Movement as Medicine

This week Beachbody’s CEO Carl Daikeler shared a link about the medicinal benefits of exercise and I’m so glad he did. When you have a moment, give it a look by clicking here.

Last night there was a woman on American Ninja Warrior that uses movement to mitigate her Parkinson’s symptoms. The piece gave me mixed feelings, I was sad that this young, vibrant Mom has Parkinson’s and I was glad that the show featured her story and that she’s found some alternate relief. While of course prescription medicines are necessary to control many diseases, exercise is an often overlooked way to lessen/control certain symptoms.

I know for a fact that exercise has played a key role in lessening/controlling my chronic pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia. And now, the proof is in the numbers.  When I did the 21 Day Fix, moving my body for 21 days straight, I took no prescription medicine. Of course an illness as complicated as mine has many triggers and considerations but here’s the real deal- the more I move my body the better I feel. The more I move my body the less pain I have. I’ve been using exercise as medicine since 2011- along with prayer, meditation and eating right. Could this be the magic pill that many are searching for? Maybe. The magic is in the hard work, consistent good choices, behavior changes and cultivating a positive attitude of gratitude.

If you’re about to stop reading stick with me here…I was the girl who used to eat cake while watching the Biggest Loser. Stuffing the delicious bites in my mouth while cheering the contestants on “you go girl, go you!” I was the girl whose idea of activity was having to get up for another snack from my horizontal position on the couch. I was the girl who got winded on her own stairs at home and who always took the elevator at work. The one who always looked for the closet parking spot at the store. I was the girl who was terrified to go to the YMCA because someone might stare at me. The one who went through the drive through. I was the girl who had that Eeyore attitude about exercise “why bother?”

So what changed? After the worst year of my life due to my illness I was given a second chance. I went from being bedridden with pain to being able to move my body. What a gift! So I decided that I needed to start moving. I started with walking. It’s nice and simple and it’s free. Just lace up your sneaks and go. At the time I was 40 pounds heavier and so darned tired all of the time. But I set small visual goals for myself. First I’ll walk to that stop sign and turn around. Next I’ll walk to that street sign and turn around. And before I knew it I was walking 4 miles at a nice clip.

For me this process has been about slow and steady progressions. Start with 5 minutes on the elliptical and build from there. Start with 1 pound weights and increase your reps, then increase the weight amount. It’s also been about erasing my all or nothing attitude. I used to feel like if I couldn’t get an hour of activity in, why even start. But let’s look at it this way, 10 minutes of activity is better than no activity right? The article recommended 150 minutes of activity a week- that’s about 21 minutes a day.

Aren’t you worth 21 minutes a day? Isn’t your long term health worth 21 minutes a day? How about prolonging your time on this awesome earth with your family and friends? If you don’t invest in you, who is going to?

Start today, start small and build from there. You'll get stronger every day that you put in the work. 

A year from today when you look back on your journey you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

What are you still sitting around for? Get up and get moving! You’ll feel so great when you're done, the hardest part is just getting started.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Living with Intention

What if you woke up this morning and decided to take control of your choices? What would happen if you set the intention of your day to be well? What would your day look like? What would you need to do to make it a reality?

For years I was stuck in a self-imposed rut. I had many MANY excuses and blamed many MANY people and circumstances, but looking back it was all on me. There were years (and I mean years) that I could not get the scale to budge. I was even going to a weekly Weight Watchers meeting at the time with a friend. The scale would go down, and then back up, then down a bit and then back up. And I just could not figure it out!!!  For a while there I blamed a bunch of things…hormones…certain medications (not that these can’t be valid at times)…slow metabolism…my busy schedule…my family history of obesity……I got mad at a lot of things, including myself for being such a gosh-darned failure.

Yet it was really none of those things. It was my victim mentality, my piss poor attitude and my woes me state of mind that was getting in the way. When I look back, I really wasn’t working on my wellness, I was half-a$$ing it. You know what I mean if you’ve been there. I’d get good and angry that the scale wasn’t moving but truth be told, I was only eating well some of the time and I definitely wasn’t exercising as much as I should have. Yet I’d shake an angry fist at the scale and be in such an emotional funk when I did have a gain that I’d just quit- and that my friends was a vicious cycle.

I was convinced at that time in my 30’s that I was having some hormonal or metabolic issues because my tummy was bloated and I just couldn’t get the scale to move. This conviction was also false. Not that there aren’t people with real medical issues but my issue was the food I was putting in my body. Now that I’m making good food choices, my digestion is on point and no more belly bloat.

Another excuse I had was my busy schedule. Pardon the rant here, but busyness is one of the biggest excuses I hear from people who want to be well and don’t make the time to do so. Granted I was a young Mom of two young kids in multiple activities. I worked full time, had a commute, and volunteered. But once again, if I was really truly seriously about being well, I could have carved out some time for me. Busyness was another excuse in my arsenal that I used to stay angry at myself and to remain unproductive. I know people that work full time, have families, responsibilities, go to school at night and they still make time to be well. This busyness thing, it’s an epidemic; I could write pages about it, pages!  When my husband and I went through Financial Peace University, they taught us that being financially responsible is about the choices you make (they call it telling your money where to go). Being well is also about the choices we make. It’s a conscious choice that we have to make daily, over and over again. This means having to say NO to some things and people and YES to other things and people to make ourselves a priority.

Side rant here…if you’re a parent and you’re reading this…think about being a role model for your kids, no matter how young or old they are. Self-care is not selfish. It shows our kids that we value who we are and that they should do the same. When we make excuses that get in the way of our wellness, it’s almost like we’re saying “I’m not important/valuable enough to invest in myself”. Rant over (for now).

“Optimizing yourself tends to enhance those around you. People are contagious.” Dr. Daniel Amen

Lastly, I used my family history as an excuse. I have obesity on both sides of my family. I was an overweight child and that meant I was bound to be an overweight adult, right? Wrong! What this does mean is that I need to work harder than folks who are not prone to being overweight. This was a really lame-o excuse. It was me giving the power to my family and family history instead of taking control. I control my choices. Sure, we all have certain friends and family who make it harder for us to pursue wellness. They might cook in unhealthy ways, be food pushers, skinny-shamers, you name it. We may live in environments that make it harder to be healthy. But ultimately it is we who control our actions and choices, every single day.

Today I encourage you to think about the thoughts that you think and evaluate your belief system. Write them down. Take a good, hard, honest look. What is getting in the way of you taking that first step to be well? What actions do you need to take to start moving forward?

Start every day with the intention to be well. Make choices that support that intention.  

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 3- Hurdles

I started out week 3 with a laser focus and a mantra of finish strong. I knew going into week 3 that I had an over-programmed personal schedule so I’d have to take extra care to plan ahead for success. What I didn’t plan on however was a knee injury.

Half way through week 3 I tweaked my knee at (of all places) my yoga class; the kind of tweak that wakes you up in the middle of the night with pain. Geez-oh-man was I discouraged. How on earth was I going to finish strong if I couldn’t keep my body moving? Yet I needed to focus on my life beyond the 21 days which meant listening to my body. The day after my injury I rested my knee and alternated ice and Motrin. The next day I decided that my upper body wasn’t broken so I did Upper Body fix and Abs. The next day I went on a slow walk, (very, very slow) to see how my knee felt.  It was tender. I knew I had to take it easy even if that meant I didn’t have the kind of finish to the 21 days that I’d hoped for.

Instead of focusing on the negative, I focused on what I could control, my eating. I knew it was important to keep my eating on track. On this particular week that was extra challenging because at work it was fiscal month/quarter end which means longer, more stressful days. On Friday 5/27 the last day of closing out the month, I experienced a non-scale victory. Usually month end drives me to Dunkin Donuts for a little stress eating, but this time I had my Shakeology. It felt amazing to stay in control of my choices. So amazing!

My knee continued to gimp along so I did what I could in the workouts modifying anything that might hurt my knee. That’s one (of the many) things I love about this program. You can modify it to your fitness level. I must admit I had stereotyped all Beachbody participants into lunks (like on the Planet Fitness lunk alarm commercial). What I learned being a part of this challenge group is that people who are working the Beachbody programs are just people who want to be the best versions of themselves. Sure, there are people who are in incredible shape, who have true beach bodies, and they worked hard to get there. There are people who are working towards weight loss goals, fitness goals, and personal bests. The challenge group helped me to stay focused, motivated and to learn new things. I loved being surrounded and supported by people who are focused on being well just like me.

 

All in all, I lost 3 pounds on the 21 day fix (you may lose anywhere from 4-7 pounds) and I gained:

• Energy
• Focus
• Better sleep/waking up before my alarm clock
• Less hunger/carb cravings
• Control of my eating
• Muscle definition
• The shorts I bought for vacation in March are now too big

What I also gained is confidence in myself and Beachbody, which is why I’m proud to announce that I am now a Beachbody coach!!!

Life is going to put hurdles in front of you that take on many shapes and forms; some less serious and some very serious.

“If you’re tired of starting over, stop quitting.” – Autumn Calabrese

Do what you need to do to keep going, whether you step over the hurdle or just barely crawl under it. Do what you need to do to be the best you.

While my 21 days has ended, my transformation has just begun.

Won’t you join me on this journey?

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 2- Breathing Room

I must admit that I’m loving this program more than I anticipated. The workouts are perfect for today’s busy lifestyle- 30 minutes, work hard, get in get out, done! This week I logged in 340 minutes of activity and while some of my muscles are screaming (they’re downright hatin’ on me), I feel fantastic! I have to take a moment to share a non-scale victory. Last year I went to a personal trainer for 5 months. Part of the fitness test was a men's push up. I couldn’t do one. So I set a goal to build up my arm strength to do just ONE push up with the premise of starting somewhere- just start with one small goal and build on it. I put the word ONE on my vision board. By the end of week 2 of this program, I did 8 push ups during Upper Body fix (then I dropped back to my knees). Eight!!! Now some of you reading this might be thinking “pffft, big deal” but to me, it’s a BIG deal. My upper body is my weakest link. I still can’t believe I actually did it and look forward to slowly (after I can feel my arms again) increasing my reps.

Now, on to the Shakeology. As I mentioned in my last post, I was so against the shakes that I asked my coach if I could still take part in the program but forgo the shakes. Well, I guess I ate (or should I say drank) my words. Never did I ever think I’d look forward to a protein shake- blech and double blech! However I get downright giddy about my chocolate banana peanut butter shake. Not only is it loaded with super nutrients, it’s loaded with yum! Plus the shakes have seriously worked to curb my sugar craving. I love the flexibility of using them as a meal or a snack. I’ve been using them to help with 2 of my challenge areas- nighttime snacking and pre-lunch hunger attacks. I’ll either have one as my evening snack or my mid-morning snack. Another fav is vanilla pineapple banana mango- so good!

I finished week 2 feeling stronger, more focused, more energized and empowered by my positive choices. Even better I didn’t let the scale dictate my behavior. I had a phenomenal weight loss my first week and at the end of week 2, the scale didn’t budge. But I’ve been at this wellness thing for so long I know it’s not about days, it’s about weeks, months, years. It’s about the long term plan. I also know that I’ve been doing more strength training than ever. My body is changing; I’m starting to see definition, specifically in my shoulders, abs (the tiniest hint of a six pack- LOL) and quads. My clothes are fitting better. So this week I decided to give the scale (and myself) some breathing room. Patience is an important part of any long term wellness journey and it’s something I work on as I’m super impatient. It’s a character builder, that’s for sure.

I can say with confidence that I rocked the program this week, I was consistent and persistent and I know it will pay off. Living well is about progress not perfection. I know that I’m making progress and that progress goes beyond the scale.

I can’t wait to start week 3! Click here to learn how it went.

Let’s do this!

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 1- Oh Snap!

Oh snap! What have I gotten myself into?

For a perfectionist, starting something (anything) new is terrifying. In my mind, failure is not an option (although I’ve failed on plenty of adventures in my lifetime).

After I said yes to the program, I anxiously awaited my supplies. Keyword- anxious. This program seemed to be super hard core, what if I couldn’t do it? What if I spent the money and didn’t see any results? I was so anxious that I had a panic moment, I thought the group challenge had started and I didn’t have my supplies yet. Alas, the group had started their prep week, buying healthy groceries, reading through materials and so forth. Phew!

When my supplies arrived, I went from saying "oh snap" to an overwhelming feeling of dread. I was totally, unquestionably, overwhelmed.  Yet we all have to start somewhere...so that is what I did.

I started by reviewing the eating plan. Much to my delight, it is very similar to the Weight Watchers food guidelines. It directs you to veggies, fruits, proteins, (healthy) carbs, (healthy) fats, seeds and dressings. It provides information about oil and nut butters, beverage substitutions, (healthy) treats and goes over free foods and supplements.   

Where this program is really on point is the portion control. It provides color coded containers along with a formula for how many containers of each color you should eat based on your starting weight. This is clutch. It’s something my (former) Weight Watchers members struggled with, how much of each food group to eat.

My husband and I planned out our dinners for the week based on the program. I stocked up on plan friendly foods and what I really like is the direction toward the whole food (what some call green or clean eating). I needed this redirection. I had gotten off track, eating “high fiber” bars or snacks, most of which I couldn’t read all of the ingredients, as well as processed meals such as Lean Cuisines. I’m not knocking these when in a pinch, but it felt great knowing I was putting good fuel in my body.

Next I mapped out my exercise plan against all of my personal activities for the week. I knew there were nights when I wouldn’t be home. On those nights I had to prioritize my exercise earlier in the day. But no exerscuses! There is no reason why I can’t find 30 minutes in my day to take care of me.

After doing the first workout, Cardio Fix, and surrendering to the surrender move- I thought to myself, holy mother of #$$@@%! My husband asked me how it went and I answered “well, I didn’t die”- ha! I modified and I was very glad they had a gal in the front of the video showing the modifications. After having 2 stress fractures in the same foot in 2014/2015, I am being very careful with my exercise. I modified the entire first week and when I couldn’t do a video because my body was too sore, I listened to it and walked outside instead.

I’m proud to say I’ve completed my first week of the 21 Day Fix and I could not be happier with how I feel.

Click here to read about my 2^nd week. I was super skeptical about the Shakeology and boy was I surprised.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

What the ?!?

My (23 year old) daughter came home from work last week, glimpsed at the kitchen table and said “what the ?!? You’re *said in an accusatory tone* doing Beachbody?”  I went on to ask her what the big deal was, what she knew about Beachbody, and so forth. She replied “it goes against everything you stand for with Weight Watchers. Moderation. Not killing yourself with workouts. A program that is maintainable.”  And I thought to myself… very interesting, she’s actually been listening to me all of these years…

Over the past few years, several people have asked me to try a Beachbody program or to be a Beachbody coach. While I was curious, my initial response was the same as my daughter’s. Even the title of the program went against my grain “21 Day Fix”. You can’t fix a lifetime of behaviors or get to the root cause of the reasons a person is overweight in 21 days. I hate (and I don’t use that word often) quick fixes, fad diets, cleanses- empty and unrealistic marketing promises. My daughter was right; I have been a Weight Watchers lifetime member since 1997, losing and maintaining 40+ pounds twice. I’m currently maintaining my goal weight that I reached in 2012. I’m healthy, (mostly) happy with my physique and more importantly I’ve changed many, many behaviors. Small, slow, maintainable changes for life. So why even give Beachbody a second thought?

Last fall I met a Beachbody coach who really impressed me. She wasn’t the stereotypical Beachbody coach I had conjured up- an over the top fitness and health freak. She was a real hard working mama, balancing what we all do- work, home, family, other commitments and health- in no particular order. I admired her positive outlook and work ethic and month by month I watched her transform her mind and body.  It’s been amazing to watch her progress.

As my fellow Weight Watchers and friends know, I’ve been rather lost since I parted ways from being a Weight Watchers leader- after all, the program has been a HUGE part of how I’ve lived my life for 20 years. It’s worked for me; I love the practicality and adaptability of the program- it’s made for real life. I miss helping others reach their wellness goals, but what’s a girl to do?

I’ve been working hard to maintain. When you’ve struggled with being overweight since childhood, it’s an everyday battle requiring, patience, planning, persistence & consistence. I’ve stayed focused on living well, knowing it’s about more than the scale. Since I’m already at my goal, I’ve been working over the past year to transform my body. This has meant trying new things. In 2015 I took part in personal training sessions and learnt so much about how to human body works. So far in 2016, I’ve tried TRX and yoga. My mantra since 2010 has been to choose faith over fear. Staying true to my mantra, I agreed to give the 21 Day Fix a try *gasp*.

I was skeptical on many levels, about the intensity of the nutrition and workouts and especially about the protein shakes (I’m still scarred by my Slim Fast stint in the 80’s). Yet the timing was right. Coming off of a winter of being stuck inside due to my neuralgia, I was up a few pounds and not feeling as good as I wanted to. Instead of looking at the 21 Day Fix as a radical, impractical program, I decided to view it as a jump start to get back into my wellness routine. I signed up to be a part of a challenge group that started on May 9^th.

Of course I made the choice to blog about my journey and to keep it real.  Always keeping it real. I’m excited to share this journey with you, be it an epic failure or an epic success, we can learn from them both.

Click here to read about my 1^st week.  J

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara