It’s Not Just For Workouts…
Strength in accountability

Through my own experience, research and running challenge groups… I am constantly reminded of how needed accountability is. It gives more “oomph” when you start and keeps you going when you want to quit. Accountability does not necessarily make a task easier but it absolutely makes it more doable. This is true for workouts, accomplishing business goals, personal goals, going through trials, and any other endeavor you put before yourself. 

Some tips…

Write everything down: Personal accountability counts too! Having a journal about your daily actions puts things in perspective. It shows you where those calories come from or where your time has been running off to. Keep the truth in front of you and it keeps you in check.

Share your journey: Invite others who have mentioned the same goal or time frame to reach their own goal to join you. Sharing your goals can A: get you moving because you are answering to others B: be a huge blessing to someone who has been wanting to take that step.

Be Public: Tell friends who care about your success and ask them to check in with you. The more people you have to encourage you… the more doable the task is. 

Join or start a group:  I am constantly making sure I am plugged in to some sort of accountability group in order to keep me focused. The most recent being a 30 day hustle that included over 300 people! It was amazing to see how we all supported each other. I also start groups for others who are looking to take ownership of their health and fitness which have had fantastic results for those involved. 

Find a place to plug in; keep yourself accountable and reach your goals!

All Calories Are NOT Created Equal
5 Important Points to Keep In Mind

The most deceptive health secret is the calorie. Painted as an enemy and something to be avoided. This is not entirely true! Here are some easy pointers…

1. Quality or Quantity?: Turns out the quality of calories is more important than the amount. Mind you, portion control is needed… but the 50 calories of an apple are NOT the same as 50 calories from a snickers. One of them feeds your body and is utilized as fuel, the other… not so much; one guess as to which is which. Go for natural calories and nutrients, avoid chemicals and synthetic calories. 

2. You Might be Missing Out: With the stereotypical calorie “truths” we miss out on some needed high caloric foods such as avocados or nuts. These foods contain beneficial and much needed healthy fats, natural sugars, proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. That is way to much goodness to deprive your body of based on a misconception of the calorie. 

3. Recommended calories for when Your hungry:First recommendation is eat 5-6 small healthy meals a day to avoid starvation. Let’s be honest though, without discipline time can get away from us and we miss meals. SO! When you have the massive munchies and need something quick go for 16 oz of water, wait a few minutes, and then follow up with something that is a balance of good fats, protein, and carbs. Ex: Natural Yogurt – 12 almonds – 1 small apple
My favorite way to make it easy on yourself with portioning and figuring out what types of food you need is the 21 Day Fix.

4. Order of your calories: Believe it or not there is an efficient order to eat food that leads to better digestion based on what it takes your body to metabolize them. Drink 16 oz. of water and wait a bit before your meal (drinking it during the meal actually dilutes the digestive juices slowing the process down) then proceed to: Fruit >greens >grains >meats >fats. 

5. Chew it: Take the time to chew… focus on it’s texture or savor the flavor. This activates all the metabolizing functions in your body from the mental stimulus to the digestive juices. Eating too fast slows the body’s ability to figure out it needs to start digesting and when it’s full which leads to way to many calories. Then, afterwards, you enter what my brother calls “Erf mode” you have food coma’d yourself to the point where your body has to focus all it’s energy on digesting leaving you exhausted. 

Be Confident In Your Kitchen!

It leads to a healthier lifestyle 🙂

What do you rely on for what comes out of your kitchen?
It is so easy to dictate our attitude in the kitchen by relying on habits or what we grew up with.
Some ideas I have battled personally or with friends:

• I’ve always cooked this way
• I never learned to cook
• I can’t cook.
• It isn’t convenient
• What’s wrong with what I cook? It’s normal for me…
• That takes planning… no.
• I’m too tired
• I’m too busy

Identify with any of these? I did! to be honest sometimes I still do. Problem is… in the longterm it interferes with our health; sometimes severely. The best way I have found to combat these mental blocks or built in habits is by getting more comfortable in the kitchen. 🙂 Your past habits and mentalities do not have to dictate your kitchen. It’s your kitchen… own it! 

For me, knowing what I was putting in my body gave me more confidence in what I was doing in the kitchen. Before (and sometimes now) when I rely on an old habit or mentality… the kitchen is a drag and I can’t wait to get out of it. However, if I know that what I am doing will benefit my (and the babies) health then comfort level in the kitchen shoots up and I have more energy to prepare my food. Start small and find a simple healthy food plan that is easy to cook or deal with mentally. An easy healthy grocery list with 10 minute recipes. Click here for a plan and grocery list that is a great starter. 

Having a meal planning tool is a great asset!   It combats the feeling you get when opening the fridge and have no idea what to do with the ingredients that are in front of you. (Which typically leads to giving up and relying on habits) Gavin and I eat much healthier and on a more regular schedule when we stick to a plan we didn’t have to come up with. I recommend theMeal plan wizard provided by Beachbody or emeals.com. 

Changing the mental environment of the kitchen can also be a massive help. The kitchen has not always been a positive experience for some. Grab a glass of goodness, put on great music, and invite friends to cook(and clean up after) with you, make it an event! Or, go simple and make it a family time where you get to chat, do homework, and have time together. Any effort to change your attitude towards the kitchen will have a long-lasting effect and leave a legacy for those you are with.

I’m Cranky & Sluggish…

Are you thirsty?

I have a history of chronically forgetting to drink water during the day and to be honest I never realized it’s impact until I started staying on top of it.

Sneaky signs of dehydration:

Skin dryness and poor elasticity: Lotion is not the only answer, in fact if you are dehydrated repetitive use of lotion is almost a moot point and the effects do not last as long. An easy test… your skin looks visibly cracky or pinching your skin (nicely) and it does not spring back into place.

Mood: If you are tired, cranky, moody or get chronic headaches you may be dehydrated. As the body gets dehydrated, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the vessels, aka overload, which effects all other parts of the body/your day.

Sunken Eyes: Sleep may not be the issue – dehydration could be the cause for those dark circles under your eyes.

The Munchies: Dehydration can often be confused with the munchies which can lead to weight gain. So are you hungry or thirsty? Keeping an eye on your food intake and is an easy way to tell whether or not you should be hungry when the munchies attack.

With all of that in mind doctors will tell you that you should be getting at least 64oz a day… but here’s the kicker… it’s 64oz at a STEADY pace. This is not a guzzle and go. The guzzling method is a good way to make yourself sick (or gag) and create a huge dislike for water. The best way to stay hydrated is constant sipping throughout the day. Arm yourself with a favorite water bottle; or for my medical friends, know the location of all your water fountains and visit them often. If you struggle with keeping track or remembering try an app on your smart phone, set alarms on your phone/watch, or have an accountability group to check in with. (Message me to get in on my monthly water challenge)

Other helpful tips:

• If you don’t like water go for natural flavoring or sparkling water. Click HERE for one of my favorite website for flavoring.
• At LEAST 64oz a day but you probably need more – doctors recommend taking your weight and dividing it by half to get an idea of what you need.
• Eat your water: Fruits and Veggies are another great source of hydration. Some of the most hydrating foods: cucumbers – berries – watermelon – cabbage – lettuce – tomatoes – figs – cherries – grapes – carrots

5 Popular Diet Tips to Ignore
Tip Fails: Part One… 

1. Bad Advice: Go for sugar-free and fat-free foods
Good Advice: Don’t let the hype get to you. They will typically use sugar and sodium to replace fat and then they’ll use fat to replace the sugar. Or worse… they’ll use chemicals to replace both. Stick to the original versions, keep an eye on your portions, and avoid the processed foods.

2. Bad Advice: No cheats ever!!!
Good Advice: First off, watch out for the negative mental state. It’s a treat-meal not a cheat-meal. You are working towards a positive relationship with your fuel (food) not seeing as the enemy. Also you are more likely to go long-term with a healthy lifestyle if you relax. Stress over strict rules can have a negative effect on your weight-loss or weight maintaining. Easiest thing to do is plan your splurges 🙂

3. Bad Advice: No snacking!
Good Advice: Snacking is different than mindless munching and are quite necessary for a good metabolism. Snacks help maintain your blood-sugar, keep your mood up, and help you not to over eat later on. Go for the nutritious balance of protein, fiber, and good fats: apples & natural peanut butter or carrots & hummus.4. Bad Advice: Fruit is pure sugar so don’t eat it…
Good Advice: This can actually be one of the best ways to fight over indulging a sweet tooth. Yes fruit is sugar… it’s also fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. All good stuff that will actually slow how quickly your body absorbs the sugar.

5. Bad Advice: If it’s organic then splurge away… it’s ALWAYS good for you
Good Advice: Yes, it is better to eat real food that hasn’t been genetically modified or pumped with chemicals. However, let’s be reasonable… just because the ingredients are pure doesn’t mean you can go crazy. A brownie is a brownie even if it’s organic.

6. Bad Advice: Calories are all the same just make sure to burn them off
Good Advice: Calories from your Starbucks latte are not going to give you the same fuel as an apple with peanut butter. Not only that, eating junk can have some serious side effects while not giving you the long-term full feeling you were looking for in the first place.