Atlanta Fitness Coach: A Blog about Weight-Loss, Nutrition and the T-Tapp Workout

Can We Talk...GUTS???

I know this isn't a topic that is discussed much in polite society.  But darn it!  When your guts are backed up...it's hard to be happy.

I've had many clients who have had a life-long problem with this.  And they will do anything to find "the thing" thats going to finally end the issue.  But frequently that "thing" works for a while and then stops working so well.

I have my usual suggestions for helping with (okay let's just say it!!!) constipation.  Like making sure you REALLY are drinking alot of water. And a personal favorite, adding powdered magnesium to a warm liquid and drinking it down before going to sleep.  I like Natural Calm.  Most of us are very deficient in magnesium.  Among other things, magnesium is a muscle relaxor so it can also help you sleep. 

This has worked seeming miracles for many people.  At first.  And then they reach "bowel tolerance" and they have to keep taking more and more with less results. 

I don't usually have this particular problem.  But because I'm not eating a lot of food, I'm finding it more difficult to keep it moving.  The Medifast food actually has a lot of fiber in it.  The 5 & 1 is designed to give you 30 -35 grams of fiber a day.  This is more than most Americans get in 5 days!  And it's squeezed into 6 small meals.  So I didn't think more fiber was going to be the answer.

Until I called my mother and she practically yelped into the phone "I've found the holy grail!!!"  I was thinking neck tightening cream for only $5.00 a bottle.  But no...

Psyllium Husks Fiber!!!!  This does the trick.  Wow!  (I was actually bumming about it not being neck tightening cream) but this might be the next best thing.

Go to the Health Food store (I'm sure Whole Foods has it too) and get a bottle of organic Psyllium Husks Fiber.  Add one tablespoon to a tall glass of water and drink it down fast.  It has the consistency of cream of wheat but not a bad taste or smell.  Son of a gun!!!  It does the trick.  It has both soluble and insoluble fiber and it just bulks everything up so it can sail out. 

Did I mention that you take it on an empty stomach?  So it makes you full.  And less hungry. You eat less.  I even added 1/2 T to my shake and it really thickened it up and made it very filling.  Mothers can be so wise!  Imagine the "holy grail" can be as simple as psyllium.

Give it a try and let me know your experience!

Don't Have IT Around You!

Why is it we can avoid those comfort foods during the day without a problem but once the evening comes...all willpower is out the door.  I don't quite understand this but I do know it's pretty universal.  And I'm not immune to it!

Eating those high carb, high calorie foods late at night is disasterous to our health.  It raises insulin levels and causes all that food to be stored in our fat cells. Have you ever noticed when you eat a lot (or a lot of high carb foods) late at night you are starving when you get up?  If you're really carb sensitive, it can even get you up at night with your blood sugar crashing to the ground!

I've finally realized there is only one solution that's ever worked for me.  Getting those tempting foods out of the house!  I can't rely on my "willpower" and incredible discipline.  Those things work but only for a limited time.  And then, BOOM!  I have a stressful day and all the willpower in the world doesn't stop me from invading the pantry.

Here's another thing I find really strange.  If it's not in the house, I don't think about eating it.  And when it's there, it takes on the voice of an incredible lover.  "Come and get me" it croons.  And who can resist that tone of voice?  Not me!

So I've gotten all those things out of my house.  They are simply not there.  I have the way to shut up that voice.  And I've watched those extra few pounds melt off.

I can already hear many of you thinking you can't do that because you live with other people who insist on having their goodies in the house.  Let's brain storm on how you can create a "goodie-free" space for yourself.  Post comments and let's share ideas.

My New Marketing Message!

I just got an email inviting me to register for a teleseminar by a man with a resume the length of my arm.  He has all kinds of sports therapy degrees and is a motivational speaker for the biggest seminar companies.  He definitely has his marketing stuff down.  A great website...

He has two messages.  One is his 20 minute workout.  He gives a strong argument for going slow and utilizing isometric work while building core strength.  No argument there!

Second message is to give up dieting.  "Diets make you fatter", blah blah blah.  Of course he advocates eating whole food with "his pyramid" having a large base of veggies and fruits (5 - 6 portions of these puppies a day), and smaller amount of protein, grain and fat.  But no dieting!

And he is making a fortune!  He is in demand!  He is getting huge amounts of money to tell people to stop dieting and work out for only 20 minutes a day and get thin! 

I've decided I need to change my message to one that will sell better.  Here goes:

I want all of you to stop worrying about what you eat and drink.  Have what ever you want ,when you want it.  Walk your dog for just 10 minutes a day and spend the rest of the time sitting on your couch with the remote in your hand drinking wine and grinning happily.  That should pretty much relieve you of the stress in your life and now you'll be happy, relaxed and healthy.  I know to really make my message sizzle, I should add something about having wild sex 3 times a day too, but it's not my style.

That might sell more seats in a seminar but I have my doubts about getting you healthier (except maybe the sex part!  LOL!) 

Which One Are You?

When you decide it's time to take control of your health, is your focus on avoiding pain (not being able to move easily, not getting heart disease or diabetes...) or is it on creating a strong, healthy, lean body?

Do you allow other people to tell you you SHOULD stop eating crappy food and you SHOULD exercise?

Do you say the same things to yourself?  You SHOULD!  You SHOULD!  You SHOULD! 

Then you come to me to ask me about my program.  I explain the details about it.  Explain why it works and tell you it will work for you too.  If you follow it! 

"Oh okay, I guess I'll try your program."  When you're reading this, what kind of feeling does this sentence evoke?  "I'll TRY"!  This tells me you're not going to be successful with this program or any other program until you shift out of the "try" mode.  "TRY" just means giving yourself permission to fail with honor.

"But Renee, I TRIED.  I just couldn't do it because of blah, blah blah." 

The blah blah blah doesn't matter.  You are the only one who has control over what you put in your mouth.  Bottom line: You didn't have enough of a positive reason to make healthy choices most days. 

Have you ever had success in a weight loss endeavor?  If so, you know that, for whatever reason, right then you had a CLICK.  The CLICK happened in your mind and in your emotional body at that moment in time.  You were READY then.  The reason to eat healthy was greater than the reason to eat what ever you wanted.  And there were no blah, blah blahs that veered you off your course.

I challenge you to see if you can dig deep and find your positive CLICK.  Then come to me and I'll help you with the vehicle to take your to your positive goal.