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

I Can't SEE!!!

I held out as long as I could.  I convinced myself if I could take great care of my little self, the whole bifocal thing could be held at bay. But I knew it was time to get real when I was trying to program my new GPS and the numbers and letters were vibrating.  You know what I mean.  Darn it, they wouldn't stop moving.  Or were my eyes just getting worse.

So off I reluctantly dragged myself to the Optometrist.  He was actually quite complementary of my low glaucoma pressure readings and, boy the back of my eyes looked super health.  I preened.  He then started telling me about the poor state of health so many of our peers are in. 

The eyes are the mirrors to your soul  They also can be an excellent early detection system for all kinds of serious medical issues.  He told me he sees so much deterioration due to poor lifestyle choices.  High blood sugar and insulin levels reek havoc at all levels of health.

He's appalled at the lack of understanding and importance so many people put on their health.  Until, of course, they find themselves in the hospital or flat on their backs.  He told me he's seen many patients become completely feeble by age 60 just because they refused to take responsibility for their health years before.

He had the passion.  He understood the importance of eating low-glycemic, small meals 5 - 6 times a day and moving more.  He wanted so much to help.  I loved that I saw him and connected at that level with him.  It was a re-affirming slice of my day.

So I'll keep up the good fight.  Do what I know makes me feel great now...and into the future.  And I'll get those da-m bifocals.  But I'll find the brightest, wildest pair of frames I can.  That will be my revenge!

DNA Does NOT Spell Destiny!

In my last post, I talked about the horrific epidemic we have of obesity and diabetes.  This epidemic has come upon us over the past 20 years.  Did you realize it takes around 10,000 years for the body to evolve and adapt to new environmental changes.  And yet look at what's happened to our environment in just a minuscule 20 years.

Our food supply has completely changed.  It's highly processed with chemicals we can't even pronounce.  We've engineered our fats (hydrogenated them - trans-fats), made very inexpensive sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup) the body doesn't even process through the liver (think attach directly to your fat cells),genetically modified our fruits/veggies, fattened up our livestock with hormones and give them antibiotics.  I know...ENOUGH!!!

So we're eating high calorie, low nutrient dense foods which cause us to be overweight yet starving.  Combine that with a ton of stress (lots of cortisol release which increases insulin which makes us more hungry).  And jobs where all we do is SIT all day.

This is the perfect prescription for the epidemic we're having.  So when I hear people tell me they are overweight and have diabetes because someone in their family has it and they are genetically predisposed,it gives me pause. 

While I know there is some degree of truth to genetic predisposition to specific conditions, I also know this is used as an excuse to not take responsibility for making lifestyle changes.  Most of us are pre-disposed to gaining weight when we eat too many high calorie/low nutrient foods and don't move.  The body evolved that way in order to protect us from possible starvation 10,000 years ago!  We are genetically designed to be efficient fat storers!

But it's important to understand that your DNA isn't necessarily your destiny.  There is a whole new science called nutrigenomics which looks at what things cause your genes to express themselves in specific ways.  And the Scientists are finding out we do have more control over the expression of those genes than we might think.

That's why our grandparents and those before them didn't have the same amount of chronic illness and obesity we have in our society today.  Our genes haven't changed.  Our environment has.

This is really exciting news!!!!!  Because now you know you don't have to allow your DNA to be your destiny.   

Eat To Access Your Own Stored Energy Source!!!

Yesterday, Dr. Brian Nadolne and I gave a weight loss and wellness clinic to a group of 50 people.  In it, we used slides that showed the astonishing increase of obesity and diabetes in our country over the past 20 years.  And I do mean ASTONISHING!!!!!  And downright scary!

Can you believe that currently over 2/3 of all Americans are overweight???  That is an enormous number.  But when you look at how our society has evolved over these last 20 years, you can see what is happening.

We are eating more and more calorie-dense/nutrient deficient food (think Big Mac, extra large fries and a Coke for lunch) and at the same time we're moving less and less (You just just drive up and yell into a microphone for this order.  No getting out of the car required).

There's so much I can say about this.  And over the next week, I'll write about several aspects.  But the one thing I feel compelled to talk about is the amount of food our bodies actually need to perform optimally.

When I first went on Take Shape For Life, I was blown away by how great I felt.  It hit me like a bowling ball to the head that the body doesn't need much food at any one time to perform well.  But it does need a steady source of small amounts of balanced food throughout the day!

At three hours, I'd be hungry.  I'd eat a bar with some water or tea, thinking the whole time this was never going to fill me up and hold me.  But five minutes later, I was fine and on to doing something else.  Amazing!  I felt great.  And three hours later I was ready to do it again.

Once I had gotten into this routine, I found it didn't take much food to keep me satisfied.  Some days I couldn't even finish my "lean and green".  I'd save it and eat the rest a few hours later.  And the biggest complaint I hear from clients is they can't get their last "meal" in.

Yet the calorie count for the whole day is around 1000.  I know...horror of horrors!  All the Trainers are cringing and telling clients that's too low.  But my gosh.  Look around.  We are carrying our own source of energy around our middles.  We don't need more calories!!!!  What we need is a way to access the energy we already have stored.

And that requires learning how to eat small BALANCED meals every couple hours throughout the day.  This program works.  It's based on science and proven for years through many studies conducted at major universities. 

If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.  Give yourself two weeks.  If you don't find you feel so much better, let me know.  I'll help you send it back for a refund.  If you do feel better, then you know you've finally found the key that unlocks your body's ability to perform to it's top capacity!

New "aha's" Today!

I love my T-Tapp peeps.  We had the best class today. It was great because we each had a few new "take aways" we could begin to use.

Over the weekend at the running clinic I attended, the Coach was teaching his postural stance.  And of course, it was very similar to the T-Tapp stance (minus knees out).  Because truth is truth! 

So there I am feeling all smug.  Of course I'll be perfect in my stance because I've been doing and teaching the stance for quite a few years.  Along come the Trainers who were there to help spot.  Aha, I thought.  They are going to wonder how I got so proficient in such a short time.  But instead they kept telling me to lean a little forward from my waist.  They kept telling me to stop leaning back! 

I'm not leaning back, I kept telling my self.  I'm in alignment!  But lo and behold!  When I did what they recommended, my lower back felt much better and so did my hamstrings.  Perhaps I'm not done learning.

Today in class I was sharing this revelation and we each turned to the side and got into our stance.  Son of a gun!  I had been leaning back!!!  My shoulders were indeed behind my hips.  My shoulders were turned correctly, but instead of "lift it", I was "liften it and leanin it".  And so were several other tappers in the room.

We corrected it and immediately noticed much more lat activation. 

Teresa Tapp developed a brilliant workout.  And one we each can take and make our own.  It's a constant learning process.  By becoming highly aware of your body and listening to what it is telling you, YOU can overcome so many aches and pains.  Not to mention sculpt beautiful, toned muscles.

But it does require being really present and aware of what your body is doing in space and what it is trying to teach you. 

Movement as Meditation!

I just got back from a one day workshop learning a new walking and running technique.  This technique was developed by a gentleman who studied tai chi for years and combined his knowledge and experience with the ancient chinese method of movement with his knowledge of running and walking.

I absolutely loved it.  As he was teaching the class, he used words and phrases that I always use when teaching T-Tapp.  He started the class by saying how important it is for us to FEEL what's happening in our body.  That our body is our most trusted feedback mechanism.  It will tell you if what you are doing is working or not by how you are feeling.

And then he went on to talk about how he uses running as his method of meditation.  How running is one of his spiritual practices.  And at that moment, I had an "aha" moment.  That is what doing T-Tapp is for me too.  It's my way of clearing out the distractions of the day and becoming completelyy present in my body.

Feeling what each movement is doing and what my body is sharing with me that day.  I can tell when something is out of balance.  Is my shoulder higher on my right side and how is that affecting my left hip?  What happens when I bring my body back into balance? 

The body is a beautiful microcosm of our live.  It can teach us the complete connectivity of everything.  When you shift the angle of your feet, it affects your knees, your hips, your spine all the way up to your head.  Imagine what happens when you make a choice to shift the focus of your thoughts.  Instead of thinking about all the things that are causing you suffering, you choose to think about all the infinite blessings in your life.

As in T-Tapp, running and walking, so in life!

The Body is Your BEST Teacher!

I was talking with a client the other day and she was frustrated with herself.  She has very painful knees and the Doctor told her she needed to do some low-impact exercise to "strengthen" them.  For about 4 months she was faithful to her exercise plan.  She'd go to the gym at least 4 days a week and either walkon the elliptical or rode the bike.  By the 4th month, she was in so much pain the Doctor told her to stop for a while and let the inflammation subside before beginning again. 

She had every intention to start again after the December holidays.  But here it is May and she hadn't gotten back into a solid routine.  She asked me to help her find the motivation to get back into it.

The question that I asked her was "did the exercise you did before lessen your knee pain?"  No!!!! It made it so bad you could barely walk.  "So why would you be motivated to get back into that routine again?!!"

Your body is a brilliant teacher.  It lets you know when you are giving it what it needs to feel good and to be healed.  Obviously the elliptical and bike weren't doing it.  Let's learn from the body's innate feedback mechanism.  And stop beating ourselves up for not doing what we already know won't make us feel good.

I did believe T-Tapp could be a wonderful way for her to move her body without knee pain and begin to re-learn how to put her body into spinal alignment and lessen the impact on on her joints.  Not to mention the torso tightening and toning she'll get as a "side-effect".

I was thrilled she decided to take me up on my offer to teach her the T-Tapp method.  She came in yesterday and after Primary Back Stretch she just looked at me with awe.  I can't believe how good just that move felt.  This is what I've been looking for!

We did 45 minutes of tapping and her knees never hurt.  She worked all the muscles in her body in a way that -ta da- felt great.  That is a reason to be motivated.

Stop doing things that don't feel good.  Listen to your body.  It will let you know what it wants!!!!!