You snooze, you lose

Posted on October 7, 2013

alarm clockOK, so we all need to get enough sleep each night.  But if you keep on planning to get up & exercise in the morning.  And then you keep on hitting snooze….. logic says that you are never going to run your first marathon or ditch your muffin top.  If you want your body to change, your fitness to change, your life to change, anything at all to change, you’re going to need to your actions to change.  This post might not be as uplifting as most of the thoughts that we share with you.  But it’ll hit the spot for a few people out there.  Because if you want to achieve what others won’t, you need to do what others don’t.

There are a couple of ways around this snooze button conundrum.  For some of you, the only answer is to accept that you are not a morning person.  Never have been, never will be.  So stop playing pretend.  And throw yourself into lunchtime sport or evening classes at the gym.  Go for a sunset run.  Have fun exercising at a time that actually suits you, rather than beating yourself up for not being able to bounce out of bed like other people.  (N0te – no-one actually bounces out of bed.  It’s a myth.  Even ‘morning people’ actually find it tough a lot of the time.)

But if you think you can change your ways, or if mornings are your only window of exercise opportunity, try these tips:

  1. Instead of an alarm, set the oven timer.  Something really annoying, and a really long way from your bed.
  2. Choose a training buddy, to up the commitment factor.  But choose very carefully – the wrong buddy will corrupt your plans with 5am texts.  Wrst nite eva. 2moro gd 4 u?
  3. Get a dog.  They hate sleep-ins, and they’ll tell you all about it.
  4. Make it easy on yourself.  Have your clothes, shoes & anything else you need lined up. Know if you’re going to eat first or not. Cut your timing fine, so there is no option to rest ‘for just 5 more minutes’.
  5. Join a group.  You’d hate to be the person who only turns up once every month.  Just make sure it’s a group with a friendly trainer, so that you don’t end up too scared to return if you do miss a session.
  6. Pay for something.  Money is a great motivator.  Commit to your new regime by paying for at least 4 weeks in advance – long enough to form a habit.
  7. Be realistic.  2 mornings a week might be enough.  5 mornings a week would probably feel like torture.  Choose your commitment level carefully.
  8. Be nice.  You might genuinely be sick one day. You might actually need the sleep every now and then.  So give yourself a break if deep down, you know you need to stay in bed.  As long as you’re honest with yourself and only take a break on the days that you need it most.

Posted in Healthy habits | Tagged , , , , , |

Think of it as a journey

Posted on September 30, 2013

We have something a little different for you this week.  This is a piece written by Romina Gracia, a Mum and blogger.  Take a few minutes to read her story about coming to terms with a weight problem that had never existed before.  Maybe you found it easy to lose your baby weight, or maybe it was hard.  Maybe you haven’t had babies and maybe you never will, but there are insights that we can all relate to.  So settle in and have a read……

 

Microsoft Word - Document1Before I became pregnant I never had a problem with weight. I had a fast metabolism and never had to think about food. I grew up in an Italian house hold and always ate according to the Mediterranean way of life.

I put on all of my weight while pregnant. Each time I was pregnant I had an insatiable appetite. Nothing would fill me up. It’s like I had a gaping hole in the pit of my stomach that only pizza and donuts could fill.

I remember the day I went back to work after my second child was born, and someone that I hadn’t seen in a while asked me when I was due. This rocked my world. I remember I didn’t want my husband to see me naked. It affected our marriage and my low self esteem almost caused us to split.

I also recall my eldest daughter, after seeing the movie Madagascar, likened me to Gloria the Hippo “That looks like you Mummy!”

I’d never had a problem with weight before, it quite honestly confused me. Having to actually “diet” and watch what I put into my mouth sent me on a downward spiral into depression. I didn’t feel healthy, and I didn’t like it. I knew I had to do something about it.

With my first two children, the way I lost the weight post birth was through frozen lean cuisine meals and exercising on the treadmill while the babies slept. Although being a foodie, this was not an ideal method for me. I was just too exhausted to shop and cook nutritious food for myself, that I figured it was the easiest solution. I was profoundly depressed at this stage of my life and knew that it was only a short term solution to a larger scale problem.

After I had my third child, I knew I would rather repeatedly hit my head against a brick wall than get back on that boring treadmill. A friend introduced me to the Pole Fitness, and I lost a profound amount of weight through their exercise program. The results of being active again elevated my mood and made me more confident as a person, mother, wife etc. This confidence gave me more energy, which in turn gave me more motivation to go back to basics and adopt those healthy ways of eating once again. I felt strong, and fit, and a little bit sexy. That’s when we conceived baby number four.

After my fourth child was born, it became increasingly difficult to leave the house alone (alone, what’s that word mean?), therefore I could not commit to Pole Fitness as I had in the past.

Since I had previous success with being active, I didn’t hesitate to get straight back into it. Through my children’s Karate school, I signed up to practice Muay Thai at the same dojo. Since it was a dojo for the whole family, I could practice Muay Thai with my children (at least my two eldest) present while my husband stayed with the babies.

Through Muay Thai, eating well and exercising, it has made me stronger, physically and mentally, and has shaped me into the woman I am today.

My personal 5 best motivation tips

  1. Don’t compare yourself to others. You are your own person. Start small and build on your fitness. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.
  2. Don’t think of food as the enemy. Food is food. Just because you splurge one day, doesn’t mean you should quit your journey. That’s the beauty of being on a journey. You don’t stop when you get a flat tire. You change it and keep going until you reach your destination!
  3. Think of the impact your actions are having on your children. If they see you eating well and exercising, they too will inherit those good habits. If they see you eating badly everyday, these are the lessons you are teaching their fragile minds.
  4. Let being healthy be your motivation. Not being skinny, or being able to fit into your pre baby jeans. Being “healthy” affects you as a whole. It affects the way you see life, it affects your mood, and it affects your whole outlook on life! Personally, to me being healthy means being happy. I know a lot of miserable skinny people. I don’t believe that being skinny should be the only goal. That’s where people falter.
  5. Learn to love yourself. Every time you take the time to do something that will benefit your health (not your waistline, but your health – the waistline is a benefit), pat yourself on the back. Be kind to yourself. What you look like does not determine your worth. You must think you are worthwhile BEFORE you begin your journey.

And you are.

It’s time YOU start believing it.

 

Romina Gracia is a mum of 4 and columnist at Mum’s Lounge, the leading national website for mums.  You can read more from Romina and other columnists here. 

 

Posted in Body image | Tagged , , , , , |

10 tips for happiness

Posted on September 23, 2013

Microsoft Word - Document2There are times when everything comes together.  Life is ticking along perfectly and you couldn’t be happier.  These times are the best!

And then there are times when it all seems to unravel.  No matter what you do.

Unfortunately we can’t solve all of your problems for you.  But we can offer these 10 tips to get you smiling again.  Because even turning on a smile is enough to cheer you up.

 

 

  1. Surround yourself with inspiring things.  From pictures to poems, from flowers to friends.
  2. Write down 5 reasons why it is worth getting out of bed in the morning.  Every day.  And then look back at your old reasons and have a laugh.
  3. Remember that you are awesome.  Other people are awesome too.  There’s no need to compare.
  4. Take time for the things that make you feel good.  Like reading a book in bed. Getting all dressed up.  Listening to music too loud.
  5. Enjoy some time on your own.  Do something peaceful, or maybe do nothing at all.
  6. Remember that your body is not an ornament.  Be thankful for all that it can do for you.
  7. Be nice to yourself.  It’s really hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all of the time.
  8. Count your blessings, not your blemishes.  I bet no-one else has noticed your back fat anyway.
  9. Live a life that you are proud of.  One that you will enjoy telling people about over a game of bridge and a cup of tea in your later years.
  10. Treat yourself as no.1. Because it’s unlikely that anyone else will.

 

Posted in Happiness | Tagged , , , , , |

Why calorie-counting is not for us

Posted on September 16, 2013

food9In our recent survey, some of you mentioned that you’d like calorie counts on the recipes.  I hate to disappoint you, but this is something that will never, ever be included in Spring.  Here’s why…..

You may know that I started Spring as my way of doing something about Mum’s mental illness.  I strongly believe that we need to break down the barriers around depression, anxiety and other disorders.  And people need to realise that they can regain an element of control over their mood through better lifestyle choices.

When I was young, Mum was a lot less stable than she is now.  She was in & out of psychiatric wards and constantly working with a team of specialists.  OK, not working with, fighting with…. but that’s the way she was back then.

One of the biggest symptoms of her illness was disordered eating.  She got down to 36kg and was hospitalised for months, until she was back up to a ‘healthier’ 45kg.  She’d throw her meal replacement shakes out the window.  She’d refuse to be part of family meal times.  And she had countless other calorie-avoidance tactics that I won’t mention here, because she’s been through enough.

Needless to say, 8-year old me saw her little notebook as the enemy.  This was where she tracked every calorie ingested and every minute of exercise.  If the numbers didn’t stack up the way she wanted them to, she’d do whatever it took to balance them out.

She was skinny, but she was as far from healthy as you can get.  And to this day she struggles with food.  Day-to-day, she can seem OK (she hides it well).  But events like Christmas, weddings and other family gatherings, that seem dominated by food, can make her a nervous wreck.

I am yet to meet a person who is happy while they are on a calorie-controlled diet.  These eating plans have their place when short-term weight loss is the goal.  But they are depressing.  Which is the exact opposite of what we stand for at Spring.

A diet packed full of fresh fruit & veges, sufficient dairy, protein with a every meal and an occasional treat will have you feeling fabulous and leaves very little room for snacks that will blow out your total calories anyway.  And if you must? Simply copy & paste the Spring recipes into calorie king or another diet analysis tool.

 

Posted in diet | Tagged , , , , |

Tackling suicide one person at a time

Posted on September 11, 2013

r u okR U OK Day is here tomorrow.  The day that we are all encouraged to ask friends and colleagues if they are OK.  And to take the time to listen to their answer.  So do it.  Go for a coffee, a walk, whatever, and have a chat with someone who needs a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear.  You’ll make their day.  You may never know how much you helped them out.

With suicide the 10th leading cause of death in Australia, we owe it to ourselves and to each other to do something about it.  For other leading causes of death, like heart disease, we can make healthier choices to improve the odds.  So when it comes to suicide, we need to start making emotionally healthy choices.

It’s the little things, like finishing work on time and snatching mini-moments of peace & quiet.  Recharging our batteries with fresh air, good food and plenty of exercise.  Keeping a day in your diary completely free.  These habits will build up our personal strength and stamina.  Which makes us less prone to breaking down.  And far more capable of helping others who need our support.

As a friend often says, we can’t give from an empty bucket.  So fill your bucket up today and use it to support a friend tomorrow, on R U OK? Day.  And if you really want to make a difference?  Aim to have a meaningful conversation with someone new each day.

 

If you or someone you care about is at risk of suicide, call the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 ore register for online counselling. They’re here to help.

Posted in mental health | Tagged , , , |

Just one thing

Posted on August 28, 2013

lolly imageMost of us want to be healthier.  No matter what we’re already doing, we have our heart set on more.  Doing more, having more, being more.

With Spring launching this week, some of you will be determined to do it all.  And we encourage you to.  Eat clean, move daily and calm your mind with meditation.

But for some people, doing it all is 10 steps too many.  You’ll be setting yourself up for failure and you know it.  If this sounds like you, take a moment to think about the one thing that you really want to change.  The one thing that would make the biggest difference to your health and your life.  The thing that would make you bounce out of bed in the morning.  Is it…..

  • Quitting junk.  Getting rid of the sugar, the takeaways, all of the foods that make you feel great temporarily.  And terrible in the long run.
  • Eating more fresh foods.  Once you include 5 serves of veges, 2 serves of fruit and sufficient grains & protein each day, there’s not room for much else.
  • Moving.  Daily.  It might not always be structured exercise.  But walking to work a few days a week, doing something active in the weekend and exercising 3 days a week is a good start.
  • Training harder.  Are you stuck in an exercise rut?  Mix it up.  get your heart rate up.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Your body will respond best when it’s doing something new.
  • Chilling out.  Are you constantly on the go?  Is your mind ticking over about what to do next, when you haven’t even finished what you’re doing?  Wether it’s meditation or simply stopping to take a few deep breaths, it’ll help.

Whatever it is that you decide to do, good luck!  We hope you have a happy, healthy month and that you enjoy your challenge.

Remember: If you need help sticking to a healthy lifestyle, it’s not too late to join us for Spring.  Simply sign up for just $30 at www.springfitness.com.au/sign-up/

Posted in Uncategorized |

Together or alone?

Posted on August 21, 2013

Microsoft Word - Document2“If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”

I have no idea who said this first.  But I saw it on a friend’s facebook the other day and I loved it.  Because it’s true.  If you want anything to stick long-term, wether it’s an exercise routine, a challenging career or the basic ability to keep it together, you’ll need support.  You’ll need to go together.

That’s why people climb mountains in teams.  They wouldn’t survive on their own.  Climbers need someone to recognise the signs & symptoms of hypothermia when they are too delirious to see it themselves.   Someone to make decisions when they are no longer capable.  Someone to guide them down when they can’t see the route, no matter how hard they look.

And while our own goals might not be as exceptional as getting to the top of Everest, we still need people to lean on.  People who recognise when we’re not well, when we’re pushing ourselves to far, when we’ve lost sight of what really matters.  And perhaps that brutally honest friend who recognises that we’ve ignored the alarm clock in favour of a lie-in one time too many…..

In an ideal world, I would have encountered this saying back in 2007, when I attempted the Paris marathon.  I started with my sister.  We hadn’t trained together, but had similar target times.  It was Spring and should’ve been a nice, cool day.  But Paris had other ideas.  It hit record temperatures for April – it was scorching!  The water stations were running out of sponges to cool off with and the road was radiating.  But it was exciting and I felt good.  So good, in fact, that at the 10km mark I didn’t want to run at my sister’s pace anymore.  So I said goodbye and ran away.

Bad move.  The heat took its toll.  By 30km I felt terrible.  By 35km I was trying to bounce back by shovelling in nutrition, but it was too late.  I was zig-zagging across the road.  At 37.5km I fainted in the gutter.  I did finish the marathon….. but in the back of an ambulance.  Which doesn’t really count.  My sister finished, just 10 minutes slower than the time I wanted.  Lesson learned – going alone is very rarely the answer.

 

Pssst – If you’re looking for a super-sized support crew as summer approaches, why not join us?  I promise not to ditch you in the early stages.  You’ll have fun & varied exercise plans for every day in September.  We’ll motivate you and answer your questions along the way.  You can enjoy healthy, tasty recipes for every meal.  And you’ll be supporting others, through the donation of all profits to On the Line – Australia’s leading provider of remote counselling services.  Spring launches in just 10 days, so sign-up now.

Posted in Fitness, Happiness | Tagged , , , , , |

What do you want to lose?

Posted on August 12, 2013

scalesIf a genie turned up in your living room and asked you “if you could lose anything at all, what would it be?”…… What would you say?  On a bad day you might say your children, your job or your in-laws.  But if you really stop and think about it, what would you like to get rid of in your life?  What would you be better off without?

You might want to get rid of a few kilograms.  Shed the muffin top and reclaim your waist.  Maybe you want to ditch the grumpy mood you’ve been in for the past few months.  Or get rid of the feeling of lethargy hanging over you.  Perhaps you have a friend who always brings you down.  Maybe you really do want to lose your job and move onto something new.

It’s fair enough to say that you need a genie (or a lotto win) in order to get your dream house or travel the world.  But we don’t need any form of magic to help us lose something.  We can get off our butts and do it ourselves anytime that we choose to.  We just need to stop and think about what we really want from our lives, and then get on with it.

I’m a firm believer that life happens outside of our comfort zone.  If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll have what we’ve always had.  So do something different.  If you really do want to see your waist again, commit to a couple of early-morning training sessions, a bit of pilates on the floor at home and ditch the donuts.  If you’d like a career change but don’t know where to start, chat to a career counsellor, a friend who has been through a similar change or a life coach.

And if you’d like to ditch your grumpy mood, why not join us this Spring?  30 days to feel like new.  You’ll enjoy:

  • Daily fitness plans.  Do them wherever, whenever you like.  Choose the beginner plans, the intermediate, or the harder-than-ever-before advanced version.
  • Healthy recipes for every single meal, including snacks.  Curries, bakes, soups, salads….. a variety of healthy foods that won’t break the bank or leave you starving.
  • Mini-meditation podcasts, to calm your mind and refresh your body.
  • Mood-tracking, to prove that it’s all working.
  • A helping hand to others.  Because profits are donated to On the Line, Australia’s leading provider of remote counselling services.

I’d say you have nothing to lose, but that’s not true.  Lose excess kilos, lose the blues, lose your lethargy…. leave winter behind and get fit for summer.  Anyone can sign up for just $30 at www.springfitness.com.au/sign-up/

 

Posted in Happiness | Tagged , , , , , |

Lunch in a box

Posted on August 5, 2013

pumpkin soupAre you tired of throwing the same old sandwhiches into your handbag?  Or are you someone who buys lunch everyday, knowing that you’re both wasting your money and not eating what’s best for you?  Packing a healthy lunch each morning can be time-consuming.  But it doesn’t have to be.  Intelligent use of leftovers, making lunches two days at a time and cooking freezable lunches are all great options.  Check out these examples, provided by Spring.

Solid salads: Salads based on brown rice, cous cous, chickpeas, lentils or quinoa will keep for a couple of days.  Simply pack the dressing in a separate container and combine at work.

Warming soups:  Make a big batch of soup and freeze it in single portions.  They’ll travel to work safer when they’re frozen, defrost during the morning and heat up in a minute or two.  Take a piece of wholegrain bread to toast and you have the perfect winter lunch.

Roast veges: If they’re on the dinner menu, cook twice as many.  They make a great lunch, served as a salad or with hummus in a wrap.  Make sure you roast a variety of colours – capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potato, beetroot & more.

Bake it:  Any baked dinner makes a great lunch.  Quiche, lasagne, vege bakes, moussaka, meatloaf.  Make more than you need and throw it into a tuppaware container with carrot sticks.

If you’d like recipes to go with these lunch-box ideas (and plenty more), you might like to sign up to Spring.  For just $30 you’ll receive daily fitness plans, healthy recipes for every meal & mini-meditation podcasts.  And best of all?  Spring is a company with a cause, donating all profits to On the Line – Australia’s leading provider of remote counselling services.

Posted in diet | Tagged , , , , , , , |

A breath of fresh air

Posted on July 29, 2013

daffodil

By now we all get the idea that meditation is good for us.  But that doesn’t mean we’re all going to drop to the nearest beanbag and give it a go.  For one reason or another, a lot of people think that meditation isn’t for them.  If this description sounds like you, make sure you read on.  Improving the way that you breathe is the next best thing.  As explained in this post by Neera Scott, Director of Executive Yoga.

 

Very few of us breathe to our full capacity, yet consciously working with our breath can have a range of powerful benefits. Altering the breath is arguably the most direct way to influence our physiology – and the way we feel.  This is due to how breathing influences the nervous system. Slow, even breathing slows the heart rate and reduces blood pressure. This in turn creates internal stability and a calm mind allowing us to focus on the task in front of us.

Constricted chest breathing, caused by smoking, stress, poor posture or respiratory diseases, restricts the diaphragm and creates rigidity in the ribcage, a collapsed chest and tension throughout the neck and shoulders. Forms of exercise that emphasise the breath, such as yoga, give elasticity to the ribs and spine and support the core muscles and lower back, all of which contribute to healthy posture.

Conscious breathing also combats sleepiness and boredom and can be done throughout the work day. One student of Executive Yoga, also a CEO, reported in a recent interview with Company Director that he finds 10-15 minutes of breathing exercises before a meeting as rejuvenating as a two hour nap.

Try these simple exercises:

Note: For both of these yogic breathing exercises, always breathe in and out of the nose.  If you are in reasonable health the following ratios should work, however modify the count if you experience any strain.

1:1 Breath: Equal ratio breath

Count to four as you inhale, and four as you exhale. Modify the count if necessary so to what feels comfortable for you. Do this for five rounds or more.

2:1 Breath:  Exhale twice the length of the inhale.

When you can easily regulate the breath as above, you’re ready to try this exercise. A longer exhalation slows the heart rate and is deeply relaxing.

Count to three as you inhale and exhale for a count of six. Again, modify the count as necessary but maintain the ratio. Do this for five rounds or more.

 

Executive Yoga and Meditation

For more information, contact Neera Scott on 0431189032 or neera@exec-yoga.com; or see www.exec-yoga.com

Neera Scott, principal of Executive Yoga, specialises in working one-on-one with executives and directors, and facilitates a regular women’s group in Sydney. A yoga and meditation teacher since 1996, Neera has presented workshops, retreats and teacher training programs internationally.

 

Posted in Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , |