Changed My Mind

Wow, it's been awhile. I was going to write about "unfairness" in the workplace.
But, as time passes, so has my rage- for THAT topic.
AND it was about my husbands workplace at that. Probably a very typical scenario in most police departments. The "do-nothings" get rewarded, and the REAL cops that bust their asses get jack shit.

However, some good things have happened for the husband (work wise), so I will keep the bitching about the PD to a low roar.

The other topic I failed to explore was the sign outside my local Planet Fitness.
"A Brand New You" (for $10 a month). This is great advertising, if in fact by working out I will indeed be totally new. Doubt it. No matter how fit or fat free I become, I am still myself. we all are. The same person who works out like a fiend, most likely has the same mental blocks and issues that keeps them unhappy with themselves and sabotaging their efforts. The only way to a "Brand New You", is a heck of a lot of work on your brain.

Ok, so I am back. Look out.

Success Does Not Happen By Accident

One of my passions is working with clients on nutrition, most recently a program called
PUNCH Nutrition, as it is affiliated with The Art of Strength web site (aka PUNCH Gym (s) ).
Recently, through many client interactions, I have had some eye opening realizations that have helped me identify the probablity of one's success (or failure).

There are many "diets", many "experts" and many frustrated people. Many different approaches to fat loss can work, but ultimately it has much more to do with the person who attempts said program, and less about the program itself.

Like most people, I am inspired by the Olympic athletes that we have been able to watch most recently. These people CLEARLY- have worked for a very long time perfecting their sport/craft. Getting the opportunity to compete (never mind win) takes many years of successes leading up to the Olympic level.

Why conjure up all the OBVIOUS attributes of world class athletes?

Success (in any arena) does not happen by accident. I have found that people (me included) easily lose sight of the fundamentals when setting goals or embarking on a new business/hobby/contest/relationship...... it takes time and work. When it comes to "dieting", it ultimately is much more about your mind and belief system, and much less about your exact plan.

Don't get me wrong, I do strongly believe in whole, real foods. A diet based on points, or one that is laden with fake foods is not establishing a good foundation, and does not promote health, so therefore only real foods can work for long term, lasting success.

If you do not BELIEVE - really believe that you are worthy of happiness, love, rewards, accolades,.....success, you will fail. There has to be something WITHIN YOU to drive you towards your goals. Now will you be successful all the time? or instantly? No. There will be bumps in the road, but it is your sound emotional integrity that keeps you on that road, instead of veering off to have a drink or a candy bar or worse yet...the dreaded pity party. Don't fall victim to blaming the road for the bump. It is just a bump. Maybe it is you who needs an alignment?

So back to my realizations. If you want to succeed you have to work on yourself. Don't rush from diet to diet or guru to guru. Put stock, faith and energy in you first, rather than look around at everyone and everything else. Work on you, everyday, that is success.

Stay tuned for Part II: Success Sometimes Happens for Completely Undeserving People....
Yes it's true....and it sucks.

EVERYTHING does happen for a reason

This week has been oddly entertaining. One filled with cliches- like…

“Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail”

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”

and the all time favorite “Everything happens for a reason”…. which made me think…hmmm that’s what losers say to themselves to make themselves feel better… or what my family says to me….

Ok, I will admit EVERYTHING does happen for a reason, I just was a bit worried the reason was/is BAD KARMA or IRONY. In fact I had decided the best word to describe the pattern of events and my feelings attached was KARMONIC.

So, without blah blah boo hoo boring you to death, let me just say that in my confused state, two things snapped me out (aside from my loving family and swell friends).

1. Frank Sinatra’s great song and ode to life “MY WAY”. Play that while you work out (or drive to work, or wherever you can rock out) and you will feel pretty ok with yourself. I know, it ain’t no head banging hard core cool workout music… but it was strangely powerful. No matter who you are, be true to yourself and make no apologies for doing just that. Lord knows in my life- I HAVE “BIT OFF MORE THAN I CAN CHEW” at times….ok- many times.

2. A few years ago, at my 4th Bodybuilding show, I had won my class, and was on stage in what is called a POSE DOWN against the lightweight competitor. Mind you, everyone over 118 lbs. is considered a HEAVYWEIGHT, and I will always be in the heavy weights…and I have won my class before, and lost to the light weight (usually it comes down to them being better conditioned vs. muscle- both count)…..anyhoooooo……..

In any case, we have both won our class, and now are competing against each other for the overall title and a PRO CARD. While posing, I get HECKLED. Yup, some ding dong is shouting out that I look LUMPY LIKE OATMEAL…. (whereas my competition is SHREDDED WHEAT)– Seriously, this is happening…. Now mind you, I lost to Elaine (aka SHREDDED WHEAT) pretty fairly, but let me tell you it was pretty unnerving to stand on a stage in barbie doll sized bikini and be told you look LUMPY like oatmeal….

The best part about this story is my husband did not kill anyone. He’s a cop, and he was carrying a gun (can I say that?) and good for him for not shooting the guy….LUCKILY others in the audience told the OATMEAL man to go screw etc… and so forth….

Why did this story become relevant 3 years later? Well, I think it is a lesson in perspective. A funny one, not like when you see something tragic on the news and for a whole minute you think… hmmm life is soooo short, “I will stop complaining about my life because at least I did not get hit by a mack truck today……”

It made me stop wasting time and energy on things and worse THOUGHTS that have no usefulness. It also made me hungry for cereal.

Kidding about that.

Have a glorious weekend- be sure to DO IT YOUR WAY.

What do you Eat? a popular question

As a trainer, I am constantly asked for my opinion on various health and nutrition trends and topics. Sometimes the question is simple, yet complex-like “what do YOU eat”…. other times the question has no ONE singular answer. “It depends”… Exercise Science is a relatively young field. Daily we are able to study and learn new things from the “latest” studies. Good trainers also change their minds. They are not resolute and absolute with limited scope. With this in mind, I thought a monthly list of my favorite things would be a FUN way to communicate some of the things I have been looking at, thinking about or doing in a way that let’s the curious and the questioning do their own due diligence.

Ultimately, as much as I like to “ADVISE”, I always suggest to my clients/friends/family that they conduct their own due diligence before jumping into anything. It’s too easy to go down wrong paths when we blindly believe evrything we read and hear. That’s a big issue with today’s magazines and some inetrnet sites. The push to SELL an idea or product with compelling marketing can often lead people to believe that advertising = the truth. Not so.

For those of you who pick my brain for ideas and such-

Here is the July Top 10 (be sure and do your own research!)

L-glutamine- I think this supplement is highly under utilized and can be a key player in fighting carb/sugar cravings, as well as burning fat-building muscle.

www.vitaglo.com- This website sells my beloved KAL stevia at 50% off whole foods prices as well as tons of other products.

Dr. Vivian Varese- Great “functional medicine” physician - if you have any hormonal issues she is the person to see. I cannot be more pleased with the quality of care. Surprise Surprise- she does not take insurance. See any correlations? Call her at 978-263-0110

My PUNCH Nutrition clients-Call me biased, but I really feel that those he tackle the tough issues (eating/nutrition) have the most integrity. They are true to themselves and work hard to better themselves. Hate to say it- working out is easy, eating healthy is not…

www.impactfitness.com- Nice workout clothes that are not EVERYWHERE….

SMITH Machine Lunges- My squatting days (in a rack) are O-V-E-R!!! Forevahhhh. Thsi exercise is the next best thing for bringing up the rear…so to speak. Do it!

ARBONNE Seasource Detox Spa Line- Great products for your skin and body. Don’t poison yourself using products that contain known toxins and chemicals. It ain’t worth it. You can order on line and save 35%- just ask me how, or use www.fitnesscoach@myarbonne.com

www.seaveg.com - GREAT kelp and seaweed products that are high quality. The web site is very informative, you can learn more about the health benefits of seaweed and related products.

Distilled water-You should be drinking the purest water possible, and distilled water has some unique detoxifying properties. Check into it.

Fossil Farms- save time and order your healthy proteins ON LINE. They have awesome high quality meat products, delivered right to your door. Stock your freezer!

Blogarilla

It has taken me 7 months to commit to writing a blog. I love to write, and I love to be right…so you would think this would come easy to me. Problem is WHAT should I write, when there are so many things on my mind.

Oddly, as one is who is not known for SELF EDITING when speaking, I find myself picking words FOR PRINT, much more carefully. I generally fly through life without a filter, though luckily I have been better at softening the message (s).

So, here it goes…blogarilla.

Today’s forecast: Distracted and bewildered. Been this way for a few days. I found out that I was passed over for a job, that was (in my mind) a perfect fit. Turns out that being highly qualified and bringing a lot to the table makes people nervous.

I am not one to settle for COMFORT. In fact, being comfortable is a sign that it’s time to SHAKE THINGS UP! You should not be “comfortable” in your workout, in your job, in your relationships, it’s a sign of stagnation and fear - fear of something better, and more evolved.

Karma? or Irony? I am caught somewhere between the two.