by Kim Miller | Oct 12, 2015 | Uncategorized
Why Are You Training?
This is the question: “What are we training for?” Are we training for increased muscle mass? More energy? Better body definition? Weight loss? Better bone densiity? Decreased injury risk? Decrease disease probability in later years? Or even just to look great?
By knowing the answer to this question, not only do you set the stage for training correctly, but you set the stage psychologically when you have a real reason for working out.
Ask yourself why you are training physically in the gym or elsewhere? Once you are clear on your reasons for training, then a program can be implemented that makes sense for you.
Since many of my clients train for higher energy,better body tone, and decreased chance of premature aging, I will assume that many of my readers also desire this.
Below are several tips for increasing your daily energy, improving your overall body tone, and decreasing premature aging of the body, specifically through weight training. Science tells us that gaining energy can best be achieved by gaining physical muscular strength. Below are some other key finding for those of you who desire a more robust 2015.
Strength is Life – Get Strong
1. We gain strength best through quality of effort.
Insight – a new person to fitness can exercise with high quality. Your starting weights do not matter. Only effort matters. Solid effort means increased strength.
2. Strength training in the higher weight range( for that person-everyone is different) tones the body.
Insight – Strength training with higher weights and less reps takes less time too letting us go about our day.
3. Strength training in the higher weight and lower rep range keeps us from getting bulky.
Insight – this seems counter intuitive but is true. Body builders bulk up using lighter( although they may not seem lighter to many observers) weights, tons of reps and tons of sets. By the way, they are not as strong as they look, but stronger than most people.
4. It is not necessary to go to absolute fatigue in a muscle to gain the energy benefits.
Insight– we just have to work a little hard. Too many people overdo exercise in their desire for energy. Rest between exercise is important.
5. Increasing your weights is absolutely necessary to gain strength that gives you energy throughout the day.
Insight – be smart in increasing your weight amount. Too soon and you risk injury and not soon enough, you become stagnant, not feeling and seeing the results you desire.
We are better off staying in the game of fitness for a lifetime, so if this means being a little conservative with exercise and progressing less slowly than you would like, then simply deal with it and forget the bravado that we all carry when it comes to sticking to the plan exactly. You are going to reap the benefits this year. Just promise yourself to get started. Yes get started, but be easy on yourself. This means that you are wise to consider you will not be perfect in implementing your plan, but you are even wiser to consider that using a few missed training sessions as an excuse to stop training is not a viable option. Let this year be the beginning of strong!
All My Best,
Kim
by Kim Miller | Sep 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Below is a question asked by a 30 Days to Lean member who lost 11.5 pounds! She was getting ready to go on vacation in beautiful Mexico and needed some advice short of me telling her “no margaritas and no beer for you!”
Part of the beauty of the 30 Days to Lean Program is that the process of immersing oneself in a lifestyle for a period of time, makes, as one 30 Day member said, you smarter. “Not only do you intuitively start seeking out healthy foods, “but you crave bad foods less” Matthew, Maryellen, Sue, Rick.
Question:
What are some tips for going on vacation in Mexico short of not being able to have a few beers or margaritas?”
My Answer:
I am going to take the liberty of reframing this question and hope you don’t mind:
” How can I continue to be healthy without mentally, physically and emotionally tormenting myself?”
Here’s the thing, you must embrace key ideas, just like you have embraced key ideas with implementing the 30 Days to Lean plan.
It has been my experience that the vast majority of people know a great deal about losing weight, getting fit and making healthier choices. But they still struggle with following through- and really putting all the pieces together in a sustainable way. Hopefully the 30 Days to Lean plan has helped you put the pieces together in a way that makes sense and is sustainable.
What you need to do on vacation is to begin learning how to vacation and have the absolute best time, while feeling well mentally, physically, and emotionally, not just while on vacation but in the aftermath of arriving home. We all want to come back from vacation feeling good and not worn out because we ate and drank poorly or didn’t exercise. I think everyone would agree with this.
If you haven’t vacationed since changing your diet/lifestyle then this will be a great time for you to practice key behavior concepts. Like the 30 day plan, you will not be a pro at first so give yourself a break. In the meantime, know that as you vacation more with health in mind, it’s get easier to soak up feel good vacation mode, while not feeling like you are depriving yourself.
These are the key concepts I want you to focus on before you leave and while on vacation. Note that I am not giving specifics on what to eat and what not to eat. You will figure out in time, what works for you so I will not even suggest what you should and should not have.
Here are the key concepts:
- Exercise is great for weight maintenance ( not for weight loss – but for maintenance) so enjoy movement you love to do while on vacation like walking, biking, swimming or other feel good activity for you.
2. Know that it will be easier to lose weight while on vacation because your mind, body, and soul are at ease. Take advantage of little stress and chill out. That margarita, hammock, and a good book may not be such a bad idea in Mexico!
- Know that your stress hormones are balanced more fully while on vacation so your desire for sugar, bad fats, and carbohydrates are naturally reduced. Just make sure you eat 3 meals daily and do not let your blood sugar get too low. Ask yourself if you really need a dessert each night, or if it is just something we are trained by society to think we should do?
- Take advantage of the great opportunity to sleep while on vacation. Sleep as you know helps us to lose weight. So enjoy every bit of it, and with no guilt.
- Consider vacation as a time to get into a rhythm of deepening daily gratitude. Gratitude for what we have helps us to naturally consider taking care of our own bodies by not overindulging in food or drink.
- Consider using vacation time as reflective time and be thankful for how far you have come in developing better eating habits. Studies show that those that capitalize on how far they have come are more apt to continue good habits.
- If there are foods you want to try but they seem off the plan, consider that while you are on vacation the goal should be weight maintenance. So foods off limit are just fine – eat smaller portions, and make some tradeoffs as you go about your days never worrying and having faith that you will come back home feeling and looking great!
- Lastly, before you depart for vacation, consider thinking about how you want to feel when you arrive back home. Then make minor adjustments in your eating and drinking while vacationing capitalizing on the above key points.
Hope this helps! Have a margarita for me! Happy travels.
Kim
by Kim Miller | Sep 12, 2015 | Uncategorized
Hi Everyone,
It’s Totally Tone Tuesday and it’s the day we talk about strengthening, stretching, and balance.
If you’ve noticed there is a direct correlation between leg/core strength and balance. In other words, people who have strong legs and cores tend to have better balance. But here’s the thing, how do we best develop solid leg and core strength habits?
Strong legs and cores can be achieved through a multitude of ways. For people who have never weight trained before, I usually always recommend machine weights over free weights. Some trainers de-emphasize machine weights because they feel clients will enjoy the latitude of different exercises one can do with free weights over machine weights.
It’s my belief that like most things in life, starting with a solid framework from which to build from is important. In the gym this means, exercising all the major muscle groups in a structured organized way that lets the individual build strength progressively without worrying that he/she is doing the exercise incorrectly- machine weights, once learned correctly, allow for a more structured and progressive strength foundation.
Once an individual has a solid foundation of strength progressively implemented then all the other tools in the gym can be utilized for more variety and difficulty. This is where free weights and cables come into play that offer more variety and difficulty because core and leg strength become central to lifting various weights in a multitude of planes that cannot be derived on the machines.
Up Shot
Like most things in life, skipping important foundation steps decreases the likelihood that an individual will create the necessary habits for long lasting change. In the arena of health and wellness, if we focus on foundational strength training and then progressively adapt to more difficult exercises, not only is our body ready physically but our mind is as well. This mind body balance is the difference between superficial change and real habit change that most of us seek.
What about you? Are you creating the foundation habits for long lasting change?
All My Best,
Kim
by Kim Miller | Sep 12, 2015 | Uncategorized
Do you Find That You Just Can’t Change Your Ways No Matter How Hard You Try?
I have an uber important question for you today. But stick with me for a minute because it may appear hokey.
Do you have a fear of eating healthy and exercising more?
Do you ever feel ready to take it to the next level, and yet sometimes find yourself behaving in ways that directly conflict with what you say you want? “I want to feel better. I want to lose this weight that is driving me crazy. I want to have more energy.”
Do You Dream?
Do you dream of having the energy and confidence that comes from taking better care of your body, and yet you still eat crap food and never make time to work out?
If this scenario has ever happened to you, you are in good company. Many people experience this.
Here’s The Thing
Because our beliefs drive our behavior, it doesn’t matter how much we say we want to feel good, have more energy, and lose a few pounds, if deep inside us, arriving at success in healthy eating and exercise equals some kind of pain.
My experience in working with others and with myself is that under the surface, we wonder if it is really worth all the pain ( loss of freedom with eating whatever we want to, eating out with friends and family less often, loss of time with doing more cooking instead of just going out, rejection of our family and friends who just don’t get why we want to feel really good and energized because they think we already are, embarrassment of being “picky” when eating out with others, or just plain shame that we “need to improve ourselves” when those around us do not think they need to improve themselves).
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t matter how much you say you want success. If you believe somewhere deep inside that it isn’t worth the pain, you will not let yourself do what it takes to succeed.
5 Step Guide to Aligning Your Beliefs With Your Actions:
Step 1: Expect to mess up. Changing lifestyles is messy. Realize that change is never a one way direction but more a zig zag.
Step 2: Get Specific. What are you fearful of? Is it thinking you will never get to eat dessert or have a couple glasses of wine with your friends? Is it that you’ll have to exercise with those gym people? These questions are so important. Write them down. Then…
Step 3: Make a promise to yourself. For example if it turns out that your fear is that you will not be able to have a glass of wine and dessert with your friends then make a deal with yourself. It will go something like this: “Hey, I know I am on a healthy living plan but if it turns out that I am not able to make sensible adjustments for having dessert and or a glass of wine at a party then we can stop this healthy living agenda immediately.”
Step 4: Start looking at positive role models who have a healthy lifestyle, exude energy, look great, and yet still occasionally have a drink or dessert. These models are all around us so start looking and admiring how they do it.
Step 5: Set an affirmation that aligns with the belief system you are trying to build. Here’s an example:” I believe that healthy living gives me the best possibility for a carefree life unencumbered by physical,emotional and mental pain.
Try it out and let me know how it goes.
All my best,
by Kim Miller | Aug 8, 2015 | lose your waist wednesdays, Uncategorized
This comment from a friend of mine got me super fired up. It has to do with something I’ve heard throughout my earlier life as a long distance runner who needed to stay thin to keep up with the “skinny girl runners.”
In fact, anytime someone would say this two-word phrase to me, I wanted to slap them silly. Not because I didn’t think their intentions were good, but more because I didn’t feel understood as a human being.
Here’s what I heard from coaches back then: ” Kim you need to lose a few more pounds. When you do this your VO 2 maximum will increase, and it will be easier to run faster.” Now mind you, I was 105 pounds. But this was athletics and the ideal weight for my height to run my fastest was projected at about 98 pounds. But it was not the weight goal of 98 pounds that troubled me so much that I could just soccer punch anyone who mentioned getting thinner, but rather a two word phrase I hate to hear even to this day. What is this two word phrase?
The World’s Worst Advice For Thin or Not So Thin People
Eat Less! That’s right. This is the two word phrase I heard from my coaches way back when, and what I hear from trainers and health coaches dispensing advice to their clients even to this day. Eat less! You’ll lose weight. This is the worst advice one can get nowadays when confronted with aiming to get healthier and leaner. Nowadays we should know better.
The problem with this phrase “eat less” is multifaceted. There are a myriad of reasons eating less is not how we should ultimately get to lean. The following are just a few:
1. Hormones become out of balance causing depression, midsection weight bloat, and increased sugar cravings.
2. Energy levels become depleted making one less likely to be active and happy.
3. Body composition changes as muscles weaken and get smaller, while fat storage throughout the body increases especially in the mid section.
4. Metabolism slows, making healthy living and health numbers worse than in previous years.
by Kim Miller | Aug 8, 2015 | lose your waist wednesdays, Uncategorized
Here is a question I was recently asked by a soon to be retired professor regarding having the motivation to start and complete a weight loss program. I have a feeling he’s not the only one having this problem. I wanted to share my response to him with everyone.
Question: I am a college professor and soon to be retiring. I believe that if I can get fit and healthy before retirement, I will enjoy retirement much more than if I were not fit and healthy. So far I have not acted on it, and feel like my life is on hold. I do not want to retire if I am not feeling fit and really alive like my students, yet I do want to retire and have the energy and the passion to do things for myself, family and community at large. My question is, how can I increase my motivation to get fit, get healthy, and begin anew?
Answer: This is a great question because so many of us desire a certain way of being in the world yet strangely we can’t find the motivation. Major Life changes such as retirement are rarely easy. We get caught up in day to day living and urgent matters of the day take over.
Your plan for getting fit and healthy has to begin with the fun stuff of envisioning your future self as a “retired person.” In my practice people often say they are motivated to change, but so often cannot articulate the real reasons for change. Often they think that if they lose weight and get fit their life will be transformed – if I am slim and fit all the pieces of my life will flow seamlessly kind of thinking.
The step you may be missing is that of envisioning a future self in all it’s totality. Part of the reason people can’t seem to lose weight or keep it off is that in their zeal to get started on “the big weight loss/get fit plan, they forget why it’s actually important to be the fittest and healthiest they can be. Sure many say they will feel better, and look better, but it goes much deeper than this.
Increase Motivation Steps: write several paragraphs answering the following questions.
I call this writing exercise blabbing as no one else needs to read it.
1. Why is it important for you to be fit and trim? And How will being fit and trim impact your loved one’s health?
2. How will being fit and trim change your life positively as you get set to retire? What fun things will it open up?
3. What will you dare dream of doing as a fit lean person that you cannot do now?
4. Would you have less fear of your life to be if you felt your health was optimal? How would you think differently about the fun possibilities in life?
5. How will you be able to contribute more to your own life and the life of your loved one’s if you were fit, lean, and the healthiest you could be?
Read your vision daily. Make no expectations to act until you are ready. In most cases, people begin to start acting within a short time period. If that is not the case with you, then review your vision and aim to dig deeper within yourself and make more of an emotional connect. Emotions cause us to change, so drive it with emotion and get rid of the cognitive mind stuff we typically pride ourselves on. This is about change which begins from emotion and not that brainy beast of ours.
If You Are Not Moved to Act After Several Weeks
Then you gotta get going. It’s tough love time!
Know that action will have to begin whether you are ready or not! I call this faking it until you make it. Fake how you want to be and set up your action plan. Feel confident that action causes change in the brain so begin where you are at, and not where your spouse, neighbor friend, dog, cat are at. This is about you. It’s tough love time and begin to take action – start changing your eating habits and get moving.
