Sunday, June 29, 2014

Motivational Monday

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts."
-Winston Churchill

There are always going to be struggles. Without struggle there can be no progress.  If you find yourself frustrated, if you're ready to give up, STOP!!

Stay strong and keep pushing!!

You're always going to find challenges, but you need to take them head on.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Fitness Friday-Articles of the Week

Want to know what the number one problem is that most people face?
Consistency!!
At the first sign of struggle or first sign when things get hard, or the results aren't what you expected right away, people jump ship and switch to something new.  No other place is this evident than with nutrition. People start one plan, maybe it's actually eating healthy, and when the results don't come instantaneous, its time to bail and find something new.  They never actually gave the first plan a chance. Remember there are no shortcuts, at times you're going to have be a little persistent.  
Why We Fail!

Speaking of mistakes, women tend to make the most mistakes when it comes to nutrition.  Most commonly, over thinking everything.  They tend to go to extremes with choices, go to plans they see on TV or celebrities endorse, and reach for "healthy" snack bars.  This isn't an attack on women, but in general they tend to get sucked into quick fixes, and putting to much thinking into everything they do and eat. 
10 Mistakes Women Make

There is a lot of misinformation out there and it is easy to get confused.  With so many buzzwords floating out there, it's hard to figure out what to eat, what not to eat.  Check out the 8 worst offenders.  "Detox" is my favorite on the list as there is NO need to detox.
8 Things Nutrition Experts Wish You Would Stop Saying About Food

Fruits and vegetables are super important to ones nutrition plan.  You see, they are full of phytonutrients that help keep us healthy.  These can impact everything from hormonal status, to disease risk, to your ability to fight off colds.
Color Chart

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Motivational Monday

"Not everything that is faced can be changed.  But nothing can be changed until it is faced."
-James Baldwin


How can you change anything if you don't try?  We've all tried a new diet here or there, or a new exercise program, but how were the results?  Have you really gone 100% after what you want or are you just trying shortcut after shortcut.
We all try to take shortcuts, it's human nature.  Find the quickest and easiest path to your goal.  The problem with that thinking is that when it comes to health, fitness, and losing fat, there is no easy or quick path.  It takes hard work, consistency, & perseverance.

Think about what you can control, what you can measure, what you can track.  Not over the course of a week or a day, but months, years.
Choose your goal, develop some realistic expectations of what its really going to take to get there, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Fitness Friday-Articles to Check Out This Week

There's so much information that gets circulated that it's hard to figure out what right and whats wrong or misguided information.  Weight loss is a trillion dollar industry, yet we still have a rising obesity epidemic.  It takes hard work, consistency, and perseverance to lose weight, and no amount of "miracle cure or pill" is going to help when your diet and exercise programs are out of whack.
Dean Somerset- Missing the Boat

Speaking of which, the biggest perpetrator of said "miracle pills or fixes" stood before congress and was made an example of.  Science does not back any of his claims or anything he "endorses" and the public eats it up.  Why?  Because he is a doctor...on TV!!!  If these actually worked, would we be having the obesity epidemic we are now?
Diet Scams

Lift heavy!! Lift heavy relative to your strength and your abilities.  There is the perpetual myth that lifting heavy, especially for women will make them bulky and huge and She-hulk.  Couldn't be further from the truth.  Why, in a world where you might need to pick up child that could weigh 25lbs would you only choose to lift 3-5lbs?  Doesn't make sense to me.  Challenge your muscles to get stronger, because your body will thank you for it.
Lift Heavy

The "perfect diet" is going to be the one that works for you and is healthy.  It is not one made up of strict rules of what you can eat, what you can't eat, what you should only eat at this time or that time.  How about instead you strive to get better at your choices?  Choosing healthier options over crappy ones will lead to better habits, and one day you'll wake up healthier and probably in way better shape.
"Perfect" Diet

Try following some of these tips to develop some healthier strategies, in terms of fat, carb, and protein intake.
10 Nutrition Tips

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Motivational Monday


"you can fail at what you don’t want,
 so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."

Don't let fear take control of your life.  Do not let anyone tell you that things are out of reach.  Nothing is out of reach.
Take a chance on what you love, because it is possible to fail at what you don't.

If you haven't heard Jim Carrey's words yet, I implore you to watch the video above, or find the entire 26 minute video on YouTube.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Fitness Friday

What's the most important tip on living a healthy life?  54 experts weigh in on what's most important, including us as one of the experts!  Take a look!
54 Health and Wellness Experts Reveal the Single Most Important Tip for Living a Healthy Lifestyle


Water is an important part of your health.  We should all be aiming for about 2-3L per day, but how often are you hitting that goal?  Did you know water acts as a lubricant for your joints?  Could that joint pain be from lack of hydration?  Oh and it can make your skin look better!
Water Water Everywhere!


How many of you know exactly what to do, but find yourself struggling with maintaining success with your nutrition and exercise program?  Knowing the information is only half the battle.  The other part? Accountability!!  If no one is holding you accountable, then you are more apt to slide on your program.  Find someone to answer to, someone you HAVE to check in with, and maybe you'll see the results you're after.
I know what to do, but I'm still out of shape!


The scale is deceptive.  It really doesn't paint the whole picture.  Every time you step on the scale, you make a determination that it only measures muscle and fat.  Not true at all.  So much goes into what that number is. Glycogen stores, water levels, undigested food, & hormone levels to name a few unexpected areas that CAN & usually DO show up on the scale.
Deceptive Scale part 1
Deceptive Scale part 2







Sunday, June 8, 2014

Motivational Monday

The truth of the matter is, sometimes there isn't enough time in the day to do everything we need to do or want to do.  We keep trying and trying to do it all, but inevitably we fail.  When we try to fit as much as possible in, the first thing we throw away is our own health and wellness.  What is a common excuse as to why you can't work out?
No Time!

When you put too much on your plate, priorities get mixed up and you spend time on things that push you away from your goals, and less time on things that will get you to where you want to be.  You only have so much energy and so much time, so my question for you is:

Where is your focus?

You are where you are because of who you are and if you are going to get somewhere else, you are going to have to change something.

So what is your goal? What are you going to change? 6 months from now, 12 months from now, 5 years from now, where do you want to be?

Set your goals, stop doing the things that don't move you forward, and prioritize the things that will take you towards what you want to accomplish.  You want to be in shape? Make it a top priority!  Want to be healthier?  Make it a priority!  

Live intentionally!




Thursday, June 5, 2014

Fitness Friday-Articles of the Week

Are thinking about stepping on that scale today? Are you going to use whatever that number is to determine the rest of your day, to determine what kind of mood you're going to be in?
Then stop right there, don't even think about getting on.  If this describes you, then stop getting on the scale.
Read THIS before you ever step foot on a scale again.


It seems that the answer is always "exercise more & eat less."  That's the traditional model of fat loss. However, there comes a point when that no longer works for people as there is a bottom limit to the amount of food you eat and an upper limit to how much you exercise.  In the end, find a balance that works for you in a healthy way.  Focus on the quality of your food, not necessarily the number of calories.
Eat less, Exercise more?


I posted this the other day, but in case you missed it, I am going to re-post it here.  Your body is your truth, you can't escape what you do to it.  Your body is a machine, however it is a dynamic system of feedback loops and connections, and what you do affects other reactions in your body.  It's not a simple 1+1 formula.
Your Body is Your Truth





Sunday, June 1, 2014

Motivational Monday

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.”
-Maya Angelou

Are you going through life just dealing with everything? If there's anything to take from Maya Angelou's words is that you don't have to deal with it. You can change it.  You can change how you react to it.  
If you don't like where your fitness level is at, if you don't like the way look, if you want to be stronger, then do something about it.  Go out, work hard, develop a sound nutrition plan.  Work for it.