Whyfit

Most people think if they don't have 1-2 hours, 3-5 days per week to dedicate toward exercise that there's no point in doing anything because that's what it takes to get in shape, right? 🤔

WRONG!

Maybe you genuinely can't fit another hour into your schedule.

Maybe you're not conditioned enough to go an hour straight yet.

Maybe you're trying to get back into the swing of things and need to start slowly.

Or maybe you're just not that into exercise. (i.e. you haven't found something you find fun yet 😉)

The good news is, you don't need to dedicate the prescribed 3-10 hours of moderate-to-intense exercise per week to start making improvements in your health!

Personally, after some major changes in the last year, I've been putting in 10-15 minutes 5-6 days per week for a few months now. With a sensible plan and consistency, my routine allows me to make incremental progress while juggling jobs, family, hobbies, etc.

Don't just take my word for it. Scroll right to see what has to say about consistency! 😃

So start slow, start small, start simple.
Just keep going! 😁💪🏽

🗻 Mindset I Meals I Movement 🗻

It's another Thankful Thursday! 🙏🏾

You know what I'm thankful for? Not trees lol. (But yes, trees 🌲🌲🎄)

I'm thankful for having time to relax and reset. 😌

I have a rare day off from my other job in the middle of the week. With all this time on my hands, my mind immediately springs to the running list of tasks and anxiety provoking challenges I have on my plate. Who knows what that's like? 🙋🏾‍♂️

But after stewing and groaning for a bit, I meditated, calmed my racing mind 🧠🏁 and got real.

You can't do everything in a day. But you can do something. You can do something important or productive or helpful. And something is better than nothing!

So I cut my list down to a few high priority items and just a couple of easy wins (like a quick clean out of my car). Instantly, I felt a little release of tension. 💆🏾‍♂️

So, as I sit here with my morning coffee, charging myself and my laptop, I feel grateful for the realization that I DO have time. And so do you!

You don't always need a whole day to reset your mindset. If you have a few minutes, you have time to:

✅ LIST THINGS YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR!!
✅ Meditate ☮️
✅ Call a loved one or friend who puts you in a good mood 😊
✅ Read a few pages of a good fiction book 📚
✅ Yoga 🧘🏽‍♀️
✅ *Quiet coffee break away from your desk ☕
✅ Take a nap 😴
✅ Eat a good meal without your phone 🥘🍜🍓
✅ Take a walk somewhere quiet 🤫
✅ Take a stretch/mobility break

All these things are proven to improve your mood, promote relaxation, and makes dealing with inevitable stressors easier. 😅

*if you are sensitive to caffeine, this one may not always help you destress

It's Thankful Thursday! 🥳

One of the many things I'm thankful for is fresh ingredients 🥗. I've been able to make so many simple and delicious meals for my family lately. That's only possible because I have access to quality ingredients from nearby grocery stores and public markets with locally sourced food! 👩🏻‍🌾🚜

Every week I'm looking for new whole food recipes to try out! And I know my local markets and stores have got me covered! 👍🏽

Pictures: 4 whole eggs, onion and spinach, all locally sourced. 🍳

Follow for more simple, healthful meals!

🗻 Mindset I Meals I Movement 🗻

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude is necessary to keep a proper outlook on life. It allows you persist, especially during challenging times! So I'd like to welcome you all to join me in taking a little time each week to express what YOU'RE thankful for; both little and large. I'll start 😁.

Tomorrow morning I get a rare opportunity to sleep in a bit 😪. So thankful for that as I really feel that I can use it. Anybody second that? 🙋🏾‍♂️

Here's a body wash by that helps me prepare for deep, restorative night's sleep 🥱

Swipe for a few tips on how to improve your own sleep!

Night, everyone! 💤

(The infographic image is provided by Precision Nutrition)

We all struggle with something. And when we are struggling, it is normal to seek outside help.

But sometimes, we pretend we're asking for advice, when in reality we're looking for someone to validate what we already think and how we already feel.

Usually, this looks like asking someone for their advice and then immediately firing off all the reasons their advice doesn't work for you. It might look something like this:

🤷 How can I lose weight?
🤔 Drink more water, eat more whole foods.
🤷 But I don't like water and I'm too busy to cook.

🤷 I'm going to go on a diet. Which one do you think I should do?
🤔 I heard eating more protein and cutting down on sugar does wonders.
🤷 Well, I'm not cutting down on sugar. Maybe I'll go vegan.
🤔 Then why'd you ask?

Before you go to someone for advice, ask yourself first, "Am I seeking counsel or confirmation?" Sometimes we need to vent our frustrations. And that's good. But don't do it under the guise of seeking advice when you aren't willing to be receptive to options.

If you find yourself immediately coming up with reasons the advice you've received won't work for you or why you don't like it, chances are you're just feeling anxiety or self-doubt.

If you want the help and counsel of others, prepare yourself mentally to receive ideas that don't sound appealing or make you uncomfortable. After all, growth is uncomfortable. So if your initial response to receiving a friend's or a professional's advice is anxiety or discomfort, embrace it. Ask yourself why you're responding that way. And maybe give it a try. It could be the push you need.

Did you know that 20% of deaths from heart disease in the US are adults under 65 years old?

Did you know the U.S. Department of Education has an annual budget of $68 billion dollars?

I propose that in one of the world's wealthiest nations, we should end the epidemic of preventable disease.

I propose longer, healthier lives without reliance on pharmaceuticals and a burden on the health care system.

I propose that since no other organization in the U.S. can reach as many children as the U.S. Department of Education, the greatest significant shift must start there.

THOUGHTS?

Are you waiting to feel motivated to eat different, to move and exercise more, to take control of your health?

Let me let you in on a little known fact. Motivation doesn't have to come before action.

In fact, motivation can often FOLLOW action, instead of precede it. Sometimes we do what we know we should even though we don't want to. And afterward, we feel good about it.

Don't feel like working out. Cool. Do it anyway.
Don't feel like cooking that healthy meal. That's fine. Do it anyway.
Don't feel like making a plan to get your health under control. I hear ya. Do it anyway.

You'll be glad you did.

Nowadays everyone has heard that it is important to stay hydrated. Instead of listing all of the necessary and positive things water does for your body, I'll approach it from a different angle.

Plain water, or as I like to call it, WATER, is still best.

Many sweetened beverages CONTAIN water. That does not mean they ARE water or that drinking them "counts" as drinking water. You can only add so much to your water in the way of sweeteners and artificial coloring before it ceases to be water. Water is the first ingredient in every soda, coffee and juice from concentrate. Drinking a half gallon of these a day is not ideal. 🚫

HOWEVER, I believe in starting from where you're at. Many people are not used to drinking more than a few ounces of water per day, or even none. If that is you, adding a powdered beverage mixer like Crystal Light is certainly preferable to drinking sodas and artificial juices. If that gets you away from the outrageous amounts of sugar and chemicals found in sodas and fake juices, go for it!

The downside to something like that is the artificial sweetener aspartame (found in many of these mixes) and food colorings MAY have adverse side effects if taken in large quantities. The jury is still out on that as I do not believe any long-term studies have been done on aspartame. Certain food colorings do bother some people. I once broke out in hives from a blue dye found in Jell-O 🤷.

💧 H2O is still the G.O.A.T. 💧

MEALS - MINDSET - MOVEMENT

Contact me today!

DM for FREE consultation! 😀

I believe you can reach your goals. Want more energy? Want to get off those medications? Want to fit your clothes better? Want to feel more confident at the beach? Want to get control of your eating? Want to regain control of your health? Want to feel younger and stronger for decades to come?

I 💯% believe you can do it. But if you've been trying on your own and you're not seeing results, then maybe it's time to enlist some help.

I am a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, and even I have enlisted the help of trainers and coaches to help me make improvements and keep me accountable. Getting help doesn't make you incapable, incompetent or weak-willed. It simply means you've identified a challenge and recognize that someone else can aid you in overcoming that challenge.

Taking an honest look at what we're doing, what's working and what's not, can be a struggle.

How long have you been trying to reach that goal? 3 months? 6 months? A year? More?

WhyFit offers professional nutrition coaching. I don't just tell you what or when to eat.

WhyFit will help you gain the skills, build the confidence, and develop the habits and mindset that will last a lifetime.

Contact me today!

DM for FREE consultation! 😀

ONE month of thinking positive, ONE week of eating clean, ONE day of intense exercise will not develop you.

Doing these things CONSISTENTLY will! And that's the hardest exercise you'll ever know.

Whether it's with developing a growth mindset, eating a little better or exercising consistently, consistency is the key. Improvements will only come with consistency. So focus on being consistent, NOT being perfect.

I can help you with that! I help keep my clients consistent with weekly check-ins and by reaching out during the week. A weekly dose of encouragement and problem solving will help you overcome the consistency hurdle in no time flat. And we'll build on your successes and overcome your challenges TOGETHER.

Contact me today!

DM for FREE consultation! 😀

I firmly believe the U.S. public education system is in dire need of reform. And one of the main improvements I believe should and needs to be made are in the areas of health and physical education courses.

We live in a nation where, according to the CDC, the vast majority of deaths ever year are caused by preventable disease. We also have an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that diet and degree and consistency of physical activity, are the two most crucial factors affecting long-term health.

Why is it then that in our public schools health and physical education are 2 separate classes with 2 separate curriculums? Health pertains to our bodies. Divorcing the behaviors of physical activity and diet from the topic of health in the classroom divorces these things in our minds from a young age.

There needs to be a more integrated and behavioral approach to physical education in our public schools. Health IS physical education. Physical education IS health.

DM for FREE consultation! 😀