Listen to the audio version at the bottom of the page or watch here.
A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in physiology and behavior that repeats daily. These rhythms are endogenous, as they are generated by a biological clock, and they tend to have near-24-hour periods. They are found in plants, animals, fungi, and cyanobacteria.
The circadian rhythm is a natural process that helps organisms to anticipate and prepare for regular changes in their environment. For example, plants open their leaves during the day and close them at night, and animals are more active during the day and sleep at night.
The circadian rhythm is controlled by a master clock in the brain, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN receives input from the eyes, which allow it to track the day-night cycle. The SCN then sends signals to other parts of the body, which coordinate the body’s circadian rhythms.
Circadian rhythms are important for maintaining health and well-being. When the circadian rhythm is out of sync with the environment, it can lead to problems such as jet lag, insomnia, and seasonal affective disorder.
There are a number of things you can do to help keep your circadian rhythm in sync. These include:
Getting regular exposure to sunlight. Sunlight helps to regulate the SCN and keep your circadian rhythm on track.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends. This helps to keep your body’s internal clock in sync with the 24-hour day.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt sleep and make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine. A relaxing bedtime routine can help you to wind down and fall asleep more easily.
An infradian rhythm is a biological rhythm that has a period longer than 24 hours. The most well-known example of an infradian rhythm is the menstrual cycle, which lasts for about 28 days. Other examples include seasonal affective disorder, which can occur during the winter months, and hibernation, which some animals do during the winter.
Infradian rhythms are controlled by the body’s internal clock, which is located in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small region of the brain that is responsible for many important functions, including regulating body temperature, sleep, and appetite.
The body’s internal clock is influenced by a number of factors, including light, food, and exercise. When these factors are consistent, the body’s internal clock keeps a regular rhythm. However, when these factors are disrupted, the body’s internal clock can become out of sync. This can lead to problems such as jet lag, insomnia, and seasonal affective disorder.
There are a number of things you can do to help regulate your body’s internal clock. These include:
Getting regular exposure to sunlight. Sunlight helps to regulate the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep.
Eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet can help to keep your body’s metabolism running smoothly.
Getting enough exercise. Exercise helps to promote the production of endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt the body’s sleep-wake cycle.
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine. A relaxing bedtime routine can help you to wind down and fall asleep more easily.
Listen to the audio version at the bottom of the page or watch here.
In this episode, we’ll talk about what the menstrual cycle is, what happens during each phase of the cycle, and how to track your cycle. We’ll also discuss some of the common myths and misconceptions about the menstrual cycle.
So what is the menstrual cycle? The menstrual cycle is a monthly process that prepares the body for pregnancy. It starts on the first day of your period and ends on the day before your next period starts. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but it can vary from woman to woman.
49% of our population is female and 25% of the population bleeds but that 49% all have the same female biochemistry of hormones. Meaning higher estrogen and progesterone (along with some other minor hormones) than male counterparts.
Everyone has someone who has female biochemistry in their lives. It is important to understand that a female is always changing and not more constant in daily hormone levels as men.
The menstrual cycle is divided into four phases:
The follicular phase: This is the first phase of the menstrual cycle. It starts on the first day of your period and ends when you ovulate. During this phase, the body prepares for ovulation by producing estrogen and progesterone.
The ovulation phase: This is the middle phase of the menstrual cycle. It starts when you ovulate and ends when your period starts. During this phase, the egg is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube.
The luteal phase: This is the third phase of the menstrual cycle. It starts after ovulation and ends when your period starts. During this phase, the body prepares for the possibility of pregnancy by producing progesterone.
The menstrual phase: This is the last phase of the menstrual cycle. It starts when your period starts and ends on the first day of your next period. During this phase, the body sheds the lining of the uterus.
There are many different ways to track your menstrual cycle. You can use a period tracker app, a calendar, or even a simple notebook. Tracking your cycle can help you to understand your body better and identify any patterns in your cycle.
There are many common myths and misconceptions about the menstrual cycle. Some people believe that women are “unclean” during their period. This is not true. Women are just as clean during their period as they are any other time of the month.
Other people believe that women can’t get pregnant during their period. This is also not true. While it is less likely to get pregnant during your period, it is still possible.
Finally, and one of the biggest I see is that people believe the menstrual cycle is just during the bleed of 7 days but it is ALL the TIME!!!
The menstrual cycle is a natural process that is a part of being a woman. There is nothing to be ashamed of about your period. If you have any questions or concerns about your menstrual cycle, talk to your doctor.
A new project for me! I am coming back to a full podcast! It will always be a work in progress but I have felt this is what I need to do. So hang in there with me on this wild ride as I learn the ropes.
Premenstrual disorders are a group of symptoms that can occur in the week or two before a woman’s period. These symptoms can range from mild to severe, and they can interfere with a woman’s daily life.
The most common premenstrual disorder is premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS is a condition that affects about 80% of women. Symptoms of PMS can include:
Mood swings
Irritability
Fatigue
Breast tenderness
Food cravings
Headaches
Bloating
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a more severe form of PMS. PMDD affects about 2-10% of women. Symptoms of PMDD can include:
Severe mood swings
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Suicidal thoughts
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue
Insomnia
Food cravings
Abdominal pain
Bloating
What is PME?
PME is a condition that occurs when hormone changes during menstruation worsen the experience of a pre-existing disorder – like depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. Rather than causing new symptoms, PME makes existing symptoms worse.
What causes premenstrual disorders?
The exact cause of premenstrual disorders is unknown. However, it is thought that they may be caused by a combination of hormonal changes, stress, and lifestyle factors.
How are premenstrual disorders treated?
There is no cure for premenstrual disorders, but there are treatments that can help to manage the symptoms. Treatment options include:
Lifestyle changes: These include getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep.
Medication: There are several medications that can be used to treat premenstrual disorders. These include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and pain relievers.
Talk therapy: Talk therapy can help women to cope with the emotional symptoms of premenstrual disorders.
What can women do to help themselves?
There are several things that women can do to help themselves manage premenstrual disorders. These include:
Keeping a journal: This can help women to track their symptoms and identify triggers.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol: These substances can worsen premenstrual symptoms.
Getting regular exercise: Exercise can help to improve mood and reduce stress.
Eating a healthy diet: A healthy diet can help to regulate hormones and reduce symptoms.
Getting enough sleep: Sleep is essential for emotional and physical health.
Talking to a doctor: If you are experiencing severe premenstrual symptoms, it is important to talk to your doctor. They can help you to develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
Conclusion:
Premenstrual disorders are a common problem that can have a significant impact on women’s lives. However, there are treatments available that can help to manage the symptoms. If you are experiencing premenstrual symptoms, it is important to talk to your doctor so that you can get the help you need.
My hope is to educate and impact lives to show that optimal health with hormone disorders is possible. I’m hopeful you learned more about your body and were inspired to make some changes in your health. Also, If you know someone who might benefit from this information and these ideas, please share this podcast and send people to the adagio fit website and Instagram where there are more resources, past podcast episodes, and the ability to coach with me.
We all need motivation when it comes to physical fitness. Personal trainers are able to provide you with workout routines, weight loss coaching, and mental support to achieve your health goals.
Personal Training can Help you reach your goals
We can all use a little motivational boost every now and then, especially when it comes to personal fitness goals. Since physical fitness can be challenging, requiring us to push past boundaries and endure uncomfortable exercise that can be hard to pursue every single day, personal trainers are critically important to achieving fitness goals, weight loss, and overall balanced life.
As your personal fitness routine planner and support system, personal trainers embody everything you need to finally make a change in your life.
Here are 4 reasons you need a personal trainer:
Mental and Physical Support:
“Mind over matter.” We all know that fitness is strongly related to a mental component, more so than a physical component. Your mind is the deciding factor if you are going to push through a routine or not. Personal trainers will cheer you on and force you to push past those voices telling you “that you can’t do it.” They’ll keep you motivated and check in with you, helping to make fitness part of your habitual routine.
Certified Safe Training Routines:
We can become easily bored with the exact same cardio exercises every single day. Who wants to go on the same run, every single morning? Personal trainers are tasked with coming up with creative routines that are based on your body, goals, and capabilities, so you don’t have to worry about curating your own fitness moves. You simply get to step back and let the professionals handle the activity.
Proper Form:
Thousands of people every single year will end up in a doctor’s office from a fitness injury. There is a lot that goes into proper form when weights are concerned, which is why it can be highly dangerous to pursue this kind of exercise without professional oversight. Personal trainers will correct your form, over and over again, until your body grows accustomed to doing things the right way.
Weight Loss Coaching:
Personal trainers know more than just fitness routines; they know a thing or two about nutrition. They will teach you about macronutrients, as well as help weigh you, encouraging you to stick with your weight loss routine. It’s an all-in-one, personal coaching solution.
If you’re ready to live a fit life and maintain a fitness routine that is right for you, your body, and your weight loss goals, let’s set up a consultation call. In our call we will chat about your goals and make sure we are the right fit (usually we are!). Then, I create customized fitness and weight loss or build plans that will provide you with tangible results in just a few weeks. It’s time to make a commitment to your body and your health, and it starts today
Counting calories is a great strategy when trying to lose, maintain or gain weight, but the question is how many should you be working towards?
How many calories should you eat?
Counting Calories with A Trainer can help you have better success towards your goals
One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to determining your caloric needs. Some of the factors you need to consider are:
Age: Calorie needs peak around age 25, and then start to decline by about two percent every 10 years. An aging body replaces muscle with fat, which burns fewer calories than muscle so if you aren’t using an exercise regime and other healthy lifestyle habits to keep muscle, your caloric needs will also from those that are.
Gender: Generally, a man’s calorie level is five to ten percent higher than a woman’s! The exception is during pregnancy and breastfeeding women can need more. But male biochemistry normally has less body fat and a higher percentage of muscle mass.
Metabolism: Everyone has a minimum number of calories needed to maintain vital functions. This is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Certain medical conditions, medications, and your gender can affect your BMR. In our nutrition coaching we help you figure your BMR correctly.
Genetic blueprint: If you have a metabolic disease (e.g., hypothyroidism), factor it in. If you have hormone disorders (e.g., PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis, hashimotos), factor those in. There are SO many ways our genes can affect your calorie needs and a certified coach can help you incorporate these in well.
Body shape and athletic shape you’re in: These affect a number of calories you need. Did you know there are different body types that burn more calories or hold onto calories more? It is important to look at that and how much you exercise right now too, which is next.
Activity level: The type, length, and intensity of exercise all affect how many calories you’ll burn.
On average a female can eat between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day to maintain her current weight. A male can eat between 2,200 and 2,600 calories. These figures are based on men and women between the ages of 30 to 50 who have a BMI of 22 to 23 (a normal weight). But that number can then vary greatly taking in the above factors and more!
All calories aren’t created equal
A calorie is defined as a unit of energy supplied by food. One calorie is one calorie regardless of its source (e.g., carbohydrate, fat, or protein). But how calories are digested, absorbed, stored, and burned differs.
A good example of this is 100 cals of broccoli vs 100 cals of oreos (a classic example I use in coaching). Broccoli is nutrient dense with lots of natural vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics. Plus due to its unprocessed nature, it has strong building blocks for your body building. On the opposite side of that is our 100 cals of oreos – synthetic and made for you to not just eat one, but to eat the whole sleeve and still feel wanting.
Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins along with healthy fats to keep your weight in check and help you to stay healthy and honestly, eat less calories overall because most nutrient dense foods that are less processed are high in volume.
Losing or maintaining weight
If you’re looking to lose weight or maintain your weight, you ought to consider your blood sugar levels and therefore eat 4-6 times a day. This can also keep your metabolism (what uses up your calories) running. Eating 4-6x a day can make it so you don’t get “hangy” and overeat at your next meal.
Counting calories
Adagio FIT teaches a pyramid of nutrition and on the base of the pyramid is mindfulness. With that mindfulness comes awareness of where we are currently at. So in order to know that, we track our intake of calories and then use that as a starting point to then work towards your goals.
Eating too much or too little
Interestingly enough, you can eat too little and not get results. Be sure to eat enough calories when trying to lose weight. Sometimes people restrict too much, which will slow metabolism, hinder weight loss, and actually make you gain weight.
So how much do you need to eat? Hopefully you know now that it can differ for everyone at any time. Adagio FIT would love to help you calculate your needs. There are so many options for calculating caloric needs.
You can calculate them yourself with a website like this one but it can be a really bad reflection of what you need if the calculator doesn’t consider the factors we talked about above.
You can get a macro count session with or without coaching with Adagio FIT or you can dive deep and do a package of nutrition coaching to learn all the whys of your body. It will be an education about you that will serve you for a lifetime.
Whether with a coach or a trainer or having no accountability at all, how many times have you “set a goal,” only to not reach it and then feel disappointed in yourself?
This has happened to most of us, even me as a coach, and the problem with goal achievement isn’t usually that we “failed” or “didn’t work hard enough” — it’s that our goals weren’t clear and descriptive enough to offer us an effective road map to the end result.
using the right coach can help you reach your goals this year
The goals that you set should be a helpful way for you to nail down exactly what you want to achieve and how to get there. Your goals should offer you ways to monitor your progress along the way. In this article, I’ll coach you exactly how to set yourself up for success.
Outcome-Based Goals
When most people set goals, they choose an outcome they’d like to reach. Outcome-based goals focus on the end-result, and are often number-oriented. These types of goals are very familiar to us, and they’re easy to identify. Losing twenty pounds, squatting your bodyweight, doing five chin-ups are all outcome-based goals.
Unfortunately, outcome-based goals sole focus is on the result, and these goals often leave out the most important details and step-by-step instructions. The most common experience in attempting to achieve an outcome-based goal includes:
Getting frustrated when it’s difficult to make progress toward your goal.
Feeling like you just have to “work harder” when you fail to reach your goal.
Starting to believe something is wrong with you when you work harder and still don’t reach your goal, and feeling overwhelmed with the process.
The good news is, you’re not a failure and there’s nothing wrong with you. Rather, your outcome-based goal has failed you and it needs some revamping. Here’s why.
Outcome-based goals don’t leave you 100% in control of achieving them.
The things you can do are to create the conditions and behaviors that make your outcome more likely. For example, if you have a goal of squatting your bodyweight, but you do random workouts and don’t have a training program that includes squatting or other exercises that might help you increase the amount of weight you can squat, part of your road map to goal achievement is missing.
Using a training program that is progressive, includes squatting as a main exercise, and that you do a few times each week consistently over a period of months will make it more likely for you to achieve your goal of squatting your bodyweight.
Outcome-based goals might be unrealistic or lead to feelings of overwhelm.
Sometimes outcome-based goals can feel really far away and although the end result is something you really want to reach, the process of getting there might seem insurmountable, especially if your road map isn’t clear.
For example, let’s say you’ve never exercised with consistency before and are really hoping to get in shape by starting to train and by changing the way you eat. Overhauling your life might include making sweeping changes to the way you exercise, shop and prepare your food, plan your daily, weekly, and monthly schedules, and how you prioritize your rest, recovery, and self-care.
This requires making a ton of changes, some of which probably aren’t realistic or sustainable if you’re just getting started, which feeds feelings of overwhelm. These feelings of overwhelm might actually be a barrier to even getting started.
Outcome-based goals don’t necessarily address the root cause for wanting change, which makes it hard to identify concrete steps that align with your value. Many of us assume that achieving a particular outcome will lead to increased happiness and satisfaction, which is often not the case. Just because you reach a goal you’ve set for yourself doesn’t mean you’ll feel satisfied with the results, especially if you haven’t figured out exactly why you wanted to make that change in the first place.
For example, some women want to change their body composition by losing a significant amount of body fat. When some women do achieve their goal, they still feel unsatisfied if their body doesn’t look or feel the way they expected it to.
They might feel shame because they were chasing a “look” that they thought would bring about a certain feeling or emotional state. They assumed that being leaner would make them happier. What they didn’t do was figure out exactly why they wanted to be leaner in the first place.
All of this seems frustrating, right? So what’s the solution? Set behavior-based goals that lead you toward a desired outcome.
Behavior-Based Goals
Behavior-based goals are a stronger alternative to outcome-based goals, and provide you with a roadmap of actions you can take that lead you toward the results you’re chasing. These types of goals put you in the driver’s seat and more in control of the process of reaching your goal. In fact, the entire focus of behavior-based goals is the process itself. This is how I coach.
By digging into exactly what you want to achieve (your outcome) and why it’s important to you, it’ll be easier to identify the steps that make goal achievement more likely.
If you know why something’s important to you, you should be able to evaluate what you’re willing (or not willing to do) to get there. This puts you in control of your actions and behaviors and gives you a systematic way of achieving your goal. The process of goal achievement should feel less overwhelming and more satisfying because you’re becoming the person who “does the things” to reach your goal.
This approach typically allows you to have a more positive mindset along the way because you’re consistently racking up small “wins” when you take each small step toward your goal. All of these things lead you to experiencing more success.
Big Rocks vs. Small Rocks
When looking to identify behavior-based goals, we suggest that you focus first on what we consider the “big rocks,” which form the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Big rocks include getting adequate restorative sleep, drinking enough water, managing stress, eating nourishing food, moving meaningfully, and doing these things consistently. The idea is that if you can’t consistently practice these habits, then the “small rocks” (such as choosing to add cream to your coffee or not) won’t impact your ability to get results as much as the “big rocks” will.
On a side note, you want to make sure you aren’t loading your jar with too many big rocks or nothing will fit— make sure you aren’t spread too thin with too many behavior to dos. Also, as your coach I remind you that there will always be more rocks than can fit in your jar, so choosing wisely which rocks you want is important.
So, how do you set a behavior-based goal?
1. Identify Your Outcome Goal
Determine the long-range thing you’d like to achieve, and think about why it’s important to you. How do you think you’ll feel by achieving it? Does it align with the resources (time, energy, money, etc.) that you have available, and with your values and priorities? If so, move on to step two.
2. Assess What You’re Doing
Next, do an assessment of what you’re doing currently that is moving you toward that outcome. List things that might be challenging for you along the way, as well as the areas you are confident in making changes. Where are the opportunities you can make small, realistic changes that move you toward your goal?
3. Choose Next Steps
Create realistic, actionable behavior-based goals that lead to your outcome. Each of these little steps acts as a rung on the ladder that leads to your goal. Each step might seem small, but all together they take you closer to where you want to go.
4. Prioritize
Rank your confidence based on the frequency you’ll need to take each action and the resources you have. Prioritize the actions you’ll take first, and remember to make small changes one at a time.
5. Track Your Progress
Choose a method for tracking your behavior-based goals in order to monitor your progress. This may be a simple check mark in a notebook, or you may choose something like an app to keep track of your changes.
6. Start With The First Behavior-Based Goal
Start tracking one behavior-based goal. On a confidence scale of 1 to 10 you should feel like you are at a 9 or 10 out of 10 that you can complete that behavior. Track for two weeks and then evaluate for consistency. If you completed that behavior 80 percent of the time over the previous two weeks, choose a new action to start tracking.
If you didn’t reach 80 percent consistency with that behavior, do a check-in to assess whether it was really realistic for you. If it’s something you’d like to continue monitoring for a while longer, go for it. If it was originally unrealistic, scale it down to something you can definitely do.
Coaches’ Corner
As a coach or trainer, my clients come to me with their goals. It’s my job to help them translate outcome-based goals into actionable behavior-based goals.
I coach them to:
Figure out why that goal is meaningful or important to them.
Identify whether that goal aligns with their priorities and values.
Clarify and refine concrete and manageable actions they can take.
Manage their time by guiding where to place their energy.
As a coach, the process for taking a goal from outcome to behaviors looks like this.
As a coach, I will assess my client’s current training, nutrition, rest and recovery strategies. I’ll take a look at their lifestyle, work schedule, leisure activities, commitments, and weekly schedule. We discuss what they might be ready to change, as well as the barriers they might encounter.
Then we set behavior-based goals based on their outcome goals, and keep in mind that the actions they take to move them toward their outcome have a lot to do with “big rocks” and less to do with “small rocks.” Big rocks include getting adequate restorative sleep, drinking enough water, managing stress, eating nourishing food, moving meaningfully, and doing these things consistently. Big rocks move the dial, while small rocks are very small, nuanced actions that won’t make much difference in goal achievement unless the big rocks are in place.
As a coach and trainer we will start with small changes my client can confidently make first. I help them create routines to make these actions more likely. I stay involved throughout the process of goal achievement and evaluate their progress and help them through stalls in progress, over roadblocks, and problem-solving when they arefeeling challenged.
I help you through behaviors to get in the best shape of your life—for good.
With adagio FIT Training and Coaching, you’ll get the support, accountability, and expert education to eat and exercise in a sustainable way — without restrictive diets or spending your life in the gym.
Whether your health and fitness goals are to…
Get stronger
Gain muscle
Lose body fat
Improve your pull-ups
Have a safe and healthy pregnancy
Return to exercise safely postpartum
Heal your relationship with food
Balance your hormones/disorders
Increase your confidence
… or anything else, we’ll help you achieve them. You can experience life-changing results while eating and exercising in a way that actually fits into your life — instead of controlling it.
You’ll learn how to:
Improve your nutrition without giving up the foods you love
Exercise safely and effectively so you’re getting maximum results from your workouts without burning yourself out
Increase your confidence, love the way your body looks, feels, and performs — and enjoy your life more than you ever thought possible
And you’ll become the happiest, fittest, strongest version of yourself, one step at a time.
Interested in learning more? Join in a free, no-obligation consultation with Clarissa, our Female Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach by clicking below.
It’s almost the end of the year, so within the next couple of weeks most of us will be making our resolutions for next year. Even as a personal trainer and health coach I make them too!
making personal goals with a coach
As of this month I’ve been coaching for seven years.
At the studios, the studios are usually packed every January first with people with New Year’s resolutions. Then, by the middle to the end of January the studio dies down to back to normal numbers with a few new faces continuing on, but lots gone.
What happens during those first 2 or 3 weeks of January?
Why is it so hard to stick to our New Year’s resolutions especially with fitness?
It is estimated that over 95% of us fail at our New Year’s resolutions. By fail I mean, failing = giving up.
Here are the top 5 reasons why we fail at our fitness resolutions.
1. Overwhelm: we overload ourselves with too many resolutions. We have fitness goals, nutrition goals, financial goals, relationship goals, we have goals for our spouse and even for our kids. We simply can’t handle that many serious goals.
Studies show that when we try to take on more than one life-changing goal at a time our success rate is near nil. We simply don’t have the necessary will power and energy to focus on more than one at a time.
Fortunately, willpower is like a muscle, it gets stronger as we use it But it also is finite. Overload it and you’ll run out too fast as well.
Solution: simplify and commit to one big goal. Once that goal becomes a habit and it doesn’t take so much energy and will power to complete, then you can start working on a different resolution.
2. Lack of a plan: When one creates a resolution without a plan they lack direction and step to get there. Just like those with fitness goals going into a gym for their first time; walking around not knowing what to do next. There was no order or direction to their workout. The workout was purely left to chance.
The cardio deck, however, is always packed. This happens for a couple of reasons. One, it’s the default form of exercise especially for those that don’t feel comfortable lifting weights. And, I get it. It’s a lot easier figuring out how to set up the treadmill than designing a strength training workout and figuring out lifting technique.
And, reason number two, many people still falsely believe cardio to be the best form of exercise for fat loss despite dozens of studies pointing out how ineffective it is and that it is often counterproductive (people can actually get fatter from doing cardio). I see this in the studios a lot when women who have worked out for months complain that their body hasn’t changed even though they are working out so hard doing all these cardio classes.
Solution: hire a trainer to set you up on a program, or at the worst find a program online that targets the same goal you have and then watch some YouTube videos to learn technique.
3. Unrealistic expectations: We live in an extremely fast paced world. We can cue up any movie or TV show and watch it at any time. We can literally order anything in the world and have it shipped to us “next day “. We’re impatient, we want our perfect body and we want it yesterday.
Setting unrealistic goals is a dead end road. Instead of a goal being motivating, the goal becomes demoralizing and shame full. Week in and week out we beat ourselves up because we’re not hitting our numbers. So, of course, after a few weeks of that we’re gonna throw in the towel.
Solution: Hire a trainer. With their experience they can guide you to realistic expectations. Also, when setting a goal ask yourself how confident are you that you can accomplish it. If you’re not 90-100% confident that you can do it then modify it to the point that you are at least 90% confident.
Another part of being realistic is to expect plateaus. Nobody gets consistent progress week in and week out. There will be setbacks. Accept this fact and the road accomplishing your new year’s resolution will be a lot more enjoyable.
4. Skipping the goal setting process: “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.”
When talking to my clients about goals we talk about 3 types of goals: outcome goals, behavioral goals and purpose goals. When we first meet we will talk about these three types of goals.
At bare minimum you need to decide “what” it is that you’re trying to accomplish and then commit it to paper.
A goal gives you direction and writing it down helps hold you accountable while motivating you at the same time.
“An arrow without a target always hits its mark.” If you have vague goals your results will be vague as well.
So.. get super specific with your goals and review them daily.
Solution: carve out 20 minutes to visualize your goals and commit them in detail to paper. Then, review them daily. Remember to keep them simple and break them down #1 and #2 from above.
5. No accountability: Personal accountability is an oxymoron. By definition, you can not hold yourself accountable. There has to be a second person involved, a second person to which you report. Otherwise, it’s human nature to slack.
Accountability is the number one thing new clients ask me to do for them. It is usually why they hire me as their trainer or coach.
They want me to make sure they make it to their workouts and follow through with their nutrition goals.
Even without a trainer, studies have shown that just having a workout buddy can make a positive difference on consistency with your fitness goals.
Solution: hire a trainer to hold you accountable or at the very least find a buddy to hit the gym with and report to each other on your nutrition.
I teach my clients to make things effortless. Then they don’t have to think about winning, it is already set up for them. So for you, almost all of these five mistakes can be resolved by enlisting the help of a trainer or coach.
I believe this is a life lesson that crosses over to all aspects of life.
If you want to improve your golf swing, hire a golf pro.
If you want to get out of debt and prepare for retirement, hire a financial planner.
If you want to start a new business, hire a business coach.
The point is you don’t have to recreate the wheel with your fitness. An experienced trainer has “been there, done that” and they can get you to your goal in the shortest time possible.
Speaking of hiring a personal trainer or coach, I’d love to be yours.
It fixes all of the above mistakes and you’ll create the lifestyle that you envision for a healthy, happy life.
You will get world class training, nutrition coaching and accountability. And right now, I am offering a discounted rate going into the new year.
Follow this link to learn more. But hurry because my training and coaching spots fill in so fast.
There’s a quote that says it takes four weeks for you to see a difference, 8 weeks for close friends to see a difference, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to see a difference. This quote hones in on something that’s been on my mind.
About 150% of the time (no kidding) when I have a health coaching client who is doing really well they hit an interesting roadblock. The roadblock comes because when you make changes and others notice, others think that it is now their job to give you input about this change. Usually the input comes when we change because others become uncomfortable because they liked the old you or behaviors, or because they are curious towards your success and they want the same for themselves.
What usually happens with my clients though is that they do great until people start making comments and then, when people start making comments, it makes them uncomfortable and these clients have a revert to past behaviors to soothe this discomfort. So as a health coach, working with my female clients, we have to start learning how to be uncomfortable with other people being uncomfortable and voicing that discomfort.
I don’t know if you know about a tuning fork, but when you use a tuning fork on, let’s say, a rock and hit it, the tuning fork will play a vibration/note according to that rock. If you were to take a second tuning fork and hit another rock that second tuning fork would play the note of that second rock. Now this is where things get interesting. If both of those tuning forks are playing those notes/vibrations at the same time eventually the one tuning fork will change its note to match the other tuning fork. And then they will play together.
What does this have to do with health?
When you make changes in your health you are changing your vibration. It may have been low but you have raised it with new habits and applied knowledge. You could have lost 10 pounds or are cleaning up your diet. You could have been going to the gym when you used to be very sedentary. When you hold that vibration long enough other people will notice that your vibration is different.
Everybody else in the world also holds a vibration. You could also call it a vibe or energy. When two vibrations meet and they are not on the same note, one vibration will need to change to meet the other in order to soothe the dissonance.
So the question is, who is going to change their vibration? And the second question is, how long can one hold out for the other to change?
It is a lot easier for those who are trying out a new vibration in life like becoming more healthy to drop down into their previous vibration. An example of this could be when a mom goes to wake up their kids in the morning. The mom’s happy to see her kids but her kids wake up ornery. She has tried to change her vibration by being happy but their vibration is low. So what happens? The mom drops her vibration to the kids’ vibration and starts yelling at them instead to get out of bed.
So what would have happened if the mom would have kept up her vibration? Well after a certain couple of minutes when the kids have really woken up they will probably raise their vibration to be happy and then they will continue on their morning in a happy positive way.
Here are some personal examples, because these vibration dissonances are happening all the time in our lives:
When I started my health journey I started having a protein shake everyday. My husband gave me a hard time at first saying how gross it looked, and continued in his own vibration of old habits. I held onto my new habit, and about five years later, he had a protein shake.He’s had one almost every day since.
On the flip side of that I was trying to level up my eating game this past year and went on a family vacation with my extended family. When we got to our destination together, the first meal that was offered was not something that was on my meal plan. I was so tired and worn out from traveling, and even though I knew it wasn’t on plan. I ate that meal. It caused a domino effect. The whole trip ended up with me moving back to expected vibrations because I was weak and dropped mine one time. That’s all it took. One time. I dropped my vibration down to what it used to be in many ways besides just my meal plan – from moods, to comments, to birth order roles and expectations. I’m sure you can relate to this. I am not proud of that vacation this past year.
Even after a couple of months since the trip, I don’t look at that vacation very fondly. I wasn’t true to myself and I didn’t keep promises to myself. I also didn’t hold off long enough for my family to raise their vibration because I was scared of what they would think of me or the comments that they would make.
I didn’t remember, but I want you to remember that when others comment about you, it is a direct reflection of them, not you. It is their noticing your vibration has changed and they feel that dissonance. It is their way of trying to regain control of the feelings they are having.
When you get to that point in your health journey of people making comments, be it family, friends, neighbors, etc, check into your vibration. Ask yourself if you would like to drop your vibration back down to where others will feel comfortable and your habits were the ones that didn’t get you to a good place, or would you like to keep your new vibration long enough for others to meet your vibration and for you to continue to feel proud of the work you’ve done?
That is what you are in control of. Hold that vibration.
What are ways to keep that vibration strong?
Honestly, I see the greatest strength come in numbers. Accountability with friends or a coach like me is a great way to hold strong. I meet with my clients to coach once a week and then also have check-ins. But my clients can text me anytime if it is an emergency. That is part of why you need a coach. That cheerleader and coach rooting you on and keeping your high vibration with you. Friends or other family can also do this for you, but tend to also be emotionally bias, so beware of that.
Second is to be honest with those around you. Don’t skirt about the issue. It isn’t their cooking! And even if it was, you are working with your body and mind to level up. When we state out loud what we are working on, we gain strength from new places. It is empowering.
Third, feel free to take some time. Sometimes I need to excuse myself to the bathroom to take a quick minute to check my intentions and habits. You could retreat to your room and do some breathing exercises. Putting space between the action and reaction is helpful. This time also helps you stay present and mindful.
As we head into holidays there will be lots of people who have worked really hard to change their vibration. They have new habits and new lifestyles and maybe a new shape that they are taking back to old energies. Does the term “falling off the bandwagon” ring a bell? That is losing your new vibration and dropping down to expected old ones.
If you really don’t want to come out of the holidays like that, consider setting up a free consultation with me and see if we are a good fit to coach together. I want health for you in body + mind. I am ready for you to take on this new vibration and can be that strength you need as you learn a new lifestyle and go through the learning process 🙂
Fill out the form linked below to get the coaching ball rolling. Those holidays are barreling in fast.
In my personal life I have been studying a lot about loss. In the next couple months I have some big changes coming up in my life as I have known it. I have felt such angst and stress about choosing these changes and implementing them that they have caused a lack of sleep and an inability to function well as a mother and coach.
For one thing, these future changes are my choice instead of something that is forced and two, I have never really done well with change. whenever we would go on an extended break or Holiday from school like Christmas, the first week back of school I would always get sick. This happened a lot in college. When the semesters changed and my routine needed to change, my body would get some sort of cold or flu, and I’d be down for the count and miss days of school. Even though I’m not in school now, whenever there are big changes or big events in my life or family life, I ramp up to them and then afterwards I get sick either mentally or physically.
On a side note, doesn’t this example show that our mental state can affect our physical state. More to come on those thoughts in an article soon.
So with me loving routine these changes have been ridiculously difficult to fathom and make. Therefore I have taken it to some of the doctors that I work with to talk to them about which changes and how much change I need to be able to heal and balance that with keeping myself mentally happy. I love where I’m at right now, but I recognize that some change is good and change will allow me to grow but also heal some health issues I am experiencing.
As I have talked with professionals about these changes my therapist brought to light a syndrome that we want to call the Tom Brady syndrome. It’s something I want to share with you today because it rang so true and felt was easily relatable.
training the mind
I’m going to assume that you know who Tom Brady is and if you don’t go and Google him. In a very short sentence he, being an amazing football player, retired from football and after a short time unretired from football and went back into the game.
As a top football player and a high-performance achiever I can only understand why he went back to football. He loves the dopamine rush and the 100% for filament that he gets from winning a game and being the top performer in his industry and Sport. One can only understand that retiring from that was a severe loss for him and probably caused mental sadness and emotions that he wasn’t used to having because he was so used to all the good emotions that he experienced while playing football and winning.
Interestingly enough, what has happened since he has gone back to the game are also interesting losses. his wife and he have gotten a divorce. His wife was his biggest fan and was a key contributor to his success as a football player. For example, she monitored every little bit of food that went into his mouth so that he was fueled properly and also was in charge of making sure he had boundaries so he could recover.Something else that has happened since coming back to the game, he’s losing.
So I want to discuss 3 points about the Tom Brady syndrome that you can see in what Tom Brady is going through right now.
The Tank
The first point is called the tank. The tank is where a professional is at the top of their career and due to age, injury, circumstances or other professionals coming into the same industry, etc, this professional starts to tank in their success rate and is not at the top of their game or career anymore.
With Tom Brady coming back out of retirement and losing all of these games is showing that he is starting to tank.
So the question for you is: should Tom Brady finish his career of football at the high or should he continue in football as he tanks and finish at a low? What do you think that would do to his mental health as well as the story that people will tell about him for years to come?
The next question there would be where are you at and your career? Do you think you have reached your Peak do you think you still have room to grow or do you think you are in the tank?
I have noticed in my personal Journey that due to the injuries and health problems I’m experiencing, I am in the tank. I have not been able to give what I used to be able to give and it has been discouraging and sad. I appreciated the advice that I received to not tank fully and exit at the low but to exit at the high.Honestly I think when we exit at a high we can look back with fond memories and there is closure.
The Acceptance
The second point is called acceptance. The acceptance is the concept that after we leave or turn away from our original trajectory and goal we might experience loss in the manner that whatever we do instead might not be as fulfilling as the thing we did first.
For Tom Brady, he probably should go out and buy a football team. That’s the closest thing that he could do to recreate the happiness that he experienced as the football player. However he probably will only be able to receive 90% of his fulfillment back compared to the 100% that he might have gotten as a player himself. That is part of loss.
It is good for us to recognize that in Los we may not be able to get back to the hundred percent fulfillment that we had. Very rarely will somebody experience something that is better than what they were originally doing when they were at the top of their game.
If you are aware of this you would be grasping for straws and probably looking outside of yourself for inner peace. Just like Tom Brady coming back out of retirement. He probably couldn’t find something that would fulfill him just as much as playing football did and he didn’t know how to handle that and sit with that. Then he has the consequence of losing his wife now because he chose to come back out of retirement and that is not what she wanted or was told would happen.
For me, I don’t know what is coming next after my changes but I do appreciate this concept. I used to dance ballroom at BYU and competed professionally and was doing very well. I stopped dancing because my body could not get pregnant due to how much physical work I was putting in to dance every day. When I stopped I experienced a severe depression for a long time. For years I couldn’t even watch the progress of my fellow dancers because I knew where I “should have been” in the dance world. I don’t think anything I have done in the dance realm since has been as fulfilling as being a competitor on the dance floor and winning. It still hurts 13 years later and now having an understanding that fulfillment might not reach capacity has helped me release the pain because of those expectations being replaced with acceptance.
The Vacuum
The final concept of the Tom Brady syndrome is the vacuum. And on a side note, I’m grateful for spell check, because I still don’t know how to spell vacuum without help. LOL.
The vacuum is where when you take something out of your life it will put a force into the universe that will pull something new into that empty space.
Tom Brady had a really big empty space because he had a very big, successful, Limelight career. Again oh, he didn’t have the tools nor the patience to wait for something else to come along to fill that space.
Along with that I feel like if we understand that there will be a vacuum we can be looking for opportunities and we can recognize that some opportunities will be good ones and some will be bad ones or destructive ones that will not help us.
When covid shut my job down as a group fitness instructor there was a big loss there. I was tumbled into this space that created a vacuum and needed to be filled. Some of the things that filled that space were good and I’ll talk about those in a second, but some of them were not so good. I didn’t eat well. I lost a lot of my discipline and my hope for the future. In fact, I think that I am still recovering from what that vacuum brought to me and what I chose. Now like I said, some of those opportunities were good ones. I ended up taking clients virtually during covid and really laid a good foundation to be a personal trainer and nutrition coach online. if it weren’t for covid and that loss I would not have had that space replaced.
Right now I don’t know what is going to fill the space from the loss that I am going to incur in the next couple of months. I was feeling anxious about that. There are a lot of what-ifs. But I am finding that because of the awareness that there is a vacuum I am handling the unknown a lot better. In fact, there’s a part of me that is really looking forward to what might open up for me in opportunities that are constructive and helpful to me and the next season of My Life.
So finishing up, let’s review the Tom Brady syndrome. The Tom Brady syndrome has three main facets. The first facet is the tank, the second is the acceptance, And the third is the vacuum.
Maybe you can look back on a couple of your losses and think about these three aspects. Then, being aware of these three aspects when you go into a new loss, which will happen because we are all mortal and human, maybe, because you have awareness of them you will be able to more gracefully and strongly handle your next loss in a way that will help you come out of that more refined and better.
At least that is my hope because I am seeing that work in my own life.
One of my favorite summer events is taking a boat out to the middle of a lake, turning it off, and just sunning on the back bench. I love the feeling of the boat gently rocking in the waves, the hot, sun-warmed vinyl from beneath my body, and the intensity of the Utah sun beating down from above.
Photo by Ahmed Zayan
Can you relate to this peaceful feeling?
Unfortunately, this moment of peace always has an ending.
I remember at a lake here in Utah we had stopped the boat. After resting for a while I sat up only to find our boat was mere feet from a rocky shoreline. From past experiences (*cough cough*), I knew the boat, being that close to the shore, was in a red zone. It was going to be a huge risk to start the motor and the propeller without a rock mangling it and therefore hindering our ability to get to the dock. We were in a bad place.
It took a lot of effort and teamwork to get the boat away from the rocks, start it up on a prayer, and head away from danger.
I’ve thought about this experience a lot and have really built a beautiful analogy from it relating to whole health that I want to offer you today.
As humans, we are wired for the desire to find and accrue peace. Those moments of weightless peace on the boat? Yeah, we seek that out constantly. Effortlessness that comes easy. Haven’t you heard so many people say, “it seems so easy for ‘so and so’ to lose weight,” or, “stay constant,” or, “be able to eat anything they want and not gain weight.”
So we are searching for those moments where we can turn off the boat and relax in the Sun so to speak, but if we do that we tend to slowly drift towards red zones. For example, if I don’t track the foods that I eat I have a tendency to just take one bite or just one more piece of chocolate and the next thing I know after a couple days or weeks, I have lost complete control of my healthy eating. Same thing goes with missing exercise or your journal and meditation for the day.
The effort it takes to get away from that red zone is a lot and usually cannot be completed without members of a team in your boat. Now I’ll come back to your team in a second but I want to point that out. In your help red zones what does it take to get out of that zone? In my example it could be that I go through my kitchen and throw out everything that could cause me to overeat; or it could look like menu planning for the week and then putting that into an app.
Once you pull away enough from that Red Zone you can turn on the motor and really make some progress ( this might look like those first initial 5 lb that you lose or the ability to work out 5 days or 6 days in a week). The next question would be where are you headed next? That new destination is just like when we make goals.
When We choose to make goals we choose to move into the neighborhood of success and failure. Success and failure live next to each other. How does this relate to our boat?
It seems to me that when I have been on a boat heading for a destination it never fails that there’s some sort of friction that comes upon me. It’s to be expected. That friction could look like waves, other boats, wind, rocks, not quite knowing where we’re going, or even disagreement within my boat. But it is bound to happen.
When you make a goal you Essentially turn on the motor of your boat and head towards that goal. Those obstacles and frictions that come up will come up because you are trying to go somewhere. They make you work harder than just floating with the motor off. Sometimes you might lose sight of your goal. But if you are headed in the right direction with the right behaviors you will resurface so to speak and find her goal again.
Ironically enough when I’m talking to my clients I find that when we set a goal we tend to expect that it will be effortless or it is effortless while we turn our boat around and get it started in the first 10-15 ft but then after that it becomes harder.
But it is the friction actually allows us to make progress. If our boat was in the air in the prop was going at full speed you wouldn’t go anywhere. We need that water we need those waves in order to get us movement.
Now onto the next idea that I wanted to come back 2 was about the crew in your boat. Who do you want in your boat? Who will get you or help get you to your destination safely, more efficiently? either out of their previous experience or their skill set to help you man the boat. we want a good team on our side..
Two weeks ago when I talked to my client about this exact analogy I asked her who she wanted in her boat. She talked about her husband who supported her unconditionally in her goals. She talked about having me as her coach in the boat. And then she also talked about a woman who is a friend that she looks up to. So it wasn’t necessarily somebody who had skills but it was somebody she aspired to be like and be friends with; who could give her courage when the waters got rough.
In your boat it could look like a doctor, it could look like a therapist, family, friends, colleagues, boss, a lady down the street, somebody who always has your back, or somebody who can help you think rationally as well.
We could continue to find parallels with this analogy, so if you discover one for yourself, consider sharing it below. However, to come full circle with the final points of this analogy…
We tend to go easy and want to turn off our boats, but when we do we drift without control into Red zones.
When we make goals we essentially are turning on the motor of our boat and we will need friction in order to make progress.
The crew inside your boat will make or break your ability to reach your mile marker goal
So my question to you today is: What areas of your health are you floating with the motor off and, unbeknownst to you, heading for a red zone?
As a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and behavioral help coach I get in the boat with you. I help you have awareness of where you are on the lake and, As you make help goals, help you know how to navigate the friction will be ahead. We work together to be able to man your boat.
If this is something that has sparked some thoughtfulness in you, consider sharing it with a friend or family member and consider setting up a free consultation with me to see if we will be the right crew together to reach your new destination. I’d be honored to work with you.
