Its official! The HOLIDAYS have begun! Which means family, parties, celebrating with traditions and the food…… So of course with the holidays comes the guilt of eating way too much food then complaining how our pants fit (or don’t lol). We eat really healthy leading up to the holidays and then we binge eat and just say “F**K it, Im going to just eat whatever I want” and thus starts the vicious circle of our health journey. We may put off to the healthier eating till the first of the year like the other millions of Americans do every January, only to fall off the wagon by February because of diet culture burnout. I like to look at the bigger picture personally. The OVERALL health goal. Let me tell you why……
In 2006 my father passed away from pancreatic cancer. My mother is also a breast cancer survivor. My aunts on both sides of my family have had cancer (unfortunately one succumbed to it). Both my grandparents had it….and the list goes on. For those who have worked with me, I have said that its not “IF” I get cancer, its more like “WHEN” I get cancer. I have accepted the fact that I will have to put up a good fight to be there for my family. But I am already fighting by exercising and eating decent. Now that’s not to say that I enjoy my chocolate and sweets! Because I certainly do! I love it! But I have to look at the bigger picture of my overall health so that I can keep fighting that battle. We tend to see our lives in the granular moment. Like how many calories did I have today, or how many times did I workout this week. But maybe look at it from a bigger perspective like how many days of the year did I exercise? Did I yoyo on my diet this year? Did I lose 10 pounds only to gain back 20? Get the picture??
Take a good look at your LONG TERM goals and not just wanting to fit into that cute pair of jeans from when you were 12….What does your long term goals look like for you in the next 5 years? What are the ramifications of what we do now to our bodies when we age above 50? As a person that is surrounded by cancer, I am TERRIFIED of it. Probably to almost a fault, but I have great reasons to. My husband and I both waited to have kids until he was 40 and I was 34. That is now considered to be “old” to have kids but we were not ready when we were younger. That means as we age, there are bigger risks for us as parents. The battle that I fight now is how healthy am I eating? Do I eat enough? Do I workout enough? Maybe I workout too much and wreck my body, will Quilla then have to care for me in a way that is more difficult for her?
In the past, I have mentioned moderation. It means not too much, not too little. It is perfectly fine to have a cocktail every now and then. It is definitely ok to partake in those family celebrations with a big meal. But think about how often you do it. Think about those long term goals. Remind yourself of what you see your older self look like. What will drinking five times a week do to your body? What will smoking do to your body? What will not eating enough fresh veggies do to your body? It may not seem like that much now, but compound it year after year after year. What small changes can you make now that will have a big impact in the future?
That brings me to my next point is how to get started. Long term change takes time and work so giving yourself enough grace and time to make new goals stick. So next month’s topic is how to accomplish that-just in time for the new years resolutions. Maybe do one small obtainable goal for the first six months. It takes an average of 6-8 weeks for a new habit to take hold. Also do not make them overly complicated or do multiple changes at once.
MONTHLY RECIPE
Now time for our monthly recipe!! But this time I am going to suggest something different. I see moms on Facebook asking for new recipes that are FAST. But what if you need fast and healthy? When I first started my new way of eating, I had a baby so it wasn’t like I had time to actually cook a meal. Most of the time, Quilla was wanting to be held or was sucking on a bottle. Once I finished dinner, there was still the dishes that my husband had to clean. So we simplified it even more. We used the grill! I swear that grill is like my extra appendage. Steam-n-a-bag veggies were my next go to thing. Then fixing a grain or a starchy veggie was really the only thing left. If I was in a real bind, steamable bags of rice worked great but they are usually packed with additives. So things like couscous worked well because they didn’t take long to cook and with the serving size suggestion, it would last us a few meals (hello leftovers!).
Measure them out according to your macronutrients and boom you are done. Dinners do not have to be fancy! Meals do not have to complicated! Pick a night or two when you know you have extra time to do those fun more complicated meals. Plus these meals should be some of the cheapest to create. Steam in a bag veggies are usually $0.99 to $1.10 per bag. One bag can feed two adults and one child. Each protein portion is 4oz (5oz for seafood or vegan), which is considerably cheaper than serving 8+ ounces per person. Then your grains can be just as cheap as your veggies! On average, our meal per person in our house $4.00 max. The breakdown is below:
KISS- Keep It Simple Silly
Grilled meat - $2.50 to $3.50 per serving
Steam in a bag veggies - $0.38 per person
Quick grains or starchy veggie $0.75 per serving
Try this out with your next meal and see how quickly you can get a healthy meal on the table. If you do not have a grill, consider your air fryer. That too has quickly become a staple in our house if the grill is not an option. If you are considering meal prepping, this same idea can really simplify your lunch prep.
SPECIAL OF THE MONTH
Instead of a workout, I am going to mention our BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS! This is the perfect time to ask family for money for training sessions. We are so focused on things to buy that we tend to forget experiences. Christmas is now right around the corner, which means we are probably already shopping for those gifts. I know we are!
RETURNING CLIENTS! If you have been a gym member or have completed personal training with me in the past, this special is for you!!
**Buy any personal training package and get 1 week of FREE meal planning and nutrition help!
That is a $100 value!**
NEW CLIENTS! If you have never trained with me or attended my gym in the past, this is the perfect option for you! I know it is scary to get started on a health journey but my approach is a little different from the stereotypical. It is not always about loosing the weight or getting “skinny," it is learning about YOUR body and how YOU need accomplish your goals. I teach you how to be healthy on your own and be your own advocate. It all boils down to what you want to accomplish. My gym is a supportive, safe mom environment. Learn about your body, pelvic floor, and nutrition all in one place. Sign up for any package and receive 10% more in sessions!
$400.00 10 sessions = 1 extra session ($40.00 value)
$700.00 20 sessions = 2 extra sessions ($70.00 value)
$900.00 30 sessions = 3 extra sessions ($90.00 value)
**PLUS receive my Intro to Nutrition and Organic Gardening booklet for FREE! That is well over $150.00 is savings!!** The booklet contains all of the tips and tricks to help with your nutrition goals, what foods to eat, when to eat, and how much food to eat. It also provides all of the basic tools of starting your own garden so that you can successfully grow your favorite veggies and herbs for your family! With the booklet comes my open book support, so if you have questions and need help along the way, I am there.
These specials will only be available for the month of November and can be used within the next 12 months. Gift certificates are also available for purchase! So purchase now while the special is hott!!
Lastly, I want to thank all of you that gave me such great feedback on the last newsletter. Sometimes I feel like no one is listening and am failing at success. So THANK YOU sincerely for telling me you actually read these! It means so much to me.
As always, go lift all heavy things!
With love
Coach L
The Wellness Barn and Fitness (615) 578-8937