Tag: nutrition

Categories
Food & Nutrition

5 Nutrient Based Eating Recipes I’m Going Nuts On!

Mmmmm…..

 

 

You might think that because I am a certified nutritionist and creator of a nutrition program, called Nutrient Based Eating, that I must love cooking and recipe development. 

Well, my dear, you would be WRONG. ? 

I have so much respect for the food bloggers out there!  Truly, BLESS YOU!  I have created some recipe books and ideas before and I find the whole process (on that level) to be exhausting!  

So EATING….YES.  

RECIPES….not so much.  

But, I think this works out quite well as a nutrition coach because my clients now know that I am all about simple, delicious food that is NOT overly cumbersome to create.  Every once in awhile a detailed recipe is awesome, but unless it can last me for more than one meal, I usually will defer to the easier meal ideas.  

I like SIMPLE and QUICK meals that are BALANCED, HEALTHY, AND TASTY.  So that’s what I’m going go give you today with my….

TOP 5 (CURRENT) FAVORITE NBE RECIPES!

But first, a little 101 on the Nutrient Based Eating program so you understand the necessary components to make a meal truly #NBEapproved!

  1. Nutrient Based Eating is a LIFESTYLE-based approach to eating that takes you through the individual habit-formation steps toward holistic and balanced meals.   Meaning, these meals are ones that your family can eat too (or at least a modified version of it, with serving sizes varying).  
  2.  NBE has 5 Phases, the first of which, Phase 0, guides you through building up the “NBE Plate.”  These plates/recipes I will be showing you today are all under the “Phase 1” context, meaning that the habits are all already assumed.  If you were just starting out, this is not where I would start you, but eating this way would be where you would wind up after 1-6 habits are formed to automation. ??
  3. NBE components are as follows:  Water + Green Vegetable + Colored Vegetable (or low sugar fruit) + Starchy Carb (or high sugar fruit/sweets) + Protein + Fat.  You will (eventually) eat your meals about every 3-5 hours (once you get to that habit).  The serving sizes or portions of each food group are adjusted according to a plate graphic and hand measuring tools.    

 

SO, if this is enough information to at least allow you to understand the general framework, let’s get to the food shall we?


NBE Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:

1 Whole Egg (Fat), 1/2 Cup Liquid Egg Whites (Protein), Kale or Spinach (Green Vegetable), Zucchini (Green Vegetable),  Red Pepper and Red Onion (Colored Vegetable), 1 Blue Corn Soft Taco Shell (Starchy Carb).  Served with fresh berries (colored veg/low sugar fruit).  

Directions: 

  1. Saute the kale, spinach, zucchini, sliced red pepper and onion on a hot skillet with light olive or avocado oil for 1-2 mins on medium heat. 
  2. Add in 1 whole egg and the liquid egg whites.  Cover with a lid to cook it “frittata” style.  You can also simply scramble them lightly.
  3. Heat up the corn tortilla in the microwave for 20 seconds.
  4. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, put half of it in your corn tortilla shell and the other half on the plate to eat alone.  Add some fresh salsa (with no sugar added) if you like a little spice.
  5. I also enjoyed some fresh berries after for a fulfilling breakfast. 🙂

NBE Power Smoothie

Ingredients:

Handful of Spinach or Power Greens, Frozen (Green Vegetable)
1 Zucchini (Green Vegetable)
Frozen Berries (Colored Veg/Low Sugar Fruit)
1 Carrot (Colored Veg)
1/2 Frozen Banana (Starchy Carb/High Sugar Fruit)
Unsweetened Almond Milk (some fat)
Avocado (or coconut) (Fat)
Plant-Based Protein (or pasteurized egg whites) (Protein)
(Optional– chia seeds (fat), hemp seeds (protein), flax seeds (fat), cinnamon (n/a))

Directions:

Place all items in your blender and blend away!! You can add more or less liquid based on how thick you enjoy your smoothie. I own a blender for protein shakes so it can cope with lots of frozen fruits and tough foods however if your blender is a little more delicate, leave the fruit to defrost. Some blenders are fragile! Sometimes the frozen items can get stuck in your blender, to which I use the Vitamix wand to break it up.  You may need a wooden spoon or spatula.  



Taboule Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

Finely Chopped Parsley, flat leaf or curled (Green Vegetable/Herb)
Diced Cucumber (Cucumber)
Diced Tomatoes (Colored Vegetable)
Bulgar Wheat, or Quinoa if GF (Starchy Carb)
Lemon Olive Oil Dressing (Fat)
Smoked Turkey (Protein)

Directions:

  1.  Buy as much pre-made for you!  Lol.  I bought an organic sliced turkey breast instead of cooking my own.  I also bought a fast-cooking bulgur wheat (or quinoa) that I made a large batch of.  This entire salad keeps really well, so make it large and eat it throughout the week!
  2. Bulgur Wheat is made much like rice or quinoa. 1 Cup Bulguar to 2 Cups water.  Bring to a boil on stove top. Then reduce the heat and allow to simmer on low for ~15 mins until you can fluff with your fork. 
  3. Finely chop the parsley or use a food processor for even greater ease (minus the clean up!)
  4. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers. 
  5. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  
  6. Toss all ingredients together and top with some sliced turkey.  

Lettuce Wrap or Regular Tacos

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce or Romaine Lettuce Hearts (Green Vegetables) for taco shells
Ground Turkey or Grass-fed Beef (Protein)
Red Bell Peppers & Onions (Colored Vegetable)
Portobello Mushrooms (Green/White Vegetable)
Refried Black Beans (Starchy Carb)
Sliced Avocado (Fat)

Directions:

  1. Cook the ground meat of choice all the way through stovetop on medium-high heat. 
  2. Saute lightly in olive oil the peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
  3. Cook the refried black beans (from a carton or can) in a saucepan or even the microwave!
  4. Slather the lettuce wrap with beans first, add on the meat and the veggies.  Top with the sliced avocado and even some salsa! 
  5. Enjoy!


Zoodle Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce Cups or Romaine Lettuce Cups (Green Vegetable)
Sliced Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Portobello Mushrooms (Green/White Vegetables)
Red Peppers, Fresh Red Salsa (Colored Vegetables)
No Sugar Added Marinara (from a jar for me, but you can make homemade with crushed tomatoes) (Colored Vegetables)
Sliced or Ground Protein of Choice (Chicken, Turkey, Lean Grass-fed Beef, Grass-fed Bison) (Protein)
Olive Oil (fat)

Directions:

  1.  Cook the meat stovetop all the way through.
  2. Saute in olive oil the vegetables until the onion is translucent on medium heat.   (You can blend these or finely chop them if you live with family members who are more vegetable opposed).  
  3. Add the vegetables and marinara together in a saucepan on medium heat.  
  4. Spiralize or thinly slice 4-6 zucchinis for the “zoodles.”  For best results I microwave these on high for 2-3 mins to keep some “crispness” to the zucchini.  I find that boiled them leads to water retention and mushy noodles. 
  5. If anyone in your family is zucchini opposed, they can have regular noodles while you have zucchini (or another option which is spaghetti squash).  
     

 

Nutrient Based Eating eBook & eCourse for Sale!

If you are interested in learning more about the Nutrient Based Eating program that has led women to thriving lean bodies just one habit at a time, then this is YOUR week!  For a very limited time, I will be opening up this program for purchase outside of my normal coaching program!  

Cart OPEN on Wednesday, March 1 only until Friday, March 3!  But an early purchase opportunity (and discount) will be offered to my email subscribers on Tuesday, February 28!  To get on that early bird list, subscribe HERE.  

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Health Habits of Happiness #1: Hara Hachi Bu

 
 
I have to say, I’m a little fascinated with Japan and now I have reason to be even more so.  I have been so lucky to have been able to travel there 4 times so far since my stepdaughter lives there right now, stationed with her mom and her stepdad in the navy.  
 
Every time we travel to Tokyo and the surrounding cities, I am in awe of the culture.  They are very clean people (I once saw a man who’s sole job was the clean the grates and cracks of the metal part you step on right before hopping on a escalator), they are incredibly gracious people (bowing to you every time you enter their store and when you leave it), and they are very healthy people (ranked 5th on Bloomberg’s list of healthiest nations in 2015—the US was ranked 33rd, btw).  
 
It was of no surprise that when I was researching the BEST and most foundational habits to build in your nutrition (as is covered in my soon to be released Nutrient Based Eating book), one of the best practices for eating in moderation originated in a Japanese province.  
 
Okinawa, Japan is considered one of the coveted “Blue Zone” areas of the world which are those cities that have a high population of Centenarians, or those people who live over the age of 100.  Naturally, these populations of people cause us to look deeper into their nutrition habits and cultures to speculate what their longevity and health secrets are.  
 
While there are some surprises we find from this population, such as while they are Japanese residents, they actually don’t eat as much fish as we would expect.  Their eating is largely centered around plant-based eating and holistic food choices.  
 
But, what is truly impactful to their longevity is the principle called “Hara Hachi Bu” (or Hara Hachi Bun Me) which means “eat until your belly is 80% full.”  
 
It is the mindful approach to portion control and calorie restriction which has lead to an extended life and a higher quality life in older age.  
 
According to the Wikipedia page, it is believed that the average Okinawan resident eats only between 1,800-1,900 calories per day.  Whereas another study showed that the US, (once again not to be outdone!), ranked #1 with the most calories consumed per day with an average of 3,770!
 
So, while there will be a time and place to address WHAT you’re eating, one solid habit to form is simply HOW you’re eating.  
 
This habit of avoiding overeating will be invaluable to your long term health and pave the way for you to be able to enjoy the foods you like the most, simply in moderation.  
 

Can you learn to stop eating at 80% full?  Yes, I know you can.  Here are some mindful eating tips to help you. 

 

 

1. Remember, like all habits, this will take about 63 days to form, so focus on it by itself.  

Dr. Caroline Leaf and associated neuroscientists have proven that while a memory takes 21-days to form, an actual habit of automated behavior takes 63 days.  
 
So, you need to go into the habit fully expecting the daily practice sessions to be long and bumpy.  The thing about this habit is it requires several cues that we so easily forget to do simply because of the pace in which our life.  So while it is technically one habit of registering fullness and stopping eating, it will involve several other behavioral habits that are the remainder of this list. 
 
This is why, in my Nutrient Based Eating program I have all clients focus on just ONE nutritional habit at a time.  Trying to achieve this while simultaneously working on food choices, eliminating food groups etc, is simply too overwhelming for our brain to handle.  With this one, give yourself 2 solid months of discipline and diligence!

 

2. Stop Multitasking Eating

Now, I get it.  With all the things you have going on in your busy life, you sometimes think the only time you can squeeze in remembering to eat might be at your office while you're fielding emails or scarfing on a snack while you’re driving, but the reality is that these behaviors are not just bad for the cause of overeating, but also for digestion and drawing out the vitamins and minerals from your foods.  
 
Remember, while food is certainly enjoyable, it’s also designed to help fuel your body and a very important aspect of that is digestion!  When you are eating too fast and eating on the run, your body does not digest the foods as well and you are robbed of some of the necessary vitamins and minerals you need!  The stress levels of a hurried lifestyle impact far more than you’ve bargained for.  So pencil in your meal times without any distractors!  Give yourself 15-20 mins to eat!
 

3. Practice Registering Hunger/Satiety Cues:

 
On a previous blog, I went over the difference between hunger and cravings and the importance of eating when you’re about a level 7 on a scale of 1-10 of the hunger scale.  Equally important is knowing your satiety scale as well.  In this case, you will want to stop eating at a level 4-5 of the hunger scale and note that it will take your body 15-20 mins to fully register fullness (hormonally). 
Here’s how I would characterize each level from 1-10. 
 hunger scale from 1-10
 
*Note: When you stop eating at a level 4-5 you may also need to pay attention to eating sooner than you normally would as well.  If you normally eat so much lunch you go until dinner without anything in between, it’s wise to pack a snack and expect to get your hunger back on track to eating every 3-5 hours.   

4. Remove Food From Your Sight:

We will all  mindlessly eat when food is right in front of us.  So going to buffets and stocking your office or home living room with candy dishes are not the way to easily achieve this goal.  
 
As much as you can, remove food from your sight.  If you are at a restaurant, simply cover it with your napkin or put the remainder in a to-go container.  If you are cooking at home, put your meal on a plate (a smaller plate, at that) instead of eating out of a bag, box or while standing in front of a refrigerator or pantry!  Come up with easy solutions to help you manage the mindless eating that we will all get caught doing from time-to-time. 
 
For more great ideas of for mindless eating hacks, I really enjoyed the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. 
 
For other great blogs and resources on our appetites and mindful eating, I really enjoyed the blog posted by my certification company, Precision Nutrition.  You can check out their awesome blogs here.    

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

Ready to SUPERCHARGE your nutrition in 2017?  

Get this FREE guide of the TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES.  

Studies are showing that some of the most common weight loss diets are also the least nutrient sufficient in the vital vitamins and minerals!  Other studies also show that multivitamins are NOT the answer, as huge metadata results indicate they are associated with higher mortality rates!

My FREE guide not only gives you where to find these most common deficient vitamins and minerals, but also gives you the serving size and nutrition data to help you get the least amount of calories per food choice!  

I even put all the information together into 2 days of menus that ensures you can get all the vitamins and minerals for UNDER 1700 calories!

Categories
Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

Transform Your Nutrition In 2016 Without Making A Single Change

Transform Your Nutrition in 2016

Without Making A Single Change…

This week in the TRANFORMher Health 2016 training, I am tackling the #1 most requested topic when I polled dozens of women on what they would like to learn in order to TRANSFORMher Health in 2016.  Over 98% of the women I polled wanted to learn this topic:  “How to Be Your Own Nutritionist in 2016.” It’s quite clear, that for most of us, our nutrition is our #1 struggle and point of confusion for most of us!
SO I’m thrilled to have some answers and I really am giving you MY BEST STUFF in this training!   I’m thrilled that I have years of experience with the good, the bad and the ugly nutrition habits from my own personal arsenal as well as dozens and dozens of clients!  This is really going to be a great training with a lot of step-by-step guidance that I know works!  (Again, it’s not too late to grab your spot for this training.  The times available are Tuesday evening at 5pm PST or Wednesday midday at 10am PST)
But, even as excited as I am about the potential ANSWERS and CHANGES I have to offer so many of you for your nutritional health in 2016, I KNOW that these changes are NOT going to be the END ALL BE ALL for your eating struggles.  

Why?  Because FOOD IS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD.   We know this. 

Food is a reward.  Food is a coping mechanism.  Food is a culture.  Food is a celebration.  Food is a tradition.  Food is a temptation.  And quite obviously, we can’t just “quit” Food.
But I come with good news! 
Just I introduced in my blog a couple weeks back when I was speaking about the subject of TRANSFORMATION, this subject of food can be something that we can be TRANSFORMED in our eating without making a SINGLE CHANGE to our eating habits.  
How is that possible, you might think?
Well, if you remember, transformation happens when we “renew our minds” and we align our thoughts with the TRUTH of the Spirit of God within us. (Romans 12:2)

I explained in that blog that I knew I had truly TRANSFORMED my BODY’s HEALTH when I stepped up to the same old mirror, with the same old body, and I looked at those same old flaws, steady at that same old weight that I could not seem to lose to same old extra pounds, but I all of a sudden SAW MY BODY WITH NEW EYES.  

  
THAT is how God transforms us from the inside out.   He renews our MINDS and transforms our EYES to see in the Light of His Truth.  His Truth is the only truth that “sets us free.”  (John 8:32)

What society accepts as “true” will never set us free because it changes all the time.  

For example, what was “true” for our eating practices just a decade ago has all be proven false now.  This why our eating has been so frustrating to us– because the trends are always changing and our bodies are always changing!   
The BEST thing that can ever happen to your eating is to be met with the same old food, at the same old restaurants, with the same old family gatherings, and the same old traditions and yet see the food you choose with NEW EYES. 
To no longer be shackled to the food as though it is this thing that “you deserve” or this thing that “stresses you out” or this thing that will “make you feel better.”   
No, you will see it as JUST FOOD.  And you will eat it and you will enjoy it but you will no longer be a slave to it and will no longer worship it because you worship GOD and God fills up your WHOLE heart.  

For this very reason, I did NOT start the TRANSFORMher Health 2016 series with this topic on Nutrition, even though I knew that’s what the women who signed up really wanted to learn the most.  

I HAD to start with strengthening our SPIRITUAL health first and then tackle our MINDSET of health second ALL so then we could actually implement some potential changes with our eating and our exercising!

Real change can ONLY happen from the inside-out.  
The “Big Picture” of Health looks like this:

KNOW—————>  BE ———————> DO

Until you KNOW who you are created by, you cannot BE who you were created to BE and DO the things you were created to DO.    

This stands for your health and ANY change or improvement you want to make in 2016. 

It has to flow in this order otherwise it won’t stick for long term success and it won’t make you feel “fulfilled.”  
So, I invite you to this training where I will teach you how to monitor your EATING and make simple Nutrition adjustments that will TRANSFORM your True Health in 2016!  You will get a lot of great information and potential small changes you can make!  You’ll even get this awesome Nutrient-Based step-by-step infographic that will guide you all year long!
But know this to be true:   Your #1 way to truly TRANSFORM your health and your eating in 2016 is to know your CREATOR and put God at the center of your life and the center of your eating.  He will give you NEW EYES to see food in new ways and His truth will truly set you free in your eating! 

 So my question to you is, if you could see your food with NEW EYES in the NEW YEAR, how would you want to see your food?  Comment Below!  I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Categories
Goal Development Health Coaching Uncategorized

The Quit Quitting Plan

"You can pray for anything, and if you believe you have received it, it will be yours." Mark 11:24

So, we’ve all been there before.

You make changes to your exercise and nutrition routines.  Cut back on those extra desserts, fried foods and other things you love.  You feel great off the start, see some results right away and that motivates you to stay the course….for a time.  

But then, it comes.  Boredom.  Willpower drainage.  The awkward conversation with your husband/boss/sister/girlfriend/mom that emotionally triggers you to reach for that bag of Cheetos or old stale cookies in the back of your pantry.  

Ugh, you just want to quit.  What's the point in trying?  

#AmIRight? 

IMG_7828

If I’m being honest...

I have QUIT every single diet I have ever been on.  

 As a bonafide emotional eater, I couldn’t hang with any “program” I tried to willpower my way through because my emotions ruled my life and my eating behavior.  

  • If I was happy, I would eat. 
  • If I was sad, I would eat. 
  • If I was stressed, I would eat. 
  • If I was bored, I would eat. 
  • When I felt defeated and wanted to quit…..you guessed it, I. Would. EAT!  

  This overwhelming emotional state of living was not working well for my health aspirations.  While I usually tried to compensate for my eating by just exercising more and more (and more), during certain seasons of my life where I was too busy to find time for the gym, my weight crept up easily.

 At one point,  in the course of just 6 months, I went from a healthy 160ish lbs (standing at 5’10”) to 180 lbs.  I was miserable and ashamed but felt stuck.  

I had been actively *dieting* right up to this point.  But the overwhelm from the stress I was feeling, well, you get the picture.  I felt too overwhelmed and just quit trying.  

 But luckily, things can change...

Today, I am happy to say that I NEVER quit anymore. 

It’s not because I don’t have emotional eating tendencies, I still do from time-to-time, although I have a better handle on those too, but because I have built my LIFESTYLE approach to my health and am no longer *ON A DIET* which would necessitate having to *QUIT* my health plan. 

I have experienced a freedom that can only come from doing the inside work on my Spiritual life and my relationship with God.  This has allowed me to find these KEY True Health Habits  that guide me to a healthy living for my BODY, MIND and SOUL.  I no longer rely on my emotions to guide my actions, including any tendency to quit, and I am so happy to share with you my...

 

TOP 5 HABITS TO STAY THE COURSE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE QUITTING!

1. RITUALIZE YOUR HABITS:  

A habit by itself gets boring really fast.  But when you take the time to ritualize your habit, meaning, you think about now just WHAT you are going to do but HOW you are going to do it in a way that you can enjoy, you keep things enjoyable.  

This means anything from wearing your favorite outfit to the gym, rocking out to a specific playlist on the treadmill, buying a special mug and blanket for you to sit with some hot tea at night instead of that glass of wine. 

Any way that you can add some special and personal enjoyment into otherwise monotonous habits will serve you in helping you feel more *REWARDED* in the process of your health.

 

2. VISUALIZE YOUR SUCCESS:  

Study after study shows that visualizing yourself succeeding in an action is  JUST as powerful as physically practicing the action.  Check out some studies here.  

And, as I always reiterate at A.Wright Fit, from a high level Spiritual standpoint,  it is important to KNOW that God has designed you for something specific and special in this world—a Greater Purpose for your life that only YOU can do, no one else.  Your health is a significant factor in helping you achieve all that you can out of life.  You are to live and THRIVE by God’s work in you and through you.

If you take the time close your eyes and visualize yourself as this future self, your Greater Purpose self,  and focus on her and what success looks like on her, you will train your brain to propel you toward becoming her.  

This is why my motto is STRONG’her, WISE’her, SURREND’her because we must all keep visualizing our own her that God will help us to become.

 

3. JOT DOWN YOUR LESSONS:  

Throughout any process and journey in our life, we are learning so many lessons, and unfortunately the HARD way.  What seems to happen more often than not, we have to learn things the “hard way” about 30-50 times in order for us to finally *GET IT.*  

But it doesn’t HAVE to be this way.  By starting a lesson journal you are saving yourself quite a bit of time.  By writing down your lessons you are committing them to memory in a better way. If you then read and re-read that journal from time to time, you are further conditioning yourself to remember what you are learning and to keep applying it.

Studies show that it takes 21-days for the neurons in our brain to actually create a MEMORY and a full 63-days to form a HABIT.  

Starting a Lesson Journal is a clear way to help keep this process going!  Plus, the satisfaction from real life lessons is incomparable in hindsight.  To look back on all that you learned helps you endure through painful experiences in the future too!

 

4.  SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH YOUR *PEOPLE*:  

You are designed for community and so every opportunity given by God also is an opportunity to connect and share with others.   Knowing you have friends or family in the background that are backing you gives you more incentive to stay the course.  

Choose wisely those people you can share your journey with.  Find those people that will be your true Accountability Partners in life, meaning that they account for your abilities and not just your disabilities. You don’t need people that point out your mistakes or guilt you into better behavior.  You need people that can see you the way God sees you and you should do the same for them!  Believe that they will become the person that God will’s them to be too!

 

5. ACT AS THOUGH YOU’VE ALREADY WON: 

This is everything!  God has designed you for Greatness and to WIN in life, and, now have taken the time to even visualize yourself as her, you have nothing else to worry about in this health quest.

 
It’s already been DONE for you.  There is no waiting necessary, really.  
 
"You can pray for anything, and if you believe you have received it, it will be yours." Mark 11:24
"You can pray for anything, and if you believe you have received it, it will be yours." Mark 11:24

Because while you think you are after the specific MEASURED success (which is not a bad thing to have a measurable goal in mind, they do work), you are really after a FEELING, which you actually have ability to choose NOW.  You are her NOW.

In Faith, know that if God has put it on your heart to want to achieve a level of health you do not embody yet, He has also paved the way for you to actually DO IT.  You have all you need because you have God within you.  Focus on Him within and act accordingly. 

Categories
Food & Nutrition Health Coaching Uncategorized

FAT LOSS DIARIES: These 5 Factors Can Mess With Our Metabolism the Most

Fat Loss Diaries

As I mentioned the other day, my road to the the ultimate LEAN life lead to a majorly disrupted Metabolism! I’m currently 2.5 years “post bikini-show” and I am still trying to help get my metabolism recovered! A lot of women struggle with their metabolism, especially as they get older so I know I’m not the only one with this issue. Some women struggle with metabolism so much that fat loss can seem almost impossible. Many prefer to take a surgical route in their weight loss journey, including things like liposuction offered by people like Dr. Paul Fortes. However, there are other ways to lose weight. There are lots of factors that affect our metabolism and weight gain so it’s usually very dependant on the individual. For example, my friend has to get Indolemax from Amazon to help control her weight because her estrogen levels aren’t correct. This also helps with her menopause so it helps her in two different ways! The importance of our metabolism is because we want to be able to EAT NORMAL amounts of food and stay pretty lean!

Our METABOLISM MATTERS big-time if we are trying to live a balanced life. We need to take care of our bodies and take things slow, showcasing the necessary patience and endurance to do this the (w)right way. (Click here for my favorite scriptures to help you with ENDURANCE!)

First, let me preface this next specific topic about your Metabolism by saying there is SO MUCH MORE to learn that I simply cannot fit into one blog. In fact, I wrote an entire MODULE PROGRAM in my Health Coaching programs that goes over all the important factors you need to know about your Metabolism (Module #2: WISE’her Metabolism).

To check out more information on my HEALTH COACHING programs, click HERE.

Nevertheless, in my QUEST TO FIX MY DAMAGED METABOLISM, I have learned the 5 BIGGEST VILLAINS TO SUSTAINABLE FAT LOSS EFFORTS.

Prepare to hate this list with me! But….knowledge is power and power provides excellence!

  1. ALCOHOL: Ok, this one can hurt most of our feelings. You might have read my journey to cut back on this in my WINE-NOT series a few months ago. But there is nothing more relaxing, in my opinion, then a nice glass of wine after a long day. Most of us do consider alcohol our ultimate stress reliever and while that part *does* have some benefits for your Metabolism (by reducing your cortisol levels for a short period of time) it is FAR counteracted by the negative affects alcohol has on metabolic processes.
    Alcohol by itself is an high calories (at 7 calories per gram), empty-calories, no-nutrient entity that is a sugar, but a sugar that is especially reactive in our bodies. So much so that our bodies STOP PROCESSING all other metabolic processes (like other food or even our fat metabolism) in order to process the alcohol and get it OUT of the body by detoxing it through our liver and kidneys.
    So, drinking just 2 alcoholic beverages will slow down your metabolism by 80% (!!) for the following 4-hours. That’s why you tend to gain a lot of fat when you drink too much—hello beer belly!

Recommendation: Overall, if you want to lose fat, you are more than likely going to severely cut back on all alcohol. It was recommended to me to limit it to just 2-3 glasses PER MONTH.

2. CAFFEINE: So, this one is not ALL bad news. But the deal with caffeine is that the chemical causes a huge rush of the “Fight or Flight” hormones to cascade into high gear for up to 14-hours! That is, Cortisol, Adrenalin and NorAdrenalin. These hormones by themselves ultimately SLOW DOWN your Fat Loss because these stress hormones go into “Sugar Burning” mode instead of “Fat Burning” mode. (Jade Teta, Metabolic Effect)
SO, if you OVER CONSUME caffeine, you might be sending your body into “Fight or Flight” mode quite unnecessarily, all day long! UNLESS of course, you consume caffeine and then actually go and USE YOUR BODY, for something like, WORKING OUT! Stress hormones in the presence of Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone (those hormones that are produced when you weight train) actually HELP in Fat Loss. So it does have a nice condition.

Recommendation: Overall, cut back on caffeine unless it’s just before your workout. Green Tea is a much more metabolically stimulating drink of choice!

Your Daily Dose of Caffeine should be 2.5mg/Kg of your Body Weight.
For women of child bearing age, it is recommended to limit yourself to about 300mg/day.

Here’s a little research I did to put this in perspective for you:

Screenshot 2015-09-25 08.28.42

3. SLEEP: We have all heard this one a hundred times, but sleep is SO VERY VITAL for so many things, including your Fat Loss efforts. One interesting thing however is that you have to be careful not to get TOO LITTLE sleep (anything less than 7 hours) or TOO MUCH sleep (over 10 hours) both have adverse metabolic affects on your hormones.

Also, ever wonder why those all-nighters made you so hungry? Studies have shown that getting too little of sleep affects your HUNGER Hormones by increasing your hunger-producing hormones (ghrelin) and decreasing your satiety producing hormones (leptin).

The benefits of sleep is not only in our energy production for the next day, but during our sleep we also experience our HIGHEST Growth Hormone levels and Testosterone (mainly for men) that significantly boost the FAT BURNING machinery in our systems.

Recommendation: Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. To help yourself fall asleep and stay asleep, avoid caffeine in the afternoon and avoid your TVs and devices 1 hour before bed time (the blue light in them activate our “awake” responses in our Circadian Rhythm clocks). Try to go to bed and wake-up at the same time every day, as this has been shown to help you get in the proper Circadian Rhythm cycle flow.

4. REFINED SUGAR: Refined Sugar, or any sugar that causes a huge Glycemic surge, is an Fat Loss nemesis. The more the food spikes our blood sugar, the more it will send in a rush of insulin, and essentially slow fat-loss. Then, as your blood sugar gets too low (which inevitably happens after the bad rush of Glucagon to break down the insulin), this triggers a the HUNGER hormones (ghrelin) to come in full force again! This is why, when you eat refined sugary foods, you are not full for very long. It is burned quickly and makes you hungry sooner, all while NOT Fat Burning.

Recommendation: Eat foods lower in Fructose and low on the Glycemic Index charts, meaning, more complex and fiber rich starchy carbs. A great resource for low-glycemic foods is HERE. I copied a graphic from Low GI Health website too that I found really helpful.

Low GI Health

5. FOOD INTOLERANCES: This one was a surprise to me, but I learned very quickly after my bikini competition that I became very food sensitive and intolerant! I began experiencing very painful digestion issues that caused me so much issues that it’s taken over 2 years to truly figure out all of the “issues” I have (which are far and above just digestive issues by the way!).

But the reason why food intolerances can affect your fat loss efforts in a variety of ways. If our gut lining in unable to break down certain foods or the gut lining ins compromised in some way (leaky gut syndrome, for example) then it will limit the ABSORPTION of the vital vitamins and minerals (which is done predominantly in the intestines). Our vitamins and minerals are HUGE factors in making Fat Loss happen because they are the agents that “turn on” all of the “machinery” needed for Fat burning.

Not only that, but our guts also are huge factors in our stress responses (I carry my stress in my gut which has a huge factor on my digestion too!) and even our cognitive thinking!

RECOMMENDATION: At some point in your life, I recommend doing an Elimination Diet. I prescribe a specific one in my Health Coaching program (Module #3- Nutrient Based Eating) but there are many others. Whole 30, the Daniel Plan, Metabolic Effect, and Precision Nutrition all have varying programs. My friend Lisa Suazo, owner of also hosts a “CLEAN CLUB” that goes through this elimination process too she learned about from the book by Dr.Alejandro Junger, CLEAN.

Overall, these 5 factors can have SIGNIFICANT delays and negative delays on your Metabolism and Fat Loss efforts if not carefully considered.

With ALL things for your body, start with just ONE AREA and determine some new, healthy habits to focus on for a few weeks consistently. Then, as you get those down, add on another habit or two. Soon enough, you’ll be stocked full of all kinds of new habits that will start to really add up to some SUSTAINABLE, HIGH METABOLIC Fat Loss success!

As always, feel free to comment below or email me at amanda@amandawrightfit.com with any questions!

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Intermittent Fasting: Why I Do It and How I Do It (W)Right

The first time I heard of someone doing this, I thought they were crazy and were going to send themselves into starvation. I mentally judged them, immediately, and came up with a ton snippets of “health tips” that would disprove their practice as fallacy! Ha!

Cut to about 3 months later, when I decided to take a quiz from one of my favorite teaching blogs on all things Metabolism (Read: Fat Loss) related, Metabolic Effect, and guess what this quiz advised me to do? The VERY act that I so ruefully mentally judged others in the fitness industry for doing! Typical, right? (God was listening ;-))

 

Judgey

 

So now, every day, I don’t eat my first meal until about 11am. I eat my last meal by 7 or 8pm. Basically, I eat in a 8-9 hour window.

WHAT IT IS:

Watch Timing

So, I’m talking about Intermittent Fasting. Let me start by saying that I hate the term “Fasting” because anytime you say that, it makes people think of either a spiritual prayer practice (which is good, but not related), or a detox or cleanse. Which again, those two things can be good for you (if done right), but all these words seem to spark up a lot of “judgey judgertons” just like I admitted to being.

Intermittent Fasting is just a term used to describe going an extended period of time, every day, without eating. We ALL fast every day. This is called sleeping. So, intermittent fasting is a way to just extend the “non-eating” phase of your day because it essentially extends the Fat Burning period of your day.

Studies (and HERE) have actually shown that the TIMING of when we eat can have a bigger impact on our weight that the actual amount of calories we eat! In fact, I talked about this rat study on my blog on NUTRIENT BASED TIMING, HERE. The most recent study published in Cell Metabolism Journal, essentially tested two groups of rats who both ate the exact same amount of calories but one group ate all day long while the other group only at in a 10-12 hour window. The results showed that the group that ate at all hours of the day got obese while the intermittent fasted group of rats stayed at a normal weight. With the exact same amount of food!

The way our fast paced world has been operating lately, we can easily fall into the trap of GRAZING all day, every day. We need a snack at all occasions! I truly believe this contributes heavily (no pun intended) to the deathly serious overweight and obesity epidemic we have on our hands.

WHY I DECIDED TO TRY IT:

So, back to my decision to bite my own judgement and take the advice from the Metabolic Effect quiz I took. First, I have already done a lot of research on the Metabolic Effect website, read their books and know they are Doctors with credentials I trust. This is the most important part about taking advice from any health hack out there (myself included!).

Second, I had already been eating in a 12-hour window for 8+ months at this point. This was something I knew I needed to do not only because I had heard about that rat studies but also just by pure math. I have a large appetite and so if I don’t pay attention to the times and quantities I eat, I can (and have) eaten several hundred more calories than I need to in a day.

Third, the reason why this quiz advised me to push this fasting period back even further is because I had already taken several steps in the (w)right direction for my health and this was just the next best step in the (W)right direction for ME. Meaning, I was already eating a Nutrient-Based diet of clean, holistic foods CONSISTENTLY. While also regularly looking into different meal reviews so I have the option to change my meal plans up a little while still eating the healthy sustenance I need. I has also already practiced short periods of intermittent fasting first before by eating within a 12 and 10-hour window. I was also already active and healthy. I just had stopped seeing results, so it was time to try something new.

 

HOW IT’S BEEN WORKING SO FAR:

So, I decided this step would be something worth trying to see if it worked for me!

The way to TEST any new dietary change is to monitor 4 areas *H.E.C.D.* (a modified tool from Metabolic Effect as well): 1. Hunger 2. Energy 3. Cravings 4. Digestion. So as I made the change to move my first meal back to 11am and as I ate my meals, I monitored those 4 categories. I told myself I would try it for a full week to let my body adapt and get a real feel for how it was working (or not working).

PROS:
SHOCKING!

-My HUNGER actually went WAY down over the course of the day. I had been used to eating 5-6 meals per day and my body had been conditioned to get hungry when I had been used to eating. So where I thought that I would be building up several more hours of HUNGER from not eating at those times, I was SHOCKED to feel substantially less hungry. I believe this tactic helped to mellow out my hormones (ghrelin and leptin are your hunger and satiety hormones) . I don’t have the exact science as to why, but this is how it turned out for ME.

-Moreover, I actually had less CRAVINGS for sugar and other food items I normally crave as well! My hardest part is still at night more than in the morning, so I do still have a sweet tooth but I manage that with other tools anyway.

-My ENERGY felt about the same! I often found that by overeating so often before, I would put myself into a food-coma and feel lethargic. Now my mornings are my most productive time!

-My DIGESTION is on par. This one relies most on the quality of foods I eat, but going longer between meals helps move things along much better for my body!

On top of all of these factors, the other benefit of doing this is in those months where I was not really being careful about WHAT I ate (I had a ton more sugar, frozen yogurt, and BBQs during the month of July) but I still stuck to this 8-9 hour window, I DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT. At all. So this proves to me that the rat test they conducted is in fact on par with my this human body works too!

Overall, I AM eating enough food (almost the same amount of calories) just in the tighter time-frame. This is VERY IMPORTANT that I’m not starving my body as a crash diet. I am only changing the timing of my eating, not the quantity of food. Since I love big meals, this works great for me too.

CONS:

OCD Coffee

There are a few things I had to adjust and some ways to trouble shoot this that are not the easiest.

  1. I rely more on coffee and caffeine in the AM. I have been getting up by 5-6am to start writing and working, so I’m tired of course, but also that is a pretty long window of being awake without eating. So, coffee (without cream or sugar) and tea are my solutions to keep my stomach calm. If I do experience stomach growls, I’ll drink more water first.
  2. I had to move back my workout time: I was a morning workout girl for a long time but decided that working out fasted is not the smarted idea for me. This worked out though because I needed my mornings for productivity and writing anyway. It will always take an adjustment period to get hyped up enough for an afternoon workout. It also is harder to avoid the excuses of getting “too busy” to go to the gym. Good thing I only do 30-45 min workouts now!
  3. Breakfast is my favorite meal: The absolute hardest thing for me is going out for breakfast with friends and family and not eating. Maybe this is the O.C.D, way TOO self-controlled part of my life, but I am just a person that once I commit to something, I commit to it and stay as consistent as possible. So, when in a situation where we are out to eat or my husband and I are traveling and he is eating breakfast, I will have coffee and enjoy the company and order a meal to go if I have to. I admit this is challenging but only because of the social pressure and because I love breakfast food. Not because I’m hungry, surprisingly.

Give me all the bacon and eggs you have

The (W)Right Way Of Intermittent Fasting:

So, if you are interesting in exploring what this might look like for you, I encourage you to take the following steps:

  1. START 12-HOURS: Start with a 12-hour window of Intermittent Fasting FIRST. This is my Nutrient Based Timing strategy that will work wonders for you if you have not already been eating in this window of time. Stick with this FIRST for about 6-12 weeks. See if you get desired results and good H.E.C.D. results.

  2. SMALL STEPS: If you have already been eating in a 12-hour window, push back your eating window by 2 or 4 hours at the most. You can decide if you want to push back your first meal of the day, or stop eating earlier in the evening. Pay attention to the clock and adjust it if necessary according to your plans that day (dinner out, etc).

  3. STAY CONSISTENT: I don’t advise doing just one day here or there of intermittent fasting. I think this is how you start to confuse your hormones and metabolism into thinking you are indeed ‘starving’ on certain days. If your body thinks your starving, it will go into shut-down mode and slow your metabolism. No bueno.

  4. SATISFY YOUR BELLY: Eat well and eat enough! For the above reason, you should make sure you are eating enough food! You reasonably can have 3 solid meals and maybe one snack all within that 8-9 hour window. Eating causes a BOOST in your metabolism because you have to burn calories to digest. So a large BOOST followed by an EXTENDED FAST (Fat-Burning) period is why this science works.

  5. STAY TRUE TO YOU: If your H.E.C.D. is all off after trying this, then I don’t think intermittent fasting is for you and your body type. Some people with higher metabolisms will just have a harder time with this because their bodies need more energy more often. This is GREAT to learn and important for you to listen to! I think intermittent fasting works for me because I have a endomorphic/mesomorphic body type. (More on this another time!).

I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences you have encountered with intermittent fasting! Every body is different and I’d like to hear what you like, didn’t like or if you are going to give it try and why!

 

Categories
Food & Nutrition Uncategorized

5 Ways I #RITUALIZE My Meal Planning

This week I continue on my quest to share some of the ways I #Ritualize my health! As I’ve explained, #rituals are just how I find ways to attach greater enjoyment from the regular health habits I’m trying to make second-nature. If I add a *MANDI STYLE* to some otherwise boring health habit, I find that it ups the “reward” center of my brain to thinking what I’m doing is fun and enjoyable instead of boring and horrible “healthy” stuff.

You will never learn to live a healthy life FOREVER unless you find some way to enjoy it! It is simple psychology and patterns human behavior! You have to change your brain chemistry to ENJOY being healthy and change any part of your life!

I believe RITUALS are the #1 WAY to find greater enjoyment. Being MINDFUL and INTENTIONAL with your rituals is so effective to making your rituals the healthy ones instead of the unhealthy ones.

So, as we have probably all heard, the solution to ANY PHYSIQUE change you desire for your body is going to come down to 80% NUTRITION CHOICES.

While working out is amazing and wonderful, if you don’t change your food and beverage habits, you may never see any weight loss, muscle gain or whatever your desired change may be.

YOU CAN’T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET. It is that simple.

That does not mean you take the “well why even bother!” approach and stop working out or putting in effort for exercise! Fitness brings FAR more benefits to your health than the aesthetic reasons we workout including psychological benefits, emotional stress relief, the metaphorically motivating aspects, heart health, disease reduction, and FUN, to name a few.

NO, my point in always pointing out that 80% of your body goal is dependent on your nutrition is to be sure you get the message that NUTRITION IS REALLY IMPORTANT so you don’t shirk responsibility in managing what you allow in your body.

I don’t advocate being a ‘perfectionist’ eater at all (that usually makes us suffer the consequences of an “unhealthy mindset” which renders us unhealthy overall), but I do want to empower all people and my clients to take proper responsibility for the “temple” that is their body.

Eating healthy is HARD because so much of it is dependent on things that we humans don’t manage very well–our emotions, stress, money, and planning. And not forgetting that most of us like to add extra salt to our meals to give it a heightened taste.

But this is actually bad for your health. Even though the likes of salt and sugar taste nice in our meals, it is unhealthy, and can even create a lot of health problems down the line, especially if you eat more than you should. The salt vs sugar comparison is an ongoing debate about which one is worse for your heart, and which one is likely to bring on a heart attack. The truth is is that they’re equally as bad as each other, and you should take great care when it comes to planning your meals, and how much of each ingredient you add.

I believe just implementing a solid set of RITUALS to what you eat, how you plan and cook your meals, and how you make decisions while you’re dining out will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in you feeling more REWARDED for taking the positive responsibility of governing your body with love and care.

Alas, here are my TOP 5 MEAL PLANNING RITUALS that I love! Use them to think about your FOOD RITUALS and how you can implement more HEALTHY associations and less unhealthy ones.

Top 5 Meal Planning Rituals

1. GROCERY SHOPPING WITH A HOT TEA AND A FULL STOMACH:

Woman Grocery Shopping

You’ve probably heard this one before but it’s a huge one for me–don’t grocery shop while hungry! If I decide to go to the grocery store on an empty stomach I will have eaten half a bag of grapes by the time get to the checkout counter as well as will find 3X more food especially in the form of chocolate, processed snacks and a lot of other things that just “looked” good at the time.

My goal while grocery shopping is to not get too carried away with spending (hello Whole Foods!), to buy mainly Holistic food choices (i.e. whole, unprocessed foods) found on the perimeter of the grocery store, and to purchase the satisfying variety of foods that will keep me eating Nutrient Based for all of my meals the next few days.

While I am a person that actually ENJOYS grocery shopping (I know not everyone does) to further increase the “reward” value I’m feeling, I will make myself a nice HOT TEA (or cold if it’s really hot out) to sip on while I walk. My favorite tea is Jasmine Green Tea. All green teas have this wonderful affect of just a little bit of caffeine matched with fat burning antioxidants AND this palette cleansing effect. It really helps to curb any cravings I might be having. Thus, as I’m walking by the chocolate aisle I’m less likely to wander in and overindulge. Any type of quenching treat is a great idea for all!

Jasmine Green Tea

2. VEGGIES/FOOD PREP TO SOME MUSIC:

Chopped up Veggies

When I get home from the grocery store, it is always best if I go ahead a chop up all the veggies and produce and put it into containers on the shelf that is at eye level. First, having the veggies pre-chopped makes them more accessible and will help me EAT THEM. Then, I know if I keep them in the bags and put them in the drawer, I’m must more likely to FORGET about them and then they go bad and I have to throw them out (which I really hate wasting food!). So I put them at EYE LEVEL to prompt me to eat them.

SO, I don’t usually have a whole lot of time to chop up veggies since I’m always feeling “behind” in something for my business. Sometimes I will time myself to see how quickly I can do it. Other times, I’ll just plan this for my “break” time that I do about every 90min-2hr of work. I put on some jams on the speakers and get to choppin’! It becomes pretty stress relieving and will make it a much more enjoyable activity! Once or twice a week when I do more extensive food prep (like bake chicken breasts or baked sweet potatoes) I especially implement the music/dance party! I know that food prep is a boring, mundane task but it’s something that has to be done unless you use a meal kit. If you’re interested in learning more about meal kits, it might be worth reading this hello fresh vs blue apron review page. I can certainly see the advantages of meal kits so if the prep is something you dread every week, this might be an option for you. Just make sure you’re eating healthily.

3. FOOD PLATING AS ART DESIGN:

I think the “prettier” your food is, the more appealing it is to eat. I have started engaging in some meal planning tactics that help to make for “prettier” plates.

Nutrition Cover2

The more colorful the food is, the prettier it is! Thinking about this helps me first buy the array of colorful fruits and vegetables that will help me get a nice NUTRIENT-BASED variety that is really, REALLY important to True Health. Then I just make sure they get on the plate and I will eat them!

Also, if you really want to enforce this one to your “reward” center of your brain, take a picture of your food! I know the whole “food posting” tendency is slightly controversial and gets a lot of slack, but I personally find it a very valuable step in showing others that you are healthy and to give others ideas of meals! Why not shine the light?!

4. FOLLOW A PLATE GRAPHIC:

Metabolic Effect Food Plate
Metabolic Effect Food Graphic

This kind of piggy backs on the last ritual, but this one works for me because I get that feeling of “reward” when I actually feel organized in something. If I make an effort to consciously organize my eating without having to resort to things like measuring food or counting macronutrients, I am still finding a way to monitor my portion sizes but in a less rigorous way.

I am not against such practices of counting and logging food– in fact, I do it during certain seasons of strength training and I do ask most of my clients trying to lose a certain amount of fat to implement this habit for themselves. But for my very busy life right now, I appreciate just using a plate graphic to help hold me accountable. This is my LIFESTYLE way of doing this because I believe no person can reasonably log their food for the rest of their life.

Using a plate goes as follows:

1)Choose the proper plate size for your meal. This is dependent on your body size (the smaller you are, the smaller the plate should be and vice versa) as well as the # of meals you eat per day. If you eat 3x per day, you can have 3 bigger plates. If you eat 5-6x per day, you should be using 5-6 smaller plates. It just helps you eat the proper amount for you.

IMG_6719
Choose Plate size based on # of Meals and Body Size (I chose the smaller plate)

2) Fill at least 1/2 of the plate with veggies. If it’s a green veggies, especially lettuce, fill the whole darn thing! Make sure you get some colored produce on there too (a nod to my Ritual #3). The “heavier” the vegetable, the more likely it is to have some fiber in there and make you feel full. I recommend a lot of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy etc.)

IMG_6720
Colorful Cauliflower, Carrots and Celery

3) Fill just under 1/4 of the plate with a starchy carb source (sweet potato, brown rice, corn, beans, oats) OR fruit.

IMG_6721
Added baked sweet potato slices which I like because they are naturally sweet and don’t need butter added.


4) Fill just over 1/4 of the plate with a lean protein of choice (fish, chicken, turkey, sirloin, bison, shrimp, egg whites etc for those that eat meat).

IMG_6722
I’ve really enjoyed lean ground Bison lately, it has higher Iron and lower fat than Beef.

5) Add a “dollop” of fat in there (about the size of your thumb or two). If you cooked your veggies in a fat, that counts. If you are eating a higher fat source of protein (like bacon, ribeye, salmon,or whole eggs) that counts too. Otherwise, grab some guacamole to dip your veggies into, some olives on the side, or some coconut butter for your fruit or starch.

IMG_6723
Today, I chose guacamole! Yummy polyunsaturated fat source!

5. PRACTICE THE SAME MODEL WHEN OUT TO EAT!

Whenever I eat at a restaurant, I actually try to follow the same principles of #4! Now, I won’t get the chance to actually plate my own food, but I will ORDER as best as I can to this same degree. For this reason, I will order a la carte A LOT or will just ask for exactly what I want (which a smile and respect of course!). 🙂

1.VEG: I start with veggies and this usually is just me asking for a side or two of whatever the chefs vegetables are that day or maybe get a side salad. Sides are usually always cooked in oil (as is everything when dining out!) but I’ll see if they can do light oil sometimes. For salads, I always get dressing on the side to avoid them dousing the thing with way too much.

2. PROTEIN: I’ll always find grilled fish or chicken as an easy go-to.

3. STARCH: For starch I’ll do brown rice or a sweet potato if they have them. If not, I’ll go for fruit for dessert–helps with my sweet tooth! If I plan on going for chocolate (which I do usually for one meal per day) I’ll just count that and try only 2-3 bites! If I’ve decided to have a glass of wine I count that as my starch too (only 1 glass though).

4. FAT: Since most restaurants already use way more oil that I do at home, I assume I’ve already had more than enough fat to necessitate extra fat sources. Therefore, I try to avoid adding extra “fat” options to my meals on purpose.

This is has HUGE reward incentive in the RESULTS I actually get. We travel all the time so we are eating out all the time. We’ve got no choice to so we have made the changes we need to make it work for us both health-wise and financially. For example, my other half has an AMEX Gold Card because she found it was the best option for people who eat out a lot and we also make sure the places we eat are healthy. If I DON’T implement this ritual, I will put on weight really fast. Sometimes its worth it and I’m perfectly find accepting that! But the rest of the time, I try to follow a the same steps to keep things as consistent in my eating as possible!

These are just a few ideas of some meal #RITUALS I have been implementing lately! I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing!!

Categories
Fitness & Training Food & Nutrition Uncategorized

Find Your Health Rhythm and Flow With THIS….

What is the #1 thing that determines whether you have a “Healthy Day” or not?!

I have found my *THING* and once I tell you I bet you will totally agree with me…..AND will probably love that I am offering you a FREE checklist of said *THING* so you can get in on the practice as well!! Be sure you look for it at the end!

So here’s the thing—-it appears the entire month of July seems to have passed within a blink of an eye! WHERE DID IT GO?!

My husband and I were down in San Diego for the month while my 3-year old stepdaughter, Eden, was staying with us and (as is often is the case for me in July) my normal health practices kinda fell by the wayside. I noticed my physical health somewhat declining and I decided it was time to learn more about my body heath and go for a checkup at my local clinic. I couldn’t keep letting myself slip like I was.

Jumping into the moving vortex that is parenting a boisterous and hilarious “threenager” will certainly do that to ya, but also, July is just one of those months where, year-after-year, I kinda just relax a little bit more. It starts with the 4th holiday and then I usually have a vacation in there or two, certainly a few more BBQs, a family reunion and before you know it, my normal exercise practices have taken a month-long hiatus.

Real July Gym

 

I happen to think this break is an EXCELLENT idea for everyone and I do it intentionally. I know from years of experience, that you CANNOT go 12-months of non-stop “fat loss” efforts. It doesn’t work for our bodies, our minds OR our souls.

So when the Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

For your TRUE HEALTH, this means you need to take SEASONS where you just REST and you just take a chill pill on the whole “count every macro that goes into my mouth” or the “count every rep and every calorie I burn” type of attention to detail (if you’re into that sort of thing….).

This is not to say that I didn’t CARE about my health for an entire month! Actually, quite the opposite! For me, this just means that I take a season off of my BODY health practices and usually make greater efforts for my MINDSET and my SPIRITUAL health.

Actually, my real test for my “Healthy Mindset” is IF I can take a hiatus from the gym a bit more, eat a few more pieces of chocolate and cups of frozen yogurt and…..wait for it…..

NOT BEAT MYSELF UP FOR IT!

I monitor my “Self-Talk” and what I’m saying to myself when I look in the mirror, when I’m experiencing the stomach aches that inevitably come too (darnit dairy!), and just breath into the space of imperfection. It is a daily mental battle. I won’t lie to you and tell you I was really strong mentally every day of the month, but I can tell you, my WISE’her practices have paid off! I certainly am stronger mentally in my health that I was just a few months ago! #ProgressNotPerfection!

As far as my Body’s Health went during this season of “chill more” and “worry less” I still focused definitely on movement with lots of park time and certainly lifting up that 46-lb ball of sugar that is my step-daughter(!) and even stuck to my Nutrient-based eating that I always do (I just added more chocolate and sugar into the mix)! It was a really enjoyable break!

So whether July was that sort of month for you or not, I want to encourage you to TAKE A MONTH (or two!) where you do intentionally plan to REST your body for a season. But then…..get back to WORK.

SO WHAT NOW?

After you take a season OFF of your normal exercise and/or heightened nutrition focus, there is always this TOUGH PHASE of getting back into the rhythm of things!

But that’s really all you need to focus on….THE RHYTHM.

FLOW water2

THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT! This is the #1 thing that will determine whether I have a “Healthy Day” or not….

Finding My Health and Fitness Floowwwww!

I believe, to effectively put your health back into practice, you must find that rhythm and flow that comes into good, healthy practices.

The best way to find that RHYTHM is in my favorite step to SURREND’hered Health——–> RITUALIZE It!
In my 7-Steps to SURREND’her Goal Development, I highlight the two very important steps in the path to True Health.

  • Step #5: Habitualize It! –>this is creating new healthy habits to replace old unhealthy habits.

and my FAVORITE….

  • Step #6: Ritualize It! –> THIS is finding those personal preferences, tricks, and other appealing practices around the new healthy habits that will get you to DO THEM!

Ritualizing your Health becomes a rhythm and a flow when you plan for the rituals rather than plan for the “check list” of habits you need to do.

For example, I find the stupidest little details really enjoyable in my day!

  • From the coffee cup I use in the morning when I do my morning quiet time with God…..
  • To the little tiny dishes I use to fill with nuts and treats….
  • To THE song that I use as my anthem of the moment (i.e. gym, God-time, dance-time etc.)
  • To the pen and special notebook I use to write down my workouts.

Everything that I do well for my health, I do because I have RITUALIZED my practice of it and have thus found the RHYTHM and FLOW I need to have a fully successful day practicing better health practices.

For you I have 2 Special Treats:

  1. I have created an easy check list of the 7 SURREND’hered Rituals that I do every day for my True Health practices! You can get a copy of this Ritual Checklist when you subscribe to the #STRONGherAUGUST month long series of more blogs and articles on all things related to become STRONG’her in my Body’s Health. All month I’m going to focus on more workouts to try, more metabolism tips, more nutrition education, and more recipes for success! Click HERE to subscribe and you’ll also be the first to see the next great things I’m doing on A. Wright Fit come this FALL!
    RITUALS

  2. For your viewing pleasure, I have the video that I created for the 7-Steps of SURREND’hered Goal Development series on how to effectively RITUALIZE It! I’m a HUGE dork so it’s a good one! 😉 

    https://vimeo.com/125247677

Categories
Spiritual Health

4 Steps to Shift Out of Shame

What is your greatest fear?

“I know everyone spouts statistics about the fear of public speaking and of spiders and all that, but in my 30+ years of experience in working with people from all walks of life, what I have come to learn is the greatest fear that people face today is the fear of losing control.”

These were the words of the famed Rick Warren, Pastor and inspirational author of the super selling, The Purpose Driven Life, as he was delivering a sermon that I regularly listen to on podcast.

 

For some, it might be the fear of losing their temper and letting their anger take them out of control. For others, it might be losing control over their family or safety and not being able to protect everyone. For yet others, it’s the fear of losing one’s “cool” and allowing their anxiety and nerves to take control.

 

For me, for the majority of my life, my number one fear has been the fear of losing control over my eating. I genuinely fear not being able to stop eating and letting my cravings rule my life, and of course gaining a ton of weight from it. His words are absolutely true for me.

 

The thing about our “worst fears” is that they always seem to pull us toward them. Like a magnet, the more we fear doing something, the more likely we are to do it.

So yes, I have struggled with a large appetite for my whole life and yes, especially when it comes to my “trigger foods” which are sugary, rich foods, like desserts, I can spiral out of control pretty fast.

This consequently leads to what I consider one of the most prevalent and worst feelings we can ever feel….SHAME.

 

I vividly remember the depth of this fear and shame in college as I was on a weekend getaway with my best girlfriends up at one of the girl’s parent’s home in Newport Beach. It was someone’s birthday and they had my number one trigger food out for us to eat…..birthday cake.

So, it started with a few bites with all of us surrounding the cake….

All my friends pulled away after a few bites….but not me.

I would sit down for a little, trying to take a break but all my brain would focus on was more cake. Then as though my legs and hands were acting in complete resistance to what my panicking brain was telling them to do, I would be back up, taking a few more bites.

It was then, that I heard one of my friends whisper, “Why does she keep eating that cake??!”

I. was. mortified. Not only was I already tormenting myself, but on top of it, I now had someone pointing it out!

 

Having no coping skills at this time, I shut down, stopped talking much. Then after obsessively beating myself up all that night, I got up early before anyone else and went and ran 7 miles on the beach, trying desperately to counteract my shame by “working it off.”

 

Well, this was over 10 years ago now. So in 10 years, I’ve obviously learned a ton more about the extreme addictive properties of food (sugar has been proven to be more addictive than cocaine!), cravings, and the psychology of eating.

 

Not to mention, I now have a much greater relationship with God and have SURREND’hered my health and these struggles to Him and have found such a reprieve from my old destructive fears, guilt and shame.

 

So, I guess I’m healed right? Fear free and shame free? Ha! Yeah. Right.

 

Just this week offered me another humbling example….

Last week, we were blessed to be in the foodie town of Portland, OR and then onto one of my all-time favorites, London, England and I was on track to having possibly the greatest trip of my life in the fact that I was really focused on living and eating as I always do: Eating nutrient based, getting in great workouts, not stressing about food, getting enough protein, and overall really focused on enjoying the moments and the food I got to experience.

Until 2 little words would cause my greatest fear to rear its ugly little head….”HIGH. TEA.”

 

IMG_6196

 

 

High Tea is a wonderful English tradition that includes a 3-tiered plated presentation of deliciousness: little sandwiches, pastries, desserts, and English scones served with clotted cream (a fancy butter) and fresh raspberry preserves. On top of that, after this is all done, they give you a large piece of…..you guesed it…CAKE!

Having had the chance to try it before, I knew I would be indulging in this one meal as my treat meal of the week guilt free, so I planned for it with great success.

High TeaThe problem was, the vacation was not over that day. The next day, we found ourselves with not much to do in the afternoon and wanted to watch some of the Wimbledon Tennis at the hotel with…another High Tea! Gah, it was so good!

So, I survived two days of my favorite thing ever and was happy to be on a plane home the next day. We had the privilege of getting to fly Virgin Atlantic Airlines for the first time and it was a really cool experience. But just when I was all set to come back to reality of normal eating life….these darling, red-suit wearing and smiling Flight Attendants came at me again with ANOTHER High Tea….on the airplane!! What the whatttt?!

At this point, I was consciously playing the role of the yo-yo dieter, the over eater, the “I’ll get back on track on Monday” girl and I was spiraling down the hole of shame once again. I reverted back to the exact girl I teach my clients to SURREND’her away from and chose True Health.

 

It is so frustrating to know better and to not be able to do better.   As silly as they may sound for anyone that has ever overindulged on a vacation, because I get that all of us have done it, the frustration I felt in myself was deeper because of this great fear that I have—this fear of losing control and overeating. So when I did it again I spiraled down in to the feeling of shame and helplessness.

 

So at this point, you’re probably wondering, “Well that’s a downer of a story Amanda. You’re telling me that you still struggle with the same fears you’ve always had? In spite of having all this knowledge and in spite of your relationship with God, nothing really changed?”

 

The answer is, of course not!

 

In spite of the similar experiences, in spite of the similar emotions and the fears and shame emerging their raging little heads again, I AM definitely different now than I was 10+ years ago.

 

Because now, even though I can admit that I felt HELPLESS, the difference is I am not HOPELESS.

 

All the work I’ve been doing to become WISE’her and SURREND’her my health UP did not prevent me from my old destructive ways completely. But, it completely changes my RECOVERY from it.

 

I took 4 critical steps to change how I processed these feelings and they made all the difference in how I was able to SHIFT OUT OF SHAME.

  1. REST:

    My shame wanted me to get up early work off my overeating in a double session at the gym.   My shame wanted me to do an all day fast or a juice cleanse to “punish” my body back to healthy eating. Luckily, through prayer, I recognized these negative thoughts as my own and not from God.   When I quieted my heart and gave this shame UP, I heard the need for REST to connect better to Him and steer away from doing things “my way.”

    Every week we really do need to take a Sabbath day—a full day of rest.   This is not a request from God; this is one of His commandments! It is imperative that we take a day to worship Him and rest our minds and bodies. After traveling and working all day on Sunday, my typical Sabbath day, I knew I needed a real Sabbath. So I was obedient to this calling.

    I spent the day venting my frustration to Him, crying some, praying a lot, reading a lot, and then napping, walking and recovering.

    {I realize working for myself and not having children full-time gives me this luxury, but if you’re caught in the same position where you are deep in some negative emotions like shame, I do suggest these times to be a perfect “personal day” off of work or at least taking 1-2 hours of time to yourself away and with God. Do you best in finding a way to listen to what God desires for you.}

  2.  REPENT:

    One of the things I’ve come to learn is that God uses PAIN in our life not as punishment but as a pointer to shift our thinking to what is True. The pain I face when I do over eat is tied to the sin that it is. I’m not trying to sugar coat this for myself. But constantly over indulging and treating food as these intense rewards that I lose myself for is gluttony and it is food idolatry.

    “When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies for that food is deceptive.” (Proverbs 23: 1-2 NLT).

In spite of my sin, I realized God was not shaming me for my wrong, I was shaming myself–an incredibly important distinction.   It was not God that caused my shame; that is not how God works. God is ever loving and ever giving of Light of Peace and Love. God will give us Conviction of our wrongs, but we make it into shame and distance ourselves from God as we do this. God hates the sin but never hates the sinner.

Confessing this to God and praying for forgiveness and believing, in Faith, that God will forgive these sins was the key to me being able to turn back to God and move forward, walking in His Light again.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)

  1. REACH OUT:

If it appears that I was naturally able to rise above the pit of shame I found myself in, I can assure you I was not. Shame is a heavy cloud that envelops one’s soul without recoil. So many of us have lived in shame for our whole lives, sometimes caused by others without our conscious consent. Giving this emotion a name, giving it awareness, was key in overcoming the negative emotion. But then I needed someone to help me too.

So, I reached out to my prayer partner and one of my best friends, Jennifer, for our weekly call. It is invaluable to have just one person we can be vulnerable with, that we can talk about our deepest fears and needs and they will not just console us, but to remind us of God’s love and pray for us.

Jennifer at first kinda laughed and knew the “guilt” of overeating that we all can have, especially on vacation. But as I explained the depth of the shame that can wave over me from these acts, she listened sincerely.

Then she said, “I understand completely. But remember, you have prayed for forgiveness and God has granted it for you and He has wiped it clean. You must now walk in that forgiveness and move forward.”

Simple, yet, so profound. So often we will feel the trap of our shame that just keeps us dwelling on the guilt for so long. Yet, God promises to forget our sins, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Heb 8:12). I needed that reminder from Jennifer to help me move forward in that moment.

Find that person, your person, that you can trust that when you reach out, they will help you stand and walk out of your shame. If you are having a hard time finding that person to trust for you, try to be that person for someone else first. Helping others can be an incredible way to help yourself. Over time, you teach them how to reciprocate.

 

  1. REFOCUS:

As I needed to walk out of my shame, I needed to refocus my heart and my attention on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil 4: 8-9 NIV).

So, I took the time to refocus away from the shame onto my fruits of the Spirit that God promises us. I listed out all 9 fruits and wrote out all the ways that I feel and show those emotions. This reminded me that I was Good and I was a child of God.

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22 NIV)

From this refocused position, I became the real me again.

Shame is not who we are, no matter how long we may have suffered in its existence.  Some things we have done in our life might cause a sense of shame that runs much deeper than something as trivial, even though it is serious for me, as overeating.  But these four steps can be your way to SHIFT out of any SHAME.  There is not allotted time limit it might take you, but work through each step fervently, giving yourself as much grace and love as possible, and sure even, you’ll SHIFT out of your SHAME too!

Categories
Health Coaching

#1 Way to Stay Consistent!

We have all heard the saying, when it comes to seeing success in a health plan, “Consistency is King.”

Is that ever true?! I’ve seen friends and clients lose weight on a wide variety of approaches: High carb and low carb diets; High fat and low fat; High cardio and no cardio; Heavy weight training and yoga; Paleo diet and Vegan diets, some have even lost weight through becoming very flexible via yoga and increasing their libido to burn extra calories.

How do they do it?! You think it’s “just genetics?”-WRONG. Reseach indicates that our genetics only account for about 5% of our metabolic rate (the rate of which we burn our calories for energy).

Well, studies now confirm that the best diet to lose weight, is simply the one you’ll stick to. That’s right! It’s CONSISTENCY.

From where I stand, I know that for TRUE HEALTH it is not just about being consistent in your diet and exercise (i.e. your BODY) to be healthy, you must also be consistently strengthening your MIND and SPIRIT too!

For example, we cannot “fix” all of our negative thoughts that lead to negative actions by just one good day of mindful and positive thinking. We need to CONSISTENTLY give to this practice and build this “mental” muscle up to garner true health in this area.

Also, our relationship with God and our Spiritual strength must be nourished and strengthened on a consistent basis to truly unlock our Spiritual Power. It is not enough to say a prayer one day, accepting God into our hearts, and then do NOTHING for the rest of our lives. Consistently building our relationship with God is the only way to become Spiritually Strong. Period. End of story.

Well, as we know full well, as humans we struggle with consistency. We grow impatient for results and we resort back to the old bad habits that offer immediate gratification but also weaken our body, minds and souls to the sin they may serve.

So, today, I wanted to offer you the somewhat obvious, but often overlooked, tool that will help you stay CONSISTENT the MOST!

The often overlooked valuable tool for staying CONSISTENT is:

—->ACCOUNTABILITY<-----

Accountability is that person, procedure, or tool that helps you build the habit of consistency.

I have implemented several effective tools that helped to hold me accountable to my goals and therefore stay CONSISTENT with them. Since I want to make sure I am finding my TRUE HEALTH, not just my body’s health, I have implemented effective strategies for my BODY, MIND and SOUL.

Here are my best ways that I hold my self ACCOUNTABLE to stay CONSISTENT in these areas!

1. Body:

  • -Food Logs (My Fitness Pal, Food Journal etc)
  • -Personal Trainers
  • -Workout Buddies (Group Fitness Friends)
  • -Nutritionists
  • -Goal Tracking Strategies

I have hired and used all of the above in some capacity for years and years. For exercise, I will say the most effective and motivating accountability components are those that involve a COMMUNITY. I love doing things with others. It makes me feel like I belong a little more, pushing me to be stronger, and allows me to give back to others by pushing them.

I also love when another person gives me a workout to do, this way I’m pushed to do more than if I were to try to do my own. It really works for me, even as a trainer myself.

For NUTRITION, which we know is a solid 75-80% of your weight loss success, this one is more self-reliant so I have to hold myself more accountable with some tracking tools. Now, I’ve gone through phases with tracking and counting calories.

Logging our food doesn’t always work to our benefits and can often cause psychological distress. But if I simultaneously implement strong MENTAL andSPIRITUAL practices to keep me grounded, I really value the feedback and accountability that tracking can offer.

MyFitnessPal is my go-to app, but I’ve also been a fan of implementing my own on Google Drive so that I can make notes on hunger, cravings, emotions and food feelings too. This gives me much more to analyze and see areas for progress.

2. MIND:

  • -Journaling
  • -Mentorship
  • -Classes/Education Courses
  • -Reading
  • -Counseling/Therapy

This year, for accountability in learning and gaining WISDOM for my health I have signed up for a course and mentorship. I am part of a 11-month group of women called the “Best of You” coaching club led by the Fitness and Mindset guru, Jill Coleman from Jillfit.com. She teaches and mentors about 50 of us women who have started or want to start a online business in Fitness industry.

Paying money for, and engaging in a learning “COMMUNITY” again is very powerful in its motivation and accountability! This program was pretty expensive but worth it. The fact that I have paid for this service also really makes me USE this service. Have you ever noticed that tendency?

In the same way, I have also sought years of therapy and counseling from Licensed Therapists that can help me tackle some of my mental blocks from my past and present that I can’t see myself. I book appointments to attend and pay money for people that can help me think better. There should be absolutely no shame EVER for seeking greater understanding of your mind and hiring those people that can help you do that!

3. SOUL

  • -Findinga a Home Church
  • -Bible Study/Small Group
  • -Prayer Partner
  • -Online Prayer Support Groups

This year, I went out on a limb and reached out to a fellow Christian girlfriend to see if she would want to be my Prayer Partner (or what we call Prayer Warriors ;-)). I am so glad that I did because this relationship has been SO POWERFUL in keeping me spiritually strong. Having a sister in Christ to pray with and share your hopes and fears and all the tremendous ways that God is impacting our lives is so incredibly rewarding and empowering.

Historically however, the most life changing Spiritual events have usually happened at church and in fellowship with a COMMUNITY again. So stepping out, and making time for your Spiritual growth by sharing it in community with others is part of how God works in our souls! I physically feel God the most when I am praying with or around others at church or other small gatherings.

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

Well, while these options might seem like a giant check list of all the new accountability strategies you should now implement, I actually really just want to make things easier on you!

I privileged that I have an option that might just be your BEST SOLUTION to hold yourself accountable in ALL 3 areas: Mind, Body & Soul! –> It’s ME!

You see, I have been a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutritionist for years and (as you all know by now) have given up those wonderful careers in an effort to BE MORE for people and to help more in the REAL changes that need to occur for long-lasting weight loss to occur.

I love trainers and gyms and everything involved, but those accountability partners usually only cover those BODY goals. And while they might work to push us and strengthen us, it will come with a pretty expensive price tag ($75-$100/hour) and no guaranteed results! (Again, exercise is just 25% of the issue!)

So, embarking on VIRTUAL HEALTH COACHING venture was risky but has been WORTH IT for both myself and my clients!

I have become a TRIFECTA of Accountability Partners for these women and have pushed them all to gain strength in their BODYS, MINDS and SOULS all at once and am seeing some incredible results!

–Clients that were obsessive about their diets have been able to reign in their fear-based diet approach.
–Clients that were severely out of shape have found the exact steps to get back into shape.
–Clients that thought they needed to be overly restrictive and exercising all the time have found success on doing the least amount required and eating as much as possible!
–Clients that are ready to step out and do big bold things for their health, are conquering their dreams!

Up until now, my health coaching has just included these great services:

  • Weekly 30-60 minute phone call to connect and discuss their weekly goals.
  • A Self Empowered Guided Nutrition Plan
  • Lots of Personalized Strategies for goals
  • Daily Emails and Texts to Check In
  • ADD-On Option: Personalized Workouts

I have GREAT NEWS, right now, I’m offering all the same great services PLUS MORE all for about the same cost!!

Now, I have created a 12-Week SURREND’her HEALTH TRANSFORMATION Module Program that ensures you will LEARN what you need to learn in order to be successful in your health FOREVER.

Every 2-weeks, we will cover a very important topic that will educate you and get you thinking MORE about some important aspects of the BODY, MIND and SOUL that you MUST learn in order to achieve true strength.

I have chosen topics after carefully considering the most COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS and problems I’ve seen with clients as well as those most FREQUENT CONCERNS I have for MYSELF!

The 12-Week SURREND’her HEALTH TRANSFORMATION 6-Modules Include:

  1. SURREND’her Goal Development
  2. METABOLISM 101
  3. NUTRIENT-BASED Body
  4. EMPOW’hered TRAINING
  5. MIND MATTERS – (Patience, Comparing Yourself to Others, Addictions/Cravings etc.)
  6. SURREND’her to your WHY- Greater Purpose Week

So, here’s the deal, in order to be really effective as a Health Coach, I can’t have too many clients at once. It does not work to spread myself too thin. Therefore, I have to limit the number of clients I accept to this program.

Right now, I only have 3 Open Spots left available in my roster.

This will ensure that if you apply and are accepted for the 12-week transformation, you will get the best customer service care I can offer you and you can rest assured that I will be that accountability partner that you need!

I am offering FREE 20-Min phonecalls to anyone that wants to chat and see if we’re a “Wright Fit” for Virtual Coaching. Please email me at amanda@amandawrightfit.com to set that up!

Health Coaching with Amanda Wright