I talk a lot in my blog and on my Facebook page about embracing a new mindset. The old days of only being concerned about weight loss are gone. It's time to shift your thinking.
I believe that all women are beautiful. I believe that God created us to be so much more than attractive beings for men or others to ogle. In my opinion, true beauty comes from a) knowing who you are b) embracing your flaws and c) living your purpose.
When we focus solely on the number on the scale, the size of our jeans and the space we take up, we are truly limiting our possibilities. Frankly, it's exhausting worrying about things like, "am I thin enough? Am I pretty enough? Will people judge me if I don't look a certain way?"
My pastor at church said something really profound a couple of weeks ago in a sermon. "Who told you that? Who told you that you weren't good enough?"
It's so simple, yet so true. Who set these unreachable standards? Who gets to decide what's "in or out?" All throughout history, the standard of beauty for women has changed. But the truest standard of beauty that will never go out of style is one that is ordained by God. He created you: perfect, beautiful, amazing YOU!
The truth is, when you are secure in who you are and the God who created you to live His purpose for your life, you don't give a flip about what others have to say. That's the enemy talking. Don't let him into your thoughts. Shift your thinking.
I know all of this is easier said than done. I'm a work in progress when it comes to my thoughts and how they influence my thinking and actions.
So, as I stated above, when you know WHO you are (I'm fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14) and you are LIVING your purpose, it becomes easier to EMBRACE your flaws, which is the biggest step in accepting your body and starting to shift your thinking.
Surround yourself with positive people who lift you up and encourage you. Maybe it's time to do a friend-detox.
Speak kindly about yourself. People laugh when I tell them to speak aloud positive affirmations about their body in the mirror. But, thoughts become things and the more you outwardly speak positively about your body, the more your mind will follow suit.
Exercise and eat well because it makes you feel good. The weight loss and aesthetic improvements will come. Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to lose a few pounds or feel better in your clothes. But I'm telling you, when you focus on improving the health of your body rather than punishing it, making better choices becomes easier and the weight loss will happen.
Love your body the way it is right now. Don't wait for it to be thinner, leaner or more muscled. Find things you love about your body and embrace your flaws. Speaking from experience, no matter how "lean" you get, you will always find things about your appearance that you wish you could change. Focus on the positive.
If you need some accountability or don't know where to start your journey, I'd love to help.
xoxo,
Coach Steph
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for motivation, tips and humor. Reach out to me privately if you're ready to shift your thinking.
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2015
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:
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
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
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
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
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
Thursday, May 15, 2014
It's coming...are you ready?
Happy Thursday!
Have you heard? It's coming!
Have you heard? It's coming!
My business partner and I have been working on something so exciting that I cannot wait to share with the world...and I'll be able to tell you everything...tomorrow.
But for now, here's what I can tell you:
As a personal trainer, I coach, educate, train, support, counsel, listen and guide my clients to live their best life. So many people who come into my gym have tried it all; fad diets, fad products, you name it. We are essentially their last hope to lose the weight. Our gym, Positively Fit, provides a comfortable and family-like environment where people can be themselves and work on reaching their goals without feeling self-conscious or judged. Our members have essentially created their own "country club." They plan social outings and get-togethers. Everyone wants to be a part of something and very few people will ever succeed in weight loss and longterm weight management without a support network.
I have always been a proponent of living life with balance and in moderation. That applies to diet, exercise, relationships and work. However, in our busy lives, something is always out of balance and in my experience, many times that causes us to swing far to the left or right in one of the four areas I mentioned above.
Now, I would love to help you keep all these things in balance by welcoming you as a member of my fitness center, but many of you don't live in Jacksonville. That's ok. I can still help you.
What if there was a product and a support network online and via social media that could help you reach your goals, whatever they are?
Do you want to lose weight, balance out your system and cleanse it of toxins and "gunk" that keeps your body from healing itself, or maybe you just need to eat better but with being so busy, you're not getting all the nutrients you need.
I can help and that's what I'm so excited to share with you. Tomorrow our company, SPX Nutrition, will launch publicly. We're offering three products to start, Nutri-Thin, Nutri-Cleanse and Sea Veg.
Along with these three amazing, all-natural products that will supplement a clean and healthy lifestyle, SPX has a weight loss challenge that will PAY you to lose weight. The members at my gym are chomping at the bit. Not only will the products help them in their goals, but they'll be paid to get healthy. Awesome, right?
When you join the challenge, you'll have access to an EXCLUSIVE online weight loss support group (via Facebook) that will give you exercise tips, recipes and most of all, support from people just like you who are embarking on this incredible health journey.
Want to learn even more? Message me, comment on this post or send me an email. I'd love to answer any questions you have.
Stay tuned!!
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