5 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Health benefits of drinking water is probably one of the most overlooked healthy habits of all times.

Drinking water is not complicated, because everybody drinks something. The habit starts from an early age. And if you’re making the change now, it’s simply this: when you drink anything, make it one drink. Water. Always.

What we drink effects our health more than most people realize.

Drinking water isn’t only for hydration purposes. It’s also to keep us healthy and functioning at peak performance.

“Water transports all the foodstuffs to the cells, and the operations within the cells occur in a watery medium. Substances in the body have to be maintained in the solution, and secretions and wastes must be carried out of the cells by water. Water regulates the body temperature, adjusting to the water losses and the changes in the surroundings. Four quarts of water are constantly circulating in the body as part of the blood.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.

Health benefits of drinking water start at childhood.

I was raised drinking water.

It was such a habit, that the idea of drinking anything besides water was mind boggling to me as a child.

I saw other kids drinking soda or juice mostly. I preferred water, (still do).

We are all adults now, and guess what? I still drink water, and they still drink soda, juice and other beverages that aren’t water.

What we do as kids, we do as adults.

So keep this in mind, parents, when you’re baby is coming off the bottle and transitioning to other drinks and foods. Introduce water.

Think about what you grew up drinking, and think about your taste preferences now. Does it correlate?

1. Water helps maximize physical performance.

If you are an athlete, dancer, singer, or any sort of performer or work an intensely laborious job, you need water for peak performance.

Weight training, running, or anything that requires some sort of physical performance, water is your ticket.

Water makes up a greater percentage of body mass than any other substance, including muscle, which is about 80% water. Water also helps fill the spaces inside our cells, outside our cells, and in all our major vessels.

With so much of our body being made up of water, it is important to keep it replenished, even when you don’t feel thirsty, in order to keep your body working at its best.

2. Water keeps things moving.

Constipation is a sign of not having enough water to drink.

Stopping health issues before they begin is always a much better choice because it is a lot less painful. Often times, literally.

Things are a lot more dramatic for kids, and when mine were small, I cured a lot of their little aches and pains with water. Still do.

Headache? You must not have had enough water. Can’t go to the bathroom? Drink water. Your eyes are dry? Got cramps? Tummy ache? Getting sick? Let’s start with water.

Most of the times when my kids came to me with these minor issues, it was not because they hadn’t had a cup of water in the past 30 minuets. It was because they forgot their water for the majority of the day. Sometimes even now, they’ll complain about minor aches and pains and I ask, “did you get enough water?” and they usually grin sheepishly and find a plethora of excuses as to why they hadn’t had any water that day.

3. Health benefits of drinking water and weight loss.

I am not saying that all you have to do is drink a glass of water and watch pounds fall off.

But . . .

Let’s just do a little fun calculation.

Let’s go with the “typical” known amount of water one should drink in a day to stay hydrated and healthy. (8, 8oz glasses a day.) And let’s change this up with what most people drink instead of water, in a day, and see what we come up with in calories consumed daily.

8, 80z cups of liquid other than water:

One 8oz cup of tea = 2 calories. An 8oz cup of coffee = 1 calorie. A partial can, (8oz) of soda = 150 calories. Orange juice (breakfast perhaps?) 39 calories in just eight ounces.

And, maybe a glass of milk? Add that to your smoothie and you’re just looking at 103 calories without counting all the stuff you put in your smoothie. Now, head off to the gym and drink a large bottle of, let’s say, Gatorade, and you’ve added 50 calories with just 8oz, and nobody drinks just eight ounces of Gatorade during exercise. (At least, not typically).

I haven’t even reached “8 cups” here, and we’re at 345 calories in your drinks for the day.

If you drink the entire bottle of Gatorade, add cream to your coffee, milk to your tea, include what you added to your smoothie, add Champagne to your orange juice and drink a glass or two of wine at night, you easily consume 1,000 calories in a single day’s worth of drinks.

Drink water and watch your waist shrink without even changing the rest of your diet, your exercise program or anything else. This one single change can jump start your weight loss simply by eliminating 600-1,000+ calories per day.

4. Water helps keep you from getting stoned.

Kidney stones, that is.

“. . . kidney and bladder stones . . . is one of the most common diseases of the urinary system. It currently accounts for approximately one hospitalization in every thousand in the United States.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.

In her write up about Kidney stone prevention, her number one recommendation was to drink water.

She says that, “Water drinking is not only the safest, but also the best treatment for urinary stones. It should be thought of first as it is imperative that the urine not become concentrated, encouraging stone formation. Patients who are stone formers should drink enough water to produce two to three quarts of urine daily. One quart of water should be taken during the night to maintain good urine flow at all times.”

5. Brain alertness and energy

Health benefits of drinking water even effect your brain’s clarity!

Don’t forget to think before you drink.

Or . . . No, better drink before you think!

Our brains are about 75% water. In order to think fast, be creative, focus and have clarity of thought, your brain needs to be well hydrated.

In order for our brains to function properly, toxic waste has to be removed. This happens with water. Water helps deliver nutrients to the brain that assists in the toxic removal.

Once this happens, our brains will be more alert, and concentration will be much easier.

A little bit of water can go a long way for your brain. It can go so far as to clear away the fog, energize you in the afternoon, ease strong emotions, (depression, anger, stress, etc.) and can also help to keep headaches to a minimum.

If you’re wondering, how much water should I drink? Or, if you struggle to drink water because it just doesn’t taste good, here are 5 Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water!

Cheers to drinking your water!

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October 21, 2020October 21, 2020

Goal Setting Strategies for Success

Who’s ready to set some new healthy lifestyle goals?

Goal setting is important for successful change, but without the proper tools to reach your goals, it can be a set up for disappointment and utter failure.

I am sure at some point, you have set out to make healthy lifestyle changes before. Whether that was last year’s New Year’s resolution or a summer body fitness goal, it’s time to re-visit, reevaluate and/or make new goals!

THE NORM

Most people don’t have any sort of plan as to how to get to where they want to go when they set goals. They set a goal and often times just don’t hit their mark.

The problem isn’t setting a goal, it is setting the right kind of goal.

What I mean by that is, goal setting with direction and motivation to make it happen. It is so much easier to set a goal than it is to follow it through.

Only 8% of people who

set New Year's resolutions

 reach their goals.

Success isn’t in goal setting. It’s how you set your goal and what follows, that actually makes goal setting a success or not.

SUN-TZU*-BE-LIKE (ERR. . . GET YOUR STRATEGY ON)

Be reasonable. Have strategy.

A strategy describes how the ends (goals) will be achieved by the means (resources).

When New Year’s comes along, set a goal that is reasonable, meaning, something you can actually do. Not something you think you can do.

For example: don’t commit to losing 30 pounds in 30 days. This is not reasonable.

You also can’t set a goal to run a marathon in 2 months when you’ve been completely sedentary for the past 6 years.

The people who do this type of goal setting throw out reasoning. They get all into the emotion of sparkly wine and kisses and New Year’s misses (or misters) and get totally unreasonable.

Nobody likes failure and this is a set up for failure. And when this happens a few years in a row, you end up piling failure on top of failure.

The idea of setting any sort of goals and making any sort of changes ends up feeling very daunting and impossible. After awhile, most people quit.

The difficulty level of your goal has to be realistic for you to have success.

*Born around the 5th century BC, Sun-Tzu is said to be the “father of strategy’.

MADNESS OR METHOD

There has to be a method to your madness or else all you will have is madness.

In order for goal setting to work, you need to understand that there is a goal-setting process that has to happen in order to have true success.

Knowing why goals work, and how to implement a goal-setting program is where it’s at for happy days.

Analyzing your progress as you go and keeping your plan in motion (adjusting as you go) is also part of the method.

BREAKING IT DOWN

Before you set out to make goals, you have to understand the definition of goals. What I mean by this is, there are objective and subjective goals, and one way works better than the other.

Objective goals:

These are goals that you can measure.

Example: I want to lose 2 inches in my waist in 2 months.

These types of goals are easy to set, keep up with, and reach.

Subjective goals:

These types of goals are not measurable.

Example: I want to look and feel better.

These goals are vague and are hard to achieve. These types of goals are the ones you talk about but find yourself not doing.

3 TYPES OF GOALS

Outcome Goals

These goals have an end result that cannot be attained on your own.

These are often fun goals because you’re usually doing them with someone else, in a group or competition. Like running a 5K.

These goals are a little more difficult to control, however, because you aren’t 100% in control of the outcome.

Performance Goals

This kind of goal is measurable and one you set for yourself with something you specifically want to accomplish on your own.

For example, if you want to add a certain number of extra reps to your workout or to run a mile further next week, you’re setting this according to your own personal performance.

Process Goals

These are small goals that support performance goals by giving you something to focus on as you work towards your performance goals.

Process goals are 100% measurable and in your control. Focus on these small things until you eventually achieve your final performance goal.

HOW TO USE ALL 3 GOALS

So, now, how does this work?

Let’s say you set a performance goal of losing 100 pounds. In the mean time, you have to set process goals at say, 10 pound intervals. These process goals get you to your performance goal. These goals can help you achieve an outcome goal of running a marathon in three years.

These steps work for any type of goal you may have. This is not just a process that only fits the health and fitness world.

WHERE TO PUT YOUR FOCUS

Your focus should always 
be on how to get to your final goal, 
not just your final goal.

Setting goals in this way is one hundred percent within your control and brings with it amazing end results.

Focus on the process.

SOME FACTS

“One of the most consistent findings in all behavioral psychology is that specific goals produce significantly better performance than easy goals, no goals, or do-your-best goals.” – Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance.

VAGUE, SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE GOALS

When you set your goals, they need to be specific. Vague goals won’t get you anywhere. Here are a few examples of vague versus specific goals.

- Vague: My goal is to lose weight.
- Specific: My goal is to lose 30 pounds in the next 5 months.
- Vague: My goal is to be a vegan.
- Specific: My goal is to omit cheese this week and omit milk next week. By the end of the month I want to be completely dairy-free.
- Vague: My goal is to exercise more.
- Specific: My goal is to start power walking 3 days a week, and run 1 day a week, with 10 minute warm ups and cool downs, and I want to do this for 1 month, then set new fitness goals.

When you set your goals, set them with Ed Mylett-style ( #Maxout ) intent. Don’t set out to do-your-best. This just leaves too much room for excuses.

You will be more motivated if you have specific goals.

When you have specific goals, you can modify things as you go if you realize part way in that, say, you need more than 3 months to loose a specific amount of weight.

Instead of quitting, reassess, 
modify and carry on!

When losing weight, for example, maybe you didn’t count the plateau in your weight-loss process. Your body will reach a plateau and you will reach a point where you won’t lose weight for a little while. This is part of the process that many people don’t account for when setting specific goals.

It could also be something like setting goals to gain. It is possible that you forgot you were going on vacation for a week . If the only gym you have available only has a treadmill, your goals may take longer to reach.

If you set out to gain an inch in your biceps in a specific amount of time, but have to be away from the gym and modify your weight training, this is when reassessing your goals and being adaptable is necessary to still continue on your journey to achieving your ultimate goal.

This way, you can are still making progress, and still reaching your goal.

THE CHALLENGING BALANCING ACT

Setting realistic goals is a must for success. Period.

Goals that are too easy won’t challenge you enough to keep you focused on the end goal.

For me, when I set out to do a lot and achieve something difficult, I tend to stick to the plan verbatim. It keeps me on track, because I know that if I don’t stay on course, there will be no way that I can achieve what I set out to do.

When my goals are easy, I get too chill and start slacking. At this point, I know for a fact that I am not putting forth maximum effort to attain my desired goals.

On the flip side, if you set goals that are too difficult for yourself, you will quickly lose motivation, get frustrated, and probably quit.

You need to make sure that you’re setting goals at a pace that best suits you.

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT CHALLENGING BUT NOT TOO CHALLENGING?

The best thing to do is to be real with yourself. Set out and begin with focusing on your process goals.

Once you get into the process of reaching your goal and focusing on the how, the how can, and often times will, change. And this is okay.

Make sure that you reassess yourself, your goals, and keep a close eye on what you are capable of. Be real. Don’t allow yourself to use excuses.

Check yourself. Watch your ego, don’t hurt yourself. Watch your schedule, don’t overload yourself. And watch your achievement level. If you’re moving faster than you had set out to move, move your “bar” higher.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

Any goal you set needs to be also have a timeframe that you want it accomplished by.

I love making vision boards, and vision boards are great in this instance. Vision boards can keep you focused on a specific timeframe. Without this, you can drag your goals on and talk the talk and not walk the walk, always saying you’re, “working on it”.

Don’t do this. It will take away your motivation.

Set a time limit and get ‘er done.

Long-term goals give you direction and set the stage for what you are trying to accomplish.

Just remember that having your eye on your long-term goal doesn’t always improve the journey. Your destination may seem too far away and daunting, and you may quit.

Make sure you keep your process goals 
in your immediate sights.

Short-term goals help you stay focused on the small successes you’ve made. They also give you constant motivation to stay on course to your long-term goal.

This is how you take baby steps to your long-term goal. Doing this makes your ultimate goal possible.

This is also a way to allow for minor adjustments along the way so that you can stay motivated to keep moving forward.

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS AND FRIENDS

Sorry to break it to you, but goals don’t work by themselves.Goals require commitment. Without commitment, you are most likely not going to put forth the effort and persistence it takes to achieve your goals.

Having a friend or accountability partner helps with this. When your friend is aware of your goals and what you’re doing, this helps with the motivation and stick-to-it-iv-niss.

If you don’t have someone to be accountable to, clone yourself and be accountable to you. JK – but seriously, find a way to keep yourself accountable. It will make the process a huge success!

A positive-minded accountability partner is where it’s at, but make sure they’re also someone who isn’t afraid to tell it to you straight. We all need positive vibes and reinforcement in order to stay motivated. This helps us stay determined as well.

You got this!

REEVALUATE YOUR GOALS

As you go on this goal-setting journey, make sure your goals continue to be practical and suitable as you go.

Have a planner or a reminder set in your phone, or some sort of monthly check in (with yourself). This is when you need to measure, reassess, weigh, check in with your accountability friend/partner, check your vision board, or whatever it is that you’ve decided is appropriate for motivation and for your progress report.

Check in with yourself monthly. 
Review and reevaluate.

There may be some areas where you are meeting your process goals and even acceding them. It could also be that you’re falling short on something else. Tighten up on the parts that are falling short and set the bar higher for the parts that you’re accelerating in.

DON’T COMPARE. BE YOU.

You may prefer slightly difficult goals. You may prefer very difficult goals. Be you and set your goals accordingly. Don’t compare yourself to the person next door.

If you’re a gal or guy that is highly self-motivation, you probably will do fantabulous with extremely difficult goals.

But, if you’re not a highly self-motivated person and tend to have low levels of self-motivation, super difficult goals will decrease your performance and discourage you, so don’t sabotage yourself by comparing yourself to your neighbor.

You do you. Always. 
This is how you will be most successful.

WRITE STUFF ON STICKY NOTES

Or wherever.

Writing things down and posting things where you see it often makes it hard to ignore.

Bathroom mirror anyone?

More about how to organize with sticky notes here.

STAY ON TOP OF YOURSELF AND REWARD YOURSELF

You have to recognize when you need to make a change. This is done by self monitoring yourself during your goal setting process.

Reward yourself when you reach specific goals.

Have fun. You’ve got this!

MORE RESOURCES

How To Set Goals Goals That Last and 6 Steps To Setting Goals That Last!

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020

Weight Loss Versus Fat loss: The Basics

Understanding the difference between weight loss versus fat loss could be the solution to a successful weight loss journey.

I recently decided I wanted to take my fitness to the next level. I want to be ripped again. And that includes getting rid of some . . . weight.

Or, perhaps, fat?

The reason I decided that I wanted to take my fitness to the next level is the difference between looking like a regular, “healthy” mom that isn’t overweight but doesn’t necessarily look like she works out, to a ripped and obviously fit mom.

That’s what I used to be.

And I know it ’cause every time I went anywhere, people used to ask me, “are you a trainer?”

Now, I just don’t get that.

Knowing the difference between weight loss versus fat loss can help when beginning your weight loss journey, even if it is more of a toning or trimming journey.

If you don’t know the difference before you set out on your new goal path, you could be throwing away valuable muscle or simply eliminating water.

It can also be difficult to reach target weight goals when you’re already close. Sometimes it’s even more of a struggle to knock off the last few pounds than it is at the very start of your journey.

It is a little more complex than just getting on the treadmill to burn some fat. Sometimes those last few pounds just don’t want to go away!

If you’re trying to knock off a few extra pounds, wanting to change your physique, or at the beginning of your weight loss journey, it helps to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, and it also helps to know the difference between overall weight, and actual fat.

WEIGHT LOSS DEFINED

Understanding the difference between weight loss vs. fat loss is important when beginning your weight loss journey.

When you are are focused on weight loss, you’re focusing on a decrease in your overall body weight. You’re also focusing on the numbers that stare you in the face when you jump on the scale.

At this point, you are seeing the weight loss of muscle, fat, and water.

If you don’t know the difference between weight and fat loss, the fluctuation in numbers can be very confusing.

FAT LOSS DEFINED

Fat loss is specifically talking about your body fat.

You might not completely understand it yet, and that’s okay. Depending on your diet, workout program, and water intake, depends on how the numbers read on the scale and what it is that you are actually losing.

With a lot of sweating also comes dehydration. Dehydration equals water loss, which isn’t helping you reach your goals. As soon as you hydrate, your “weight” will be right back to where it was.

You have to learn how to target fat for successful fat loss.

CALORIE RESTRICTION AND WEIGHT LOSS

When you restrict your overall calorie intake, the misconception is that you are also restricting a needed amount of macronutrients. (Protein is often the biggest concern).

When people get caught up on these technicalities, it is easy to fall into a weight loss yo-yo of fad dieting, not being able to lose weight, or losing too much of the wrong weight too fast, and then gaining it all back.

Yes, your muscles need protein. But it is a myth that working out breaks down muscle tissue that can’t be built back up without large quantities of protein in the diet. You don’t need any more protein than you’d eat in a regular, balanced meal.

Working out simply inhibits the naturally occurring breakdown of muscle tissue.

Restricting caloric intake along with exercising and a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes, is (in a nutshell) all you need for successful weight loss (and muscle gain).

To maintain proper macronutrients to gain muscle and lose weight is as simple as making sure you’re eating until satisfied, but not stuffed.

More information and references:

If you are living a sedentary lifestyle or training moderately, the recommended protein need is: 0.8 to 1.2g/kg body weight.

Protein sources and requirements for different activity levels: 8 Best Protein Sources for Vegans.
Vegan muscle growth and protein: Vegan Powerlifting.
Weight loss techniques.
Required portions for a balanced diet: MyPlate.gov.
Vegan plate: Plant-Based Food Guide.

CALORIES: GOOD VERSUS BAD

Calories come from all sorts of foods, healthy and unhealthy, empty and complex. Even from foods labeled healthy that really are not.

Counting calories is not necessary for weight loss or maintaining healthy weight. (The only time I suggest counting calories is for extreme situations, and even in this case, it is best when suggested by a registered dietitian.)

Empty calories don’t have nutritional value and don’t supply good energy for your body to function at peak performance. Foods with empty calories simply have loads of calories with zero nutrients. Since empty calories don’t have any nutrition for your body, they leave you hungrier and less satisfied and you’re more likely to eat more, more frequently, more of them, and put on more weight.

For example, whole wheat bread is high in fiber and is nutrient dense, which makes you feel fuller, so you eat less and get fuller quicker, and will stay full longer, which limits your need to consume more and more frequently.

White breaded foods can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The white flour is highly processed and filled with additives that don’t show up in your homemade 100% whole wheat bread.

Calories aren't the issue. It's the type of calories you 
need to concern yourself with.

weight loss verses fat loss — Photo by Drew Hays

Stop and consider where you’re getting your calories from. They should be from this list of foods:

whole grains
nuts
seeds
lagumes
fruits
veggies

I realized that when I moved into the city and began making more money, I options. More options can be a lot to manage and, if you’re not careful, it is easy to start adding unneeded calories.

Back when I was very fit and looked like it, I had very few options. I basically had two. Eat very unhealthy, because it’s cheap. Or, in order to eat very healthy, I had to cook from scratch. I chose the latter.

Recently, as I got to thinking about how I ate then vs. how I eat now, I started to realize that my lack of money and also living in the country, actually prevented me from buying junk. Now, I live 3 minutes from Whole Foods. That means a quick run for a tasty treat (healthy as it may be) is a lot easier than grabbing a can of beans out of the cupboard.

Quality is always better than quantity.

Pre-packaged items and the beautifully labeled boxes of some so-called healthy foods, are most often higher in fat content and calories, than if you cook from scratch.

When you make your own food, and when you start measuring out cups of oil or sugar, you start to realize just how much is actually going in your food. And then, you have the option to substitute!

Cooking from scratch is a glorious opportunity to really take complete control of your health.

WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS: WHITE LIES

Just because food labels say low sugar, low carb, low fat, doesn’t mean it’s healthy and good for you.

There are a lot of vegan foods that are still processed, fattening and unhealthy!

Back when I was ripped, I made all my own food from scratch. I also had a garden, and we ate a lot of homegrown, fresh foods.

Eat the basics and you can't go wrong.

When you eat whole foods, which equals quality caloric intake, you don’t have to look for the lies. There are none.

When you are buying pre-packaged foods, things can sneak into your diet

without you even knowing. And how clever packaging can be, to help you sneak the bad into your diet.

Labels tell white lies. Vegan and vegetarian foods can be real fattening, just like any other foods.

When you make your own food, the devil is in the details, and it is in your control to take the devil (errr, the sugar & fat) out, when you’re the one making the food.

Vegan means no animal products. Vegan can still be white, fried, full of sugar, and absolutely fiber free, and full of empty calories. So read labels and watch for the lies!

Keep it real. Keep it basic.

THE RIGHT FITNESS

When you are building muscle and losing weight while building muscle, the numbers on the scale can be very tricky and quite frankly, frustrating.

It is not only important to be aware of how you are eating, but it is also a good idea to make sure that your workout routine is matched to help you achieve your weight loss, or gain, goals.

When you are building muscle while also losing weight, you may see that your weight doesn’t decline as quickly as you would like, and that can be frustrating.

Keep in mind that muscle weighs more, and is more dense therefore, if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, your weight loss may be a little slower, simply because your fat (weight) is being replaced by muscle (weight).

SIDE NOTE:

Use measurements instead of a scale, to monitor your weight growth and loss. You can gain weight and lose inches at the same time. When you see you’ve not lost the pounds you wish, but also see you’re an inch smaller in your waist, it is easier to swallow the slower weight loss.

Weight loss versus fat loss can be “seen” in measurements. You can actually see the inches lost, yet see that your weight hasn’t dropped too much, indicating that you are gaining muscle, not losing it!

WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS DOESN’T MEAN MONEY LOSS

It is not true that you have to have more money to eat healthy to maintain healthy weight.

In fact, the more money you have, the more you visit specialty grocery stores and boutique restaurants.

Whole Foods and True Foods Kitchen aren’t even that special but they’re special enough that their prices are especially high. You can’t go there when you’re low on money! When you’ve got dough in the pocket, you simply get lazy, cause it’s easy to do.

And, it’s easily disguised as healthy with these fabulous organic, “low calorie, low fat” labels on your . . . already made, pre-packaged foods you can afford to buy!

WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS: THE BASICS TO WEIGHT CONTROL IS BASICALLY BASIC.

Photo by Markus Spiske

Learn how to simplify your taste preferences, and your grocery shopping. Keep in mind the difference between needs and wants. And keep it whole! 🙂

If you have more questions, please reach out to me! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

September 23, 2020October 14, 2020

How to Overcome Late Night Cravings

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

How to overcome late night cravings, the topic of the day. For days.

But, ohhh the cravings though! The need for a yummy snack at ten PM and then . . . the disappointment the next morning when you step on the scale.

And the vow that last night was the last night.

Again.

How to overcome late night cravings — Photo by Edward Franklin

Why on earth do you keep going around and around, and around . . . ?

Because, emotional eating and stress eating are all about weakness, not logic or strength.

So let’s figure out how to build the foundation to a strong fortress of saying no.

I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF.

RECOGNIZE YOUR EMOTIONS

Once you understand that late night cravings really are just emotions nagging at you, not true hunger, recognizing this is step one.

Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better. You are eating to placate emotional needs rather than to satisfy actual real hunger.

Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. It feels good to eat in the moment, but the feelings that triggered your need to feed your face are still there. The worst part is, you make yourself feel even worse later, because you now feel guilty. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle that only you can stop.

There is a difference in using food occasionally as a reward, or to celebrate. That isn’t bad. When my kids get good grades, sometimes I take them out for vegan ice cream or a rare treat as a reward.

When eating becomes an emotional coping mechanism this is when it is a problem.

Once you recognize that you are eating simply to cope with stress, you can then take step two.

I recommend talking with your doctor and finding a good counselor to help sort out your emotions, if you are unable to do it alone.

DIG DEEP AND DEAL WITH IT

Journaling is somewhat of an old fashioned hobby I suppose. I used to keep a diary when I was younger. Now, with voice text and even with typing, slowing down with a pen and paper gets a little annoying. Buuuutttt . . .

When you slow down, it forces you to process what you are thinking, and in the process of slowing down, you can really start to assess your feelings and figure out the why behind what you are doing.

It also takes up time you would otherwise be eating.

Face your emotions, sort them out, decide what you want to do with them, and confront them.

Once you have done this, you can go about doing other things to fill the void.

A nutrition coach can also help. A nutrition coach is someone that can hold you accountable, as well as help you start new, healthy habits.

MAYBE IT’S NOT EMOTIONS

There are also cravings that can be linked to bad food choices, food sensitivities and lifestyle habits.

“Some foods promote indefinite cravings. Unfulfilled longings or unrest cause cravings.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

Doctor Agatha M. Thrash also goes on to say that, “Many individuals who are sensitive to various foods taken even in small quantities get their cravings aroused.

“Sugar is a very common offender in this regard. One innocent appearing teaspoonful can do much damage in the sensitive person.

“Milk and all dairy products represent a common source of cravings.

“Salty foods irritate the stomach lining and produce thirst. Much of the mechanism of cravings is related to unrecognized thirst, causing the individual to try to satisfy his thirst by indulging his craving. If the thirst is eliminated, the craving can be handled with much greater ease.”

Full article here.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH TEA

Now, I realize this sounds a bit trite and boring.

At night when I want something to snack on, and when I am trying to break a habit of grabbing something to nibble on during a show or while doing something before bed, I make tea.

When you fill the void with something it makes it easier to overcome the craving.

The options for flavors are endless when it comes to tea. Which makes it so fun!

Just be sure your tea is white or red, not black or green. Black and green tea have caffeine in them and aren’t good for late nights.

Rooibos is a South African red tea, and it is full of antioxidants and naturally a bit sweet.

Chamomile tea is also a bit sweet and floral, and a great calming, night time tea.

Sleepytime tea is another great evening tea!

Explore herbal, white and red teas and share with me in the comments below. Tell me what your fave herbal tea is!

When you’re making tea at night, leave out the sugar and milk. Learn to appreciate the pure flavor of the herb. Your waist will thank you later and your guilt will be set free.

For other options, read my article “Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water”.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS THAN TO READ A GOOD BOOK!

Nope. Snacking during reading can’t be a thing anymore . . . but make you some tea and find a book that draws you in sooo deeply that you can’t even think about food.

Escape from your stress, drown your emotions in far, far away, and allow yourself to fall asleep dreaming in another world.

I would recommend a list of books here, but I write more than read, so I am going to let you list a few for me below in the comments! 🙂

If you prefer to write, like I do, it keeps your hands too busy to eat, and it works as well as reading for those who love to write.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH CHORES

I doubt there is a person in the world who does not have a tub that could use a scrub, a carpet that couldn’t use a vacuum or some laundry that needs to be folded or ironed.

Evenings are great times to get some small house chores done and curb the appetite at the same time.

Plus, you’re getting yourself off the couch, burning a few calories, and let’s face it, you can get your heart rate up if you’re vacuuming stairs, and also, who doesn’t love a clean house when you go to fix a bowl of granola at breakfast time? Clean dishes anyone?

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH BREAKFAST

If you’re truly in it for the long haul, ready to lose weight, gain self control, eat healthy and feel amazing. . .

Begin with breakfast.

With the right foods, you will notice less cravings.

Typical breakfast foods aren’t actually good for you. (Bacon, grits, white biscuits, donuts, pastries, etc.)

Breakfast needs to be filled with unrefined foods and should equal to a third to a half of your food and take for the entire day.

This results in a sense of well being, which will help with emotional eating!

A good breakfast filled with unrefined, low to no added sugar, and complex carbs, also equals better work performance. This “feeds” your emotions positively by fulfilling the need to feel accomplished.

When I say no added sugar I mean it literally. For example, grapefruit, don’t add sugar to it! Cereal, don’t add honey, sugar or any other sweetener. Add banana or fruit if you want more sweetener. Dried fruit is another way to add sweetness without adding extra sugar.

When your morning starts with a fantastic breakfast, you have less desire to over eat later on in the day and less need to eat between your meals. Which of course leads to better weight control, which results in less emotional eating as well.

OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH SLEEP

It’s evening or night time. Go to bed.

As I have mentioned before when talking about weight management and losing weight/belly fat, eating at night adds fuel to your “car” just as you’re about to “park it in the garage.”

These are bad habits that put weight on fast.

I’ve used this scenario before, and I’ll use it again. When you’re about to go on vacation, you pull the car out of the garage and before you leave, what do you do?

You take it to the gas station and fill it up! ALL the way to the top.

Why? Because you don’t want to have to stop any time soon! It is a waste of time. You don’t drive it to the gas station, put $5.00 of gas in, then carry on down the road and do this your entire trip.

Imagine doing this, then arrive at your destination, purely exhausted. Then filing up and parking your car at the hotel.

What kind of logic is this!?

This is what most people do to their bodies. They start off in a hurry, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry or a granola bar and go to work. An hour later, you’re starving but it’s not lunch time. So what do you do? You eat a snack.

This happens all day long until dinner. Then you consume the majority of your calories (or over half of what you should have your entire day) right before bed.

On top of consuming a too big dinner, an hour or two later, late night cravings set in.

This is a very bad habit that adds so much weight to your waist for no good reason.

No matter how much you want to just sit and snack, if it is too tempting, and you know that you’re tired, just go to bed. A good night of sleep on an empty stomach is the best night of sleep you’ll ever have.

MORE RESEROUCES

A healthy lifestyle is all about balance.

Balance8life in motion is simply that.

Balance8life is actively engaging 8 expressions of health to our daily routines for true completion. It will always be in motion, and you will never stay in one place for too long, or the balance will slip away. So don’t get discouraged when you can’t maintain for one day. It is the overall daily routine that makes the balancing act go ’round!

The trick is to learn how to set goals that last. There are steps to setting goals that last, that make all the difference in the world when you are beginning your health journey!

For more on where to start begin your health journey, visit my blog!

And that’s it friends! I love it when the balance8 community shares and invites! Join me on my social media platforms, share my articles and tag me! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

September 16, 2020October 14, 2020

6 Ways to Stay Healthy Naturally

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

There are several ways we can stay healthy naturally, and do our best to keep sickness from entering our homes and bodies. Waiting until you think you might be getting sick is not the time to figure out how to keep from getting sick though.

6 in 10 adults in the US have chronic disease. 4 in 10 adults have 2 or more chronic illnesses.

Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, are some of the top diseases that are the most common.

The biggest cause of these diseases are lifestyle. Lifestyles that regularly use tobacco, excessive alcohol, poor nutrition and are sedentary, are the lifestyles that can cause the above mentioned diseases.

Lifestyle choices effect our health for good and for bad. To try to avoid getting the common cold, the flu, or even more life threatening diseases it is good to follow a healthy lifestyle of wellness.

This is not to say you will never get sick, but the healthier you live your life, the less likely you will be to catch something, or for it to hang around long, if you do!

“Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.” Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.

If we take care of our bodies and keep them in great shape, we are living a lifestyle of health, strength and wellness.

HEALTH BEGINS FROM CHILDHOOD

Mental, physical and spiritual health all starts when we’re kids. How we are raised shapes our future.

When we take control of our own health as adults, or even as teens, we can alter our health destiny by changing how we live our lives, and the lifestyle choices that we make.

One of the top lifestyle choices that can alter our wellness and health is our nutrition.

SET YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR SUCCESS

If you have kids, what are you doing to set your own children up for success with a healthy lifestyle?

Are they eating fruits and vegetables or mostly sweet, fast or fried foods? What are they drinking? Have you been able to get them on an eating schedule loaded with a rainbow of colorful fresh foods?

As a server, I have personally witnessed parents sitting down to eat with their children. I’ve seen these parents order junk for their kids, while they sit there and have a salad.

Children can eat salad, too. If their taste buds are used to good, wholesome food from the very beginning, they will love healthy foods.

I’ve got 5 of my own children, and from the first time they ate food until they were in their pre-teens, they never tasted a soda, any kind of meat, any sort of pastry or pre-packaged food. I made everything from scratch, whole grain and vegan, and that is what they ate, and still prefer. (Mostly).

What is the future of your children? As an adult, what habits will they have developed from childhood?

BREAK THE CYCLE

Parents raise their children the way their parents raise them. It is a cycle that goes on for generations and it can be a set up for success or failure, depending on the habits taught and developed from childhood.

I am extremely blessed. I was raised a vegan and I am 40 now and have never once had meat.

I’m very grateful for how my parents raised me. And I remember as a kid, them catching a lot of flak for it, too. It wasn’t easy! Especially in the 80’s. I had juice on my granola because soy milk wasn’t readily available.

I feel lucky though, because I never had to give up anything on my plate or change my diet to lose weight or combat years of health problems.

My mom set me up for success, and because of her and how I was raised, I have never had to deal with excessive weight or health problems.

This is what we do for our children when we set them up with healthy habits starting at babyhood.

As adults, if we were not raised with good habits, and want to be healthy, we have to change our lifestyle habits and it will not be easy.

I know that not everybody knows what to do or where to start to make lifestyle changes. And that is why I am here. I want to be there for you as you start your healthy lifestyle journey!

(See below for beginners guides on how to start your healthy adventure!)

1. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WATER

Water cleans us out on the inside. If you leave the inside “unwashed”, the likelihood of getting sick is higher. For best results, drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. Not fluids. There is a difference. This needs to be actual water.

Let me just give you a quick example of a few health problems that can be turned around with just 96oz of water in your day: Kidney stones, fatigue, lack of energy, bad breath, poor sleep, urinary tract infection, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, elongated sickness, digestive problems, weight gain, and so many more pain in the butt problems, can be kept at bay simply by drinking plenty of water.

If you think drinking 96oz of water a day is impossible, I’ve got a few tricks for you right here! How to Drink 96oz of Water a Day. And if you don’t like water and can’t stand the taste, here’s a little help with that, too. Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water.

I am not a doctor, and of course, as always, if you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.

2. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH HERBS

“Herbs such as milk thistle, bilberry, hawthorn, evening primrose oil, garlic, Siberian ginseng and ginkgo are some of the most powerful food grade items medicine has ever seen. These herbs and others are entirely safe and very effective.” Dr. Agatha Thrash M.D. Preventive Medicine.

For more details on why these herbs are so good and how to use them read her article Designer Foods, Herbs & Disease Prevention

When I was in high school, I lived in a dorm, and for some reason this one particular year, I remember getting sick. A lot. Unusually often. One thing that the dean always made for us girls when we got sick was the shot of death. I hated it, but now, I use it for my kids.

It is a combo of grapefruit juice, fresh cloves of garlic, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and ginger. You blend this up into a shot, and literally shoot it. It burns, but it will take away a sore throat fast.

I grew up on herbs, they do actually work, and a lot of times, in my past experience, are a lot less invasive than going to a doctor and work even better.

It is important to be well educated when using herbs. I suggest doing a lot more reading on the use of herbs if it is something you want to use more of.

3. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH NUTRITION

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat a lot of fresh foods. Not just when you’re feeling yucky, and not just here and there. This needs to be a daily habit.

The saying prevention is better than cure is one I take seriously. And nutrition is the best way to put that saying into action.

Green, leafy veggies are on the top of my list, which is why I have “Green Drink Sunday” almost every Sunday! Habits like this make green things easy, fun and tasty. Even when my kids have friends over, they all get green smoothies or juice. It’s just how we roll!

Stay away from sugary foods like pastries, candy, ice cream, sodas, sweet tea, etc. (This doesn’t include fruit).

Sugar kills white blood cells which are our disease fighters. Increase fresh foods like citrus fruits, red and green bell peppers, kale, broccoli, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, etc. because they are high in vitamin C and they also help to increase production of white blood cells.

5. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH SLEEP

Proper sleep is essential to keeping your immune system strong and healthy. As soon as you start having late nights, disrupted sleep schedules, and then over sleeping, you’re creating the perfect playground for viruses to grow.

Getting too much sleep and not enough sleep are equally bad for your body. An adult should get at least 7-9 hours of rest per night.

For more on how to get better sleep, read 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep. And, 7 Things That Ruin Your Sleep.

6. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WEIGHT CONTROL

I realize this is no quick or easy fix, but it has to be done for healths sake.

Weight control goes hand in hand with exercise, nutrition, and wellness. People that are overweight are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and depression. These are some of the very same diseases I listed in the beginning of this article.

Excessive weight causes so many problems. Aside from disease, it is hard on your joints, your mental health, and your ability to enjoy life.

I have written articles specifically to help you begin your weight loss journey. They show you how to lose and maintain weight naturally and healthfully. Here are a couple articles for starters: Lose and Maintain Healthy Weight with Carbs and How to Maintain Healthy Weight After Dieting.

Sometimes weight loss is just something you need a little extra help with, alongside your nutrition and exercise program. I highly recommend the PhysIQ System, in combination with the Nrf2. I am a vegan so I myself won’t use the whey protein in the PhysIQ System package, but you can purchase the Fat Burn and Prebiotic separately and replace the protein with the Nrf2 for a complete package!

7. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH EXERCISE

Getting exercise has to happen. Exercise keeps us younger longer, keeps our weight in check and presents aches and pain. It can also help keeps us healthy from disease, depression, and many other things that nobody should ever have to deal with.

“As exercise is increased, degenerative diseases of all kinds are decreased, life span is extended, various minor infections such as colds are reduced . . .” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

When you exercise, you’re breathing deeper and this helps to flush out your lungs and helps make you more resistant to respiratory infections. Do this outside and it is a win-win!

Exercise also increases white blood cells. Remember earlier how I said white blood cells are our disease fighters?

Exercise balances out our hormones. Including stress hormones. Stress makes us more susceptible to disease. So exercising brings us to a better, balanced state.

Below are some resources for beginners on how to change your lifestyle to one of wellness and health.

Beginners Guide to Healthy Living

Beginners Guide to Weight Lifting and Gym Life

What is a Vegan

5 Meals Under 500 Calories

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I don’t know about you, but math really isn’t my thing, and neither is counting calories. But for those of you who are looking for low calorie foods and meals, I have picked some of our top family favorite 5 meals under 500 calories for you to enjoy!

There are more than 5 meals under 500 calories that you can make and enjoy with your fam, but I’m going to keep it simple and introduce just 5 to you today!

500 calorie meals — Photo by Caitlin Greene

Keep in mind that, if you are eating whole foods, plenty of fruits, veggies, (raw and cooked) and legumes, nuts and seeds, there is not really any need to count calories. Your calorie intake will be just right if you eat the right foods and don’t over eat.

Eating too fast, eating too much and eating too often are where your calories will start to add up. Also, keep it simple. The trick to keeping your calories down are keeping it real simple.

PANCAKES

Every Sunday morning, it is tradition for us to have pancakes. I make them from whole wheat flour, and everybody has about 1-3 each. I make about 12, which allows for 2 per person.

 2 homemade pancakes equals 217 calories!

That leaves plenty of room for your favorite vegan (or nut) butter and fruit, or 100% pure maple syrup topping. Our favorite is all natural peanut butter and applesauce. I also like to slice up bananas, add ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds and walnuts. This of course is going to up your calorie and fat intake, but for a breakfast, it is not so bad. You want your highest calorie meal (or your “biggest meal”) at breakfast anyway. So go ahead and add the nuts, seeds and fruit! You’ll be full nice and long, and snacking won’t even cross your mind!

The trick to low calorie, vegan, pancake meals is making them at home, from scratch. My recipe makes 12 pancakes, and that’s 217 calories and 30.3g of carbs per serving (2 pancakes). (More for recipe info below!)

I know – it seems odd. But trust me, pancakes can be one of the most fat-free-est foods you’ll ever enjoy and not even know it’s fat free-ish! You can even omit the oil and you won’t notice. I do it sometimes when I’m out and don’t feel like going to the grocery store. Some foods do taste awful when you omit oil, but pancakes can really taste great without. It cuts down on fat, plus, it’s less expensive, and so . . . why not?

For more on what a vegan is, go here! (But wait until you’re finished reading). 🙂

POTATOES

Oh my goodness, the biggest myth ever, potatoes make you fat. Guys, no. Nope, potatoes are not fattening. Get that out of your head. They taste delicious, stop depriving your body of this amazing food!

This is one of our favorite meals under 500 calories.

Here’s the breakdown in your potato:

Calories: 87.
Water: 77%
Protein: 1.9 grams.
Carbs: 20.1 grams.
Sugar: 0.9 grams.
Fiber: 1.8 grams.
Fat: 0.1 grams.

Did you see all that fat? (I’m still looking).

The reason potatoes are known to be fattening is because most people fry them (French fries) add loads of sour cream, butter, bacon, and other fattening toppings.

Another trick to making your potato extra nutritious is to scrub all that dirt off, and eat the skin. The skin is where most of your nutrients are, so if you peel it, you’re missing out on loads of good stuff!

We top our potatoes with vegan butter, salt and pepper. Sometimes we buy vegan sour cream, but that is more of a “treat”. I grew up with extra virgin olive oil in a small hand held bottle. We used as our topping, still do most of the time. That and salt is great. Not much else is needed. But, if you’re looking for a loaded experience, steam some broccoli, or make a homemade, cashew nut gravy. Obviously the potato itself is under 100 calories, so you’ve got room to explore your with healthy toppings.

Just remember that your sauces and butters are where your fat and calories add up.

meals under 500 calories — Photo by Nick Bratanek

QUINOA

There are 222 calories in 1 cup of cooked quinoa. When I make it, I don’t cook it with butter, only salt and water. I have made casseroles with it by adding mushrooms, onions, and other veggies. (Pinterest is great for finding quinoa casserole recipes). With being such a low calorie food, you’ve got room to explore your options. Serve it with a sweet potato and broccoli. I prefer my quinoa with tofu or beans, just so I have something relatively dense to “hold me over” for the next 5 hours (or my next meal).

Fun fact: Did you know that quinoa is actually a seed? And, did you know that it is a complete –vegan– protein? This basically means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body.

To put your mind at ease, having a complete protein in one meal is not necessary, so don’t run out and buy it for the sake of having complete protein.

If you eat enough calories from a healthy meal with plenty of variety throughout your day, (even if your calories come only from plant-based foods) you will get enough diversity to make up for the essential amino acids within a day. So fret not if your other proteins aren’t complete.

CHILI

Sadly, I rarely make chili anymore. My boyfriend is allergic to nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant). I tend to cook for the whole family at once, and don’t really enjoy spending extra time that isn’t necessary in the kitchen. So I don’t make chili much. But, it used to be one of our staples in our home.

My recipe is from scratch, and 168 calories for 1 bowl of chili. That also leaves plenty of room for a veggie and some fresh homemade cornbread! Delish!

This chili is made from the dry beans, with onion, garlic, tomatoes and peppers and plenty of herbs and spices. You won’t miss the meat, and don’t forget, don’t top it with any sort of fattening cream or sauce. Cilantro or parsley, and some cornbread crumbs are all you need for great flavor.

FRUIT

Yes, this is another one of our “meals” under 500 calories. I wouldn’t even bother counting calories here. Just eat up. Fruit has so many great things for your body, your body will thank you for it.

I know this isn’t a traditional meal, but for us, it is our dinner. We often eat fruit soup, fruit salad, or just a variety of fruits cut up as our “dinner”. Remember, dinner (or the last meal of your day) should not be a big meal, nor should it be a high protein high calorie meal.

Fruit is mostly water, so it doesn’t take your body hours to digest it like proteins and fats.

And that’s it folks! If you want any of my recipes, just give me a shout out and I’ll send them your way! You know where to find me . . . But if you don’t, I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

August 12, 2020October 14, 2020

Fat Burning Techniques

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Fat burning techniques go deeper than dieting or cardio. Fat burning comes from a balanced lifestyle; it is essentially a lifestyle that should be lived daily, even when you’re not trying to burn fat.

A healthy, balanced lifestyle sets you up for an amazing future of health for your mind, body and soul as well as emotions.

When one part of our health gets off kilter, the rest will spin out. Eventually we’ll have to start over. But that’s okay, starting over is better than abandoning ship completely.

Losing weight can often feel like an uphill battle. I have many friends that have struggled with weight for years and come to me for help.

The number one thing that I have witnessed as a downfall to success, has always been the lack of true commitment.

The decision has 
to be made.

Once you make the decision to lose weight and commit to it, that’s when things happen. Until then, talking and wishing and doing temporary diets and partial exercise programs for a week, (yes I say a week because I’ve witnessed this over and over) nothing will change. Weight comes off 5-10 pounds in, then the commitment somehow goes away and the pounds come piling back on. I have had many texts and phone calls from friends, crying about the fact that the weight went back on and ask what to do to fix it.

Nobody can help you if you do not help yourself first.

Making the commitment and a solid decision, is the number one and most important thing to tap into, for true fat burning results.

FAT BURNING WITH WATER

Over half of our bodies are made up of water. To stay hydrated, we need to drink 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water per day.

If you grab a bottle of water instead of tea, coffee, juice, coke, etc., you’re saving yourself (about) 2.6 tablespoons (39 grams) of sugar per can. 8 cans of coke = 1 cup of sugar. This is double the amount of sugar in 1 slice of angel food cake. This in turn is a lot of calories and “fat” that drinking water will completely eliminate from your daily diet.

For a little more in depth on why sugar makes you fat, there’s a good article written by Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist. He’s a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He has written three best-selling health books and he co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program. Check out his article about sugar here.

FAT BURNING WITH NUTRITION

I talk a lot about how amazing the vegan diet is. The number one reason I recommend the vegan diet is because it is a balanced diet that does several things all at once. If done right, it can help you maintain healthy weight, while keeping your heart healthy, giving you energy, making you feel less tired, foggy and groggy, as well as the obvious; you’re saving animals. There are many reasons why a vegan diet is the bomb diggity.

You can maintain healthy weight a lot easier on a vegan diet, plus, it is a “diet” that you can continue to maintain after your “dieting” process is over. Since this diet is not a temporary fix, it is a permanent, healthy, lifestyle that can be maintained form birth to old age.

FAT BURNING WITH EXERCISE

Just 30-60 minutes of exercise a day can take off roughly about 8-10 pounds in a 3 month time frame. The more you sweat, the more rigorous your exercise, and the longer you do your cardio, will determine how much weight
comes off and how quickly.

When exercising to lose weight, the best thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat. So, if you are weight training while losing weight, you may not lose as quickly, simply because you are gaining muscle while losing fat.

FAT BURNING WITH SUNSHINE

There are new studies that show that sunlight may actually burn fat. It was accidentally discovered and is still being studied. It’s speculated that this could partly be a reason why we pile on extra weight in the winter months when there is less sun exposure.

Sweating on the other hand, is not a calorie burner. Sitting in the sunlight sweating away is only dehydrating you. Once you drink water after sweating, you rehydrate, your weight is right back to where you started. So don’t confuse sweating in the sun with calorie burning.

Sunlight also tends to suppress our appetites making us less likely to eat as much.

And then there’s always the vitamin D factor we get form being in the sun, which is a plus, so don’t skip out on your time in the sun!

FAT BURNING WITH REST

Sleep before midnight is twice as beneficial as sleep after midnight, as growth hormone (useful in adults for repair and healing, cheerfulness and a strong mind) is produced mainly during the hours before midnight, and only when one is sleeping. . . It is better to sleep between 6 and 9 hours daily, as persons who sleep less than 6 or more than 9 hours tend to live shorter lives than those sleeping 7-8 hours. Weight gain increases sleep needs. Weight loss decreases sleep needs.

With good sleep comes good energy and positive thinking which is a fantastic for an energetic exercise routine. When I wasn’t sleeping well, I really struggled to get the energy up to work out regularly. I did it, but it was so painful. It was 75% pure will power. Even then, I felt like my workouts were lacking. It was one of those, “any workout is better than no workout” days, but 3 times a week!

When I started taking Nrf2 my afternoon fatigue vanished and 3 months in, I was sleeping through the night every night! My workouts, my recovery, and my energy has just been through the roof, which has resulted in gains I haven’t seen in years.

I highly recommend this nutritional supplement if you’re having trouble sleeping! It’s anti-aging, gluten-free, natural, and vegan!

FAT BURNING WITH MEDITATION

Often times we don’t really give downtime the credit it deserves. Whether you meditate on a higher power or on the sound of your own voice, or repeat a weird mantra, it is important to find time to be grateful. When you stop to be grateful for your life, the people in it, and love yourself, it helps put your mind in a positive place. Positive thinking removes the need for emotional feeding, and makes it easier for you to say no.

For more on meditation for beginners, click here!

FAT BURNING WITH FRESH AIR

Fresh air technically doesn’t burn fat. If you were to go outside and breathe in some fresh air, you can’t expect to drop 10 pounds. But, getting outside to work in the yard, walk, meditate, sunbathe, and play with the dog or the kids, is something that takes your mind away from eating for no reason. And a lot of weight is gained simply from eating out of boredom.

FAT BURNING WITH MODERATION

Be mindful of the amounts you eat, and how often you eat.

Fasting – or not snacking – between your meals is a huge weight loss trick that is so simple it’s hard to believe. 5-6 hours should go between your meals with nothing in between but water! Not even a single cracker or grape.

Eating backwards does amazing things for weight loss! Switch your meals around. If you want to eat 3 meals, have your typical dinner for your breakfast, and your breakfast for dinner. Most Americans tend to eat their heaviest and highest calorie meal at night. It should never be this way.

FAT BURNING WITH TWO MEALS A DAY

Vegan powerlifting champion, Jim Gurtner, says that eating or skipping dinner determined his weight gain and/or loss, depending on what competition he was going to be in and what his goals were.

For me, when I want to lose my extra little tummy quick or shed a few pounds fast, I always skip dinner. My last meal will be around 3 or 4pm and that’ll be it. This isn’t bad for your body and it doesn’t slow your metabolism. Fasting and giving your digestive system a break actually helps you lose weight and also increases your chances of having better health.

GET RID OF EXCUSES

Nothing kills goals, puts on weight, prolongs bad habits and keeps you from moving forward more than excuses.

Identify them. Get rid of them.

FAT BURN AND NEVER DIETING

Dieting is temporary and once your diet has run it’s course of 4-6 weeks (give or take) your bad habits step in to take the lead again. Dieting is a ticket for a rollercoaster ride of weight loss and gain and loss and gain. If you’re wanting to ride a rollercoaster, you’d do better going to 6-Flags.

For more on weight loss, read Principles of Weight Control here.

I would love to answer any questions you may have or hear about your weight loss journey! Please stop by and follow me on my social media so we can be friends! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang out best, you can find me!

July 22, 2020August 31, 2020

Vegan Powerlifting Part 2

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

Vegan Powerlifting

An Interview with Jim Gurtner Part 2

Welcome back to Vegan Powerlifting!

Jim Gurtner, professional powerlifter and bodybuilder became a vegan and has competed off and on for 30 years. He won championships on this diet when the plant-based lifestyle wasn’t at all popular or cool. In fact, in the fitness world, it was thought that one could not build muscle on plants, because, after all, where would someone get protein if not from meat?

At the moment, Jim is not competing, but this doesn’t mean he won’t again. He even told me that, “When I was not training for a meet, I would be training with someone who was getting ready for one.” His career as a powerlifter hasn’t necessarily been the only thing he has done. It has been more of an off and on hobby over the past 30 year span.

Now, he says that in the past 5 years, though he may not be competing right now, he has done personal training for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Jim has just recently released a book for amateurs and professionals alike, Vegan Health & Strength. In his book, you will discover how a properly designed vegan diet can be superior to all others for building a strong, healthy, and muscular body. He teaches you how to plan and easily prepare vegan meals, as well as muscle-building workouts with energy and stamina you wouldn’t think possible.

Below, I continue talking with Jim about his life as a fitness professional, powerlifter and bodybuilder. We also talk some about his personal life and even mention some of the famous people he got to meet along the way!

If you missed the first half of this interview, please go to Vegan Powerlifting Part 1.

THE EARLY DAYS

When I was beginning my fitness goals, the idea of bodybuilding didn’t cross my mind. Not really anyway. Maybe briefly, but I’d say it was more of a distant thought. For Jim on the other hand, it was a passion. I asked Jim what made him decided he wanted to be a bodybuilder, and he told me his story:

“I was 16 and a junior in high school. One day in the cafeteria while eating, someone said, ‘you have to check out this freshman and the size of his biceps.’ His name was Ben Lew. When I asked him to show me his arm, his bicep flexed into a ball the size I couldn’t believe! Amazed I asked him, ‘how did you get those arms?’ He said, ‘through bodybuilding.’ I replied, ‘You mean to tell me that there’s a systematic way of going about getting muscles, and I could do the same?’ He said, ‘Certainly!’

“Well, the iron bug bit hard! That whole year at lunchtime I would pick Ben’s brain about bodybuilding. His hero was Bruce Lee, and was working out to emulate him, but he knew quite a bit about bodybuilding and taught me a lot. I am still in touch with him and he is still in fantastic shape!”

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

“It was in 1978 when my best friend, Joel, picked me up to go to the my very first gym: Health & Strength, in Highland Park, New Jersey. I had just turned 17 and had been training for about a year in my home gym that I put together. It included a Joe Weider Multi Bench and a small beginner, 110-pound barbell and dumbbell set. I saw in a magazine article that Joe Spooner, Mr. America at the time, worked out at this gym. My buddy Joel and I decided to check it out.

“Well, we walked into the gym, and as providence would have it, there he was, doing wide-grip chin-ups, as big as day! I could not believe how big and strong he was! We asked for his autograph, and asked a few questions. After that, Joel and I had our very first workout in this fantastic gym.

“In the late 70s and 80s when I first started working out, there was no such thing as personal trainers. With no internet, and only a handful of bodybuilding magazines, most everyone in the gym was doing very similar workouts.

“I learned how to train and gain muscle by working with and around champion bodybuilders. One was Richard Gaspari, the number 2 bodybuilder in the world at the time. I also learned by attending local bodybuilding seminars. They were held by notable champions and the time. I also poured over any and all books and magazines on bodybuilding I could get my hands on.

“I was even able to attend a training seminar with Arnold Schwarzenegger and his long-time training partner, Franco Columbu. What I learned in that seminar was life changing!”

CHAMPIONSHIPS, COMPETING AND PERSONAL LIFE

I heard through other people that Jim had won championships on a plant-based diet.

When I first met Jim, I was a total noob. I had never really worked out before, and I was so enthralled with the thought of bodybuilding. I was a vegan, and I have to be honest, I didn’t think vegans could actually bodybuilder or compete. When I found out that not only could one bodybuilding, but it was possible on a vegan diet, I was so excited. When I finally got the chance to interview Jim nearly 8 years later, I had to ask him to tell me about how and what he did as a competitor.

“Championships that I have won have all been in the sport of powerlifting, where you are judged by the total amount of weight lifted in the bench press, squat, and deadlift.

“I won three state level championships, two in 1998, and one in 2003, all in the over 40-year-old, 242 pound class, and drug free.

Often when I think about competing or someone else competing, I know it requires a lot of time, and I wondered how that effected Jim’s personal life. I asked him if his wife ever hits the gym with him, but he said no. “Hours in the gym is time away from my family, but they understand . . . My workouts are far too intense for my wife’s liking. . . our workouts are not compatible with each other.”

When I asked if he is still competing, he said that he is not, “at the moment,” but, “I never train just to maintain. I always push myself to the limit with the intent of a possible future meet. . .”

When I asked him if he thinks he’ll ever compete again, he said that he is definitely thinking about it!

I was curious what the main difference was between his regular fitness and diet regime and when competing. He said that it depends on if it’s bodybuilding or powerlifting.

“. . . In powerlifting, calories are increased to push my bodyweight up to compete in the 242 pound class, where I feel the strongest. Bodybuilding is much more involved and includes cutting calories to slowly loose all body fat, tanning, practicing posing which makes the muscles look harder, longer higher volume training sessions. For both powerlifting and bodybuilding completion, I will travel to a gym several times a week and work with a training partner to push me to the limit!”

BODYBUILDING AND NOT YET VEGAN

“In 1988, after training for 10 years, I competed in my first bodybuilding contest, the Mr. Natural New Jersey, which a good friend of mine, Mike Rieker, had won the year before. I got too heavy in the offseason, and ended up having to loose 40 pounds of bodyweight in three months to get defined enough for the show.

“My diet at the time was low fat, low carbs, and high protein. Lots of tuna fish and salads. I trained hard and fast 1.5-2 hours a day, and the last few weeks did an hour of cardio a day. On top of that, I even did 1-hr aerobic ab classes. It was exhausting!

“By contest time, bodyfat testing showed that I had lost 25 pound of fat, but unfortunately, lost 15 pounds of precious muscle. I ended up coming in too flat for the prejudging, and after eating, my muscles filled out nicely for the night show, but it was too late! I ended up not placing.

“After the show, I hit the gym hard again, and helped someone I met in the gym prepare for the Mr. Natural New York City. In about 4 months he was ready for his first show, where he ended up winning 1st place in this class.”

"At the end of the same year, I went to Brazil for a 
wedding, met the girl of my dreams, and got married 
6 months later. This is when the vegan 
adventure began!"

STEAK, CHICKEN, EGGS AND A QUART OF MILK

At this point I was curious what Jim’s diet was like. All of the people I knew that competed, came into the gym all puffed up, talking about how much protein they had to have in a day. They were beasts! (Smelly – beasts).

But it was just how they did things, not just when they were competing! These regular gym-bro’s always bragged about the amount of protein they were consuming in a day. I had to ask Jim, “What was your diet like?”

He said, “before I came up vegan, in my mid 20’s, I would eat 70 jumbo eggs a week, two roast beef sandwiches or two cheese sandwiches for mid-afternoon and mid-morning snack. A whole rotisserie chicken for lunch. About an hour before working out, a pound of fruit. After working out I would drink a quart of milk with frozen banana and four raw eggs. After working out I would go with my friends to Arthur’s Steakhouse and have a salad, baked potato, and a 24-ounce steak.”

Okay guys, there you have it. I honestly don’t know how he ate like that. I’d be 250lbs in two weeks, I’m sure!

“Do you eat differently when you’re competing than when you’re just working out on a daily basis, and how?” I asked.

Jim replied, “To get to [desired] weight meant eating three large meals a day. Now that I’ve retired from powerlifting, my diet consists of a large breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner so I can keep my bodyweight close to competition weight.

“I look at the third meal as a thermostat: eat more at this meal to gain weight, eat less or nothing to loose weight.”

I asked Jim what his number one diet/fitness tip would be for someone like myself (or you!) who’d like to get into bodybuilding. His advice was pretty simple:

"Consistency with your workouts - no long layoffs."

STRUGGLES WITH GAINS, NOT DRUGS

I got close to being able to compete – once. But I remember when I was training, one of the hardest things for me was gains, so I asked Jim how it was for him. He said, “gains never came easy for me. Being tall with long legs and arms, I found it difficult to put on mass. But I was persistent, and year after year I worked to increase my muscle mass and strength. It has taken a lot of patience.” Now he says that he doesn’t have any difficulties maintaining his weight. “I enjoy eating very much, so weight gain is no problem.”

The big question we’ve all been waiting for – did Jim take steroids? Or at least for me, it was a question I was waiting for! Because even the regular ol’ gym-bro at my gym seemed to think steroids was a good idea. I figured competing would add the temptation. But when I asked if he ever took them, he replied with a solid, NO.

"All of my gains in size and strength 
have been without the use of drugs.

“After competing in the Mr. Natural New Jersey, I decided to try a 10-week steroid cycle, but did not see much change except for a little more definition. I discovered that if I was going to be the mass monster like those bodybuilders I emulated, I would have to take a lot higher dosages than what I had taken, and for a much longer period of time. Not wanting to put my health at risk, I decided not to go that route!”

IN THE GYM TODAY

I asked Jim what his regular fitness regime is now, and he told me that he works out about 4 times per week for about an hour to an hour and a half a day. He said, “I divide my body in 4 parts: Chest day, back day, shoulder, arms day, and leg day. So all body parts are worked 1 time per week, while calves, abs, and forearms I will do 2 times per week.”

He says even when he was competing, he followed the same basic routine he follows now.

“4 times per week is about all that I have ever trained,” he says. “When training light and fast, for a week or two, I may train 6 times per week.”

Do you have a partner or somebody that keeps you accountable?

“Although I highly recommend a training partner, I am currently training alone,” Jim stated, “However, during this past year I was highly motivated to push myself hard to be ready for a reunion workout with my first training partner in New Jersey this past July. The recorded “Reunion Workout” will be posted on my online training course.”

INSPIRATION AND ROLE MODELS

I really enjoy finding out who inspires great people and who they look up to. I asked Jim who his role model is, and he said, “Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom I have had the privilege of meeting on three different occasions.”

When I asked Jim if he listens to or watches any motivational speakers, podcasts, YouTube channels, or has any particular reading material he would like to share, he again mentioned Arnold Schwarzenegger. “The movie Pumping Iron, Arnold’s book, Education of a Bodybuilder, and Franco Columbu’s book, Coming on Strong, have all been extremely inspirational for me. Nick’s Strength and Power, and Dr. Michael Greger’s NutritionFacts, are two YouTube channels I watch regularly.”

Obviously, the previous question sort of answered my next questions, “have you ever met anyone famous?” but I asked him if he still talks to the people he has met, and who else he’s met besides Arnold.

“I have met a number of famous people: Dr. Atkins founder of the Atkins diet. I actually sat in his office. . . Richard Gaspari, the number 2 bodybuilder in the work for 3 consecutive years in the late 1980s, I knew since he was was 14 years old. Trained with Steve Goggins, ranked by Powerlifting USA, the number 1 powerlifter of all time. Casey Viator, the youngest Mr. America ever, who I met at Coffee’s Gym in Marietta, GA. . . I never stayed in regular contact with any of them, except Rich Gaspari, who I talk to on a regular basis since we trained at the same gym for so many years in the 1980s.”

HABITS UNRELATED TO DIET AND FITNESS

Every successful man and woman I have met have always had some sort of good habit that they swear by. Sometimes it’s an early 3am jump in a cold lake, or a two hour meditation process. At times, it’s pretty ordinary while other habits are quite odd.

I wanted to know what type of habits Jim might have to share that he does regularly. He told me that one of the things that keeps him motivated and on track is, “Being a Christian, daily prayer and Bible study in the morning before eating breakfast.”

While Jim may not be competing right now, he still lives the life of one working towards a goal. He doesn’t just train to compete. For Jim, health and fitness is a lifestyle. His daily regime is a routine of always moving forward with health and fitness his primary focus.

“On a typical work day, I get up about 6:30am, drink 3-4 cups of warm water, feed my 2 cats, eat breakfast and take a 10-20min walk. Work starts at 8:00am from my home office and I set a timer to get up, stretch and squat 10-20 reps every 45 minutes since my job entails sitting the whole day. Lunch is around noon and I go for another 10-20 min walk, then I get off of work at 5pm. At that time, I have a light dinner and walk again. About 7:30pm I will start my workout at my home gym and finish about 9:00pm. Shower, drink some cold water, and in bed by 10:00pm.”

NO EXCUSES

Too busy? Never. Jim says, “I can always find time to squeeze in a 1-hour workout, especially now that I have build a gym at home. There are times when I will have to workout as late as 9-10 pm, but I feel so much better than if I would have missed it!”

In a rut? No excuses there either. Jim says that, “sometimes I will take as much as a week off from training, and come back using lighter weights with higher reps and short rest periods between sets. Then over the period of 2-3 weeks gradually increasing the weight used until I am lifting the same or more before the “rut” hit!

THE TEAM, THE FAMILY

When I asked Jim about his family and how they support him, he said, “My family and I have always been very close. My son, now 28, and daughter, 25, have been vegan from birth, so together we have shared the joys and challenges of living in a meat-eating world. The latest addition to our family is my daughter-in-law, who adopted a vegan diet shortly before getting married to my son. We all live on the same property in the country and all enjoy preparing and eating vegan meals together, especially for celebrations and the holidays. It is a lifestyle that we all relish!”

IN CONCLUSION

What is your core drive to stay healthy in general?

“I want to live a long life, enjoying plenty of health and strength at the same time. In the future, I want my grandchildren to say when they are trying to move something heavy like a piano “We can’t move it. It’s just too heavy. We will have to call Grandpa’!”

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS

One last thing, Jim Gurtner is an award winning author of Vegan Health & Strength, a book on How to Build a Strong, Healthy, and Muscular Body on a Plant-Based Diet. I’ve included the link so you can get your hands on it and make it your own (above). Enjoy!

That’s it for today folks.

If you have comments or questions, follow me on social media! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang, you can reach me!

July 8, 2020August 31, 2020

How to Maintain Healthy Weight After Dieting

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

How to maintain weight after you’ve reached your goal weight is a bit of a conundrum for some. It can be tricky, but it is not necessarily hard.

Maintaining your targeted weight after spending hundreds of dollars on a program or product is a big deal. You’ve reached the desired weight, but now your program has ended. Your diet can’t be maintained. It helped you lose weight, but now what?

It really shouldn’t be so difficult to stay at your desired weight. But for so many people, the weight creeps back up. Why? Because the program didn’t teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle. They didn’t tell you what to do to maintain your weight after the product ran out. And you’re stuck with no more program, no more product, and no direction.

There is a way to maintain your weight, set new goals and stay where you need to be without products. It’s called Balance8life. Learn to use self control to balance your nutrition, rest, exercise and more, for a balanced lifestyle that keeps you where you need to be, forever.

HOW TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT WITH PROPER NUTRITION

The first thing to pay attention to is your nutrition. It was your old diet and eating habits that put the weight on. So going back to your old eating and nutritional habits won’t magically work any differently than before.

When you find yourself at the end of a “diet”, it is easy to feel lost. Most diets are just that, a diet. Meaning, they are only there for a specific purpose, to help you lose weight. They aren’t healthy, and definitely not sustainable. But their purpose is to get you where you want to be, and fast.

At the end of it, you’re left with your after picture, and a “what next?” because dieting isn’t a lifestyle.

Or is it?

Through Balance8life, I promote a very balanced, nutrition-packed lifestyle of eating healthfully. Not counting calories or measuring portions (though portion control is definitely important). It is all about balance. A balance of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, seeds and legumes.

Maintaining healthy weight means maintaining healthy habits.

This isn’t a diet, it is a balanced, nutritional lifestyle.

The best way to keep the weight off is the vegan, plant-based diet. It is sustainable, healthy, balanced, and complete.

VEGAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – RESOURCES:

Though I say being a vegan is the best diet to follow, it is easy for me to say because I am a vegan and have been for years. But for most people, it is new, and foreign. But don’t worry, many have gone before you into the plant-based world! Here is some help for you though, in case you aren’t sure where to begin.

What is a vegan? Why is a Vegan Diet one of the Best Diets? Some common misconceptions about veganism. Where do you get your protein if you’re a vegan? Should you go gluten free? You’ll find a link to part 2 in the first article. And, can you actually bulk and gain muscle on a vegan diet?

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH EXERCISE

If you did an exercise program to lose the weight, you can’t stop exercising after you’ve lost the weight. Trust me, if you quit, those pounds will catch back up. You may need a new or different program, somebody else to coach you, or a little self-help on YouTube and Google. Quitting is not an option.

You have to look at exercise as a healthy habit. It is a daily must-have like showering and eating. Weight gain is not just from loving food. It is also from loving a sedentary lifestyle. We were made to move. So move daily and often.

Forming habits, good habits, keeps you on your forward journey to a successful healthy lifestyle.

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH HYDRATION

Water. Your new fave drink. Even if it isn’t your new favorite drink, tell yourself it is. Here’s some help to make it tastier if you really can’t stand it.

Your tea, soda and other sugary drinks cannot return to your refrigerator. You’ve got to keep them out of your grocery cart, out of reach, and not in your house at all. Water should remain your number one go-to for hydration. Always.

Be careful with “zero cal” drinks and “no sugar” drinks. A lot of these drinks are still loaded with artificial flavorings and colors and have very little water which makes them even worse than a natural drink that contains sugar and calories.

HOW TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT WITH SLEEP

Your body needs a break. A full 7-8+ hours of good sleep is a must to keep weight off. No midnight snacking. In order to rest well, you need to be sure you do not eat before hitting the hay.

Your last meal should end at least 5 hours before you go to bed. Your stomach needs to be empty and you literally need to give your digestive system a break. It’s called fasting to some, and to others its just simply sleeping.

If you struggle with sleeping, there are also a few great things that can work, and they work naturally.

Here are 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep. Also, check out my favorite supplement, Nrf2! This supplement is 100% natural and plant-based. It isn’t exactly made directly for sleeping, but as a result of the age-reversing process of ridding free-radicals, I went from not sleeping for over 4 years, to sleeping like a baby every night. (It took being consistent for 3 months before I did finally sleep that well. I first experienced enhanced mood, zero fatigue and over-all great energy).

MAINTAINING WEIGHT MEANS NO SNACKING

Not even celery sticks or apples.

Yes these things are healthy. No, they are not making you healthy when eaten between your meals.

Don’t do it. Ever. 
Period.

More on why fasting and no snacking is best below.

CURB YOUR APPETITE WITH SUNSHINE

Sunshine benefits you more than you would think. Sunshine is actually a natural appetite suppressant. Have you ever experienced a day out at the beach and realized you hadn’t eaten anything all day? Sunlight is also a mood
enhancer. Often people eat, not because they’re hungry, but because they’re sad and lonely, or just bored. Go find something to do outside instead of eating, and you might find you aren’t really hungry.

MAINTAINING WEIGHT WITH A SET MEAL TIME

Make meal times regular. When you do this your body settles into knowing what to expect, and therefore doesn’t get as hungry between meal times. (Providing that you are eating foods that have dense, complex carbs and healthy fats, that is.)

It is easier to wait to eat when you’re used to eating at a certain time every day.

There is a common misconception that eating 6 small meals a day is better because it helps keep your metabolism buzzing.

(INSERT “WRONG” ALARM HERE)

“A lot of times people think they’re going into starvation mode when they skip a meal or fast for a day, and that’s truly not the case. Unless someone has a prolonged, dire lack of access to food or an eating disorder like anorexia, it’s very hard to go into complete clinical starvation mode.” Dr. Joy Dubost RD, CSSD Registered Dietitian, Board Certified in Sports Nutrition, Food Scientist.

“Fasting is an excellent way to treat disease. A day or two of fasting each week would do most people more good than any amount of medical advice or treatment.” – Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine (Full article here)

Fasting allows the body’s enzyme system to focus on detoxifying. If you’re constantly eating, you’re not giving your body the proper time it needs to eliminate toxins, and therefore your body is more susceptible to disease.

MEASUREMENTS OVER SCALES

Don’t weigh yourself every day. When you’ve finished your program or diet, measure and weigh yourself, write it down, then put it aside.

If you are exercising or changing your diet, keep track in 4-6 week intervals. Measure and/or weigh, but don’t worry so much about your weight as much as your measurements.

If you’re measuring good in all the right spots, understand that muscle weighs more than fat, and could potentially throw off your “healthy weight expectation.”

GUT FEELINGS AND GUT HEALTH

When your gut is healthy, you’re going to be feeling a lot better about life. When you feel good, it is easier to stay on the journey to better health. Having a healthy gut is core to healthy success. A healthy gut also helps keep you from being sick.

The bacteria in our gut not only play an important role in digestion but it can also play a major role in your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

Maintain a healthy weight by maintaining healthy habits. You’ve got this!

If you would like some face-to-face coaching with Sabra, email me and let’s talk. 😉

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

July 1, 2020August 31, 2020

What Matters Most?

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

What matters most to you, today, right now?

There are a lot of things that matter to a lot of people right now.

But forget other people, what matters most to you?

what matters most? — Treating your body right never tasted so good! AXIO increases your desire to eat and feel better, provides focus, clarity and energy.

Step down from everything going on around you right now and dig deep. What do you want for your future, for your body, your mind, your health?

I specially want you to try to figure out right now, what is it that actually matters to you today. Get specific. And then try to imagine your future self. Will it still matter?

For me, my health 
has always 
mattered.

I not only like to feel good, but I also like the peace of mind that my good healthy habits provides me. Also, at 40 I can honestly say I feel like 18. I have no health problems, am happy with my weight, and have 5 children with zero health problems as well.

In all honestly, I can say that I can do whatever I want to do without aches, pains, low energy, headaches, fatigue, or lack of motivation.

What matters now, doesn’t matter at all, if you are not healthy enough to make what matters today, your reality tomorrow.

EVALUATE WHAT MATTER MOST

If you decided that your family, your job, your pet, your adventures, sports, hobbies . . . you name it . . . matter most, let’s look at them from another perspective.

Imagine how (insert what matters here) this thing would look in perspective of bad health. What if you were unable to walk without stopping every few seconds to take a breath? Maybe you already struggle with severe fatigue so much so that you can barely drive. What happens when you are too heavy to run and play with your children? What if you have a bad heart and don’t live to see your children get married? If you cannot enjoy your family and your hobbies because your health is bad, what comes first now?

Maybe you aren’t there yet. You might be young, thin, able to drink two gallons of coffee and feel great. Maybe you even go to the gym, but stop by McDonalds on your way home. You could even think that you don’t need to exercise because you’re already thin and feel okay, so why waste your time? (Looks can be deceiving, don’t forget about your heart.)

Whatever it is that you want in life, your health should be at the very top of your list of what matters today. Because if you are not healthy, you cannot function at peak performance. If you cannot function at peak performance, you cannot be your best you for those you care about. You will not be able to handle what matters most, if you do not make your health your priority.

EXCUSES ARE LOUSY JUSTIFICATIONS

“I’d rather enjoy my life and eat whatever I feel like eating.”

“I’m too tired to exercise after a long day of work. I’d rather just go home and relax!”

“One day I’ll do it, I’m just too busy right now.”

“I’ll wait until my kids are grown and then I’ll take care of my health.”

What are your excuses for putting off your health? Do you truly think you are enjoying life when you repeat these excuses to yourself?

If you have used (or do use) any of the above excuses, maybe you are chuckling quietly to yourself right now. Because it sounds familiar.

The excuse mentality 
is all fine and dandy 
until it isn't.

Excuses pile on top of each other like little believable lies that we tell ourselves on a daily basis. I catch myself doing it, too. We are all culprits of excuses. But don’t forget that, until you acknowledge your excuses and see them for what they really are – lies – you won’t really be able to give priority to what really matters today.

Excuses are illusions of the mind and can be changed simply by making the decision to make something different happen.

CHANGE YOUR MENTALITY. CHANGE WHAT MATTERS

The need to do nothing and have it all, mentality is great, in theory, until you dissect it and see what it truly is.

You think you’re doing yourself a favor by doing what you want and eating how you want. It’s fun. It feels good. You’re an adult. There’s nobody

Until you have hit that 200 plus pound mark and find it hard to breathe, bend over and tie your shoes, get in and out of the car, run with your kids, sleep without snoring, etc. Does that really sound like fun? Now you have high blood pressure, heart disease, you hurt everywhere, and have weight issues that are going to take years to set straight.

Sure you can do it, and I believe in you if you are there now! Until you are no longer in this world, it is never too late to make your health matter today.

Nobody intentionally decides to gain weight, have health problems, live half their life in a doctors office, and chug bottles of pills daily. But this is the result of not putting your health first. The result of not making your health what matters to you, today. And this is the result of over half the American citizens today.

It is so sad.

OWN IT

There are natural consequences to every choice we make in life, whether wise or unwise.

If you choose to disrespect your own mental, spiritual and physical health, understand that you cannot blame anybody, but yourself, for the outcome of your decision.

It is time FOR YOU to take control of your health today.

At 40 years old, I am just now at a point where I am seeing the results of my healthy choices. I am beyond grateful for my past healthy decisions. At this phase in my life, I am seeing people suffering from not making their health matter today. I know people my age that are suffering with life-threatening disease. As a result of their poor choices, they have lost their ability to work (and play) at peak performance.

People are throwing away half their life 
by not making their health 
matter today.

Don’t allow another day to go by where you are another victim of this way of living. Own your body, respect it and take care of it!

GET UNCOMFORTABLE

I don’t care if you are 16 or 61, ~ if you want to change your life and make better choices, your health should matter today! It is time to make a change.

The number one thing you have to face is change. Change can be
uncomfortable.

But what would you rather have? The discomfort of making a couple changes for the better? Or the discomfort of your body crying out by way of aching joints, tooth decay, headaches, too much weight, disease, etc.?

MY PURPOSE

My purpose in writing this is to bring you to awareness of how important your health is and why it should matter. I want to help you begin your health journey and your lifestyle change.

I know that it isn’t easy, but keep in mind that nothing good ever came easy.

ENJOYING LIFE

We simply cannot enjoy life if we are not taking care of our health. Heartburn, headaches, low energy, aches and pains, and a host of common ailments that the majority of the population carry around with them as baggage, is not enjoying life.

True enjoyment comes from feeling and looking the best that you can feel and look so that you have no limits in setting goals, accomplishing them and celebrating your successes.

BEGINNERS RESOURCES

If you are new to your health journey and really do not know how to put your health first, or where to start, read my Beginners Guide to Healthy Living! I break it down into baby steps for newbs. 🙂

And if you need help grocery shopping for healthy food, read my article, How to Grocery Shop for Healthy Food. It really isn’t as complicated as you’d think.

If you have never been to a gym and are scared, worried, intimidated or don’t know what to expect, read, Beginners Guide to Weight Lifting and Gym Life.

So now that you’ve thoroughly thought through what matters to you today, what do you want tomorrow, five years from now, ten years from now?

What change are you going to make right now? What are you going to do to get uncomfortable starting right now?

Please feel free to comment below, contact me on social media and follow me here! Tell me what matters to you and how you are going to make your health a priority!

I love hearing from my readers. 🙂 I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.