You are dissatisfied in some way by your body. I get it. If you train with me, it is now my problem, too. But it is NOT my fault.
Here is something you should never say to a (good) trainer: (Said with ‘tude) I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the trainer.
I just read an article in O magazine that suggests that a brownie at breakfast might help you lose weight. I’m thinking: really? That sounds like brilliant advice to give people who struggle with weight loss. Start the day off with 400 extra calories. Really?
This is not a review of O magazine. If it were I would have LOTS to say about the heavy cream that is an ingredient of almost every recipe they share. This is just me wondering, could that really work? Eat sweets at breakfast to stave off cravings the rest of the day? And is it worth it to try it?
My baby is 6 today. Six! My baby! I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital SO VIVIDLY. And yet…
The other day when her 2-year-old brother was begging for a granola-type bar right before dinner, Bella said, “Mommy. I have to tell you something. It’s a secret, so lean down close to me.” I leaned down. She said, “I think when these bars are gone, we shouldn’t buy bars anymore.” I said, “Really? Won’t you miss eating them?” She nodded. But that was okay with her. Because she wants her brother to have better eating habits. At 6, she already says things like, “I think I need to take a break from sugar tomorrow.” And when tomorrow comes and she asks for dessert and I remind her what she said, she ACTUALLY SAYS “OH YEAH” AND DOESN’T EAT DESSERT.
Have you ever said, when thinking about taking weight off, “I think I should get my thyroid checked out”? Are you smiling to yourself right now because you SO have?
You know when you’re feeling something that’s not normal but you can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, so you go to the doctor and actually feel relief when you find out that something really is amiss, and that this little pill will make it better? It’s so much better than walking around wondering if you’re imagining things, or worse, feeling the abnormal thing but not knowing how to fix it. We like to FIX things. And our weight problems need to be fixed. Unfortunately, weight problems can’t be fixed (safely) with a pill—the only magic tricks are patience and discipline. Imagine if the flu could only be cured by patience and discipline. Holy cow, this would be one sick country.
Don’t be a slouch. You there, sitting at your computer with your shoulders slumped, one hand on the mouse, your head jutting forward to better see your screen. Sit up straight.
Posture isn’t just about how you look—though ever walk by a window and catch your slumped reflection? Not hot. Your stature is who you are. Your body is you, and it’s your advertisement for you, the person you present to the world. Posture is one element in your body’s whole grand scheme.
Here’s a scenario to ponder: You’re at a party as your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s sidekick and he/she goes off to talk to his/her friends, leaving you smiling nervously at a bunch of people you don’t know. What is the natural thing to do? Check out the food table. Grab a drink. Take sips of your drink. Munch on chips. Search for the veggie tray. Find no such tray. Eat more chips.
This scenario was brought to mind thanks to a training client of mine who recently shared that she was at a party as her husband’s sidekick, was left by herself, found herself alone at the food table with no veggie tray in sight, and didn’t know what to do but munch on chips.
Oh, the games we play to stave off hunger, pretend we’re not hungry, rationalize that we’re hungry again already…
What would happen if we all just very simply listened to our bodies, fed ourselves what we need to survive, and resolved hunger at the physical level?
Fantastic Fruit Delights (aka Energy Bites!)
They’re raw, easy to make, and nutritious, and they’re known as “energy bites” in my home. Instead of buying a bunch of Power Bars, I make a batch of these. Just a couple fill my belly when it’s not quite mealtime, and they’ll last forever in the fridge.
It’s Sunday night and you’re contemplating the coming week. Where will exercise fit in this week? Will this finally be the week you stay those 15 extra minutes to do some weights, as you keep hearing you should? Or will you just barely eke out 30 minutes at the gym three times this week, as usual, flipping through a magazine and moving at a just-below-challenging rate on the cross-trainer? Ugh. Your workout needs a lift.
First let’s talk about interval training. It’s hot right now—you should know what it means. Working out in intervals trains your heart for better endurance. You throw a curveball at your heart every so often to challenge its comfort zone. So for example, if you’re walking on the treadmill, every 10 minutes, say, increase your incline from a 1.0 to a 5.0 for 3 minutes without reducing your speed. Or increase your speed from 3.6 to 4.0 for 3 minutes. Or step off the treadmill and do 10 jumping jacks, 10 pushups, and 5 assisted pullups, then climb back on the treadmill.
Spicy* Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup with Chickpeas
1 T olive oil
5-6 c sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 c onions, diced
1 c celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t sea salt
2 t cumin
3 t ground coriander
1 t paprika
½ t crushed red pepper flakes (*or to taste)
2 c vegetable stock
3 c water
3-5 T fresh ginger, grated (we used the tube of ginger from the produce section at Kroger)
2 T natural peanut butter
2 c (1 can) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3-4 T fresh lime juice
Cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)
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