It's February, how are you doing with that New Year's Resolution? If your answer is "Amazing Jen!" then great job and feel free to skip this post! If on the other hand you're feeling a little underwhelmed by your progress thus far then read on and hopefully I can help. I've been at this whole personal training/nutritional coaching thing for a while and I've noticed some patterns. Clients come to me hoping to lose some weight and they tell me their diet is actually "pretty good" or "healthy" however they're not seeing the progress they had hoped to see. I start asking questions about their daily eating habits and clients will admit they eat well "most of the time" but they get too busy on the weekends or maybe they occasionally snack after dinner on weeknights. It can be really hard to get a sense for how often they're actually making choices that move them toward their goals. I don't know what the heck "eating pretty well" means. If you feel like you're doing the right things to lose weight, but you aren't seeing progress it's time to take an HONEST look at your consistency and here's how you're going to do that. First of all, you'll need to chose some metric for measuring your consistency. It's easiest to chose a specific habit to track so things are crystal clear, you either did it or you didn't. I ate "well" or "healthy" today is too broad. Here are a few ideas of habits to track, chose one that you think you can sustain and track easily. - Calories - have a calorie goal and allow yourself a little bit of leeway 100cals over or under - Protein - either protein with every meal or grams of protein per day - Vegetables - choose a # of servings of vegetables to consume each day - Eat to 80% Full - Follow this portion control guide for each meal These are just a few ideas, but you can apply the method I'm about to explain for any habit that you're trying to practice regularly. The next step is to get a calendar, a black marker and a red marker. At the end of the day or the next morning put a big red X across the day if you successfully practiced the habit or a black 0 if you didn't. At the end of a month you'll have a clear idea if you've actually been as consistent as you thought you were. Shoot for at least 80% X's. If the month has 30 days, that would mean you'd try to get 24 X's and you'd have room to get six 0's. Why does this simple method work? It forces you to assess your habits on a daily and monthly basis. If you have 15 0's and you're not seeing results then you know you could improve your consistency. If you're an X champion, maybe it's time to add another habit and track that one for a while. I've also noticed that my clients succumb to an "All or Nothing" mentality. If they can't be perfect then they go completely off the wagon and sabotage any hope of progress. Knowing you can have a few 0's and still be consistent over the course of a month gives you a little room for error without feeling like you've ruined everything. This method isn't without flaws. Some people may get discouraged if they start wracking up the 0's and then give up. If that's the case then I suggest you try the "Two Day Rule". Regardless of whether you get a 0 try not to get two 0's in a row. That means you'll hit your habit AT LEAST 3 days which may not be perfect but sure as hell is better than nothing. I've got my own calendar going this month for tracking my calories. I hope to hit 90% consistency so here's an example of what that might look like. I've struggled in the past to be consistent on the weekends. Using a calendar has helped me still have a few days to really indulge if I want to while practicing more moderation the rest of the days. It also allows you to plan around special events so that you can enjoy yourself without worrying about sabotaging your progress.
There are tons of habit calendars available for purchase or you can use a regular wall calendar if you want to get started tracking your consistency. It's the middle of the month but don't be afraid to start now, you can always track over 30 days rather than keeping it within the confines of a specific month. Give it a try and share your thoughts!
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I look at that photo and read that quote, and all I can say is FUCK YES! Actually that's not ALL I can say. I have many things to say (surprise, surprise). This is one of my favorite parts of introducing women to strength training. Many women, (myself included) spend most of their adult lives attempting to take up less space. We are constantly trying to weigh less, fit in to smaller clothing, to burn off unwanted parts of ourselves, all for the sake of getting noticed more. We squeeze our flab and pull our sagging skin taught. We cry in the dressing room and we bully ourselves into thinking we're not enough.
I'm shocked and saddened that new/prospective clients continue to worry about getting too big or too muscled if they pick up strength training. I'm probably supposed to say that every woman has a right to pursue whatever physicality they choose, but I really just want them all to choose strength.
Since I've started lifting weights I've been able to focus less on what I'm not and more on what I've built. I'm proud of my legs, glutes, back and shoulders just as Lindsey is proud of her arms. She used to hide them, fearing summer and wearing tank tops, now she's happily standing on a beach showing off her hard work.
Sure, dropping body fat can have a positive impact on one's life, but there are many ways to get there. If you've been trying to lose weight for years, even decades, maybe it's time to take a break from the goal of losing and focus on the goal of building. Put your effort in to getting stronger. Fuel your body and pursue recovery to support that goal. The first time someone notices the curve of your tricep, or you see your quad muscle pop in a photo will be a revelation. Yes, we'll always have aspects of ourselves we critique, but wouldn't it be nice to also have something to admire?
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Recently I posted this visual of the Nutritional Hierarchy of Fat Loss on the Swole Sisters Worldwide Facebook page. Meal timing seemed to pique the interest of the community members so I've decided to cover how you can manipulate meal timing in order to change your body composition.
It's not that meal timing is the most important factor in fat loss, in fact it is a ways up the pyramid however it is a topic that ignites debate on many fronts. I'll be covering meal timing as it relates to overall calorie consumption as in when fat loss is the goal. It is important to note that these strategies may or may not work for you. Please don't read this article and think you have to start implementing everything on this list. Instead see if any of these strategies might be EASILY incorporated in to your life, then try it for a while and see if it helps with your results.
1. Eat Breakfast or Don't
Here we have our first example of how 2 totally opposing strategies can work for different people. Initially we were told that we should eat breakfast because it would start "stoking" the supposed fire of our metabolism. Eating first thing in the morning won't do anything magical to your metabolism unfortunately, but it can be helpful if you're trying to lose weight. Eating a protein rich breakfast in the morning could help prevent overeating later in the day. Do you find yourself snacking in the late afternoon or overeating after work? Maybe a more consistent breakfast is the key to feeling more sated. The caveat to this is that you include protein with this meal. A giant bowl of fruit loops does not a nutritious breakfast make, even if the box claims they're "Whole Grain". On the other end of the spectrum is Intermittent Fasting where you keep your eating within a "feeding window". For example if you have your last meal at 7pm and you fast for 16 hours before eating again, your first meal the next meal would be at 11am the next day. By skipping breakfast you're basically removing one meal from your day and by default cutting some calories UNLESS you gorge yourself 11am - 7pm. There are many different protocols for Intermittent Fasting and it would take some experimentation to see if it was a good fit for you. I have seen it suggested many times that women keep their fasting window a little shorter (12-14 hours) versus some of the longer fasting windows that men respond well to.
2. Don't Eat 1-2 Hours Before Bed
I am often asked if people NEED to stop eating 2 hours before bed. Honestly there's nothing magical about finishing your last meal by 6pm and if your lifestyle doesn't allow for it, then don't worry too much about when you eat dinner. The only cause for concern will be when you overeat late at night and then that messes with your sleep. I also find it challenging to fall asleep when I'm hungry so I'd rather have a later meal than try to fall asleep hungry. Putting a cap on how late you eat can be most beneficial for people who find themselves snacking at night. You're probably not eating a pint of ice cream because you're hungry, there's something else going on there. You're most likely bored and/or anxious. Deciding to stop eating by a certain time might help curb late night snacking and therefore help you reduce your overall calorie intake.
3. Work Out Fasted or Don't
Once again you have a few options here. Some people swear by fasted morning workouts. This means you'd wake up, work out and wait to eat your first meal until after your workout. Particularly if you work out early in the morning, there may not be time to digest a breakfast before hand so you may want to try a fasted workout. Is there any fat burning magic to working out fasted? I doubt it, but if it helps you get your work out in because you don't have to spend time preparing/eating before hand than it could be a good strategy. I know other people who get dizzy and light headed in the morning so they need to have at least a little something first thing or it will be a very unpleasant workout. Personally I could do a little cardio or an upper body workout without breakfast but if I hit my legs I'll fuel up first. I'd rather eat and perform better in the gym than skip breakfast and have a weak work out.
4. Find Your Meal # Sweet Spot
As breakfast used to be considered necessary to stoke your metabolism, it was once thought that eating every 2-3 hours was important to keep that sucker fired up. Once again, overall calorie intake is the biggest factor in fat loss so you should figure out what your sweet spot is. Eating every 2-3 hours may be great for you. It could keep hunger low so that you're less likely to overeat. On the other hand your job may not allow for constant grazing so you could go with the traditional 3 meals. Personally I like larger meals so the 5-6 small meal approach is unsatisfying. Instead I eat 4 meals of relatively equal size.
It may seem frustrating that there's no set answer here. What if there were a "right" answer but it didn't work at all with your schedule? Wouldn't that be more of a bummer? This way you get to find what helps you feel the most energetic and what works with your lifestyle. It gives you a chance to be in tune with your own body rather than at the mercy of the latest diet trend.
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I admit that I often have an inner conflict. I preach the benefits of moderation as well as simple habits and how they can lead to big results. However sometimes I want to say fuck it and go all in on SOMETHING. I want to drop the moderation and attack a goal with everything I have.
Is there a right time to go all in or is moderation always the answer? I went through a divorce 3 years ago. I remember telling my therapist that I was often disappointed that I wasn't doing more to challenge myself in my business and in my personal life. She pointed out that I was in fact tackling one big challenge (healing from the divorce) and maybe I should cut myself some slack. And that has been my life for 3 years. I've given myself space, time and compassion to work through the pain and discomfort. I didn't have time or energy to throw myself in to any major protect so I marched through those years steadily. I continued to exercise (of course), I slowly improved my business, I ate my veggies and protein as well as indulging in mac and cheese, wine and pizza when I wanted it. I set no ambitious goals for myself, just the simple goal of consistency. The the holidays came around this year and although I approached them with apprehension having struggled the previous 2 years, something was different. There was no undercurrent of sadness. I didn't mind that I was heading to visit friends and family without a partner, in fact I truly appreciated the freedom of being single for the first time! I realized that things were not so much of a struggle as they used to be. All those people that told me "It will get better with time", as much as I wanted to punch them in the face while I was in the thick of it, I realized they were right. And so.......
I'm feeling the itch to challenge myself and turn up the intensity. Sometimes life is hard and we don't need to create extra challenges. We only have energy for the bare minimum. In this case, moderation and small goals make perfect sense. Other times we're cruising along, maybe a little too comfortably and we have the time/energy to create some self imposed challenges.
For me, this year is going to be a year of productivity. I started in mid December with a 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge. I had been trying to drink moderately but it just wasn't working. I wanted to know what it would feel like to have no alcohol in my system. I wanted better sleep, a clearer mind and more productive days. I'm about halfway through and so far I'm really loving the results, especially better sleep.
In fact, when I finish I'm going to roll right in to another 30 Day Challenge: No TV/Netflix. The thought of it scares me, which makes me think I definitely need to do it! The 30 Day No TV/Netflix starts January 21st. Are you in? Send me an email or dm and we can encourage each other along! I'll post progress updates on my Iron Bunny Fitness Facebook page. Also, you can join me for the last 2 weeks of my No Alcohol Challenge if you want to take a short break to start off 2019.
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I have to admit, sometimes I'm embarrassed to work in the fitness world. Many of the messages put out there by other fitness professionals although well intended are quite frankly fucking with people. It's a slippery slope because we're here to help people and in order to let them know we can help, we point out their flaws and play to their fears. Often we make the mistake of assuming that clients want/need to lose weight. As I've trained more and more people and reflected on my own struggles I've come to realize most people want to FEEL better and that may or may not mean dropping body fat. Recently I saw an Instagram post from a local gym that got me all fired up. It was an infographic titled "WHY DROP 10-15 POUNDS". Reasons included: 1. You'll move better 2. You'll feel more confident about yourself 3. You'll have more energy to do the things you like 4. It's better for your joints and bones 5. You'll have better skin 6. You'll sleep better 7. Lower the risk of getting sick 8. It reduces stress and anxiety 9. It improves creativity and productivity 10. You might live longer Perhaps at first glance this all makes great sense and maybe you agree with all of these statements. I see it and I want to go all Xena Warrior Princess on whoever thought this was a productive message to put out into the world. So many of the women I know and clients I train are in a CONSTANT struggle to lose 10-15 lbs. They get on the scale every week if not every day in the hopes of getting to a magical number that they have deemed low enough. They cry, they stress, they grab the rolls of their stomachs and dismay at the back fat folding over the top of their bras. They kill themselves in the gym, fight hunger all day, and spend hours if not days feeling guilty if they miss a gym session or overeat. Maybe the author of this infographic ASSUMED that the people that didn't need to lose 10-15lbs would realize this message wasn't meant for them. He/she must've assumed that whoever they were speaking to would pursue weight loss in a healthy fashion. The reality is, if done without overall healthy and wellness in mind, weight loss isn't always positive. This message says to EVERYONE "You should lose 10-15 lbs" and then it doesn't provide any productive advice for how that is to be done. If you starve yourself, over exercise, deprive yourself of rest you may lose weight but you will not reap the benefits promised.
I have one suggestion that can unfuck the infographic: change the title. "Why Prioritize Your Health" This way we can focus on the actions that will help people thrive. Let's put our attention to practices that have a positive effect on our lives such as moving our bodies, sleeping, eating nourishing foods and doing things that bring us joy. Let's stop pushing fat loss as a solution to our problems and instead help people care for themselves. Agree? Disagree? Please contribute to the discussion and post in the comments. Have you ever felt like you've spent most of your adult life trying to lose weight (maybe part of your adolescence too)? This article struck a chord with me and I'd like to share how it reminds me of my own story as well as offer some tips that have helped me stop obsessing about my body and start paying attention to some important/neglected areas of my life. The first diet that I ever tried was Atkins back in 2001. I was lured in by the idea that I could eat all of the butter AND lose weight. Of course it worked......while I stayed on it but eventually potato chips and beer called to me. Since then there have been a series of diets, food rules, progress photos and food journals to mark my 15 years of dieting efforts. For most of that time I was also in a long term relationship. I was constantly working on my physical self but it never occurred to me that I was creating a mental and emotional deficit. I've always been fairly even keeled, independent and strong so I figured I didn't need to work on other aspects of my wellness. Instead it was all about the weight and a near obsessive mission to eradicate my love handles. It wasn't until my marriage ended that I realized I had been neglecting myself and that my inner growth had been stunted for the sake of external goals. Looking back on it now I realize some of my more obsessive behavior started when my ex got sober about 6 years in to our relationship. It was a challenging time for both of us but I considered the alcoholism his problem and I was there to support him. It didn't occur to me that I needed support of my own and that I could use some self development. The dieting, boot camps and half marathons were a distraction from other issues that could've used my attention. I see it often with my clients as they stress over their weight and appearance. They're overworked, overtired, and unfulfilled in their relationships yet they continue to focus on their bodies rather than pay attention to other aspects of their lives. It's as if they're putting off improving their situations or living their lives until they reach a subjective aesthetic goal. B.D. (Before Divorce) I was a passenger in my life not really driving or making decisions, except deciding whether or not to have a "cheat" meal. The split pushed me to acknowledge my emotions, consider my career choices and think about what I really want from my life. Here are a few things that helped me both assess and enjoy my life beyond my fat loss goals. Get A Hobby
Take InventoryRemember how I said I was a passenger in my life? Sometimes my husband was driving, other times circumstances were behind the wheel. I never took time to ask what I really wanted. In January I did my first year in review (this is the article I pulled it from). I realized that rather than finding a more traditional job I wanted to continue training because I love it and I vowed to take steps to increase my business. It's been simultaneously frightening, challenging and rewarding. Assessing what I really want has lit a fire under my ass and I'm so glad that I did it. Help OthersI will never forget a drunken fight I had with my best friend in college coming home from the bar one night. I must've been ruminating about my bad luck with men and she looked at me and said "Oh Jen, just get over yourself!" Any time I find myself feeling like a victim or in need of pity I think about those words. One way to get over yourself and stop stressing about your weight is to help others. This could mean helping a friend move, being a Big Brother/Big Sister or holding space for someone in your life who's having a tough time. Hopefully it will help you remember that your value as a human being on this planet is not tied to what the scale says. The Secret Side EffectIronically, putting more attention in to your quality of life and less in to your body could actually help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Eating better and exercising are sooooo much easier when you're well rested and content with your life. If you've been obsessing over your weight/appearance for a long time (as I have) it may take time to refocus your attention. I still have moments when I think "I should do X diet, just for a few months to drop that extra 10 lbs" but I tend to have those thoughts less and less. And anytime you're struggling you can turn to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson :) I never knew he played the ukulele but now I know that we are totally meant for each other! Some people assume that because I'm a Personal Trainer, I work out 6-7 days a week for hours at a time, maybe even two-a-days. It may come as a surprise to those people that I actually work out 4-5 days a week for about an hour each session. I'm pointing this out because I'd like to establish that I don't exercise obsessively. It is a small part of my day that I enjoy (most of the time) but I won't lose my shit if I miss a day or two. Although I'm not afraid to miss a few days of exercise, I do work out on vacation as well as over the holidays. My reasons for doing so may not be what you think. As summer approaches and many of us hit the road for vacation (I'm actually headed to Scotland shortly), it may be time to consider your fitness and nutritional goals for while your travelling. Here are a few reasons why I workout while on the road: Consistency As I mentioned earlier, I don't work out every day, but I do CONSISTENTLY work out 4-5 days a week, every week, month, year for the past several years. It's a part of my life and I make sure it fits into my schedule because I've gotten pretty darn strong by sticking to it and I can't complain when I check out my glutes in a pair of leggings. When I go away on a trip or take time off for the holidays it's easier to continue to exercise because when I return home/to work there's no struggle to get back "into it". I was never "out of it". Have you ever returned from trip and struggled to get back to the gym? Sometimes it takes 3 weeks or more to get back to your routine, and how badly does the first work out suck? As you finish your first set, sweating and weak do you ever say to yourself "I'm so glad that I didn't work out a single day on my vacation"? Probably not. I may not do my programmed work outs and I could miss a few but I'll make sure that I get a few sessions in so that when I return to the gym at home I don't feel like it's my first work out ever. Routine Vacation is all about getting out of your routine. You can stay up as late as you like, sleep in and have a morning cocktail, and of course my favorite: naps. I usually find myself looking forward to vacation and then toward the end I'm excited to get back to my routine. Exercising provides a small enough semblance of routine so that I can enjoy the lack thereof for the remainder of the day. Everything else I do may be different from a "normal" day but getting a work out in will ground me. It Relaxes Me Sitting and doing nothing does not come naturally to me. I know that I need it but I can have a hard time settling down on vacation and getting over the fact that I don't need to do anything. Working up a sweat can help me get there faster. I'm at my most relaxed right after a work out, all other worries have left my brain and I'm just soaking up the glory of being done. I can carry that feeling straight to the pool or the ocean, take a quick dunk and I'm ready to chill out the rest of the day. Try Something New I love living in Vermont but it is a SMALL ass state! Our fitness options can be limited especially when it comes to up and coming trends or world renowned coaches. Last year I was in LA and San Diego where fitness options where varied and abundant! I was able to try out unique classes and work with a coach who had studied with Shaulin Monks in China. Although I was in an unfamiliar place, it was easy to find common ground with the other folks in the class. What better way to bond than cheering on a partner as they go through brutal battling rope intervals! It is NOT Punishment I do NOT work out on vacation to punish myself for over indulging. Exercise is a gift for my body, my health and my wellness and I refuse to sully it by making it a punishment. I don't feel like I need to do it, it's what I want to do. Give It A Try If you've never included exercise in your vacations, maybe it's time to give it a try. The work outs don't have to be long, even 10-15 minutes can be helpful. You may find you relax more and your re-entry into non-vacation life goes more smoothly. Here's a quick body weight workout to take with you on your next trip. Push-ups x 10 Front to Reverse Lunges x 8 each Skaters x 10 each Inchworm with Toe Touch x 5 each Single Leg Deadlift with Y x 10 each Prisoner Get-Ups x 5 each Do you struggle to come up with workouts while traveling? Click here for your FREE Road Kit guide to working out while on the road.
Today I'd like to talk about breakfast and maybe even touch on the subject of snacks. I jokingly tell my clients that "Muffins are just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast" but there is some truth there. The first meal of your day could be sabotaging your good intentions. Before I get up on my soap box and offend all of the oatmeal/granola loving folks out there, if you enjoy your breakfast AND it's working for you, then feel free to continue with your morning sugar infusion. Food is a matter of taste and you should never force yourself to eat something that you don't like. That being said if it is broken, it's time to fix it. Most of us know that "Eating the Rainbow" does not mean scarf down a bowl of sugary food colored cereal however many folks are still treating their first meal of the day like a high sugar buffet. Bacon and sausage aside, many breakfast favorites are carbohydrate rich: granola, oatmeal, fruit flavored yogurt, juice, toast, English muffins, and cereal. I'm not saying carbohydrates are bad and I'm not saying don't eat them, however a typical breakfast usually combines several servings of carbs, very little protein and very little fat. I'm going to provide you some ways to upgrade your breakfast as well as posit a completely different way to look at your first meal. Waking up can be a jarring experience and if you need the warm hug of carbohydrates to usher you in to the day then here are few tips to keep it sweet AND achieve your goals. #1 Add Protein Whatever it is that you enjoy for breakfast, add eggs. Notice the "s" at the end of egg, that means plural please. We're trying to get that meal up to at least 15g of protein and one egg isn't going to cut it. If you're worried about cholesterol, the US government has acknowledged that dietary cholesterol does not lead to higher levels of blood cholesterol. Live a little, have some yolks folks! Sometimes I crack a few eggs into my stove top oats for the last minute of cooking. I simply stir as the eggs cook in and it makes for a hearty breakfast. Greek yogurt is rich in protein, but go for the plain and add your own fruit and a little sweetener if you need it. Some cinnamon will also bring out a sweeter flavor. You can also add protein powder to your breakfast; it goes well in oats or make some high protein pancakes and of course you can always start your day with a smoothie. #2 Budget Your Carbs As I said before, carbohydrates are not the devil. They're a great source of energy, especially if you have a very active day ahead of you. If you're going to sit in your car then sit at a desk for 6-8 hours, chances are you don't need multiple servings of carbs to fuel a fairly sedentary day. Choose high fiber carbohydrates such as berries, apples, whole grain breads and oats. Rather than having granola, sweetened yogurt, berries and a glass of orange juice, ditch the juice, swap the flavored yogurt out for plain and buy or make a lightly sweetened granola.
In fact, I may eat something like that any time of the day. People often ask what I eat for snacks, once again under the impression that snacks need to be sweet or small. I don't generally snack, I sit down and eat a moderately sized meal 4-5 times a day and it works for me. I enjoy a full-ish stomach and 6 almonds isn't going to cut it. If I eat something like this at 3pm, I won't inhale everything in my kitchen when I get home at night. Do you struggle with evening snacking? Maybe it's time for a mid-afternoon meal, or "Second Lunch" as I like to call it.
People have success with many styles of eating. If you're trying to lower your body fat you can keep your traditional breakfast with a few upgrades or you can take a walk on the savory side and try out last night's left overs. Breakfast tacos anyone? Several years ago I had a serious conversation with my mother. I told her that although I appreciated the sentiment, I no longer wanted to receive cookies from her for Christmas. I know, I'm a cookie hating asshole. Actually I just don't like to have super tempting foods at my house and I don' t need a reason to have a chocolate chip brownie for breakfast. I try to make it as easy as possible to make good food decisions at home, it's a "safe" zone from temptation, minus the wine of course. This did not initially go over well with Mary Weiss, obviously if I didn't want her cookies it meant I didn't love her, maybe even hated her. And if she couldn't express her love for me through delicious baked goods, how would I know that she loved me? Being the resourceful woman that she is, my mom has found other ways to show she cares. Now my stocking (yes I'm 39 and I still get a Christmas stocking) is full of dark chocolate, spice rubs and Justin's Almond Butter. My mom is still the Cookie Lady for other family members, friends and co-workers but she doesn't have to be the Cookie Lady for me. There are two lessons here: it's okay to have a tough conversation with your loved ones about food and your goals AND you don't have to share your love through butter and sugar. Here are a few ways to change your holiday giving identity from Cookie Lady or Cookie Guy to Healthy Gift Giving Genius
Bring Protein to the Holiday Potluck Inevitably there will be many social obligations between now and New Year's. You may even be required to bring food to said festivities. Vegetables and protein will be hard to find at these gatherings and you may find yourself wondering how you're going to keep up with your healthy habits with so many temptations. Be part of the solution instead of part of the problem; bring a satiating protein dish. This week I'm going to the holiday party at the pub where I work part time. We have a sign-up sheet for the potluck and it's full of cheesy dips and sweets. I'm sure I'll hit up the buffalo chicken dip and have a cookie or two but I'm going to make damn sure there are some protein and veggies available. I've braised chicken thighs and made a batch of homemade coleslaw for tacos. I'll enjoy some tacos and fill myself up a little in order to keep from over-indulging on the rest of the buffet. PS - the buffalo chicken dip didn't disappoint. Share Your Recipes This idea actually comes from my Cookie Lady Mom. She put together a binder of family favorites for my brothers and I. It's a project you could slowly add to throughout the year. My mom put hers in a binder but you could even have a book made or go paperless and send it as a PDF. You're In Charge It may seem like you're going to let everyone down if you don't bake 6 million cookies for Christmas but the truth is, you can become the Healthy Gift Giving Genius, you don't HAVE to be the Cookie Lady. There are other ways to share your love of food with friends and family. Hopefully this post will inspire you to step out of your traditional role and try a new one where you're the healthy role model that everyone strives to be. Who knows, maybe you'll inspire others in your gift giving circles to do the same. Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. - Salvador Dali It could be argued that we often fail at our New Year's Resolutions because we're striving for perfection in our actions/habits/goals and when we don't achieve it we give up, believing that we've failed. Some people won't even try because they know they can't do as well as they'd like to, so they quit before they even get started. What if you started with a resolution and had really really low expectations of yourself? Try Something You Suck At It may seem as if there are only 2 ways to go here: all or nothing. I propose a different kind of resolution, one where the journey is the goal and the destination doesn't matter. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be uncomfortable, maybe even scary at times but I promise you'll learn something about yourself and your efforts may cause a ripple effect to other areas of your life. This year I challenge you to do something you suck at. Recently I've been learning to play the ukulele. I have no experience playing a musical instrument and have yet to find any deeply buried natural talent (I can still hope). I hired an instructor because I was overwhelmed by trying on my own. Every Wednesday I carry that baby blue ukulele up the narrow stairs to my instructor Colin's studio. I sit on his little piano bench and I sweat profusely as I try to play the Beatle's tunes that he's taught me. I'm not kidding about the sweat either, when I get up to leave, I'm paranoid there will be an Iron Bunny shaped ass print on his bench. I really do suck at playing the ukulele, BUT I suck a lot less than I did when I started! Unlike a traditional New Year's Resolution where I'd be striving for 6-pack abs or to be fluent in Italian, I have no end goal in mind for my ukulele playing. I may eventually achieve mediocrity and that's fine with me. It was more about getting started, challenging myself and being uncomfortable then it is about succeeding. I've learned a few things in the process. I can relate to my clients better when they stand in front of me, shakily attempting their first squat during our fitness assessment. I know what it's like to feel the pressure of expert eyes on you as your perform your novice reps. I know about the sweating. I've always been self conscious about sharing my exercise videos, worried I don't look the part of a trainer or that my form will be critiqued in a very public way. Since braving through those ukulele lessons I've become more willing to take a chance and post more videos. I can even sing along with one of the songs! I have a new found respect for musicians that sing, dance and play at the same time. No one ever needs to hear me sing, but it makes me happy to chirp along while I strum. Here's a clip of me playing "Hide Your Love Away". Even the actual video is lacking in perfection. My hat got tucked behind my ear, the sound is bad, the top of my head is cut off. (Oz makes a cameo, but he is perfect and can do no wrong). As January 1st approaches, take another look at your resolutions or lack thereof. It may seem unambitious, expecting to aspire to be bad at something, or you might not want to exit your comfy sweatpants and try something new, but one venture into something you suck at could be just what you need to kick ass at 2018.
Fear holds us back from reaching our potential so often in life (which I will touch on in another blog). For the "Do Something You Suck At Resolution" you'll be facing fears of being embarrassed, not doing something perfectly and failing. You'll do it, you'll suck at it and you'll realize "Hey, that wasn't so bad". |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2020
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