Here we are three weeks from the end of 2020. We are all feeling different emotions of what this year was or was not but one thing we have to agree on if you are reading this is that YOU are going to survive! 2020 was not for the faint of heart and on January 1, 2021 we are not just going to flip a switch and go back to pre-pandemic life. If you struggled continuously or periodically in 2020 , you are not alone. This was a year that impacted absolutely everyone and we all had a choice of how we would respond to all the restrictions, changes, and cut backs. What was or is your coping mechanism? Blame? Anger? Grief? Relief? Curiosity? Something different entirely?
Personally, I am allergic to negativity of any type. This does not mean that I do not have bad days or have not suffered hardships. It is precisely those experiences that I wanted to be more resilient against that set me on a path to automatically moving to a growth mindset where I constantly ask myself what am I learning from this challenge and how can I improve because to me, any other response is a waste of my energy and does not take me in the direction I want to move in my business, my life or with the clients I serve
So you may be reading this and rolling your eyes, thinking that is such “pie in the sky,” idealistic thinking and that is just fine but if you are reading this and thinking, I would love to get out of that rut of negative thinking and immersion that seemed especially pervasive this year, then I want to talk to YOU. Since March 22nd, our community has run entirely online with 13 live group fitness classes per week, and countless private and semi-private training sessions. As a personal trainer, coach and group fitness instructor it is imperative to go above and beyond 100% to be able to get the most maximum potential out of our participants and like so many businesses, when I made this pivot it was an act of survival so bringing over 100% energy and positivity to every hour of remote work was partially for myself and the eventual sustainability of my fitness community. Suffice it to say, it worked. We are thriving and feeding off one another’s positive energy and each month, week and day that energy multiplies and creates great things like results, physically and emotionally and the vision for more possibility.
Body Essentials is indefinitely staying as an online fitness and wellbeing facility and now that we have mastered how to provide live fitness online well we can get back to other important aspects of our eight year mission to be the most comprehensive provider of fitness, nutrition and well-being services as we start 2021 and we want to serve you.
Here are some of the most exciting options coming up as soon as 2021 launches!
See what I mean by most comprehensive provider of fitness, nutrition and wellbeing services??
If ANY of this sounds compelling to you please e-mail me at christie@bodyessentialspt.com or text me at 802-345-9644 to set up an absolute zero obligation consultation so you can learn more about what it is like to workout at a virtual studio, so I can learn more about your goals and we can learn more about how we can collaborate to get you feeling better than you ever expected. Let me remind you, it will take work on your part!
And you are probably wondering about cost! It always depends on what training option becomes the best for you based on my recommendation. So perhaps it is less than $100 per month or up $300 per month. Is your health worth it? are YOU worth it?? If you are only concerned about the cost of services, we are not the studio for you.
Just contact me today to learn more. We have limited space in our live programs and the earlier you join our on-demand program, the more money you will save.
I cannot wait to meet you!
Christie Garofano
Chief Empowerment Officer
On March 22, 2020, Body Essentials started training clients and holding all group fitness classes live online using the Zoom platform. We are still going strong after energetically springing into action and evolving each month to provide the best programming experience possible for our clients so they stay safe, accountable, motivated, connected and perhaps most importantly, get results! “Live Online,” means just that. Our clients show up at their desired class or session time. Their coach meets them in our Zoom studio and leads them thru the workout in the exact same way we did at our in person location. It is keeping everyone safe and healthy while also saving everyone commuting time and I dare say, increasing even more consistent and long term participation. Due to the success and satisfaction of our model and the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Body Essentials will stay virtual indefinitely.
We invite you to see if training with us is a fit for your lifestyle. There are no geographic limitations. We have three distinct flexible and affordable training plans and you do not need big, expensive, or fancy equipment, just some essentials to get started. We offer workouts throughout the day, 7 days per week as early as 5:30am and as late as 6pm.
Text me today to get started! 802-345-9644. I look forward to hearing from you!
See our Group Fitness Schedule here: https://bodyessentialspt.com/get-started/
Christie Garofano
Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer
Can you believe that we’re talking about the holidays & the new year already?! I mean, I can. Honestly, I’m psyched. I have been waiting to watch Polar Express and Elf! The best time of year!
Today’s motivation is all about helping you find what healthy during the holidays looks like for you! Maybe you’re reading this and you’re like, yeah okay…. healthy during the holidays? That’s impossible! Yes I get you. BUT. After years of figuring out what “healthy” actually looks like to me, I’ve finally figured out that healthy during the holidays looks different for everyone, and I’m determined to help you find yours.
I’d like to say I’m a lover of all things health and wellness, with a side of Christmas cookies. Or rather, Dad’s mint pie (to die for!!!).
You’re ready to hear all of the quick fixes and pro tips I have on how to lose weight fast before the Holiday’s hit?
Okay here it goes…ready?? If you want to lose a quick 5lbs, workout like crazy, eat chicken and asparagus for every meal and completely restrict yourself. Yeah, sounds pretty miserable right?
I’m assuming you implement one of these two approaches people usually take with Thanksgiving and Christmas. One, you either have this “ALL IN” mentality. You eat and drink whatever you want, keep telling yourself it’s the Holiday’s and you’ll start after New Years. You pack on the pounds and immediately following NYE you regret everything. OR you go into total restriction mode, fearing food or eating a damn carbohydrate, you go extra hard in the gym, track every morsel of food and ultimately dread attending Holiday parties because all you’re thinking about are the calories you’re consuming.
IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE THIS WAY! You can achieve balance with fitness and living your life. So for once, ditch your one sided mentality and try a different approach to get through the holiday season!
Here are a few tips:
1. Keep moving (try a holiday 5k with family, or bring a friend to the gym to keep you motivated)
2. Watch your portions (try grabbing a smaller plate. A full-smaller plate gives you the illusion that you’re eating more food)
3. Lots of water (a glass when you wake up, & a glass before each meal)
4. More protein (whatever you put on your plate, make sure there is some protein! Protein will make you feel fuller for longer…perhaps room for only 1 dessert… no seconds!)
Most importantly, ENJOY yourself & the time spent with family and loved ones. Not only is this time of year stressful and busy, it is also cold and flu season! Make sure to continue eating healthy, working out regularly and hydrating with water throughout all of those holiday parties on your schedule. It is okay to indulge a little (within moderation, of course) to enjoy this time of year, but your body will support you better if you replenish it with what it truly needs to run at its best.
Happy Holidays!
I love food! And really who doesn’t? What I do not like about food is grocery shopping and wedding thru food items that manufacturers are trying to sell as healthy when I do actually partake in a grocery shopping trip. I enjoy preparing food at home when I have ample time to do it in a manner that does not seem like I am just doing it to fuel myself (AKA rushing to put the healthiest thing together in the quickest amount of time) and obviously I enjoy eating food!
First things first, the BEST thing to happen too Rutland, VT is the Hannaford To Go service. Being able to order my groceries online from the comfort of my home with the ability to check the fridge and pantry to assure I do not over look something is as AMAZING as it is to walk into Hannaford and get great customer service at the HTG check out area when I pick up my groceries. Lets face it, most of the challenge of eating well is in the plan and prepare phase. Hannaford has lightened the load in part of that process. The only redeeming aspect of physically doing the grocery shopping now is seeing any new products on the shelves that I may not have seen in the online grocery store BUT similarly the same thing happens when I shop online at Hannaford, I see things I may not have found walking around the store. Truly this is not meant to be a manifesto about HTG but it has been a game changer in my weekly schedule for over 2 years now!
In August I reflected on how 30 days of no alcohol made a difference in my life so in September I went on another nutritional journey and eliminated as much added sugar from my diet as I could. Added and processed sugar is a huge issue in the Standard American Diet (SAD). According to the American Heart Association (2009) Men & Women over 19 years of age average 18-25 teaspoons of added sugar per day. The recommended daily amount if no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men and 6 (25 grams) for women. Given that data was from 10 years ago, there could be some changes but they would not be improving numbers. If you read nutrition labels at all when you are shopping, you may see an added sugar total on some labels under the total sugar number. As of January 2020 this will be mandatory on a majority of food items with the date being expanded for others. So depending on your nutritional knowledge base, just because something says it has sugar, does not always mean it is added sugar, some are naturally occurring in the food product such as some dairy and some grains. It can be confusing. I have a relatively healthy diet but it is not perfect and a month of looking a bit more carefully at this particular ingredient further enhanced the quality of my diet and overall health.
As I started my month of no added sugar the first two changes I made were that I only bought plain greek yogurt which was already a staple but I would allow a flavored yogurt as a snack (and I could write an entire post on the spectrum of bad to good flavored yogurts). I also stopped using maple syrup. Shhhh, do not tell my husband. Although maple syrup is all natural it is still sweet so I wanted to go entirely plain on my yogurt which is the only place I use syrup (aside from the occasional pancake, french toast or vanilla ice cream). These changes were relatively simple because what I found as I continued this process is that I really don’t have a diet high in added sugar so the flavor changes were not huge for my palette. I did minimize bread intake which again I was doing anyway but even more so in September. I have a weird weakness for toast but months earlier I had switched from regular bread (cue the Klingers Jewish Rye) for whole wheat sandwich thins which have less than 3 g of sugar. One of my biggest learning came from my affinity for Cabot Cottage Cheese (great source of protein for snack). I had no idea some of the sugar was added sugar. No more cottage cheese which meant more fruit and plain yogurt. Next up was my love of lattes on any given day of the week and when one certain coffee shop in Rutland starts selling pumpkin lattes in September, the challenge is on. Thankfully THESE pumpkin latte’s are made with REAL pumpkin, not that flavored sugar syrup of many coffee shops so I was in the clear especially since I prefer oat milk from Planet Oat which is low in sugar from the oats and no added sugar. Otherwise the challenge was in condiments which are not huge for me but when my husband does the cooking he is more likely to use BBQ sauce if grilling chicken and just loves sauce in general. AND of course, salad dressings. Unless you make your own salad dressing, you are accumulating added sugar even from locally made dressings. So I did some research when I was shopping (online of course) and ended up going back to an old favorite, Briana’s French Vinaigrette. Any food not mentioned is because it is fresh protein with only fresh herb flavoring, fresh fruits and fresh or frozen vegetables so sugar was not an issue at most lunch or dinners. Moreover, staying away from things like ice cream and other sweets was quite easy. Now that October has rolled around, I got a bit more lax the first week but have stuck with most small changes I needed to make and the box of chocolates I just received are hidden and unopened!
Another area that I was unsure about was oatmeal but I was pleasantly surprised that I was in the clear here. So overall I was reassured the my diet was above average with no plan to change anything!
So if I have piqued your interest as to what are some big offenders when it comes to added sugar (aside from the obvious), here is a list of things that I talk about regularly when coaching & advising nutrition to clients:
-Boxed/Shelf Stable food items including boxed meals
-Processed food items from the shelf, frozen, food section, in the dairy section AND in the “healthy food section”
-Pasta Sauces
-Yogurts
-Condiments (Salad dressings, BBQ Sauces, Ketchup etc)
-Bread Products
-Flavored foods (like frozen veggies with added sauce, or frozen prepared foods, or canned goods with additives).
-Flavored Coffee Creamers
-Dried Fruit
This is not an exhaustive list by any means, just some items that always shock people where other high sugar items are obvious including alcohol & most everything you can buy at a convenience store. The best strategy when trying to reduce sugar in your diet is to get things as plain and natural as possible and then added your own flavoring via fresh or dried herbs, prepare your own foods as straight forward as possible (AKA not from a box and with fresh or plain frozen veggies).
Source: American Heart Association, Scientific Statement on Dietary Sugars Intake & Cardiovascular Health (2009)
In her own words: Marietta reflecting on her first month of refocusing her energy & goals.
After week one of getting restarted on my workouts and goals I was down and out with bronchitis and pneumonia. I thankfully caught the possible severity of it early enough to get on the right medication and got better within a week instead of being sick for months at the start of the year. Now, one month in to this experience, I feel great!
Over the past month I have been working on my nutrition and learning that some of my choices, although not terrible, could improve by making some substitutions to help reduce added sugar and other additives in addition to reducing fat. As a result I am eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and reading ingredients on other food that I shop for to make more mindful and educated choices around starchy carbohydrate items and other foods to understand and assure that I am selecting the “cleanest,” most whole food possible. After two weeks of this I feel more satisfied with the five meals per day that I eat.
Exercise wise, I am back to five days per week at the studio including classes and my semi-private training sessions, including a three hour block on Thursday that includes a 60 minute training session, followed by 45 min of yoga and completed with 45 min of Spinning. I walk on the weekends in addition to Saturday morning classes when I do not have another weekend obligation. Getting out into the fresh air and nature helps my body but also my soul.
Personally, I have had trials with my mom and her heath and trying to take care of her and myself and family all at the same time can at times be difficult but at this time I would not want it any other way but it is a real juggling act some days and weeks.
Coaches Note: Marietta has had a challenging year which is why we have taken steps to help her regain her energy and desire to persist to her goals. She is losing 1-1.5 lbs per week including thru illness, down a total of 4 pounds as of 3 weeks into this process. She is energized and performing better than ever just like when she first started with us in 2018. We are looking forward to watching her progress as we hone in on some nutrition work as her exercise is always strong. Tweaking some aspects of her nutrition will keep her energy high and hopefully help keep additional illnesses at bay, improving her A1C numbers to reduce reliance on diabetes medication and keep the weight melting off her!
Keep up the GREAT WORK & ATTITUDE MARIETTA!
I have always struggled with my weight. I have done Weight Watchers 3x, participated in Zumba, walking and have been a member at other gyms but never stuck with it. I am the type of person who needs accountability and “tough love” neither of which I have ever had. I would start out with a bang and just give up after a while.
In 2014 my marriage fell apart and as I went through the divorce process I was most worried about my son and how we would handle it all. In 2016 the divorce was finalized. After making sure my son was Ok and I had made peace with everything and found the strength to forgive and move on, it was finally going to be time to prioritize myself.
In November of 2017 I was diagnosed with diabetes and had to start taking medication. This was a wake up call for me that I really needed to make some changes and literally get moving and change my diet. I did both of those things and dropped my A1c by 1.2 points but needed to do more.
It was not until April of 2018 when I found Body Essentials (BE) via Facebook when I decided to reach out and commit to myself to get better. Since starting at BE I have found a community that holds me accountable and give me the tough love that I sometimes need. Through 2018 I was on a roll. I lost the weight, improved my diabetic condition and was close to getting off medication (which I will accomplish ASAP). I was happy, motivated and getting stronger. There were no excuses or giving up and not following through.
In January of 2019 I came down with pneumonia. I was unable to do almost anything until the middle of March. When I returned to my exercise, it was difficult and I still had some challenges with my breathing and got sick 1-2 more times before I was fully on the mend and back to my regular schedule of working out 4-5 times per week on top of working full-time, attending my son’s sporting events, taking care of others and trying to keep myself and my motivation a priority. It was hard. I have never once considered giving up. I love the BE community and the friends I have made.
Coaches Note: Marietta is one of the strongest people I know of in every way, shape and form. I always tell her she has “farm strength” because she handles a lot of weight with ease because of her farming history but she is also resilient to challenges. We are excited to continue her progress the rest of this year and share it with our virtual community.
Three months ago we started tracking Lisa’s progress publicly. Fitness & nutrition comes with many ups and downs as Lisa had experienced but we are so happy to report that she is back on track to the best version of herself after some hard work this summer and navigating all the challenges of daily life and not using social events and holidays as an excuse or not the right time to change. Read on for Lisa’s own words…….
How did I get here, and by here, I mean 21 pounds lighter, eating a whole food plant-based diet, and certainly stronger then I was three months ago? It’s not just the big change in my eating habits it’s the change in my habits period. At the beginning of the summer I was tired all the time. I started every week with a good nutrition plan only to have it fall apart by day 2 or 3 then just give up. I was avoiding the gym because my weight gain made everything so much harder. I certainly would have given in to my pain and come home gone to bed and never even considered a low impact walk to get some exercise in.
Over the past three months I have changed my habits a little at a time. It started with accountability. Weekly weigh-ins made me really think about what I was eating. This is where the support of Christie and the other trainers at Body Essentials became an important part of my journey. Their support encouragement and constantly pushing me to jump out of my comfort zone was key to my success. Toward the beginning of the summer we, as a group, hiked up Killington. I was slow and struggled most of the way up. One of the trainers stayed behind with me and encouraged me to take it a few steps at a time until we reached the cabin. I gave up at the cabin, a decision I regret. I have made a plan to go again mid-October, this time I am determined to go all the way to the top and can’t wait to feel the difference. Another change was just changing up my times to exercise. I exercise two mornings a week giving me some evenings to walk my dog, spend time with my husband or just do nothing (I rarely do this anymore). This, I believe, was an important change for me. Starting my work week off with a good day of exercise and some accountability made me think twice about every bite of food. Logging my food intake also was an important part of this journey. It is part of the accountability. I always reminded myself if I eat it and don’t write it down it was just hurting myself. Looking back every week to see where I could make changes no matter how little they were they made an impact.
Part way through the summer I got food poisoning. The bacteria I had was reportable to the health department. When the health department called to follow up all their question about my food intake were meat related. (By the way I could answer their question because I had my food logs I knew exactly what I ate 2-5 days before my symptoms started). I, at this point stopped eating meat. I was eating meat replacements, but no meat. About two weeks later I went to a talk at Body Essentials about anti-inflammatory diet, watched Forks over Knifes on Netflix and am now I have been eating a whole food plant-based diet for 14 days.
So, what have I learned through all this? One, if you get off track don’t give up. In the past 14 days I ate a piece of pizza I didn’t say to myself oh well I’m off track I might as well have two pieces I said how do you feel? I felt full and like someone had put a weight in my stomach. I felt hungry or maybe just a craving within 20 minutes of eating it. I wrote that down and have it on my desk at work to remind myself that if I make that choice again that is how I will feel. I learned vegetables actually taste ok. I learned it’s ok to live it up once in a while. I went out one night with friends and Christie was at the same restaurant and there I sat with a bowl of pasta, but I still lost weight that week because I had my pasta then I was 100% locked down on my nutrition the rest of the week. I learned I am strong. I learned it’s ok to be pushed out of my comfort zone. I learned I am the only one that can make the changes and do the work. Others can encourage and give advice, but I have to do the work. I learned not to compare myself to other people. I learned to start my week prepared. I learned to plan ahead for events. I learned a schedule is so important (I keep mine on a wipe off board). I learned how important it is to have friends and family encourage, love and support me. I, also will not ever forget that the support and encouragement Christie and the other coaches at Body Essentials gave me. They made this journey fun, challenging and possible. I am looking forward to continuing on this journey and ending the year at an all-time high (or low) with another 20 pounds lost stronger than ever. Thank you, Christie, Megan, Jacob, Julie and Sabrina.
Coaches Note: Lisa was not perfect or without challenges in this process but she stepped up to every difficulty and navigated it with 100% heart. If we had not been challenging her or making her accountable with record keeping and coaching check-ins first thing Monday morning, I am not sure she would be in the place. It is easy to not be accountable to yourself or talk yourself out of the right behaviors. At Body Essentials clients can only “hide” for so long before we pull them aside and say something is not working well, what is going on, we have to do something about it. The benefit of our clients working with more than one coach and in small groups is that everyone is holding everyone accountable for all the right reasons. Lisa is and always has been a leader in our community. She tried to slip to the back of the room for a little while but when she did not come back to the front of the classroom, we pulled her back to the front. We know she will reach her ultimate goal by the end of the year. It will only take 1 lb per week for most weeks and at the rate she is going with her new nutrition plan, she will reach her goal before Thanksgiving.
Before (May 2019) Today (September 5, 2019)
I have been a student of health & fitness since the early 90’s, before you could find your desired dietary answer on the google machine. Academically, experientially, additional education, studying, reading and learning from other professionals has kept me active in enhancing my life. In the work we do with clients, nutrition is critical and we are constantly trying to debunk poor nutrition information. Personally, I am constantly working to optimize my nutrition practice not because I want to improve how I look or lose weight (those are just bonuses) but because I want to be healthy inside and out which to me is do what I can do to prevent disease and stay out of the Dr’s office and because I want to have abundant energy to keep up with my life and be a good role model for others in my daily work. SO, in August, I did the thing I said I could never ever do! I went an entire 30 days with no alcohol. I LOVE beer, good craft beer (and wine). But lets’ face it, there is no nutritional value to alcohol in your diet, end of story. It is calories, gluten, and more calories. So I just decided, after feeling like I had had my fill, that I just wanted to take a break and reset my body a bit without the influence of alcohol for 30 days. I have heard it 100 times over in my studio and have said it myself many times, I just could never give it up entirely. I am here to tell you, you can!!! My level of resolve may be pretty well developed when it comes to behavior change compared to others but anyone can do it. I am strong believer in not “leaning” your life to the point of no enjoyment. Cutting all the “good stuff” sucks the fun out of life. It also has adverse short term impacts the one time you put something in your body that is not “clean” after a long period of clean eating! So let me provide you with my top 5 outcomes of abstaining from alcohol for 30 days:
Consider for a moment how easy cutting alcohol from your diet is compared to other nutritional change. You do not need to read any labels or consider any facts. You simply need to say no. When trying to cut processed ingredients or sugar from your diet or reduce calories, you need to scan labels and perhaps do some google searching on different foods and understand terminology to make good choices. Alcohol is alcohol, you either consume it or you do not. SIMPLE!
Do the thing you have been telling yourself you could never do. Do it just because change does a mind and body good. Do it to see how you look, feel and how others respond to what you are “working on.” Do it because you never know what will other great things will manifest in your life! Stay tuned as I am on to two other challenges over the next couple months!
Cheers!
(Picture Credit: Anchorage Brewing Company, AK Owned & Operated by a former Rutlander. This beautiful brew was enjoyed on our last day in Alaska in 2017 and has stuck with me as one of the best beers I have ever had aged in a red wine barrel with rose petals).
In 2017 we traveled to Alaska and that is when I reconnected to the value of nature as a means of restoring my mind & body. I openly share with people that I love Vermont and I love exercise but I do not love camping and other “woodsy” related outdoor activities. My idea of camping is a hotel with no indoor hallways. My idea of outdoor fitness is running on pavement. Who knew it would take going clear across the country and outside of the 48 contiguous states to reconnect with an appreciation for nature.
When returning home my goal was to keep the same feeling I had on vacation in my daily life. Well it worked out for a while but I guess it is called vacation for a reason. Nonetheless, one way to get back to that fairly regularly is in nature. Because that feeling is peace, quiet, nothing else calling for your attention, nothing else to do besides whatever it is you are doing in nature which for me is never camping but always moving. So within two days of getting home I put our dog Austin in the car and set out for the first of many walks on the Trails Around Pittsford. All of them are super close to our house, relatively short and flat, all of which were a bonus of getting away with an aging dog who likes to believe he is 8. That summer we completed all the trails. The best one is the one closest to our home so we have done that one numerous times. If you are looking for a quick and easy solution outside of Rutland check them out: Trails around Pittsford
Last summer my nature consisted of a bit more time on the golf course which is a frustrating form of nature but very beautiful in its own way and certainly enjoyable in that when the going gets tough, the beer cart is probably close by. But I digress, last summer was hot and a great place to escape to on hot days is the mountain so the ONE, only one hike I did in the summer of 18 was Camels Hump and to this day it is the trek with the best view and it is just enough of a challenge to remind you that your workouts are working or that you better start getting more exercise. It was the perfect combination of everything you want in an active summer weekend day trip. Lets face it (in my personal opinion), once you get to the top of any Vermont mountain the view is essentially the same. The fun and the benefit is getting there, catching your breath, taking a peek and then seeing if you can get back down faster than you made it up! Camels Hump is 360 degrees of pure beauty on the edge of a rock. Make it a priority!
Now this summer has presented itself with many more opportunities to get to the mountains than I was planning on. First and most pleasantly was Mt. Mansfield. I happened to be in the area so instead of a day trip, I made it an overnighter and got up and down bright and early. This hike was just plain enjoyable as it was early enough to not be crowded and there is something fun about knowing you have been to the top of “that spot” when you see it from a drive you are making around the state, similar to Camels Hump.
And then there are the decent hikes in our own backyard which frankly were my least favorite. Killington. A group of us from the studio did this hike together so that was definitely the highlight, getting 10 people at varying fitness levels to the top. But when you have busted your butt moving up the Bucklin Trail to the peak and then out of state (or local) folks come galavanting to the same point in their bright whites after taking the chair lift, you lose your level of accomplishment fairly quickly. Nonetheless the Bucklin Trail is great and it sneaks up on you after a relatively level start. And Pico. I was reminiscing that hike at the start of the 4th of July holiday. I had done it a number of years ago, may I say decades so thought I would go for it again since it is so close and I had nothing else going on. The time and the people I met along the way was nice, the hike, meh but the peace and quiet, priceless. OH the snake sighting I could have done without but the run back down again confirmed that my workouts and level of fitness are on par for my cardiovascular and joint health at age 44.
The one place I have not made it to yet is Pine Hill Park . Talk about being close by. The last time I was there we were building a trail, that was definitely long ago and the only other time I had been there it had felt a bit more creepy than peaceful. So very soon I will head out there seeking serenity and shade from everyday life. The whole point of this is fitness appears in many different ways and sometimes with fitness we get relaxation and peace of mind and body especially living in Vermont. So as summer winds down and you are looking for things to do outside and closer to home, getting out in nature is the answer whether there was a question or not and regardless of you are seeking from your nature experience!
After two months of working more consistently on myself I am at a point where I feel more motivated because I am feeling stronger, seeing results and hearing from others that they see the results. I have had some victories on the scale and some non-scale victories including my clothes fitting better and having more energy.
One thing that has really helped is remembering that I had once been told that it takes 30 days to make something a habit. I have been maintaining a more consistent exercise schedule for 30 days now and it definitely has become more of a habit now. I am adding some outside walks at Pico into my routine and have really enjoyed that and my dog Gertie appreciates the exercise as well.
Another thing I think is instrumental in being successful is to share with friends and family that I am working toward this goal. They give me continuous encouragement and help with accountability as do my friends at the studio and colleagues at Bayada.
I have been struggling with the nutrition end of things. I have mostly good days but those bad days creep in. I have tried to hold myself accountable and have just begun being more diligent with my food log. I have started using a log that gives me an opportunity to reflect on my week and adjust as needed. I haven’t been consistent enough to say how it works but it is my goal to make this my new habit.
A habit I am having trouble breaking is weighing in daily. I find it sets the tone for my day. If there is a gain no matter how small or no loss it is discouraging.
Thanks to all who are encouraging me along the way.
Coaches Note: Lisa starts month 3 this week and we know she will continue to make great progress and improve on her challenges including her food log and increase in journal writing to help her understand and get clarity on her challenges in addition to her mindset around weighing in. Keep up the great work Lisa!
In typical Vermont fashion, we went from winter to warm pretty quickly as the official start of summer started and thankfully the nice weather and warmer temps are sticking around this week so here are a few annual reminders about playing it safe when exercising in the summer heat, inside and out:
It goes without saying, sunscreen! Vermont specifically is a state with astronomical growth of melanoma. It is easy to understand why but we must heed this risk by slathering on and covering up to stay safe!!!!
Do not just go 100% into your same intensity of exercise once warm and humid weather appears. The body needs time to acclimate to heat and humidity so take the intensity and duration down for your first couple warmer weather workouts and notice any differences in the body’s response to the environmental change.
If you do a lot of walking and/or running outside: Try to schedule your activity during non-prime heat and sun hours (AKA first thing in the morning or in the evening). Otherwise take it easy going for less distance and less speed so the body can adjust over the period of a week or two depending on how frequently you workout outside in one week of warm weather. Another great idea is take your workout to the mountains. Hiking any of our local glorious peaks is a great way to get an amazing working, enjoy nature and staying a bit cooler and safe from the sun.
Hydrate: Water up! Unless you are out in the heat for 90+ minutes and/or sweating profusely, water alone is a fine form of hydration, no fancy sports drinks needed. If you are out for extended periods of times it is wise to replace electrolytes with a sports drink or make one of your own.
Embrace the air-conditioning if you need to workout mid-day and keep it inside a nice cool and controlled environment.
IF you have chills when working out on a hot day or get light headed or super thirsty before/during or after your workout there is a good chance you have over-heated or dehydrated. You want to make sure you are well hydrated prior to beginning your workout and take in small amounts of water during your workout. And if you get light headed or begin to have chills while working out you should stop your workout, rest in a shady or cool spot. You then want to cool yourself progressively not rapidly using a cold compress and take in some water or some sort of sports drink or orange juice.
Play it safe this summer by being prepared and playing it safe with your workouts. Your body will thank you for it and your exercise will be much more pleasant!
My health and fitness journey exploded my freshman year of college. I retained the information and education in high school, but dove much deeper and developed a passion for my overall wellness in college. “A new year, a new me” kind of vibe- a fresh start as a “nobody” in college. A clean plate with no one to know my story, but I am here to share it today.
My story started, or ended, with a breakup. I would ask myself why not me? What does she have that I don’t? Am I not pretty enough? Not skinny enough? What am I missing?
I started excessively working out, missing meals, and over analyzing my life. Overthinking is a killer, literally. I’d drop 5lbs, obsess with the scale, and cycle through all of this.
But what was “this”?
This wasn’t healthy. This wasn’t self-love. This wasn’t Meg.
I know you may think this is stereotypical for a young female to go through “this” as they grow and maneuver through life, but it is so real, and let me tell you, it is hard.
“This” was lack of holding myself accountable for creating my OWN life. My own HAPPY, HEALTHY life. My one shot at living a beautiful life. I was the only person standing in the way of my goals. Deep down I knew this was an issue, but I didn’t feel it was time to fight against myself and my thoughts yet.
Halfway through my freshman year of college, I attended a school-wide presentation. This presentation was mandatory for freshmen, however I had good intentions of learning something from it.
At the end of the presentation, the presenter asked several people to come up on stage. He then proceeded to have the individuals tell him what their goal is in life; what they want to be.
“I want to be a doctor.”
“I want to be a physical therapist.”
“I want to be a nurse.”
Now you might think to yourself, these are awesome aspirations and goals, so what’s the point of this?
The presenter then continued… “Do you see something wrong with this?”
A bit puzzled, we sat there waiting for his next response.
“You will not reach your goals if you continue to want them to be achieved. You need to DO something about it. I’ll give you another chance to tell me your goal.”
“I want to be a doctor after college” the individual said, trying to be more specific.
The presenter chimed in sternly and said “you WILL be a doctor”.
We all want something in life. It seems like everyone wants to rich. Someone wants to be loved. Someone down the street wants to be famous. We live in a world of wants. When we start our goals with “I will”, we declare our commitment to our goals and ambitions. It is no longer an intent we are expressing – it is a promise. A promise to do whatever it takes to get to where we want to be.
Back to “this”.
What would I have to do to get to where I wanted to be? What will I be?
Strong. Passionate. Brave. Courageous. Happy. Healthy. Inspiring. Meg.
I realized I was doing everything wrong. I would tell myself that I wanted to be happy, I wanted to be fit, but I wasn’t doing the right thing. I wasn’t doing anything beneficial for my body.
Something needed to change.
I started writing daily affirmations;
I will fuel my body today the way it deserves.
I will be a light in someones day.
I will make myself a priority.
I will be happy, and I will be Meg.
The power of “I will” and manifesting your affirmations changes your life. This decision of changing one word helped shape me who I am today.
I am strong. I am passionate. I am brave. I am courageous. I am happy. I am healthy. I am inspiring. I am Meg.
So today I did a 5k race in the women’s half marathon in Niagara Falls. I have come to this race 3 times in 4 years. The first was my first ever half marathon. I was at my lowest weight and had been training prior to the the race. I walked a majority of the race but finished strong. It took me a little more than 3 hours, but I felt great about it. The second time by the time I hit the 5k turn around which would be 2.5 km in my shoe broke, but I continued on. The race took me almost 4 hours, but I crossed the finish line with a blister that covered the entire ball of my foot. I hadn’t done much training, but I was strong so powering though was doable. This time I had to reduce my race to a 5k because I have gained weight and was not feeling as strong as I had in the past. I had a goal of under 1 hour which I was able to accomplish. The time walking alone was good. I was able to be in my own head and realize that I was doing a 5k because I hadn’t paid attention to my fitness. People running by me patting me on the back saying you got this made me sad and angry at myself. It also has given me more motivation to get back to where I was when I did my first half. I had moments in the race where I found myself crying because I was so disappointed in myself.
I am now three weeks of increasing my exercise and trying to improve my nutrition. I feel better and my clothes are definitely fitting better. I am still struggling and have good and bad days with my nutrition. Today I realized the importance of logging. I have been able to tell myself that I have been doing a good job with my nutrition but when an objective person looked at my logs it was obvious that I have not been honest with myself. That “in your face” accountability is a motivation. So, this week I intend to log both with paper and pencil as well as journal how I am feeling and what I am thinking every day.
I started gaining about 10 pounds a year until I hit a weight of 285 pounds in 2013. I love to travel and often had to worry if I could fit in a plane seat and had my own seat belt extender because it was embarrassing to ask for one. Daily struggles included trouble getting from a seated position to a standing position, my knees always hurting, and waking up in the morning thinking about what I would eat for the day and going to bed at night planning meals for the next day. Everything I did revolved around food.
There were two things that made me decide that I had to do something to change my lifestyle. One of the biggest was being diagnosed with a hereditary electrical heart condition. Even though it was electrical I began to realize that my weight and inactivity could exacerbate the condition because I could do actual damage. The other wake up call I had was when my husband had to reinforce the platform on the sail boat, so I could get on and off the boat. It was time to make a major change.
I tried many things at the beginning including Weight Watchers, delivered meal plans, and Atkins. Each time I would lose some weight only to gain it back with a few extra pounds. That’s when I decided to explore bariatric surgery. For any one that thinks this is “the easy way”. I guarantee you it is not. It was over a year of pre-op work including a no weight gain policy for the year+ of the pre-op. The pre-op included classes on nutrition, follow up with my primary care physician and a psychological consult. It also included a two-week pre-op diet of 1000 calories and 10 grams of fat max because most people who are morbidly obese have fatty liver disease and there is a risk of harming the liver during surgery if it doesn’t shrink before the day of surgery. There is a risk that the surgery would be canceled if the liver didn’t shrink.
I had the surgery in February of 2015 and the weight began to melt off, but it wasn’t without problems. It was painful and I was so tiered for over a month because it was hard to even get sips of fluids down. I started on one week of a liquid diet and then progressed to a week of soft and then ground meats only for two more weeks before gradually adding food. The recommendation was to get 60 grams of protein in a day and that was a challenge as I could only sip fluids and take one or two bites at time. It was a challenge.
Within two months into my post-op days I joined a couch to 5k with a friend and I didn’t stop. Exercise became a part of my daily routine from then on out. I got down to around 160 pounds and was strong and felt fantastic. I had confidence I hadn’t had before. I also started working with a trainer multiple times per week to gain more strength and tighten up my body after all the weight loss as I was carrying around a lot of extra “skin” & surgery to remove it was not an option. About a year later I found Body Essentials and started training and taking classes multiple times per week. After two years of hard work, progress and a wide variety of experiences I was presented with an opportunity to study to get certified as a personal trainer. I became certified with 4 months of study and later became certified in RaisedBarre in addition to earning a certification kettle bell training. I was strong health and happy. My joints didn’t hurt anymore. I even completed a Spartan race.
Now, 4 years into my surgery my eating habits began to slide. I saw old habits creep back and the weight began to creep up. As the weight creeped up it became harder to do the things I love so I stopped doing them, so the weighed creeped up. I hit over 200 pounds again. Not wanting to face it I ignored it and avoided things that made me face it. I am writing this today because one of the people I avoided made me face it. So, my journey begins again starting here and now. I am committing myself to remember everyday how good it felt to be strong healthy and happy and lose the excess weight that was causing my body and mind pain. I know it will not be easy but I have been given the tools I need so I have to use them. I am taking the time to focus on myself and my lifestyle. This includes taking time off from teaching and coaching fitness to others so I have the extra time for my own workouts. The bariatric surgery continues to prevent me from over eating but it doesn’t prevent me from eating the wrong foods. I have the best support system at Body Essentials, not only the trainers but also from the BE family. I am thankful I found them 3 years ago. Body Essentials gives me the guidance for proper nutrition, exercise and over all mental health and I know I will be successful with this next phase of my journey.
I know I am not alone in saying that I am sick and tired of the wet, cloudy weather that has followed up the gray and snowy weather. I do love the multiple seasons that make Vermont special but for the first time ever, I would take a sunnier and warmer location for living and working. Think about it, it is May, we have been in gray, wet and cold temperatures since at least November…..6 MONTHS! We have a shot at 4 months of warm and sunny weather with 2 more months that are a toss up. ARGH! Reality is that I am not moving anywhere sunnier soon and do not have the time to head to any land of palm trees, beaches, and sun filled sky every month in order to get my spirit and vitamin D recharged. If the same goes for you, then we need to some strategies to keep our Vermont loving gas tanks full so here are some of my favorite ways to stay in love with Vermont when you live with 22/30 days of rain in the month of April and limited sun thus far in May.
Sunnier Days are ahead (I hope) so don’t give up hope but do embrace the abundant opportunities we have in our great little state to enjoy on sunny, rainy, and snowy days before heading south or west to sunnier and warmer locations! The grass is not always greener elsewhere.
