Life's Lessons as Powerful Fuel for Weight-loss Goals

Wellness Wednesday with Life and Weight-loss Coach 
Flossie Alexander of You Can NOW! Coaching

This is so simple that you're likely to dismiss it as obvious. I agree that it sounds like common sense, but it's not commonly applied. When you really put this idea into action, you can push your results through to the next level. 


In a nutshell here's the lesson: 


 In life you will always have your ups and downs, successes and failures. Sometimes things go well for you...sometimes they go poorly. When you succeed or fail, there's always a cause. You can backtrack your results to figure out what caused them. You might not be able to do this perfectly, but you'll usually have a pretty good idea of the contributing factors. 


What caused you to become motivated and put a plan into action? What factors contributed to being consistent with your nutrition? How were you able to stick with a regular exercise program? What went wrong when you lost your focus? What caused you to return to old habits? Once you know the contributing factors to your hits and your misses, your goal is to deliberately do more of what causes the successes and deliberately do less of what caused the failures. 


Of course some of the contributing factors may not be under your direct control, but some of those factors will be. Focus your efforts on what you can control, and don't worry about what's outside your control. Take these steps to recreate successes and develop a plan that fits your lifestyle. 


Is it hard to stay focused on your goals? Do you hate to look in the mirror? Does each Monday mean a "new diet"? Coaching can really help. Learn what's driving you away from your goals and finally have what you really want.

Yours in Health,


Flossie Alexander 
Life/Weight Loss Coach 


About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

Maximize Weight Loss Goals with Exercise

In a recent study of 52 obese men with an average body mass index (BMI) of 31, Canadian researchers demonstrated the power of exercise as a weight loss tool.

One group of men dieted, consuming 700 calories per day less than they needed to maintain their weight. Another group walked or jogged on a treadmill at 80 percent of heart rate maximum for about an hour each day, long enough to burn off 700 calories.

After three months, both dieters and exercisers lost the same amount of weight - about 16.5 lbs, or eight percent of their body weight.

Exercisers, however, lost more abdominal fat (4.2 lbs) than dieters (3.3 lbs).

Exercisers also did not lose muscle mass the way dieters did, and got the added benefit of improved cardiovascular fitness.

A third study group kept their weight stable by burning off 700 calories per day with exercise, but making up for it with an extra 700 calories of food.

Although these men did not lose weight, they did lose visceral abdominal fat, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

So the moral to the story is get out and get going! Diet alone may take off the weight but diet combined with exercise is a sure fire way to maximize your weight loss. The folks at You Can NOW! Coaching can assist you in getting the most out of your fitness routine or work with you to design a plan to fit your needs. Contact us today!

Yours in Health

Flossie Alexander
Life/Weight Loss Coach


About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

You Deserve A Break

When we find ourselves going through a difficult time, we tend to put our health on hold; health as in fitness and eating the things we know we should be.  Taking care of ourselves is put on the back burner because it just doesn't seem as important as the next stock market crash.  It seems everywhere you turn, we are bombarded with negative news about the economy, our health, our health care costs rising, new diseases, old diseases, and the list just goes on and on.  If you aren't able to take a weekly vacation to "get away from it all", there really is no break from it.  Or, is there?

Working with people from all different social environments, I have yet to be presented with a situation where the client and I could not come up with a plan where they couldn't take  "a break" on a daily basis from their more than hectic life; to find a short interval in their day to mentally escape from the chaos that surrounds them to refuel and rejuvenate their mind.

The question really is, do we really need a full-blown vacation to feel renewed? refreshed? ready to start again?  The answer to that is, no!  (I am really sure this is one of the reasons why Calgon was invented, which proves my point.) Although, it sure is nice to go to our favorite vacation spot, sit on the dock fishing all night to reflect on life while listening to the crickets chirp, to feel the coolness of the night air on our skin, and to count the stars that you can't see in the city.  However, reality reminds us that we only get to do that a couple of times a year and that really isn't enough to keep us as happy as we were meant to be.

Ask yourself how often do you take 10 minutes just to stretch your legs and take a break from the stressful task you have been working all morning on.  I don't mean to go outside with a coworker to talk about how your day got started with the boring as heck manual you have to pull apart and put back together again, but to actually break away from it.  To go outside of the box you inhabit to explore your surroundings and stimulate your mind with something positive and new.

What was your answer?   Well, if your answer was no or not very often, then take it from me, YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY and EVERY DAY!  Yes, you!  It is a proven fact that if you break away for a 10-minute "hiatus," you come back revived and ready to go!  Who the heck wants to wait for a vacation to feel alive? To be at our best, it only takes 10 minutes for a brisk walk down the street to smell the aroma of the newly bloomed flowers to breathe some freshness into our day to help us take on the rest of the day as if it just started. 

 
We forget sometimes that life is about living and we get caught up in the every day stressors that it throws at us and then we no longer are living it and it is living us.  If you have found yourself in this predicament, you need a healthy living lifestyle coach to get you living life again!  A healthy living lifestyle coach works with you to get you back on the path of feeling good and looking forward to another day, another week, another year!In he words of Jim Rohn: "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."


Be Healthy Every day, You Are Worth It!



Yours in Health,

Flossie Alexander
Life/Weight Loss Coach

About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

5 Ways to Change Your Life

Introducing the newest contributor to My II Sense: Flossie Alexander!

The truth is, that many of us never break free enough from our current habits to even attempt to change. We are paralyzed by fear and trapped in our habits. Others go through the motions of initiating change, but quickly fall back into an existing comfort zone, that is not very "comfortable". (Why would we want to change if we're comfortable?)

Clearly there are many important changes we could make to enrich our lives; we just don't know how to do it. As someone who makes a living by helping others achieve lifestyle changes, I offer the following insights:


What Is Important To You?
Many changes fail because what we are attempting to achieve something that is not really important to us. Before you invest in making a lifestyle change, take some time to get clear on what is really important. Do you want to have more energy to play with your children? Do you want to wear fashionable clothes? Do you want to feel more confident? Paint a vivid picture of what you want!

Create Space
A lifestyle change requires attention, time, focus, effort, and growth. If you are running at 100% capacity, you will not have the time or energy you need to change. To effect change you need to first free some space in your life to devote to your new goals and developing new habits.

Create A Plan
Once you have a clear vision of what you are working towards, break it into smaller, manageable steps and prioritize them. Don't try to do too much all at once. Start with the steps that are the most exciting for you. A small lasting change is the true victory.

Leverage Your Strengths
When you go about making changes, it is important to know what your strengths are, and build on them. Often we focus far too much energy on our weaknesses and shortcomings that make us feel powerless. Focus on your strengths and talents and feel empowered! If you are a great cook, use these skills to prepare satisfying and healthy foods. If you are a great at organizing, develop a schedule or a group.

Stay Focused
It is the intensity and frequency of our attention that reinforces the new perspectives and thought patterns that support our new behaviors. Do not try to make major changes all by yourself. Create a strong support structure around you that will keep you on track and moving forward, past all the inevitable challenges.



Flossie Alexander

Life/Weight Loss Coach


About Flossie: She is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International, a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, Certified Wellness Coach, who has a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into creating and achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http/www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

10 Weight Loss Affirmations to use NOW!

I've ALWAYS struggled with my weight but around the time I transitioned from junior high to high school I made a shift in my thinking and how I RELATE to food. With that simple change in thought patterns – combined with a new found love of weight lifting, affirmations and LOTS of visual information – I was able to lose weight and keep it off for several years. Now, as I 'm getting older I've decided to again dedicate myself to getting fit on all levels. Part of that plan is to reinstate my use of affirmations to reinforce my change in eating habits and workout schedule. Below are a list of 10 that worked for me in the past. I hope they are a positive influence on your fitness goals.

1. I choose not to overeat
   
2. My body is getting healthier and stronger every day.
   
3. Eating healthy is effortless for me
   
4. I'm happy in the skin I'm in
   
5. I enjoy a healthy relationship with food
   
6. My metabolism is strong and works well for me
   
7. Every day I make healthy choices about the foods I eat
   
8. I enjoy the process of being and eating healthier
   
9. I treat my body with the respect it deserves
   
10. I do all the healthy things I can to be healthier
    

Remember, in order for affirmations to have a positive effect you not only need to repeat them as often as you can but also allow the phrase to emerge from your heart as you say it. If you don't feel it then it won't work for you. Below is a great website full of other useful affirmations. Enjoy!

http://www.free-daily-affirmation.com/free-affirmations/weight-loss-affirmations.html



Have a PERFECT day!



Michael

MIIS

Meaningful Meditation for Rest and Relaxation

Image: MRO.org

I've been a serious practitioner of Buddhism for about three years now and a fundamental part of practice is meditation. Meditation can be defined as focusing the mind for the purpose of attaining higher spiritual awareness. This does not mean that you "space out" but requires sincere attention on the object of meditation (the breath, a sound our repetition of a word or phrase called a mantra are typical objects of concentration).

More than just a way of connecting with higher levels of the self, meditation is an effective tool for promoting a sense of relaxation for the body; it can be used to "recharge" after a long day of work for example.

ON SITTING:

The most important aspect of meditation – besides the technique itself – is posture. Below is a link to several recommended positions to use during your practice. If any of the positions prove to be too uncomfortable use the chair position.

http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/meditation.php

You can also download a PDF version here: http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/zazeninst.pdf

ON PRACTICING:

For most meditation practices you will want to find a quiet place free of external distractions. Select one of the seated positions mentioned in the link above ensuring that your posture is as erect as possible (if you find it difficult to do even the seated position you may lay on the floor – it's suggested that you do not practice while lying in bed).

The easiest way to relax is to concentrate on the breath. Breathe in deeply through your nose and into your lower abdomen extending it like a bellows. As you do this, mentally say the word Peace. Exhale fully allowing all the air to leave your abdomen out through your nose; again, mentally say the word Peace as you exhale. Doing this for about 5 – 10 minutes will allow you to begin feeling more relaxed and able to handle stressful situations more calmly. Another "byproduct" of meditation is increased energy. The energy that was once used to maintain your level of stress will be repurposed to other areas of your body including your overall energy level!

With continued practice you will begin noticing all sorts of additional perks while meditating. For more on the subject I recommend reading Moon Over Water by Jessica MacBeth. It's an excellent book with many examples of simple to use meditation techniques. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER:

The meditation information in this article is offered primarily for reference and personal enrichment. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for the advice of a licensed health-care practitioner. Since the actual use of meditative techniques is beyond the author's control, NO expressed or implied guarantee as to their effects can be given, nor liability taken.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Couples Workout Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Couples that workout together stay together.... Cheesy, I know. However, one thing I love about working out with my man is that I get to show him what a bad ass chick I can be. Showing physical strength as well as mental strength can be an exciting and important piece of a relationship.

Also, when working out together you show your man that you care about yourself enough to keep in shape – and this doesn't have to be about vanity, just a sincere desire to look your best. I know we (women) all care about our looks, but working out is so much more powerful than that. Even beyond health benefits, working out can give you both a break from the mental race you run daily you didn't even know you needed.

This deeper perspective can translate beyond just you and hopefully have a positive overflow into other areas and relationships in your life. So, workout to look great, to feel better, and to think well!

In Fitness & In Health,

Chelsea

About the Author: Chelsea is an 11 year fitness industry veteran. During this time she has served as a leader, educator, and manager at various health clubs in Chicago and Florida. Her experience in health club management transcends all departments including fitness, sales, and operations. Chelsea is also an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields. For personal training and other inquiries visit Chelsea at ChelseaFitPro.com or her WordPress blog here.

©2009 Chelsea Kmiec

Diet and Exercise – Who Knew?

Some of you that read MIIS know that my body is prone to suffer lower back pain/spasms (I say my body because I lay no claim to illness. I'm abundantly blessed with Divine health. Sometimes this body forgets and I need to remind it…moving on…). Because I'm not one for taking pain meds I'm always on the lookout for better ways to lessen or completely alleviate the pain all together.

Well I'm reading one of my favorite blogs – Dr Matt's Nutrition News – and he's discussing how you can help the body heal itself of joint inflammation (the source of my body's back pain) with simple changes in diet and increased exercise. At first I'm like whatever but then I think about and realize that there's some truth to his claim.

When I was working for RTA the first few days were torture because I had become used to just loafing around the apartment and hadn't been exercising much. To get to the job I had to walk about 4 blocks and then walk up/down the stairs taking the train to work. If this seems like nothing imagine the feeling of someone digging into your spine with a hot poker or knife and you will understand why this was a challenge for me.

Fortunately for me I had just begun a less meet, more veggies diet. That, combined with the increase in physical activity, helped with the pain. So much so that I was able to begin RUNNING up and down those stairs everyday!

With that being mentioned, if you suffer from inflammation of the joints, degenerative joint disease or arthritis ask your doctor about ways to change your diet and exercise regimen (or assistance with creating one) to see if that doesn't help improve your overall condition BEFORE requesting the latest "wonder drug".

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Gingerly Boost Your Energy – AND Sex Drive!

Most people know that you can use ginger to ease nausea or sooth an upset stomach but how many know of its ENERGIZING properties?!

I came across this discovery while looking for a smoothie recipe I could drink in the morning since I'm not big on eating breakfast (not to mention I'm slow on the go in morning so I need a natural pick me up). I found one called Jungle Juice which is a blend of several bananas, some orange other 100% fruit juice and ginger.

I expected the fruit and juices and thought that ginseng would be the main "stimulant" suggested to increase energy; instead ginger was listed. Of course, me being me, I had to investigate the reason why ginger was used…I found out a LOT!

Ginger root * has enjoyed much fanfare in Asian and other cultures as the go to remedy for colds, upset stomach (via the ginger ale), nausea and even menstrual cramps! Because it aids in digestion it allows the body to absorb more necessary nutrients thus increasing metabolism and giving you a boost of energy.

Far more interesting – and dare I say enjoyable [smile] – is the herbs' ability to increase circulation and blood flow. Fellow MIIS contributor Yanni mentions during her sessions that combining ginger with soda/pop or sparkling wine is a sure fire way to "get the juices flowing"! How about that?! And it's probably already in your cupboard. [smiles]

So the next time you feel sluggish or need a boost of a different kind [wink] skip the energy drinks and Viagra and grab yourself some ginger!

* NOTE: Like with anything too much ginger can have harmful side effects such as heartburn and belching. Allergic reactions like a rash may also occur. If you will be using ginger for the first time listen to your body and discontinue use if you experience any abnormal reactions.

Disclaimer:
The herbal and health information in this article is offered primarily for reference and personal enrichment. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for the advice of a licensed health-care practitioner. Since the actual use of herbs, therapies, etc. by others is beyond the author's control, NO expressed or implied guarantee as to their effects can be given, nor liability taken.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

Mental Flexibility

This is a guest post by Certified Fitness Professional Chelsea Kmiec.

As a fitness professional I am not one for excessive stretching of the body, as I believe that our bodies know best. However I am a proponent of stretching of the mind.

In Fitness, mental flexibility allows you to stretch beyond the set of negative beliefs that you have set for yourself. Nobody else (hopefully) has ever directly told you that anytime you start an exercise program you will fail. Typically this is a set of beliefs that we have unknowingly established for ourselves.

When it comes to relationships with other people, we sometimes forget that one of the most important relationships is the one we have with ourselves. Think about this, would you ever tell your significant other that they are fat and ugly? Why then is that ok for us to tell ourselves that.

Sometimes one of the biggest hurdles we have to jump is that of loving ourselves, this love and affirmation that you have the power to bring to yourself is (in my belief system) the only way you can truly love and affirm others. Further, if you don't love and appreciate yourself, how can you treat yourself and your body well? If you don't love yourself, why would you exercise or why stay in good health?

Let's take a look at some of the negative beliefs that you have for yourself, many of them I bet you don't even know you had. Try for this week to catch yourself when you re-affirm any of those negative beliefs. Make a list of any that come up, then on a new sheet of paper, write the new and opposite positive belief.

Go out and care for yourself, stay physically and mentally healthy.

In Fitness & In Health,

Chelsea

About Chelsea: Chelsea is an 11 year fitness industry veteran. During this time she has served as a leader, educator, and manager at various health clubs in Chicago and Florida. Her experience in health club management transcends all departments including fitness, sales, and operations. Chelsea is also an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields. For personal training and other inquiries visit Chelsea at ChelseaFitPro.com or her WordPress blog here. You can also connect with Chelsea on Twitter.

Introducing the My II Sense Bloggers

As I mentioned in a previous post – or two – there are some changes taking place within the MIIS world. The most important of which is the addition of two new blog contributors:

Yanni Brown: If you asked Yanni, "What's love got to do with it?", without hesitation she'd answer, "Everything!" As CEO and Founder of Kiss & Make Up w/ Intimate Evenings, this 41-year-old relationship coach and romance aficionado has made the celebration of love her business. For over a decade the Chi-city born and raised Piscean (this explains her penchant for all things love related) has specialized in helping couples fall in love over and over again. Now she'll be gracing the MIIS readers with her vast relationship and romance knowledge to those interested in personal growth and obtaining a better understanding of healthier relationships.

Chelsea Kmiec: Chelsea is an 11 year fitness industry veteran. During this time she has served as a leader, educator, and manager at various health clubs in Chicago and Florida. Her company, ChelseaFitPro.com, has helped clients reach their fitness goals by making her sessions results driven, safe and of course fun! Whether you are a seasoned athlete or first time exerciser Chelsea will keep you focused and motivated to succeed. She'll be giving you the best in fitness and nutrition information to keep you and your loved ones fine tuned on Wellness Wednesdays!

Beginning August 3^rd Chelsea, Yanni and I will begin providing new content weekly. Here's some of what you can expect:

• Ask My II Sense – Q & A Post. Readers write in with specific questions (Identity will remain anonymous unless otherwise requested) to be reviewed and addressed by our blog staff. Readers are also encouraged to chime in if they feel they can offer a solution. Send your questions to Ask@MyIISense.com with the topic of your question in the Subject line.
  
• Meditate on This Mondays – Insightful commentary on a specific quote designed to stimulate your inner knowing and get your mind in the right place to take on the work week ahead!
  
• Wellness Wednesdays – Tips on ways to keep ourselves and our relationships healthy on all levels.
  
• Friday Features – Featuring individuals/businesses making a difference in their communities.
  
• Suggestions from YOU, our readers!
  

We want to hear from you! Let us know your interests and we'll be sure to blog about them. Thanks for the continued support!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

My II Sense

Your Relationship with a Healthier You

Greetings Readers!

I'm still working on getting additional contributors to provide health and wellness content. In lieu of that I'd like everyone to think about their current health on all levels – spiritual, mental, emotional and physical – and what you'd like to improve. What would you continue? What would you change? Comment and let us know; we'll try to address as many comments as we can in subsequent posts. Questions about specific health related topics? Send those too!

My II Sense