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FITNESS NEWS FLASH … WORK REQUIRED AND NEVER OPTIONAL

Life does not promise easy, fair, fun, happiness, or even health. In fact, life is hard and guess what, work is required and never an option. It is up to each one of us to create the lifestyle that we live and this is not going to be found in a jar, pill, powder, or shake. If popping a “fit pill” was the answer to all things magical and provided the body of our dreams inside and out, then I definitely would not need to write this blog. The facts are in and they have been for decades that the way to obtain a fit physique is through consistent healthy food intake, regular exercise, plenty of rest, water, and balance of life.

The “want it now” society tries every side-step method to achieve what can only be done through sweat producing work. There is not a pill or shake that is going to teach a person how to shop and select healthy foods for life and they will surely not sprout legs and exercise so that we consume the activity benefits. What usually does occur with quick fix programs is possibly some weight loss due to very low calorie diets and bodies that are running on empty experiencing negative side effects like dizziness, blood sugar and pressure issues, and nutrient deficiencies just to name a few. Frustration and discouragement typically follow as the program just does not feel good and studies have shown that any weight lost is put back on plus more.

Work goes with life, supplying our needs and wants. We want things so we work for them, and the same is true of our health. Health comes at the price of time, energy, and simply eating healthy food. The work is challenging and that is a great thing because it does change us, makes us stronger and better able to enjoy our body and life overall. We can no longer think that tricking health through gimmicks and potions is acceptable. That would be comparable to owning the golden goose and not having to put in our eight to five for a living. We are no strangers to what work feels like and it can be rewarding and provide an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. The results of hard work are being able to achieve and have what we want and desire in life, and is never optional. If having a healthy fit body is the desire, put in the work and see what happens.

Darla Leal, Fit at 50

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FIX YOUR FITNESS

We do not need anyone to tell us that we are unhealthy or that we need to fix our fitness, right? If you are unhappy with yourself, feeling like crap, have been told by the doctor to change your lifestyle, or have had your friends and family kindly give you hints, then guess what, you already know that you need to fix your fitness. Fitness goes beyond the physical and includes emotional and spiritual well-being as well. Don’t think we can walk around in physically pretty bodies and be all messed up emotionally, stressed out, overwhelmed and feeling like life is too big to handle. Fixing our fitness requires looking at our complete picture and making the choice to clean up our act.

It is not rocket science and requires nothing magic to fix our fitness, just our will, determination and follow-through to become healthy. The media would like us to believe that we need a bunch of expensive things, products, pills, and potions to obtain the body that we are looking for, but the truth of the matter is that we all possess the ability to create our fitness. The first step is admitting the areas we are unhealthy and putting forth a plan of action to get the process of adopting a fit lifestyle started. If being overweight and struggling with painful joints, lack of energy, low self-esteem, and frequent illness is the issue, a great start would be to look at daily nutritional intake and exercise. If emotional problems such as anger, high stress on the daily, inability to relax, and tension that sends your shoulders to the ears is a constant, a great start would be to look into what is causing these feelings through possibly a counselor or clergy member.

The important thing is to get on board with fixing your fitness. Procrastinating on this very important subject does nothing but waste what could be a healthier happier life. Being in denial about being unhealthy is also a thief of health and fitness. Changing our mental game and looking at ourselves with rose colored glasses off to expose all the unhealthy parts is what it will take to implement the changes needed to fix our fitness. It is a brave step in the right direction and today is always the right day to get to work.

Darla Leal, Fit at 50

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NO ONE BUT YOU CAN MAKE HEALTH HAPPEN

In this world of comparison and getting pissed off at her or him for seeming to accomplish everything, and then spewing “what’s your excuse” in our faces, it’s no wonder women and men alike are throwing up their arms in frustration and happily giving a bird salute attitude at achieving fitness goals.

Put on the brakes here and look at what has happened. Letting others control what is best for our health and fitness is out right wrong, and does nothing for us. That being said, why are we allowing people or media so much control over our decision making to create a healthy, happy life when they have little to no concern or care for us? Why so pissed about it? What it comes down to is that no one but you can make health happen. You know that saying that goes, “whether you do or you do not, you are right.” Well, that is true and the choice to get healthy lies squarely on your shoulders. There is no amount of jealousy, blaming others, or putting up defensive posture because others are doing what you are not willing, that will get you closer to your health and fitness goals.

It does not matter how busy you are, I am, he or she is, because we all can say that we are too busy to carve out that very important exercise hour, and plan and prep healthy food time. The “what’s your excuse” phrase does hit hard and can ruffle the feathers, especially when it comes from family and friends. When it comes from the media, it is easier to be judgmental and hide behind our computers commenting on how cushy her or his life is and how they have the time to get it done. I say bullshit to that and start accepting responsibility for our actions, stop comparing to others, and who gives a crap what anybody’s excuse is. What is important are the excuses that we are making and why. It is time to tune into self and let go of insignificant negative drama that weighs down our positive minds. No one but you can make the choices to move past the excuses and the feelings that keep you from getting healthy.

Darla Leal, Fit at 50

Stay Healthy!

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I COUNT QUALITY NOT CALORIES

I stopped counting calories years ago, and simply made my focus on eating healthy quality “real” food each day. I like that motivational poster that says “no one has ever gotten fat eating too much kale” and this is really true and can be applied to most of the healthy food choices out there. I do not feel the need to keep track of ingredients I know are providing health benefits and awesome nutrients that keep my body looking and feeling the way it does. I keep my refrigerator, pantry and counters stocked with plenty of organic vegetables, greens, fruits, yogurts, raw nuts, lean meats, and my list goes on and believe me, I am stuffing my face every three hours or less with a nutrient dense fiber rich food.

Maintaining a healthy body is about living a quality life and that means being concerned about the quality of food that I eat. There is a big difference in consuming a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries compared to an organic chicken breast with a sweet potato and mixed greens. The latter will be more nutrient dense, health beneficial and less calories, but to the eye will appear like more food. This is a great example of why I do not bother with counting calories. As long as I am eating meals like organic chicken and greens, the need and stress behind counting calories is pointless. I eat for health and listen to the cues of my body that tell me to fuel up.

When it comes to buying my groceries, I hit the perimeter of the store and steer clear of the aisles full of processed inflammation causing crap. Take into consideration your local grocery and how it is laid out, generally produce to the right or left, dairy to the back and following along to the meat counter on the opposite side. I stick to my list in hand and the only extras that I dash into the forbidden center would be for dark chocolate, red wine, or something organic like packaged Quinoa. I really enjoy the local farmer’s markets and stake those out for my produce as much as possible, and I adore the organics at Costco. I believe in keeping my healthy food intake simple as well. The food gets too much credit for being complicated when trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle and that is such an unfair assumption.

Take an organic apple for example, and appreciate the nutrient value and simplicity of this “fast food”. Now add natural organic peanut butter to that apple and a power fuel meal has been created. I do not find that difficult and I apply this type of philosophy to all my healthy foods. I am sure we all know how to prepare and cook an organic chicken breast and other than on the grill, one of my favorite methods is in the crock pot with some fabulous spices or salsa. I also enjoy sweet potatoes and will prepare those with an olive oil rub, and finish off this meal with a spinach salad topped with walnuts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I am talking about quality food to create a quality healthy body. Think about our ancestors, what they ate, and how it was created. It was the simplicity of organic lean meat, dairy and produce from the land eaten throughout a busy physical day and the thought of maintaining a healthy body was not even a thought. It was lived every day and that is what I think about when I am living my life as a healthy person and eating the way that I do. What I do count is quality when it comes to my calories and that works for me.

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Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button at the right to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

Stay Healthy!

Darla

THE FOOD JOURNAL DILEMMA

The dreaded food journal can be your best friend and accountability partner when it comes to implementing a healthy nutrition program. I have heard it all when it comes to fitness and food journals and the love/hate relationship that keeping track of food intake can cause. The problem is really not the food journal, but it is the issue of not being honest with ourselves. When life is going great and our program is on track, we gladly write down every healthy morsel placed in our face with a smile and will even share the exciting events that are producing the positive results.

On the other side of that coin is the need to hide or even toss our journals to the curb as temptations to go “off plan” creep into the program. It is almost as if we convince ourselves that being unhealthy is not happening if it is not written down in the journal. Believe me, you can run but your body will not hide the consequences of unhealthy choices. The fact is the food journal wants to know all the dirty little secrets whirling around in our heads: our thoughts, if we are having triggers, cycle approaching, crappy day, or anything else that may send us into an unhealthy eating pattern. Often times using the food journal as an emotional outlet helps to resolve behaviors that may occur, and allows us to get back on track sooner than later.

Giving our food journal the stink eye for poor food choices is not where that stare should be placed. Living a healthy lifestyle is a personal choice and responsibility that we all need to realize. If our fitness programs are off track that is on each of us and we need to own the consequences of those choices. Keeping secrets from our food journal does nothing to help in a positive way, and in fact will prevent us from reaching the goals of a healthy body.

We can come up with all kinds of reasons to not journal our food intake: pain in the ass, waste of time, it’s not working, controls me too much, refuse to feel micromanaged, and the list goes on. The food journal needs to stop getting the bad rap for our poor food choices, and the fact that it is not working is about the dishonesty that is occurring when we cheat on the journals. Studies have shown weight loss success and overall health improvement when food and fitness journals are in place. It is our unwillingness to take our health seriously that prevents us from reaching our goals. When we cheat on the food journal we only cheat ourselves and it is true “what we eat in private, we wear in public”. Also, we are walking bill boards of the type of life we live, healthy or unhealthy.

We have the choice to view the food journal as friend or foe, and that choice will determine how serious we want to reach our goals and live a healthy life. If we view the food journal as a friend that will always be there and never let us down, the success rate of weight loss and overall health improvement would increase by a great margin. I believe it is time to do what we can to be accountable to a healthy lifestyle and although it may be difficult to see the real stuff behind our choices when we journal, it is necessary to make the changes that will get us going in a healthy direction. Friends should be able to offer constructive criticism and have it be accepted in a positive way without defensiveness. The food journal is there to do that very thing: show you what has gone wrong, where you can improve, and ultimately help you make better choices for living a healthy lifestyle.

Heather Agnew Photography

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding!

Stay Healthy!

Darla

SABOTAGE STEALS SUCCESS

Sabotage is a strong word to describe the behavior that can sneak into our life and steal the success that healthy eating and exercise has provided our bodies. It can come in the form of our own thoughts, an unsupportive spouse, friend, and even co-workers. The important thing is to be on guard so that the forms of sabotage can be recognized and dealt with in a way that is healthy, and keeping us on track with our fitness goals. I am not addressing the occasional cheat meal or even day, I am talking about a chronic issue of falling into a trap of being swayed away from a healthy lifestyle, and allowing that to happen.

Living a healthy lifestyle takes mental strength and a loving commitment to maintain our best self through consistent healthy choices each day. Let’s address self-sabotage and how it can creep into our mind and try to convince that “just this once” or “just a few bites” can become part of the healthy plan. The issue with this type of sabotage is that it does not stop at the “just once or a few bites”. Often times, this mindset flows into several days, weeks, and even months, and before it is over, the weight loss achieved is back up to where it started, and possibly more than the initial weight. Convincing ourselves that eating crap on a regular basis is never a good thing for our bodies, and remaining on guard so that self-sabotage can be recognized and dealt with immediately is crucial to stay on track with our fitness and health goals. Keeping a daily fitness journal is a helpful accountability tool to keep us on track.

Another sabotage culprit is that wonderful person you live with until death do you part. Love has nothing to do with sabotage of this type and the non-supportive spouse may not get the whole new health thing or does and is struggling with acceptance of your new healthy lifestyle. There are many relationships like this and living a healthy lifestyle becomes difficult, as the processed foods and other temptations continue to hide in your pantry and refrigerator. Sometimes, a spouse turned healthy and leaving the other behind can cause friction in the relationship as guilt trips occur over the change in lifestyle. It is so important to realize that each person is ready when they are ready and force-feeding a new healthy lifestyle on your spouse will only drive a wedge in the relationship. As the one wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, model by example, and when the cupcakes come calling, politely say “no thank you” and grab a yogurt and piece of fruit to eat along with your partner. Mental strength has to be on overtime in these circumstances as there will be a daily guarantee of temptation. Keep that promise of creating your best healthy self and great positive attitude, and almost assuredly your spouse will eventually join you. Patience will be your best friend here.

Sabotage among friends exists and it can be ugly. Creating a healthy lifestyle will mean making hard choices and dismissing ourselves from possible temptations that will steal our accomplishments. Some friends may not understand that you no longer want to eat processed foods or drink alcohol all night long, and are happy to provide the peer pressure to get you to fold on your commitment to self. A strong mental game is definitely a requirement and sometimes a request of support from your friend will be necessary. A true friend will understand and come alongside of such an important decision and one that does not care will continue to sabotage your efforts. If you continue to hear that it is OK to let your hair down and relax with your program on a continual basis from a so-called friend, you may want to re-think the motives of this friend. It is unfortunate, but jealousy does exist and can rear an ugly head during such times, and some may not be able accept that your body is changing in beautiful positive ways. The important thing in this type of situation is to be true to you, regardless of what is said or pressure felt. Going out can be limited to a glass of wine and water in addition to healthy food selection. Continue to enjoy your life and implement the healthy choices and the rest will take care of itself.

It seems like there is no safe place for the healthy person to hide from the forms of sabotage and the workplace is no stranger to being involved. Do you have a break-room filled with daily temptation, or that co-worker who always brings the donuts and gladly sets one on your desk? Put up the mental defense when it comes to accepting sabotage at work because you do have more control here. Bringing a cooler filled with your healthy planned meals will keep your fingers off the bagels and cream cheese with a side of cookies. Be stronger than the saboteur and say “thanks but no thanks” to the invitation of work indulgence eating. If a strong mental game is not put into play, visiting the break-room can become a daily occurrence with the results showing up on the waist line, and a complete derail of the healthy lifestyle you want to implement.

WIN A FITNESS TANK

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Stay Healthy!

Darla