WELCOME!
You must be here because you are interested in taking control of your health and fitness! CONGRATULATIONS! Your interest is your first step! I am proud of you for making it this far!Β
I believe deeply in breaking large goals into small pieces, and that consistency is key.Β
You can find a list of Healthy Baby Steps at the bottom of this page.
I would love to work with you to coach you into better health. I have a few prerequisites:
π Understand this is your show! I can coach you, but the work is all on you!
Β π Understand that you will have to deal with discomfort! I will ask you to do hard things!
Β π Visit the INTAKE page to get the forms and instructions on them. If you need help with them, I am happy to help you!Β
π Master at least one of the items on my Healthy Baby Steps list! Demonstrate dedication to self! Β
π Understand that I am brand new at coaching! I appreciate your support and patience!
Healthy Baby Steps
π Drink water consistently. The WHO (world health organization) recommends a minimum of 2.2 liters/75 oz/2.3 quarts of water per day for a sedentary woman, and 2.9 liters/98 oz/3 quarts for a sedentary man. If this is dramatically more than you currently consume, start small. Build yourself up to consistently poishing off a quart each day, then a little more and a little more, and so on. It is perfectly OK to add unsweetened flavors to your water! Just know that artificial sweeteners cause a chemical imbalance that makes you crave carbs, so stick with things like stevia extract, monkfruit extract, etc. Use an app or a paper log to track your progress!
π Move your body every day. Start small! Spend 5 minutes every day moving yourself intentionally to activate your muscles! This could be taking your dog for a walk, tossing a ball with your child, crank some music and dance like a fool in your kitchen! Truly anything, but make sure you do it every day! Bonus points if you schedule activity for approximately the same time each day! Log your activity to encourage consistency. Try to up it to 10 minutes a day or even 15, but the most important thing is something each day.Β Β
π Have a glass of water immediately upon waking, ideally with lemon squeezed in. There are benefits to this, some confirmed by research and some anecdotal. I like it, because it is a small thing you can do to build a morning routine, and it is easy to do consistently, while improving hydration! The Cleveland Clinic states that it aids/activates digestion and gives you a vitamin C boost. I prefer a fresh lemon wedge to the taste of the bottled stuff. Track it on a log!
π Eat something within an hour of waking. Your choice should be satiating. In my opinion, a bowl of cereal just makes me more hungry! Ideally, you will select something that has protien, fiber, and healthy fat in it. Track it! Some ideas:
*two eggs and spinach cooked with olive or avocado oil
*nonfat greek yogurt with fruit and seeds (add granola if desired, but check sugar content!)
*oatmeal (old fashioned or steel cut are both great) with fruit and seeds
*Whole grain toast (Dave's and Ezekiel are great) with natural peanut butter and some fruit
π Replace a regularly eaten carbohydrate item with a whole grain option. For something to truly be whole grain, it needs to be labeled as 100% whole grain. Did you know that bread can say "whole wheat bread" and not be whole grain? It just has whole wheat flour in it, big deal. Go for whole grains to up your fiber intake! We should be getting 25-30g of fiber each day. This is hard in a typical person's diet!Β
π Evening snackers take notice! Instead of sitting down with that bag of chips, I have twoΒ angles for you to make a small change. One is to get yourself a small cereal bowl and give yourself a portion in that instead of taking the package over to the couch. The other is to make a rule that you eat something healthy first. For example, craving those Cheezits? Eat a handful of baby carrots or an apple, wait 15 minutes, then get your portion bowl out and put some of your favorite snack in. You can reduce your craving, or maybe even trick yourself out of it for once! If not, at least you got something good in first, and that's a win! Track your night snacking behavior!
π Pick a bad habit and modify it. Do you smoke ciggarettes? Pick one of the times each day that you do, and skip just that one. Skip that one every day. Do you drink several sweetened drinks each day? Replace the one you have a lunch time with plain water, flavored seltzer, unsweetened iced tea, hot tea, anything with no sugar or artificial sweeteners. Do you add a lot of sugar to your coffee? Decrease it a little each day, until it is no more than half the amount you use now. Track it!
DO NOT ATTEMPT MULTIPLE BABY STEPS AT ONCE! THAT IS A RECIPE FOR FAILURE!Β
Pick one item. Make it your focus. Seriously, only pick one. When it comes naturally to you to drink the water, eat the breakfast, or whichever item you choose to tackle, then you have achieved mastery. Stop to congratulate yourself. You have achieved your first lifestyle change! This is a huge deal! Don't blow it off. Tell someone about it! Claim your victory! Then pick another task to focus on! What I am asking you to do as a prerequisite to working with me is to track your progress in MASTERING just one of these baby steps. I need to see that you are dedicated to yourself before I dedicate myself to you! If you are having trouble, please reach out!