How do you lay a foundation for a healthy life?

Over the years, I’ve made numerous l attempts to lose weight and what I’ve come to accept is that my success lies within my habits.  If I want to change the direction of my life or reach a particular goal, I need to let go of the habits that are keeping me from reaching my goals and adopt habits that will move me closer to my goals.

Looking at this idea from a health, fitness, and weight loss perspective, when I look back on those attempts to lose weight I realize that I was trying to do too much, change too many habits at once.  Part of the reason for that was that I never fully realized how many habits I would have to change in order to meet one goal.  Let me give you an example. 

I would decide to eat healthier.  Seems simple enough, right?  On the surface, it appears that eating healthier is just one habit.  But eating healthier involved the following:

·         Eating different foods                                                                                              

·         Shopping at a different grocery store than the one I was used to

·         Changing the amount of food I ate

·         Counting calories

·         Removing specific foods from my diet

See what I mean?  Adopting one “simple” habit really meant changing or adopting at least six different habits.  Whew!  That’s a lot to change, a lot of new habits to change all at once.  After a while, it’s a lot to keep up with.  I would have some success, but eventually I would fall back to my old habits. 

So that’s got me thinking a lot lately about the habits I need to establish in designing a healthy lifestyle.  I asked myself, “What can I do that will help me lose weight while at the same time support my health? What basic things can I do that serve as a foundation for the healthy life I’m creating for myself? What can I do that will not be a drain on my time or my wallet, will not disrupt my life, and be easy to implement?”  My thought process was that these habits would serve as a foundation and that I can build from there.  I was also thinking that if I went off the rails, I’d have a simple starting to point to go back to. 

So, I know you dying to know---what are they?  I like to think of them as the “five healthy habits I can live with” and I believe they will be instrumental in helping me to design a healthy life that I love and enjoy.  And they are:

·         Drink plenty of water

·         When I’m hungry, eat

·         When I full or not hungry, don’t eat

·          Move more---add more physical activity in the course of daily living

·         Get the sleep I need

I’m going to dig into each of these habits individually in separate posts and explain why and how I settled on them.  In the meantime, I want you to think about them and ask yourself:

·         Am I drinking plenty of water? 

·         Do I have a habit of over eating?

·         Do I purposely skip meals even when I’m hungry?

·         How active am I during the day?  Am I spending more time sitting than moving?

·         Am I getting enough sleep?

Again, I’ll explain in later posts why I believe these habits are a good starting point in designing a healthy lifestyle and how I think they can be very instrumental in helping you to reach your goals, and me as well.   But in the meantime, think on them and let me know your first impressions of them. 

Antoinette

Stop the Madness!!

We live in a society that has become obsessed with weight loss.  There is a pill, drink or exercise that will let you achieve your goals in the blink of an eye. No one wants to wait, we want it now. What society has failed to let you know is that being thin does not necessarily mean being healthy. We need to take a step back from all the magic solutions and look at what you personally want your life to be. 

I know I want to be around a long time to enjoy family and friends.  I want to be able to travel and not be limited because of health issues.  Sometimes a quick fix can cause more damage to your body than the weight you are trying to lose. You can become stressed because you met the quick goal but did not substain it. Now the cycle starts all over again. 

So I say "Stop the madness". Find something that works for you. Make you own plan and stick to it. Focus on one day at a time and before you now it months have gone by and you are that closer to achieving your goal.

Shirley 

What's Next???

Sometimes taking the next step is the hardest thing to do. What is the next step in our ongoing quest for good health?  We start with the weight loss, then the gym membership, and finally we have reached our goal.  We settle into the new routine, but we also have a safety net. In our closet are clothes of every size.  Just in case we stumble, we are good to go. If we fall off eating right or stop the gym membership we will still look good in what we wear.

Well, the next step is cleaning out that closet.  Getting rid off all the clothes that no longer fit or look good on you.  When you think about it, why would you need clothes in every size?  How much of a challenge would it be to just have clothes in the size that you want to maintain? Would it mean that you believe in yourself? That you believe in the changes you have made in your life. 

I say think positive, believe in yourself and clean out that closet.  Take the next step.

Shirley

Guess What: It's Just Food!!!

It Just Food!!!

Do you remember the movie "Soul Food"? That movie brought back so many memories for me around food. The Sunday dinners our family used to have.  Eating until you couldn't move. Never leaving the table without have a second helping.  But it was not just Sunday, we ate like this every day. There was no such thing as fast food for dinner, my mother cooked every night.   So I grew up with a love for good food. I am guessing that many of you did as well.

Now with all the cooking shows on television, you too can be a gourmet cook. Fixing those wonderful meals like all the top chefs'. Making all those wonderful desserts (chocolate cake, cheese cake, muffins, cookies and the list goes on and on). But guess what? It gets better! Now there are restaurants, bakeries  and all kinds of places where you can get all this wonderful food without having to  make it yourself.

When I started having weight and health issues the first thing the doctor wanted to take away was all my wonderful food.  Because I could not imagine life without my chocolate cake, ice cream, cookies, fried chicken, fried fish,  mac & cheese and potato chips, my health issues just continued to get worse year after year.  Somehow I came to understand that  I didn't need chips, ice cream and chocolate to survive.  Rather than making food the most important thing in my life I kicked in down a few levels. Being here to enjoy my family and friends became my top priority.  I finalized realized: It's just food.

Shirley

What's Really Making Us Fat?

There are many causes of overweight and obesity but eating too much and exercising too little (aka energy imbalance) seem to be the only reasons that people focus on.  As a matter of fact, if you read the page I've just linked you to, energy balance appears to the main cause while everything else is "other". 

For little over a year now, I have been focusing more and more on the "other" causes of overweight and obesity.  I have been growing especially concerned about the chemical additives that are in foods.  This has been mostly because of my personal experiences with weight loss combined with information I picked up in school.  However, this week I was going through my copy of the January issue of Prevention magazine and I stumbled upon an article that seems to validate my concerns. 

The printed version of the article is titled, "What's Making Us Fat?" and it talks about a study done on the effects of obesogens.  Obesogens affect us by 1) increasing the number of fat cells in the body or storage capacity of fat cells; 2) changing our metabolism; and 3) affecting the way our body regulates hunger and fullness (Henig 2014).  Get this: exposure to obesogens will affect future generations.  Example--you could be exposed to an obesogen but the effect will be felt by your children and grandchildren.  Whoa.  Please, read the article to get more information on obesogens-what they are, where they are, and who's at the highest risk. 

Let me just say, I do not think that this absolves us of our responsibility to eat better and to exercise.  In fact, I think eating better (by better I mean real food) could possibly help the body cleanse itself of the toxins we're exposed to.  And, I've been clear that I believe in exercise. I just think if you're trying to lose weight then it's important to recognize everything that has contributed to your weight gain or is making it that much more difficult to lose weight. 

Antoinette


Reference:
Henig, Robin M.  (2014 January).  What is making America so fat?  Prevention. 

Choices, Choices, O MY!!!

Everything we do in life involves making a choice. From what car to get, where to live, what to wear or what to cook for dinner, a choice must be made. The choices we make every day have a profound effect on us as well as the people in our lives.  So, let me ask this, how much thought do you put into making choices that will change how you feel and live?   I am sure that it is was  not any one's choice to gain weight and to then become burdened with  health issues.  However, it is your choice whether or not to address these issues or to let them ride.

It came to me one day that I had made a choice and I didn't like it very much.   The choice was to ignore the fact that I felt bad and was tired all the time.  I choose to  listen to  "you are just getting old" as a answer to all my health problems. ( yes that answer was for the weight gain as well) One day I made a choice to become serious about living a healthier life.  I chose to be an active participant  in making my life better and healthier. What choices are you ready to make to live a healthier lifestyle???  Choices, Choices O MY!!! 

Shirley

I Want to Be Fit and Fabulous!

Although extra body fat has been shown to contribute to the development of some illnesses and diseases, being thin is not a guarantee that you will never develop those same illnesses and diseases.  So I have tried over the years to focus on health rather weight.  Easier said than done; after over 12 years, I’m about 2/3 of the way there. 

Looking at health from a holistic view rather than a strictly biological view has helped me.  Yes, biological health is important.  Blood pressure, cholesterol levels, physical fitness, blood sugar levels, weight, etc.—those are all very important.  However what is also important is how we feel about ourselves; how we manage stress; and how we take care of ourselves. 

I’ve decided I want to be more than healthy, I want to be Fit and Fabulous!  I want to have more energy and I want to be free of sickness, but I also want to be mentally and spiritually healthy.  And, I want the same quality of life I have now or better.  It's a lot to ask for but the better I am, the better the world is.  That sounds arrogant but imagine if everyone felt that way.  The world would be an awesome place. 

I can’t change the world, but I can change myself.  So I put together a list of things I needed to focus on to be Fit and Fabulous.  This list is by no means complete, but it’s where I needed to start.  I’m still working to make a few of the items a daily habit but I know I’m not a failure; I’m going to keep trying until I do J .  Click here to download it.  Read it and let me know what you think! 

 Antoinette

What's My Motivation?

 

 

One of our Twitter followers posted a list called, “10 reasons for weight loss”.  I was so disgusted by that list!  I’m not going to share it because I don’t want to spread I what I consider to be negative ideas about people who are overweight.  But I will say that the list further promotes the stereotypes that our society seems to have about people with extra weight.  They lack confidence, don’t love themselves, and are embarrassed by their personal appearance.  WTH?  Do you have to have extra weight to have any of these issues? Aren’t these issues that anyone can have? 

After I calmed down, I started thinking about my motivations for losing weight.  The real motivations that moved me from trying to lose weight to actually losing weight.  They are:

·         Age

·         Health

·         Quality of Life

How many people do you know who started complaining about various ailments once they turned 40 or 50?  I know quite a few.   I told myself I didn’t want to be one of those people who start falling apart at 40. 

I’ve read too many articles, books, magazines that talk about the link between overweight, obesity and disease--cancers (some), diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and probably a few others. 

As I grow older, I want to enjoy the same quality of life I have now, if not better.  I don’t want to spend my mornings taking ten different medications; I don’t want to travel with an oxygen tank; I don’t want to spend three days a week in dialysis, and I want to maintain as much mobility as possible. 

So those are my reasons, my motivations not just to lose weight but to be healthy.  What are yours?

Antoinette



Slow & Steady wins the Prize

We live in  a time of instant gratification.  The main  question seems to be  how fast can we get what we want? We don’t want to wait or plan,we just want it now. And when we don’t get it “now” this leads to disappointment and frustration.

As you move towards a healthier lifestyle don’t get caught up in the fast and easy.  Don’t get caught up in the hype that in seven days or seven weeks you will be the person you were twenty years ago. The reality is that no one went to sleep and woke up fifty pounds heavier.  It happened slowly over an extended period of time. Just like it took time to gain, it will take time to lose. Save yourself the frustration and disappointment and take it slow and steady.  Just remember the tortoise and the hare: "slow and steady wins the prize every time".

Shirley

Relieving The Stress of Weight Loss

Weight loss has been a part of my life for the last 25 years. I have to say that I have tried almost every diet plan there is (I know I missed a few, but who is counting?).  Although the plans changed the one thing that remained the same was the level of stress attached to each one. First there's the husband or boyfriend who only remembers what you looked like when you met  in high school or college.  Then there are family and friends who only remember what you looked like prior to having children.  Then there is society who states that everyone should be a size 0 in order to have a fulfilling life. And last but not least, is your doctor who at the end of every appointment states: your numbers are good but you need to lose weight.

When you let people know that you are losing weight, then everything you eat  becomes suspect. If you are eating anything other than salad you are questioned: why are you having that cake or candy or ice cream ?  So you stay stressed out all the time.  Trying to get back to the high school or college size (for the husband or boyfriend); trying to get rid of the baby fat (for family and friends) and lastly trying to keep your doctor happy at your yearly appointment. So the end result is that you are so stressed and worried about the expectations of others that you don’t lose weight, but in fact gain more.

What I finally realized was that: my loss weight is all about me. No one else has a say  in when or how I go about it.  Once I cut out everyone's opinion and thoughts on what I should be doing or eating my stress level dropped to zero. I figured out why I wanted to lose weight, how I wanted to do it and found a plan that worked for me.   Now since I only have me to answer to, I am confident that I will continue to meet my weight loss goals and be happy achieving them.

Shirley

There's Fat Everywhere!

 

If you’ve read some of my earlier posts, then you know that I’ve been trying to lose for years and I’m finally seeing some success.  If you have not read any of my earlier posts, well now you know.  Sometimes it's a little frustrating that the weight is coming off slowly, but I can appreciate that losing weight slowly will most likely increase my chances of maintaining the weight loss, among other things.

Here’s the thing that is the most annoying—the weight doesn’t come off where I want it to as fast as I want it to!  And I’m sure I’m not the only person who has this problem.  But you know what? I made peace with it by realizing that there was extra fat all over my body and not just in my butt, thighs, and stomach.  For instance:

• I didn’t realize how chubby my face was getting until I started looking at my before pictures. 
• I didn’t think my wrists large but now all of my bracelets are too big. 
• I’ve been wearing a size 9 women’s shoe since I was in junior high  but apparently there was some extra fat in my toes that needed burning because now all of my shoes are too big. 

My point is this, if you’re trying to lose weight and nothing seems to be happening, take a closer look.  Your body could be burning fat in places you never think about.  Pay attention and you might find small changes happening.  And guess what? Small changes lead to BIG ones, so keep going!

Antoinette

Sticking to your plan

I mentioned to a co-worker jokingly that : my trainer is trying to kill me, as I was sore from my workout with him from the day before. Her response was: Are you still going to him?  How long has it been now, two years?  She seem surprised and perplexed that I was still seeing him.  It seems that when you start a journey to change your life, for some reason people expect you to make the changes for a little  while  and then go back to doing what you were doing before.  Doesn't that defeat the purpose of making changes in the first place. Due to my weight loss, I am often asked what diet I am on.  My response is always, I am not on a diet, but I have made  changes to how I live my life.  This seems to perplex some people.

Let me explain, a diet implies doing something for a special purpose.  For example, getting into the bathing suit for summer, going to your high school reunion, fitting into the dress for the wedding,  looking good for that cruise, etc.  So once the goal is met, what then?  I suggest that whatever journey you are on that calls for changes to your lifestyle, pick a plan that works for you and one that you plan to maintain. Look at where you want to be, not just three or six months from now, but for the rest of your life.  Yes, I still see my trainer after starting with him years ago.  I like the one on one attention and  the benefits to my health.  I like looking at the long term picture instead of  living in the now. Are you sticking to your plan?

Shirley

Let's Kick It Up a Notch!

There’s a part in almost every workout when the music gets a little faster, a little more intense.  This means you’re moving a little faster, with a little more effort.  You’ve just gone from low intensity to mid- intensity (this happens at the club but you’re probably having too much fun to notice J).  At Hustle Fit, we categorize mid-intensity dances as, “Kick It Up a Notch”.  It just means that you’re warmed up and you’re ready to do more.  We recently conducted a survey and 93.75% of the people who participated said they prefer mid-intensity workouts.  That’s great news because the bulk of our workouts fall into the “Kick it Up a Notch” category.  Here is an example of a mid-intensity dance—we’ll be using this in our upcoming live class.

 

As with any workout, if you’re trying it for the first time or if you don’t exercise regularly, do not overdo it.  Keep it low intensity (take out jumps, keep movements small, drop the arms, etc.) and as your endurance improves, you’ll be able to bring those elements back in.  Or in another words, “Kick It Up a Notch!”

 

Antoinette

I Am NOT a Failure!

I have been trying to lose weight since I was 17 years old.  In case you’re wondering, I’m 43 yrs old, will be 44 later this year. I had some success, if you can call it that.  I didn’t call it success and this is why- - when I lost weight, it was never the full amount I was trying to lose.  And without exception, I always gained back the weight I lost and then some.  So no, I was not successful. In fact, I felt like a failure.  I thought I was a failure and that belief seeped into other areas of my life.  In a nutshell, this is what I thought:

“How can I be successful at anything if I can’t even lose weight?”

And then I tried to turn it into a positive thought:

“If I can lose this weight, then I can do anything”

HA!  I think that was even worse—what a setup!!!  Can you imagine the damage that either of those thoughts had on my confidence?   Not so much that you or even I would notice but just enough to keep me from going after big dreams and setting big goals. 

So what was my “aha” moment?  Well, every once in a while there was this quiet voice in the back of my mind telling me that “real failure is giving up”—and I finally started listening to it.  I told myself since I never gave up, I am not a failure. 

So, I kept trying, and trying, and trying until I found something that worked.  And I did! Better yet, I found a lifestyle worked.  I’ve been losing weight since December 2012 and I’m about 2/3 of the way to my goal.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  More about my lifestyle changes in later posts but I’ll give you a hint—no pills, no special foods, no surgery. 

 

What thoughts are holding you back from moving forward in any area of your life?

 
Antoinette

 

Finding what works for you

How many gyms have you joined? How many diets have you tried that were supposed to make the pounds melt away? Did you take up jogging, Zumba, Insanity, or PX90 to shed those pounds? Let me ask you this - do you like any of these things?  Does it feel like a chore every time you go to the gym or start that wonder diet? Do you just dread the morning, because it will start all over again with little or no results?  I think the key is to find something that you enjoy and it will work for you.  If you like to walk, then walk. If you hate going to the gym then don’t go. Don’t jump on the diet that is popular at the moment, but find one that suits you and you like. In my weight loss journey, I found that it stressed me to no end to get on that scale every week. So you know what? I don’t.  I gauge my weight loss by changes in my cloth size and it works for me. Find what works for you and make your journey to a healthier life a fun and stress free experience.

Shirley

Movie Moments That Inpire Me

Inspiration can come from anywhere.  Over the years, there have been a few movie moments that inspired me to start or keep working out. 

Se7en

When the victim who represented gluttony was being autopsied, it occurred to me that one day I’m going to end up naked on someone’s autopsy and/or embalming table.  It seemed right that I should look my best.  I found a picture of that scene, it’s too graphic to include here but do a google image search for “se7en movie gluttony” and you’ll find it. 

Disclosure

Demi Moore looked amazing in this movie.  Her character was sexy and powerful—I was a plump 180lbs.  I thought to myself, “I can do better”. 

G. I. Jane

Demi Moore again!   I was over 200lbs when this movie was released.  She was so physically fit; I didn’t want her body, but I did want MY best body. 

Let me just say, I don’t aspire to have anyone else’s body, just my own but at its best.  I’m not there yet but I’m on my way.  Shirt size XXL in 2010, XL in 2011, L in 2013. 

What movie moments have inspired you to fitness? 

Fit & Fabulous at 62

Have you noticed that as you got older-entering your 40’s and 50’s- that whenever you had a pain or ache or gained weight you heard, “you’re just getting older”?  Well what exactly does that mean??  Does it mean that we shouldn't be mindful of getting better? That we should just accept sickness and pain as a sign of getting old? At 58 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  It was almost as if I should accept it and just live with it.  When I turned 60 I made a decision to take control of my life and health.  I found a plan that worked for me to lose weight and never looked back.  Now, at 62, I am completely off my medication for diabetes. Although my doctor claims that once you are diagnosed a diabetic always a diabetic, my numbers continue to be normal. So I am fit and fabulous at 62! Don’t wait; take control of your health now.

Shirley

                         

Age 58 

Age 62

Who Complains About Dancing?

There is only one physical activity that I can think of that people do not complain about—dancing!  Think about it. 

1.       At a party, people dance for as long as the music lasts. 

2.       People don’t complain about dancing all night but,

3.       People do hope the music is good enough so that they CAN dance all night. 

And when the DJ plays great song after great song after great song, people keep on dancing.  Even when our feet hurt (high heels were not made for dancing).  In fact, don’t we judge the skill of a DJ by his or her ability to keep the dance floor packed?  And more importantly, people are happy when they are dancing—happy and laughing as you can see in the picture below.  That’s me, center, in the red top, feeling the groove. J

 

When you think about it, isn’t dancing a form of exercise?  We just don’t think of it as such because it’s something we WANT to do rather than something we think we have to do. 

Why can’t working out be the same way?  Why can’t it be good for you and fun?  That’s what Hustle Fit™ is all about.  It was born out of my love for dancing, particularly line dancing.  It’s a lot of fun--try it out and let us know what you think. Just go to www.hustlefitonline.com and you can sign up to receive three free videos.  Enjoy!


Antoinette