wife. mom. health coach. work in progress. iPhone addict. passionate about God & health. lover of people & food. let's be friends.
I'm the girl who: • struggled with weight, • met a handsome prince {aka-personal trainer} who kicked my butt into something close to fit • continued struggling with weight • is completely addicted to food • found an awesome program that finally works • became a health coach • • is learning to deal with & gain control over my addiction to food. Thus, health confessions. The story of me, Karli, a foodaholic turned health coach & how it’s all going down. Here’s what you’ll get from this site: • Complete sincerity, honesty & self discretion. • Confessions; happy and...not so much. • success stories • Recipes, tips, tricks, and exercises • Encouragement for your personal health journey {If I can do it, EVERYONE can!} -Empathy for your i-fell-off-the-bandwagon days {trust me, I can relate!} • A good laugh most days {because laughing at myself is something I am really good at}. Enjoy!
My role as a health coach is to assist my clients in reaching their goals for optimal health. I support, encourage, keep accountable, share, and am an available resource who’s “been there, done that.” I’m flexible. I communicate face to face and through phone/email/text.
Every age. Both Genders. Every size.
Anyone who desires better health by attaining a lower BMI, a different target weight, the ability to get off medications, and those who want to learn the habits to keep them healthy for life.
It’s no secret I love food. All the best people do. I strive to eat healthfully & mindfully 90% of the time & love sharing my favorites with my readers. View Recipes…
Reading is one of my all time favorite hobbies & ways to better myself. I have stacks of unread books around my house just taunting me with the possibility of sitting down and getting lost in their pages. There is just something happy about the anticipation of a good read for me. From time to time I’ll share some of my favorites. Feel free to share yours.
stuff I like. products. food. drinks. exercises. tools. literature
Confessions - My thoughts & stories about my journey to health. Having struggled with a food addiction throughout my life, this is my journey to finally reaching that balance point and becoming my best me. This is the real deal: the good, the fat, and the carby!
Confession: Life has TOTALLY gotten the best of me lately.
I have not been a consistent blogger {I’m sure you hadn’t noticed}, but if you follow my Facebook page, I try to keep it updated at least every couple days, so at least there’s that.
To catch you up, here’s a little instagram collage of what we’ve been up to.
{explanations below: top to bottom, left to right}.
{Love my two littles—-baby #3 is another BOY! We are stoked!—-Moved into a new-to-us house & the first week we were in we had to have the septic tank pumped. It was smelly & no fun, but we’re good now!—-Love Bill Phillips who said, “FOOD is the most widely abused anti anxiety drug in America, and EXERCISE is the most potent yet underused antidepressant.”—-Have been craving red fruits all pregnancy + love a good book—-”If you continuously compete with others, you become BITTER, but if you continuously compete with yourself, you become BETTER.”—-Made cute graduation gifts for 12 seniors using IZZE soda from Costco—-Took a hike with my cute family. Love them!—-Walks on the treadmill—-Attended a few hot dog & marshmallow roasting nights with the fam—-Spent an awesome birthday weekend celebrating my BFF—-enjoyed cuddling my baby at bedtimes while he’s still our littlest—-baked cookies for neighbors on our street—-thought about & even found a system to organize my recipes, but haven’t followed through quite yet—-trimmed/bagged/froze 80 pounds of fresh chicken from Zaycon Foods; so worth it.—-Enjoyed our ready-to-drink Dutch chocolate shakes; so good frozen!—-Continued my bad habit of picking at my nails—-flew to Dallas for a TSFL convention with the Mister. Such a great experience with so many awesome trainings & growth opportunities + a getaway with just him and I is always magical.—-Enjoyed Mother’s day—-supported my boys ninja habit while setting up for my baby sister’s wedding reception—-had boy #1 graduate from preschool—-date nights with the Mister—-read through & sent out this incredible magazine to 100 people. It’s awesome and has helped many people take the plunge to start their own health journey with me or to join my health coaching team. I still have some available if you’re interested, just email me your snail mail address to: zkyoufit@hotmail.com—-”It doesn’t get easier, YOU just get better.”—-I love grapes with 1-2 T. peanut butter.—-Easter with the family was fantastic!—-Love this man I married.}
So there you have it-our last 6 weeks or so in pictures & captions. It’s been awesome & busy!
I’m looking to add a few people to my coaching team. If you are an individual who would love a career that offers fulfillment, purpose, freedom, flexibility, fun, travel, personal development, and a great income + you are a big thinker, a dreamer, hard working, and have a desire to be a leader, let’s talk! If this is you or someone you know, pass it on. I will be taking applications, chatting with potential candidates, & doing interviews in person & over the phone every Thursday through the month of June. zkyoufit@hotmail.com
Are you from, near, or wanting to go to Salt Lake City Utah? Here is an awesome opportunity for you. Whether you’re interested in starting the journey to lose weight yourself or you’re interested in becoming a health coach & helping others do the same, this will answer your questions. And just for registering & showing up, you are entered into a drawing for a 5 day trip to Hawaii for 2! Pretty phenomenal. And, if you go as my guest {after being referred by me}, you get entered into my drawing for a $50 Visa gift card! Just email me if you’ve registered and then let me know when you’re going & you’ll be entered. Pretty great odds! Please share with your family & friends in the Utah area & go check it out. Dr. Andersen himself will be there which is just awesome. I promise it will be worth your time.
Lastly, we are celebrating the men in our lives this month, so if there is something specific you’d like to know or see, let me know in the comments, on Facebook, or through email or messaging. Love our guys!
Yesterday our nation was shaken with the events at the Boston Marathon. My heart ached for those affected. The people participating in that event worked so hard, trained with their whole hearts, and were competing in an incredibly acclaimed race. Boston isn’t something you just do-it’s something you strive for, work for, sweat for, cry for, and then achieve. It’s BIG time. 
I’ve read several articles, watched some live footage, and seen the pictures in the newsfeeds. My prayers and thoughts go out to those who were there, who lost loved ones, lost limbs, and the spectators-especially children-who helplessly watched. I appreciate our incredible first responders and service men & women who work tirelessly and fearlessly in situations such as this. I feel blessed to live in a country where people still run toward danger to help in times of need.
This tragedy got me thinking about how we react in times of crisis and the moments following. Our number one priority generally becomes our family, for which I’m so grateful. We seem to rely more on the goodness of others, seek the good in those around us, and appreciate the little blessings in our lives more readily. Sometimes we shut down. We think, “what’s the point?” and we binge eat, stop exercising, sleep the days away, and weep. There is a time for each emotion, feeling, and reaction. No one can tell you your response is the wrong one.
I know that for me, the only acceptable response is to continue striving-even harder than before-to be the very best person I can be. This includes the way I treat those I love, the service I give to others {known and unknown}, the example I set for my kids, the way I handle my emotions, and the way I treat my physical body. This is how I choose to beat the enemy. They would win if everyone gave up, turned away from helping, and ran. Escaped. I know that I benefit no one when my reaction is to abuse my body by the way I treat & feed it, and that those I love who were affected or lost their lives would not be honored if my actions were anything less than my best.
If we will all choose to continue making the best choices we can for ourselves-even those seemingly small & inconsequential things as eating 5-6 healthy fuelings each day, being active with those we love so we can be around as long as we can for them, and getting a decent night’s sleep so we are energized for the next day’s events-we are also benefiting those around us. We are more prepared when tragedies strike. We are able to more fully handle life’s really crappy things. We are in a place both mentally & physically to lift someone else & carry them if needed.
We can be first responders in our own life.
Hug the ones you love. Pray for those who are hurting. Don’t sabotage your own desires to be healthy with the excuse that things are just too bad. Instead, do something GOOD for you and then help someone else. Look for the helpers and become one of them yourself. As long as there is good in this nation-and people who are willing to continue doing great things despite the really awful stuff going on, we still win. 
images via: facebook
So today’s post is going to be a little bit personal and a little bit deep. This month the theme over at Health Confessions {FB} is Mental Health and Wellness. This topic has been heavy on my mind because the longer I am a health coach and the more clients I get to coach and become friends with and love, the more I realize that people are inherently after the same things in life. Happiness, love, health. And, the more I realize that most of my clients struggle with some form of depression or anxiety.
{infographic found here. Notice my favorite portion where it notes how depression is treated: medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes including exercise, nutrition, sleep, social support-a coach maybe?, and stress reduction. All things we focus on with clients!}
I want to share a little back-story. When I met Zac I was instantly attracted to him. He was physically fit, incredibly handsome, and a tiny part of me thought I’d just love to touch his abs…okay, maybe a big part of me. (; But the very first {3 hour} conversation we had, we delved into some issues we were both going through {he’d had a recent breakup & I was 75 pounds overweight} and I found myself saying, “I think you are super hot, but I just want you to know I’m not looking for a relationship-not that I think you’d be interested in me-but I’m just setting the boundaries up front.” He laughed {not unkindly} and said, “I’m definitely not looking for a relationship right now.” I said, “I need to love myself before I can do that for anyone else.”
I had been a very self confident kid/teenager. I never struggled with self doubt, self esteem issues, or feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I was happy and healthy. My parents instilled a strong sense of self worth, which I also received from my faith in God and the fact that I was loved deeply by Him. These things were still true after college, but I underwent some serious slams to my self esteem as I continued gaining weight. I’d been heavy in high school too {and had a period of unfortunate bleached blond hair}, but I think I felt so loved and not judged by the people there that my worth wasn’t an issue. I was awesome. Fast forward to a year of college in a place where I perceived 99% of the girls looking like Barbie and all the guys looking like Ken. Ken wasn’t interested in me. Most Barbie’s were judging me a lot. I was eating to cope with being away from home, not having a boyfriend, leaving my BFF at home, etc. For the first time in my life I was really down.
When I came home at my all time high weight, I felt awful. I had lost a part of me and I wasn’t sure how to get it back. I missed my confidence. I missed feeling good in my skin-even if it wasn’t perfect. I loathed how I looked and felt. So that’s where I was & what I meant when I said what I did to Zac.
Thankfully he saw me-the real me-from that very first day, and didn’t laugh in my face at the thought that I was asking him NOT to be attracted to me. (; It didn’t happen overnight, I had to learn to like me again & to trust myself and Zac and others who loved me, and through a lot of deep conversation & self searching, journaling, lifestyle changes, and the most incredible man I know, I was able to find me again.
I don’t want you to think that because I met my goal weight, the issue was resolved. Yes, feeling good in my skin was MAJOR for me. It made an impact in the way I walked, the way I held my head, and how I felt in my clothes. I was much more confident because I wasn’t constantly worried about how I looked & was perceived. BUT, just losing weight doesn’t give us an answer to all our problems. If it did, no one who lost weight would ever gain it back. It’s so much more mental then that! The stuff that made the biggest difference was having a plan and a program that changed me from the inside out. And the greatest difference maker was having an accountability coach-Zac-who supported me on an almost daily basis. He still does that as my spouse & best friend and my life is so much richer because of it.
I see so much of myself in my clients. Anyone who’s ever struggled with food or addiction {whether they’re at a “healthy” weight or not} can identify in some way with what I’m talking about. I get it. But just getting to your goal will not help. Just changing one or two things will not fully change things. It’s a deep, searing, painful, and rewarding journey that has to address those issues we struggle with, the things that make us tick, and why we are the way we are. And it’s ongoing. It’s a lifelong pursuit. That is why I love what I do. As a health coach I guide clients to our incredible program that helps them delve into their inner selves to really switch their mental gears as well as their physical ones, while being a source of accountability and encouragement to them. So incredibly rewarding.
This article, written by Jen Larsen, nails this point perfectly. She talks about her experience with weight loss surgery because she was desperate to lose the weight & finally love herself. She highlights how that just didn’t happen. Losing the weight didn’t lose the insecurities or fallacies she was feeling because she didn’t change anything else. She took the surgery route with no lifestyle changes, no inner searching, no additional outside counseling, coaching, or help. She had to go through a very painful procedure and then an even more painful journey of self evaluation to finally learn to love herself again.
Many of my clients suffer from clinical depression and need additional help from other professionals. I’m so glad this option is there to help us! In addition to these helpful aides, an article from Counseling.org entitled Are You What You Eat? outlines several interesting tidbits. Worth reading all the way through, but here are some of my favorite nuggets:
“Processed foods, high fat [or] high-sugar goods, artificial colors and flavors, all can influence mental and physical health greatly. In my experience, food is often a source of self-medication or a crutch to escape emotional or psychological pain. Additionally, alcohol and caffeine use are major contributors to depressive symptoms, including sleep disruption.
“At the micro level, counselors should pay attention because nutrition affects how we feel, think and behave every day. All of our body’s processes are fueled by the nutrition we take in. That means that none of the emotional, spiritual, mental, chemical, biological [or] physiological processes can function adequately without the nutrients required to sustain them. At the macro level, counselors need to know that we live in a toxic food environment. In most places in the U.S., choosing healthy food is difficult, [while] choosing nutrient-poor food is easy and cheap. Encouraging clients with health-promoting nutrition messages helps counter profit-seeking messages that bombard us daily.”
“It is physically and emotionally liberating to be healthy. A person who is depressed may either not eat adequately or eat only sugar-based items. In both cases, the brain is not getting adequate protein or useful fats to operate properly. The ‘sugar highs’ lead to blood sugar crashes, which further dampen mood. With children exhibiting attention-oriented symptoms, I refer parents to a physician for possible allergy testing. Some food allergies can adversely impact attention. If the food allergy is properly managed or treated and the attention/behavior improves, that is a win-win.”
“Food is emotional and nutritious,” Watkinson says. “It gives us a feeling of control over ourselves and, yet, can also indicate a loss of control over our lives. Nutrition is becoming more accepted in Western culture as a point of imbalance [that] can significantly affect mood. The risk for counselors is to view a client’s affect or mood as only situational or chemical and not even consider a dietary or nutritional cause, which can influence many symptoms clients often report as fatigue, depression, irritability, lack of focus, etc.”
What is your story? Where do you fall on the spectrum? Tell me what helps you most when you’re down. Would having a coach help you?
{chalkboard pic via pinterest}
I’m feeling a bit random lately, so here are some things on my mind today.
ONE. If you haven’t yet, go like my Facebook page! I’m updating there far more than I’m updating here + you get the added bonus of knowing when I update my blog, so you don’t have to keep checking back. (;
TWO. A woman wrote a blog post entitled “Drops of Awesome.” The entire article is worth reading, but she talks about how our negative self talk often gets in the way of us realizing that we are pretty dang awesome. Here’s a couple excerpts I loved
“Drops of Awesome! I thought. Every time you do something good, something kind, something productive, it’s a drop in your Bucket of Awesome. You don’t lose drops for every misstep. You can only build. You can only fill.
You do not need to wait three months to be who you want to be. Pick up ten things right now and say, ‘Drops of Awesome! I am someone who takes care of my house. That is who I am. I have proof.’
In the end, it’s really about allowing yourself to feel joy and allowing yourself to be proud of the small victories of life. This builds momentum and you want more drops in your bucket and when you don’t get as many, you pick yourself up and say, ‘What can I do next?’”
I’d encourage you-if you’ve veered a little or a lot off plan-to make a plan & ask me for help. Eat a Medifast meal, drink more water, go out for a walk and call it what it is, a drop of awesome! You are on your way with each little step to what you can be! You can become the very best you you’ve ever been. And I LOVE seeing your transformations along the way.
THREE. Something I desperately needed to hear in relation to mommyhood this week. But applies to every area of life. I’ve been studying emotional intelligence a lot the past several months and realize I have a LOT of room for growth. Mainly because I am way too highly attached to the outcome of things & people & relationships with emotions. This is normal human behavior, but often leads to rash reactions which is NOT healthy. I’m a work in progress.
FOUR. Looking for a great & healthy recipe? Check out Skinny Taste’s blog and especially her Low Carb recipes. I’ve tried lots of them and have had success every time. Seriously yummy goodness!
FIVE. I’m 16 weeks pregnant & took my concealed weapons course this past weekend. It was an absolute blast & I learned so much. The Mister had already taken the class, but came along to chill with me & take pictures. He was a bit nervous about my belly in this side to front drill. I am showing MUCH quicker than I did with my first two pregnancies. So thankful for my body & its ability to carry this amazing little life. 
SIX. I don’t have much time for “just because” reading, but am always on the lookout for a great new read. I love memoirs, leadership books, becoming better {self helpish} types, and great fiction. What do you suggest lately?
SEVEN. How cool is this picture gram? It’s awesome for diabetics, but smart for anyone who is looking for lower carb snacks…aka: my clients! Of course if it was my picture, I’d add our amazing Medifast meals-especially our delicious ready to drink Chocolate shake and our yummy brownie to the list. (;
EIGHT. If you’re finally sick & tired of feeling sick & tired and want to make a change for you and your health + you’d like me for your free health coach, contact me. I’m taking new clients & LOVING their progress. My job never gets old. Email: zkyoufit@hotmail.com or check out http://www.youfit.tsfl.com/explore & fill out the contact info form.
{Pictures are my own or from Pinterest}
Confession: I’m incredibly motivated by 12 week challenges.
It all started when I first met the Mister and he introduced me to a popular 12 week lifestyle program. I loved it, excelled, and fell in love. I can do ANYTHING for 12 weeks, right? You can, too! So, I’m totally stoked that you have the opportunity to participate in an incredible 12 week challenge! And, have me as your personal health coach!! And possibly win some awesome cash and/or prizes! I know, the perks! (;
The catch: you only have SIX days left to make the decision & contact me to get going, so get on it! Just imagine what you could do in just 12 short weeks on program! My 12 week results {from our program utilizing my health coach} speak volumes.
Tell your friends and share this because the more who participate, the bigger the prizes! Cash Prizes based on percentage of body weight lost. Male / Female categories. There will also be weekly and monthly prizes.
Contact: Karli
Email: zkyoufit@hotmail.com
Website: http://
http://www.facebook.com/
1. Challenge based on 12 weeks for Grand Prize (For those with small weight loss goals, you are eligible for monthly prizes).
2. Participants are required to enroll in our health program & have Tony or me as your free health coach. With your input, we will place your first order for you.
3. Existing clients are eligible and need to enroll by 2/10/13 and use start weight as of 2/11/13.
4. New ordering participants must enroll by 2/4/13 to be eligible for Grand Prize (those who sign up after the 4th are eligible to win weekly and monthly prizes only (but you can still reach your health/weight loss goal 
.
5. We are covering your $20 “entry fee” for you!
6. * PRIZES will vary depending on how many people sign up. $1,000 based on 50 participants. Let’s rocket WAY beyond this by inviting EVERYONE!!!!
7. Contest organizers reserve right to make modifications to contest as necessary.
*You should always consult with a doctor before starting any weight loss program & results may vary.
Also, I’m working on a post titled “The Lies we Tell Ourselves,” and am looking for reader submissions to include {anonymously, if desired}. Please send me your submission with the subject line: LIES to zkyoufit@hotmail.com Any lies you tell yourself about diet/food/exercise/health/routines, etc., will be awesome. Thank you!
Lastly, I’m finally 13 weeks pregnant & beginning to feel like a human again, so look forward to more frequent posts! (;
A few weeks ago the mister & I headed to Vegas to celebrate our 9th anniversary. We love Vegas and although we don’t drink/gamble/smoke, we always find plenty to keep us busy & just enjoy each others company. This time we loved walking all over the strip, seeing Eddie Vedder in concert, a World Class driving experience {Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc.}, a bit of shopping, time with friends, and I jumped off an 855 foot building. No big deal. (;
Just kidding, it was totally a big deal! Did you hear the part where I jumped off a building?!
I am not a daredevil. I have always considered myself a fairly brave person, but that was when I’m standing on the ground, keeping myself away from all things scary, and not having to face any fears.
2 years ago I did the Big Shot ride at the top of the stratosphere in Vegas. It was a blast & I thought I might want to do it again this trip. I looked it up & saw they had a new attraction. Yes, plunging off the stratosphere, a sky jump. I knew I had to do it. I decided and then I couldn’t go back. My sweet husband-who is deathly afraid of heights-kindly supported me, but kept asking, “Are you sure you’ve thought this through? I will not think less of you if you decide not to do this… Do you really want to do this?!” Haha! He is so dang adorable.
We got there, I suited up {after unsuiting to use the bathroom because I didn’t want to embarrass myself}, & kissed Zac, who was super nervous & going to take pictures from the bottom. Rode the escalator up 108 floors with a couple other dudes who were going to do the jump & waited my turn. The guys who helped were awesome & I was NERVOUS, but excited. 
The worst part? Definitely that initial moment where I had to take the actual plunge. The best part? The falling. Wow! There aren’t words to describe the absolute rush of endorphins & excitement. Such an incredible experience. I would totally do it again and would love to try actual sky diving someday soon. {Zac is really unsure about that one}!
Visit my Facebook page HERE to view the video awesomeness of the event. Make sure to let me know what you think. And like my page if you haven’t already! (;
Afterward we were walking down the strip & laughing about it. Zac would stop every few hundred yards or so & grab me by the shoulders and say, “You just JUMPED off the stratosphere!! Just when I think you can’t amaze me anymore, you go & do something like that!” {he’s so sweet like that}
The whole experience was surreal and the adrenaline rush lasted a good six hours. The confidence burst is still going strong-weeks later. The point of this story? Sometimes the leap of faith we need to take has to do with our health. Sometimes we know we have to do it or we’ll regret it later. Most times the very hardest part is that moment when you take the actual plunge & decide. The best part is ALWAYS the journey and the feeling afterward when you realize you accomplished something you were previously scared to do.
I took the plunge in 2010 when I started the program with the help of my incredible coach. I have not regretted it for one second. It has only proved to be a confidence booster and a blessing in my life. I’ve been where you are. I am challenging you to take that leap of faith with me. I will support you, guide you, and encourage you. I will be there for the scary plunge & for the rewarding & exhilarating after effects of your choice.
57% of Americans will join a gym or start a new diet plan on January 1st. That is more than half of all people you know! If you or anyone you know {friends and/or family} are desperate for a healthy change, please call me & take the leap of faith in the best way possible. All new clients will receive $25 of their first order through December 31st. I will only be taking 20 new clients for the New Year. Spots fill up fast, so please share with those you love as soon as possible. If you have people you know who want to get healthy, consider becoming a coach yourself and helping them do what you are doing/have done. You could bless their lives and be blessed financially in your own life. Give the gift of health to yourself & those you love this year.
I’ll look forward to hearing from you & sharing progress from those who take the plunge & start the journey to health on January 1st with me!
PS: Guess what?! There are NEW PRODUCTS available today!!
The Mac & Cheese sounds delicious! My coaches tried it and loved it. The Fajita seasoning mix & brown gravy mix are in a new category called, “Meal Helpers.” They will count as condiments and come with three lean & green recipes each which is awesome for variety. Get your products HERE!
Confession: A few Saturday’s ago, I participated in the most enjoyable 5k I’ve ever done.
I love 5k’s. They aren’t too far {3.1 miles} and are the perfect length for enjoyment and exercise. You don’t feel like you’re going to die {usually} and you can always see the end in sight. They are doable.
{PS: I didn’t always feel this way. Almost 10 years ago, when I ran my first 5k race, I thought it was the longest distance ever and was the most proud of myself I’d been up to that point. I still feel a rush & a thrill anytime I do a 5k because I realize it is a monumental thing-in my life & in many others.}
The only difference now is that I am confident in my ability to finish them.
The 5k I did was The Color Run. I organized a Health Confessions team, had 16 people sign up with me, ordered shirts, and had a blast! It was seriously the most fun I’ve had in a 5k race. 
Admittedly, when I woke up I wasn’t that psyched about it. I was tired {it was early}, worried about my foot, and it was cold. I hate running in the cold. But, I sucked it up & got ready. My cute mom ran the race with me and we rode together, along with our friend Carol. We got there and I was more excited. Something about a lot of people pulled together for a similar cause + great music blaring over the speakers, really gets me in the mood to go. We never did get the whole team together, but I saw most of them at one point or another which was fun. We had a blast! I will most definitely do this race again next year and will bring the whole family to enjoy it. Such a great way to start the morning.
I’m encouraging you to find something to participate in this week or in the next month over the Holidays. In almost every town there is some sort of Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot {and I bet it’s not too late to get signed up} and there are all sorts of great {and very casual} races, flag football games, relays, etc. throughout December. Get the whole group together & get up & out! Instead of focusing on the food this season, focus on moving, friendships, family, and laughing while doing something out of your comfort zone.
I know you won’t regret it. Happy Thanksgiving Week!
Confession: I don’t really buy into the whole “I’m going to wait till the New Year to get healthy because it’s just too hard during the Holiday’s,” excuse.
Sorry.
I may sound heartless, but it’s true. The thing is, society has made “the Holiday’s” a SEVENTY day affair starting the week prior to Halloween and ending January first. In reality, it’s just a few days over a few months.
And guess what? There will always be something! Some holiday, some get together, some excuse. There is never a perfect time.
Last year my coach told me an idea that I LOVED, used, and shared with my clients and potential clients. I’m sharing again this year because I think it totally rocks.
Pretend you’re a client of mine and on program…or you’re a client of mine in maintenance or learning how to eat healthily for life. In any of these cases, you’re eating six small meals a day. From tomorrow {11/6/12} til the end of the year {12/31/12}, we have 336 chances {eating 6 times a day}, to make a choice.
Instead of thinking, “the holiday’s are here, so just go crazy & eat till I’m sick and get back on the wagon January 1st,” what if we really looked at our calendar and decided which of those 336 meals could be potentially dangerous or hard situations…or times where we know we are really going to want to just go off plan and enjoy ourselves. For instance, you might have one or several of the following situations:
–Halloween Day, Thanksgiving dinner x 2 {your family/in laws or friends}, Church Christmas party, School or work potluck, friends party, Christmas Eve, Christmas day x 2 {your family/in laws}, New Year’s Eve, 1-2 miscellaneous other events.
If you had all of the above, that equates to 13 {max} meals that you may struggle with. That leaves 323 chances to be good!
Instead of throwing in the towel for all 336 meals, what if you said you would stay on program, make healthy choices, and choose to eat well for 323 of those meals and then just do whatever you want for the other 13. That may look like forgetting about program all together for that meal & eating whatever you want, or it may look like small portions of everything that sounds/looks good to you, or it may just be a regular healthy meal + 2-3 bites of each of the things you love. Whatever it looks like, you can continue to make progress toward your goal and either maintain or be 10-15 pounds down come the New Year, even without feeling deprived. The majority of American’s GAIN 10-15 pounds between Halloween & New Year’s. You could enjoy the Holiday’s and your relationships and still be ahead of your goals when the New Year hits!
This works. It’s worked for several of my clients and for myself. Many people even found after going {way} off plan for the first meal that it wasn’t even worth it! They were able to stay on track for all the rest of their meals because they realized being healthy & achieving their goals felt better than any of that food tasted.
I LOVE this plan and love offering it to people at every stage and in every season of the year, because there is really no reason to wait. Our health is the most important gift we have, so why not now?
If you’re done with feeling sick, and want to go into the New Year with a head-start on your goals, call or message me. Don’t use the Holiday’s as an excuse. Where will you be in 60 days if you don’t start today?
{picture via Pinterest}
Confession: I am a big scaredy cat about all things Halloween.
I put on a brave face and pretend like I’m totally rocking it, but really, I’m shaking in my socks.
The husband, on the other hand, LOVES all things Halloween. The spookier the better. Haunted houses, mazes, scary movies, stories, etc. He thinks they are all absolutely hilarious and loves to include me in everything he’s participating in.
This year he insisted that I do one of our local Haunted Houses/mazes with him. I resisted, but resistance was futile. Louis, one of our cousins & besties, offered to protect me, along with my brother in law who works security at the Haunt, so I acquiesced. Also, my mother in law {read: bravest woman I know} wanted to go with us.
So, the date was set & my Mr. was SO excited. I was getting sicker by the minute.
I kept thinking, “why am I more nervous this time? I did it two years ago and lived…but back then I was just scared, now I feel like I might be sick.”
It came to me when we walked in and I saw all the scary costumes, heard the sound effects, saw the scary movies, etc. I was more scared because I knew was was coming.
I felt the same way about childbirth. I was nervous the first time, sure, but I had no expectations because I had no idea how it would look. The second time, I was WAY more nervous and scared because not only did I suddenly remember how much it hurt, but I also realized how much I had to lose if anything went wrong. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
The experience wasn’t all bad. The Husband LOVED it and was as giddy as a schoolgirl the entire way through. He would check on me {sandwiched between my two fearless protectors} and offer to hold my hand at the front of the pack, but there was no way in heck I was leading the group & I also wanted him to be able to fully enjoy it, so held back. An added benefit was that he {and his super brave mama} got all the scary stuff & I got to see it happening from behind, so it wasn’t as awful for me. I made it out alive and relieved….and a bit shaky. 
{Forgive our picture-it was dark all night & our eyes weren’t ready for the flash of brightness.}
On the way home I realized it’s like that with living a healthy lifestyle, too. If we go off track or program a bit-or a lot at times-it feels harder and scarier to get back on track. It feels bigger because we know what level of commitment it’s going to take. We know it’s going to be uncomfortable at times because we’ve been there, and we realize we are going to miss out on some things we really like.
The reward is so worth it though. That sense of accomplishment of doing the hard & scary thing totally rocks. It so outweighs the desire to stay in our comfort zone and do what feels easy.
So, I committed to going again next year. Because had I stopped having kids because it was scary, I wouldn’t have my amazing 2 year old and the thought of more kids on the horizon. If I let the discomfort of exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep, and trying new things dissuade me, I wouldn’t feel good about myself, be healthy, or ever attain optimal health.
I’ll make sure to have some protectors with me then too, though. Just like I have an amazing support team in real life who helps me through the discomfort of the scary times.
A client recently told me “We have to be okay with being someone we’ve never been before. It’s easy to hide behind what’s been comfortable for so long. It’s easy to blend in and pretend we don’t want to be better.”
I challenge you to make a commitment to face one of your fears this week. Maybe it’s something having to do with Halloween {including staying away from the candy!}, or maybe it’s finally facing the fact that you have a desire to be the person you’ve wanted to be for so long. Message, call, or fill out this form to receive more info. I’m taking a limited number of new clients through the end of October & would love for you to be one of them.
Have a Happy & {safely} Spooky Halloween!
Confession: Exercise is the hardest thing for me to force myself to do for myself.
{can anyone say “total run on sentence??!”}
Anyway, because of that, throughout the month of October, I’ll be focusing on exercise & movement.
To kick off, here are a couple fun challenges for you.
1. 43 for Jonathan. This challenge was put on by the beautiful Becky and is in honor of her brother Jonathan who recently passed away after a fight with cancer. Here’s what Becky has to say, “Jonathan would have turned 43 in October, so in honor of him the challenge will simply be to log 43 miles during the month of October. Walk, run, bike, swim… doesn’t matter. Just get out there and make it happen. To join the official 43 for Jonathan challenge on dailymile, just sign up for a free account on dailymile.com and join the challenge HERE. And start moving. Remember: This is not a race to 43… just a challenge to get that mileage in during the month of October.”
Isn’t this a great concept?! It was just the thing to get me moving this month and between yesterday & today I’ve logged 6.15 miles. Felt great! I’d love to see you logging your own miles, so in addition to dailymile, let’s post as we go on the Facebook page & encourage each other. Just tag it #43forJonathan. Join up!
2. Color Run! This is an awesome 5k I’ve been looking forward to for about a year. It’s all fun, all colorful, totally casual, walk or run, & I can’t wait! I’d LOVE to have you join my team. It’s going to rock! This is just more incentive to keep moving every day so I am ready for the race. If you haven’t signed up yet, what are you waiting for? Visit the link HERE, sign up and when prompted to choose a team, write in Health Confessions & you’ll find it. Then, let me know you’re signed up so I can send you a shout out! It’ll be awesome. Invite your spouse, sister, best friend, kid, or neighbor. Sign up together-get out there & move. The color run is the perfect thing to motivate & get you moving. {picture via color run website}
What are you waiting for? Get signed up for these challenges, let me know about it, and JOIN ME! Make the most of this life. Move it!
