READY, SET, GO!!

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Health and Wellness can be a bit of a roller coaster. One day we nail our workout, celebrate with a green smoothie, and count the calories. On other days we fall victim to the short-term comfort of processed foods and sugars. When our blood sugar spikes, we become hungry and moody. Irritability and inflammation happen when we eat acidic foods. When we eat too much from one space in the food pyramid, our body stores it up. Overcoming the peaks and valleys of our diet is hard, but it can be done. We will create healthy habits over these next 12 weeks.

Before I talk diet and exercise, I want to cover the Inner Critic, that devil on our shoulder who takes pleasure in taunting you along the way. The Inner Critic thrives on judging and demeaning us. It is important to learn how to overcome the adversity and obstacles that stand or have been standing in the way of the lifestyle changes that are on your bucket list.

An amazing client made a wise statement in a session that I wrote down, "No one is going to lose my weight for me, I need to make the change." The first step toward change, is acknowledging that YOU and YOU alone are responsible to declaring what YOU want, and plotting a course of action.

In order to overcome our obstacles, you have to learn to change the conversation in your head. Stop the conversation with the mirror, stop the conversation with the scale, and stop the conversation you have when you are not seeing results. There are 2 options:

1. Befriend it and mold it into your greatest ally.

2. Ignore it, Fight it, and Overcome it.

It is time to take control of the things you want for your life. We have this one body to live in this lifetime, and only we can make the choice to take care of it. When the Inner Critic tells you that you are going to fail, it will be you that looks it in the eye and says, "Not Today."

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Here are a few rules of thumb as we start off on this 12-Week challenge:

1. Eat different types of fruits and vegetables with all of your meals, and pack them as light snacks to eat throughout the day.

2. Stay away from ALL processed foods.

3. Eat lean meat occasionally - animal proteins are high in acid which can cause inflammation.

4. Avoid carbohydrates in the starch family - select whole grains and/or legumes which are higher in protein.

Let's keep the dietary changes simple this first week:

1. Drink water - drink 8-10 glasses of water daily (herbal teas and flavored water counts). Stay away from soda, energy drinks, and any other sugar-filled drinks that tempt your throughout the day.

2. Alcohol - I have cut out drinking, but the Center for Disease Control recommends that women consume no more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day, and men consume no more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day.

3. Plan a variety of foods with you meals - opt for a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. The goal is to create a diet high in vitamins and minerals.

4. Hit your Farmer's Market - there is nothing better than fresh nutritious food that has not been treated with pesticides.

5. Keep the vegetables coming - fill yourself up with nutrient rich choices that are filled with fiber.

We are not counting calories this week. We are implementing healthy change.

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And now for exercise...

Exercise stimulates our brain's ability to focus. When we exercise, our heart rates rise and pump oxygen into our blood. The result, we give our brains the fuel to generate new neurons.

So for this first week, I am asking you to get out a piece of paper. Write down 1 activity that you will commit to doing 3 times this week, sign your name, and hang it where you will see it (your door, your mirror, or even set a reminder on your phone).

I am not asking you to drop $100 on the next great fitness program, because finding an activity to participate in can be as simple as taking a walk in your neighborhood or local park. For some, it might mean taking the pile of clothes off the treadmill and/or elliptical machine. Others may have programs sitting on their shelves, and now is the perfect time to dust them off and hit play. Whatever it is, this week it a 3 day commitment.

My own commitment is to dive back into Insanity Max: 30 with Shaun T. I am a member of Beach Body on Demand, however I invest in it because it works for me. I have the ability to create hybrid workout plans with the programs and workouts that work best for me.

My 3 suggestions for this week:

1. If you are going to weigh yourself, do it tomorrow morning and forget about it until day 30.

2. Take measurements: Arms, chest, waist, hips, butt, and thighs. Take measurements every Monday.

3. Do not choose an activity you will not enjoy. If you have to force yourself, you are allowing your Inner Critic to ride shotgun on your journey.

I can say from my own experience that I am at my best when I am maintaining my clean diet, drinking water, and waking up early enough to get in a 30-minute workout. I cannot wait to see the results of this challenge!! Don't limit your challenges, let's challenge our limits.