Change Your Mindset, Change Your Body: My Top 8 Mindset Reads

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Best of You Coaching, Introspection, Mindset, Testimonial

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In my last blog, I outlined the difference between what I consider a Victim Mindset versus that of an Empowered Mindset. The mindset (way we think about the world and how we interact with it) we CHOOSE to adopt impacts how our lives unfold–what we do, how successful we are, how lean we get, where we end up, etc.

Using an empowered mindset as a tool, we get to control outcomes more fully then when we allow ourselves to a victim of circumstances. Our mindset determines our actions which lead to outcomes.

I mentioned how I did not always adopt an empowered mindset (or even understand that I had a choice), and often played the victim. And because of that, I often felt helpless and frustrated with what was going on in my life. I didn’t understand how to make things better for myself, and I guess part of me didn’t want to. Of course we all still play the victim at times, but the good news is that with some insight, we can recognize it faster and turn it around.

A sneak peek at my iBooks library for mindset & business reads :)

As promised, below are my favorite mindset books–the ones that have made the biggest impact on my personal way of thinking and have turned things around for me. My advice to you would be to start with one and see how you do. Keep an open mind, introspect and take what resonates and try to implement one or two new strategies over time. And then repeat :) Good luck!

  1. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – Jade introduced this to me years ago and since then I have read it almost every year. It’s a fast read–you can probably finish it in an hour or two–that outlines 4 simple “rules” about how to interact with the outside world. The genius of this book is its simplicity. I won’t spoil the fun by posting the 4 agreements here, you’ll have to read!
  2. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal – Read this a few years and absolutely loved Dr. McGonigal’s approach. The book is heavy on the science of willpower, but offers many practical tips and tricks for how to replenish it and also how to build up your willpower arsenal. Her style resonated particularly strong with me because McGonigal is very into yoga and fitness, so she often spoke to the guilty mindset that often we experience as a result of overindulging. Great read, and you fit gals will appreciate Chapter 7 especially!
  3. Loving What Is by Byron Katie – This is one of several books I’ve read of Katie’s after being introduced to her by my sister-in-law Jillian Teta a few years ago. This book is probably the best “intro” book to her 4-Step “Inquiry” Process. I read this book at a time in my life when I desperately needed a system to help me handle my emotions and a process to deal with them, and her process was it. I am basically obsessed with BK now, but if you are new to her stuff, you might not know what to do with it at first. Katie is the ultimate non-victim, and her consistency in that way is unreal. It can come off as cold to newbies, but honestly, if you can get over yourself :) this way of thinking will literally change your world. It’s more “woo woo” than the other books on this list but if you have an open mind and are willing to call yourself out, it’s worth delving into.
  4. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz – Jade and I listened to this book years back and we were struck by the novelty of it. The book gives many examples of energy and willpower being finite, like a battery that needs recharging often in order to perform at it best. We often think of TIME management as the key to productivity, when in this book, the authors insist it is ENERGY management that needs attention. I live my own life this way, constantly alternating focused periods of work (2-3 hours) with restorative down-time (1-2 hours) and I usually do 3 rounds of this every single day, and I have never been more productive. Highly recommend for people who want get more done, feel better and increase their quality of life.
  5. Being Happy by Tal Ben-Shahar – Ben-Shahar is a professor at Harvard who began teaching positive psychology classes year ago, and they became incredibly popular. I read his first book Happier, which I loved, and then this one. I wanted to include Being Happy on this list because it is all about the perfectionist mindset, which many of us who work on our physiques can get caught up in–the need to be perfect and the disappointment when we inevitably can’t be. Offers new insight about how to change your mindset from a perfectionist (which is rigid and doesn’t really serve us) to an “optimalist” mindset where we get to be happy while also striving to be better. Sounds good to me! [Honorable mention goes to The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, who studied under Ben-Shahar at Harvard--also a great positive psychology book.]
  6. How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell – When I joined Rachel and Alwyn Cosgrove’s mentorship a couple years ago, they sent me this book. I read it quickly and then I sent it out to all my own Best of You Coaching clients. It’s what I call “a possibility book”–inspires you to take action, to be empowered and make things happen for yourself. A fast read that will get you fired up. I’ve read many of Maxwell’s books but loved this one the most.
  7. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown – This was an absolute game-changing book for me. Recommended and then gifted to me from one of my best friends (and JillFit coach) Sara Baker, I read it in a day. Brene is a PhD researcher who, though exploring her own psyche via her research came to the conclusion that she was living a life of conformity–pleasing, performing, perfecting. She vowed to change that through learning how to accept herself and live wholeheartedly. The book resonated with me because essentially it boils down to one key concept that we all struggle with and that is: being enough. Good enough/thin enough/funny enough/smart enough/hot enough/successful enough, etc. I have written on this before, but this book does a way better job of dispelling all the “gifts of imperfection” and helping us realize our intrinsic power and happiness.
  8. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson – Though this book may fall under the business book genre, it is essentially a mindset book because it outlines specific principles that if implemented consistently can lead to big successes. They include being consistent, showing up daily, having a positive attitude, practicing for the long haul, bundling and using your passion and desire to generate the outcomes you want and be willing to pay the price to get them.

From The Slight Edge: “If you’re not willing to pay a price for whatever it is you want, the price of neglect is far worse than the price of commitment.” <— I love this because it reinforces the notion that if we want something to change, we have to change IT.

Doing introspective work is tough. Taking a look at your own BS is humbling. Getting real with yourself (much like Brene Brown does in TGOP) can be painful. But the alternative–going through life as a powerless victim–is much worse. If you have the courage to look in the mirror, take an honest look at how you’re operating, and see that maybe your mindset could use a little CPR, you open yourself up to world of possibilities you never even knew existed.

There are plenty of other useful books that I have read and loved that could have made it onto this list, but I think this is a good start! Good luck and let me know how you do :) Ox, Jill

Want more mindset? I go in-depth into the psychology of body change and how to begin adopting a more empowered mindset in my 10 Week Mindset Makeover Program. Lots of introspection work to challenge you and help you get your mind right. 

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Change Your Mindset, Change Your Body: The Empowered Vs. The Victim Mindset

Categories:

Introspection, Metabolic Effect, Mindset

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“If you act like a victim, you are likely to be treated as one.”  –Paulo Coelho

At both JillFit and Metabolic Effect, we talk a lot about mindset. And we work with hundreds of clients every single day on how to change their own mindset to be leaner, happier and more successful.

But what does ‘mindset’ really mean?

Your mindset is a pattern of thought processes that lead to certain actions, which in turn lead to certain outcomes. For example, if my MINDSET is that my health is valuable, then my ACTIONS will include exercising regularly and eating healthy for the most part, and the OUTCOME will be that I am leaner and healthier.

Our mindset determines our actions, which determine outcomes (what happens).

In my coaching club, we break up our focus into 4 realms: Physique, Mindset, Business & Relationships. Mindset is the only one of these four that is overarching and is the thread that weaves through the other three. In other words, mindset permeates everything we do. It affects our ability to build the physique we want, to have the career success we seek and it impacts our relationships positively or negatively. Mindset is the umbrella under which everything else falls.

Stop searching for the answer ‘out there’ and start actively creating your own life

 Our current circumstances are very much a result of our past mindset. And our future outcomes depend on the mindset we choose TODAY.

The key to changing our outcomes (how successful we are, how lean/healthy we are, how effective we are, etc) lies in a 3-step process:

  1. Determine what mindset you are employing right now
  2. Consciously CHOOSE to adopt a more productive/empowered mindset
  3. Maintain that new mindset to achieve desired outcome (leaner, healthier, more successful, etc)

We traditionally think of mindset in specific ways, like negative vs. positive or optimist vs. pessimist or happy vs. depressed or success vs. failure. For our purposes, we will talk about mindset in a this way: Empowered vs. Victim. 

A victim mindset:

When we play the victim, we are stuck in a world that happens to us. We don’t have control over what goes on in our lives and often we can feel taken advantage of, taken for granted, helpless to make our situations better or like others are out to get us. In short, not a fun experience.

An empowered mindset:

We are coming from a place of empowerment, we feel like we can create the exact life we want, we can choose to TAKE ACTION to change our circumstances and we believe that we teach people how to treat us. So that if we don’t like what’s going on, we can actually change that. We don’t need to be doormat, and we don’t have to take what life offers. Instead, we actively participate in the creation or our success.

So now ask yourself, based on the two different mindsets above, how are you operating right now? Do you feel in control of what happens in your life, or not? And then given the choice, which of the two mindset scenarios would you choose?

Yes, mindset is something that you can actually CHOOSE.

We have the most impact on the world and on our own happiness when we operate from an empowered place. We see the possibility that our actions matter, and that what we do and say can really, really lead to specific outcomes. In other words, we feel like we can and will change our circumstances to what we want.

The precursor to outcomes and actions is your mindset. Choose wisely :)

In my next blog, I will be sharing my top mindset books, tools and resources that I’ve used over the last few years to turn my victim mindset into an empowered one. Stay tuned…

Are you ready to commit to changing your mindset for the long-term? It’s not easy, but it’s work that pays you back every single day moving forward. The place I work with clients online to make big changes in their lives is the ME Lifestylers Club!

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/05/16/empowered-mindset/

Clean Convenience Eating: 16 Easy Breezy Tricks to Save Time

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Lifestyle, Nutrition

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I hate cooking. If there’s a pan involved, it might be too much work :) All right, well I don’t go that far, but usually I try to maintain a one-pan maximum and also a 10 minute max on time.

However, we all know that the reality is, the more you cook the better you look (shout out to Dr. Chris Mohr for that little gem).

So if you love to cook, go for it! You have a leg up. But if you are like me and would rather spend your time doing things other than cooking and cleaning (it’s a lifestyle choice I made when I stopped competing), I thought I would put together a list of the tools and tricks I use to make fast, clean(er) meals while also not slaving around the kitchen daily.

Much of this list involves pre-made and pre-prepped items. Yes, they may be a little more expensive, so there’s a consideration there. But personally, for me, the few extra bucks is worth it to save my time. It’s a personal choice :)  Here you go!

1) Buy and use fresh cut and washed veggies as much as possible. Most grocery stores are doing this now, but you can definitely get plenty of variety at places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Like these shredded Brussels spouts that Jade and I use at home all the time (below). Focus on veggies that present the biggest cutting/prepping challenges like onions, peppers, etc.

2) Utilize low sodium cold cuts. Admittedly, for those who eat clean, the thought of hitting the butcher counter for cold cuts seems a little dirty. But this is a competition trick that Jillian introduced me to. When in a bind, using low sodium cold cuts can work if you do a little research. Choose a leaner cut like turkey or chicken. Is it perfect? No, but it’s lean protein on the go.

3) Buy pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts. Almost every grocery store offers this now. So super simple. Are there a few more preservatives? Yes. But don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. There’s 25 grams of protein, zero carb per serving, and ~200mg sodium. Add to salads, quick stir-fry meals (see veggies above) or even mix with scrambled egg whites and a dollop of avocado for a pseudo-California omelet (my fav lately).

4) Do a protein shake every day, preferably post-workout as one of your “meals.” Many of the natural protein powders today, like Vega One and HempForce by Onnit, are more like food anyway. They have digestive enzymes, probiotics, additional omega-3s and fiber. One scoop offers ~30g protein. Mix with unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup of frozen berries and throw it in the Vitamix or Magic Bullet.

5) Cook hard-boiled eggs on the weekend and split them up into 3-4 per baggy for quick grab & go during the week. About 6g protein per egg, I will usually eat these as a snack with nuts or an apple. My brother Danny buys them already made and peeled, which most stores offer now too.

6) Get the frigging OXO Salad Chopper and use pre-bagged greens to make BASes all day looooong. I have been telling you guys about this gadget that changed my life. Need. To. Buy. Do it. Buy bagged salad greens that are already pre-washed and use the Chopper to stuff as many greens down your throat as possible. Add any fibrous veggies you’d like, plus lean protein and voila, a BAS :) I do at least 1 a day.

7) Spend the money to get a high-quality blender. For fit gals, this is absolutely money well spent. Jade has had his Vitamix (~$300) for the last 13 years. The thing is amazing and can chop, blend, mince or shred anything–protein pancake batter, the most ice-y protein shake, frozen fruit, etc. Other options include the Magic Bullet and the Ninja blender.

8) Use the “New” TV dinners. I’ve found protein-only pre-cooked meals at Trader Joes and they taste amazing (already seasoned, etc). There is a small amount of sauce that accounts for ~10g carb, but the rest is protein. Sodium intake (once again, not the biggest factor) is around 500mg/serving so a tad on the high end (but then again eggs are high in sodium too). These take 2 minutes to microwave. See pic.

9) Make and freeze protein pancakes. This is an old competitor trick! Competitors will do anything to feel like they’re cheating :) and protein pancakes offer the mouthfeel of bread without out the carbs. Here’s a recipe for you. Muster your energy for an hour on the weekend and then freeze them to reheat during the week. 2 pancakes per serving.

10) Get frozen veggies or fruit. Frozen veggies are just that–veggies that have been frozen. No preservatives, extra ingredients, etc. Use these for stir-fry, quickie dinner sides, etc. My fav dessert is a cup of frozen raspberries with a packet of Truvia sprinkled on top. And honestly, I was never one to consider fruit a LEGIT dessert (just being honest), but this is amazing. Try it!

11) Do take-out salads. Admittedly, I do a lot of take-out. Probably at least once a day and my fav option for take-out is a salad because a) I can see every single ingredient in it, b) I can take things I don’t want off it (like dried fruit, croutons, fatty cheese, etc) and c) it offers a few servings of veggies that I don’t need to work that hard for. Find a place that has a BAS you love and do it a couple times a week in a pinch.

12) Know what to order at restaurants. You don’t have to be a dieting martyr! Use restaurants if you have to :) And if you know what to order wherever you end up, then this is not an issue. I’ve written/video’ed how I order at restaurants before. Make good choices and you can literally eat well anywhere. Some of my fav places for easy ordering are Panera and Chipotle, and you can find these guys pretty much in any city.

13) Salad bars at Whole Foods or other grocery stores. The best thing about salad bars is, once again, someone else has to do the dirty work for you (cutting, washing, etc) and you get to enjoy the outcome. This can be expensive so you’ll have to watch it, but it can be an easy convenience option when you just don’t feel like grocery shopping until tomorrow :)

14) Fully cooked bacon (!!!). Yes, this has been a new find for our household and it’s great because a serving only contains ~7g fat, 100 cals and 400mg sodium (see pic). Not too shabby, plus bacon offers FLAVOR to meals, which is key in determining if you can sustain your healthy eating. Add a few chopped pieces to salads, egg white omelets or stir-fry and it makes the entire meal that much more delish.

15) Use easy no-cook snacks like nuts, jerky, fruit. When I am being suuuper-lazy in the kitchen, which is fairly regularly, I do snacks that take absolutely no prep, like unsalted nuts, fruit that needs no prepping like apples, pears, frozen berries, etc and jerky or protein bars. Great as on-the-go and travel options.

16) Make clean baked goods. Admittedly, I do enjoy clean baking. Well, more like I enjoy the outcome enough to break my no-more-than-one-pan rule :) There are tons of options here on the site, like this one and this one. If I make a healthy almond bread loaf or my protein scones on the weekend, I will section them into servings for snacks during the week. They make me feel like I am cheating, but they don’t impact my waistline. YUM!

Hopefully this list can help you cut some time corners and still be able to maintain your weight (and your sanity!). Good luck :)

Want to learn more about living the Fat Loss Lifestyle? My 4 Week Fat Loss Jump Start begins June 3rd! All the deets are here, I look forward to working with you :)

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/05/09/healthy-convenience-eating/

The First Step to Quitting the Deprive-Then-Binge Cycle

Categories:

Competition, Lifestyle, Mindset, Nutrition

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I make it a habit to ask people who sign up for my newsletter what their #1 struggle is with nutrition, exercise, mindset, etc. This is important for me because it gives me insight into what JillFit gals are working to improve and how I can help. The answer I get the most is this:

“I want to find balance with my eating and exercise. I feel like I am caught up in the all-or-nothing pattern of doing really well during the week and then blowing it all on the weekend, just to start the cycle again the next week.”

Sound familiar?

I did this for years. I couldn’t WAIT until 5pm Friday night, because then I could stop trying so darn hard and let myself “enjoy” the weekend with food and booze. Only to feel like crap by Sunday night–bloated and guilty, but also resolved to try again this week and be even more strict and have even more willpower and DEFINITELY NOT blow it next weekend! … I get it. I’ve been there.

So how did I yank myself out of this pattern? Ironically, the answer was being LESS hard on myself and throwing myself a bone.

You don’t believe me now :) and that’s ok. When I was in that place, I wouldn’t have believed being less strict would help either. Because, obviously if I gave up being so hard on myself I would surely end up eating even more crap, right! How could I possibly control myself without the guilt there to provide the mental check I need?? Who knows what would happen?? I would blow up, right!?

Once again, not the case. You don’t believe me, but that’s ok! But today, I want to give you something to think about. You don’t need to do anything–just keep an open mind.

In order to reorient yourself around food and exercise in a new way, it’s important to forget what you know. Things you may have been good at before you may need to relearn. Things that used to be easy but are now difficult need reacquaintance.

I’ve had many competitors approach me and say, “I was able to diet with no cheating during my first competition prep, but my second, I just couldn’t stick to the diet so I quit. And now, I tell myself I will start a show diet on Monday and I just can’t seem to do it. Help!”

I want you to dare to start at the beginning. Go back and practice the basics. Even if you are a seasoned professional competitor, fitness model or trainer, you may have lost your way in the fat loss process at some point and may need to bring it back to zero. How?

Start with an EASIER plan than you think you can handle.

What does that mean? It means don’t expect perfection and instead reacquaint yourself with simple basics. If you feel like ideally you need 5-6 servings of veggies per day, let’s start with 2 and master eating 2 servings a day. If you are giving yourself 1 cheat meal a week or 2 preemptive cheats, let’s double that. Take what you think you should be doing and make it EASIER.

Ask not, “What plan should I do?” But instead ask, “What plan is so easy that I can’t possibly fail?”

Maybe you need to give yourself a small cheat daily, like a couple squares of chocolate? Do it. Why? Because doing the opposite–forcing deprivation on yourself–leads to bigger and more cheating later with way worse crap.

So write down the easiest plan you can think of–one you can follow effortlessly. And only once you practice it for a while, ask, “What one switch can I make?” Maybe instead of a nightly cheat, you back it off to every other day. Then you practice that until that’s easy. Then implement another change, and so on. Slow, progressive, methodical. I promise that allowing yourself a small amount of self-compassion will actually work to keep you MORE compliant in the long run, and thus more successful.

Besides, what’s the rush? If I have to choose between a fast crash diet and slow, sustained results, I would choose the latter every time. And this is literally what’s going on in our dieting culture. People are choosing fast weight loss that comes right back on (and more!) over a patient, sustainable approach. I do understand why. Of course I do.

But the reality is that the faster it comes off, the faster it goes back on. And the more we deprived we feel, the less sustainable the plan will be.

So it’s time to stop getting random plans from coaches, starting them only to give up on them later. Instead, let’s buckle down for the long haul. Get strategic. Get systematic. Choose 1 thing to change at a time only. And don’t stress if it seems too easy. Because the harder, stricter, guiltier way is not working :) Start with simple; go back and be a beginner. Relearn and then improve for the long haul.

Related: “Jill, should I compete again?”

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/05/02/quit-deprive-binge-cycle/

Consider The Problem Might Be You

Categories:

Introspection, Mindset

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[TOUGH LOVE ALERT] :)

“If you own this story you get to write the ending.” ―Brené Brown

Last week, I was talking to a friend and I couldn’t help but notice that she kept saying virtually the same thing, about multiple different people. Every statement was a variation of this person was being unfair, or that person just doesn’t understand me, or he is just self-absorbed, or she is just a bitch. 

To be honest with you, the entire conversation had me depressed. You already know I am not a huge fan of negativity in general and the whole thing drained the hell out of me. But by the time she finished complaining about everyone else, I couldn’t help but tactfully point out the one common denominator in all the situations: her.

I think the reason I was able to see it objectively is because I faced my own BS in much the same way a couple years ago. And luckily, she and I have a strong enough friendship that she can take a little tough love from me :) And we were able move the conversation into a more constructive direction eventually. But I think it takes a serious change in perspective to address a situation like this. And a good hard look in the mirror.

The whole conversation was enlightening to me on many levels. First, I wondered why I don’t have a lot of people in my life who are like she was describing. Then I thought, how could she have that many in hers when I had none? Weird. Was she just a push-over who people felt like they could bully? Or was it maybe her perception of those situations that drove her to feel as she did? Did she simply see things differently than I did? Or maybe her insecurities got the better of her and she went into defensive mode easily?

It was probably a combination of all those factors. But more important than pondering the WHY is pondering the SOLUTION. Besides, I am a huge advocate of taking responsibility and taking action.

We all know how good it can feel to play the victim. When we defend and blame others, we get to be the one mistreated, the one who is able to garner pity or be the one done wrong. I get that, 100%. And I’ve done it a thousand times in my own life. But over the last couple years, I’ve come to the realization that:

I can play the biggest victim on earth, but at the end of the day still nothing has changed.

I’m still stuck with my misery. I’m still in a shitty situation where I feel helpless and at the mercy of other people or situations.

Well, eff that.

I finally came to the realization that if I have a problem with “other people” and the same issues keep coming up for me across multiple relationships, the problem has to be … me. This was a scary realization because who wants to take the onus for creating their own unhappiness? But over time, I realized that it’s not about assuming blame or pointing the finger, but ultimately about SOLUTIONS and outcomes.

If we want a different outcome, we have to act in a different way.

I mentioned in my mindset reflections blog for 2012 that one of the major insights I had last year was to take 100% responsibility for every single situation I find myself in, regardless of who put me there–whether it was my fault or someone else’s. Because the alternative is waiting for someone else to take the reigns and change my situation. Well, again, eff that. I could be waiting forever. And many of us do wait to take back our power, because we are too caught up in playing the victim to realize that by simply taking action, we can easily change our outcomes.

I don’t know about you, but between choosing to wait for affirmation from other people or for others to “wise up” and admit their part in my misery, OR choosing to simply move on and improve my own happiness through my actions, I’ll choose the latter every time. It’s liberating. And I never have to depend on anyone else again. 

I no longer need people to admit their part in my misery because I am already moving past it, doing what I can to improve my own circumstances. I take 100% responsibility for my own happiness.

So next time you find yourself blaming other people, a coach, an expert, a diet or anyone else for what you perceive as doing you wrong, take a chance and look in the mirror. Consider … the problem might be you. Or at least your own perception. Can you make a different choice? Can you dig a little deeper and assume responsibility for changing things?

This is a toughie, and it takes practice. But to get started, all you need to do is notice. If you find yourself blaming and complaining, check yourself. Ask, is there something in this moment that I can do to be happier or more fulfilled? Maybe I don’t have to take things as personally, or perhaps I can give other people the benefit of the doubt, or realize that people just do what they do, and perhaps I’m taking it poorly?

I warned you today was about tough love :) but you know that I love you, and I am always rooting for you to reach your highest potential, be as happy and fulfilled as possible. And part of my personal passion is delivering the message that your happiness is 100% IN YOUR HANDS. If you just have the courage to take charge of. Do you? Ox, Jill

Related: Teach People How to Treat You

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/04/23/take-responsibility/

Get Your Mind Right & Your Physique Will Follow

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Introspection, Mindset

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Lately, I have been thinking about the concept of “getting real” with ourselves. This is a tricky concept because for many women, it can be taken to the extreme. When we get real, we can so easily fall into self-loathing and body-disgust. We look in the mirror to get real and as a result, decide we hate what we see, we’re disgusted, shamed, sad, get pissed off. All of which only serves to demotivates us further.

And yet, is the answer to avoid mirrors forever? I don’t think it is.

Jill Coleman Kickboxing Workout

See, I remember times in my past when I avoided mirrors too. Usually it was in my “off season” and even though I was a normal size 6-8 during those times, I felt ugly and fat compared to “show-shape”–which, mind you I was in for a mere couple weeks. But I was still haunted by the need and utter obsession with being in that kind of shape year-round, as unattainable (and unhealthy!) as it would have been.

During those years, I would typically get up to work out around 5am and because I didn’t want to wake Jade by turning on the lights, I would change into my gym clothes in the bathroom. AND I WOULD TURN AROUND. To avoid my own reflection. Ever done this?

How about avoiding being in pictures? Not looking when the nurse weighs you at your annual check-up? Not wanting to get your body fat percentage taken when the service is offered at your local gym? Any of these ring true?

They do for me at certain times in my life. Often avoidance seemed easier. I couldn’t be disappointed if I wasn’t given the information, the image, the photo, the reflection, the number to see, right? And yet I was miserable anyway, despite the avoidance. Because I actually wasn’t getting better, I wasn’t more motivated to get leaner.

I was losing a battle with myself as a result of my own twisted notion of what “should” be: I should be thinner. I should be leaner. I should have more muscle. I should look like so-and-so. I should be in show shape 24/7. I should be able to resist this glass of wine dammit. I was in essence, shoulding all over myself :) So the avoidance didn’t actually help, like I pretended it did.

So in the last few months, I have been thinking about how to effectively toe the line between getting real and also not spiraling into self-disgust. For my clients, for myself, for you guys. Can this be done?

Well, I think it can. And the key lies in this realization:

You must work on your mindset before you work on your physique.

I have seen and heard from hundreds of women who have undergone a crazy physical transformation–a competition, crash diet, whatever–and in the end, because they have not spent time developing their self-worth apart from their physique–if they gain a little weight back or blow up after a show, they don’t have the emotional tools to deal with the inevitable feelings of inadequacy and self-digust.

And yet we want the body first, don’t we? In fact, we usually say, As soon as I have the body I want, then I can be happy/deserving/attractive/successful/worthy, etc.

I want to make the argument that the opposite is true. When I decide I am worthy right now wherever I am, then I free up all my mental space to be able to do the things I need to do to get and stay motivated. The mental aerobics that comes with shoulding ourselves discourages us from taking action toward real, lasting progress.

We get so caught up in how much we suck that of course we’re not motivated. Can you blame us?

All we can think about is how much of a failure we are if we slip up one time and holy crap I need to effing prep my food this Sunday!!! Lol. Of course, when you do prep food, you are more likely to be successful, but food prep doesn’t define your success–you do. Right now. In your mind. And that success does not depend on a number or an image or a photo or a bad angle.

When we spend time developing our sense of self-worth outside our physique, not only are we happier right now, but we are free to move forward in a positive way. It’s the negative self-talk that steals our motivation. So let’s just stop it.

And for those who say they need the negative motivation to drive them to take action, that may work for a while, but take it from me that that shit gets old real quick.

It takes a lot of energy to keep hating your body.

So free yourself. Free your energy and your mental space of the negative, so that you can actually garner the willpower necessary to make real, lasting change. Remember, mindset first, physique next. When you do this, looking in the mirror is no longer painful nor does it control your day or how you feel about yourself. You can be more objective, clinical. You can get real without getting upset. You don’t have to be thin to be worthy. And you don’t have to lose 10 more pounds to be happy. The concepts are no longer linked once you spend time working on your mind.

Some of my favorite ways to develop self-worth apart from your body fat percentage: develop others skills and interests, like blogging or start a small business of your own. Write, read, spend time with family and friends, volunteer, go back to school or even just take a class in something you’re interested in–like cooking or wine. Focus on being an amazing mom, daughter, sister or partner. Go hiking, focus on non-physique related activities like triathlons, a 5k or an adventure race.

Gooood luck, I’m here for you and support you 100% wherever you are :) Ox, Jill

Related: Giving Yourself the Win

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4 Suuuuper-Simple Strategies for Healthy Eating While Traveling

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Lifestyle, Nutrition

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I realize I blogged about this a few weeks ago. And that’s not by accident. In the last month, I have slept in my own bed a total of 3 nights, ha! :)

I am sure many of you who travel for work can relate. Though it’s been an amazing and fun 30 days, it has also challenged me to get serious about sticking with my healthy eating while being away. Just because  we’re traveling doesn’t mean our healthy eating goes on vacation. In fact, I often say that if you can figure out how to live the fat loss lifestyle while traveling, you can do it anywhere. You don’t need to have the perfect home setup with “your gym” and “your kitchen” and your routine. You can teach yourself how to make a few key changes so you don’t blow up when you’re out of town.

Below is a quickie vid I shot for you guys (yes, from a hotel room :) ) outlining 4 strategies I use when on the road. Hopefully this helps you too!

Quick recap:

1) Navigate restaurants.

Dont sweat the small stuff–butter, marinade, salt, etc. They may not help you lose weight but they won’t usually put weight on you, AND they can add to the satiety of the meal making you feel fuller for longer. As a rule of thumb however, be sure to stay away from what I call “BBD”– bread, booze and dessert. Choose lean protein and extra veggies every time.

2) Let volume of exercise dictate how much you eat.

Inevitably we work out less when we are traveling. Fine. But we can’t continue eating as if we are still training like crazy. I am not one to count calories (and I’m not starting now!) but I make a conscious effort to reduce my food intake slightly when traveling, simply because I am training less. This is usually not hard, as our appetite is tied so closely to the amount of activity we do.

3) Don’t be afraid to use convenience options.

It’s not always easy just eat real food on the road, so don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Allow yourself to use bars, shakes, jerky, etc as snacks. Some of my favorite protein bars include Think Thin, Luna Protein, Power Crunch, Quest Natural and Metabolic Effect’s Low Carb PB Chocolate. Use the Metabolic Effect Label Rule to determine the protein/fiber/total carb relationship.

4) Stay hydrated.

Is this not the HARDEST thing to do when traveling?? And yet, staying hydrated is key when traveling. Flights, later nights, saltier meals, etc, all add up to us easily becoming dehydrated. I recommend grabbing a liter bottle from the hotel gift shop and refilling it with the filtered water from the hotel gym as much as possible. When at restaurants, choose water with lemon (remember, it’s not Wine City just because you’re traveling). This is the hardest thing to stay mindful of while traveling, so just do your best.

Related: 20 Minute Hotel Workout (No Equipment Needed)

 

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Why Stress is Sabotaging Your Efforts & 6 Simple Ways to Decrease It

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General Heath, Lifestyle

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Last week Jade, Gary and myself took the Metabolic Effect train to the UK, Paris and Spain for a number of Metabolic Effect trainings for fitness professionals. I recounted in a previous post my observations overseas, and how different Europeans both eat and live compared to Americans. I have to say, it’s actually striking–and a ton confusing–that in general they are both leaner and seem to be waaaaaaay less obsessed with food than we are. Though they eat carbs, drinking wine daily and smoke cigarettes.

It was a huge WTF moment for me.

Tea time in the UK :)

Jade and I were intrigued considering their nutrition and exercise habits seemingly flew in the face of much of what we think we know. Take Spain for example: Eat bread at every meal. Drink wine nightly. Dinner late, like 10pm. Three huge square meals each day. No visible restraint to how much they eat. They just eat.

And yet, many of the things we talk about in the states, like “continuous meal” and 6-7 small meals a day or no eating after 6pm were all lost on them.

So again, WTF?

The only thing I could gleam from the experience (and as I was only there a handful of days, I am sure this is a short-sighted assessment), is that the pace of life is slower, stress seems to be less and they aren’t nearly as obsessed with eating as we are. For us, many times the focus is the food. We sit down and scarf a meal in 10 minutes in front of the television and then snack for the next 3 hours until bed. For the Spanish we met, they convene every night over a huge, late dinner with family and friends and the focus is on conversation and quality time, rather than inhaling a meal as fast as possible so they can get to snacking.

The irony is that the way they ate stressed the hell out of me! Lol. As in, no snacks?? Six to eight HOURS between meals?? Eating late at night (hello, I go to bed at 9pm!)?? No huge venti americanos?? Nevermind a 3-hour dinner–I was stressed because during those 3 hours no work was being done! Ha! :) So maybe though they don’t seem to stress, it was a BIG change for me. And an eye opener.

Can less stress and less obsession with food actually impact results that much? To quote Jade in Paris, “Everywhere you look there’s another supermodel walking down the street.” I agree. The people in Paris and Madrid were thin (and gorgeous). It was frankly a little disconcerting. But instructive too.

I’ll admit that for me, stress is one of those things that I know in theory affects fat loss results. But I think I’ve secretly always been like, “Well, yeah, but with enough dieting and training, stress can’t impact me that much.” But I am coming to the realization that chronic stress and its effects (chronically high cortisol and catecholamines) can really, actually, absolutely curtail results. Ugh. One more thing to stress about! Now I have to worry that I’m too stressed! Lol :)

But seriously, here are some of my favorite SIMPLE ways to decrease stress without causing you any more undo, well … stress.

1) Take one day each week to do nothing.

Allow yourself a Saturday or Sunday without the usual guilt trip of having to work or do chores or run all over town doing errands. Those things will be there for you tomorrow. Give yourself today.

2) Prioritize hot baths & showers.

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to take a bath? For me, it was last week in France because the shower situation is too weird for words (I did this like half bath/half shower thing with a removable shower head kneeling in a tub with no curtain?). But seriously. I know, I know, “But Jill I have NO TIME!” I get that. But it’s still a matter of priorities. If de-stressing is a priority, then you’ll carve out the 30 minutes you need to take a bath once a week and ENJOY yourself.

3) Be alone.

As an introvert, being alone is my favorite :) But many of us are surrounded by people constantly. Family, spouses, partners, people at parties/events. Social time is indeed important but many times we focus too much on the need to be social and don’t prioritize being antisocial. Down-time alone is restorative. If you don’t believe me, then you’ve never done it. Practice turning down a party every once in a while. Or say no to going somewhere with a group. Take a Saturday to yourself, or even take a mental health day to stay home alone every once in a while. It’s delicious and completely rejuvenating.

4) Take a break from the gym and go outside.

I wrote about quitting my gym membership last year and I can’t tell you how much being outside did for my wellbeing. The weather, the sunshine (and vitamin D), the fresh air and the exhilarated feeling of freedom it elicits is effing awesome. Do track sprints, hill sprints, a trail run or even a leisure walk. The latter is preferable since it helps to decrease cortisol further. But just being outside makes a big difference. Try it once a week.

5) Read and write.

You guys know I am a huge reader and I probably ready 3-4 hours A DAY. Yes, I know that’s a lot, but I am also obsessed with learning and also my couch calls to me. But many of us don’t have that kind of time, and that’s fine. But could you skip a single one of your nighttime TV shows and instead get into bed an hour earlier to read? This helps you wind down, de-stress and fall into restful sleep, as opposed to watching a TV show (that has been shown to actually rile you up more). Also write. It is cathartic and you don’t have to be a professional writer to pull out a journal and scribble. Write stream-of-consciousness for 10 minutes at breakfast. Your thoughts and intentions for the day. What you want to accomplish. Who you want to be in the world. What actions you will take to make that a reality. This stuff sounds like fluff, but over time it can make a big difference in manifesting the lifestyle you want.

6) Realize you don’t need to be productive 24/7.

I am just as ambitious as the next person when it comes to getting sh*t done (or #GSD’ing it, as my coaching gals calls it). But as a society, I think we can become a little too obsessed with productivity. I feel like everywhere I turn I see a new article citing a list of productivity “hacks.” Fine. Good. But sometimes I think we need to throw ourselves a bone and realize that whatever we do it just fine. We can do our best on any given day (and know that “our best” will change from day to day), and whatever we don’t accomplish, let’s not beat ourselves up over it. The work will be there tomorrow. No need to stress and “should” our way to misery.

There’s an argument to be made that spending time with family and friends conversing over a long meal is productive, yes? Just in a different way than we are used to. But still just as valuable in the grand scheme. In fact, it’s often a regret of older adults–they wish they spent more like with family and friends and didn’t work so hard. So allow those moments to count towards your productivity too!

I know for me, I poo-poo’ed stress for a long time. Like, the effects of stress could be overcome with just more dieting and exercise. Not even close. And actually there’s a good chance that more dieting and exercise will be adding to the stress load. So, a reminder to keep tabs on your lifestyle, not just what goes in your mouth and how many minutes you clock on the treadmill. Stress, sleep and lifestyle factors matter quite a bit too!
Good luck! Ox, Jill

Related: 6 Simple Ways to Create TIME to Get Lean

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The Now Approach & Why Overhauls Always Fail

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Lifestyle, Mindset, Nutrition

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“There is no one giant step that does it, it’s a lot of little steps.” –Peter A. Cohen

Last night, I was catching up with my sister-in-law and JillFit Coach Jillian Teta since we hadn’t seen each other in over a month with travel and crazy schedules. You all know Jillian, and you know that she has her pro figure card with the IFPA and she is also a fitness model (not to mention a naturopathic physician). She’s traveled much the same path as I have in the fitness world, and last night we both agreed–prepping for a contest (or a photo shoot) or doing any sort of super-strict dieting is essentially a full-time job. It’s a complete nutrition overhaul. It is–as it should be–your first priority if you want to do well on stage.

It is a conscious choice you make to get as lean as possible. And the rewards associated with that are obvious: an amazing physique with an incredible physical and mental journey attached. A great story, some awesome photos and the beautiful satisfaction of knowing you’ve accomplished something not many other people could.

But, also inherent in that conscious choice is that your mental energy and effort goes to that place–and so it needs to be taken from other places. For example, I remember during my competing days, it was literally all I could do to train clients at work. Nothing else–no regular blogging, no building my business, very little social time, who’s Jade?, etc. Not that one choice is better than the other, but the reality is that our mental effort and energy is finite.

And when we put all our mental effort into dieting super strictly and training super intensely, inevitably energy for other areas of our lives will be less.

This is often why super-strict dieting and complete overhauls don’t work long-term. They eat up our mental energy reserves, leaving little for well, living. Maybe some people can do it all, and I would wager that the ones who can don’t have some magic power, they are simply more practiced in harnessing willpower (which takes TIME–can you see a theme here? :) )

And yet, as a dieting culture, WE LOVE OVERHAULS, don’t we? Many of us embark on them each New Year’s, or we start a new one every single Monday after binging all weekend or we search for that magic formula that will finally make losing weight effortless.

And yet over two-thirds of people who embark on these diets will end up FATTER 2 years later. Why? Because the model of all-or-nothing diet overhauls does. not. work. Why? Because of the above. It requires us harness so much willpower and mental energy all at once that we simply cannot sustain it.

Willpower is finite. It runs out. We can’t (and don’t have to) be Superwoman. The good news is that willpower is not set. It’s like a muscle that we can strengthen over time. We can practice it and build ours up, but that building of willpower does not happen overnight and no magic meal plan will make it easier if we are not giving ourselves the chance to get better over time. Patience. Consistency. Making the best choices we can at the meal right in front of us.

I think we often fail in dieting because we think too far ahead and want ALL THE RESULTS RIGHT NOW. So we stress and worry and try to be perfect and think about the future and worry if we aren’t losing fast enough or if we slip up, we might as well give up. But that’s not how lasting fat loss works.

Lasting fat loss happens one meal at a time, over time.

Which bring me to The Now Approach. This approach is simple (and yet many of us don’t think this at all, even though it works). The premise is that all we can control is what we are doing right now.

The Now Approach requires that we make the best choice available to us at the very next meal (what we are eating right NOW) or what workout we will do today (i.e. now, not tomorrow or next week or a year from now). 

 

That’s it. It’s simple and it works. Why? Because fat loss happens one meal at a time, one workout at a time, and all those small good choices add up to several large accomplishments. I love this because I don’t have to stress about how I need to look next year or what about next month or how will I be tomorrow. No.

When I stress about the future, I compromise my ability to make the best choice right now.

Your future physique is being created at your very next meal, so why waste effort and energy stressing about being perfect tomorrow when you have the opportunity to make the best decision possible right now? Worry about tomorrow tomorrow! Use The Now Approach to conserve willpower and focus your effort on the next thing–your next meal, today’s workout. Great choices right now show up on you’re physique tomorrow. You can’t control outcomes, but you can always control what you put in your mouth today :)

Related: Why Simply Having the Information is Not Enough

 

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Fat Loss Travel: 8 Simple Rules for Eating on the Road

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Lifestyle, Nutrition

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This past weekend on the ME Lifestylers‘ community page, a member was lamenting having to travel for work and was worried about how to stay “on plan” while traveling. I love this problem! Why? Because I believe this about healthy eating and exercise: If you can make the right choices while traveling, you can make them anywhere.

Honestly, how pointless is it to only be capable of following a tight nutrition plan when we are home, with our own kitchen and our own food and have all circumstance be perfect? That’s easy street. The real test is being on the road traveling and understanding and being so practiced in the Fat Loss Lifestyle that we are able to make the right choices wherever we end up.

The key to being able to navigate food choices on the road is sticking to a few hard & fast rules. You might not be losing fat while away, but you can certainly prevent fat gain by implementing a few key strategies:

1) You can order a mixed greens salad with grilled chicken anywhere.

Sorry, but saying “there’s nothing on the menu” you can order is a copout. You can get a salad with plain grilled chicken at McDonalds. And even if this is not on the menu, 99% of restaurants can make this for you. Ask for it with extra chicken if you are particularly hungry and add balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the side. Many of our JillFit competition clients dine out weeks out from their shows using this method.

2) Protein + 2 sides of veggies.

Most restaurants will offer protein (steak, seafood, chicken, pork, etc) with 2 sides, usually a mixed vegetable and a starch. Ask to sub the starch for an additional veggie option, even a small side salad to start. Can’t go wrong.

3) Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Asking for the sauce on the side or no butter on your veggies is fine, but honestly, these requests are small rocks. And for me personally, having these small touches improves the satisfaction factor of the meal so that I don’t need dessert or crave worse stuff later. If you are competing, then you’ll need to make these requests but for most people who are simply trying not to GAIN weight, these small additions help us feel more satisfied. And they are not a huge deal in the grand scheme. I don’t know anyone who’s gotten fat off fibrous veggies with butter on them :)

4) My 3 hard-and-fast no-no’s:

No bread, no dessert, no booze. I usually drink red wine 1-2 times per week as my small cheat, but I never do bread and I never do dessert. And I am so practiced at saying no that these things are simply not an option anymore. Bread: before the server even brings bread, say, “I don’t know if you guys bring bread, but we don’t want it.” Having it at the table and forcing yourself to resist takes waaaaay more mental effort than simply not having it there in the first place. Guarantee you won’t miss it if it’s not in front of you. Dessert: if someone you’re with orders it, have a single bite. I love this rule because it develops the skill of MODERATION–that inconvenient approach THAT ACTUALLY WORKS :) This is a practice. Try it. Booze: 1-2x per week max and do red wine or vodka-soda. No heavy mixers or frozen boo-boo drinks!

5) Navigating the breakfast buffet.

Most conferences and hotels have a breakfast buffet option. Use it and then use restraint. Just because you are “out of your element” or “it’s a treat to be at a hotel” doesn’t mean you need to go hog wild and eat huge pile of french toast. And just because they have that incredible waffle maker where you get to make them yourself DOESN’T mean you have to use it (I know it’s so cool!). Instead heap on scrambled eggs (protein + fat), some fruit and then use bacon or sausage as your “preemptive cheat” for the day–something that keeps you satisfied so you don’t go for the really bad stuff, but doesn’t hinder your result too much. Oats are fine if you need starch at breakfast, I would just count 10 bites and no sugary-add ons.

6) Focus on the big rocks.

A sprinkle of cheese on your salad? Not a big rock. Some bacon wrapped around your filet? Not a big rock. A few nuts throw into your meal? Not a big rock. A little sauce or butter? Not a big rock. You don’t have to make yourself miserable :) Dining out should be enjoyable, but just don’t go overboard. Instead, focus on the BIG ROCKS: skip starchy sides (like potatoes, rice, fries, buns on burgers and sandwiches, etc), alcohol, dessert, disgusting apps like potato skins and ultimate nachos and carb-centric dishes like pasta, pizza and quesadillas. Protein and veggies are your friend for the most part.

7) Bring your snacks with you.

I always bring a fat loss friendly snacks with me when I travel to have throughout the day: protein powder, protein bars, nuts, jerky, fruit and usually I will make some clean baked good (I know Jamie Eason swears by her Carrot Cake protein bars on the road). I usually only eat a single bigger meal each day while traveling, and then the rest of time graze on snacks, fruit when available and drink tons of water. You don’t need to be eating 6-7 times per day when traveling. Focus on monitoring hunger, energy and cravings and making the right decisions when dining out. In the meantime, it’s ok to feel a little hungry every now and then :) Just stay mindful not to go overboard once food resurfaces.

8) Have perspective & don’t make it about needing to lose fat.

Admittedly, it is hard to lose fat while traveling. The stress, plus small additions to food while dining out make it challenging, so don’t EXPECT that you will lose while traveling. Instead, for me, my goal for travel nutrition is 2-fold:

  • Just don’t gain. Which I accomplish my following the above guidelines.
  • Use the opportunity to PRACTICE the lifestyle and learn to make the best choices wherever you end up. Just because you are traveling doesn’t mean you take a vacation from doing what you know. In fact, the better you do when circumstances are uncertain, the better you get at this lifestyle. Anyone can keep it tight when they have complete control over their food and surroundings. But life happens, so learning to adjust is invaluable.

In the video below, I discuss my hard & fast rules for dining out and how I navigate the menu at a typical American food restaurant/pub. Hopefully this helps :) Let me know what you think! 

Related: Do-Anywhere Body Weight Workout

 

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The Beauty of Being Humbled: Yoga Retreat Wrap-Up

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Exercise, Lifestyle, Mindset

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Walking down the path to our 7am breakfast with fellow Lululemon’ed up fitness pros Jen Sinkler and Neghar Fonooni, I turned to them and said, “You know, this trip is an example of something I would normally never do.”

It was Day 4 of a 6-day yoga retreat in Sedona, AZ and we were 5 classes into out 11-class week. Following the numerous 90-min classes and endless mindset talks, I was sore, mentally drained, sweaty (again) and for some strange reason, elated at the whole ironic experience. Ironic because:

a) I don’t do yoga. Ever.
b) I had never met Neghar nor Jen in real life and here I am sharing a triple room with them (reminded me of the “resort” in Dirty Dancing–see pic below)
c) It was a Pescatarian menu at the retreat–aka no red meat, poultry (or bacon)
d) I am a huge antisocial introvert who had purposely signed up to engage in extroverted activity for 6 days straight. Huh?

Why was I elated despite all that? … Because I was getting my ass handed to me, and it was just the challenge I guess I needed.

Our “bunks” (no wi-fi for you)

Seriously, 90-min yoga classes twice daily is rough. Especially for someone who doesn’t practice, and could arguably be the tightest person on earth. And though I probably wouldn’t recommend someone throwing themselves into it the way I did, I can’t help but feel grateful for the way it turned my usual M.O. completely upside down for a week.

Sooooo out of my comfort zone. Refreshingly so. And to the point of absolute HUMILITY. Looking back, I can honestly say I am grateful to have been humbled because the experience taught me so much, including:

Say yes to experiences.

When Jen and Neghar reached out to ask me to room with them, I wasn’t planning on going. It was going to be too uncomfortable, too social and besides, how could I get away from work for a week? But for whatever reason, I ended up saying yes. I am so glad I did. I met two incredible women with whom I had much in common and we became good friends in such a short period of time, bonding over such an unexpected experience. I am grateful for the courage to say yes, following through with the trip and coming out stronger and better because of it.

Sedona is the largest vortex on earth. This was at the Cathedral Vortex,
known for boosting feminine energy.

When you feel yourself getting scared about trying a new way of exercising, that is a clue that you need to try it.

I honestly thought I hated yoga. It was a joke among my fit friends and me. I thought, Yoga is for people who don’t want to lift. Super-niave on my part and now I can see I was covering up for the fact that I was being a complete coward and not giving it a shot. I let my insecurity about how inflexible I was convince me that it was not worth trying. But the retreat was just the challenge I needed to yank myself out of my rut and break down my mental barriers to new modes of exercise. And I am so grateful. I am now more open to new experiences in exercise because of it. Who knows? Maybe Zumba is next :)

Get over yourself.

After the first night at the retreat and our first practice, I found myself having feelings of not being good enough, and feeling undeserving of being there. I justified my feelings saying, “I am the least flexible. These ladies have been practicing for years.”–statements that were actually true. But I was using those statements to justify why I had no business being there. My story was I don’t fit in, I am behind the rest, I should have practiced more before I got there, etc.

Has this ever happened to you? You want to join a gym or try some new class but feel like you need to “get in better shape” before you do? Well, that’s a crock of BS, because the only way you can get better is by throwing yourself in the mix, making mistakes and leaning into the struggle. I found myself making up the story that people were judging me because I was the least flexible. I was shaming myself. And maybe they were (though I don’t think so), but who cares? My experience wasn’t about them. It was about me, learning a new skill and getting out of my comfort zone. By the end of day 2, I had learned to tune out my insecurities and just enjoy the personal process of getting better.

Practicing :) Left: Neghar doing a wall split. Center: Jen in a full handstand. Right: Me, attempting a bind

Don’t be afraid to be you, and be vulnerable.

I was the most inflexible of everyone there. After I got over myself and kicked the story that I wasn’t good enough to the curb, I was able to embrace the experience and just be myself. I didn’t have to try to be anything I wasn’t. I didn’t have to impress anyone. I was able to open myself up to learning, growing and forming genuine friendships. I just said eff it, I’m going to do my thing, and as a result, in addition to deepening my yoga practice, Jen, Neghar and I had an absolute blast together. I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.

Looking for the Big Dipper with Jen. The sky was so incredibly CLEAR!

Stress can hinder results.

I didn’t lift of do cardio for 8 days while I was gone. Instead, I did yoga 2-3 hours each day, walked a lot, ate clean, detoxed alcohol, sweets and shakes/bars, meditated, journaled, read and relaxed with the beautiful Sedona landscape in the background. I came back 5 lbs lighter. And not that it’s about the scale because my weight doesn’t dictate my self-worth, but the experience was a testament to the fact that stress reduction techniques can impact results. Reducing stress can be the missing link in the physique chain, and if we are doing everything “right” with diet and exercise and not seeing results, it might be time to incorporate even 10 minutes of restorative activity into our day. A 6-day yoga retreat might be a little overkill :) but it seems to have done the trick for me.

At the resort, the beautiful plateaus of Sedona (Photo: Jen Sinkler)

Do Yoga.

Ha! Yes! I semi-fell in love with yoga :) Not that I am going to go practice in India or anything, but 4 days later, I actually miss it and I am going to start at a studio here 2x/week and incorporate it into my weekly regimen. At the very least, it’s a great stretch and at the best, it challenges my physique in new ways and helps me grow a deeper connection with how my body moves. All good things! I’ll let you know how it goes :)

 

Related: Beating Body Dissatisfaction

 

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The Myth of the Superwoman

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Lifestyle, Mindset

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Doing ANYTHING you want and doing EVERYTHING you want are two different things.

I am a huge advocate of the former. I believe that literally anyone can make anything happen for themselves if they are passionate, tenacious, hungry to learn & grow and aren’t afraid of failure. But I think that believing that we can do everything (at least all at once) does us a disservice when we fall short.

This is a tricky line to walk because on one hand, we need belief that we can DO better & GET better, but on the other hand, the EXPECTATION that we *need to* somehow be able to juggle everything and be really, really good at it all only leaves us feeling like a failure when we don’t.

We’ve written on The Expectation Gap before, and I feel that a lot of our “shoulds” come from forcing ourselves to be stellar at everything we do–never let them see you sweat–and then faking it and feeling guilty when we inevitably can’t be perfect at it all.

In the past couple years, Metabolic Effect and JillFit have experienced a lot of success, and for that I am grateful. Jade, myself and the rest of the JillFit and Metabolic Effect team have worked our asses off. We work every day of the week, though fortunately we have the flexibility and autonomy that we need. But regardless, even with no appointments on the books, we are up before 6am every morning working because our clients, customers, readers and participants mean everything to us. It’s not hard to get up and work hard at something you are passionate about delivering. And we’ve gotten good at the delivery.

For my part, that’s all anyone sees. They see what I do well, where I focus my energy and thus where I spend my time–on business. They see programs, blogs, social media stuff, glammed-up photos, projects, etc.

It’s easy to assume when all you see is someone’s “highlight reel” that they are doing it all.

Not the case.

Well, let me share with you the things I don’t do well or at all. I hardly ever prep or cook meals at home–maybe once or twice a week. I never clean. We have a cleaning lady who comes weekly. I am super-messy (and just FYI, I won’t be sharing photos of my disgustingly messy BEDROOM on Facebook!). I always have been–I remember being a kid and being yelled at to clean my room daily :) I hate running errands so I don’t. I am not great at keeping up with my friends, especially the ones who live farther away. I am bad at sending cards and gifts on time in the mail. When I am focused on something, I tend to tune everything else out. Not a wonderful trait, especially when its at the expense of loved ones and friends. And there are plenty of other places that I don’t spend my time or put my focus and hence, those areas have suffered.

Could I get better at these things? Absolutely. Do I want to? Yes. But I also realized a couple things along the way:

  • If I say I want to get better in a certain area whether it’s my physique, my family time or my business, I need to make a conscious EFFORT to put my focus and time there. BUT, the rub is that I CAN’T PUT MY FOCUS AND TIME EVERYWHERE. It’s literally impossible–our brain (and bodies) do not multitask well. Studies have actually shown that when we focus in a single area, we are over ~90% successful. At two things, it drops to less than 50% success rate (for both) and at 3 things, about 5% for all of them. Multitasking well is a myth. But the good news is that you don’t have to be good at everything, but with focus, you can be incredible at something :)
  • I have to stop beating myself about not being able to do everything and do them all well. Because when I feel bad and feel like a failure when I can’t remember to send someone a thank you card on time, it doesn’t change my behavior–I still send stuff late or not at all–yet I am still left with feeling like I suck. This is about getting real when it comes to willpower. Willpower is not infinite and can be drained easier than we think. This is the reason we tend to eat more poorly at night than in the morning–our willpower is drained throughout the day. Hence, if we focus our effort and energy in one area, we are consciously choosing to NOT spend it in other areas. Which is perfectly fine!

Getting Realistically Optimistic

For starters… why don’t we get FOCUSED on what it is we really want. I think much of what we *think* we want, we actually more feel like we NEED.

I’ll never forget an email I received shortly after JillFit.com launched in 2010, from a woman who was also a business owner who wrote: “Jill, can you help me? I am around 22% body fat right now and I want you to help me get down to 10%, so that I can then just stay there.”

This is a simple lack of understanding about what 10% body fat is. Not only is it dangerously low and unhealthy for most women, but IT IS A FULL TIME JOB TO MAINTAIN IT. Not kidding. The hard part is not the attainment–any competitor can do that with a 12 week contest diet and be at 10% for one day–but the MAINTENANCE. Holy crap.

A professional figure competitor might be able to maintain 10% body fat BUT THEY DO THAT FOR A LIVING. It’s their #1 main focus, it’s where they put all of their energy.

And yet ladies, we truly believe that we can AND SHOULD be attaining the unattainable. And not just in one area of our lives. but everywhere. And when the inevitable other shoe drops, we make it mean that we’re a failure, because “LOOK at how well everyone else is able to do it all!!!” Psssst….I’ll share with you a secret–they aren’t.

My 2-part solution:

  1. Give yourself the win in the places you are kicking ass. Are you an awesome mom? Wife? Partner? Friend? Are you a savvy businesswoman with a rockin’ career? Are you smart and educated? This is about ACKNOWLEDGING where you are awesome and then internalizing gratitude for that. Feel the power of you when it comes to these things. You’re incredible…in the exact places you focus your energy. (High five!)
  2. FOCUS on a SINGLE thing you want to be incredible at. Get focused on 1-2 things max. And let go of the need to have everything else figured out. You can do everything eventually, just not all at once.

The people who are the most successful at a specific thing are also the most focused on that single thing.

You are incredible. Right now. Doing what you do. You are Superwoman right now–in what you do. But even Superwoman was good at one thing: kicking ass :)  If you want to make a change, then consciously shift focus to something else, knowing that it means focus will be taken from somewhere else to this new place. But that’s all good.

So the take-away? Throw yourself a bone and realize that not only is it ok to not doing everything well, but it’s actually impossible.

Related: So, You Want the Perfect Body?

 

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13 Quick Ways to Increase Your Veggie Intake

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Nutrition

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Part of living a lean lifestyle is learning how to bend your diet without breaking it.

Which means meeting yourself where you are and being realistic when you need convenience options, but never going overboard.

In an ideal world, we’d all have the time, energy and desire to make all of our food fresh daily at home and love plain steamed veggies. Ugh. But with all the demands on our time and our personal preferences (which matter insofar as they determine how likely we are to stick with it), convenience options are a must.

I have to admit–vegetables are not my strong suit. If I am not conscious of them, sadly I can go all day without them, munching on bars, shakes, fruit and eggs.

But they are a huge part of living a lean lifestyle, and the more vegetables you eat, the fuller you stay (fiber + water), the better your metabolism runs and the more water you SHED (fibrous veggies are natural diuretics because of their high mineral content).

Admittedly, eating plain steamed veggies can seem like a punishment. I used to do it prepping for shows and since then, I can’t really stomach them anymore. You certainly feel healthier doing it that way, by why torture yourself with it when you can easily fit veggies in other ways AND make them taste more palatable?

So, a couple weeks ago, I sent an email out to the JillFit readers outlining 3 simple ways I manage to stick more veggies into my diet. And then I asked for responses from JillFit readers about how they do it. Wow! I got close to 100 responses! You all like your veggies! Or should I say you don’t, because you are trying to find sneaky ways to eat more of them!

I love the OXO Salad Chopper (#3 below)

Below, I listed the ways I increase my veggie intake (#s 1-3), and I added some of my favorite responses from you all too! Enjoy :)

  1. Try a “Greens” or “Reds” powder. This is the lazy man’s veggie option (e.g. me) but offers plenty of antioxidants and is an easy way to get the vitamins and minerals you might be missing when skirting veggies. I personally use Metabolic Effect’s Recovery Greens and Reds, but there are other decent versions too, you can find at Whole Foods Market or supplement stores. Try ‘em and see what you think. They work well for people who are on the go and need convenience options.
  2. Just eat the ones you like. Don’t like broccoli? Don’t stress it and don’t force it. Eat what you like and eat them as much as possible. When my little brother, Danny, moved in with Jade and I two years ago, he didn’t like any vegetables except for green beans. So he ate green beans. Even sometimes with a little butter or sprinkle of cheese. It was better than nothing and over time, he tried new veggies and acquired a taste for others. If you don’t like veggies but will eat a Caesar salad, start there. Not ideal, but better than nothing. Try new ones when you get the opportunity and over time, you’ll begin expanding your veggie variety.
  3. Use the OXO Salad Chopper. Whoa, this thing changed my life! It’s a super-simple, inexpensive tool (basically a bowl with a double pizza-cutter thingy) that you can stuff with 4-5 cups of greens, which when chopped down ends up being much more palatable (no stems!!) and manageable in a very yummy BAS :) Add lean protein and voila!
  4. Add a bunch of stuff to smoothies. For example. 1 scoop protein powder, kale, celery, banana, apple, frozen berries & unsweetened almond milk. “It will fool anyone because it’s so good.”
  5. Stick them into egg dishes. Make veggie frittatas (add some cheese if you want to sexify it ;) ), add chopped veggies to omelets or mixed sautéed spinach in with scrambles. A dollop of salsa on top!
  6. “I use veggies to make a ‘bed’ like spaghetti squash or steamed spinach, to replace pastas.”
  7. Add them to meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, etc. You all like to add veggies like eggplant, spinach, onions, peppers and zucchini.
  8. “Mince up leftover veggies and add to spaghetti sauce. Sneaky sneaky sneaky!”
  9. Use frozen veggies. Things like broccoli florets, cauliflower, artichoke hearts and Brussels sprouts. “Very quickly cook in the microwave, add a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper.”
  10. Cauliflower! “It can be made into anything!” Like pizza crusts, fake mashed potatoes (i.e. mashed cauliflower) and even added to baked goods.
  11. “I love leeks so I boil some up and spread a layer on my plate and then put the rest of my dinner such as curry, stew, chunky soup, etc on top. You can even put poached or fried eggs on top.”
  12. Buy veggies already washed and chopped up. Whole Foods has a great selection of prepared veggies for quick adds to protein to make “skillet” meals where you simply add them to a flying pan for 5-10 min with olive oil to make fajitas for example. A great convenience option for people who don’t like to cook or who have little time.
  13. Make them TASTE better! Ultimately if you are trying to force-feed yourself plain steamed veggies, eventually your willpower will give out and you’ll grab something that tastes better. If you ad a sprinkle of cheese or some herbs or hot sauce or even a light coat of butter, chances are you will be more likely to eat them. Consistency is key, so don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

 

Related: A Case for NOT Prepping All Your Food

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How to Lean Out Your Legs

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Lifestyle

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The most frequent request I’ve received from clients over my 12 years as a trainer is this: Jill, help me get rid of this belly! My stomach! Help me! :) I get it, and for beginners to living a lean lifestyle, usually it can seem that our waistlines are in the most dire need of attention. We’ve written on that many times. As has Metabolic Effect.

BUT, something happens for many women once they start getting leaner and their stomachs flatter–THE HIPS, BUTT AND THIGHS HOLD ONTO STUBBORN FAT even as the rest of the body gets leaner. In fact, this is THE #1 trouble area for my figure competitor and bikini clients. Everything else seems to tighten up right away but when all is said and done, the saddle bags, inner thighs and cellulite butt remain. Ever happen to you?

Side note: With Metabolic Effect’s Burn Your Cellulite Program launching this week, I have been faced with my own cellulite. Lol. And I have a confession to make. I have cellulite. I join the ranks of the over 95% of adult women who have at least some visible dimpling. And thinking back, really the only time I have had ZERO was when I was in show shape (<12% body fat) and dehydrated from cutting water and tanned up. Exhibit A, below.

I think it’s important for all of us to realize that most women–even competitors, models, etc have cellulite to varying degrees. Perspective is key here :)  BUT, with attention to a few specific practices, it is possible to drastically reduce the appearance of cellulite and also lean out the legs. It can take months and even years, but when it comes to stubborn fat, that’s the price you pay for results (As per usual, Debbie Downer here! Lol.)

And it’s not about burning more and more calories, but about working SMARTER. Why? Because the answer to leaning out the legs lies in understanding hormones, not lowering calories to death. Of course this is an issue of hormones–how else can you explain the fact that women store fat preferentially in the lower body, while men store in their midsections?

Quickie science break-down:

This is more than a caloric issue. In fact, most women who go on a low calorie diet will lose fat from their upper bodies, and none from their lower. Same with many women who embark on marathon training programs, only to end up a more pronounced “pear shape” at the end of it—muscle and fat loss up top and no change to the legs.

This happens because stubborn fat storage is about hormones, not calories, and we store based on 2 types of cell receptors: alpha adrenergic receptors and beta adrenergic receptors. The former encourage fat storage, while the latter release fat. And surprise, surprise! Women have much higher densities of the former in the legs, butt and thighs, while men have a great density of the alpha adrenergic receptors in their midsections.

Not to get too much into the science, but all you need to know if you want to burn fat from stubborn areas is that decreasing alphas and increasing betas is ideal. This is also related to our estrogen to progesterone ratio, so cutting down on non-organic food and coffee, increasing consumption of cruciferous veggies, drinking lemon water, reducing use of plastics and dry brushing can help.

Before You Start, Commit to Consistency

Before I get into some to-dos, I want to point out one thing, and that is that … if you are storing stubborn fat in a specific area, it is going to take a lot more CONSCIOUS EFFORT OVER TIME to see improvement. The women who I work with who compete, many of them have been working on reducing their lower body fat FOR YEARS.

The key to this is CONSISTENCY with training and nutrition, over time. You cannot get around that. You can’t quit the Lean Lifestyle for months and then come back and expect to see results after a couple weeks of effort. Making headway with stubborn fat takes patience and commitment.

Steps To Burn Fat In the Hips, Butt & Thighs

So what are some of the tried and true techniques for reducing lower body fat?

Well, I asked my favorite science nerd, biochemist and the founder of Metabolic Effect Inc, Jade Teta (aka, my husband) to break it down for me:

  • Exercise fasted. This puts the body in a lower-insulin state during exercise, which will suppress ALPHA receptor activity. It also causes us to increase catecholamine hormone production (adrenaline/noradrenaline), which now can preferentially increase BETA receptor activity.
  • Start your workouts with 5-10 minutes of intense sprint training or interval training. Warm-up and then sprint hard for 1 minute. Rest for 1 minute and repeat 5 times.
  • Utilize intense lower body weight training 1-3x per week. Focus on multi-joint movements that recruit a larger amount of muscle mass (don’t focus on just leg curls and extensions). My favorites are lunges, squats, bench step-ups and deadlifts. As always, lift intensely using heavy weights. Incorporate plyometrics like squat jumps, switch jumps and burpees. These power moves elevate the heart rate, incorporating more of a cardio component.
  • End your workout with low slow relaxing walking for at least 30 minutes. This will make sure the increased fat released indeed gets burned rather than restored (increases beta oxidation, not just lipolysis, for you biochem nerds).
  • Drink green tea during the day. It can stimulate fat burning by bypassing the alpha receptors altogether.  But this trick only works when you are eating relatively tiny amounts of starchy foods.

Obviously there are a bunch of other to-dos we could add to this list, but in the interest of keeping things as SIMPLE as possible (ensuring the best chance of us actually doing them), I don’t want to overwhelm. Maybe I’ll do a Lean Legs 2.0 version in the future :)

Until then, try the above and report back!

If you want even more quality info about lower body fat and how to reduce cellulite (which is somewhat more involved), Metabolic Effect recently launched its Burn Your Cellulite Program for Women. Super-simple, with all the science-based shortcuts you need to see visible improvement in the hips, butt and thighs. Check it! 

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10 Tips for Getting Your ‘College Body’ Back

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Lifestyle

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The following is a guest post from the founder of College Body, Danny Coleman (also my little bro), who is an ACSM and Metabolic Effect-certified personal trainer with 6 years in the industry and a current college student. Dan started College Body almost 2 years ago, with the goal of making staying lean in college easier (hello, freshman 15!). He recently launched his newest online 4 week fat loss program for college kids, Spring Break 2013, which includes 2 bonuses from JillFit (my 4 Weeks to Tight Core Training & my BAS Salad Recipe Booklet), and an exclusive audio interview I did with him. 

I asked Dan to take over my blog for a day to offer some great tips for college-aged women (or those just wanting to get their “college body” back!) regarding fat loss, stress management and general health. And without further ado…

College is a tough place to stay healthy and fit. Whatever the “experts” say not to do for your health, we seem to do. We get limited hours of sleep every night. We eat greasy processed food (admittedly at 2am sometimes). We live in an environment that causes us to feel chronically stressed 90% of the time. We get “too busy” to workout (for weeks on end). We certainly don’t drink alcohol in moderation.

Okay, I may be generalizing, but trying to stay healthy and fit in a dorm room is no easy feat. To make things a little easier, I put together my top 10 tips to stay healthy and fit in college, below.

10 Tips to Stay Healthy & Fit In College:

1) Efficient Exercise

Intensity of your workout is more important than duration. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for muscle gains or fat loss, hanging in a gym for 2+ hours/day isn’t necessary and can actually be counterproductive. Ain’t nobody got time for that! With limited time in a day, tweets to send out, Bud Lights to crush, term papers due (in > 12-hours), and significant others to spend with, we really can’t spend all day in a gym. When you are exercising, make it count. Break a sweat, feel that burning sensation in your muscles, use heavy weight, and get breathless.

Try this 10-minute fat-burning workout you can do out of your dorm room:

2) You Cannot Tone What’s Not There

A common theme among many young women is “toning”. The thing they forget is that if there is no muscle then there is nothing to be toned. You simply cannot lift those brightly colored/light weight dumbbells for high repetitions and expect to get lean. To tone, you need to be lifting heavy weights with short rest periods.

3) Don’t Overdo Cardio

At many schools across the country you will walk into their fitness facility and see the females lined up across the treadmill, and the men gazing into one another’s eyes across the bench press. Yes, I am generalizing again, but go ahead and see for yourself. I’ll wait…. But ladies, it is time to switch over the weight room! Excessive amounts of cardio lead to an overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol. Which can be a culprit in actually storing belly fat.

4) Sprints & Walking

Sprinting is a great way to build lean and strong physiques. The degree & amount of time the muscle is activated and under tension is a major factor of muscle function and growth. And there is no exercise that generates more force and muscle activation (especially in your core!) than sprints. Sprinting s a great way to build the outer cage of your 6-pack. Walking, on the other had, is also a great fat burning technique because it lowers stress hormones.

5) De-stress

Easier said than done, right? Tests, term papers, being seen as “cool”, romantic relationships, pressure from parents, minimal sleep, and everything else that comes along with the college lifestyle makes it difficult to relax. However, it is important to take the time to de-stress at points throughout your day. When chronically stressed, you could still have a higher body fat even while on a perfect diet and exercise regimen. To de-stress: Mediate, laugh, read, have sex, walk, or anything you find relaxing and rejuvenating.

6) Sleep & Nap

Sleeping is your body’s “reset” button. When you’re sleep deprived your willpower is nonexistent, your focus is lacking, energy is low, and cravings for sweet and fatty foods are heightened. On days in which you are unable to get your Z’s, taking naps can be beneficial in resetting your stress hormone levels.

7) Use the Metabolic Effect Label Rule

The ME Label Rule is a cool trick (especially for college students) to use when looking at nutrition labels. Considering almost everything stored in our dorm room or apartment is in a bag or box, pretty much everything has a nutrition label.

  • What you do is take the total amount of carbohydrates, subtract out the amount of fiber, and then subtract out the amount of protein. You want that number to be less than 10.
  • Carbs (–) Fiber (–) Protein = < 10
  • This is a good reference guide because foods that score lower than 10 will keep your hunger, energy, and cravings in check for an extended period of time. Which is essential for fat loss!

8) Use Cocoa

This “magic supplement” has been around for many centuries. The ancient people of Central America, the Mayans and Aztecs, believed this plant could impart immortality. Now, I am not talking about Hersey’s Kisses. I am talking about 100% raw organic cocoa baking powder. This can be found at your local grocery store for cheap (~$6 container will last you months). I would strongly recommend getting organic from your local Whole Foods or Trader Joes because otherwise cocoa is found to have high amounts of lead. Lead can cause damage to your body in any amount, so beware!

Benefits of cocoa include:

  • Shown to improve cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure
  • Full of antioxidants
  • Has antidepressant effects of drugs like Prozac because it contains the chemical phenyethlamine (PEA) – which is what makes dogs sick – but in humans, helps the body release its own opium-like compounds, called the endorphins, and also boosts levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Just FYI, PEA & dopamine flood the brain when we fall in love or have an orgasm.
  • Cocoa is a rich source of many nutritive minerals, most importantly magnesium. Magnesium, along with zinc and vitamin B6, is the number one depleted micronutrient when under stress (college can be stressful you know..)
  • Increases focus and energy
  • Is an aphrodisiac in that it increases pleasures of the brain. It also increases blood flow to ALL body parts, including the genitals. Just sayin.

Cocoa usage: I mix 1 tablespoon with hot water and drink it like hot cocoa. Sweeten with stevia or Splenda if desired. It is possible to drink too much, though. Too much cocoa can have the same effects as drinking too much coffee.

9) Decrease Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol causes dehydration, compromises liver function, & impairs brain function. Yeah, we all know that. But here’s the deal–when your body burns fat it naturally produces what is called acetate. When you drink excess alcohol, there is an excess of acetate in your body which your body knows (or thinks) that you are burning fat, so it doesn’t have to do it anymore. When you drink, you literally cannot burn fat at the biochemical level.

10) Intermittent Fasting

IF is all the craze right now in the health/fitness world. Does it work? Yeah, no doubt. It is an awesome technique for fat loss. IF is simply going an extended period of time without eating to reset your glycogen stores, and lower insulin (hormone notorious for fat storing/muscle building). And it actually plays into the college student hands. Have you ever woken up late, scrambled to class, and got back later that evening realizing you haven’t eaten since 8 the night before? Well congrats, that was your first of many intermittent fasts.

 

Make sure you check out Danny’s new 4 Week Spring Break Training & Nutrition Program (less than $20!) for video workouts, meal plans, weekly workout schedule and bonuses from JillFit and Metabolic Effect :)

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6 Simple Ways to CREATE Time to Get Lean

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Lifestyle

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“If you have more than 3 priorities, then you don’t have any.” –Jim Collins

I can’t help but believe that we are just as busy as we make ourselves.

I did this for many years, filling my schedule with anything and everything, with no discernment of what was important versus what was a waste of time. I didn’t have enough insight to direct my efforts to achieve specific outcomes. In other words, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, saying yes to everything, undervaluing my time and my expertise.

I read ‘The Four-Hour Work Week’ in 2007, and as I blogged about before, it changed how I viewed my time. Time became MORE important than money, and I slowly made changes to my schedule to allow more autonomy, fewer “obligations” and I started creating time for myself. It took 5 years, but because of conscious focus and time-management strategies, I now have the schedule I want, and am focused on my desired outcomes.

I believe in working smarter, not harder, nor longer. Instead of working on everything equally and trying to be good at it all, it makes sense to focus our energy toward the thing we really truly want.

I was thinking about this yesterday, and it really is this simple–if we want a specific OUTCOME, we have to put our FOCUS there.

Focus drives action, which drives outcomes:

You’ve probably experienced this before. Think of a time in your life when you put your energy into creating time for something, whether it was training for a marathon, doing a new diet or getting a degree in school.

When I was competing and landed my magazine covers, that was my life. My focus was on that. And the proof was in the outcomes. I created time in my schedule to take the actions necessary to land the cover of a magazine. Simple. In the last 2 years, my focus has shifted to building my business, making a greater impact and helping more people, and that is where I now see results.

So a little tough love for you:

When you say you “don’t have time” what you really mean is you “don’t create time.”

This is a matter of priorities. I choose blogging and working on my business over cleaning my house. And as a result, my business grows and my house does not get cleaned (by me). I made a conscious choice to focus on a specific area so that I can do well in it (business) as the expense of other things (cleaning), so I find a workaround, like hiring someone to clean it weekly. I choose my business over cooking all my meals at home. So I see results in one area (business) but find a workaround that doesn’t take my time when it comes to food (either using a delivery service, getting clean take-out or using easy DIY meal prep ideas). Priorities. Decisions.

At some point, we need to make the decision that we don’t need to be good at everything.

Because when we try to do everything well, we end up doing nothing really well. We cannot excel in anything, and instead we become a slave to our schedule, with zero focus in any one area. Like the saying goes, “Play to your strengths” and use workarounds for the things you don’t do well. You don’t have to be World’s Greatest everything.

But we cannot get around needing to CREATE time if we want a specific outcome to change. Want to be lean? We have to CREATE time to be lean. We need to put our workouts before TV. We have to put food prep ahead of going to a matinee on the weekend. We have to get up a little earlier to sneak in our workouts before work. Which means we might need to get off the computer at night so that we can get to sleep and afford to get up earlier.

Wherever we put our time is where we see results. Simple.

We might believe we want to be lean, but until we create the time to actually do it, the old adage still stands: “Actions speak louder than words.”

So, here are my 6 insights around creating time to get lean:

When we try to be great at everything, we’re great at nothing.

  1. If you are already saying to yourself, “Jill doesn’t get that I just don’t have any time,” then this is never going to work for you. This is a MINDSET issue. Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day, we all choose how to spend it. You may have more obligations that someone else (kids, 9-to-5 desk job, etc), but could you not choose a workout over TV at night? Could you not go for a walk at lunchtime? Could you not take your kids outside and play or take them on walk with you? Could you not buy a set of dumbbells for at home so that you don’t have to go all the way to the gym to exercise? Could you not hire someone to clean your house so that you can spend chore time on prepping food instead? This is a matter of PRIORITIES.
  2. Long workouts are old school. Go shorter and harder. The new science of exercise shows that we can get the same (or better!) results when we choose to move intensely instead of simply going for longer. A 20 minute sprint workout using your driveway will yield BETTER results than an hour of jogging, if your goal is fat loss. Get smart about workouts, and stop thinking that because you don’t have 90 minutes to dedicate to driving to the gym, working out for an hour and driving home that you can’t do something.
  3. Do what you like to do, and for everything else, find shortcuts. Once I decided that I didn’t have to cook all my meals at home each week and I could make clean decisions out at restaurants, things got a whole lot easier. Jade and I have probably tried at least 8 new food delivery services in the past year, seeing what will work for us, what’s healthy and get results. Instead of stressing about cleaning your house daily, pay someone to come for an hour 3x/week to pick up. You can probably get someone to do it for $10/hr. Work smarter, not harder. Could you hire someone to spend 1 hour/day returning emails for you? Start with small changes and ramp up later on.
  4. Don’t force yourself to do stuff you hate. Period. If you don’t like to run on the treadmill, don’t. If you don’t broccoli, by all means find some other veggies you like and eat those. If you don’t like the gym, don’t go. Work out at home. If you like chocolate, find ways to incorporate it in a healthy way or as a cheat meal. If you are constantly trying to stuff yourself into a box, eventually, you won’t fit :) When you are doing things you hate, it won’t last anyway.
  5. Get focused. Like Jade says, “If you’re not focused, you’re f*cked.” I agree. Often we don’t even realize we aren’t focused because we have our head down, grinding it out, just doing what’s in front of us today. So ask yourself, what’s my plan? Where do I want to be in 10 years? Next year? Next month? Next week? And how can I TAKE ACTION today to help me get there? Focus leads to action, which leads to outcomes. And here’s the thing … YOU CAN’T BE FOCUSED ON A BUNCH OF THINGS. The definition of focus is that you have 1-2 things you are doing. When we try to be great at everything, we’re great at nothing.
  6. Stop being a victim of your schedule. Everyone has priorities, everyone has obligations, everyone has to make money. But you do have choices. Your life is your own. You can say no to things (yes, you can!). You can choose where to go, what to do, how you do it. Yes you can! Even if you feel like you can’t, you actually can! :) Lol. The good thing is that you don’t have to make all the changes at once, just choose one thing. An example: On a night where there is little on TV that you like, CHOOSE to not watch TV that night, instead of mindlessly channel surfing. And then do something else: prep food, work out, write a blog, GO TO BED so that you can wake up early to work out. Just start there. One evening, one change, and then start doing it weekly. Over time, maybe you add a second night each week. This is how you become more focused on your goals.

BABY STEPS. It took me 5 years of shifting my focus and schedule bit by bit to create time and space to do the things I want and feel a greater sense of wellbeing. I went from working 70-80 hours a week to working 20-30 hrs and getting more done in less time and doing those things better.

Now you try :) One thing. Start there. Make it a priority. Get focused. Let me know how you do! Ox, Jill

Related: Simple Productivity Tool: Monday Checklist

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/02/18/time/

5 Ways to Boost Your Happiness & Stop Hating Your Body

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Guest post, Introspection, Mindset

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The following is a guest post from my friend, and one of my Best of You Coaching Club alumni, Kara Silva (she was also featured here). Kara recently launched her brand, Zen Barbell, and her very first online program, which has been enjoying an incredible reception for the ladies that have completed it–30 Days to Stop Hating Your Body. I asked Kara to give the JillFit readers some insight into that little thing called MINDSET, and how to stop with the negative self-talk, while also still pushing forward on your physique goals. A hard balance to strike. Here’s what she had to say…

Take it away Kara!

 

If you read the Jillfit blogs with any frequency, you understand that chronic stress has an impact on health and body composition. Stress can come from many sources – balancing the craziness of working out, full time jobs, school, kids, relationships, activities etc – aka life.

Stress can also come from our language and our thoughts.

For years, I woke up every morning and touched my stomach – my not flat, buldgey stomach in hopes that something had changed over night. That suddenly I would touch it and some how find it flat and toned and I would feel those six pack muscles popping out. It never happened. My first thoughts to myself in the morning were what a fat lazy f**k I was. This would often be accompanied by walking into the bathroom and stepping on the scale. Many of us know what ever number is reflected back at us can make or break our day. Sounds like a great stress free way to start each day, huh?

For years, I spent SO many hours beating the crap out of myself for not being a certain body fat percentage or not having visible, show off worthy abs. I could find no peace. Over and over again in my mind I would feel the disappointment of not being super fit. I would feel angry at myself for not having the discipline to do what needed to be done to hit the goal that what felt like my whole heart, body and soul wanted.

That feels like chronic stress to me. Not good for my physical or mental health or body composition. Not to mention what a joy it is to be around some one like that. :)

Last year I made a deep shift in my acceptance of myself and my body composition. I stopped hating my body.

Here are my insights from that change:

  1. Understand What Hitting That Goal REALLY Means For You. Have you been dieting, sweating and straining for a goal for years and never really getting to where you feel like you needed to be? Take some time to journal around “If I hit this goal, what does that mean about me?” Also the opposite question is just as insightful “If I never achieve X, what does that mean about me?” I have had some plastic surgery. That is not something I admit to many people. I did it as I was determined one way or another to try and hit my goal of beautiful abs. My FIRST thought upon waking from my surgery is that “I am still me. This changed nothing.” I was disappointed. I had hoped – maybe not even really at a conscious level – that I would wake up transformed. I did not. I was still me – with a few less fat cells. That was an eye-opening realization. It was not the abs that I really wanted, it was who I imagined I would supposedly would be and what life would be like if I had those abs.
  2. You Have A Choice. Negative self talk is a choice and a learned behavior. It can be changed. First, bring awareness to your language. Spend some time REALLY hearing how you talk to yourself and when that shows up. How often you are beating yourself up? What is your first thought in the morning? Awareness is the first step. Once you have that you can begin to make different choices.
  3. Practice Gratitude. Gratitude is mind/heart/emotion shifting. The scale is not where you want it to be today? Ok. But are you breathing easily? (Awesome! Your lungs work!) Were you able to get up out of bed on your own? (Fabulous! Your muscles are strong and working well enough to support your body!) Can you see the numbers on the scale? (Cool! Your eyes are working!) Did you hear your alarm this morning ? (Woo hoo! You can hear!) Did you wake up today ? (Super! You are awake and alive and may have a whole other day of life ahead of you!) There is always something to be grateful for any any situation. Once you start practicing gratitude, it changes your view of the world in ways you can’t even imagine!
  4. Loving And Accepting Yourself Exactly As You Are Is Not Giving Up. I had to work through this issue with myself quite a bit at first. I thought if I am giving up driving to a low body fat percentage because it is making me crazy and miserable then the only other alternative is just to be a fat slob on the couch. Believe it or not there are so many more choices available on that spectrum! LOL! Because I love and accept myself, I want to fill my body with nourishing food. Because I love and accept myself, I love getting into the gym to challenge myself with weights. Because I love and accept myself, not only do I get better but the people around me do too! 
The behaviors (smart food choices, exercises, getting sleep, working for balance) can be the same as they were before but my motivation and mindset are completely different and it is so beautiful and freeing. I might even still one day set a goal to get to 15% body fat as a challenge to myself. That will only be because I want to try for that as a challenge and not because I am not ok, if I am not that.
  5. Practice Practice Practice. “Neurons that fire together wire together.” All of this takes time and you will have SO many chances to practice loving who you are. The cool thing is the more opportunities that come up, the more chances you get to practice loving your body the more those pathways in your brain grow and it becomes easier and better. Life simply gets better from changing your mental messaging.

Stop hating your body so that you can live a happier life!

I am so passionate about helping find peace with their body that my site ZenBarbell offers a “30 days to Stop Hating Your Body” course. Check it out here if you are interested! Also, come over and like the ZenBarbell Facebook page for daily tips, information and inspiration! Ox, Kara

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/02/14/stop-hating-your-body/

Middle of the Night [Love Handle] Freak-Outs…

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Lifestyle, Mindset

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Last week, I had what I call a “Middle of the Night” (MOTN) moment. You know those. When something seems so big and stressful in that moment, in the dark and quiet, like it’s the most important thing in the world. You get an adrenaline rush, brain buzzing, stressing-the-hell-out in that moment. Then, you wake up the next morning, and it doesn’t seem nearly as earth shattering? It’s back to being all good.

Usually it’s some work-related stress or email you forgot to return or need to write, or a bill that you forgot to pay, or some admin task.

Or, maybe it’s a freak out associated with your love handles…

I woke up last week in the middle of the night to pee, and turned on the light in the bathroom, which I usually don’t. Perhaps a little TMI, but I sleep nekkid, so I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Holy shit. For some reason—middle of the night, no contacts in, blurry vision, whatever—I was convinced I was the fattest person on earth and my love handles were growing by the second. I didn’t seem to recognize myself.

I quickly turned out the light, jumped back under the covers and had a huge WTF moment as my brained buzzed. WTF? Was I kidding myself that I’d been maintaining my weight when I was actually getting fatter? I freaked out and vowed right then to clean up my diet even more, up my cardio and basically go back on a competition diet.

What the hell?

So … see if you can keep up. I’ve been on an effortless maintenance nutrition plan for the last couple years, doing a moderate diet, sustainable exercise plan and not overindulging and definitely not binging, but also not eating super-duper competition-clean either. I’ve toted this lifestyle on the JillFit blog over and over. It works, it makes me feel good. It isn’t distracting. It’s easy, automatic. And I get to maintain my weight without stress.

And now here I am, in the darkness of 3am vowing to go back on a competition diet? The exact thing I think is bullshit? Basically a crash diet? Something I know for a fact doesn’t work long term?

Yes.

As I said, W.T.F. I couldn’t believe I felt like I had to start dieting again.

Then something happened… I woke up and it was morning once more.

I got up and went to check myself out in the mirror. I put my glasses on, and something unexpected happened. I recognized myself again. I looked the same as I remembered from the morning before. And I was absolutely fine. I adjusted my mindset, looked objectively and said what I always tell other people to say when looking in the mirror: “I’m ok.” My response is simply a choice.

And just to reassure myself, I weighed and took my waist circumference, something I do every 3-4 weeks. And there they were. Still, the same as they’d been last month.

Can you relate? Middle of the night freak out? Vow to “diet” harder? Do more cardio? Get leaner? These things in and of themselves are not evil. Certainly good intentions. Except for when they take over your life, which I absolutely refuse to let them do again.

In the light of the morning, it was all good. I’m the same as I’ve always been. I made the CHOICE to talk myself off the ledge, realize I am still fine, I am still worthy, I am still me.

And I am fairly lean. Could I be leaner? Sure. But is it worth going back to the old way, the competition dieting up and down to the point of complete obsession? No, absolutely not. Easy decision.

So next time you find yourself having a middle-of-the-night moment, stay aware in that moment. Ask yourself, is this real or is this a MOTN freak out? And make the choice to be ok. And even if it is real, that doesn’t mean you need to punish yourself for it, the way I was toying with. Besides, what are you going to do? Jump out of bed and start running on the treadmill at 3am?? Maintain perspective, reassure yourself that no matter what, you are still worthy and you always have a choice.

You are always one meal away from being in fat-burning mode.

Fat loss is a spectrum. The more good choices you make, the more you move yourself up the fat loss ladder. The more poor choices you make, the further you move down that ladder. Your physique is in your hands, every moment of the day. The foods you choose, the workouts do you (or don’t), the way you sleep, the way you stress and all the choices you make in between.

I am grateful for my MOTN freak out. Just because I’ve had success and I know a lot about this stuff doesn’t mean I don’t have my own moments of insecurity. I still get them, but they are certainly less frequent and the turn-around is faster. But I am still always appreciative for opportunities like this that challenge me and give me opportunities for growth. Could you be grateful for the chance to practice your mindset stuff during a MOTN moment? You can never get better without the struggle, yes?

So watch out for those MOTN moments when you aren’t thinking clearly and your self-worth takes a nose dive. In the brightness of the morning, you are still you. Awesome, fit, healthy and beautiful. Don’t forget to see yourself clearly even when lights go out :) Ox, Jill

Related: Want to work with Jill and the coaches one-on-one? We now work exclusively with the Metabolic Effect Lifestyle program. All the details here!

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/02/11/motn/

4 Reasons Why You Should Be Doing BODYWEIGHT Exercise (Yes, Bodyweight!)

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Exercise, Guest post

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Ok, I’ll admit it. I used to think bodyweight exercises were a cop-out. I mean … really?? Isn’t that for “beginners” and people who can’t handle “real” weight training? Well, that’s what I thought until my friend (and expert in female fitness) Nia Shanks showed me up with her new Beautiful Badass Bodyweight Workout Guide. 

Holy. Bodyweight training was a thousand times more intense than I thought it could be!

So, I asked Nia to get her ass back on the JillFit blog and school you guys on why bodyweight training is frigging awesome, and most certainly more hardcore than you think. SO. The following is a guest post from Nia, where she reveals her favorite reasons for “going B-dub” and why you should too. 

If you’re interested in trying bodyweight workouts, I highly recommend checking out Nia’s Bodyweight Guide :) Kiiiiiiilled me. Good luck!

 

Howdy, ladies. I’m baaaack!

*Cue the moonwalk entrance*

Let’s cut to the chase and discuss four reasons why bodyweight exercises are crazy awesome. We’ll begin with number four and go from there.

#4: New Challenges & Motivation

Do you ever get bored with your workouts? Tired of doing the same ole thing with barbells, dumbbells, and cable machines?

Want a new challenge to jump start your training motivation and perhaps improve your physique?

Make it a goal to progress towards more advanced bodyweight exercises. You’ll be faced with a new challenge that will keep you motivated.

For example, I did this exact thing last year and made it a training goal to perform handstand push-ups. Slowly but surely I used handstand push-up variations and worked my way to performing handstand push-ups.

The first time I attempted a true handstand push-up, I busted out three solid reps.

Accomplishing a new goal was exciting, fun, and left me wanting more.

“What else can I do?” I wondered.

Then I worked up to L sit chin-ups, 1.5 rep pistols, and other advanced bodyweight exercises.

The change of pace and new challenge got me excited about training again. And proper motivation is key if you want to improve (and maintain!) your physique.

#3: Give Your Joints a Break

I love pushing, pulling, and lifting heavy barbells.

But after a while, you can develop some nagging aches if you constantly have a loaded barbell on your back or in your hands.

This is where bodyweight workouts are super beneficial. They’re more joint-friendly* and don’t put as much strain on your central nervous system. You can train more often, recover quicker, and heal nagging injuries.

So if you want to give your back a break from pressing a heavy barbell overhead, start using handstand push-up variations. This way you can still train your shoulders directly while giving your back a rest from the heavy loading.

Want to take a break from heavy squatting? Use single leg squat variations for a new challenge and to sculpt some sexy muscle on your legs.

*Not every bodyweight exercise is joint friendly to every individual. For example, some peoples’ shoulders don’t tolerate dips and some peoples’ knees don’t agree with full range of motion pistols. I also recommend using a suspension trainer for exercises such as chin-ups and inverted rows to allow for natural movement.

#2: Scalable to Your Strength

“But, I can already bust out 20 push-ups and 10 chin-ups. I’ve outgrown bodyweight exercises.”

Assumption fail.

No matter how strong or experienced you are in the world of strength training, you’ll never outgrown bodyweight exercises.

Even if you can perform a dozen or more push-ups, you can still improve your performance (which we know is key to building a better body). All you’ve gotta do is:

  • Perform a more challenging variation (for example, elevating your feet and using a close grip)
  • Use an advanced training technique (such as 1.5 reps or rest/pause)

Those two simple tweaks will instantly add variety to good ole traditional push-ups and improve your performance. They’re also useful for busting through a strength and muscle sculpting plateau.

And just so you know what the 1.5 rep technique is, check out this video.

Use the 1.5 rep technique with any bodyweight exercise for a new challenge and to kick things up a notch.

Go ahead and give it a shot. I’ll wait.

Done? Great.

Let’s continue to the final reason why bodyweight exercises are crazy awesome.

#1: The Ultimate Excuse Demolisher

I intentionally saved the best for last. Yep. Bodyweight exercises are the ultimate excuse demolisher because there’s no reason not to get in a great workout to continue your quest to build a better body.

Because you can do bodyweight exercises anytime and anywhere, with zero to minimal equipment, you’ve got absolutely no excuses not to do them.

Zero.

Zip.

Nada.

It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling, on vacation, or super short on time. You can still train hard and build a better body using nothing but your bodyweight.

Convinced yet to start incorporating bodyweight exercises into your routine? I sure hope so, and I know you’ll be pleased with the results.

BOOM! Now go. Have fun, and try something new!

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/02/06/bodyweight/

Love Letter to Weight Training: Lift Weights, Build … Confidence?

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Exercise, Mindset

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Here at JillFit, and over on the Metabolic Effect blog, we tend to strictly profess the physiological effects of exercise, most importantly weight training. I doubt I need to convince you of the many benefits of weight training for the body. BUT, if you’ve forgotten, allow me to be annoyingly thorough :)

Quickie Reminder/Physical Benefits of Weight training:

  • Builds muscle strength & size
  • Boosts joint stability, reflexes and functionality
  • Increases basal metabolic rate via added muscle mass (small, but can add up)
  • Increases number of calories burned during exercise via added muscle mass
  • Boosts your power and ability to sprint faster
  • Improves skin and soft tissue integrity (including improvement of cellulite appearance in many)
  • Boosts cognition and brain power
  • Increases testosterone and growth hormone naturally (better sleep, sex drive, ability to burn fat, etc)
  • And much more…

Not convinced yet?  Well, how about the fact that lifting weights makes you feel like a superhero?? :)

Weight Training Has Psychological Benefit

Back in December, I asked on all my social media feeds how weight training made people feel. Here are the top responses of that fill-in-the-blank pseudo-survey, with over 100 responses:

“Weight training makes me feel … “

  • Strong (13 responses)
  • Confident (11)
  • Alive (8)
  • Empowered (8)
  • Unstoppable (5)
  • Sexy (4)
  • LIke I can handle anything (4)
  • Badass (3)
  • Powerful (3)
  • Happy (3)
  • Like a superhero (2)
  • And many more…

Do any of these resonate with you? They definitely do me. Especially confident, empowered and like I can handle anything. Physical strength (or even just the act of lifting) boosts our mental strength too.

Lifting weights consistently has a fairly predictable pathway to mental benefit and appreciation:

For many beginners, they begin a lifting regimen and within 2-3 weeks are convinced they look different. The reality is however, that though their strength may have increased very quickly during that time, they actually look fairly the same. But the mental change elicited as a result of lifting influences physical perception.

Then, after a month or two of consistency, you start to think, gee, I am not really seeing any changes. But, I know that I feel better when I lift regularly so I’ll keep at it, and you kind of stop looking for physical changes and allow yourself the pleasure of the mental boost.

Then, about 6-9 months into lifting regularly, all of a sudden you notice you look a whole lot different than you did when you started, and the physical changes become a lot more apparent. Whoa! **Happy dance**

The point is that the process of lifting weights–especially heavy weights–earns plenty of fabulous physical benefits, but what is often overlooked is the power of lifting heavy weights to boost self-confidence and self-efficacy. And I would argue, by extension, self-worth and willingness to try new things.

Physical strength begets mental strength

There’s an emotional satisfaction associated with the accomplishment of weight training that has a very different feel than that of running a marathon or completing a yoga retreat. Physical strength begets mental strength. There’s a sense of I-can-do-anything. There’s a sense of mental fortitude that comes about as a results of building physical fortitude. Basically, you become a badass.

And what else can I say, except, it’s fucking awesome :)

Lifting weights is transformative.

And if you have not given yourself a full year with heavy weight training, I encourage you to try it. It’s a physique-changer yes, but also has the power to open you up to try new things, gives you a feeling of accomplishment and boosts your confidence in clothes (and out of them!)

How do you get started? Here are a few quick tips:

If you are brand spankin’ new to weights: I would definitely hire a trainer for a couple sessions to help you get your form cues down and show you some simple exercises. You might begin with more machines and work your way up to free weights.

If you maybe got out of weight training for a bit, and want to get back into it: Start with a simple Upper Body/Lower Body Split routine. Start with 1 day of each per week, and work your way up to 2 days of each. Here is a great at-home split for you, as an example. At the gym, use free weights as much as possible. Start lighter and move slow & with control until you prime the neuromuscular pathways, which for newbies can take a few months. Then add weight slowly.

If you’re an advanced weight trainer: Consider advanced techniques, like power lifts, olympic lifts or structuring your week using doing body part splits (bodybuilding-style), like this:

  • Monday – Chest/Triceps
  • Tuesday – Legs
  • Thursday – Back/Biceps
  • Friday – Shoulders/Abs
  • Saturday – Optional 2nd leg day

Go Heavy

People always ask what I mean by “heavy.” This is a relative term, right? And it will be different for everyone. Thus, I can’t tell you exactly what weight to lift. You will have to use a bit of trial and error to figure out which weight elicits a burn and by the end of the set is too heavy to lift. It should be challenging. But to give you an example, “heavy” for most women will be in the 15-25 lb dumbbell area for most upper body exercises.

Lifting heavy takes practice, patience and a certain level of self-trust that is built overtime. Stay safe, start slow and ramp it up as you start to feel physically (and mentally!) stronger.

Good luck! ox Jill

Related: Muscle Building for Women: The SCORCH Model

 

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Permanent link to this article: http://jillfit.com/2013/02/05/confidence/

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