Thursday, December 18, 2014

New Posts are Coming...Good Stuff for the New Year

Hi everyone! I know it's been a couple of months since my last post. I started a series and left you all hanging, and for that, I am sorry. I have been busy with lots of projects and have neglected my blog. I feel really awful about that. In addition to my heavy workload, I have been through some personal issues that have distracted me from my life's work.  But, I will continue the series, as these women's stories are very important and relevant for all of us. Additionally, I have some great topics plan for you for January. Please stay tuned!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Xoxo,
Coach Stephanie

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Inspiring Woman #1 - Real Women, Real Struggles, Real Inspiration Series

It's here! The first in a series of four blog posts about real women taking control of their self-image, fitness and health.  Every other week I'll bring you a story from a woman just like you and me who is just trying to love her self, be healthy and take back the notion that we have to be "perfect" to be fit and healthy.

Meet Brittany Arroyo:


Brittany is a nationally certified personal trainer (ACSM) out of Viera, FL and has been dedicated to changing her body and self-image through heavy weightlifting. 

Brittany has a history of eating disorders and being unkind to her body.  Through her fitness and wellness journey, she has been at war with the most powerful "muscle" in her body: her mind.  

Brittany counsels clients, friends and family members about health and fitness issues and has shared what she herself and others deal with.  She also gives her personal philosophy on coaching clients with diet and exercise.

Below is Brittany's personal and candid narrative of these trials and triumphs.  

Disordered Eating/Body Dysmorphia 

"I have a long past of disordered eating and body dysmorphia. While I am much healthier now, I find myself constantly berating myself (too fat, too many calories, not strong enough, not pretty enough, the list goes on). I say things to myself that I would never imagine saying to a loved one or client,  and yet since I've started working in the fitness industry, I've heard many women (and some men) say these things aloud about themselves. Most of the time it's in a joking manner, but I recognize the hurt and pain behind it, as it is my own. 

My struggle is with myself; how do I preach body love and acceptance when I don't accept and love my own body? On the flip side, how do I encourage healthy living and weight without creating unhealthy thought patterns and habits in the process?


I don't remember a time when I've felt comfortable with my body. I stopped eating in high school.  It got to a point where my parents intervened.  They said, 'get better or we're getting you professional help.'  I did go to therapy, but I wasn't ready to deal with it.

People pass judgement that mental health is internal.  As a society, we're bombarded with images and media. Appearance is important. I was raised in a loving home with supportive parents.  I was always comparing myself to others.  I think about it everyday.

I have a PT client in her 50s.  She's really fit but wants to look better.  She told me she's had liposuction and cosmetic surgery.  She only weighs 120 pounds yet still sees a fat person in the mirror.  I want my clients to accept and better themselves.  I want them to stop seeing unmet unrealistic expectations as failure. 

I need to find balance. I'm working on that and self-awareness.  I didn't even acknowledge the problems and the thought process until 1.5 years ago.  People want to train with me because of the knowledge and experience I have.  It's funny the way other people perceive us is not how we see ourselves.

Unhealthy Patterns on Nights and Weekends

"I struggle with not falling into the binge/restrict cycle. I eat super clean on weekdays, all day long and then night-time or the weekend rolls around and I lose my dang mind. I struggle daily to find a balance between being 'on' or 'off.'" 

Teaching Healthy Habits

"Tracking and calorie counting can lead to obsessive behavior.  'Cheat days' can be very detrimental.  I give general guidelines that will work for most people.  2-3 meals a week, eat whatever you want.  I try to screen people and be aware of triggers or red flags with clients.  I keep track and find out the WHY behind why people want to lose weight or get fit. 

I feel like disordered eating is very common.  We've come to accept strange habits as normal.  Juice cleanses, restrictive food habits and 'trendy diets' are all accepted as normal.  Hollywood perpetuates them.  Every person is a personal trainer and expert.  There's so much misinformation on the internet. I only read articles with scientific notation.  If there's no study to back it up, it's just conjecture.  I give resources with legitimate professionals in the industry."   

Working Out is 'All or Nothing'

"I am fairly good about this one.  My clients and friends, not so much. I find many people think they need to workout 7 days a week for an hour or more or else it's useless and they might as well do nothing. I try to emphasize that something is always better than nothing and more is not better but better is better when it comes to fitness.

Most of my clients think that if they can't do the perfect workout, then they shouldn't bother.  Effectiveness of your workout is more important than how long it is.  I give clients at home workouts to do in their off days.  Quickie workouts to create a habit. 

Set a minimum amount of days to workout, whether at home or they gym, and stick to it.  2-3 days at a minimum is my recommendation."

Brittany's Biggest Epiphany


"Lift weights.  Nothing will change your life more than to put weights on a barbell and lift. Lifting weights is the key to looking better, feeling better and thinking better.   I'm most proud of being able to deadlift 1.5 times my body weight and squat over 200 lbs.  I feel strong and powerful."

---Brittany Arroyo, ACSM Certified Trainer
Like Brittany on Facebook 
Committed to continuing education. PT is a science and exercise changes all the time.

Thank you to Brittany Arroyo for your candid testimony and advice to women and men.  Trainers are people too and no one is perfect.  When we stop comparing ourselves to others, we can start to achieve balance.  

Please join us in two weeks for our next profile of and inspiring woman.


Inspiring Woman #2

Perri G - Wife, Mother and Full-Time Chauffeur

Perri became a mom at age 40.  Blessed beyond measure, she struggles with having time to workout, eat well and achieve balance with her mom, wife and work duties.  I think a lot of people can really relate to Perri's story.  She and her husband are trying to be good examples of self-love and healthy body image to their son.  I hope to help Perri find solutions for her busy life, and in turn, help you make exercise and meal planning a priority in your own life.







Thanks for reading my blog this week.  This project is really important to me. I think we need to be talking about our body and food issues.  The only way the rhetoric will change is if we demand it to.  Love your body.  Love your exercise.  Love yourself.

Yours in health,
Coach Stephanie
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram - StephLipp1
My Fitness Company, Positively Fit and Facebook Community 

I offer private online and offline coaching.
For more information about the nutritional supplements I support:
www.spxworks.com

Monday, September 29, 2014

Real Women, Real Struggles, Real Inspiration

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've been working on lots of projects that will help me be a better fitness and wellness coach for you, my loyal readers and followers. It has always been my goal with this blog to help coach you to live your best life, not anyone else's.

Starting this week, I'm rolling out a new series, titled "Real Women, Real Struggles, Real Inspiration." Every two weeks you'll hear from one of four phenomenal women who have entrusted me with their biggest fears, body image issues, fitness and nutrition woes and life situations that they fight to not deter them from their ultimate goals: to be the healthiest woman they can be.  That said, this isn't just a series for women, men can benefit too.  As I was reminded by one of these women, whom I'll introduce below, men struggle with body image and are a lot of times not represented adequately.

These women are friends of mine who I've come to know from all stages and phases of my life: my childhood, my past career and my current career.  They are all remarkable and different, and I can't wait for you to get to know them.  

These women, like many others, are trying to find balance in their lives. I think you can never have enough strong women in your life to relate to and learn from.  I also think the more we have open dialogue about our fears and insecurities, the more united we'll be come. 

Now, let's meet the ladies!

Inspiring Woman #1 
Brittany Arroyo - Certified Personal Trainer and All-Around Bad-Ass


Brittany is an ACSM-certified personal trainer.  She has transformed her mind and body with the power of weightlifting.  She is an incredible woman of character and strength, and I can't wait for you to get to know her.  Brittany was very candid with me about her past eating disorder and how it still affects her today.  She's now a very strong and fit woman, but still struggles with body image.  I think you'll learn that trainers are human, too, and it's ok to not be perfect because no one is. 

Like Brittany on Facebook




Inspiring Woman #2
Perri G - Wife, Mother and Full-Time Chauffeur

Perri became a mom at age 40.  Blessed beyond measure, she struggles with having time to workout, eat well and achieve balance with her mom, wife and work duties.  I think a lot of people can really relate to Perri's story.  She and her husband are trying to be good examples of self-love and healthy body image to their son.  I hope to help Perri find solutions for her busy life, and in turn, help you make exercise and meal planning a priority in your own life.






Inspiring Woman #3
Carolyn J - Wife, Mom and Overcomer of "Mommy Guilt"


Carolyn completely overhauled the way she and her family eats.  Then, she fell in love with the gym and started getting stronger and seeing the changes in her body.  She struggles with wanting to spend as much time as possible with her husband and two sons, and exercising, something that brings her peace and stress relief.  We'll also discuss Carolyn's challenges with avoiding boredom with healthy eating and not putting so much pressure on herself to be perfect.






Inspiring Woman #4
Barbara L - Southern Belle, Loving Wife, 
Awesome Grandma

Barbara lives with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism, which has caused her to gain weight.  Additionally, she has chronic nerve pain that makes cardio exercise painful.  I hope to help Barbara find exercises she can do, as well as live a life she enjoys with food she loves, while still achieving her weight loss goals. 











Can't wait to share and discuss so many hot topics with you all.    Together, we can live our best lives and support and encourage one another.

Yours in health,
Stephanie 





Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Are You Eating Enough?

When sitting with a new client for a nutrition consultation, I always ask them to keep a 3-day food journal of what they eat and drink for three consecutive days.  One of the things most of my clients who are struggling with weight loss have in common is that they DO NOT EAT ENOUGH.

Yes, you read that right.  You have to eat to lose weight.

Your body requires fuel.  It is a magnificent machine.  But, you have to feed it right to get the results you want.

I did a phone consultation with a weight loss client today.  She told me she had hit a plateau and was no longer losing.  I asked her what an average day looked like.  She gave me this food journal entry:

Breakfast - granola bar, 140-150 calories, 32 oz of water
Lunch - Salad with greens and grilled or baked meat, 400 calories
Dinner - anything I can get my hands on.  I'm starving.

Anyone see the problem here?  My client isn't eating enough. By the time dinner rolls around, her blood sugar is so low and her body is starving, so she eats the most satisfying, quick food she can get - simple carbohydrates.

Most women are afraid to eat.  Afraid that 300-400 calories at a meal will make them fat.  WRONG.  What's making you fat is you're starving your body. Be good to it, feed it, and you will start to see the scale move.

Food journaling is a very effective tool for weight loss.  Simply writing down in a notebook what you eat each day will help you see trends in your habits.  There are also apps for smartphones and websites that help you keep track.  Whatever helps you keep yourself accountable, do it.  Don't go crazy obsessing over calories, but keeping track of what you eat will make you aware of how much you're actually consuming.

Mayo Clinic has a calorie estimator on their website.  Your daily caloric needs depend on your height, weight, sex, age and daily activity level.  As long as you eat close to your calories needed per day and moderately exercise, the scale should move.

Keep these tips in mind too:

1. Never go more than three hours without eating. When you eat a snack in between your meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), it helps your stabilize your blood sugar and will help you avoid binges that happen when you wait until you are starving to eat.
 
2. Use fruit as fuel for exercise. Best time to eat fruit: first thing in the morning with protein or 30 minutes before a workout for fuel. Fruit is very good for you and full of nutrients, but it is a sugar and when not paired with a protein, it can spike your blood sugar and leave you unsatisfied and hungry an hour later.
 
3. Explore new vegetables. One of the main complaints people have when starting to eat better is boredom with food. There are so many vegetables and countless ways to cook them.
So be adventurous, visit your local farmer's market and try something new!
 
4. Stick to proteins and veggies at all of your meals. Vegetables are a great source of carbohydrates and are very nutritious. Simple carbohydrates (potatoes, white bread, white rice, pasta, sugar, corn), when not used as a fuel, turn to fat in the body when not used as fuel. Your best bet is to eat simple carbs sparingly.
 
Along with a healthy diet, all-natural, healthy supplements can accelerate your weight loss.  I have a lot of clients who take Nutri-Thin, Nutri-Cleanse and Sea Veg as a part of their weight loss plan.  Check them out for yourself.  
 
I'd love to help you reach your goals.  Follow me on Twitter, Like me on Facebook, or shoot me an email

Yours in health,
Stephanie

 

Monday, July 7, 2014

Momma said there'd be days like this...

Ok, so momma wasn't talking about weight loss, or working out, or nutrition, but I am.

I texted with a client today, checking in on her since we missed a workout last week due to the 4th of July and me taking a day off.  She was excited, as usual, (she has an awesome attitude and a great smile) to jump into a new week of training.  I reminded her to bring her new playlist so we could blare it in the gym.  Then, she replied to me with this:

"I went really off track this weekend with my eating, but I'm even more motivated now to do better.  I know I'll feel it tomorrow.  It almost feels like I gave up on myself and that it's totally not worth it."

Hold up.

I wear a lot of hats as trainer.  I create awesome and challenging workouts that push my clients farther than they believed they could go.  I motivate, always with a smile and tough love.  I help my clients stay on track with nutrition and diet and give them tips to keep eating healthy.  I'm tough as hell on them, but I want them to reach their goals as much as they do.

But somedays, I'm a friend and a listener.  I have to remind my clients how worthy they are of the life they're working toward.  Today, I had to fight the urge to have a knee-jerk reaction and spout motivation and just listen and ask questions.

So I replied to her, "What do you think caused you to go that far off?"  If I were sitting with her in person, I would have leaned in and given her my full attention.  

She told me this, "Just the struggle of always being good, July 4th and not feeling like what I'm doing is good enough.  I just completely gave up on myself this weekend.  It's so easy to give in when everyone else is ok with it."

Just a few thoughts here.  This young woman is remarkable.  She's building a successful career and getting married next year (I'm so excited to attend her wedding).  She had already lost 50 pounds before we started working together by making changes to her diet and moving more.  By the time we connected,  she was ready to work with a trainer who would hold her accountable but also push her and help her reach her goals.  She wanted to lose more weight, tone up, and feel and look amazing in her wedding dress (which she will, she's beautiful already).

If this gal was sitting in front of me, this is what I would tell her.  If her story and feelings are similar to yours, I would say these things to you, too.

1.  You are beautiful, worthy and enough. Do not give up on becoming the healthiest and fittest you for the fleeting feeling of doubt that will come and go as you continue on your journey.

2. Do not ever second-guess your decision to get healthy.  You are making an investment in your temple.  You are improving the vehicle to live your best life.  Never feel bad about that.

3. You will have set-backs.  We are human and fallible.  We need support sometimes to keep going.  If this is you, find someone who supports you and your goals that you can reach out to when you're feeling bad.

Ok, so after that text I wanted to wrap my arms around her. I hate that we (speaking for myself here too) only feel validated or worthy by the numbers in our jeans.  I tell clients all day long to never forget how much progress they've made.  I'm human, too.  I have days where I look in the mirror and pick myself apart.  But, then I pull out my before photo, and remind myself how I used to feel and how far I've come, and I instantly smile.  That is what I'd say to her; just remember, smile and keep going.

She continued to tell me some other things on her mind, and then we got to the heart of the matter: she tried on some clothes at a trendy store on a shopping trip and was disappointed by how she looked and that she wasn't quite comfortable with how she looked and fit in them yet.

Now I really wanted to hug her.  Ladies, this is especially geared toward you so listen up.

It is going to take time for your mind to see how you really look.  Our eyes are so used to seeing us a certain way in the mirror. Even as we become smaller and more toned, we will always be our biggest critics.  It doesn't matter how many people tell us how great we look and how much progress we've made, we still don't quite believe it.  

The thing I want to tell you is you have to start believing that you are beautiful! You were beautiful when you weighed a little more, and you're beautiful now.  

Homework assignment:  stand in front of the mirror and say aloud something you like about yourself.   Say it until you believe it.  I know it sounds cheesy, but every day I tell myself how awesome my big butt it is; I love it! Ok I'm being a little silly, but I do! And I'm proud of how fit my body is and how many things it can do.  I also have a great smile (thanks mom and dad for all the dental work lol).

What do you love about yourself, physically or otherwise? Only say good things about you. No negative talk.  Don't leave your mirror until you believe the words that are coming out of your mouth.   This is not narcissism.  This is self-love.

Ladies (and guys too), love yourself.  Love your amazing body.  My client can now do three sets of regular push-ups.  When we started working together in January, she could barely do one.  That is amazing!

Change takes time.  Be kind to yourself.  Don't get so caught up in the end result that you miss the journey.  Reflect on the changes.  Love yourself.

Yours in health,
Stephanie

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What will you gain when you let go?

September will mark a major anniversary for me.  It will be two years since I got off of the "diet" roller coaster and decided to change my LIFESTYLE. I know it sounds cliche, but it's the truth. Two summers ago a light bulb finally went on in my head.  I realized that in order to reach the goals I had for myself, I had to make permanent, lasting changes.  Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  It all fits together.




Let me give you a little background:

After receiving some upsetting news at my annual exam in June 2012, I was referred to a specialist.  While I was excited to finally have a diagnosis for all the symptoms I had been dealing with, I was nervous about what my treatment plan would look like.  I was diagnosed with PCOS, a common endocrine disorder that affects about 10% of women.  If left untreated, it could affect my fertility and lead to other scary things like cancer.

One of the first things the doctor recommended was to change my diet.  GREAT! I wanted to get pregnant so badly that I would've stood on my head and sang show tunes if he told me to! The next 4 months were full of drugs, hormones, injections, cycle tracking and some other TMI details I won't share with you.  When my 4th fertility treatment didn't work, I broke.  I cried.  I was angry.  I had lost 15 lbs, started exercising, overhauled my diet, and followed all my doctor's orders.  Why wasn't this happening yet? 

In the middle of all this, I was also dealing with a very stressful job and contemplating a major career change.  I had been praying for a year for God to bless me with a new job.  I interviewed at jobs I was more than qualified for and would get right to the end, only to lose out to another candidate.  But I stayed faithful, kept praying and believing God had a plan.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine He would lead me where I am today.  After an exhausting and maddening conference call, I ran into my good friend (and future business partner) in the parking lot of our office.  We literally scratched out a loose business plan on a scrap piece of paper.  It was the start of an amazing journey.  

I became a business partner in my fitness company in January 2013.  Originally, my role was to do more operations and HR, streamline processes, get our financials on track, etc.  A bonus was that I now had access to more exercise time, trainers and an environment to motivate me and keep me accountable with my new lifestyle. I had always been active as a child, teen and college student, but after getting married and settling into my career, my health and fitness had been put on the back burner. But now I was co-owner of a fitness company.  I had to walk the walk.

What started as a means for me to reach a short-term goal has turned into my life's work and mission.  Everyday I look for opportunities to be in service of others and let my little light shine. God has blessed me infinitely in ways I never imagined.  We're in this world to help others, and that's what my fitness and wellness journey has taught me the most. 

I now have several personal training clients, teach boot camp and am an Official Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach for the SPX Nutrition 90-Day Weight Loss Challenge.  All of this started with a desire to be healthier.  It took me a whole year to lose 50 lbs because of all the emotions and trials that go along with weight loss.  Plus, I strength trained 2-3 days a week for a whole year, along with cardio.  That made the weight come off slower, but I built a lot of lean muscle which permanently raised my metabolism.  I've maintained that loss for a year, with a healthy diet, exercise, self-love, and my favorite supplement on the market, SPX Nutri-Thin.

I truly believe I am doing God's work through my career.  What will happen when you start your journey?

When I started my lifestyle change, my doctor put me on two prescriptions.  I was content with that.  I thought, if you need it, take it.  As I started to educate myself more about pharmaceuticals, I realized they are a bandage on a bigger problem.  Long-term, I had to address the root of my problems and the need for a healthier diet, more exercise, spiritual balance and more rest.  When one part of your life is off, it can throw other things out of whack, too.

I made a personal decision to no longer eat processed foods (as much as possible, I'm not perfect), choose organic meat and vegetables (when I can) and move everyday.  Additionally, eating meat free of hormones is good for my PCOS, so for me that was a big deal.  I also realized that I would have to eat a copious amount of nutrient-dense food in order to get what my body needed.  I found a product called Sea Veg that replaced the synthetic, lab-created vitamins my physician had prescribed for me.  I cannot say enough about this product. I took it back to the reproductive endocrinologist, and the nurse asked me, "where did you get this?" I was so proud that I had found a natural alternative that was ok'd by my doctor. 

I also had begun to ovulate on my own (what the other drug was for), and no longer needed that prescription as well.  All my blood work came back glowing.  My husband and I decided not to pursue any more fertility treatments for the time being. My doctor said everything looked great, and in his opinion, it would only be a matter of time. I knew that already because I stopped worrying, focused on my health, and gave it to God. He's got this!

People always ask me, "where do I start? I have so much weight to lose." 

When beginning your lifestyle change, I recommend starting with one small thing that you want to improve. As you start to feel better, gain confidence and get a handle on why you overeat, don't exercise or eat too many nutrient-poor foods, then change something else.  You don't have to do it all at once.  Just make small changes.  

This is not a race, it's your life.  Don't put pressure on yourself to do it all too fast because you'll just set yourself up for failure. Remember, adopting a healthier lifestyle takes time.  Being to restrictive with your food and exercise is not sustainable long-term.  If it's not something you can live with forever, you won't stick with it. 





If weight loss is your goal, for whatever reason, I have an amazing program and line of supplements that can help you get there, along with dietary changes and exercise.  I'd love to help you.  Please visit my nutrition website for more information.  My contact info is there as well.  Please let me know how I can help or any questions you have.  

You can also like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. Thanks for reading my post.  I hope learning more about my journey helps you on yours.  Have a blessed day!

Yours in health,
Stephanie Lippincott
Wellness Coach and Certified Personal Trainer

 



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

When you lose your motivation...

I have been staring at my blinking cursor for over a week trying to decide what to write this week.  I rarely get writer's block (or any block in the ability to communicate lol), but I set out to bring you quality, well-thought out content each week.  I didn't want to write a post for the sake of just having something to post.

I titled this blog "When you lose your motivation..." because that's what I did this past week.  I let life get in the way a little bit, didn't exercise as much as I normally do, and in general have just been in a funk.  I'm admitting this because like you, even trainers lose their motivation from time to time.  We are human, we get distracted and overwhelmed.  

It is normal that when you've been exercising for a while, or have been on a weight loss journey for any extended period of time, to hit bumps in the road.  I'm not talking about true plateaus, where you're furiously working hard and the scale or inches don't move.  I'm talking about plain old boredom.

I have successfully maintained a 50-lb weight loss for a year.  I've improved my muscle tone, lost 4 pant sizes, improved my blood pressure, lowered my blood sugar and have more energy than ever before.  But after getting to this point and finally loving my body, every inch of curve, muscle, fat and cellulite (gasp! yes I said it and it's normal), I hit a wall.  I lost the motivation to go further.  And it didn't just start a week ago, but that's when I finally realized what was happening.

The point I want to make is it is OK to be right here where I am.  It's OK to be right where you are.  

I read a blog post this week from someone I admire in the industry, Erin Brown.  She talks about why she's no longer going to tell people that she's a work in progress. A light bulb went off for me.  I'm not going to say that anymore, and I don't want you to either.  I still have goals for myself, but it's OK if it takes me a lifetime to achieve them because fitness and wellness is a lifestyle, not a short term solution.

So, my advice for getting out of your rut (and advice that I am taking for myself):

1. Ask yourself why you haven't been working out.  For me, it's because I've been battling a running injury and instead of rehabbing and changing my regimen to give it some rest, I've been doing hardly anything.

2. Find someone to motivate you.  I also realized I really missed working out in a group setting.  As a trainer and business owner, the hours that classes are taught are not always congruent with my schedule.  So, I found a workout buddy that is committed to meet three days a week so we can hold each other accountable.

3. Stop beating yourself up when you eat less than healthy food.  Several years ago I started Weight Watchers to help me get back on track with healthy eating.  Though I'm no longer a client, my leader said something that has stuck with me to this day: you have 21 meals in a week (3/day, 7/days a week).  If you splurge and have ice cream or a cheeseburger and fries one or two meals a week, that's only 2 out of 21.  That will not make you gain weight.  The key is to make a good choice at the next meal, and let the guilt go.

4.  Remind yourself of how far you've come. This is a big one.  I keep my before photos close to me all the time.  Not to engage in self-hate about the person I physically used to be, but to remind myself of all the things that have improved in two years.  It's easy to look in the mirror everyday and get caught up in all the things you don't like about your body.  But I think of all the things my amazing body can do now that it couldn't two years ago, and that makes me smile.  Smiling is sexy, and so am I.  So are you.

Want more help or individual coaching?  I offer long-distance and online coach for very affordable rates, and I'd love to help you.  Email me, message me on Facebook, send me a DM on Twitter, or post here and your email will be sent to me privately.  

Hope my post this week helped you find your motivation.

Yours in health,
Stephanie

Friday, May 30, 2014

Why participate in a weight loss challenge?

I want to preface this post by saying this: you are amazing.  you are beautiful. you are enough.  

That being said, I know that sometimes the amazing person that we are on the inside doesn't always show through on the outside.  I personally know how that feels.  I am the same person I was two years ago: AWESOME, smart, funny, kind compassionate, caring; I could go on and on because I know now what it is to love myself.  However, the person I am today was buried under self-hate, depression and unhappiness.  I couldn't let the light shine out because I felt broken on the inside.

The answer to my troubles was not to lose weight.  

I know you're probably thinking, "Wait, did she just say that?  I thought this was going to be a post about losing weight?"  It is, let me get there.

The answer to fixing whatever is broken is not going to be found by weight loss alone.  It starts with loving yourself.  

I believe the reason that I have been so successful for the first time in my life in finding balance between work, relationships, fitness and nutrition is because I finally took the time to assess why I was unhappy.  For me, it started at the core with my faith.  That's not the case for everyone, but it was for me.  

From there, I started making lists of the qualities about myself that I loved, and those I didn't like so much. I asked for help from people in my life who supported me: parents, close friends and my husband. I know it sounds cheesy, but make a list about what you love about yourself without referring to a body part.  Make a list of what you'd like to improve, and don't put a body part.  If you ever want to be successful at finally losing and maintaining weight, you have to start by loving yourself.

I'm still on my journey, but in the process of "just wanting to lose weight," I found out how miserable I was in my job and was diagnosed (finally) with a legitimate medical condition and used that as a springboard to better health. I also realized I am perfect the way God made me and that any improvement physically would not make me any more beautiful in His eyes.  I just had to see and believe that, too.

So, the weight loss part...

I consider myself a coach. I train clients physically to be their best. But I also realize that with outward changes, a lot happens on the inside and between our ears.  Our minds are powerful.

I have a lot of success stories.  I'll be posting some in the coming weeks.  You'll meet some of my clients who I've helped.  You'll see their before and after photos.  The biggest thing all my clients have in common are these:

1. They were ready mentally to make a LIFESTYLE change
2. They embraced my plan and were honest and vulnerable
3. They stopped the self-hate

Those are pretty much my requirements.  Check the negativity at the door and be ready to improve yourself.  I don't work with clients who crash-diet.  Yes, we set goals, but we're in this for the long haul.  And goals come in all shapes and sizes, not just numbers on a scale.

That being said, when you work with me on a 90-day challenge you get one-on-one coaching, personal training and exercise tips and plans, email, phone and social media support, nutritional counseling and someone who 100% is committed to helping you reach your goals.

If you've tried every diet, workout plan, etc, and you're ready to change your life for good, then look no further.  You are here.  And I offer all this for the very low price of $40/month for 3 months (or longer if you decide to stick with me).  

Want to learn more?  Message me on Facebook, send me a DM on Twitter, Email me or leave a post below and we'll get connected.  

Thank you for reading.  I love hearing from you.

Yours in health,
Stephanie

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Cardio before weights? Or vice versa? The chicken vs. egg debate of fitness

Just last week I was working with a new member of my gym, Positively Fit, going over her new exercise program.  She was really excited to get started and begin her weight loss journey.  Following her workout, we recapped her plan for the next two weeks. 

She then asked me, "why am I lifting weights before walking on the treadmill?" Before I could even respond, she then asked, "if getting into my fat-burning zone on the treadmill is important, why am I lifting weights?"

Before I got frustrated with her since we had just spent 45 minutes together during her gym orientation, I told myself two things: 1) I have thrown so much information at this woman over the last 3 workouts that I can't possibly expect her to remember it all in one week.  2) I broke my cardinal rule about training clients - I forgot to mention the purpose of my methods.

Just like how I felt as a child when my mom used to say, "because I said so," my clients feel the same way when I don't explain the reasoning behind the plan. It's so much easier for most people to embrace a new way of thinking and a LIFESTYLE change if they know why it works.  So, I'm going to address her to questions here.

"Why am I lifting weights before walking on the treadmill?"
The reasoning behind this is two-fold. 

1. You need fuel to lift weights.  Your body is an incredible machine that can do phenomenal things when fueled properly.  Weight/strength training requires fuel.  Eating carbohydrates 30 minutes before a strength workout will give you energy.  Eat enough to sustain your activity.  This looks different for everyone. I recommend fruit like apples or oranges 30 minutes prior to a workout.  Depending on the intensity of your workout (time, exertion), you may need more to eat.

2. You don't enter your fat burning zone until about 30 minutes into your workout. Now don't get discouraged when you read this.  Any movement you do during the day is good for you.  It's good for your heart, your mind and stress management.  You burn calories anytime you move.   However, if your goal is to burn fat, you need to get into your fat burning zone.

So, if your weight routine takes you about 30 minutes, you've essentially burned off all the carbohydrates and sugar your body was storing for energy. Now, you're ready to enter your fat burning zone.  Once here, the entire time you are at your target heart rate, you are burning the most fat.  Essentially, the calories you are burning on the treadmill are coming from fat cells.  We'll talk about your THR in another post.   




"If getting into my fat burning zone is important, why am I lifting weights?"

 For many years, people have been sold a bill of goods by pseudo-fitness experts about the pitfalls of strength training (mostly women).  We've all heard the myths:

"lifting weights will make me bulky"
"low weight, high reps"
"you only need to do cardio 3-4 times a week"

As a fitness professional and someone who has not only changed my own body, but those of countless clients, I'm here to tell you to PICK UP THE WEIGHT!

I'll even give you 8 reasons why lifting weights is good for you:

1. Building muscle is the only way to permanently increase your metabolism.  Muscle is an active tissue; the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

2. You burn more calories. Your body will be burning calories for up toe 24 hours post-workout.  There's a great article about that here.  

3. Women do not get bulky from lifting weights. When you lose fat and gain lean muscle, you appear thinner.  Any perceived "bulk" comes from fat on top of the muscle.  The more fat you lose, the more lean and fit you look.

4. Building muscle increases athletic performance.  I love to run and am always telling those in my group that adding strength training to their running programs will make them better runners.  Running great Hal Higdon promotes strength training in all his programs.

5. As we age, muscles deteriorate. Building more lean muscle will help slow the loss.

6. Muscle requires more calories, so you can get away with eating more.  Just make sure to choose healthy, nutritious foods.

7. Building muscle prevents and fights osteoporosis.

8. Muscle helps burn more fat.

I hope this helps you on your quest for fitness and weight loss.  If you'd like private coaching or additional information, please visit me on Facebook, Twitter or my nutrition website.

Yours in health, 
Stephanie