Good Enough is Good Enough When it Comes to Losing Weight

Probably 99% of the women I work with are all or nothing. That mindset that if they can't do something or everything perfectly why bother doing anything!

 Does this sound familiar?

 Let me tell you, doing something is better than doing nothing-every single time. Drinking some water is better than drinking no water. Moving for 10 minutes a day is better than not moving.

 It's awful to see people think if they can't do anything/everything perfectly (and let me tell you we are human and not perfect!!!) then forget it.

I'm here to tell you, doing what you can is good enough! Some days are better than others. Sometimes you can do more, sometimes you can't. That's life.

Please know that when it comes to your health, I want you to let go of perfection. Make smaller goals, reach them, AND feel successful! Add on, ONE goal at a time. You CAN do it!!!

 Your health is your wealth!

The Rule to Avoid a Sugar Hangover

I woke up the day after my birthday with a hangover. Not from alcohol but from sugar. It was awful. That pain right between your eyes just pounding...what an awful way to wake up the day after an amazing day!

 My dad died of Alzheimer's. This is also referred to as Type 3 Diabetes. Food, specifically sugar (either sweets or bread, pancakes, ice cream, etc)  is just awful for this horrific disease.

Since his death, I don't often eat sugar. For me, it's a slippery slope. I can't just have one bite—I want 20 bites! I'm not joking here.

 This year, both my kids were home for my birthday and I made a decadent dessert. And I also had 2 pieces. It's my birthday, after all, gotta celebrate right? Ummm, that decision kicked my ass.

After not having sugar for a long time, my body said F-You sister! We'll see how you like sugar now. I felt like an idiot the next day. I know what my body can and cannot handle and that much sugar was definitely more than I could handle!

Here's my lesson learned ... I will not say I'm never eating sugar again—that's just unrealistic. But what I am saying is, I have 2-3  bites and really enjoy it. We all know the first 2 bites of anything are the best of all! Then, there's no hangover, no being too full and still getting to enjoy a dessert.

At the end of the day we all have to figure out what works best for our own bodies! For me, sugar is a rare treat and has to be taken in small doses. If there's some food that is controlling you... try the 2 bite rule and see how it turns out. You may surprise yourself!

Using "I AM" Statements to Help Lose Weight

How would you describe yourself healthwise?

 I am a runner, I do pull-ups, I eat lots of BAS(big ass salads), I frontload my day with water, I stretch daily, I do mostly bodyweight exercises for my strength work.

Sometimes, we have to talk ourselves into things (eating more veggies or moving our bodies) to make them happen.

 But, if you tell yourself, I am a daily walker, I eat 3 servings of veggies daily, I get up once an hour and move my body, I do push-ups daily, it just may become who you are!

 There was a networking event I was at a few years ago where a woman was bringing around a tray of chocolates. The woman I was with said, oh Pam doesn't eat stuff like that before I could even say anything. Hmmm, I thought- interesting that she said that. I don't eat sweets often but had never declared that out loud.

 How you talk about yourself is HUGELY important on this journey. I see far too many women tear themselves down by telling me what they don't do/their shortcomings. Let's change that and start saying what you do daily! The great thing, it's up to YOU to make the statement.

• I am strong.

• I love eating veggies.

• I move my body every day.

• I (mostly) eat for my health.

 If you need help here, let the Perfect Balance Tribe inspire you on your wellness journey!

Realistic Expectations with Weight Loss

Do you expect change to happen fast?

I had a client once ask to help her lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks as she was going to a reunion...uggghhh!

It's hard not to in our Insta society! With the touch of a finger we can look up anything (not like the old days of encyclopedias!), we  buy anything and everything on Amazon.

Your body is not like Amazon. You can not expect a delivery/change by the next day. The body you are in right now is a result of the food/drink choices you have made over the last 6 months or so. Harsh but true.

I had one client who had the MOST realistic expectations of anyone I have ever worked with. She wanted to lose 2 lbs a month. That way in a year she'd be down 25 lbs or so. We discussed it and she knew it was achievable and doable for her lifestyle. And SHE DID IT! 25 lbs is 5 bags of sugar gone off her body!

Usually people give up after less than a month as the results are not coming fast enough. It didn't come on over night friends and it's not leaving over night. Create healthier habits, day in and day out and you will see change. But it will not ever happen as fast as you want it to. You are worth sticking it out for and reaching your goals—just sayin'!

Your health is your wealth!

With Exercise, You Should Only Do What You Love to Do

I am a firm believer in doing exercise that makes you happy...if you like to dance- great! If you like to jump rope- awesome! Life is too short to dread your exercise/movement!

 I recently saw a neighbor and his running friends who were running a half marathon(13.1 miles). I wished them luck and wondered how my neighbor had fared.

I just ran into him and he said it was awful. He got really bad calf cramps around mile 10 and had to walk a bit after that. The day I saw him, he had run 8 miles.

 He looked at me and said Pam, I hope I don't offend you but running is kind of boring! I told him he literally cannot offend me-lol- and I agreed running long was boring. I told him despite my many marathons and half marathons, I rarely ran more than a few miles at a time. These days I do mostly sprints and hill repeats. They are short, I get to work really hard (thanks to my running partner who is just a bit faster than me!) and FUN!!!

 If your workout is a chore, stop it. Find what makes you happy. With YouTube, you literally have every workout at your fingertips!

 *Caveat... EVERYONE needs to be strength training! We ALL lose muscle after the age of 30 unless we actively work to keep it. Muscle protects bones. That is why so many elderly break bones when they fall. If you need someplace to start, go to my YouTube channel!

Changing Your Body

We are all given things from our parents. Noses, teeth, body frames—need I say more?

Genetics play a big factor in our body frame. A male friend of mine is thin. His parents were thin. He wanted muscular legs. I told him, sorry— it's just not going to happen. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!

I was just recently talking to a client who wanted to lose weight in her tummy and inner thighs. I told her there was no such thing as spot reducing.  In my experience, the place you want to lose weight from the most is the last place that loses weight.

Then she told me she wanted a hip dip. For those unfamiliar with that term- think of the size of Kim Kardashian's hip/butt area. I explained just like there is no such thing as spot reducing, there is no such thing as spot increasing either. I asked about her parents, she said they were thin. You just can't outrun your genetics. Aside from a butt implant, this gal is not going to increase her butt/hips.

Look at your shape and know you've got a GREAT frame to work with. Be realistic, please. You can lean out and build some muscle if you want to. That takes work but is achievable.

If you’re frustrated by not seeing progress and not reaching your goals, I do one/one coaching! I'd love to help you on your journey!

The Secret to Real Weight Loss and Great Health

For too many years I read everything I could in every women's fitness magazine about weight loss. I was ALWAYS looking for the secret, that key that would let me lose that last bit of weight I wanted to lose.

I kept thinking I would find the key, that one thing that would work. What I didn't realize for far too long is... there is NO key to weight loss or great health.

Losing weight is about creating a calorie deficit—period. Getting into good shape is about moving your body consistently day in day out most days of the week for most of your life.

 Building healthy habits in the kitchen is about buying more fresh foods and planning colorful meals, day in and day out, every month and making that a habit. As well as, slowly getting the processed foods out of your life. It's eating real food to fuel your body day in day out.

Taking care of yourself and your health takes work. It takes time and dedication. In my opinion, it is the most important job you will ever have. You are a role model for your kids as well as others you might not even know look up to you! You may even inspire family to take better care of themselves.

The secret is.... eating lots of veggies, moving your body daily, strength training, walking, drinking water, getting enough sleep, and loving your family and friends!

 If you need help on your journey, Join the Perfect Balance Tribe for daily inspiration, weekly yoga, stretching, and workouts! I'd love you to be part of my Tribe!

 Your health is your wealth!

Starting a Streak to Boost Weight Health and Weight Loss

In my latest issue of Runner's World, there was an article on streaking. This helped people cope with divorce, cancer treatments, having kids, staying sober and the list literally goes on and on.

I read it and thought, Nah. I don't want to. I love running but don't want to HAVE to do it every day. Then my daughter read it. She's got 3 more super intense weeks of school left. She said she wanted to run a mile every day for the rest of May. Of course, I had to jump on board to support her.

It's only a mile. It takes less than 9 minutes. But it's something. It is stress relief. It is a perfect way to start any day. (If it was December, I wouldn't be doing this—I am a weenie in bad weather!) But, after my initial "I don't want to," I'm really enjoying it!

Because I'm an old running geek, I'm keeping track of my time daily. I get pure pleasure out of seeing how fast I can go! As well as those days it feels like I'm running through water :)- I call those days slogging=slow jogging.

Think about starting a streak of your own. It could be 10 counter push-ups a day. It could be 10 squats a day. Something doable that doesn't take a lot of time! Why- because you are worth it!

 If you need DAILY inspiration, please join my Perfect Balance Tribe! I post daily- sometimes multiple times a day, have monthly challenges (this month is 5 servings of veggies a day), and have weekly FB live videos including yoga, stretch and strength.

Staying Fit Later in Life

I recently talked about an 81-year-old guy trucking (walking fast) up a big hill! My husband has had a few conversations with him.

 The first was hello, wow you're pretty fast, great for you etc.  The guy-Ron told my husband he's 81!!!

 In the next conversation, my husband asked what his walks. Ron replied, " I walk 4 hours a day!" This is amazing for anyone, let alone someone who is 81!

 Here is the INCREDIBLE part. During the conversation, Ron was saying he stops at all the parks and does some tricep dips on a bench. At first, it was 10 or so at each bench. Now it's 60-70 at each park. Which totals up to 3,000 or so every day.

Maybe, to stay happily married,  his wife kicks him out of the house for 4 hours a day! But the fact is, Ron is taking charge of his health in such a strong way is amazing.

 I'm so inspired by someone who takes their health so seriously day in and day out!

 If you want to take better care of yourself and your health, start slowly. 10 push-ups on the counter every time you have a cup of tea or coffee. That adds up! Small steps lead to big success every single time.

The Hard Truth When it Comes to Weight Loss

Many women I know (sorry guys, I mostly hear from women) want to lose weight. It's hard. We have hormones, cycles, perimenopause, menopause (and why is it called MENopause???).

 Here's the thing. If you want to lose weight, you've got to create a calorie deficit. It's never going to be about the latest fad diet ever. Or anything promising you quick weight loss that you find at the store or online.

 It's work to lose weight. My best advice is to log your food every single day. Either in a journal or on an app like myfitnesspal. Tracking what you eat is the only method I have found to work in all my years of helping people!

An old friend of mine wanted to lose weight as some of her numbers on her bloodwork were too high. Her daughter who is in medical school told her to log her food every single day for the rest of her life. This daughter was on a rotation where she was in contact with many people dealing with disease because they were obese. She had seen people's poor food choices directly affect their health.

Does this sound drastic? It literally takes minutes a day. I'm guessing we all have a few minutes to log what goes in the piehole.

It's not fun, it's not easy but...it's worth it. If you are looking to lose weight, you are worth taking the time daily to track your food. It will also make you aware of what keeps you full (veggies!!) and what doesn't (sugar!). Please don't "try everything" else and say nothing works!

When It Comes to Losing Weight, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

When discussing results, I always tell people, there is no such thing as fast results—either in the gym or on the scale.

Our health is a lifelong process, there are no quick fixes. It's hard to accept but... day in and day out daily decisions are what lead to a healthier life and weight loss.

I thought about this on Saturday when my family was doing a birthday workout. It was a challenging one, to say the least. 25 pullups plus 53 repetitions of 10 exercises.

 It was interesting to watch how each person attacked the workout. When they chose to do the burpees (I did them first to get them over with!), as well as when they did the bike (it hurts so much)!

 My approach was slow and steady. I wasn't trying to go as hard as I could and rest. I chipped away going slowly and not taking breaks. My kids could not believe it when I told them I was finished. They still had a bit to finish up.

Keep plugging away, day after day, meal after meal. Slow and steady progress will get you feeling amazing in your own skin! It will never happen overnight. In fact, if you try to change too many things at once, it will lead to disastrous results. Believe me, I've seen it many times over the years.

Moral of the story … slow and steady wins!

To Lose Weight, Add Things to Your Day

As any of my clients/students can tell you, I'm a BIG proponent of adding things to your day. I hate taking things away as it feels like restriction/deprivation. I love telling people to add food to their meals.

 Whenever I look at a client's food journals, I rarely tell them to take anything out (with the exception of a 6 pack of Coors light and hot dogs for one meal). And yes, that person and I are still friends.

 Instead, I encourage them to ADD things to their day. Now, more than ever, we should be trying to boost our immune system and eat loads of veggies!

 Look at your meals. If they are the same color(beige/brown) I encourage you to add color to your plate. The health people I follow encourage 8-10 servings of veggies a day! If you are struggling to get any in, then add 2 servings at lunch and dinner. Cut up your fav veggie and put into baggies so it's easy to grab for a snack. We all have the time right now to chop our veggies and plan for success.

 The BEST way to get vitamins and minerals into your body is with veggies. Along with your veggies, add a healthy fat like avocado or nuts. The fat helps your body absorb the vitamins and minerals.

 We are responsible for our health every single day. It's our job to take the very best care of ourselves possible. You are worth it! You will feel better when you eat for your health! You are amazing!

ps. I'd LOVE you to try out the Perfect Balance Tribe! I give you daily inspiration, weekly workout videos, monthly challenges and talk food and fitness!