Enough is Enough

When you decide enough is enough!!!

Four years ago, I decided “enough is enough!” I took control and started building healthy habits and working on a healthy lifestyle. I found a nutrition lifestyle and workout program that works for me. I feel good about myself. I am healthy and I like to work out. By taking control and doing something about how I felt and what I wanted to change – I took away the excuses. I know that I can only blame myself when I make bad choices.

You have to decide.

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says – it’s up to you.

The doctor can tell you that your blood pressure is too high, you need to watch your cholesterol, or you are pre-diabetic and need to change your diet. Your spouse can tell you that you need to exercise, quit smoking, change your eating habits or quit watching so much television! Your clothes can tell you that you need to lose some weight or get a bigger size! Your boss can tell you that “he can’t overlook you being late to work anymore” and you better be on time if you want to keep your job.

Friends, family and professionals can ALL tell you what you need to do for a better or healthier lifestyle, BUT until YOU decide “enough is enough” it doesn’t make any difference.

Changing your diet takes commitment.

So you decided “enough already “! What next? You need to know:

*What you are changing.

*How to make the changes.

*A plan of action – commitment .

*Accountability

*A goal

*A timeline

Change requires action.

Nutrition– you can start with portion control, eating more fresh foods, cut down on dining out and stop eating processed foods. Or you can decide to follow a thirty day plan. Keto, vegetarian, low carb, whole 30, intermittent fasting, portion fix – there are a lot of great nutrition plans that are not diets. They are designed to help you make healthy food choices to fuel your body, feel better and help you lose weight. There is a lot of valuable information on the internet and many great books are available. Talk to your doctor and look for something that you can reasonable follow for thirty days to START with.

You can’t wait until you feel like it.

Time management– When the alarm goes off – get up! Don’t think about it, just do it. It doesn’t matter if ‘you feel like it”, most of us don’t feel like being adults 50% of the time, but we take responsibility and do it any way! Make sure that you go to bed early enough so that it doesn’t need to be a war every morning to get out of bed! Pushing snooze just delays the inevitable and puts you behind at the very beginning of your day! 3 – 2- 1 – go! Get up and move.

Daily consistent behavior is what it takes to create lifestyle changes.

Getting active or exercising – you have to get up and move. Schedule it into your day. Get a walking partner, walk at lunch, exercise at home first thing in the morning, join an exercise class or group, do an activity that you enjoy. Make a commitment to yourself for 30 days. Ask someone to be your accountability partner. Post in social media about your exercise or activity experience every day! If you hate it – say so, but say why you will keep it up for thirty days. The next thirty days try something different. After three months you should gave built a healthy habit and should be feeling better about yourself and more energetic!

When I started, I gave myself a 21 day challenge. The next month, I went for 30 days. By then, I was getting addicted to working out every morning and I noticed many positive changes. It was easier to do another 30 day challenge and now, four years later – it is my lifestyle.

SLEEP, NUTRITION, ACTIVITY, MINDSET

Do you need to introduce small changes or clean out the cupboards and make a clean start? Know your personality and be positive about the changes you are making. Tell yourself that you can do it, you feel better, you are proud of yourself. Every day positively encourage yourself and find a coach, partner or group that will help to encourage you also.

What do you need to change? Where do you think that you need the most help? I would love to hear your thoughts or if you recently began a lifestyle change, share what your victories and struggles have been.

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A New Season

Time flies! A year ago I was on vacation with my sister in New York City! It is hard to believe that was a year ago. The month of September signals the return to school and the nearing of autumn, both signal a new season every year for me.

What an amazing Broadway Show!

The calendar can fill up fast and before you know it another month is over. Some day and one day are not days of the week – what important things do you need to get on your schedule and keep saying ‘one day’ to?

Calendars and clocks, mark the passing of time.

I had thought that I would have so much time to write my blog at least once a week this summer, I apologize. That didn’t happen! Where did the summer go?

Multnomah Falls

I worked and we traveled some and enjoyed a few long weekend mini vacations! I admit, I was not ready for summer to be over, that is the thing with the time and seasons: we aren’t in charge. “Time waits for no man, or woman.” Ready or not school started, a new month began, daylight is shortening and fall is getting closer everyday!

Lake Tahoe

So, what does this have to do with living a healthy lifestyle?

Every day, week, month, season and year should remind us of how quickly time flies. We can’t stop it, slow it or get it back. We plan for tomorrow, for vacations, the holidays, next year, retirement but today is the only day that we can act on.

Stop putting off until tomorrow what you should be doing today. You need to “start” today. Whatever that ‘thing’ is; exercise, new job, education, eating healthy, losing weight, quitting smoking….you need to begin NOW. we have about sixteen hours every day that we are moving. What are you doing with yours? If you are so busy working that you can’t remember your last vacation – start scheduling self care days, weekend get away’s and your next vacation. It is not a plan or a goal unless you are taking steps to make it happen. Your life is your journey. What does that look like to you?

So You Don’t Like to Exercise !!!

Even though I LOVE to workout, I know that many people actually dread exercising!!! Which category do you fall into?

Exercise – Love it or hate it?

If you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight – nutrition is MORE important than exercise! You can’t out exercise poor nutrition! 80-90% of managing your weight is determined by your nutrition, not how much or how often you exercise!

I have been on my healthy lifestyle journey for four years! September marks my anniversary and I always do a bit of reflection and a restart this month.

The scale is just one tool – don’t over emphasize what it reads!

Over the past year, I have noticed that the only time that my weight fluctuates is when I am not eating very healthy. Most of the time, I am okay with it. Vacation, I want to enjoy some different foods, indulge a little; holidays or celebrations, I want to have dessert or chips and dip. But when I start to feel bloated and ‘yucky’, have less energy and don’t sleep well – that is NOT okay! I have also learned to think about my diet as the first solution when I am feeling that way.

Typically I have gained 4 – 5 pounds, not a big deal. My jeans might feel a little snugger, my tummy is a little’ poochy’, but mostly it is how I am feeling – not like my positive, energetic self, that is what upsets me. Reality for me, is if I am feeling good and my clothing fits comfortably – I don’t really care what the scale is telling me. But, when I realize that my nutrition has been on a long downward slide – say for three or four months (or more, like this past winter, holidays, dark days through March) then I step on the scale and use it as a gauge to help’restart’ myself.

Three Things That Help Me Get Back On Track

Number one is planning. Menu planning, workout planning, weekly meal prep days. Really, planning ahead simplifies your life and when you have healthy food choices readily available – that is what you will grab! Along with planning is tracking; whether you track your meals, calories, steps, exercise minutes, weight/measurements etc., use a daily journal or a calendar, track what you are doing each day. This way you can look back over the week, the month and SEE how well you are doing, where you need more help or improvement and when you might need a little more motivation.

Number two is a short cleanse. Some of you may do a 24 – 36 hour fast. I do a three day cleanse. Cut out the sugar, the starch, the grains and drink lots of water, eat a variety of vegetables and one serving of lean protein each day. This short, focused cleanse helps to restart my focus, my mindset, and helps curb the sugar cravings that have gotten me off track.

Number three is mindset. I know that I can do this. I remind myself that nutrition is for fuel, not for recreation. I only need to eat when I’m hungry. Speak positively to yourself. Encourage yourself. Think positive thoughts. You can be your own worst enemy, be your biggest cheerleader instead!

Come up with a quote, a mantra, a saying that helps to inspire and encourage you. Memorize it. Repeat it every morning. Make a poster of it. Post it everywhere that you can see it and remind yourself that “YOU CAN DO THIS!”, “YOU ARE WORTH IT!”

Retiring…..Your Shoes

We recently spent a weekend at Mt. Hood that included a fair amount of walking and hiking. I took an old pair of tennis shoes, just for that reason.

Mount Hood

These shoes used to be so comfortable ! They were my favorite workout shoes and then I wore them to work. After awhile, I noticed that when I wore them all day my lower back would hurt. So they became the shoes that I threw in the car for ‘just in case’. You know, when you might need a pair of shoes for a walk or a dry pair of shoes in an emergency.

They don’t look old or worn out, but when your shoes make your feet, your knees or your back hurt – it’s time to retire them!

I have a pair of workout shoes that I wear for about a year and then they become my secondary pair of shoes for work. I teach adaptive P.E. and wear tennis shoes all day. So most of the time I am on my feet! I wear my work shoes until I start to notice that my knee hurts or my lower back aches by the end of the day. This is a sign that the shoes no longer give me the required foot support needed to be on my feet all day. Nobody likes pain, but it amazes me how many people don’t realize that they need to replace their shoes! This could help solve or reduce their foot, knee or back aches and pains.

Cute and comfortable!

These are my new work shoes! I alternate between two pair. If one gets wet or muddy, I have a spare. Alternating helps them to last longer and gives them time to air out between use!

As adults, our shoes are rarely going to look worn out – but the shoes that you wear daily or regularly need to be replaced to maintain the needed support. I also regularly replace my deck shoes or flip flops.

What shoes do you need to replace? Is it time for you to go shoe shopping?

Comfort and support should be the first priority and then how they look.

My shoe closet.

Hey! Don’t judge. I love shoes.

Procrastination – You’re Making Me Wait

Once upon a time I was a stay at home, homeschooling mom of three children. I scheduled everything so that it got done. For some reason, if it was planned, scheduled, written down – I would get it done! On the flip side – I was not very flexible or comfortable with spur of the moment activities.

Ironing – yuck.

Fast forward to today where I work full time and coach USA Swimming. I have a wonderful husband that enjoys cooking and cleaning! Yes, I am very thankful. I have noticed that there is no longer a cleaning day, laundry day etc. I clean up after myself and he cleans up when the floor is ‘driving him crazy’! LOL.

I do not like to dust and ironing is one of my least favorite things to do. I definitely put them off. It is very obvious when they need to be done, and I will tell myself that I need to iron ‘later’.

Some people procrastinate – put things off, wait until the last minute, as a way of life. Maybe this is you – cleaning up as your guests are coming through the door, waiting until the day or night before to complete a work or homework assignment, shopping the ‘day before’ a birthday or holiday, doing laundry when there are no clean towels or socks, grocery shopping when the refrigerator and cupboards are bare…

But do you procrastinate when it comes to your health and well being?

You have the courage!

If your doctor tells you that your cholesterol or blood pressure is too high, you need to lose weight or that you are pre-diabetic, there are things that you can do to change that! Don’t put it off! Start making those lifestyle and habit changes right away!

If you want to get in shape, feel better, lose weight or be more active – stop procrastinating! Today is the only day that you can count on to start! Today is the only ‘good day’ to make a difference – have courage and begin.

Choose to make the changes for a healthier you. Choose a better life. Some things you should not procrastinate about! Today is the best day to start making changes.

What are the three most important things in your life that you keep putting off? What is one thing that you can start doing today to stop that? Leave a comment about it.

A Healthy Back

Do you have a strong back? Is your back flexible? How is your alignment? Do you have back pain? Just a few questions to ask yourself when consider your spinal health.

Most of us don’t think about our backs much until we get a “back ache” or injury.

I believe in chiropractic care and not just for when you get an injury or your back hurts. I make monthly visits as part of my spinal health fitness. I also exercise and have spinal mobility stretches and exercises that I do daily to maintain good spinal health.

This stretch feels so good on my lower back!

Foam rolling is great for sore muscles and spinal hygiene (or health).

Using a bar, pole or stick for stretches and spinal movements is a great addition to your exercise equipment!

“To promote strength, flexibility, and alignment, chiropractic adjustments are expanded to your entire spine while you are empowered with stretches and exercises. This maintains the health of the discs in your spine, relaxes muscles and fascia tissue, and maximizes nerve communication from your brain to your body.” Flexfit Chiropractic

A strong healthy back enables you to bend, twist, stand, sit, exercise, lift, carry and move easily. Don’t take yours for granted! Keep your back strong and healthy. When you see a chiropractor, they should include stretches or exercises for you to do to maintain your spinal health between regular visits.

How are you caring for your back?

Every Day Choices

We make choices every day. Some big, some small, some with little thought, some with a great deal of effort.

Our daily choices shape who we are, what we do, our health and our future!

Even the small choices matter.

This blog is about living a healthy lifestyle, so I will try to focus on the choices that effect our health.

When you choose to overcommit yourself- you are also ‘choosing’ to add more stress to your life, to be less effective in most areas of your life and probably cutting down the amount of time that you have to spend with the most important people in your life!

Choose to make time for what is important.

We choose to ‘add’ things to our lives and to ‘cut’ things from our lives.

Are you choosing to add more healthy things to you life? Things like better sleep, being more active, a positive outlook, gratitude, good nutrition, exercise, self care, time for fun, vacations, family time?

Or are you choosing to work more, eat out more, buy more, neglect your health?

Are you cutting out the negative things, unhealthy things or are you cutting the things that you enjoy because you are so busy? We usually want to cut out the bad habits like smoking, drinking excessively, over indulging, eating to much junk food, etc. Do you have to stay at work and miss your son’s game? Do your meetings run over and you are late picking your children up? Do you have appointments scheduled during family events or activities? has occasionally working late become working late most of the time? Part of making choices includes reviewing our schedules. How often do you take time to do that? Do you check your calendar before choosing to say “yes” to another job, assignment, meeting, appointment???

I am speaking to myself here! I work two jobs and have had to nearly cut out an activity that I enjoy. I also am trying to find balance and make good choices for ALL areas of my life.

I have found that I must make time for what is important to me. I choose to add taking care of my health into my daily routine. If it is important- we make time for it. This often means cutting out something else. If you don’t think that you have time, you probably don’t. But take a look at what you choose to spend your time on: How much television do you watch? How much do you read? How long is your morning coffee time? How much time do you spend on social media? Is there a way to combine errands and save some time? Where else might you find the time from?

We tell our children to “do their homework”, and to “go to bed on time”, to “brush their teeth”, “no cookies before dinner” and “to be home on time”. We are helping them to learn to make good choices, to be prepared, because we want the best for them.

Your choices today are affecting your health, your happiness and your success for tomorrow. I choose to invest in my health and make it a priority to enable me to have a better tomorrow, and that has to include choosing to say “no” sometimes.

What choices are you making?