Change Happens When We Face Our Fitness Truth

Standing in our fitness truth can be a difficult thing and often times something we avoid altogether. Even as we stand in the mirror with our naked truth right in front of us, we can still be in denial of what is looking back at us. 

We believe working out and eating healthy for one week will provide some visible results. We look at ourselves with frustration unable to accept the truth about our fitness. It takes more than a week to get to an unhealthy state and yet we expect an instant miracle. Instead of continuing the fitness journey, we give up before really starting. 

If all of us truly took responsibility for our fitness truth, the world would be filled with healthy fit people. This is far from reality. More than 30 percent of Americans struggle with obesity or being overweight. 

The problem is the continual dishonesty with ourselves about how we're really living. Most of us aren't eating healthy and rarely get in a workout. Regardless of what we say, our body keeps a good record of what we're actually doing. 

We may talk a good fitness game in front of our friends, family, and even our trainer but within our private life, the truth remains a buried secret. Lying to ourselves does nothing to make us healthy people. When we continue to brag about eating healthy, our bodies are telling the true story of what's happening. 

Some medical conditions or medications may contribute to weight gain, but this doesn't apply to the majority of people. Denial of our fitness truth is the reason most of us are unhealthy, overweight and unfit. Until we're able to accept our responsibility for causing the problem, we won't be able to apply a solution. Achieving a healthy and fit body takes acceptance of where we are now and changing daily unhealthy habits. 

Keeping an accountability fitness and food journal really helps us stand in our fitness truth. The additional splurge meals, alcohol, and snacking can all be written down. Being honest about how many times we exercise can also be included in our journal. It's hard to deny what we're really doing or not doing looking at the facts in writing. 

If we don't write things down, we conveniently forget about off track items and only recall eating vegetables and salmon for dinner. Somehow if we don't write it down, it's not happening. We often become frustrated and in disbelief that anything we did could possibly cause us to gain weight or not hit our goals. Who is anyone trying to kid with this type of thinking and behavior.

When we face our fitness truth, positive results can happen. Our efforts to change will result in becoming a healthier, happier, and fit person. 

Not being honest with ourselves about our fitness can be difficult to accept. Completely normal feeling as we work through emotions. We all need to start somewhere. Beginning with the truth in all relationships including the one with ourselves is the basis of all trust. Do you trust yourself enough to stand in your fitness truth? Do you really want to experience a change in your life and experience good health and happiness? It will take work and you may even need help going through the process. The effort will be worth every positive step of acceptance and action to change. 

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Be well and Stay Healthy!

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How We Respond to Life Keeps Us Healthy

Being healthy is many things but I feel the biggest player in life is how we respond to it. We all face daily situations in our personal lives and even the workplace. How we respond to these circumstances can create a healthier, happier, and stronger person.

Being healthy includes more than the physical and nutritional. It also includes our emotional and spiritual health. If anything in our life is out of place, health is just not complete.

When a problem arises, we can choose to mishandle the situation or solve it in a healthy way. Many times issues are out of our control. The truth is the only thing fixable or controllable is yourself. We're not responsible for the actions or behavior of others, but what we do have is the actions and behaviors of ourselves. Life can be made to feel complicated and depressing or carefree and happier simply by how we respond to situations.

The same principle should be applied to how we take care of our body. Do we nourish it well, exercise it enough, and provide adequate rest for it?  What are your actions telling your body and how is it responding to you?  Are you getting great healthy feedback or receiving messages of fatigue, illness, weight gain, depression, and stress?

Our body is a good barometer of how we're living life. A healthy lifestyle reflects itself from the inside out. If we're doing a great job with eating right, working out, and emotional happiness then our body will feel pretty amazing.

If we choose not to listen to our body cues to get our act together, guess what? We will be hit with weight gain, stress, illness, and usually being pissed off at the world for our problems. It's up to each of us to listen to what our body, mind, and spirit are telling us and take appropriate action. It will be the responses in life that create our health.

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Why I Focus on Eating Healthy Not Counting Calories

I stopped counting calories years ago. I simply made my focus eating healthy quality food each day. One of my favorite nutrition motivations is “no one has ever gotten fat eating too much kale.” I don't feel the need to keep track of my calories when I eat primarily nutrient-dense foods. The food I eat keeps me strong, healthy and feeling good and that's what matters. When your food is healthy, it promotes healthiness and appropriate body weight. 

I keep my refrigerator and pantry stocked with plenty of organic vegetables, fruits, yogurts, raw nuts, grains, and lean meats. I graze throughout the day eating small healthy meals every three hours. This keeps me satisfied and well-fueled for work and physical training. 

Maintaining a healthy body is about living a quality life. This means being concerned about the quality of food consumed. There's a big difference choosing to eat a fast food meal compared to an organic chicken breast with mixed greens. Healthy food is nutrient dense, fewer calories, and provides health benefits. It even looks like you're eating more when eating healthy because you are. 

This is a great example of why I don't bother counting calories. As long as I am eating meals like organic chicken and greens, the need and stress behind counting calories are pointless. I eat for health and listen to the cues of my body that tell me to fuel up.

I also apply a strategy when buying groceries. I shop the perimeter of the store and steer clear of the center aisles full of processed foods. Most grocery store setups are the same, produce to the right or left, dairy to the back and the meat counter on the opposite side. 

Part of my grocery shopping also means sticking to a grocery list. This allows me to stay on track and on the budget. I really enjoy the local farmer’s markets and shop those for organic produce as much as possible. I also love the organics at Costco.

I believe in keeping my food intake simple. Eating healthy gets a slam for being complicated and this is really untrue. How is eating chicken and vegetables complicated? The problem is not with the food but how we feel about making changes to our lifestyle. Am I right? 

Eating an organic apple and peanut butter is healthy food at its simple best. Not complicated at all and something we can all manage. Grilling or baking a chicken breast is another basic way to eat healthily. Nothing difficult in the process. Again, the issue is believing healthy eating is a burden or somehow doesn't taste good. 

If we could just get back to the basics of eating to live, eating real food, and not stressing about it so much. Our fast paced processed society is creating unhealthy overweight people. We have really strayed from how eating right and working hard was a normal part of living. 

Think about our ancestors, what they ate, how it was provided, and prepared. They worked hard physically growing crops, raising cattle and dairy all from their own land. It was freshly picked, cooked and consumed throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner the way it should be. 

I realize many of us don't live on farms or even grow our own food. However, I do try to eat as close to farm to fork as I can. I eat to live and work hard for the food I eat. What I do count is quality when it comes to my calories and that works for me. 

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Be well and Stay Healthy

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A Family Trip to China

We were blessed this April to take a trip as a family to China.  Why China?  I have a sister who lives there with her family.  For the last 13 years or so, they have taught overseas at various international schools.  For the last 3 years they have been working in Shanghai.

I was extremely excited when my husband gave us the plane tickets at Christmas time, but as time grew closer I started to get nervous.  The 13 hour plane ride, the 12 hour time difference, the packing, the planning, how was this all going to play out, especially with a one year old?  How was I going to feel knowing I stuck on an airplane for so long?

As usual, the worry was for nothing. God took great care of us.  My mother in law said when she thought of us while on our trip, she pictured a cross over our heads and that is how I felt.

Our trip was filled with sight seeing, shopping, a lot of walking and great food.  Although there are so many great historic and touristic places to visit in China, we kept this trip simple as to not overwhelm us or the kids.
Read on if you want to get a quick glimpse of our trip.

 Getting ready for a "rough" sleep in the hotel before we fly out the next morning :)
We spent the night in Montreal before taking our 13 hour direct flight to Shangai

 Yeah for good food in the Air Canada Lounge

Almost time to take off.

Our welcome sign :)

 A trip to a traditional "wet market" in Xui Jing.  It was quite the experience for us.
Not at all like a typical Canadian grocery store.   

"Hey is that a black chicken?"

My middle daughter LOVED the wet market and asked to return many times.  

She enjoyed looking at the fish, frogs, turtles and pig's heads!

The busy streets of Shanghai.  It was a holiday that day and the streets were packed.

 Tai Kang Lu, one of the few places with old traditional buildings.

Very busy!  

My handsome husband and if you can't tell, my gorgeous sister.

 These two loved the shopping
in the old streets.

A view from the Bund, a popular tourist area and  second tallest 

building in the world; the Shanghai Tower.

A few cool kids waiting for the subway.  These children had a lot of pictures taken

perhaps due to the blond hair and blue eyes.  Many people were also surprised 

that we have three children!

My favourite picture.  Isn't he so adorable?

In Shanghai, you can find many restaurants and stores that will have some English.  This restaurant however was strictly in Chinese.  We had a great time just pointing to the menu and "blindly" picking out our lunch.  I was so proud of the kids, they would eat whatever was given.  I honestly had no idea what I ate that day but it was tasty.

Even our little guy was using his chopsticks.  

When on vacation, we often look for smoothie bars.  They are a great way to get some 

additional nutrients and easy for all members of the family.

On a less healthy note, my husband felt I should post this.  Yes, we ate breakfast at McDonalds...once!

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Waiting to Start a Fitness Program Means Never Reaching Our Goals

How many Mondays have gone by without starting a fitness program? What other things continue to take priority? We have good intentions, want to get in shape but follow through is lacking.

It's time to put a stop to the excuses that get in the way of our health and fitness. Health is our wealth and we couldn't live such a busy life without it. Think about that. Declining health equals no work, no social life, and no money. Not that money is or should be the most important thing in life.

Our priorities are skewed and our reasons to not get fit make no sense in the big scheme of life. Why are we waiting for illness to hit our life before taking action? Our lives require a priority overhaul. Don't you agree?

Living a life without good health is not a quality life at all. When the morning routine means taking pills for proper body function there is something wrong. This is referencing self-induced illness created by not taking care of ourselves. This shouldn't be an acceptable norm for society. This should piss us off and motivate change in our life.

Waiting for someday is no longer an acceptable excuse. Besides, someday doesn't qualify as a day of the week. Do you want to lose fat, look good naked, feel great, move better, and be more confident? Do you want to toss those pills prescribed from self-induced illness? Do you want to be healthy?

In order to improve our health and fitness, we need to make it a priority. Change takes a choice and we're all responsible for our health and fitness. Your busy lifestyle should include consistent workouts and healthy food.

Fitness takes good time management. For example, making gym time one of your social hours without canceling. Another way to improve our eating habits is being prepared with a packed cooler at the workplace. This will keep us out of the vending machines, break room junk food, or nearby restaurants.

You can achieve your goals by applying simple changes. It will be a progressive life-long journey. Life is meant to be enjoyed with a healthy, fit body. The choice is yours to make it happen. All in fitness love. Stay Healthy!

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Use Fitness to Work Through Emotional Upset

Life is not meant to be easy peasy and all wrapped in a pretty bow all the time. The truth about life is it can suck and be filled with very difficult emotional and even physical hardships. 

Emotional junk can weigh down our brains and bodies and cause us to retreat into a shell of self-defeat. When we're struggling with emotional upset from any life situation, it's important not to give up on you. During these times we tend to not take care of our health and fitness. We really can become our own worst enemy.

Emotional upset can happen at any given time and we can choose to handle it in a healthy or unhealthy way. It really comes down to us being responsible for our own physical and emotional health. This also includes maintaining our fitness and happiness. 

Emotional upset seeming to be the most painful occurs in close personal relationships with spouses, significant others, dearest friends, and family. It's also the most difficult to navigate feelings that may include anger and resentment. We can become so bitter it interferes with the quality of our life and health.  

We tend to walk around with unrealistic expectations of how things and life are supposed to be. We want to be in control of how people treat us and really expect others to be like us. Often times we create our own upset because things don't happen according to our own thought processes. 

These self-induced feelings can create an unhealthy person that we ourselves find hard to recognize. It can be difficult when we feel hurt, but it's also important to recognize if the hurt is real or created from unrealistic expectations. 

In the midst of emotional upset, it's important to exercise and release endorphins to help us feel better. Studies have shown exercise to be one of the best methods for stress reduction, decreased depression, and overall positive well-being. 

It would be wonderful if life had an easy button to simply remove all the drama causing us emotional pain. The closest thing we possess to make that happen is our response to what causes the upset. We can choose to walk around with a bad attitude or choose to be positive with a healthy response. A great workout can enhance our positive feelings even more.   

Having a healthy response to unhealthy situations takes learning and practice, but the reward is a healthier happier life. There is nothing worse than stewing inside and growing an emotional pimple until it bursts into ugliness. There are so many positive avenues to take care of the problem in a healthy way. Eating healthy and exercise are great ways to improve our mental and physical health. Other ways to work through emotional upset include meditation, prayer, or even reaching out to a licensed therapist.  

Life is similar to a classroom and we are students learning through each experience. Every circumstance is an opportunity to learn and grow in a positive way. With every upset, we can choose to become healthier people. Remember, life is 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how we respond to it. 

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Be well and Stay Healthy

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Fitness is a Process You Achieve One Day at a Time

Believing anything happens quickly is not realistic. Fitness is a process of small changes creating large results over time. No magic wand to instantly provide a chiseled physique or bikini body. We may want that, but not how it works. Quick fix thoughts only set us up for frustration and failure.

Achieve fitness one day at a time. Biceps don't suddenly appear after your first day in the gym. What does occur when you apply fitness daily is progress. The muscle will show up but let it work, grow and build. It's like a fine wine or great simmering stew. The journey will be rewarding but patience is required.

One of the worst things you could do is to jump into a fad diet or take unregulated fat burning supplements thinking this is the answer. Read the small print on any of these pseudo-fitness deals. "Best results when accompanied with a healthy diet and exercise program" is what you'll find.

All that needs to happen is to follow the small print which is the best advice on those bottles. In fact, any results achieved comes from implementing a healthy nutrition plan and exercise. You're the one doing the work, not what's in those bottles.

Fitness done daily will take time and effort but the lifelong results are the reward. It's also a journey and not a destination. There's no need to feel rushed or stressed about getting fit. It's really a simple process often over-complicated. Find healthy foods and exercise you enjoy and this is what keeps you coming back for more.

Avoid jumping ahead in your mind to what you want now and focus on today. What are you doing today to reach your fitness goals? Did you exercise, eat healthily, and get plenty of rest? Awesome! Celebrate your daily achievements. Write them down if it helps. Stay positive even when things aren't showing up as fast as you think they should.



We're all different in how our bodies respond to change. Comparing to friends or people we see at the gym is the thief of joy. We're not here to be or look like someone else. Our job is to become our best healthy self through daily choices. Who cares if your friend lost 5lbs and you didn't reach that mark. Fitness is not about who is faster at achieving results.

The goal is getting fit and loving ourselves through the process. The days are going to pass anyway so focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle the right way. Today is what we have, tomorrow isn't promised and yesterday is gone. Be in the now with your fitness and you'll get there one day at a time.

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