Hi Fitbuddies,
I read once that having a Plan B is like admitting failure right at the onset. Having a back-up plan, and acknowledging when something isn’t working is a huge step in bringing about the changes you want in your life. The caveat is that you have to get your rear in gear and take action. Plan B should never be about giving up or giving in. Many times we refuse to accept that our original idea wasn’t as good as we thought. If your current method isn’t working, don’t consider that a character flaw. Maybe there’s a better way, (obviously) or a lesson that we need to learn. How will you know if the third time is the charm if you give up on the second try? Of course we want to get to the point where we don’t have to always start over, but failure is not an acceptable option. Re-think your strategy if things are happening the way you want them to. Accept that there are many ways to get to the end result, and enjoy the ride. Take Care and Be Well.
In Health,
Sandra
You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. Mary Pickford
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o Training Tip - Re-Thinking Cardio
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The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.
That quote has been attributed to Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Rita Mae Brown. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter who said it first. What matters is that we re-visit that line of thinking from time to time. I’m re-thinking lots of things these days, wellness being a few of them. Back in January I shared with you my plan for dropping my post holiday/birthday pounds. So far so good I’ve lost ten, with another 8 or 9 nine to go. I discovered that former Plan A wasn’t working so great anymore; so it was time for a change. You’ll read about the eating plan later. Exercise hasn’t been a big issue with me, I love it and it’s a challenge for me to take a day off.
I’m also very old school about my workouts. I like aerobic activity whether on a machine or just using my own bodyweight, and lots of it. However, there’s been tons of research lately about the downside of STC, steady state cardio. Injuries, and lack of results to name a few of the drawbacks. That being said, I’ve held on to my cardio philosophy with a vise like grip, refusing to let it go. Until now. Did I really just say that?
Cardio is still high on my exercise to do list. It’s just done differently and less often. In order to reshape the body, resistance training has to be at the top of the workout list. And not with the itty bitty ooh baby don’t hurt yourself weights. I’ve told you that before, but now it’s time to get serious. Look at the people in the gym (if you go to one) that are always on the cardio machines. How much different do they look if they’ve been working out for more than 6 months. Are they sleeker, more buff looking? If you’re the one you’re looking at has your body shape changed in the way you want it to?
If you’re spending more than 40 minutes a day on cardio alone, you’re not going to reshape your body or increase your strength. If you’re doing more than 40 minutes a day on cardio more than 4 days a week, your knees, hips and back may rebel at any minute.
Read this again:
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.
Let that marinate for a bit. Trust me I’ll share with you how to turn things around in the next edition. If you can‘t wait till then, send me an email and I‘ll get you started.
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o What’s On Your Plate - Lower Carbs
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Did you feel the ground shaking? No, are you sure? If you did it wasn’t an earthquake or any other natural disaster. It was one of my previous eating philosophies being tossed aside. Well just a little. OK, enough with all the mystery. I’m re-thinking my stance on eating low carb. Just saying it makes me cringe a little. Before you shake your head and cast me off as wishy-washy hear me out.
There is a huge difference between no carb and low carb and even low carb deserves some explanation. I don’t and never will advise anyone to give up an entire food group. Your fruits and veggies are safe, that was close, huh? There’s been lots of talk lately about eating clean and rightly so. Eating clean means eating food as close to nature as possible. That means send most processed and pre-packaged foods into the round file. Most foods that fall into that category are highly infused with sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. You’d be amazed how manufacturers can sneak sugar and sugar syrups into unsuspecting foods. And when you ditch those non nutritional items you’ll have drastically lowered your carb intake. Since most starchy veggies are also high in carbs you might want to re-think those as well. Starch just like sugar is high in carbs and has the same effect on blood sugar. Remember all our chats about the Glycemic Index?
So you’re thinking that I’ve never advocated that kind of food anyway, right? Right, but I’m taking it a bit further. Breads and most cereals, even those that are whole wheat and full of fiber are processed foods. Wheat isn’t taken right from the field and made into bread. Even shredded wheat cereal is processed. It’s very challenging to find a bread or cereal that isn’t processed and without some type of sweetener in it. What about the fiber you ask? If you’re getting in 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, you’re getting fiber.
In the past low carb eating was associated with a free for all of steak, eggs and cheese. Please don’t go there. Meals loaded with saturated fat are a one way ticket to the coronary care unit and that’s not where you want to be. Protein is important but you always want to choose lean meats, fish, poultry and lower fat milk and cheeses. And I’m not asking you to totally give up bread, cereal and any other whole grain, or starchy foods, just scale back the amount you’re eating.
A Few Health Benefits of Lower Carb Intake
- Increased energy
- Cravings for sweets reduced
- Better mental concentration
- Improved mood
- Better handle on compulsive/emotional eating
- Improved dental hygiene (less dental plaque; improved gum health)
Try scaling back the amount you eat and see you feel. If you notice any of the benefits listed above, you know you’re on the right track. Just a thought Fitbuddies; and if you feel you’ve tried everything else, why not give this a shot. Let me know what you think.
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o Recipe Corner - Pizza Frittata
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This isn’t just a breakfast food because it’s loaded with eggs. Often time of day does dictate what we eat, but it’s not written in stone. And if you don’t tell your family that it’s a lower carb alternative, they’ll never know. You secret’s safe with me. Enjoy!
12 eggs
2 TBS water (can use reduced fat milk, cream, or half and half as desired)
3 TBS olive oil
2 medium green peppers, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 oz pepperoni, chopped (I buy the presliced kind which makes it really easy
2 tsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup sugar-free pasta sauce
Don’t freak out over using a dozen eggs. This makes a lot of servings and it’s not bad reheated. Heat oil in large nonstick ovenproof skillet. Sauté¢ green peppers, mushrooms, and pepperoni for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Whisk eggs and liquid together. Add mixture to pan.
Mix egg mixture as it cooks, so cooked "curds" are distributed throughout. In about 2-3 minutes, it should be have enough "body" to float some pasta sauce on the top.
Add the cheese after the sauce. Put the frittata under the broiler to brown, but you‘ve got to watch it like a hawk so it doesn‘t burn. By this point, the eggs should be cooked through. Check. If they aren't, turn the oven down to 300 and give it a couple of minutes more.
In case you’re wondering: Serves 6. 7 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 21 grams protein, and 344 calories.
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o Think About This - Creating Balance in your Life, By Laura L. Parker ==================================================================
The first step to becoming more balanced is to understand your emotions. Emotions were not meant to be hidden nor where they meant to be abused and used excessively. Getting a clear understanding that being able to express your emotions is healthy and expressing them the right way is beneficial for healing and breakthrough. Emotions are a way your body tells you something that you need to be in tune with on a daily basis.
Secondly, you will have to learn what triggers you to feel so out of balance. There are usually external stress factors like work, overloaded schedules, family issues, etc... all of these will contribute to feelings of anxiety, stress, and can make you feel as if your always unfocused and are being pulled in too many directions. You may need to change a few things! By establishing where you want your energy to go is extremely important in finding a balance in areas of your life.
You will have to prioritize to feel balanced. There are things that you over commit yourself to or feel obligated to attend that maybe you do not have to. Find out what is most important and put your energy into the things and people that are lasting. Trying to change everything at once is a big mistake that many people make when they are trying to better their health or be more successful. Pinpoint the areas that you need to make the biggest changes in and make those changes first and take small steps to getting the balance incorporated into your whole life.
Laura L. Parker is a life and wellness coach helping individuals achieve their goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can visit her website http://www.mylittlelifecoach.com to view more articles or to set up a life coaching session. Laura focuses on areas of wellness, weight management, stress management, and family/work balance. For a copy of her eBook "All things healthy" please visit her site today, http://www.mylittlelifecoach.com and request your free copy and view more articles.
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