogurt, and many other sources.

9 | Fluoride, bromide, and chloride coming from your diet, fluoridated water, toothpaste, or other environmental exposures, can interfere with the iodine your thyroid needs to function. 

If you are having a hard time regulating your thyroid function, even with medications and a supportive doc, look for sources of these in your life and try to reduce/eliminate exposure.

10 | In gluten sensitive individuals, eating FOODS containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye) and possibly even some of the gluten cross-reactive foods can cause Hashimoto’s disease. 

A 3-month trial of going strictly gluten-free might be needed to see if your thyroid antibodies return to normal and your thyroid begins to recover function.

Thyroid problems can be fixed! 

I help women to achieve healthy thyroid function in my practice every day. In most conventional medical practices, you may have to advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office to get the testing you need. A functional medicine, integrative medicine, or naturopathic doctor will usually automatically be willing to test the whole gamut of thyroid tests for you.

You have to be careful not to get over-diagnosed and unnecessarily treated if you don’t actually have a thyroid problem, however if the symptoms and the labs fit – then appropriate treatment can make you feel like a million bucks!

Sometimes thyroid function can be recovered and restored with natural methods using stress reduction, diet, herbs, and supplements. Sometimes medications are needed long-term. But either way, it is important to identify whether you have a thyroid problem so you can get the help you need to feel like yourself again.

If you want to know more, get in touch with me and set up a consultation.

Find out more about me, what I do, and what working with me is like.

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How to Stay Fit and Healthy: What’s Your Mission?

People often get overwhelmed when thinking about “How to Stay Fit and Healthy”. Staying Fit and Healthy really doesn’t have to be a big process. It is the little things that you can choose to do each day that add up to being fit and healthy. 

There are many elements to a healthy lifestyle and choosing to make several small health-conscious changes can make all the difference. Use these tips as a guide to help you start your journey to getting on or staying on the path of being Fit and Healthy.

1. Kick Your Bad Habits!

Start with just a few and work your way up. You know what bad habits are, and you know that you are choosing to do them. Put your health first! Make a list of all things in your life that you know to be unhealthy (i.e. smoking, drugs, drinking, high fat foods, high sugar foods, and more). Categorize the worse ones in a category of “Quit” and the others in the category of “Can have in moderation”. If you want to Stay Fit and Healthy you need to create your lists. Things on the moderation list are doable, as long as the majority (85-90%) of your choices are mindful and healthful. If you need help with making mindful healthy choices, get in touch with me so that can I help you stay on track and stay motivated with the changes you are making.

2. Sleep

Sleep tremendously affects physical, emotional, and mental health. Many of us do not get enough. You really need a minimum of 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep adversely affects metabolism, mood, concentration, memory, motor skills, stress hormones, the immune system and cardiovascular system and health. Sleep allows the body to heal, repair and rejuvenate itself in a way it simply cannot when a person is awake.

3. Exercise

Movement and exercise is an important part of being and staying fit and healthy. We are meant to move and be active. Cardiovascular exercise helps to strengthen the heart and lungs. Strength/Resistance training helps to strengthen the muscles. Balance and Flexibility and Stretching helps aid in body mobility, recovery, and reduces the risk of injury. Exercise also improves circulation, body awareness, and can help in combating depression, as well as other diseases. Beachbody offers many amazing exercise programs that incorporate strength, cardiovascular, and stretching. These programs are set up to progress your fitness in a safe manner, and you can do them from the comfort of your home.

4. Eat Healthfully

Making fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains the main part of your overall diet can really help you Stay Fit and Healthy. You may also include lean sources of protein such as poultry, fish, tempeh, and beans. Eating balanced and portioned meals is what helps you balance a Fit and Healthy life. 

It is also good to stop eating before you feel very full. Give yourself a chance to digest your food and take in the nutrients. A healthy breakfast is needed to start your day off right. It sets you up and gives you the energy and fuel for optimal mental and physical performance. Eating breakfast will help you maintain blood sugar levels, healthy weight and you will be less likely to overindulge later in the day. When thinking about snacks, you want to eat whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts or a total nutrition shake like Shakeology. Avoid highly processed foods that contain artificial sweeteners or colors, hidden sugars or excessive fat.

5. Drink Water

The majority of our bodies are made of water. Most fresh fruits and vegetables contain water that will help to keep our bodies hydrated, but fresh, clean, plain water is still the best and healthiest beverage for maintaining a healthy hydrated body. It is the most natural cleanser for our organs and digestive system. Being hydrated is crucial for proper brain function, proper physical function, as well as for helping to flush toxins out through the skin (perspiration) and urine.

6. Reduce Stress

Stress can cause a myriad of problems, from heart trouble to digestive problems. Many people do not know how to manage their stress. The best forms of managing stress is regular exercise, healthy nutrition, meditation, doing things you enjoy, appropriate boundaries, spirituality, and being in nature. All of these things can help alleviate the harmful effects of stress on the body. It is also important to take breaks (vacations, mini-vacations, days off), and surround yourself with people who support you.

7. Express Yourself

It is not healthy to keep emotions bottled up inside. This can lead to mental and emotional stress, as well as physical symptoms. Unexpressed feelings and emotions have been known to be a cause to depression, sleep problems, eating disorders, and even physical pain. Learn to talk about your feelings and emotions, or express them through some sort of art. Another good tool is writing down thoughts and feelings. This is a good way to express things you may find hard to say.

8. Consistency and Moderation

In order to maintain a Fit and Healthy lifestyle, it is important to have consistency. Consistency will lead to the big picture results you want to obtain. Again, remember to make changes one at a time. Don’t make too many changes at once or you will risk relapsing into old habits. Making these choices and having them be a part of your daily life will help you to reach your health goals.

Now you know How to Stay Healthy and Fit. Implement these few suggestions and you will be on the road to success!

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How to Use Meditation to combat Stress

Like many a poor sap trying to make the most of this hectic world, my mind tends to churn like a washing machine filled with ferrets. Even in the most tranquil of moments, dozens of thoughts scrape and bite to get to the top of my consciousness—and most of the time, it’s the big ugly ones that win the race.

Rodents and household appliances aside, you may know this phenomenon simply as “stress.” You have a million things to do and a billion things to worry about. We all do. It’s the curse of the modern age.

Unfortunately, most of us look to pursuits to take the edge off; they may seem to help, but actually compound the problem. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional cocktail, or a little mindless television from time to time, but activities like this don’t solve anything. They just cover up your issues and make your thought process all the more unruly.

If you’re looking for a serious solution, meditation is a far more effective way to cut through the cerebral clutter—and unlike a booze bender or a reality TV marathon, it only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day.

The Benefits of Meditation

How to Meditate

People tend to associate meditation with Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, but Judeo-Christian fans may be surprised to learn that there are references to meditation in the Old Testament. And, in Islam, meditation is an important part of Sufism. Although there are certainly connections to religion, meditation, in the modern sense, can be completely secular. No blue deities, no transcending this earthly form, no incense (unless you dig that, then it’s, like, totally cool)—just an opportunity to organize your thoughts and take back your brain from the laundry list of external forces pulling you in a million directions.

The science on the benefits of meditation is super strong, especially when it comes to stress reduction. Research appearing in the Journal of Biomedical Research shows that meditation does this by increasing parasympathetic activity. Your nervous system is divided into two parts—sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system controls your “fight or flight” reactions. It’s the predominant nervous system when you’re under the gun. The parasympathetic nervous system controls your “rest and digest” functions. In other words, when things are mellow, the parasympathetic takes charge—and meditation makes that happen more often.

But that’s just part of the story. A consistent meditation practice has been scientifically linked to improved cardiovascular health, focus, and information processing. In fact, if you pick a malady at random, odds are that there’s a reasonably credible study showing that meditation either improves symptoms or acts as an effective way to manage symptoms. There’s really no reason not to do it.

Many people mistakenly think the goal of all meditation is to “turn off your brain.” This is one technique (sort of), but in truth the definition of meditation shifts depending on whom you ask. In some circles, it’s a matter of reading a philosophical/religious text and contemplating the key passages (suggestions: the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or Winnie the Pooh). Tony Horton often refers to yoga as “moving meditation.” When I’m cycling alone, I often focus so intently on my breathing and the cadence of my peddling that it becomes a form of meditation. Some people consider sitting on a favorite park bench and breathing deeply for five minutes to be meditative.

However you do it, the key to any good meditation practice is to quiet the noise in your brain—not drown it out or dope it up, but actively calm it down. All those options aside, if you’re looking for something more specific, there are a few meditation techniques that have been shown to be especially effective.

First, it’s important to find a quiet place with minimal distractions. Here in Los Angeles, lots of people prefer the beach. Frankly, I find the waves, the birds, and the beauty of it all just too distracting. My favorite place to meditate is the middle of my living room, at about 6 AM before my daughter and my dog wake up demanding waffles and kibble (in that order).

Next, sit comfortably, but up straight. You want to be comfy because, once you master it, you’ll be there for a while. You want to be upright for a couple reasons. Many experts claim it’s necessary because a straight spine allows energy to flow better. Personally, I think sitting up straight is a good way to avoid accidentally falling asleep. If you have back issues, do what you need to do. I elevate my rump by sitting cross-legged on a yoga bolster. I also support my spine by sitting with my back against a wall.

Finally, start with five minutes a day and increase gradually as it becomes easier. Odds are, your thoughts are going to be all over the map the first few times you do it. That’s cool. Even if your practice felt like a complete mess, it benefited you given it took you one step closer to learning how to calm your brain. You’ll get there. Just try again tomorrow.

From here, there are a number of practices to experiment with. You might want to try a variation of Transcendental Meditation (TM), developed by Maharashi Mahesh Yogi, who you might remember as that yogi guy who hung out with the Beatles. In this practice, you pick a mantra to focus on—a word that has meaning to you and feels right, such as “love” or “heal” or “beer.” (It could happen.) Armed with your mantra, sit quietly and repeat it silently to yourself. When your mind wanders—which it will—simply steer it back to your mantra.

Another technique is mindfulness meditation. Like the TM variation above, start with a focal point—typically your breath. That’ll hold your attention for a little while, but soon thoughts or sensations will try to take over. Don’t try steering away from these things. Instead, accept them without judgment and let them pass by, like waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. If it helps, you can also assign “tags” to help you observe thoughts passively. For example, let’s say you’re in the middle of meditating and suddenly you remember how one of your coworkers stole your lunch out of the fridge yesterday. Instead of following that path and letting your anger consume you, assign it a tag that describes how you feel, like “anger.” Now, just repeat “anger” in your head, distancing yourself from both the thought and the emotion. It should soon pass.

I’ve found this technique to be an incredibly powerful tool for managing my emotions. It can also be used for pain management, by isolating and passively accepting pain instead of letting it consume you—which can be a massive benefit when Shaun T’s got your legs searing in the middle of an INSANITY workout.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth look into mindfulness meditation, I strongly recommend Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield.

The modern world is a stressful place. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do about the barrage of stressors that make up daily life. You can, however, change how you—and your body—react to them, so take a deep breath and take back your life.

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How To Share BeachBody Promo videos

I made this quick how-to video for my coaches so they would easily be able to share BeachBody product videos with their interested people.

If you are interested in finding more about being a coach and helping people with their health and fitness goals send me an email to JoseyFishFitness@gmail.com and join the #LiveYourDreams team!

You can also go here to watch the promo video I talk about: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/SarahJosey?bctid=4087726902001

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Be Brave

Death is the absolute.

We are all going to die. So, how do you choose to live? Even with death impending, you have a choice to live without the inflicted suffocation of containment in a life that will without a doubt destroy you, from the inside out—or you can fling yourself out of the window, into the open air and free of the destruction.

If you’re waiting for the right day, the right time, the right amount of money, the right age of your children to be, the right moment—it will never come. You are going to have to do it knowing you can’t go back. Trust.

Our world is in desperate need of all of us right now. We are being called to embrace our strengths and contribute to the world by doing our work.

Just remember, every single moment you remain coiled in a ball of fear, our world fractures just a little bit more because your heart is breaking, aching to be acknowledged, by you. Listen, and then take action.

Be brave. Save yourself, save the world.

Original Article: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/the-facebook-status-that-every-woman-should-read/

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Step Out of your Comfort Zone

When is the last time you left your Comfort Zone?

When was the last time that you stepped out of your comfort zone and worked on something that REALLY challenged you? When you felt uncomfortable? When you were in ‘uncharted territory’ for yourself?

We don’t progress and we don’t change when we stay in our comfort zones.

This applies to EVERYTHING in life.

We don’t get better bodies without progressing and changing our workouts.

We don’t get healthier without changing our poor habits and making better choices.

We don’t create better relationships without putting in effort and choosing to surround ourselves with the right people.

We don’t ADVANCE in our work environment or business without continually progressing, learning and accepting new challenges 

AND MOST CERTAINLY don’t advance towards our personal GOALS without stepping out of our comfort zone and working on things that challenge us.

Comfort zones are COMFORTABLE but they do NOTHING to help us advance towards our goals.
I challenge myself with my body all of the time and I remind myself regularly with my business and life goals to STEP OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE and challenge myself.

I have been working for the past few months non-stop developing new challenges to propel my business and my client's health to new levels

It challenges me, it creates doubts, it frustrates me , it beats me up some days (like yesterday) and it makes me humble.

Why do I continue?

Because I KNOW that with these experiences comes welcome change and THAT is how we reach our goals.

Excuses or Solutions…YOU Decide!!

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Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Nobody that is successful just ‘sees how it goes’ and gives things a ‘try’; they COMMIT to success!

Did Steve Jobs just try and make an MP3 player and ‘see how it goes’? Did Oprah ‘try’ to have a good tv show? Did Michael Jordan ‘try’ to be the best basketball player in the world? Even if you can’t say it, you know deep down inside the answer to all of the above questions is a resounding NO!

Are you the person who has ‘tried EVERYTHING’, but unable to get results? If so, then this blog could change your life. Read on and find out why ‘trying’ isn’t going to get you where you want to go.

You have to DECIDE & COMMIT to something if you REALLY want to SUCCEED.

Quit “trying” and start “committing” – People ‘try’ to make money, run a marathon, lose weight, etc. all the time. But those that COMMIT to it, get the results.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful.”
I have a question for you: what it is that you are REALLY looking for? Are you looking for results OR are you looking for another excuse so you can FEEL like you attempted something?

It didn’t take you an hour and $50.00 to get the body you are unhappy with now so what makes you think you can FIX the problem with money and a short amount of time? That program you just spent money on is not going to do a dang thing sitting on your bookshelf. The best workout videos do NOTHING sitting next to your TV. And even if you DO watch them, if you are sitting on your couch when you do it, they will NOT work!

You need to DO the WORK. That “diet pill” you think will make you a size 6 will NEVER work by itself…no matter HOW expensive it is, or how convincing the commercial was at marketing.

Get your MIND RIGHT!

WHY is it that you want results? Start with your goals – think them through, take some time writing down why and how you plan on achieving them! Make a dream board, visualize what you want to accomplish, and put it out for you and everyone to see! Tell others what you are working to accomplish and COMMIT to it! If you don’t do these exercises first you are bound to fail…but at least you can say ‘I tried’. You have to DO THE WORK first and commit to making things happen before you can make yourself reach that goal.

Visualize it!

Those individuals that ARE successful have a very clear vision prior to starting on what they are going to accomplish! Nobody that is successful just “sees how it goes”. They have a CRYSTAL CLEAR vision of what they want to accomplish and they commit to that success!

Quit blaming others

It is NO ONE ELSE’S FAULT that you are out of shape. It is not the “diet plan” that didn’t work. It is not your “family who doesn’t let you workout” or your “busy job”. It is YOU not doing the work. If you want to blame somebody, go look in the mirror and give that person a pep-talk and swift kick in the bootie!

EXCUSES will NEVER get results, but SOLUTIONS will!

I get it. You may have harder circumstances or challenges that others don’t have to face. Who cares!

Find a way! CREATE a SOLUTION! As Nike said – JUST DO IT!

No one cares about your “excuses”. There are tons of people who have been in worse situations than you who have found solutions and created success. They did the work!

Here is the thing, until you realize that you have to COMMIT to a result, NO program is EVER going to work for you. You know why? Because you will NEVER fully put it into action.

Here’s the Deal–

I will help anyone who wants to help themselves FIRST. Just let me know what you want to do. You can keep sharing in excuses with friends who will give you validation, but that won’t get you one step closer to your goals. When you’re ready to COMMIT and TAKE ACTION and contact me

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6 things that Must be in place to create change

Do you ever wonder why you seem to never accomplish what you set out to do? Do you wonder why the motivation to change starts out fierce but soon fizzles off with excuses and then acceptance?

Consider this, maybe there is more to it then “will power” or “good luck.” Consider that there may be 6 critical things that are not in place. Without these 6 things in place, CHANGE won’t happen and last.

1. You have to believe it to achieve it

Belief – It always seems easier to get back to a place you once knew. If at one time you were fit and your ideal weight but lost your way you will likely have an easier time returning to that once great place because you knew it before. If you have never ever felt great about yourself and never at any time been at your ideal state then you likely don’t believe that is possible. You may try different things but if deep down you don’t “believe” you can be a certain way they tend to self sabotage. If you feel that no workout plan or program will ever work for you because you have not gotten the results you want prior well then guess what? It will never work for you! To change this you have to change your mind set. You have to look at things the way a child would. With a sense of wonder and curiosity and a very open mind. Let go of the idea that something will not work for you and BELIEVE that it will.

2. Let go of comfort zones

Comfort – We tend to always go back to comfort zones. When the workout gets too “uncomfortable” or “hard” or when the meal plan gets too “complicated” we automatically go back to comfort. Our bodies and our minds know how to quickly adjust to be comfortable again. You have to get UNCOMFORTABLE if you want to become comfortable with new results. Until we shift our definition of comfort our old ways and habits will continue to pop up.

3. Get really really selfish

“What is it for me” – There has to be a reward. You have to know why you are fighting the good fight. If you are trying to lose weight for someone else it will be very hard to make the change. You have to dig deep and really understand what is in it for you. I talk to clients all of the time who say “I want to get thin for vanity but I can’t stick to the plan”. I understand why! When you are curled up in sweats on the couch with the TV on and bags of chips calling your name VANITY at that moment is not important to you! So, you revert back to “comfort”. The way to address this is to think through your deep goals. The “why” you want this. How will it make you FEEL to reach your goal? Will it improve your relationship? Your business? (If you need help digging deep into your WHY don't hesitate to get in touch and ask me for help figuring it out)

4. Knowledge is power

Knowledge - You have to know what to do. Spend time learning and researching. Don’t just “follow a plan” learn why it is good and why it will work. Don’t take someones word for something. Rather, learn about it, understand it. When you understand why too much sugar is not great for you or why doing certain exercises a certain way are effective you will be more longer to commit and push past your comfort zone.

5. Stop trying and start committing

Commit don’t try – Once you know what to do and how to do it, commit to it. Trying will never work. Commit and conquer.

6. Consistency is everything

Consistency - The most important step at all is this one right here. You have to be consistent. It did not take you a short period of time to get off track. It can’t ALL be undone in a day, a week or a month. Be consistent, push through, commit to making things happen and a you new will emerge. Good things take time. THERE IS NO MAGIC BUTTON.

7. You Need Support

Support - so I know I said 6 things...so this one is a bonus for you. You can't do anything alone. When you start to change yourself it will affect all the other people around you, and if they aren't on board, it will make it harder for you to make the changes you want to make.

So get all the people around you involved in your changes as well, tell them what you are doing and get them to support you.

You may also want to consider additional support in the form of a coach or mentor to make sure you're staying on track. Having someone who checks in with you on a regular basis, that asks you the tough questions about what you're doing (or not doing) is often a game changer for people trying to make lifestyle changes; it would be a thriving industry if it wasn't worth something.

So there you have it. Get those 6 things in place and hang on!! …because your life is going to change for the better and take you places you could never imagine!!!

Ready to take ACTION and be ACCOUNTABLE for a new, healthier and fitter you? Send me an email to JoseyFishFitness@gmail.com to join my next challenge group.

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How to determine your Fitness Goals

We are all familiar with the idea of “goal setting” and making new fitness goals. But did you know that the TYPE of goal you set determines if it will continue to motivate you and lead you towards success, OR knock you down which leads to discouragement and often a sense of failure instead of accomplishment?

The most common goal when it comes to fitness has something to do with “weight” or “size”. Over the years, the most common thing I have seen is people who set goals which revolve around hitting that ‘magic number’ on the scale or at the jeans shop.

The problem with this type of goal is that it can be tough to measure, slow going, frustrating, and down right discouraging. The issue for most people is they have a ‘number’ in their head that isn’t realistic. I have talked with people that had great energy, their clothes were fitting better, their friends were noticing….BUT the scale wasn’t moving! And THAT was wrecking their day and their motivation.

All these positives, but ‘that number’ was negating it all.

Look, nobody is walking around with a balloon over their head with their weight on it. So let’s stop using that as the ‘goal’ and look at something positive we can do that WILL lead to SUCCESS!

What if you dropped that goal “number” for good? What if you DECIDED to have a shift in your goal making?

Here is what I decided to do a while back and it works like a charm and I hope by sharing this with you it will encourage you to try!

FORGET ABOUT the weight and challenge yourself to PROGRESS at a skill. Why? For a few reasons.

1. PROGRESSION changes your body. Stop progressing and you stop improving.

2. By working towards a SKILL, you have something to MEASURE. You get better every time (that is a positive!) and you inevitably get fitter working on your new skill.

3. Not only does it force progression, but it distracts you from the negative things you DON’T like about your body and helps you focus on STRENGTH and the amazing things you CAN do.

4. The most important part – working on a new skill can be super fun and allow you to meet MORE supportive and like minded people. Talk about a SCORE!

A little over a year ago I had set the goal to be able to do 20 traditional push ups in a row. At the time in February I could hardly do SIX push ups without going to my knees.

BUT, through progression, determination and consistency practicing allowed me to surpass those goals by September. THAT gave me the encouragement to challenge myself further. Not only that, but in the process of changing those goals, my BODY CHANGED dramatically in those months!

This year I am challenging myself to learn some advanced lifting moves, improve my flexibility, and some other cool skills I will be sharing as the year goes on.

What skill are YOU working on?

What are YOUR fitness goals?

It’s okay if when I asked that a number popped in your head, it's what we're used to thinking about. We have all the time in the world to help you find a skill, training, or fitness goal you can achieve and be proud of!

Be Happy… Be Healthy… Be FIT!

Want to dig deeper into your why? Need some helping figuring out your true health goals and staying on track with them?

Check out my intensive coaching program:

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What is your WHY?

“I have tried so many times, BUT…”

“I need to workout but can’t find the time…”

“I can’t seem to stay (or get) motivated”

“It is too hard to eat right…”

“I workout for a day or two, I don’t see results, so I stop…”

Are any of these you? If you are looking for answers on fixing the above I am going to turn this back to you and ask a very important question: What is your why?

The KEY to your Success

It is impossible to stay committed and determined to do ANYTHING unless you know your “WHY”. The “why” is the REAL reason, the DRIVING reason that you WANT to change, workout, get healthy, or whatever it is that you truly want to do.

You can’t change for someone else and you can’t change for non significant reasons. You can ONLY change if your WHY becomes important and visible.

How do you find your why?

Block out some time and put a lot of thought into this. WHAT is your why?
Flip through magazines and see what appeals to you and consider making a vision board which can help reveal some deep desires and why’s to you. Do some soul searching and get serious in your thinking here.

Is it for health?
To feel GREAT daily?
For more energy?
To be around and active for your children?

There is no wrong “why”, it just needs to have meaning and be personal to YOU!

Along those lines, you can’t take somebody else’s why and make it yours. Doesn’t matter that your family, doctor, friends, etc., think something should be important to you. YOU have to make it important to YOU!

Once you get to the route of what your “why” is, it CHANGES and DRIVES you. All of a sudden solutions will start presenting themselves to your problems. The hurdles become crystal clear and you start to take action and make things happen. All because you found out what dives you, you found your why.

Discovering your WHY is the most important step to changing as it gets your mind right. It is a critical first step that I include in my programs because once you find your “why” and your mind is focused, you cannot be stopped!

When your mind is active and focused on positive things, you WILL get positive results the exact same way an unsure and unfocused mind gets poor results.

If you are ready to make a change and find the answer to whatever your dilemma may be (no time, lack of motivation, etc.), FIND YOUR WHY …and the answer will come to you.

Want to dig deeper into your why? Need some helping figuring out your true health goals and staying on track with them?

You can print out this FREE worksheet to help you define your true values in life

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