Being Different-Self Reflection

I know when it comes to the holiday's, parties, get togethers, mom's groups, and my family the thing I struggle with most is being different. I do very well being at home and in control as many others have found. It is when I am out and about with others that sometimes my drive for making the best choices deminishes.

For me it is very different to be around others who are not on the same track with their health and wellness as I am.  It is very easy to go with the flow and not rock the boat. It takes a lot of thinking, planning, being diligent, and sticking to your guns in order to eat healthy especially in other's homes. I have always cared a great deal of what others think of me and my decisions. This is something I am working on. In the grand scheme of things at the end of the day all that matters is how well you did in aiming towards your ultimate goal of being the best you that you can be.

After Thanksgiving and some recent social gatherings here are some lessons I learned about myself.  I am sharing these in hopes that you can learn some strategies in overcoming your own obstacles. Plus once layed out and shared with others you hold yourself more accountable with making those changes. So here they are:

• I need to put forth the extra effort to plan ahead for all meals. In the past I have always been the one to show up at a party with a center piece for the table or a gift for the hostess. Why? Well after thinking about it I realized it is because I didn't want to be criticised for the dish that I brought. Instead I need to bring that dish that I know is healthy and that I can fall back on if nothing else fits the bill. I will lead by example. Even if this dish is not what others would normally eat.
• I will think ahead when it comes to casual meetings at my family's and friend's. I will ask ahead of what the plans are for meals. I will bring already made dishes to share or bring ingredients to make meals at their house. In the past I just relied on what they threw together or sometimes ended up eating out. It is ok to show up with a cooler of snacks to munch on just making sure I have enough to share. This is a lot of work, but it will be worth it
• I will be more direct when it comes to not wanting to eat certain foods. If they are planning on making a certain dish I can request a swap or suggest something else. I can be more open of the reasoning why and share the wealth of knowledge when it comes to choosing organic, balancing my carbohydrate and protein ratio, staying away from desserts, processed foods, and lots of grains, and aiming towards grass fed meat. The more I talk about it and share my excitement of this topic the more I will stick to making the best choices.
• I do not dine out often and like many in my head it is like a free pass in choosing a not so healthy dish because it is an option. I usually do very well in choosing a fish dish, soup, or a salad. It is those times that I have splurged that I have found it was only with certain people. Working with visualization before I go out to eat and making my choice of what I am going to order before listening to what others are ordering is key. If they order a not so healthy appetizer expecting me to share politely say no and maybe even go use the rest room when it shows up at the table.

My affirmations:
"I make decisions based on what is best for me. "
"I am ok with being different, because I know that different is best for me!"

Tabata Workout-everyone has four minutes

Many of my clients and bootcamp participants have been hearing me talk about and have participated in Tabata training the last few weeks. The reason for this excitement is the effectiveness of the style. For those not familiar with tabata it is 20 seconds of all out intensity followed by 10 seconds of recovery. This is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. There are a few different types of tabata training depending on how many exercises are chosen. The key is to push yourself to your max (90-95 % of your maximum heart rate)for the 20 seconds. STOPPING is not an option. There are many ways to modify the exercise to keep you moving.
This type of training is not for the faint of heart, but the effectiveness of it should be motivation enough to make you want to push as hard as you can. In the four minutes of work for a cardio exercise most individuals burn around 60-70 calories. The amazing part is that in the 24 hours after the exercise bout a person burns on average an extra 300 calories due to the Excess Post Exercise Consumption (EPOC). That would equate around a 3 mile run or 45 minutes on an elliptical machine. What would you rather due? Everyone has four minutes so there should be no excuses.
I am excited to have a whole Tabata Bootcamp available come January to take full advantage of this training style. In the mean time here is a great exercise for you to work with.

• Download a Tabata Timer for your IPad for phone for ease of timing.
• Jog in place for around a minute.
• Place a cone, water bottle, chair or other stationary object in front of you. This is your marker. The lower the marker the harder the exercise. Adjust your marker height depending on your fitness level.
• The exercise is star jumps. With your feet together bend over and touch your marker always leading with your backside.
• Level 1 perform a half jumping jack extending one foot while raising your arms up overhead.
• Level 2 perform a full jumping jack powering your foot out and raising your arms up overhead.
• Level 3 perform a full star jump lifting your feet out to the sides and up as high as your can simultaneously raising your arms up over head.
• With each round start with the highest level that you can muster. Even if it is only a few repetitions and then you have to work with the lower level.
• Psych yourself up for this activity. Doing it with a friend to help encourage you can make a huge difference in the level of intensity you end up doing.

Stay tuned for more great Tabata Bootcamp information!