BRAND new 6 week challenge

As I have been discussing in class, we are going to begin another 6 week challenge. Last year I learned a lot about how to make this work. I am sure this year I will learn even more !! This is a rare chance to get very personalized programing and emotional support to make huge positive changes in your life. MOST importantly I want to say that this is NOT a diet.

Hopefully many of your goals will be to have better self image or healthier lifestyles or cut out habits that you don't want in your life, anything you want.... Your individual goals should be very personal. Last year we sat in a discussion group and ended up changing our goals as we really thought about what changes and WHY we would like to make in our lives. The goal is the first step to moving towards a better life. Your goal should be something that will make a difference in your life. The more specific and clear cut you can be, the better.

I am going to blogging and giving step by step instructions for this challenge. I will be going over food diaries, learning the best way to support you and give you the tools to make a successful challenge. Even if you do not live in NYC and do not come to my classes, you are welcome to be a part of this.

The assignment for this week is to FIND what your true goal is. I am going to give you a few examples of how to find YOURS:

If you say " I want to lose 5 lbs"

From here to you have to ask yourself, why is this important to me?

Many times women (especially) obsess over the smallest weight issues when the real issue is feeling stressed or unhappy in your relationships or self esteem issues. How will losing weight positively effect you? What are you hoping to gain by this? I can tell you as a professional who has been doing this for over 20 years, you won't like yourself any better 5lbs thinner unless like yourself now. The best goals are ones that are specific. If you are trying to do a marathon or have a better PR in a race, losing 5lbs may really achieve your goal.

The best way to find your goal is to sit in a quiet place and ask yourself questions to learn what is really going on with you, your self esteem and your life. Some examples are:

1) "what do I really want in my life"

2) Do I have behaviors that are self destructive? Why do I do these things?

3) Is there an athlete inside of me I want to free?

4) what would I change about myself if I knew I only had a year left of life?

5)If I was my child, what would I want for myself?

6) Am I happy? Am I happy with my body? Am I happy with my choices and my life?

There are a million questions you can ask yourself. I have found that most of my clients start out with a "goal" and when I ask them question after question, we learn that there is a deeper desire. Something very personal that you only learn about as it comes out of your own mouth. THIS is the goal we are looking for.

You do not need to share this (or any information) with even ME. It is for YOU to know and learn. This is your homework. Find your goal. When all of your questions and digging lead you to that last place and you stay there, THAT is what we are looking for.

Once you find that magic goal, decide if you are ready and WANT to make this change in your life? Once you commit, we are ON !!!!!!

Challenge advice for everyone - SUPPLEMENTS

I have been hearing great things from a lot of you. I have also been reading a lot of food journals and have some general advice that I will be logging about later. I wanted to mention (as promised) the supplements I personally take and which have been very well researched:

Fish Oil (the list of benefits from heart health to mood and memory are too long to go into but everyone should take this)

Tonalin (CLA) This is a derived from safflower seeds and has been shown to help the body use fat as a fuel source. Not only is that good news if you are trying to lose weight but if you (like me) are hypoglycemic, it may help you have more stable blood sugar. It is a natural and safe.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin. This supplement is used by doctors and even vets for joint health. As we age, we lose the ability to produce joint lubricating fluids so our bones have more friction when we move. This can cause pain and damage. Some studies have been strong in support and some have shown little effect. I find it either works for you or it does not. I feel a huge difference with this and Kurt feels none. If you have joint fragility issues, try it. I take it with MSM which helps your body absorb it.

I shop in the Vitamin Shoppe. Their store brands are reasonable and proven and they have great sales. No matter what brand you use, read labels and make sure they are potent enough and that they are not expired. I take 3 of each of the above daily and it works for me. You can contact me with questions and as always, research and listen to your body and your doctor.

Friday class

I am sore. I am sore perfectly. From what I have heard from you guys, you are too. Tomorrow's class is going to be with mid weights (I will be using 5lbs). We will be doing some larger cycles with movement but for shorter durations and we will be stringing those cycles together.

As far as the challenge goes, I have looked at many goals and food diary write ups. The biggest thing I have noticed (especially with one from yesterday) is that all of you need to work on having a positive attitude towards yourselves. You would never speak so harshly about another person like you do about your own bodies. You are harsh and down right mean about yourselves. (not all of you but you know exactly what I am talking about as we all do it)
"I am gross and fat" is not something you should be saying or thinking about yourselves. If you are doing MY CLASS, you are strong and able and focused. I would like all of you to celebrate a bit more what your bodies (and your wills) can do. You need to trust me and this method to work for you. You must be excited and have great attitudes about yourselves for this to work. I firmly believe that when a person says "WOW, I am so strong and I am looking better and better", it is not only far easier to stick to your plans but that your body actually changes to what you believe it to be. The shift of the internal is the hardest one to make. It is the most profound and powerful one to make. What is the difference between a person who feels sexy and believes that they are beautiful and someone who does not ? The ones who BELIEVE that they are.....are. If you hold yourself well and have confidence in who you are and what you are, you are attractive and sexy. Ask yourself this, how many times have you been super attracted to someone you know isn't THAT good looking but you find them GORGEOUS ??? They are confident and comfortable in their own skin. That needs to happen not AFTER you do this 6 week challenge and change your bodies. That has to happen NOW as you are. THEN you will be able to change your bodies.

6 week challenge

On Friday, anyone doing the 6 week challenge should bring a notebook and a pen. Also, before Friday, do the following:

1) Decide on your goal/s. This goal can be anything:

• being able to run 2 blocks
• feeling strong enough to do class really well
• having a strong and positive connection to your body and mind/soul.
• losing 8lbs (boring but valid)
• getting arms worthy of short sleeves
• feeling young and full of energy again,
• etc.

I will be very open and give you my goal:

Since my Melanoma diagnosis and consequence procedures I am feeling all of my 41 years and not very connected and strong in my body. I feel very emotional and like I need to work on what I am feeling instead of ignoring it and eating too much comfort food.

2) Decide on a rough idea of your eating plan:

• Weight Watchers
• "Story's challenge"
• No snacking after dinner
• More protein and veggies and less [insert unhealthy food]

This can be any eating plan that will be realistic and help you reach your goal. I will be working individually with all of you to find the right one. The more specific, the better. I will give you a peek into mine (note I eat a very large amount of healthy food):

• No refined sugar
• Whole wheat bread limited to lunches only a couple of times a week
• After dinner and dessert, no snacking (contributes to sinus issues and snoring which leaves me tired)
• No artificially sweetened anything

3) Take your resting heart rate for 60 seconds while in bed upon waking (write it down)

4) Take the following measurements:

• waist at bellybutton
• arm 2 inches below arm pit
  
• leg 2 inches below rise (crotch)
  

5) If you were not in class, you will need to do the following fitness tests:

• count how many pushups with no pauses and going from floor to full extension with body straight (either from knees or from toes with feet uncrossed and on the floor)
• count how many walking lunges you can do. Keep weight on the front leg and bend the front leg until the back knee touches the floor. You cannot stop or slow at all or the count is over.

6) Weight (this may go up and be a GOOD thing as you will have built muscle)

I HIGHLY suggest you get a heart rate monitor for this challenge and beyond. This tool is invaluable beyond what I have time to explain on this blog. The exercise commitment on the off days of Liquid Strength will be using (depending on) one.

On Friday I will be at least an hour early to class to meet with anyone who wants some time. Please take advantage of this and I will be offering the following services:

• body fat caliper testing
  
• personalized dietary plans
  
• personalized exercise plans
  
• photos (before)
  
• measurements
  
• explanation and organization of your log books
  
• coaching on how to make this a successful 6 weeks
  
• giving you my cell phone #. This is a very huge thing as I am very private about this and I want you all to USE it and call me. I am your "personal trainer" for the next 6 weeks if you sign up for this challenge.
  

Brrrrr

    Don't let the chill (and wind) in the air fool you. Spring is just around the corner.  RIGHT NOW is the time to be healthy and steady in your work.  Small and easy changes and commitment to those changes are what will make you happy when we begin wearing less clothes.  It is so much easier to stay in shape and get it shape slowly than to panic and have to "diet".

    As I try to blog daily, or nearly daily, it is hard not to feel like I am saying the same thing over and over again. The reality is that I know from working with so many people over the years that you most likely have the same internal dialogue several times a day. I know that most people have insecurities about their bodies.  Internal dialogues of a negative nature are (as I have said in past blogs) as addictive as any drug.  They invade our thoughts and snake their way into our days.  I have had many clients who have spent years obsessing about imagined "problems" with their bodies.  

    What I have found is that these "comfortable" (I have in the past called them our "go to") obsessions are used to avoid larger issues or problems.  If we can just "lose _ lbs, we will be happy.  The reality is that our happiness does not depend on our body size or weight.  Usually I find that the opposite is true. If we can find the joy in our lives (or fix the problems that really make us unhappy), we can learn to be pretty happy in our physical selves.  The most ironic thing is that the fastest way to change your body is to change your "happiness" level.  

     I am here blogging because I care very much how you talk to yourself.  I care very much how much you are impressed and proud of yourselves.  Insecurity and vanity go hand in hand.  If you truly like who you are, you do not have a "big ego". You are fast with praise and free with compliments.  You can be generous with your kindness because you are happy.  

    Half of the work we do with Liquid Strength is mental/emotional/spiritual.  We are on a journey of bettering ourselves. Whatever that mean to you.  Most importantly, we need to better how we think of ourselves and we treat ourselves and other people.  

    I will be here to cheer you all on.  I will try to inspire you to make the changes in your inner dialogues, to choose well  what you have for dinner tonight, all of it.  I believe it is all interconnected.  

     

Heading into the weekend

     I blogged this week about "Fat Free" and realized that the same logic will basically apply to "sugar free" and "natural" etc. etc. Basically, your choices should be reflective of your personal goals, health issues and "weaknesses".  The more you weigh carefully the positive and negative aspects of your choices, the better choices you will make.  The thing that always jumps out at me is that we are such creatures of habit. We love what we know and are used to. With a little bit of effort though, we can change what we are used to.  Our tastes adapt. We have the power to make that happen.  Even with our children.  I use far less (nearly no) butter than my mother did. When I make brown rice for my kids, they actually LIKE olive oil better than butter because it is what they are used to.  I stopped eating mayo a few years ago and the taste actually repels me now.

    Our generation is living longer than any other.  We are also the most obese.  Our portion sizes have ballooned to ridiculous and we have manufactured food  that doesn't exist in nature.  We have the choice as to what will be our "norm".  

   Next time you grocery shop, try to stay in the produce, meat and fish and fresh food areas. Frozen veggies are great but try to make that the only frozen thing you buy.  It is in the  grocery store that we shape the health of our diets and for what our children's "taste" and "norms" will be.  That is a powerful thing. Let's use that power in a positive way.

    It is freezing in NYC.  As I spoke of a few blogs ago, this is the time of year we are less motivated to get out there are train.  If you can just make yourself do a little bit, the payoffs in your energy level and mood will make it easier to do a little more tomorrow.  Remember that it is lifestyle we are after.  Making small and CONSISTENT decisions to better ourselves is the secret. Hang in there and reach out for support and support the people in your life.

Fat Free

    Fat Free. What a great advertising tid bit.  Unfortunately in many cases that is all it is.  Ten years ago (or more) it was all about no fat/ low fat.  We bought into the Snack Welt buzz.  Since then we have learned a thing or two. Most importantly we have learned that fat is not a bad thing if it is a GOOD fat.  We have all heard of something called a Trans fat (if fat, like witches can be "good" or "bad", this is the Wicked Witch of the West). Trans fat is a fat that has been artificially pumped up with Hydrogen to change it from a liquid to a solid.  That added hydrogen turns the fat into a dangerously artery clogging fat.

     Prepared foods (think cookies, chips and candy) that are completely void of any nutrients, may also happen to be fat free.  Usually to make them taste good they are extremely high in sugar and salt.  Many people are "salty" people. They love, crave and dream of french fries and chips.  I am very happy not to be one of them (as you all know, I am a sweet tooth).  The intense draw that unhealthy foods such as these have for some people is legendary.  

      There is much to say about foods like chips and fries and pizza.  Chances are you have heard it already.  We all know that there are myriad foods that are better choices.  Logic very rarely(as in never) is the driving force behind eating "junk food" though is it?  

     To spare you a very lengthy read (and myself  a very LONG session of blogging) I am going to cut to the chase and just say it:

Fat Free chips or cookies etc. are not good for you. They are a way to make you feel less guilty about eating food you know is not good for you. They are loaded with sugar and salt and other unsavory (ironically) stuff.  You will likely eat more than you would if you were eating full fat stuff.  You would  be better served changing to a healthier choice. IF you are someone who will eat it anyway, read the labels to find the less offensive choice and most importantly be aware of serving size.  Some fat free choices will be better for you if you are avoiding artery clogging fats and you are someone who SHOULD avoid these fats (you have high blood pressure, cholesterol or are genetically predisposed to these things). Eat a rational serving size. Do not eat more thinking that they are "healthier".

    Many foods are naturally fat free. Fruit and vegetables for example (there are a few that have fat but they tend to be healthy fats).  Most meats and fish have some form of fat in them. The Fat in fish is very healthy (Omega-3). The fat in red meat is saturated fat and not so good.  The same fat is in dairy products that are not "skim".  Many cuts of meat (such as fillet Mignon) are very low in fat. These are better choices than the higher fat cuts.  Milk the one "fat free" food that makes sense.  You get all the great benefits without the saturated fat.  Choose fat free (low fat if you must) dairy.  Be sure that you are (especially in yogurt and frozen products) not getting more salt and sugar to make up for taste.  If you eat yogurt plain for a few days it really does taste sweet. It simply takes getting used to. There are naturally occurring sugars (lactate) in dairy. 

    I am going to be blogging about how to read labels shortly (in case you are confused). Know what you are eating. Read the labels and choose wisely.  You are fueling the most important and miraculous "machine" there is.

"health" food

     This subject has been swirling around in my head for a week now.  There is so much to talk about that I think it best to break it up into parts. Basically the issue is what exactly does "healthy" mean.  There are a million advertising tag lines such as "wholesome", "light", "non fat", "trans fat free" etc etc. How do we understand the truth behind labels that are often designed to confuse us and certainly to make us buy. The business of "Health" is a multi billion dollar one. I want to teach you how to read labels. I want to educate as much as possible so that you can make the right choices for yourselves.

     I invite you to ask questions. If I do not know the answer, I will find it. It is amazing to me even when you research a topic, how many conflicting facts there can be.  On Saturday I was listening to Doctor radio. They were discussing methods for quitting smoking.  There is a lot of debate over the safety and addictive qualities of some nicotine replacement. It seems especially the gum can be rather addictive.  The discussion called to mind two things for me.  (This is where I wander onto a tangent that seems unrelated but you will understand afterward)

     My Mother and I both have horrible hangnails and chapped lips. The kind of chapped that you get plate like hard spots that peel and bleed.  I carry around lip balm in every coat, pair of jeans and bag I have. You may even notice I keep it in the front of the room when I teach.  My Mom has heard that Chap Stick is "addictive".  She does not want to get "addicted" to it so she won't use it.  She has painfully chapped lips that split and bleed.  I do not.  Now the question is, am I "addicted" or do I simply need to use it to avoid having chapped lips.  There is no correct or clear answer.  Do users of nicotine gum get hooked on it? There likely is no right answer to that question either.  What it really comes down to is making the decision of which is better.  Smoking is so damaging to the human body.  SO damaging.  I believe it is better to be addicted to nicotine gum and to not be smoking than to smoke. I believe it is better to be "addicted" to lip balm than to walk around with painfully chapped lips.

      Now here is where I tie in the "health food".  Many  food choices out there have similar good/bad aspects.  Sugar free being top on  the list.  There are questions as to the safety of sugar substitutes. What it comes down to is making the correct choice for your given concerns and issues. I (and my twins) have horrible teeth. We get cavities like other people get up in the morning. (In one visit my daughter had 9 and my son 8).  We use rinse, floss and brush.  For us, sugar free is important.  If you are someone that has a dreadful sugar habit and anything sweet calls to you like a siren, sugar free may be important to you too.

     A few years ago there was a big buzz about fat substitute that was available in chips and other normally high fat foods. People were very excited about it.  This was big news for "salty" food lovers. It turned out that there were some nasty and embarrassing side effects to this fat substitute and it quietly crawled out of the headlines. 

    We all know that drinking water is important and healthy. Bottled water is a huge business these days.  There are several "unhealthy" questions about bottled water. It seems that the plastic bottles may leach out chemicals into the water. On the bottom of the bottle is a number in a triangle. This number is how many times the bottle has been recycled.  There is no fluoride in bottled water.  The bottles are very damaging to the environment.  

     You get the idea.  Almost every "healthy" option has aspects that we need to consider.  I am going to take them on one by one and help you weigh the benefits and risks.  It is all about knowing what your personal health concerns are.  Your medical history. Your goals and personality.  The more we know, the more we can make the right choices.

Mind/body

Friday's class was much more "imagination" and mind/body based than many others have been. It is really exciting to be at a level where the technical (form) aspects are so solid that we can bring the work to a new level. I believe that the changes Liquid Strength is able to make in our bodies is largely due to the changes in attitudes and awareness of our bodies and our place in them. Every time I teach I am amazed at how foreign some one's body can seem to them. We are so busy in our heads that we forget to be "here and now" and to exist in the present. The words mind/body are so overused that I hesitate to even use them at all. Somehow we have lost our "spirit" in the true sense of the word. I believe it is THAT part of us that belongs between the words 'mind' and "body" but that people are afraid to even say the word. Spirit/soul is so profoundly personal/political/controversial we would rather ignore it all together.
When you strengthen your soul/spirit, you are stronger. Whatever you believe (religion, philosophy etc), I support you in. Faith in anything is magical and powerful and beautiful. Whatever helps you to grow and helps you to be a better human being is perfect. No matter what label someone may call it.

stress

    Tonight my daughter Abby (8) asked me if "I ever get mad or grumpy about something you have to do?".  She had to do her homework and she did not feel like doing it. I told her that I feel that way almost every day about any number of tasks/chores I have to do. I told her to go grab a pillow and scream as loud as she could "I DO NOT WANT TO DO MY HOMEWORK".  We were laughing by the time she was done and then she went and finished it all up.

     We all feel angry and grumpy over any number of things in our day.  In NYC we are interacting with so many people who have the potential to be jerks and ruin our mood and our day.  I try to be the "positive" force to counteract those jerks out there.  If I ever think something positive (like the person making my coffee has great eyes or has a new necklace etc.) I ALWAYS say it aloud.  That positive feeling is contagious and who knows how many people that person will then turn around and be a little nicer too.  In so many ways we create our own "mood". We attract what we put out there.  I invite you to try to make someone feel good about themselves (always the truth mind you) and see how YOU feel afterwards.

    That is my "on the front end" strategy.  Once that fails and you are feeling angry/stressed/frustrated you have to express it.  There are many healthy ways you can do that:

1) Scream into a pillow.

2) Write a letter saying exactly what you think and actually let yourself consider delivering it. (then make the right choice)

3) Throw a temper tantrum on your bed and thrash around like a 3 year old.

4) SPRINT till you are so winded you have to stop.

5) Honestly and calmly address the issue at hand and make sure you are heard.

6) Tear up every page of a magazine and enjoy it.

7) Find the time to actually sit face to face with your friends and talk. Really talk.

     When I do Liquid Strength, I use all those feelings to find my "grit" and power.  For some people it's Yoga, for some people it is therapy or running etc. etc.  Find a healthy way that works for you and USE it. It takes a lot of work to keep that part of your mind/soul "clean" and free of junk.  If you don't, you start making bad choices for yourself and slip into self destructive behavior.  Before you can be a good friend or parent or partner, you have to be whole and strong within yourself.  We do the work on our bodies but we also have to do the work on our minds. 

challenge specifics

OK guys, these are the rules:

No vinegar, salt, condiments, sweeteners or premade food.

You can have:

olive oil, lemons, spices like garlic and pepper, nuts and seeds (no dried fruit).

Anything in it's natural state. (canned things like chick peas but no veggies) 

We are trying to eat bland.  You will find you will taste the flavor of what you are eating.

I love that Rachel set out some rules for herself. That helps her and helps us too.

winter blues

     I don't know about you but I find January a hard time to feel motivated.  Winter is just starting, it's freezing ,and there is nothing much to look forward to in the near future.  THIS year especially. 

    Yesterday I decided that I have to find the motivation in my own life.  I need to just see the road as a steady one.  This is the stretch that small changes and choices have time to work. There is no race I am training for.  No big event is looming.  I am training to train.  That is a different kind of challenge.  Right now is the perfect time to do those things that "take a while" to take effect. Eat the veggies and skip the bread more, try some new fruits and recipes. Take small steps to being healthier and hang out and let time work it's miracle. Be steady in your workouts.  Work hard on where your mind and emotions are.  There is no pressure or time limit, just time.  

tid bits of information

As promised, I am going to summarize some information I have read lately that I found interesting and that I think will be to you too:

1) Using a vinyl shower curtain may expose you to toxins. (phthalates can effect hormone levels).

2) regular consumption of green tea, brussels sprouts, beans and onions may lower a smoker's risk of lung cancer.(UCLA

3)Skipping meals may lead to health problems (Swedish study found that people who regularly consumed 3 meals a day were 37% less likely, on average, to develop metabolic syndrome)

4)Mix olive oil with tomato peels and you get the most lycopene out of the fruit.

5)A 5 year Danish study found men who averaged one alcoholic drink a day were 18% less likely to see waistline increases than those who did not indulge. ("Moderate drinking may stimulate a metabolic process that breaks down alcohol and produces heat,which could increase your calorie burn")

6) Thinking about the benefits of exercise isn't as motivational as thinking about specific actions that would make exercise more doable. "Imagining being active triggers positive and realistic steps"

"I'll listen to music or a book while I work out"

"I'll make exercise interesting by choosing a treadmill with a good view"

"I'll take Story's class"

7) 79% of people do not life weights at least twice a week.

8) A Cornell study found people who use "external cues" to know when to stop eating, are much more likely to be overweight. (external cues: plate is clean, t.v show is over, everyone else is done). It takes 20 minutes for your body to register that you have eaten.  If you sit down to a set table, take breaths between bits and chew and savor your food, you will give your body the chance to register your food intake.

New Year and fresh starts

     I have been remiss in my blogging. I have so much to say and to relay to you that I hardly know where to start.  I have been (of course) reading away and have some great information and fun informative facts that I am going to post this week. Some exciting new research etc. That post will be a punch list of factoids.

    For this post, I would like to give you all an assignment. It is very easy to blow all this sort of stuff off but I want you to trust me enough NOT TO. I want you to take a blank piece of paper and fold it in half. One the right side I want you to write all of the things you did this year that improved your life, you are proud of, or that you learned from. On the left side I want you to write a very realistic and specific list of what you would like to do, learn, or achieve for this year.

    Under those lists draw a line across the whole page and write down the things you have "let go" of for this year. Things you cannot control, relationships you alone cannot improve, negativity towards something etc.

    After you do your list, put it away. In a week take it out and read it again and let yourself imagine the right side of your page (each one individually) happening. Whenever you need it this year, pull that list out.  It sounds so "new age" and silly but there is so much power in your awareness and your focus. I firmly believe that we attract to us what we "put out there". I would love to read some of your lists but I know how intensely personally they are. 

     I will make you a promise though. If you do this, you will move most of your right side column to your left.  

     We are all on the cusp of change in our lives.  This year especially, with all the stress and uncertainty around us, it is a blessing to know that our relationships with our"selves" will be stronger.  Classes will be challenging. We will explore the boundaries  of our "comfort zones". We will grow and change physically and mentally and even spiritually.  Together we will do amazing things and we will do them together.