Kick Holiday Weight Gain To The Curb This Year

 

Make this November about health, not extra servings of pie.

The average American gains 5 lbs during the holiday and most people never lose the extra lbs.  That’s right, it stays on year after year after year…

Scary, isn’t it?

 

Make this the year that you beat this scary statistic and make a commitment to your body that you can be proud of.

 

This November the inspirational, Sam Lambooy of Slambooy Fitness and Betsy Fry of Find Food Peace and 365 Days of Sweat are hosting a “November Workout Challenge.”  Instead of hibernating as the days get shorter and colder, choose to workout everyday in November and take charge of your health.

 

Here’s the rundown:

 

• Workout everyday in November.
• You choose the intensity, duration and type of workout.
• Post what you did in the Facebook group “My November Workout Challenge.”
• Take photos of your workout and post them on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #activenovember and find all the other people around the world participating (seriously, we already have an Aussie and a Brit!).
• Be an advocate for health and invite your friends/family to join you!
• A free conference call for all participants led by Sam Lambooy and Betsy Fry.  We will be giving tips, encouragement, inspiration and answering all questions.

 

Are any of these reasons why you don’t want to participate:

 

• November is the best month for eating and starting off my winter hibernation the right way!
• The holidays are the ultimate diversion from my health goals.
• I’ll start working out again after the family season ends.
• It’s too cold/dark/snowy outside and I hate being confined to the gym.
• I have been thinking about committing to a regular workout regimen, but it’s too hard to commit to anything during the holidays.
• I intend on being in a tryptophan coma all month.
• There will be too much traveling/family time/shopping/stress to try to include working out.

 

If any of these sound familiar to you, then take a risk and let go of your excuses.  We challenge you to leap out of your comfort zone for one month.

 

 

Now that you’ve read all about the challenge, it’s time to make a wholehearted commitment to yourself.  All you have to do is write “I’m so down to sweat!” in the comment section below.   Once you do this, we will add you to the Facebook support group and answer any questions or calm any fears you may have.

 

Welcome to the challenge!   We are so happy to have you!

 

With sweaty love,

 

Betsy Fry and Sam Lambooy

How Consistency Can Change Your Health

Today is Day 10 of the June 5k running challenge that I am taking in part in and I thought it was time for a quick update.

I have always used RunKeeper to keep track of my runs on my phone (via GPS) and have recently switched to NikePlus because it shows an outline of my running course.  How cool is that?  Technology is awesome.

Here are my average pace/per mile times for the identical 3.14 mile run the past 10 days:

• Day 1:  9’32″/mile
• Day 2:  9’26″/mile
• Day 3:  9’24″/mile
• Day 4:  9’20″/mile
• Day 5:  9’22″/mile
• Day 6:  9’18″/mile
• Day 7:  9’13″/mile
• Day 8:  9’26″/mile
• Day 9:  Opps!  Went hiking for 2.5 hours instead!
• Day 10:  8’58″/mile

It’s interesting to me that although my times are not always improving, that I am still getting faster.  Consistency has been my best friend these past 10 days and I want to challenge you to add some sort of consistent workout into your life.  If you’re new to the ball game, here are some options to ease you into a healthier lifestyle:  walk for 20 minutes per day, try the couch to 5k running program, complete a yoga video in the privacy of your own home, take the steps at work (every time you leave your office).  Start small and see how it works.  And be gentle to yourself if you slip-up (see Day 9 above).  Just get back on the horse and pickup where you left off. 

Do you have a consistent workout schedule that you love?  Have one that you have been wanting to try?  Leave a comment in the section below and share what works for you or what you think sounds awesome!   Your gold nugget fitness tip could work for someone else too!

Interactive Challenge

Although we are still three weeks away from the official day of summer, I am going to declare it summer in Colorado.  Today the temperature is in the high 80s and judging by how hot our home was last night, I am guessing the temps did not drop much lower than that in the evening.

With the summer months comes bbq’s, leisurely bike rides, family time, fresh mown grass, long sunny days, lemonade and popsicle’s,  road trips and afternoons spent lounging at the pool.  Some people workout more to look dyno-mite at the beach and others use their precious time to spend with family.  Typically, I come out of winter hibernation and use May-October as my months to explore outside while sweating as much as humanly possible.  

This year is no different.  A friend of mine started a website called Slambooy Fitness  (last name: Lambooy.  Fun play on words, right?) to share his knowledge and passion for fitness with others through his health tips, workout plans, meal prep instruction, and monthly challenges.  His first challenge already has a massive following that I wanted to share with you, in case you needed some support/inspiration/challenge in your (sweaty) life.  Here’s the deal:

• Run a 5k everyday in June (start today since I am just now telling you about this!)
• Post your run details on Instagram or Twitter
• Use #slambooy5kchallenge to find others that can support you
• Start your summer off by annihilating this goal!

This month I am committing to this challenge and I hope that you will too!  If you need any personalized support, shoot me an email and we can cheer each other on.    Happy sunny, sweaty and goal-crushy summer!

**Picture LOL: my cousin found this on a workout site and forwarded it to me.  How did this person know that I rock a 10 minute pace?!**

The Three Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

**Sign-up to receive my newsletter, which will give you tips to shed all of your unwanted weight, learn how to overcome emotional eating, finally enjoy working out, create emotional health by making yourself a huge priority, and find more time in your life to spend doing the activities you love.  If you’re interested, I will be rolling out a new affordable coaching program this week!  It will only be offered in my newsletter and will be first come, first serve!**

We all have our reasons why we hold onto those few extra pounds.  Perhaps the weight protects you from going after your wildest dreams or maybe you do not have enough time to dedicate to the cause.  However strong your reason is, you can get past it and lose that weight.  As a life coach that specializes in weight loss, I have heard everything in the book.  I have also helped tons of individuals shed their reasons and move forward into living healthy lives.  Here are the three main reasons that are keeping you from losing weight and living a life you deserve.

Reason #1:  Excuses  Excuses are the biggest reason why people get stuck in a world of being overweight and unhappy.  I have heard excuses that range from “I do not love myself enough to lose weight,” to “Putting myself first makes me feel selfish.”  Whatever your excuse is, I have a hunch that you actually believe it.  Know this: Your excuses are not true and they are taking you away from living a life of truth.  The quicker you rid yourself of them, the sooner you can start taking the steps you have been longing for.

Action Plan:  Make a list of all of the excuses why you have held onto the extra weight.  Dig deep here.  Bring every single excuse to the surface and examine why you held onto that thought for so long.  The next time this excuse comes up you know that it is just an excuse and it holds no real meaning.  Let the excuse go and before you know it, you’ve proved that excuse wrong.

Christi Nielsen / Art Photos / CC BY-NC-ND

Reason #2:  Security If you have ever said something along the lines of, “I will start to date once I lose 15 pounds,” or “I will be happy once I lose weight,” then you are using your weight as a security blanket.  You are choosing not to live your life until you look different.  Start living your life right now!   When you allow yourself to do the things that you thought only your “skinny self” could do, you are proving to yourself that you do not deserve happiness right now and riding yourself the opportunity to live in the present.  When you allow yourself to live your life right now, the exact way that you are, you will be surprised what happens to your waistline.

Action Plan:  Jot down all of the things that you are waiting to do until you are at your ideal weight.  Choose one thing on your list and do it this week.  Rock your dreams at any weight and show yourself that happiness is not dependent on your pant size!

Reason #3:  Fear  There are a few different types of fear that can accompany weight loss; fear of making yourself a priority, fear of changing your lifestyle, fear of starvation, fear of working out and fear of being comfortable with oneself.  Whatever type of fear you can identify with, know that once you start working on whatever scares you, the fear will subside.  Remember how terrifying it was the first time you dove off a diving board?  Then you dove, survived, and did it again one hundred more times that day.  Fear can be paralyzing and can keep you from moving for years, or perhaps a lifetime.  Do not just wait for the fear to go away, work through it.

Action Plan:  Identify your fearful thoughts.  Once you have done that, ask yourself these genius questions by Byron Katie, “Is this thought true? Can you absolutely know that this thought is true?  How do you react when you think this thought? Who would you be without this thought?”  Once you put the fears out in the open, they hold less power in your mind.  Bonus: write down a thought that feels truer than your crappy fearful thought.  Set a daily reminder in your calendar with the new and improved thought and watch how your energy shifts.

These three main mental blocks come up time and time again.  They can manifest as a reality in your mind for a long time and convince you of a lot of untrue things.  Once you have worked through these things, start making changes slowly.  Do not shoot out of a cannon and make 100 changes to your life in one week, it’s not sustainable.  Just ask anyone who has cut out all carbs or tried to work out every morning at 5:00 a.m.  Start with small goals and once you have mastered those, move onto the next.  When it feels too hard to continue, take a break for one day.  Pick up wherever you left off the following day and find peace in knowing that you will get there.

**If you enjoyed this article and are interested in working with me one-on-one, contact me at betsy@betsyfrycoaching.com and we can start changing your life next week!  If you’re interested in the brand spankin’ new coaching program that will exclusively roll out in my newsletter next week, then sign-up today!  It is first come, first serve y’all!  This one will book fast.** 

Day 365: It’s a Done Deal!

Day 365:  Day 365 is here!   I cannot thank everyone enough for all of the love, support and encouragement this past year.  It has meant more to me than I thought possible.  A simple note from a stranger was enough to keep me going for a week, so thank you, thank you, thank you.  A really special thank you goes out to my loving husband who cheered me on every day.  Without him, there were times that I was not sure I would have been able to make it through.

I chose to end my year of working out the exact same way that I started this madness one year ago– except with more people there to love on me.  Mike and I ran 3 miles in Washington Park and then he dropped me off at Karma Yoga for a 75 minute Anusara yoga class with three of my friends.  I know that the instructor was great, but I was not able to concentrate on the words of wisdom that she was sending out due to overwhelming excitement of a goal coming to fruition.

After the class Michael was waiting for me in the car with flowers, a card and a donut (he knows the way to my heart).  We kissed, he told me how proud he is and then we talked about the last year over a cup of coffee at a nearby coffee shop.  It was the perfect way to end a year of lots of sweat, some tears and an overwhelming amount of love.

Here I am today, 365 days later, with a huge accomplishment under my belt and a lot less fat.   I thought it would be a good time to answer the questions that I have been asked over and over again in the last year, “Do you feel different?  Are you going to keep up with it?  Have you lost weight?  What are you going to do on your first day off?  What did you learn?  What are you going to do next?”

Now that I’ve had a year to reflect on all of these questions, I’d like to answer them as honestly as possible.

Do you feel different?  Yes, I do.  My body now physically craves working out on a daily basis.  Even more importantly, so does my being.  I know that it is the best way to elevate my day into a more blissed out state.  If I’m in a funk, it pulls me out.  If I’m not, it makes me feel better.  Almost every time.  I think that makes it all worth it.  Not to mention that every time I choose to workout over not working out, I am choosing to love myself more by making my health a priority.  If that’s not motivation, I’m not sure what is.

If you’re wondering if my body feels different, then I am also happy to report that yes, it does feel different.  Everything feels tighter and in a better place.  My arms and love handles have shrunk down (aka my “bad” spots).   Again, the mental piece plays a bigger role than the physical here.  I feel self-assured in a way that I have never felt before.  Regardless of what my body looks like I know that it is capable of far more than I ever would have imagined.

Are you going to keep up with it?  Yes and no.  There were days that I had to wakeup at 3 a.m. to workout or complete a workout that I was not fond of just to try to fit it into my day.  Those are the types of workouts that I usually do not support.  If doing it makes me upset and it feels unnatural (physically or with my schedule), then I’d rather save up my energy for a great workout the next day.

However I will make the time do it the majority of the week.  I’d like to say that I will stick with working out six days per week.  I know how important working out is to my state of being now and I’ll continue it in a way that feels natural to me.  With a lot less writing and more time sweating!

Also, by no means do I recommend this for everyone.  Potentially it could turn you off from working out and make you run away from your fitness goals.  Rather, set a goal for yourself that is attainable.  Once you attain it, reach higher and then higher….you’ll get to your own 365 days before you know it.

Have you lost weight?  This is the question that I receive the most from strangers.  I think it’s interesting that people care so much about the weight side of it.  From the very beginning of this I have stressed that it has nothing to do with weight and everything to do with a commitment to myself.   Since there is a lot of interest in this, I will answer it honestly.  I have lost 9 lbs over the course of the year.   I was happy with my weight 9 lbs ago and I am just as happy as I am right now.

What will you do on your first day off?   I was not thinking that I would take tomorrow off, but as I type away in my pretty new office my mind keeps drifting to a day filled with movies, a fluffy robe, a hot bath and perhaps a manicure and pedicure.  But those are just some ideas…

What did you learn?   I cannot sum up what I have learned in one paragraph or even in ten pages.  What I can tell you is what I think is the most important thing I learned;  listen to your body, it knows the answers to whatever you are seeking.   If you’ve been reading this blog, then I am sure you are not surprised to hear me say that.

By physically being connected to my body this past year I have been able to listen to what it wants me to do.  I am a firm believer that the body knows the answer to things more so than the mind.  The mind can get clouded by what society wants us to do/not do, look like/not look like.  But the body?  Oh it knows what it craves, you just have to learn how to tune into that.  If you want to learn how to do that more, send me an email, I’d be happy to walk you through some insider tips.

What are you going to do next?  I am going to keep this blog as a way to connect with the community that has been created in the last year.  I will update it every so often with workouts that I think should be shared, recipes, quotes, guest writers and coaching advice.  However, the majority of time and energy will be spent creating my new coaching website that will have its own blog.  It is in the works right now and I will make sure to share it with you when it’s launched in the next few weeks.

As a closing statement I want to reiterate how grateful that I am for you.  Your love and encouragement led me on groggy runs, pushed me through sweaty sculpt classes and told me to keep going everyday.  You’re the voice I will continue to hear when I feel like giving up and for that, I am ever grateful.

Day 364: Spin City

Day 364:  This morning Mike and I went to the Lifetime Fitness in Parker for our daily workout.  As we walked in we looked at each other and said, “see you in 90 minutes” and went our separate ways.

I started off on the treadmill for five minutes and then decided that I wanted to try out a spin class.  I hopped off the tread and headed towards the spin studio and luckily walked in right before the 8:30 a.m. class was starting.  Since I’ve moved to Denver I have been to one spin class and the year before that in DC I made it to two of them.  In the last two years my class time has been replaced by primarily yoga.   However, the year that I spent living in Boston I was hooked to spinning classes.  I made a weekly schedule of what classes I could attend and stuck to them.  Often times they were the highlight of my day.

After my two-year hiatus I was feeling pretty nervous.  Where do my hands go?  Is my back straight enough or too straight?  Are my legs moving at the proper speed?  Why am I the only person breathing so hard?  Did I just sing out loud for a second?  Has anyone noticed that I am the only person in the class of twenty-two without clip-in shoes?  Luckily, the lights dimmed and my frightening thoughts drifted away.   To my surprise two huge movie theater sized screens came down from the ceiling and started showing a documentary on Tour de France (with subtitles).  The 55 minute class flew by and before I knew it there was that same puddle of sweat next to my bike that I used to see every other night at Boston Sports Club.

Tomorrow I will be sore, but for now, I am just happy to have found something that I used to love.  After I was able to calm my breathing I went over to the free weight/ab section of the gym and knocked out 15 minutes of random mat work until my handsome husband told me it was time to leave.  We walked out of the gym hand-in-hand, ready for the last sweat session that I will be blogging about tomorrow.

It’s been one hell of a ride.  Thanks for taking it with me. xxoo

Days 174-176: Macaroni and Snow

Day 174:  I thought that winter was done for the season, but Mother Nature clearly had something else in mind.  On Sunday it was 75 and sunny and on Monday it turned to 35 and snowy.  I had some errands to run that day and wanted to get them done before the snow really started.  I spent an hour on my bike powering through my list, came home and did a generic push up, jumping jack and crunch workout before hunkering down for the night.

Day 175:  Yesterday it snowed and then snowed some more.  I was not feeling very courageous, so I decided to stay inside and use the ol’ TRX.  I did a 45 minute workout while jamming out to songs from Rent the musical.

Day 176:  The weather has turned back to a warm 65 degrees and I laced up my kicks for a run in Wash Park.  I made it about 1.5 miles before my really healthy lunch of macaroni and cheese with a chocolate chip cookie started upsetting my stomach.  I decided to walk for a few minutes to see if I could calm down my stomach…no dice.  I walked three more miles home.  I suppose some workouts just end like that.  That’s okay.  Tomorrow I won’t eat like crappola and I will make it a better run.

Days 154-156: The Sunny Life

Day 154:  Mother Nature has been smiling on Denver and gracing us with the most beautiful warm spring weather.  On Monday I went for an hour walk while soaking up the 70 degree warmth onto my cold winter skin.

Day 155:  Yesterday I dedicated my day to working on my coaching business and working out.  I spent five-hours at Wash Perk Coffee emailing, strategizing and organizing….all while decked out in my favorite run outfit.  After I closed my laptop for the day, I jogged the few blocks to Wash Park’s perimeter and ran 30 minutes while listening to some throw back rap music from college (fitting since it is spring break week at my alma mater, Indiana University).

After my run, I went home, grabbed my yoga mat and met my friend at Karma Yoga for some serious stretching.  Insiders tip:  yoga after a run is a lot more challenging. In my mind, this means that the combination of workouts are doing wonders for the body.  The instructor, Katrina, talked about lots of things that touched me throughout the 75 minute class.  But one thing she said took my breath away, “it’s not the lack in life that causes us pain, it’s the greed.”   Think about that for a second.

Are you thinking about it?  How is that true in your life?  I know it’s true in mine in almost every facet.  I consider myself full of gratitude and far from greedy, however,  sometimes I can’t help but wish that my life was somehow  different.  Which is where the greed comes in.  That was the reminder that I needed to remember that I am exactly where I need to be.  You are exactly where you are meant to be.  Together, we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.  Sigh, doesn’t that thought just take away some of that stress and greed?  If it doesn’t, what thought could you play with to make you feel more grateful?

Day 156:  I have a huge confession to make; I am not perfect with my working out.  I have been absolutely horrible since Mike came home at keeping early morning yoga dates with myself.  Lately when my alarm goes off at 5 a.m., my first thought is “I could probably find another class today to go to instead of having to wake up now.”  Insert a quick “dismiss” of the alarm and back to sleep I go for another hour or two.  This morning I was determined to get my early morning class groove back.  So I did.  I  got up at 5 a.m. to go to a C2 class at Core Power Yoga with my friend Cassidy.   Together we sweat enough to fill a baby pool and individually, I completed a 20 second wheel when all I wanted to do was fall into child’s pose.   Afterwards, I felt spent.  I gave every ounce that I had at 6 a.m. and that my friends, is what morning flow is all about.

Days 131-133: Gentle

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,” says Jim Carey’s character from Dumb and Dumber.   This really insightful quote nails what I am feeling on the head.  February has been a month wham-jam packed of one bug after the next for me. Typically my body acts like a black belt in karate and fights off anything that looks like a bug, but this year- nut uh.  It’s taking a break and letting every darned bit of sick hit me like a ton of bricks.  Great timing black belt, grrrreeat timing!

Day 131:  Regardless of how I am feeling, I am determined not to let this month of yuck let me break my challenge.  On day 131 I also worked in three ten minute walks.  My body was thankful when each of those walks was over.

Day 132:  Yesterday my fiance and I went to the home and garden show at the Denver Convention Center and walked around for over three hours.  After that we walked about two miles total to and from to get lunch.  Hey- after that, my body was done.  Therefore, that had to be my workout.  Walking that much really does count as a low impact workout and that’s what I am all about until my black decides to make a much anticipated appearance.

Day 133: Today I moved our coffee table out of our living room, set up my yoga mat and practiced my own (much needed) flow.  I turned on some country music and just listened to what my body needed.  It was screaming at me to open up my hips- so I did a runner’s lunge, lots of warrior’s and finished off with a long time in child’s pose.  I wonder if sickness likes to hangout in the hip joints?  Just a thought.  Listen, be kind and be gentle.  Those things have always been important, but it’s even more important when all your body wants to do is take it easy.

Days 95 & 96: Gymmin’

Day 95:  Yesterday it was 1 degree in Columbus, OH.  To say that it was cold is an understatement.  Every single time I walked outside I annoyed myself by saying “BBBBBRRRRR, IT’S FREEZING OUT HERE.”   After nine hours of errand running all over town, that line got old quickly.  Needless to say, we would not be using the outdoors as our gym.  We started calling the local gyms to check on reasonable drop-in rates and stumbled upon the gem called the “YMCA.”  Have you heard of it?   Seriously, those places get overlooked and given a bad-wrap.

The one we went to gave us a free three-day trial, free sweat towels and an endless amount of grunting coming from the nearby highschool power lifters.  Besides the occasional startled feeling from the aforementioned grunting, it was a great experience.  I ran my first 8 minute mile (maybe ever?) and got in some lifting time.  Oh and the sweat was complimentary too!  I am a sucker for anything that’s on the house…

Day 96:  It has been snowing in Ohio for 48 hours straight with only an inch of  accumulation.  I am still confused about how that can even happen, but leave it to the high-winds in corn country to make that possible.

I have a darling cousin, Ellen, who works at a uber nice gym called Urban Active.  We dropped in for a workout today to squeeze in some family sweatin’ time.  I did about 45 minutes of mixed up cardio and ended my workout with 10 minutes of ab work.  Between the family, friends, wedding planning, moving, welcoming home and hugs, this week has proved to be the most difficult week of the challenge so far.  However, by continuing to put my health first (amidst the craziness) I have been able to calm my nerves, eat out meals with the family without stress of weight gain and carve out some me/us time.  All of which, I know I would not have done if I was not committed to this challenge.