by Carol deLaski | Feb 21, 2012 | Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Sandie Lynch
Could it be true, that we could eat more, weigh less and feel great? Most of the time when we think about trying to lose weight, we envision restricting our calories, eating smaller portions, having to drum up extra willpower to avoid those sweets at the office or around the house, and avoiding our favorite foods. Everything spells deprivation and so… needless to say, the so-called “diet” will probably not last too long because who really wants to feel deprived in the land of plenty?
As a Registered Dietitian, it saddens me how so much misinformation is in our culture. Sometimes it is a twist from the truth to get us to buy the newest diet book and/or the media may report on one research study and alter our view of what is “good” for us. The confusion on what to eat and what to avoid is rampant. This is the very reason I am passionate about sharing the reality of how the body is designed and what it truly needs to be its best. For example, one of the common misunderstanding encountered, is that carbohydrates are something to avoid.
When I hear this I always ask, “So what type of weight do you want to lose?” This usually perplexes the individual and she asks, “What types are there?” I explain that usually when we lose weight, we lose three types of weight; water, fat and lean body mass, and when we lose water and/or lean body mass we harm our body and LOWER our metabolism. So far, I have not met anyone who purposely wants to LOWER her metabolism. To explain how this happens; our body has no extra protein stores (lean body mass), so when we lose protein it is at the cost of our health, usually initially in immunity or cell repair, setting us up for a lowered stress threshold and increased susceptibility to illness. With lower protein stores, not only are we medically compromised, but now we must continue to cut calories to continue losing weight. NOT what we want!! It is a vicious cycle no one wants to be on, I know because this is the very cycle I was on for 12 years before I learned the truth.
So what is the truth? The truth is, the body needs certain types of energy and nutrients to be its best and without them, our body struggles to retain a healthy weight, and maintain health. If your goal is to grow leaner and healthier, you must give your body what it needs! The great news is that when it gets what it needs, it naturally resets the broken processes that we caused by robbing it of essential nutrients, and it grows efficient in burning fat, making energy, and maintaining health. Unfortunately, for some, there are certain diseases that may compound the problem, but there is always hope because the body always responds positively when given the right things.
Most everyone knows some of what these “right things” are but continue to try the empty promises that so many fad diets offer. I can empathize, because I was there! What changed for me was finally “hearing” that all these empty promises, although giving me temporary weight loss, was actually making me fatter each time I lost weight. In the book, Fit or Fat by Covert Bailey, he called this “skinny fat!” Skinny fat is when you lose weight but your fat ratio increases to an unhealthy level still making you susceptible to chronic disease. What can you do to avoid becoming “Skinny fat?” Include plenty of foods that maintain your lean body mass and make your metabolism more efficient! Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, starchy vegetables; such as potatoes and corn, whole grains; such as wheat, barley, oats, quinoa, rice, and healthy fats; like nuts and seeds. I know a few foods in the list may have surprised you, but when you learn how the body uses these essential foods to optimize your metabolism, you will be not be afraid to include them in the future!
I invite you to come to my workshop series, “Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Great!” at PIOMA Performance Fitness, www.piomafitness.com, starting on February 25th. Come, bring a friend and start correcting your metabolism deficiencies and growing healthier with each new day!
Eat More, Weigh Less, Feel Great Series:
- February 25th: Choose the Foods that Make You Burn More Fat
- March 24th: Find the Energy Balance for the Body You Want
- April 21st: Energize Your Body and Mind with Food and Activity
For more information, contact either PIOMA Performance Fitness in Middletown or email coach and Registered Dietitian, Sandie Ropp.
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by Carol deLaski | Feb 15, 2012 | Carol deLaski, Confidence
“Like attracts like” according to the Law of Attraction; in essence, we create our own reality. By intentionally focusing our thoughts, emotions, and actions on what we want in our lives we will draw it to us. If we are not intentional, however, we can unconsciously attract circumstances and repeat patterns that are not beneficial to us. To use this “law” effectively we need to be aware of what we’re “putting out there”.
Are you attracting what you want into your life? What is comfortable and familiar is not always what we truly want and need. Change, by its very nature, is often uncomfortable and unfamiliar. It’s only through recognizing the discomfort, and consistently sticking with the new behavior or thought pattern, that we create lasting change.
Altering our behaviors only touches the surface. If we want to address the roots of our behavior patterns we need to understand our underlying thoughts. Your self-perception, and your concept of the world around you, is based on your energetic level. This level determines what you attract and what is reflected back to you. Most importantly it determines how effective you are as a leader of your life.
Attitudes (aka energy) are contagious. Most of us have had experiences where we’ve been affected by other people’s energy; either positively or negatively. Sayings such as “one bad apple can spoil the whole lot” speak to the affect one disgruntled and unhappy person can have on an entire group. Likewise, one person exuding enthusiasm and concern can have a positive impact on those with whom she comes into contact. The outer ripple effects of our energy are relatively easy to see. We know when we are being lifted, or drained, by circumstances and people in our lives.
A more challenging area of energy to assess is our internal terrain. How aware are you of the ‘mental chatter’ or tapes that play in your mind on any given day? It’s common knowledge that our thoughts have a powerful impact on what we feel, which then in turn, affects what we do. Our actions are a direct result of the thoughts and feelings we’re experiencing. A simple example, is when we think “I can’t”, we feel powerless and apathetic, which results in lethargy; or no action. By contrast, if we think thoughts of responsibility such as “What’s my part?” we forgive others their part, leading to cooperation and forward movement.
Knowing this, we can then look to our thinking when we are feeling stuck or unable to create the change we want in our lives.
The 7 levels of energy presented on the Energetic Self Perception Chart of Energy Leadership provide a framework in which we can evaluate and understand the impact our thoughts are having on our emotions and actions. With awareness we can then choose to expand the thoughts that are producing the energy we desire. By recognizing and accepting our catabolic, or negative thoughts, we release them and move onto the anabolic, positive thoughts that produce higher levels of energy.
How conscious, or self aware, are you? Your level of consciousness is determined by how you see yourself, the world around you, the people in your life, and life in general. Your consciousness produces energy which will attract the people, events, and outcomes into your personal and professional life. The higher your level of consciousness, the more energy you will have, and the more productive, peaceful and healthy you will be.
To learn more about the 7 Levels of Energy and how to apply the Energy Leadership process join Carol Hayes for a 6 week tele-course starting Wednesday February 15th from 7-8:15 pm. Click here for more details.
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by Carol deLaski | Feb 1, 2012 | Business, Linda Norris
Talk about a wakeup call!
I was getting ready to write this blog about a positive experience I’d had during the course of my workday today about the value of working in teams, and decided to surf the web about the challenges of teamwork, when I came across this really weird website that seemed like something out of Dilbert.
It’s called Despair.com, and its premise is this: “It began with a dream. A dream of the perfectly-realized American company. A company that would create dissatisfied customers in the process of exploiting demoralized employees while selling overpriced and ineffective products to remediate the problems caused by the very process itself. And now the dream has come true. As nightmares often do.”
Really, its intent appears to be making fun of all positive, employee engagement and teamwork coaching sites that are out there. Compare the traditional Teamwork poster we’ve all seen with one they offer on their site:
While I was there, though, I looked at this video, which is about dealing with employee complaints, by using the theory of “It could be much worse.”
http://spin.despair.com/videos/addressing-employee-complaints/
I watched it, and actually laughed at first—but then I remembered some of the things that were said by managers in my last job, as the economy began its downward spiral, (“Don’t complain, you’re lucky to have a job!”) and realized that there really are discouraging people out in our workplaces. Boy, was I depressed.
My takeaway, when it comes to living a wholistic life?
Negativity is something to avoid like the plague. Tolerate as long as you are in the mood to laugh at it, but…
My personal lesson: optimism is hard work, and while pessimism is real, cynicism is inescapable, optimism is the balance that keeps the world moving forward. Keep at it, keep the faith, and remember that there are people just waiting everywhere you go to drag you down. Laugh at their foolishness, shake your head sadly, and move on.
Linda Norris, NW Communications
eMail: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/nwcomms
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by Carol deLaski | Jan 25, 2012 | Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Sandie Lynch
Well, we are in the 4th week of January 2012 and by next week the majority of individuals who have set New Year’s Resolutions will have gone back to old familiar habits. Now if you have set a new resolution I am not trying to be the voice in your head to say, “Oh, you might as well give up now because by next week you will have anyway.” Believe me, I want you to succeed more than anyone because I was on the same track year after year when it came to trying to lose weight and getting fit. I was very successful at losing weight and especially successful and speedy about putting the weight back on. Yes, I was a very successful yo-yo dieter. This up and down journey led me to whom I am today, a Registered Dietitian and Personal Fitness Trainer. I was so tired of the pain of failure year after year and finally dedicated my life to a pursuit for answers…answers that I now love to share with others to help them find success.
Because I am what I am, many friends and acquaintances feel compelled to share with me their wellness goals even though they are not my clients. I often laugh when I walk into a room and others make excuses about what they are eating, like I am the food police, ugh! Not a role I like or want. Being a Registered Dietitian can be a blessing and sometimes a curse as I see individuals feel the need to hide from their food or activity choices when they see me. So eat up and enjoy, I am not here to judge, just help when asked.
As you know, every year tons of new inventions, fitness programs, diets, and/or household appliances promise weight loss or fitness success. So why so many and why don’t they seem to work? Which one really has the answers? “Will this one work for me?” The simple truth…they all work! Beware, not all are created equal and some can even be harmful so I encourage you to be careful and always seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian and/or Licensed Nutritionist for sound nutritional and wellness advice. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will often provide book reviews of the newest diet plans, so check them out at Eatright.org.
So, back to our topic of “Weight Loss Resolution Success Tips.” To be successful, the better question is how can you have the “right” one work for you? First select one that has good reviews and apply these simple tips:
1. Know specifically what you want. Many times resolutions are vague statements like, “I want to lose weight or get healthy.” Set a specific goal like “I want to lose 10# in 3 months.” This is realistic and measureable. Many times individuals set the bar way too high and starve to reach it. Any time we are in “starvation mode” we set ourselves up for failure.
2. Why is the reason you want it? I encourage you to search your heart on this one because this will be your new mantra as you talk yourself through resisting the temptation of old unhealthy habits that have led you to where you are today. If this reason is not tied to your deep emotions and desire, that chocolate delicacy will win out every time!
3. Make a realistic plan and stick to it. Your plan should be focused on changing the environments and schedules that have created your current situation. Evaluate your pantry and the foods you have around you. Create easy access to healthy foods and difficult for indulging on your weakness foods. We all have them. What are yours? Just for a while go “cold turkey” on these, eventually you will have the control to eat them again, but initially it is too easy to fall into old habits. Create a schedule that will set you up for success, include at least 16 minutes of exercise and grow this to 32 minutes daily. ATP Fitness™, shows you how to include exercise in your day no matter your schedule or location and how to maximize your results, more on this later.
4. Have Fun and look for the positives in your changes. Our brain will easily adapt to changes, this is called neuroplasticity, but our brain will resist making these changes permanent if we associate them with negative emotions or thoughts such as “I hate to exercise” or “I am depriving myself of my favorite foods.” Instead, associate the changes you are trying to make to something positive. A client of mine decided she would change her thoughts from “I hate to exercise” to “I love the way I feel after I exercise” which is helping her stay on course and make moving her body joyfully a part of her life. Find the words that will link positive emotions to the changes you are making. What we enjoy, we always want to do more!
5. Seek support, encouragement, and an accountability partner. Working primarily with women has made me realize we are creatures that are more likely to do things for others than ourselves. Our health and self care are often neglected because of this. Embrace the idea it is not selfish to take care of yourself but actually a requirement to be a better caregiver, friend, spouse, and to be more productive. Remember on the airplane they state to put the oxygen on yourself first before helping those around you. Same goes for everything in life. Find the friends and acquaintances that will support your goals and be an active part in helping you succeed.
6. Believe in your success! Anytime you change your behaviors, thoughts, perspectives, and activities your body and brain respond. It cannot help it, it is the way it was designed. Trust that as you make small but consistent changes that embrace a healthy lifestyle, the result WILL BE a healthier, leaner, more energized body. Don’t give up when you don’t SEE the results, you are changing from the inside out.
Today’s author: Sandie Lynch. ATP Consultants, LLC provides services that help educate, coach, support, and encourage you on your journey to Attain Top Performance (ATP) in living the life you want. Join Sandie in her ATP Fitness sessions on Monday evenings as she teaches 5 key principles to honor the body and how to create permanent change and maximize your results. Find out more at http://home/wholisu6/dev.wholisticwomanretreats.com.atphealthandfitness.com and contact Sandie today on how to start your journey to wellness and life of success!
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by Carol deLaski | Jan 18, 2012 | Laura Hall
“The way of the miracle-worker is to see all human behavior as one of two things: either love, or a call for love.”
― Marianne Williamson
Several months ago I joined a local group that is studying the book A Course in Miracles. It’s been a book I’ve had an interest in learning more about, and I subscribe to the belief that it’s always more fun to be part of a group! Over the last few months, the leader of this group has been encouraging us to look at every interaction we have with others as either an expression of love or a call for love. Seems easy enough, doesn’t it? Once we recognize that someone’s behavior is a call for love, it changes what we see. It opens us up to having empathy rather than thinking they are a jerk, or high maintenance, or whatever other reactionary thought might pop into our minds. To illustrate my point, I’d like to share with you a personal example.
Here is the scene: It’s Sunday night. My husband is planning an early to bed night in preparation for a busy week at work. Monday is a school holiday. My youngest daughter asks me if we can have a girls game night with her friend and her friend’s mom. I say, “Yes!”. Around 9:30 PM, our games are in full swing, and my husband heads up to bed. Shortly there after, I get a text from him saying, “Sorry to be a pain, but can you turn things down a notch?”. OK, I think, this is what a call for love looks like. You see, unlike my husband, I have no problems sleeping – anywhere, anytime. So my reactionary thought was, “We really aren’t being that loud.”, but instead of acting on this thought, I choose to see this as a call for love, reply “Yes.”, and then asked everyone to be a little quieter. Several minutes later I received a second text. This one reads, Music too. Bass carries. Again I get the chance to practice recognizing that as a call for love and I turn down the music. Without this framework, I easily could have rolled my eyes, given my husband a hard time and generally just not have been very loving. I’m glad I chose to love in response to his call for love. This is what everyday miracles look like in action.
Where are you being called to be a miracle-worker? Who in your life is calling out for love? What will it take for you to be able to respond to them with the love they are asking for? I challenge you to recognize that it is a choice. What will you choose? I hope you’ll look for opportunities to practice love because when you do, you become a miracle-worker.
Today’s author: Laura Hall is an iPEC certified life coach who believes every woman deserves a coach. She offers both one on one as well as group coaching services. She can be reached at [email protected] or check out her website at www.hallcoaching.com.
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by Carol deLaski | Jan 12, 2012 | Carol deLaski
In January many of us turn attention towards what we resolve to start doing to be healthier, happier, and more balanced in our life and work. This year, as you consider the new beginnings that 2012 offers I’d like to ask what will you end. Many of us cringe at the idea of endings. We resist the changes that endings bring, often fearing the disappointment and sense of loss that can be associated with them. Yet endings are necessary if we want to start new activities or even new behaviors. We have a limited amount of time each day so choosing a new activity often means we have to let go of another. Saying “yes” to something new often means saying “no” to something else. There are two sides to the coin of change. One side is what we will start and the other side is what we will stop.
So as you consider where you want to be in six months or a year, and how you will get there, consider what you need to let go. We know that we’ll be different one year from now. None of us gets to stay the same. We get a choice in how we will have changed, though, whether it’s for the better or not.
Instead of resisting endings, what would it be like to normalize and embrace them? What would it feel like to be proactive and intentional about ending certain activities, thoughts, or behaviors that aren’t producing what we want in our lives?
Nature provides many examples of endings. We witness the life cycle of trees and plants as seasons change and realize our life cycle has seasons as well. Pruning is an activity that creates proactive endings. In the book, Necessary Endings, Dr. Henry Cloud shares three examples of pruning that can also be applied to business and life changes.
One is the pruning of healthy buds and branches. A healthy plant will often produce more buds than it can bring to full bloom. In order for the bush to thrive, and produce outstanding blossoms, some of the healthy buds must be cut. Choices have to be made between what is good and what is best. When the good buds are let go, it frees those resources to go to the best buds allowing them to achieve magnificence.
A second way that gardeners prune is to remove sick branches. When all efforts to heal and revive a sick part of the plant don’t restore it to health, there comes a time to accept that recovery is not occurring. When we remove the sick branches we allow more fuel to pour into the healthy buds.
The third way gardeners prune is to remove branches that are dead and taking up space. Removing them allows healthy branches unobstructed room to grow to their full potential.
Pruning a rose bush is certainly less painful than pruning your business or life! Too often we avoid pruning activities, behaviors, thought patterns, or relationships in our lives because it evokes fear, pain and conflict. Yet in order to succeed, we must prune. So as you consider what you will begin this year to bring your life to full blossom, also consider what you will prune. Trust that you will know what, and when, to prune certain thoughts and behavior patterns from your life to make room for those that will bring your life where you want it to be one year from today.
Consider joining Carol’s winter coaching group on the book Necessary Endings to receive support and create the change that you want in your life. Carol’s winter program will discuss the insights presented by Dr. Henry Cloud and actively apply them to situations in our own lives that require “letting go”. Groups will meet each month for a 90-minute coaching session followed a week later by a 60-minute conference call. For those who desire the added advantage of one-on-one coaching, you and I will schedule a separate 50-minute session. You should plan on a three-month commitment to CCG+ but are welcome to continue as long as you feel the benefits in your life. Call Carol directly for more information.
Today’s author: Carol Hayes, [email protected] or 301-371-7460. Through her company, Clear Choices Coaching, Carol shares her expertise and skill fostering growth in people of all ages. She is especially energized when her coaching helps people experience “breakthrough” moments where they push through their personal edge and grow more fully into the people they want to be. Carol’s certification as a Life and Energy Leadership coach comes from The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC), which is accredited by the International Coaching Federation. She is also a dynamic speaker and workshop leader who facilitates energizing connections with groups of all sizes.
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