40 Pieces of Advice Challenge Day 16

It's that time of year again! The time when most people evaluate the last 12 months or so of their lives and decide on the changes they will make to improve their state of affairs.

It has been said, by those whose job it is to know these things, that losing weight is the most popular New Year's resolution. So the gyms will fill up at the start of January, maybe refrigerators and cupboards will be cleansed of junk foods and restocked with only the most nutritious of fare, weekend plans may be altered to avoid activities that involve calorie-dense alcoholic drinks. Some people might even go so far as to explore the option of weight loss surgery. 

With the exception of surgery, I'm all for these behavior changes. 

But, given that almost everyone who makes the resolution to lose weight will most likely be making the same resolution the following year, I'd say there's a hitch in the plan somewhere. And, I think that hitch is that we tend to have an all or nothing mentality. 

Need to lose weight? Ok, I'm going to run 5 miles every morning, eat only fruits, vegetables and lean protein, and so on, personalized to each person's take on the quickest way to shed the pounds. 

But, come on, this isn't how we humans operate. We will almost definitely fall short of the extreme limits we put on ourselves.  And, when the inevitable food "cheat" happens, or we miss a couple of days of exercise, we tend to fall prey to the idea that we've already blown it, so what's the use? 

I say, you want to lose weight? Or, more accurately, fat? Ok, that's great. But, you don't need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. 

I suggest that you start with small steps. And a great small step to take is to follow this piece of advice: have your biggest meal early in the day, and scale downward from there so that your last meal of the day is little more than a snack.

This will serve you in many ways. By eating a substantial and nutrient-dense meal in the morning, you are giving your body and brain the fuel that they need to function optimally. A smaller meal later in the day will help keep your energy on an even keel. Then, at night, when many people find themselves relieving the stresses of the day by eating mindlessly in front of their TVs (that's another issue we'll tackle another day), instead of downing a lot of potentially empty calories, just choose to have a light snack. 

Then call it a night.

Make the kitchen off limits after this last, light meal. At first, your mind may play tricks on you. It may tell you that you are starving. But, are you actually starving? No. Just remind yourself that you will have a nice big meal in the morning. Also, you are more likely to have a deeper and more restful sleep if your body isn't working hard to digest a lot of food. 

And, with all that evening time that you won't spend eating, maybe you'll have the time and energy to tackle projects you've had on the back burner, or take up new hobbies. The opportunities are limited only by your interests and imagination.

After a week or two of eating lightly in the evening, chances are you will feel so good, you'll wonder why you ever indulged in heavy dinners. 

Take this as your start. Give it at least 60 days to make a real impact in your body, mind and life. And, if you do have a big dinner occasionally, don't worry about it. Just make sure you get back on course the next day. 

So, what do you say? Does this speak to you and your experience? Please share your stories, I'd love to follow your progress!

- Tamera

Teach Your Children Well

We almost never watch TV at our house. We just have too much living to do, and, really, most of what's on TV isn't worth watching, anyway. But, every once in a while, I do turn on certain shows that I find interesting. One of these shows is The Biggest Loser. I love seeing the contestants confront their demons, push through their perceived limits and transform their lives.

This season, there's a woman on the show named Tanya who really got my attention. Her lifestyle had deteriorated so much that she gained over a hundred pounds with her last pregnancy, and her baby was born grossly overweight at 11 pounds 6 ounces. Now 2 years old, Tanya's daughter is at risk for many diseases and will be climbing an uphill battle all her life. I cried right along with Tanya when she broke down and said, "I did this to her."

And it made me think of the millions of American children who are eating fake, processed foods, and leading unhealthy, sedentary lives. When I was a child, I played outside with my friends, walked or rode my bike around town and rarely sat around the house. Contrast that with today's electronic culture of video games, TV, computers, smart phones, streets empty like ghost towns. These days, when I see kids playing outside, I'm actually surprised by it. I can't tell you how sad this makes me.

Add to this the explosion of "convenience foods", and we've got the perfect mix for a whole generation of people at risk for all kinds of diseases, from diabetes to heart disease to stroke to cancer.  It is estimated that one third of all American children and adolescents are overweight or obese. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around this number. These children will, in all likelihood, grow up to be overweight adults, and I think of all the missed opportunities, the heartbreak, the economic toll on society that will follow.

And, when I think of these children, Tanya's words echo in my mind. Children do not get fat in a vacuum. There is a whole society that sets up the conditions for this to happen. But, the situation is not hopeless. To paraphrase Gandhi, we must all strive to make the changes in ourselves that we wish to see in the world.

Do we model appropriate behavior to our children? Do we make time to teach them how to make healthful meals from real, fresh ingredients or do we microwave frankenfoods to give to them during the car ride to the shopping center, where we will circle the parking lot to find the spot nearest to the entrance of the store? Do we collapse in front of the TV after dinner or do we take a walk around the neighborhood and take the time to talk to one another about the events of the day? When our children have something to say, do we give them our undivided attention, or are we staring at our smartphones?

Small changes add up to big consequences. Be mindful. Make good choices. And, remember, children are always watching and learning. What are we teaching them?

Guest Post - Chris Armstrong

MOTIVATION: FOLLOW YOUR BLISS...but keep score. 

Over the years, I've been through several cycles of the typical gym routine: alternating days of working different muscle groups on various weight machines and 30+ minutes on a treadmill or some other cardio machine - all in the hope of achieving the vaguely defined goal of getting "in shape." 

I had been overweight for years, but it hadn’t affected my vanity enough to motivate me to lose it. I always felt perfectly healthy and didn't feel any desire to work out regularly in order to "feel better." It was only some pesky numbers on blood test results that my doctor insisted were "outside normal parameters", and her suggestion of putting me on additional medications, that got my attention like nothing had in the past.

    I began looking for a form of exercise that could hold my interest more 

    than my somewhat unfocused gym experiences had several times before. 

Eventually, I discovered CrossFit. I was immediately drawn to the variety it provided: different workouts everyday, consisting of a range of activities like, running, jumping, gymnastic/body-weight movements, Olympic weightlifting and Powerlifting - anything BUT a predictable routine. A quick online search led me to the nearest CrossFit gym and I was off to the races. 

Another thing that was attractive about CrossFit was that all workouts could be modified to match anyone's level of fitness. In the same class, there can be teenagers and 60 year olds; firefighters, police, former and current military people; soccer moms of all sizes and fitness levels; and seriously overweight and out of shape guys of all ages. We're all doing the same general workout, but some are lifting more weight or jumping on a higher box and some finish before others. 

I've heard people say that they need to get in better shape before starting something as challenging as CrossFit. The best comeback I've heard for that is: 

        "Saying you're too out of shape to start exercising is like saying 

                     you're too dirty to take a bath."

In a typical CrossFit workout, we all start together with a running clock. Some workouts are meant to be finished in a predetermined time, while others take as long as it takes to finish all the prescribed exercises. We work out together and encourage each other all along the way. CrossFitters like to say that CrossFit is the only sport (and it IS also a professional sport) that has more cheering for the last person to finish than for the first. The last ones are always cheered on and encouraged by the ones who have already finished.

All of this working-together makes it feel like a bit of a family and I have found that even people of VERY different cultural/economic/political backgrounds find common ground through CrossFit and get along swimmingly.

"CrossFitters: Creating bonds through shared agony."

As this blog post is about motivation, you may be thinking all this motivational stuff I've mentioned so far is my main point, but I haven't even gotten to the MOST motivating part yet, at least for me.

How to Cleanse in 7 Days: Be Sexy and Gorgeous From the Inside Out!

My dear friend (and huge E3Live fan!) Evita Ramparte has written a fabulous E-book called How to Cleanse in 7 Days: Be Sexy & Gorgeous From the Inside Out! It’s a quick and very fun read, filled with gorgeous pictures and interesting and insightful thoughts.

In this book, Evita tells her own story of naturally healing herself of cancer and losing a lot of fat, while, at the same time, clearing up her skin and creating a life of exciting new possibilities for herself and for others. What I really love about How to Cleanse in 7 Days is the wisdom and science mixed in with the lighthearted wit Evita is famous for. She takes nothing too seriously, least of all herself, telling her readers to experiment and find for themselves which things work and what to leave behind. 

                 And speaking of leaving things behind, this is a book on 

                 how to cleanse your body as well as your mind and soul. 

Evita writes that we can not be fully cleansed and enjoy optimal health until we truly forgive and clean out our emotional lives, replacing anger and sadness with wonder and joy. In this, she is not alone. Most spiritual and philosophical practices tell us that forgiveness is the path to true peace of mind and health for mind and body. In this book, Evita gives her readers a protocol on just how to clear the mind and soul of negative emotions that have bogged us down for years, even decades.