Have you ever tried to balance on one foot while holding onto a chair? Are you truly balancing? Balance doesn’t happen until we let go. I didn’t say balancing means you will never fall or that it is perfect the first time. But balance can’t be learned while holding onto a chair and never letting go.
Every day, we are subconsciously, and consciously, fed with things that are either overly perfect, or dramatically devastating. When comparing real every day life to either of these, real life becomes very weighty, and starts feeling out of control. It’s difficult to maintain balance in our minds!
The things we have to do, the lists we have to check off, and the deadlines we have to make, are physically easy to see, to touch, and to organize. But what about our inner peace, our minds?
Blogging about health and fitness keeps my mind focused on my own health and fitness. It makes my weakness super, glaringly clear, and in my face, all the time.
I know how to juggle mom life, follow a routine, change it up when I get board, workout at home, eat healthy, and drink plenty of water. I know how to make sure I am getting the right amount of sunlight for my vitamin-D and fresh air to calm my soul. I know how to meditate and “clear my mind of the clutter”, but. . .
. . . knowing, and doing are two different things!
It also reminds me that, no matter what I say, or what I do, real life is real life. It is easy to skip things when nobody is watching. But it’s also not that hard for me to do the do. What is hard for me though, is chillin’. (My boyfriend told me this yesterday).
I’ve had a rough past 5-6 weeks. I’ll just be honest. Even doing the do has been more difficult than usual for me . . . the mind clutter has been hefty!
The lack of balance between work and play.
That’s my problem.
Yesterday my boyfriend freed me of my chores and motherly duties and told me to go do something for me.
I decided to go hiking, but I was really upset when I walked out in nature and couldn’t quiet my mind. I needed to meditate, clear my mind, and let go of the tension, but it just would not happen. I ended up driving home early, frustrated and disappointed.
When I walked in the door, the house smelled glorious. Dinner had been made, the floor had been vacuumed and the dishes had been done. There wasn’t anything that I had to do. Suddenly, all the tension left, and clarity came. I thought how strange it was that it happened at home, once I returned. Not in the woods, not on my drive, not while I was alone.
Balance happens when we let go.
I expected and tried to create balance at a certain time, in a certain place, and in a specific way. When it didn’t happen, I thought, well this isn’t working. The fact that I was upset that it didn’t work made it even more frustrating. But when I got home and quit trying, it happened.
Now I’m not saying to quit trying. I’m saying, let go. Let go of the crutch that keeps you from gaining that strength, that inner peace, that center focus. We have to let go of what we lean on, of what we are holding onto that is keeping us back, before we can grow stronger in the next phase of our life, of our strength…
Have you been trying to lose weight but just feel too tired, unmotivated and frustrated? Or maybe you’ve only been trying to lose weight mentally but haven’t actually gotten the energy up to put forth the effort to get on the ol’ treadmill.
Last week I did an article addressing the ectomorph body type (thin, high metabolism, struggles to gain muscle and fat). This week I’m going to talk about the endomorph.
The endomorph body type is bigger, has a higher body fat percentage, and is often pear-shaped. This body type has a high tendency to store fat. They also have a larger bone structure and because they store fat easily, they struggle with weight loss.
Endomorphs typically have a difficult time losing fat with just dieting. You gotta put on the tennis shoes and actually do work along with dieting, or you won’t see results very quickly. Along with the higher percentage of body fat, endomorphs also have less muscle mass.
Along with storing more fat than the average person, endomorphs also get tired easier and have a larger appetite which totally goes against weight loss!
The good news is, endomorphs are naturally strong and have great endurance.
Will power is going to be your biggest tool here, because these types like to take it easy, relax and chill. But you need to stay busy!
Blaming genetics is something we all do, no matter our body type. It’s an easy cop out when we don’t want to actually do something to make a change.
The best thing to do is be thankful for your body type. Every person has strengths and weaknesses, and not one person is alike.
I’m going to break this article into 4 sections:
Training
Rest
Nutrition
Supplements
TRAINING
Cardio, cardio, cardio! You have to do cardio, and for at least 30-60 min 4 days a week.
As an endomorph, you have to realize that exercise must to be a lifelong commitment. It should be a way of life for everyone, but for this body type, it is your ticket to lifelong weight control.
Overtraining only happens when you repeat the same thing over and over without rest, or change. In order to keep this from happening, you should rotate between 3 or more different activities to stay active, counteract boredom, and keep the weight off, without overtraining.
Circuit training with very little break is ideal
When weight training, do high rep, low weight
Focus on large muscle groups
Avoid heavy weight training
Avoid low reps
After attaining goal weight – it’s okay to isolate muscle groups to build where you desire
Low impact cardio is important. Low impact cardio options include:
swimming
Hiking
Biking
Walking
Yoga
Pilates
REST
Avoid excessive sleep.
Get up early and hit the ground running, literally. Put your workout clothes and shoes next to your bed and go for a brisk walk if you’re not ready to hit the gym first thing.
Wake up early, get up, and get moving.
NUTRITION
Don’t avoid carbs, you need them for energy. Removing carbs can trigger sluggishness and fatigue. There are some carbs you should avoid. These are simple carbs. Eat complex carbs only.
Simple carbs are:
White (table) sugar
Corn syrup
Candy
Ice cream
Cake
All baked goods with white flour
Bread with white flour (you should eat a lot of 100% whole wheat/grain bread!)
If you completely eliminate carbs, you may find an increase in gastrointestinal problems and ketosis. The trick is choosing the right kind of carbs. Again, focus on complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbs like fruits, 100% whole grains, beans (legumes), and vegetables, including starchy vegetables like potatoes and tubers, are going to be your natural energy stimulants. You need these to keep your fatigue away! These foods won’t make you fat. It’s what you put on them that does that; so watch out for the butters, sour creams, oils, and other high fat flavors and sauces. Substitute those for homemade creams/sauces and dressings. (Search Pinterest for vegan creams, dressings and sauces).
Portion control is a must. Don’t eat until you’re super full. Only until you’re satisfied!
Lean protein. Beans/legumes are the best options, but if you haven’t embraced veganism or vegetarianism, stick to your white meats.
No red meats.
Add these foods to the top of your grocery list/weekly menu:
Oats
Beans
Brown rice
Veggies – especially green ones
Quinoa
Potatoes
Fruits
Walnuts and avocado for healthy fats
etc.
Don’t opt for limiting diets with less than 1200 calories a day because the insufficient caloric intake could put your body into survival mode and prompt it to hold onto fat.
SUPPLEMENTS
ENERGY. Before you down any pre-workout, it’s important to select energy sources that won’t give you a quick energy spike and then drop off fast after exercise.
A great option is botanically sourced energy, and moringa, combined. I use Weyland complimentary formula with botanically sourced caffeine, complete b-complex, and energy supportive herbs. The energy increase is gradual and there’s no energy drop, which I love. There’s nothing synthetic in this product, plus there’s no sugar, and it is much healthier for your body than the pre-workout drinks sold at your gym. (Just be sure to take it with food, or you won’t feel good!)
Moringa powder has 92 nutrients and 46 antioxidants and no additional supplements are needed when consuming moringa daily. Moringa is natural and there are no side effects it can be taken while on medication and is 100% safe.
BCAA’s. The Branched-chain amino acids – Luecine, isoleucine and valine – are essential. They differ from the other amino acids because they can be used for energy directly in the muscle without having to go to the liver to be broken down during exercise.
Plant-based sources of BCAAs include: pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, brown rice and cashews. You can also choose a plant-based protein supplement that contains BCAAs, such as Vega Sport® Premium Protein, which has 5 grams of BCAAs per scoop. I have tried some Vega Sport proteins and they weren’t my favorite. I just use cashew milk for my shakes, add my fave protein powder, toss in raw unsalted pumpkin seeds and a fourth cup of quick oats to my shakes. And then eat beans and rice. This does the trick.
Losing weight is hard.
It takes time, patience and dedication.
But you will be rewarded.
Love yourself, embrace who you are, and make you the absolute best you, you can be!
I’d love to hear your story! And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. You can message me anywhere you’d like. I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to communicate best, you can reach me!
If the gluten free diet is so popular, why shouldn’t you go gluten free, too?
Last week I wrote about gluten free dieting and how popularity has attracted a lot of people to this diet. People have adopted the GFD thinking they are attaining a healthier eating lifestyle.
Only less than 1% of the population is actually allergic to gluten, which brings up the question . . .
Why do so many people go gluten-free? The simple truth? It’s popular.
So let’s take a look at what gluten-free means before we go too much further.
The gluten-free diet (GFD) is a diet that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, spelt, gamut, and triticale, as well as barley, rye and oats.
I actually just learned about the oat thing myself. Apparently, there’s a lot of controversy pertaining to oats being, or not being, gluten-free because of cross contamination in agriculture. (insert the I don’t know emoji here haha)
So basically that is the WHAT in a nutshell. (Above)
Celiac disease is one disease that true gluten-intolerant people have. Going on a GFD is absolutely necessary in this case.
But. . . celiac disease has not risen in numbers, although the number of people that have gone gluten-free has tripled, though the disease itself has not increased at all.
On foodnavigator-usa.com an article written by Elaine Watson said:
“According to a June 2013 survey of 2,000 adults commissioned by Mintel, 247 people said they ate gluten-free foods for reasonsother than celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Of these, 65% said they do so because they thought gluten-free foods were healthier, while 27% did so because they felt gluten-free foods assisted in weight loss.” (To read the whole article, click here)
Remember part 1 of this blog post last Wednesday, we talked about gluten being a protein, not a fat? Going gluten-free isn’t healthier and doesn’t encourage weight loss.
“Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, which represents people with a coeliac, an autoimmune disease, admits that the industry has a problem with higher fat in gluten-free bread and bakery products.” ~ the dailymail.co.uk
A 2013 study found that 65% of American adults think gluten-free foods are healthier. 27% choose gluten-free products to aid in weight loss.
Although the gluten-free diet has been claimed to aid in weight loss for those with celiac disease, it may actually cause weight gain.
Weight gain has also been found in children on a gluten-free diet. A study of children on the gluten-free diet for at least 1 year found that the proportion of overweight children rose from 11 to 21%.
People think gluten-free eating is healthier. It’s difficult when everything we see on social media and TV promote health and gluten-free dieting all in the same place.
Manufacturers are appealing to consumers who identify the GFD (gluten-free diet) as natural and healthier.
With the market capitalizing on these false assumptions, there’s a huge market in providing gluten-free foods. These foods are typically found in health food stores and on the health food isle. Unfortunately, this leads to the common beliefs that these foods are healthier.
The fact is, there is zero research that affirms the beliefs that gluten-free foods are healthier.
75% of consumers who do not have celiac disease or sensitivity to gluten simply eat these foods because they think it’s healthier, despite the lack of scientific research to confirm the validity of this theory. (Also bits and pieces quoted from above article by Elaine Watson.)
It makes sense that women like the GFD idea if they believe it promotes weight loss. Most people that are gluten free are women ranging between 20-39 years of age, but interestingly enough, the average age of gluten allergy diagnosis ranges between 40-60. (Yeah, I just found this out today. Kinda interesting!)
As far as overall health goes, aside from the fact that it’s not a weight loss thing, gluten-free dieting isn’t that healthy!
As a result of so many people going gluten free, there has been a rise in vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a rise in other diseases now because of the imbalanced diet.
Gluten-free processed grain products (e.g., breads, cereals, and crackers) are often lower in fiber, iron, zinc, and potassium. The gluten-free diet also may increase the risks for nutritional deficiencies, especially in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals.
A 2005 survey by Thompson and colleagues did studies that showed that many gluten-free foods are not enriched and may be deficient in several nutrients, including dietary fiber, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine. Other studies evaluating the nutritional composition of processed gluten-free products have demonstrated higher levels of lipids, trans fat, protein, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. (Ref. here)
In fact, gluten avoidance may be associated with adverse effects in people without proven gluten-related diseases, including the possibility of coronary artery disease. (But I will add that this is still being studied and is non-conclusive from what I have found).
It was also stated that there has been an increases in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, fasting glycemia, and body mass index in a gluten-free diet.
The authors also found a greater-than-2-fold decrease in protein content of gluten-free products across more than 50% of all food categories.
In 2016 an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, said that there was a group of 82 people that were self-proclaimed celiac intolerant and had been “gluten free” for 6 years. They were asked to take a questionnaire to identify 17 common foods that should be avoided. Most of them (55%) reported strict adherence. No participant correctly identified the gluten content of all 17 foods.
I just want to remind you that I am not talking directly to those of you who are gluten intolerant or allergic. This is primarily written to point out that the gluten-free diet is not for the general population trying to find a healthier better lifestyle, or to lose weight.
. . . There are better, safer, healthier ways to feel better and lose weight. Gluten-free dieting isn’t the answer.
For those of you who are on a GFD and are allergic and now aware of the imbalance of nutrients in these foods, I want you to know that there are ways to still be healthy. If you are allergic and have to be on a gluten-free diet, carefully choose foods that can go along with your GFD that make up for the lack in the GFD.
A good sources of fiber in the gluten-free diet include fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains, in particular buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, and teff.
Also, as a side note, people with diabetes who inquire about adopting a GFD should be informed about the potential nutritional risks of the diet for those who do not absolutely require it for the treatment of celiac disease or NCGS.
At the end of the day, if you are really wanting to go gluten-free, you should not experiment with the GFD without proper testing to rule out celiac disease. Talk to your doctor and educate yourself on how to have a balanced diet within your restrictions.
A GFD alone is not balanced.
balance in all things is key to success.
If you are gluten-intolerant, and have to be on a GFD, be sure you’re eating a balanced diet that includes what I mentioned above. (Fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains).
If you are not allergic, I strongly suggest looking into what a balanced lifestyle really is. Read my articles; I will be giving some pretty good balanced diet suggestions for a healthy lifestyle and weight control, as well as mental and spiritual health. (We haven’t covered everything yet, but stick around, it’s coming!)
Did you decide that it’s time to get fit together? Or not . . .
Are you looking at your dude suddenly inspired to help him trim and slim back to the day he said “I do”?
Did you hear those wheels screeching and the rewind button just squeal in response and maybe even a roaring, “Oh no you didn’t!”
Thought so.
But if you’re like me and you are on a healthy kick and you suddenly want your man to join, it’s so difficult not to try, right?
What inspires you the most? Is it someone telling you that your attitude needs to change? Or is it someone that is always in a good mood and has a great attitude. Every. Day?
Positive thinking, positive living, and positive actions are a huge inspiration to those around us. It also starts a momentum for our own selves when we stay connected to our own positive energy. Our own need for change and need for improvement should inspire us to grow and in turn will inspire those around us.
Change takes time, especially the change of our health. It’s not easy for me to make a healthy decision when the one I love isn’t going after it with me. If I’m not focused on my personal need to change, sometimes I get upset and wrapped up in my partner’s lack of interest in changing in the same way and at the same time, as me.
Why do I want my partner to change? Of course we all want what is best for those we love. But going a little deeper, often times we want them to make the change with us to make it easier for us. It’s selfish at that point because we want him to carry us through the change to make it easier for us.
When someone else that we have to be with day in and day out isn’t onboard with what we think is better we tend to let that other person be our excuse for not changing. It makes it easier.
Well, his muffins are always in the pantry, (even though I eat most of them) so I can’t not eat them! It’s his fault!
If you want to change your man, you have to stop. Turn your focus back on your own journey to change, and let him come around in his own time.
(For help with how to do this change stuff, check out my article Six Steps to Setting Goals that Last) Prove to him that you are strong and capable at accomplishing difficult things on your very own.
Improving yourself also makes you more attractive physically, but I’m also talking about internally, too. The true happiness within you, the excitement of self-achievement, shines powerfully to those around us. Men appreciate a woman that can be her own person.
Respect him and praise him.
Men feel manly and powerful when their woman truly respects them. It gives them leverage and drive to prove they’re the man. If time passes and you’ve expressed that you wish he were in the boat rowing along with you, but he also recognizes your respect in not pushing it, he might just see how much fun you’re having in that boat and jump in to lead simply because he wants to prove to you that he can, just like you! If he’s competitive he might want to out row you, but that’s okay. Let him.
Appreciate him.
Truly. As he is. Shrek-like and all. Period.
Leave windows open and doors cracked.
I don’t mean actual doors and windows. I mean, entice him. Invite him with your actions, not your words.
Leave a tail of crumbs behind you.
Figuratively, again. Leave good food out. Keep bottled water in the fridge. Bake healthy meals. Leave your gym shoes at the door. Leave reminders all over the place; reminders of your new change, and leave happiness out there for grabs, too. The enjoyment within you and your own accomplishments and your change, will give him little “crumbs” to taste for himself. If he likes it, don’t be surprised if he comes back for more than just a crumb.
Wow him with your changes by not quitting when the going gets tough.
Choose your talk time and words wisely.
When you do talk to him about your wishes, remind yourself why. Is it truly for his best interest and health, or is it just because you don’t want to do it alone? Leave judgment at the door, in the trashcan with the banana peels. Kindness goes a long, long way.
If he’s all about it and in it with you 110% of the way, encourage and be supportive. And have fun!
Men are born to care for, lead, protect and provide shelter and safety for us women. When we allow space for them to take that role as they were meant to, and when they are ready to, we empower them.
So, next time you get on a healthy kick and decide that all drinks need to hit the highroad and there will only be water in the house and in the car and at the office and…
….DO IT FOR YOURSELF.
There’s always a time and place for change. Sometimes our time is a different time than Shrek’s.
