Take Control Now (4)

Now that you have gotten to know yourself better and learned how to make the most of the time available to you, it's time to discover what you love to do. 

The article I've included today entitled, "Find Your Fitness Passion" includes five guiding questions and a downloadable flowchart which will help you discover what your true fitness passions might be.

For this assignment, I want you to clear your mind of traditional exercise: treadmills, ellipticals, steppers or any other machine found at a gym, if you are not a fan of classes get that out of your mind too. 

I want you to think of ways you like to be active. Here are a few you may find interesting: dancing, swimming, karate, climbing (outside or indoors at a rock gym), boxing, tennis, ice skating, roller skating, inline skating, trampolines. You can also join a team sport like soccer, softball, or get a few friends together once a week and enjoy a fun game of kickball. There is so much to choose from.

Of course, if you enjoy your time at the gym, stay there and do what you love most. Maybe you love resistance bands or BOSU or exercises on the stability ball. Maybe there's a class you love you just haven't found the time to do it. 

This week make it a point to go and do the things you love and miss doing. The exercises that made you feel strong and confident. 

For now, I want you to stay where you're comfortable, doing the things you enjoy.

Afterwards, write in your journal what you did and how it made you feel. It's important to assess how you feel because sometimes what brought you joy in the past doesn't anymore. If it brings you the same joy, then write that down too. Was it more challenging than you remember? Are you looking forward to doing it again? 

As always, be honest with yourself. It's ok to move on to new things. And it's ok to stay where you feel comfortable. Everyone's fitness passion is different. Some change, some stay the same. Where do you fit in?

https://experiencelife.com/article/find-your-fitness-passion/ 

Take Control Now (3)

Today's post is all about how to manage your time effectively so that you are more productive throughout the day.

By now we may have had a day or two where we were not able to fit in our "me time" and keep up with our daily journal. Even though we have it scheduled in our calendar, there are days when we just can't fit it in. 
Why does this happen? 
What is eating up all of our time? 

I love this article but dislike the title because I am not fond of the word "lazy." I prefer to say this article will help you be more productive with the time you have.

Check out the five expert tips and apply them to your daily and weekly schedules. 

*The assignments after this one will only be successful if you have the time to put into them and are honest with yourself about how you feel after completing them. This is why the first three assignments are so important*

http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/

Take Control Now (2)

For your second assignment, you're going to dig a little deeper with your journal entries and delve into the feelings you write about. What situations or people are causing you to feel anger, sadness, or happiness? It's time to explore the source of your emotions and understand why you feel the way you do. 
Take your time and be honest with yourself. 

Once you feel you have a good grasp on the causes of these feelings, it's time to work on controlling them. 

Attached to this post is an article entitled "5 Ways to Get Your Unwanted Emotions Under Control." Scroll down to the bottom of the article and read the 5 steps to help you regulate your emotions. 
"This 5-step approach is one that you can readily adapt to the most characteristic situations that cause you trouble. Knowing your emotional triggers can help you avoid the problems in the first place. Being able to alter your thoughts and reactions will build your confidence in your own ability to cope. With practice, you’ll be able to turn negatives into positives, and, each time, gain emotional fulfillment." 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201502/5-ways-get-your-unwanted-emotions-under-control

Take Control Now (1)

March is here. Year after year working as a personal trainer, this month has always been my busiest. I've met so many motivated people anxious to get started on a training program to get them to where they want to be both physically and mentally. It's a great time of year to get started. The weather is warming up, people are venturing outside of their homes and becoming more social, and it's great to feel the sun shining on us again. These feelings inspire us to be more active, try new things, and that results in us feeling even more excited. This excitement is a wonderful emotion but it doesn't last forever. When the feeling isn't new and fun anymore, a lot of the activities that were a result of that emotion tend to fall away.

What I've been trying to get a handle on for some time now is why some people quit activities that used to bring them so much joy. Or why they quit searching for activities to bring them joy. What happens? 

I believe I've found the answer and I'm going to apply it in the Take Control Now program. Here I will teach you how to listen to yourself and by doing so it will allow you to figure out exactly what you need to keep yourself motivated and inspired in all facets of life, not just fitness. 

You will be given assignments and these assignments will all work together to make you more in touch with who you are and what you truly want. 

Your first assignment is to start a private journal. It can be online or in a notebook using pencil and paper. At the end of the day, write how you felt throughout the day. You can go into as much or as little detail as you want. Afterwards, just breathe. In the nose and out of the mouth. 

This time is a gift to yourself. To make sure you give yourself this gift at the end of each day, I want you to write or type into your personal calendar "journal," "breathe," "me time," whatever words will most inspire you to take this time for yourself. You schedule time for everyone else's needs. Now it's time to schedule time for yours. 

For most of us, our daily lives are so busy that we have become slaves to our to-do list. So when our to-do list says we should "workout" or "start diet," we don't know where to begin. A hot trend or what a friend suggests is working for him or her is usually what we try first. We have lost touch with what activities bring us joy or excitement. We are so busy listening to external voices that we have forgotten to listen to our own. By acknowledging and working through our feelings every day, we are now beginning to listen to ourselves again and this will bring about true and lasting change.

I have included a TED Talk featuring Shonda Rhimes, television writer and producer of shows like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. It's about 15 minutes and I encourage you to listen to the whole thing. You'll see that even "titans" have moments of doubt, break their stride and feel defeated. But more importantly you'll learn what she does to get back what she's lost. And it's so simple.

A quick note about this program before I wrap up this post. Take Control Now was created to help you understand yourself better. As you begin to understand why you are doing the things you do, you will have more control over your decisions, your time, and your emotions. These are all very important components to living a happy and fulfilled life. This is going to take time. This is not a quick fix. However, if you are currently doing a 21 day fix or other such diet or exercise program, you can do this too. While I'm not a fan of quick fixes, I understand that they are helpful in some situations. Do you whatever you feel is best for you.

If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them on this blog and I will get back to you as soon as I can. If you don't wish to leave your name, you have the option to leave them anonymously.

I wish you strength and courage to move forward and create the best version of yourself.

http://www.ted.com/talks/shonda_rhimes_my_year_of_saying_yes_to_everything?share=152b78a3f 

Why Counting Calories Will NOT Lead to Weight Loss

I came across an excellent article from Time entitled "'Eat Less, Exercise More' Isn't the Answer for Weight Loss" published on June 3, 2014. http://time.com/2809007/eat-less-exercise-more-isnt-the-answer-for-weight-loss/
Science has proven that burning more calories than you consume will result in weight loss. But the trouble is that this only has short-term results. Obesity experts are saying for long-term weight loss, it simply doesn’t work. They say to stop counting calories and start paying attention to what you're eating.
We need to start paying to attention to the effects of what we eat. For example, "when you eat a lot of refined carbs, like say, a 100-calorie pack of Oreos, it causes a surge of insulin that will trigger your fat cells to soak up calories—but there are not enough calories and nutrients to provide the energy that our bodies need. The brain recognizes this discrepancy and triggers a hunger response that also slows our metabolism. We are then going to want to eat more."
We should instead be focusing on the quality of the food we consume. Although foods such as avocados, nuts, and olive oil are high in fat, they are among the healthiest foods we could possibly eat. Experts blame the obesity epidemic on refined carbohydrates. "Sugar and processed grains like white bread which have become ubiquitous in our diets, and one of the reasons refined carbs is the prime culprit is that we’ve spent far too long chastising fat. We have to forget the low-fat paradigm."
"Instead of counting calories, we should be focusing on the quality of the food we consume. If you just try to eat less and exercise more, most people will lose that battle."
The article is a quick read and very informative. As always, I suggest reading it in its entirety.

Vitamins, Supplements, & Homeopathic Remedies

The first time walking into a store or even down a grocery store aisle that sells vitamins, supplements, and homeopathic remedies can be overwhelming. It's kind of like walking into a gym for the first time...you know everything in there can help you, but how and when do you use it? You go in looking for one thing, but when you start browsing, it looks like you could use a little of everything. How does one know where to start?
First, choose one store to buy your products from. So how do you choose a store? I base this on two factors: reputation and location. When I began researching a place to get all of my vitamins and supplements, I realized I could just get them at my local grocery store. The problem was, there wasn't someone there to answer my (many) questions. So I chose a store less than five miles from my house that has been in business for over 30 years and has many great reviews on Yelp and other Internet review sites. They also had hours that worked with my schedule. (For my local readers, that store is Back to Nature Health Foods http://www.btnature.com/ You can find their Facebook and Twitter handles on their website)
So now I have a location and reputation, but how is their customer service? Are they helpful? Are they going to see how naïve I am and try to sell me every supplement available? I started simply by asking for a multi-vitamin. However, I didn't want to be taking more than one or two a day, I didn't want to pay a lot, and I often get nauseous from big vitamins so I need something that's easily digestible. I was pleased that the owner offered me many different brands of multi-vitamins that fit my tall order.
In my opinion, I choose a small business not only because I love to support small businesses and shop local, but because I truly feel the owners of this store have my best interests in mind. If you can't say that about the store you're currently going to, it's time to do a little research and see what else is out there. And remember: location (because time and traffic is always a factor and if it's too far, you won't go...same train of thought when choosing a gym), reputation (referrals from a friend are great, but when you don't have that, check out how long the shop has been in business and do a little Internet research for reviews), and customer service (much like choosing a personal trainer...does the shop owner have your best interest in mind, or do they just want your money?)
OK, so you've chosen your store. Now you have a long list of supplements that you've written down from friends' recommendations and watching or reading Dr. Oz and you don't know where to begin. There are so many different brands each claiming to be the best and each bottle is giving options the others don't (capsules, oils, gummies, etc.) How do you know which is right for you? First, pick one supplement. If you're not taking multi-vitamins, I say to start there. There are some that say a multi-vitamin isn't necessary, that we get all of our nutrients from the food we eat. That may be true for some, and good for them because that's the best way to get them, however, when I look at the label of my multi-vitamins, I know there are vitamins and minerals in there that are not in my daily meals.
Discuss your allergies and preferences with the owner or employee of the shop. Make sure they are fully confident in what they are suggesting to you (and if not, try another employee or another shop. Your health is nothing to take lightly!)
Start with one vitamin/supplement and take that for a week, maybe even two. Once you feel that it is a benefit to your health and there are no side effects, then you can move on to your next. Remember that what works for a friend may not work for you, same as diet or exercise. If it's not working, don't give up, just look for another option.
I tried looking for an article online that I could provide as a guide for you to use when shopping for these products, but unfortunately they were all tied to an online company selling them. I'm sure many online companies are legitimate, however, I wouldn't suggest buying them off the Internet unless they sell your exact brand and you've been using that brand for a few months without any issues or side effects. I found this site from the National Institutes of Health to provide some useful information on the background of homeopathy, as well as use, side effects, and regulation: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy

I hope this has been some help to get you started. Even if you only take a multi-vitamin, it's important to make sure you're taking the right one. For years I took a popular brand sold in every major pharmacy thinking that if all of these stores are selling it and I see commercials for it, it must work. It wasn't until I started taking a brand that's not sold in big box stores that I noticed my energy increase and my nausea decrease.

If you've had good or bad experiences with vitamins, supplements, and homeopathic remedies, or even with a store that sells them, please let me and the Body by Kelly community know!

The Fear of Getting "Bulky"

Any personal trainer will tell you that strength training is necessary. The problem is women are afraid to get "bulky." Time and time again I have to explain to women that using weights, be it machines or free weights, will not cause bulky muscle. In fact, it will even help to burn more fat than just doing cardio alone, even at rest.
Recently I've come across an article on the Huffington Post that provides even more reason to work out with the intent of building muscle instead of just burning fat. The article is entitled, "More Muscle Could Help You Live Longer" and was published on March 27, 2014 by Sean Kinney. These findings were published online February 20 by The American Journal of Medicine. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/muscle-live-longer-mass-premature-death_n_4981401.html
The main finding of the study is this: increased muscle mass appeared more closely associated with lower instances of premature death than less body fat.
One doctor says, "“Rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass.”
This study focused on older adults measuring muscle mass as opposed to BMI (body mass index).

The ideal workout will include time for cardio, stretching, and strength training. If you are not including any one of these three, it is time you ask yourself why. If you do not know how to strength train, your best bet is to find a personal trainer who suits you and tell them exactly what you're looking to get out of the session. You've never used the machines before? Or not sure if you're using them correctly? Then that's the first thing you work on. The machines will teach you proper form you can later use with free weights or other exercise equipment. It will also allow you to work out on your own, free of the trainer's supervision. If the trainer refuses to take you on the machines, write out a program for you, or discourages you from working out on your own without his/her supervision, it is time to interview another trainer. Thank them for their time and be on your way. You need someone who will teach you to work out independent of him or her. If they are a good trainer, then they will have plenty of ways to keep you challenged after they've taught you the basics and will encourage you to try new things to keep you motivated and active.

Another thing stopping you might be money. Trainers aren't cheap and there is a good reason for that. Trainers take the time to tailor each workout to your specific needs. They study where you're at and figure out how to get you to your goal as fast as possible without mental burnout or physical injury. So how do you get started when you can't afford a trainer twice or even once a week? Figure out what you can afford. And seriously think about every purchase you make: the daily coffee at your local coffee shop, the lunches you buy instead of preparing the night before, the nights you get take-out for you and your family. Chances are, you are spending money and gaining calories which are both working against your goal. Your trainer can sit down with you and show you how to fix that, but first you have to hire one. Maybe you can only afford twice a month, or even an hour a month. Maybe half that hour is discussing your successes and pitfalls for the month and where you can do better next month. Training is what you make it. It doesn't have to be a drill sergeant yelling at you if you don't want it to be. A good trainer will make you realize your weaknesses and take responsibility for them.

Are you working out now? What do you do for cardio? Are you sure you're doing it correctly? Are you sure you're doing enough? Do the free weights and machines intimidate you? Do you know when to stretch and how often?
If you plan on getting fit this season, these are all questions you will need answers to. And once these are answered, you'll have even more. Working out can be extremely fulfilling and a huge confidence builder. You just have to do it right.