LIVE LEAN!

As a self-described moderate minimalist, living lean is one of my favorite topics.  It is where I have found true serenity in all aspects of my life.

Thinking lean was the first step to bringing balance to my previous hectic and chaotic life.  By taking a realistic and harsh look at the entirety of my life I was able to make the necessary deletions to enjoy a full, healthy and lean life.

• Save the drama for your mama! One of the first areas I had to attack was my social group.  Difficult as this may sound, I had to eliminate the drama queens.  Surrounding yourself with positive and accountable people will do wonders in removing the negative elements from your life while also challenging and helping you to continue evolving into the best you that you can be.  Remember the Volkswagon slogan, “Misery has enough company. Dare to be happy!”
• Hide and seek! One of the biggest culprits of weight gain is the hidden sugars and salts in your food used as flavoring and preservatives.  Your best bet to avoid this completely is to eat fresh foods while seasoning or sweetening them with healthy alternatives.  Dried ginger, cinnamon, curry and garlic are just some items that can add flavor while providing countless health benefits.  
• Back to basics!  When it comes to exercise I am constantly finding folks in one of two stages of fitness.  They have just started a new fangled program or they had recently quit due to an injury or grew disappointed by the results of their former fitness routine.  Start a fitness program using the bare minimums.  Walking, running, swimming, cycling, Pilates and Yoga are great ways to get exercise while not spending money or exposing your body to injury.
• Declutter your mind!  Eating healthy and exercising will be extremely beneficial to your overall physical and mental wellness while decluttering your mind will do wonders for your soul.  Tackle that unwanted habit or memory for once and for all.  Or research and possibly pursue that lifelong dream.  By clearing out your mind you will empower yourself to live in the present honoring your body, spirit and mind.

Tricks of the Trade

One of my favorite benefits of having attended all those weight management meetings was all of the tips I would get from my fellow weight watchers.  While the team leader had lots of sensible and technical advice on weight loss, it was these everyday weight-loss warriors that really knew how to navigate temptation.

As the holiday season quickly approaches here are some calorie and sanity saving tips!

• Halloween:  When you go off to purchase the candy for Halloween buy candy you don’t like.  This will keep you from dipping into it and running out before your first costumed guests approach your door.
• Thanksgiving:  This holiday is perhaps the one best known as the “food Olympics.”  I know of families that will eat their entire meal, fall into a food coma, then snap out of it and return for more.  Before you enjoy your first bite, develop a strategy that will keep you from zombie-eating through this holiday.  After dinner encourage your family to take a walk around the neighborhood.  If the weather is not cooperating, try to playing a game of charades or plug in the Wii.  Take the focus off of the food and put it into having some fun.
• December  holiday extravaganza:   The season of gluttony comes to an end in December, leaving us filled with dread for the coming year.  Break the cycle by carefully planning out a strategy on how you will navigate your food intake and social commitments.  My friend Daniel shared how he actually “lost” weight one year because he scheduled himself for races every weekend starting at the end of November and ending at the end of January.  The races were simple 5ks that he would finish in about 30 minutes but having to train for them during the week kept him physically and mentally fit.  He also enjoyed the fact that in the season of consumer consumption, he was actually running to benefit several charities finishing off his health trifecta of mind, body and soul!

Use your body to overcome and achieve!

     “How are you doing?”  This is the question that may get you a short response from an acquaintance but if asked of a good friend you may hear a list of issues that most of us are battling daily.   We live in complicated times making the simplest tasks overwhelming and sometimes forcing us to neglect our most important asset – our health and wellness.

     I have a friend that has never let anything get in the way of his health and fitness.  Born into extreme poverty with a physical challenge and hostile home environment he drew courage and strength from his hero Bruce Lee.  As he grew older and the conditions failed to improve, he threw himself deeper into his commitment to his body.   By 17 he had obtained custody of his two younger brothers and was on the road to winning several competitions and medals in Kung Fu.  In his mid-twenties he joins the U.S. Marine Corp, later earning a place in the elite team as a Recon Marine.

     Today Rudy Reyes is an author, actor, triathelete, fitness expert and outspoken advocate for veterans.  Of all of the many things he does and has yet to even tackle and achieve,  my favorite is that he is pure motivation and inspiration.   His very life is a testament to how important it is to dig inside of yourself at your darkest times and use your body to overcome, survive and thrive.

“Start where you are.” Is just one of the many bits of wisdom he shares with his readers.  This quote has become my personal mantra when I begin to feel overwhelmed and doubt my abilities and goals.  It is also a wonderful reminder that no matter where you are on your journey to a healthy lifestyle, nor what external obstacles may be weighing you down - you already have everything you need to get started. 

     And believe him when he says that “You are pure unedited, uninhibited potential."

Check out Rudy Reyes at:

http://www.rudyreyes.com/ 

For daily Rudy Reyes quotes “like” him on Facebook at:

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rudy-Reyes/101333196601922?ref=ts

Train the BRAIN for a better YOU!

Whether you are just getting started, are looking for a jump start or are a seasoned vet of living healthy and fit, you can always benefit from a hearty dose of positivity!

Roger Bannister, the first runner to break the 4 minute mile said it best: “It is the brain, not the heart or lungs that is the critical organ. It’s the brain.” 

Professional athletes know the importance of keeping a positive attitude to improve their training and competition.  Their training routine will workout a variety of areas in the body but none more important than the brain. 

By harnessing the mind, you will have your best partner with you at all times.  Making a commitment to a fitness routine will be enhanced and failure-proofed if you use some of these techniques used by these great athletes:

• “I am here to win” is the mantra and book title of Chris McCormack.  This Iron Man world champion used these 5 little words to move him to success.  When you make a declarative statement and then back it up with the necessary work - you will achieve far more than you had originally imagined.
• "If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome."  Michael Jordan has had a ringside seat to some great success and disappointing failures but he has often reported that he never goes into any situation believing he will fail.  He always tells himself he will absolutely win.
• “I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath 
your feet.”  Training your mind to see failure or fatigue as a motivator rather than the enemy is how
Nadia Comaneci gained her Olympic success. 

Your mind will be your most important resource to motivate your health and fitness routine.  Train it to work for you by feeding yourself empowering and positive information about yourself and your goals.  While you feed your body healthy foods make sure you feed your mind healthy thoughts!

Moderation is the key to a happy and healthy life

If you are like me you may sometimes become overwhelmed by the constant stream of health information that we are exposed to daily.  One day you are advised to load up on Vitamin B and the next day the magic bullet of good health is green tea.  After growing tired of trying to keep up with all these health trends I finally decided to practice what I have always been told is the secret to a good life - moderation. 

There are many reasons why people cannot commit to a healthy lifestyle but I am convinced that the main one is when they are pulled in several different directions.  What is the point of sticking to any type of health and weight management plan or fitness program if in a week they will find that whatever it is you are doing is all wrong? 

Moderation is not only about what you eat and drink.  This system can be useful when determining what type of information you are going to expose yourself to as well as experiment with. 

Thanks to all the cutting edge research we are better able to learn what supplements, vitamins, foods and exercises are best for us but as the caregiver of your body, it is up to you to sort through the noise and find what works best for you. 

When these reports come flooding in I do a quick assessment.  If what I am doing is working for me then I do not change what I am doing.  The only time I sit up and take note is when I find something that improve my already successful system.  For instance, when I read about quinoa having more protein than pasta and rice I made that change.  It was a subtle change because it is a grain that can be easily substituted.  When I heard that strawberries have more Vitamin C than orange juice, I cut back on the sugary OJ and now eat more strawberries. 

The same is true for your exercise routine.  If what you are doing is getting you injury free results then only make adjustments rather than drastic changes.

Being healthy and fit does not mean you have to chase every single trend or breakthrough that is reported, it is about knowing when to evolve and when to stay the same.

How to make health and fitness a priority in your life!

My husband and I are often asked how we remain committed to our healthy lifestyle in spite of being in our mid-forties, a busy work schedule and social life.  The truth is that our commitment stems from the fact that we are lazy and thrifty. We understand that health issues are one of the most time-consuming and costly expenses one can incur.  We exercise on average an hour and a half a day.  And our only expenses are the yearly purchase of running shoes and workout clothes.  If we suffered from any of the countless diseases brought on by obesity we would be spending far more time and money treating our illness and worrying about our health.

Aside from keeping that dramatic reality check in the forefront of our minds we also remain focused on our healthy lifestyle because of the activities, hobbies and events we choose to engage in.

Now married 23 years and having endured a few rough patches, we recommitted to each other and gained a new attitude about our marriage and our overall life.  After a quick inventory we decided to focus on a few items one of which was our health.  Soon after the transition we found we were happier and more content with life and one another.  We became pro-active individuals rather than complainers.  Our once boring and sedentary life was now replaced with physical and outdoor activities we could do together.  As time went by we also realized that we were surrounding ourselves with individuals that were also positive and uplifting. 

Our life is far from perfect but we find that having a healthy mind, body and soul allows us to better manage the difficult times and fully appreciate the good times. 

I have found the easiest way to get started is by surrounding yourself with individuals that support and live the lifestyle you aspire too.  In the wise words of Mark Twain, “Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.” 

Holiday Preparedness Guide!

We are still a couple of months away from the holiday season but now is the best time to start planning in order to avoid the stress and time constraints that may undermine your year’s worth of hard work!

Begin by listing all your holiday stressers then come up with simple solutions for each. My rule of thumb is “keep it simple.”

• Holiday shopping:  I no longer shop, I send checks.  While many say this is impersonal I assure you no one has ever returned my gift and the bonus is that it saves me time, money and my sanity! If you must shop then try online shopping, or purchase your gifts and decorations before the holiday rush. 
• Holiday Parties:  Another stresser and healthy-lifestyle-sabotager are the endless social commitments. I limit how many parties I will attend during the season to one a week.  If there are two that week and I am conflicted, I choose the one I was invited to first.  I also strategize my eating.  For cocktail parties I will eat a light dinner first so that I am not starving and then attend the party and graze on the healthier appetizers.  If it is a dinner party, I will apply my usual weight management plan. 
• Family gatherings:  These can be the most challenging because we are already stressed out and now have to deal with our well-intentioned family members trying to force feed us.   I have successfully dealt with this for several years now by taking on the sampling approach.  I place a small serving of each item on my plate then eat, nibble or discard accordingly. 
• Be unapologetic and firm about your time.  By taking control of your schedule you will be able to eat properly, continue your exercise routine and avoid all the stress that comes with dealing with the madness the holidays are known for. 

If you start planning now, you will have holiday-proofed the upcoming season and you just might enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season!