Using stitches instead of band-aids

As a personal trainer I hear lots of statements like this – “I have a party this weekend and NEED to fit into my black dress” or “I have a vacation in three weeks and NEED to be down 20lbs.” Hate to break it to you but it’s not that simple. Sure I could tell you to stop eating all carbohydrates, exercise like the energizer bunny and cut calories down to nearly nothing. Would you loose weight? Sure. Would you maintain what you had lost? NO! There is only one secret I know to loosing fat and it is – CLEAN EATING.

There will be fads that come across the fitness forefront like Visalus, Isagenix, the cabbage soup diet, and many other “quick fixes”. You will hear testimonials of people loosing weight in a flash. These people took the easy way out. Loosing weight is hard and I guarantee it will be an uphill climb. ANYONE can loose weight when they are consuming 500 calories of shakes or soups a day but it is merely a band-aid. They will not be able to do this forever. Clean eating is a lifestyle change.

How do I know? I know because I have been there. When I was in high school I went through a stage in my life where I was obsessed with becoming a certain weight. I counted calories allowing myself 300-400 a day and then did cardio where I would burn off double the calories I ate. Yes, I had an eating disorder and in my opinion that is what these fad diets are setting you up for.

After I reached my “goal weight” it was nearly impossible to maintain. So I began to cut my calories even more. My disorder became worse and I went through a period of bulimia. Eventually it became apparent to close friends and family that I was getting to thin. I was unhealthy, unhappy and absolutely exhausted all the time.

I can remember the day my mother introduced the new concept of clean eating to me. I still remember being baffled at having to eat more to lose more; as I had trained myself to do the opposite.

One of the main points was to eat protein and carbohydrates every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism revved and not count all calories as equal. It wasn’t about counting calories but about the nutrition value in food and instead counting fats, proteins and carbohydrates rather than overall calories. Clean eating taught me how to be healthy.

As I began to lift weights and eat clean the number on the scale went up but my body completely transformed. I had curves, muscle tone and best of all was no longer “skinny fat” - I was healthy.

I know what it is like to lose weight. I have had to loose 20+ pounds both times I competed in order to be ready. I don’t slash down calories but I consume more greens, less carbohydrates and more protein depending on what stage of the process I am at. I give myself 15-20 weeks to do this and never expect myself to loose more than 2lbs per week.

Right now I am eating around 1200 calories a day and still loosing!! It is the type of foods you eat not the amount calories you consume. I don’t even count calories anymore I only count carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You would be surprised to see the amount of food on my meal plan.

I hear- “I have to eat more so I can loose more?” nearly every time I introduce this concept to a client and it still makes me smile

Check out “The Eat Clean Diet” By Tosca Reno.

I am a Holistic Lifestyle coach and do online meal plans if you need education and help. Teaching this concept is my favourite part of my job as it completely changed my body, mind and life. Let if change yours too.


Your Friend in Food and Fitness,

Sarah Rennick
bodyrevival@hotmail.ca

Making Your Resolutions Come True- Part 2

The holiday excitement is over. Your social schedule has slowed down and you are ready to commit to a fitness goal.

I find resolutions to be very vague- “I am going to loose weight this year” “I am going to start going to the gym”, “I am going to build more muscle this year” or “I will not eat ______ this year”.

What happens when you slip up? What happens when you have to go away for a week and don’t have access to a gym? What happens when your goal is taking so long to achieve that you loose your motivation? YOU FAIL. By setting a goal so big it is nearly unattainable you are setting yourself up for failure.

Start a goal journal! When beginning your goal journal I suggest you make three lists: 6 month goals, 1 year goals and 2 year goals. There may be big things you want to achieve that will take longer than this year- the 2 year column is where you would write these goals. I don’t like the word resolution I like the words small goals. You shouldn’t have one big resolution you should have 10-20 small realistic goals per column. Studies have proven that when a goal is written down you are more likely to achieve it.

Don’t make your goals vague and overwhelming “I’m going to loose weight” instead write something like “I’m going to loose 10lbs by March 1st” This not only gives you a deadline but it is very possible that you could achieve or surpass this goal. If this was your goal you should have small goals surrounding it as to how you will achieve it. “I will do 30 minutes of cardio every week day”, “I will do 30 minutes of weights every other day”, and “I will eat clean 90% of the time”.

Here are some examples that I have in my journal:

6 month goals:
Compete in the Cobourg Naturals- April 2012
Follow my contest diet 100%


1 year goals:
Qualify to compete at OPA provincials
Stay withine 7lbs of my contest weight post-show

2 year goals:
Complete second level of Holistic Coaching
Have a published fitness article
IFBB PRO :)

As you can see I didn’t overwhelm myself with big unrealistic goals. I set small goals and left my larger goals for 2013.

Share your goals! Show close friends and family your lists; sharing your goals holds you accountable to achieving them. Plan! Make detailed plans as to how you are going to achieve your goals. This is how you can fill the pages of your journal. Every Sunday write in detail what you are going to do the following week to get yourself closer to your goals.

Stay tuned for my video on goal setting :)

YOUR FRIEND IN FOOD AND FITNESS
Sarah Rennick

Making Your Resolutions Come True- Part 1

December is the one month a year that doesn’t slow down. Family gatherings, friends parties, hours spent baking, shopping, wrapping, writing cards, and all the other activities that seem to fill all the boxes on our December calendars. It’s no wonder that when the next month rolls around we are ready to make big resolution statements in hopes of a happier New Year.

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and is helping those cookies onto your waistline. Our ancestors faced life threatening situations and these were the only times the body was to be under stress and to release cortisol. Our body had two responses to these situations- fight or flight. This works great when you have a large animal running in your directions but not in 2011 when every situation seems to carry some level of stress. It is important to let cortisol levels live short lives as they can: suppress thyroid function, causes blood sugar imbalances, raise blood pressure, impair memory, lower our bodies immunity, and increase abdominal fat! Some estimates say that stress is related to 40-80% of all doctor visits! It causes things like depression, peptic ulcers, and headaches. It is thought by medical professionals that stress may be a factor in the formation of bigger diseases like cancer.

Here are some tips to lower your cortisol levels and lower the amount of stressful situations in your life:

1. Ask yourself- Will this matter in 1 month, in 1 year, in 2 years time?

2. Don’t resort to the chocolate- this is going to spike your blood sugar and you’re your body under, Guess what? MORE STRESS!!

3. Take a walk or do a workout! This is going to help lower stress and you will feel great after a good sweat.

4. Eat healthy! If you are a person that is getting stressed out often this is huge for you. Clean eating can make a difference in how you react to situations by keeping your mind sharp.

5. Regulate your metabolism. Don’t let hunger be a reason that you react poorly to a situation. Drink 2L+ per day and fuel your metabolism every 2-3 hours with complete meals (carbohydrates, proteins and fats)

6. Journal. Before bed write down things that you can’t get off your mind. This will give you time to think about them later and allow for a thought out solution.

7. Before you go to sleep make a list of everything you are thankful for. When I do this I include small gestures, people that are important and any other things that stood out that day. In the morning read these things and see how positive your day is.

8. Go to bed by 10:30 every night. Sleep deprivation can cause an increase in stress to your mind and body.

9. Make to do lists! Don’t expect yourself to do all your Christmas chores in one day. Split them up evenly amongst the remaining days. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you check each item off and less stressed about getting everything done on time.

10. Meditate. You can do this one in the car going to work, before bed or when you have a break during the day. Put a song like this song on your ipod:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSgPDKG6bB0&feature=relmfu
It is 10 minutes long which is just enough time to get relaxed but not to long to take away from things you need to accomplish that day. Practice deep breathing. Breathe in the positive and out the negative. Try to focus on only the breath allowing your mind to completely relax.

Make lower cortisol levels one of your New Years Resolutions!

Stay tuned for my next article on achieving your 2012 New Years Resolutions

You’re Friend in Food and Fitness,
Sarah Rennick

Your Checklist For a Healthy Holiday

YOUR CHECKLIST FOR A HEALTHY HOLIDAY

1. ENSURE YOU ARE DRINKING AT LEAST 2L OF WATER EVERYDAY. WHEN YOU ARE DEHYDRATED YOUR BODY OFTEN MISTAKES THIRST FOR HUNGER.

2. TRY TO PICK 2 DAYS OUT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO INDULGE WITH FAMILY. DON'T GO OVERBOARD AT EVERY CHRISTMAS PARTY!! IF YOU HAVE 2 DAYS TO LOOK FORWARD TO YOU WILL NOT FEEL SO TEMPTED IN EVERY SITUATION.

3. TRY A 15 MINUTE LIGHT WALK AFTER YOUR TURKEY DINNER. THIS WILL AID IN DIGESTION AND MAKE YOU FEEL LESS GUILTY FOR A SPLURGE.

4. SAVE YOUR TURKEY!! THIS IS AN AMAZING SOURCE OF PROTEIN AND MAKES GREAT LEFTOVERS TO A HEALTHY START AFTER THE BIG DAY.

5. EAT 30 MINUTES BEFORE GOING TO A HOLIDAY PARTY. THIS WILL SAVE YOU FROM MINDLESS SNACKING ON THE APPETIZERS!

6. MONITOR YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION! ALCOHOL IS POISON TO YOUR BODY AND WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOUR WORKOUT FOR THE WEEK FOLLOWING CONSUMPTION. SAVE THE DRINKS FOR SELECT SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND TRY TO KEEP IT AT 1-2 DRINKS!

7. GET MOVING! JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE HOLIDAY'S DOES NOT MEAN YOUR WORKOUTS SHOULD STOP.

8. EVERY BITE COUNTS! DON`T ASSUME YOU ARE BEING ``GOOD`` BY JUST HAVING ONE BITE. THOSE CALORIES ADD UP QUICKLY! SAVE THE TREATS FOR THOSE SPECIAL 2 DAYS WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO INDULGE.

9. SKATE! WHAT A GREAT CARDIO WORKOUT THAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LOVED ONES OVER THE HOLIDAYS.

10. SWITCH ONE OF YOUR TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY DISHES TO A CLEAN HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE! YOUR FAMILY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE ;)

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

"Mental toughness will take you straight to the top, mental weakness straight to the bottom”

The most important thing competing has taught me is mental toughness. In order to succeed physically this is something that needs to be present in your every day life. The two major obstacles in the way of gaining mental toughness are self doubt and your emotions. I call this the wall. This is something I have been experiencing since my last show in June. I didn’t place as high as I had expected and this made me doubt myself and what I could do. My emotions often times got the best of me and I lost my ability to be mentally tough.

If a craving arose I was not able to fight it, if I were too tired I wasn’t able to push myself to get to the gym my mind wasn’t in the game. I find it takes 3 full weeks of fighting those cravings, those doubts, those moments of giving up, 3 weeks of I can’s before you have broken the wall.
For me a big obstacle is peanut butter, yes I know it doesn’t sound that bad but it is! I have learned that this is a food I easily become addicted to, I don’t eat one tablespoon I eat five tablespoons. I tried to fight it but when that craving arose I found myself back into the jar. It was like an instinct if I wanted it I had it no ifs ands or buts!

When you are mentally tough you get this feeling of guilt, a choice and every time you fight it you become stronger than you were before. It’s having everything in your day done perfectly just as you had planned. You are disciplined and run like you are programmed to follow everything you have set out for yourself.

It has taken me 6 months to have these five perfect days. Those five days are the longest I have been mentally tough since my last show preparation.

Those days reminded me of how mentally tough I am and they didn’t happen until I was able to believe in myself. When you have self doubt you will never reach your full potential. Whatever goal you have don’t be scared to say it out loud. Say it every day, say it every time you fight a craving, or conquer a workout. You are as powerful as you allow yourself to be. Don’t let the challenges of life beat you down or stand in front of the road to your goal.

I have conquered the work week now I have to learn to do the same with the weekend. I’m not saying my diet has fallen off on those days I don’t call “perfect” They are simply days that my diet isn’t 100% the same as my meal plan on paper. I am mentally tough and will get those 7 perfect days this week.

I never said this was going to be easy, if it was I would have never lost my mental toughness. You might not be mentally tough every second of everyday but the more your resist the stronger you become. I have a quote on my mirror that says “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you they are supposed to help you realize how strong you are”

YOUR FRIEND IN FOOD AND FITNESS,

SARAH RENNICK

SLEEP

Everyone knows the importance of it but how many of us get it in every night. Does the deadline at work, the late night dinner or the busy day get in the way of your beauty sleep?

I’ll be the first to admit that this is one area I still struggle with. For months I had saved my workout for 9pm, ate, cooked and then watched a movieto fall asleep. Little did I know all of these things I thought were healthy behaviours were disrupting my natural circadian rhythm. This is your internal “body clock” our bodies are hardwired to begin a cycle of repair at 10:30pm. This is based on sundown and sunset. Our ancestors did not have lights, computers, or televisions. This means that when it became dusk they began to wind down and get ready to sleep, when it was dawn they arose ready to start the day. By using lights we are tricking out bodies into thinking that it is still daytime and that we need to be awake.

“Repair cycles” start at 10:30 and end at 6am. Your body first begins its physical repair, and then moves along to psychological repair. It has been proven that sleeping during these times helps workout recovery time and improves memory.

I had previously been going to bed at 12:00am every night without knowing I was missing out on an hour and a half of physical repair that my body so desperately needs!

How to help your body adjust:

Lighting
In the hour before you go to sleep you should use dim lights and do something that relaxes you. Read a book, have a bath, or practice meditation. Do not go turn on the television or surf the web. These bright lights will have your body assuming it is still day time and that your body and mind should be fully awake.

Changing habits
If you currently go to bed at 12 (like I had) slowly begin to make the time you get to sleep earlier. Start the first week at 11:45 etc. move in 15 minute increments until you are asleep at 10:30.

Power nap
If you are enjoying lengthy naps throughout the day you are going to disrupt your sleep cycle. Enjoy 10-20 minute “power naps” These will allow you to energize your body without entering a deep REM cycle.

Relive stress
Practice deep breathing, meditation, yoga, journaling thoughts or any other activity that will allow you to let go of the heavy stress that weighs you down. This will help your mind relax and allow you to fall asleep easier.


Workouts
Workouts are stimulating and may cause surges in hormones that cause us to be more alert. Have you ever heard the saying “You will have more energy after you exercise?”


This is still an area I am at work on. On busy days I might not have a choice but to workout at 9pm. Stress may get the best of me and keep my mind racing. I may have meal plans or workouts to write that I didn’t have time to do during a hectic day. Yes, all of these things still get in my way as life continues to be busy but by using these tips I have been able to greatly improve my length of sleep, I feel more rested in the morning and find that my memory has improved.

Wild Rice and Bean Salad

Wild Rice and Bean Salad

Beans are a great source of protein when you are on a budget! This dish makes 8-10 servings and is a great lunch or dinner alternative when you are pressed for time. I was inspired for this dish by burritos! This is a healthier way to have a mexican fiesta!

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 can stewing tomatos (low sodium)
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 red peppers

Heat a medium sized sauce pan with olive oil. Add chopped onions and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add chopped red peppers and let simmer for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Pour in black peans, chickpeas and stewing tomatos along with all spices listed. Let sit for 10 minutes on medium heat. Remove from stovetop and strain excess juices. Place the mixture in a large serving bowl. Set aside.

Place 1 1/4 cups wild rice and 2 tblsp coconut oil in a saucepan. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 45-60 minutes (until all water has evaporated and rice is soft) Strain rice and mix it into the bean salad.

Serve hot or cold!