wellness coaching Archives

Anticipating the Change

August 7, 2024August 7, 2024
by Smart Fit Womxn

Ah, summer. It can be a delightful season, full of longer days, more time outside, and more flexibility in your schedule. And even if your schedule doesn’t change at all, often the rhythms of nature can cause things to feel different – more expansive, more POSSIBLE.

And as you finish out the days of summer and start to look ahead to a new fall season, you might find things start ramping up in your schedule – especially if you or any of your family members run on a school calendar timeline.

Along with all the beautiful, exciting, or new changes fall can bring, it can also be detrimental to our health goals.

And it’s not fall’s fault – our healthy rhythms can come under attack whenever we experience a major life or season shift…

A new job
Quitting a job
A new baby
Becoming an empty nester
The holiday season
A busy work season
Vacation mode
Back-to-work/school mode

Often what I see as a wellness coach is that we enter these new seasons without appreciating the force they’ll have on our rhythms. Whether it’s simply not realizing this is the case or thinking, “I can do it all, no matter how busy my schedule gets!”, our helpful routines get upended, and we find ourselves feeling less than healthy.

So how do we approach a new season without losing our healthy habits?

Anticipating the Change

By using a technique I like to call “Anticipating the Change”.

The definition of “anticipate” is to “regard as probable; expect or predict”¹. When we anticipate the change in seasons coming our way, we expect or predict that our health rhythms will have to change, too. Now of course, we can’t predict every change we’ll weather, but there are some things we can see coming.

When you have the benefit of knowing a change is coming, there are 3 things you can do to keep from losing your healthy rhythms:

Step 1:

Say to yourself “Hey – this change in seasons is going to impact my current healthy rhythms.” It’s just helpful to be honest about this!

Step 2:

Tell yourself “I can’t do it all, and that’s okay.” Once again, honesty is your friend!

Step 3:

Determine what IS possible for you in this next season.

How do you do that? You take 15-20 minutes to sit down with your calendar (and family members or roommates if helpful!) and take an honest look at what your schedule will be like.

Next, you think about which 2-3 healthy rhythms are the most life-giving to you, AKA they pack the biggest punch in making you feel your best.

Finally, you find the smallest version of those and plan where they’ll fit in your new schedule.

An example of this in action…

Let’s say during the summer months, you were able to go for a run first thing in the morning 3 times a week and a family hike on the weekends. But when school starts back up for your kids, you’re going to be on carpool duty during the week and at their sporting events on the weekends. You know that doing movement outside makes you feel your best, so you want to keep up that rhythm.

So, you look at your new schedule and find that you can get a run in 2 times per week after dropping the kids off at school, and you can walk around the soccer field at your kids’ soccer games on the weekends.

Now you have a plan before fall even begins! But if you don’t take the time (remember – just 15-20 minutes!) to sit down and determine this, you’ll likely end up getting no runs or weekend movement in, and a few weeks into fall you’ll feel lethargic and upset that you’re failing to take care of yourself.

And if you’re already in the middle of a change in seasons and feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon with your health habits – welcome to the club! Know that at any point during your new season, you can find your footing again by following the steps above. And now you can be equipped with what to do before ANOTHER change in season comes your way.

Your action step…

So, give yourself some help and take the time today to create a plan for the fall season, so you can keep feeling your best.

Sources:

¹Oxford Languages (n.d.). Anticipate. In Google’s English Dictionary provided by Oxford Languages. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+anticipate&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS750US750&oq=definition+of+anticipate&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMggIBhAAGBYYHjIKCAcQABgPGBYYHjIKCAgQABgPGBYYHjIKCAkQABgPGBYYHqgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.

Photo Sources:
Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash
Photo by Bluewater Sweden on Unsplash

Coaching

The Power of a Plan

May 21, 2024May 21, 2024
by Smart Fit Womxn

“I don’t have enough (fill in the blank).” Usually it’s time, energy, or motivation when considering the healthy habits we WISH we could employ or feel like we SHOULD be engaging in.

After working with several clients (and being humans ourselves!), we’ve heard the lack of these things come up for most of them.

So, what’s to be done? How do you make progress on your health journey if time, energy, or motivation is in short supply?

The solution may sound too simple, but we’ve seen it work: there is power in making a plan.

Why Make a Plan?

When you make a plan for when you will exercise or prep a healthy meal or get to sleep earlier (or whatever your health goal may be), you can consider a few very helpful things:

You’ll find pockets of time you didn’t know existed. Yep – it’s true! When you’re overwhelmed and busy, it feels like you have NO time for anything else. Literally none. But often if you pause to look at your schedule, you’re able to see where you do have free time. It’s also a great way to notice if your priorities are aligned. You’ll be able to look at the full picture of your schedule and see what changes need to be made. Are you taking on more than you should? Or are you spending time on things that aren’t important to you?
You’ll discover when you have the most energy during the day and when you don’t (and schedule things accordingly). It’s likely you already have some knowledge on when you’re the most productive and energetic and when you’re not. When you consider this while you make a plan, you can slot the healthy action step into your best time of day.
You’ll remember your WHY. As you plan these things, it’s likely you may have to say “no” to some good things to say “yes” to the healthy habits you want to pursue. In doing so, it forces you to ask, “Why is this important to me?”. As you answer that, you’ll find you DO have the motivation to live a healthy life – it’s just that it’s unique to you and may look different from someone else’s. Knowing your WHY empowers you to find the time and the energy to live the healthy life you want.

Your Action Step…

If sitting down to make a plan sounds like just the thing to help you move forward with your health goals, then grab our checklist of questions to ask yourself to make it a productive time!

Never underestimate the power of a plan when you’re making health changes, as it will help you overcome the big three lacks: lack of time, lack of energy, and lack of motivation.

Photo Credits:
Photo by Aviv Rachmadian on Unsplash
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Why Investing in Your Health Is Worth It

November 20, 2023November 22, 2023
by Smart Fit Womxn

It’s strange we have to have a conversation about this, isn’t it? Odd that we have to convince womxn it’s important to take care of themselves, so important in fact, that it’s worth spending the money and time. However, upon further reflection, it’s not really so odd.

Why womxn aren’t investing in their health

Here’s what I know about our wellness coaching clients, as well as the womxn in my life in general…

They’re givers.
They’re encouragers.
They’re builder-uppers.

They’re the ones not giving a second thought to sacrificing their own money, time, energy, or resources so that their loved ones can succeed.

Want proof?

If you’re a womxn reading this, which sounds easier to say “Yes!” to?

Spending $150 on your daughter’s ballet class because she loves it.
Spending $150 on yourself so you can meet with a wellness coach.

See?! 😉

We’re givers, and it’s an AMAZING part of being a womxn.

Just think how absolutely loved the people around us are, and how much better their lives are because of the love they receive from us.

Why investing in your health matters

But just like you can’t pour water from an empty bucket, you can’t show up for your friends and family in the way you want to if your health is suffering.

And because our bodies are amazing and continue to support us, bearing with the way we treat them for months or even years, it’s easy for us to feel like it’s not urgent to take care of our health.

Yet even if you feel like you should make a change, it’s often not motivating enough to take a step toward living a healthier life unless things get really bad.

So, do you just have to wait until they do get really bad? Or is there something else that could motivate you to invest in your health right now?

Here is something I think can truly motivate a giver, an encourager, a builder-upper to take action for their own health:
Others will follow your lead.

If you’re an aunt – your nieces and nephews are watching.
If you’re a mom – your kids are watching.
If you’re a sister – your siblings are watching.

And it’s likely you want THEM to prioritize their health so they can live their most vibrant lives possible.

And – here’s a surprise lesson I’ve learned over the years…

Your loved ones want YOU to prioritize YOUR health so YOU can live you most vibrant life possible.

So you can be your most alive self.

So you can bring all the light and love and joy to your relationship with them.

So you can be confident, thriving, and using the gifts you’ve been given to make the world a better place.

So you can be proof that they too can do the same.

When you live this way, you pave the way for others to follow behind you. This powerful quote says it well…

“We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”¹

You living fully alive and well gives others in your life permission to do the same.

Take the next step to invest in your health

If you’d like a partner to help you do just that, we’re here for you! We offer 30-minute free wellness coaching sessions to see if wellness coaching is right for you.

And our clients can attest that partnering with a wellness coach helps them live that vibrant, healthy life. Will you be next?

What our clients say…

“Confidence to be me”
“Seeing how strong I am”
“Loving and respecting myself”
“A health and wellness plan tailored to fit me because they asked the right questions to help me come up with that plan”
“Someone to remind me of my priorities and vision of health”
“An advocate for the change I want to see in myself”
They “facilitated discussions, helped me set goals, and push through limitations”
“Dedicated time to prioritize my health”
“Having the tools to take care of myself”
“Having more energy to meet the demands of my job”
Coaching “covered every aspect of whole-hearted living – mind, body, and soul”
“Help changing my routines and having lasting change”
“Losing the negative self-talk and finding your confidence”
“Helped me realize what’s important to me”
“Coaching brought a whole bunch of elements of my life into one place – whole person health”
“I’m working on mental wellness and spending less energy on negative self-talk and putting myself down”

Sources:
¹Gurteen, D. (n.d.) On our deepest fear by Marianne Williamson. Gurteen. Retrieved November 15, 2023, https://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/X0003E546/

Photo Sources:
Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash
Photo by Josué AS on Unsplash
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Photo by leah hetteberg on Unsplash

Success

Why You Aren’t Reaching Your Health Goals

May 31, 2023June 1, 2023
by Smart Fit Womxn

It’s so frustrating, right? Feeling like “This is it! This is the time I actually get healthy/get fit/lose weight” and you start making changes and seeing bits of progress and then…you go back to your old habits. Back to the usual way of doing things. And you begin to wonder, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just be disciplined enough to do this?”

Let us offer you a bit of hope: Perhaps it’s not about your discipline, or lack thereof.

Perhaps it’s that you never fully decided to make these changes.

You might believe these changes are good, important even.

You might think your loved one or doctor is right when they say your health concerns them and they want more for you.

You might agree that you should exercise more and eat healthier.

But it’s not enough to make the changes real and lasting.

So, what is? What do you need to do to reach your health goals?

You need to DECIDE you want this.

Whenever you decide to change anything in your life, there are predictable steps you’ll move through in the process of making that change. These steps are called the Stages of Change and range from being fully against making a change (the classic “I don’t have a problem!”), to the point where you’ve made that change a permanent part of your life.

To find success with your health goals, you need to move through these Stages of Change in order. Trying to short circuit the process leads to the frustrating goal failure cycle.

And as wellness coaches, there is one very crucial stage we see a lot of people skipping. It’s called the contemplation phase, and this is the part where you DECIDE to make a change.

You do this by weighing the pros and cons of changing AND of staying the same. That last part is very important, because for you to decide to make a change, you need to know both what you feel like you’re giving up AND the better future you’re moving toward.

For example: let’s say you want to stop late-night snacking. But it’s hard to do and you’ve had trouble sticking with this goal in the past.

It’s easy to imagine the good that would come to your life if you were successful making this change (i.e., sleeping better, feeling more energetic, losing weight).

Most people just picture this good outcome and set a goal of not snacking past a certain time of night. However, it’s also vital to ask yourself what good you’re getting from having those late-night snacks.

Does it bring comfort after a long day? Is it the only time you get to be by yourself or with your spouse and you want to celebrate that? Does it feel like you’ve been giving and sacrificing all day, so this helps you fill back up?

Once you find out the good you’re getting from this habit, you can acknowledge that to live a healthier life, it feels like you have to let go of something that is meeting a need.

But the great thing is, knowing what need your current habit meets enables you to find other ways to meet that need AND still make the changes necessary to live your healthiest life.

Back to our example: if we find that late-night snacking is meeting your need to fill back up after a long day of giving and sacrificing (we see you moms out there!), then we can figure out other methods that help you replenish your energy stores. Once those are in place, it will be a lot easier to give up the late-night snacking and see success with your goal!

Working through these scenarios with you is what we wellness coaches do best. If this resonated with you and you’re tired of not making progress on your health goals, let this be the day that changes! Sign up here for a free 30-minute wellness coaching session and try out the coaching process for yourself!

Photo Credits:
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Helping Loved Ones Live Their Healthiest Lives

February 4, 2023February 4, 2023
by Smart Fit Womxn

We’ve all been there.

Watching someone we know and love dearly do things that aren’t good for them.

In fact, we’ve likely been that person, ourselves!

But what do we do if someone we love isn’t making healthy choices, and we long for something better for them?

We know these conversations can go poorly. It can feel like we’re nagging them or telling them they don’t measure up, even if that’s not how we mean to come across. So, it can be hard to know if and when to say something or how to offer our help.

A tool that is incredibly helpful in these situations is the Stages of Change model.

It says that each of us are in a different place when it comes to our willingness to change our behaviors.

And we can all be in a different stage for different behaviors – even different health behaviors.

For example, we can be farther along in changing our exercise behaviors than we are in changing our eating habits.

So, when thinking about our loved ones’ health, it’s important to understand what stage of change they’re at so we can meet them there.

Mastering the skills to listen and determine where your loved one is in their willingness to change, and using the tools for that particular stage, will help them know they’re fully supported and encouraged, and you’re on their team.

And knowing you’ve got someone in your corner is extremely motivating.

Sources:
Moore, M., Jackson, E., & Tschannen-Moran, B. (2016). Coaching Psychology Manual. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

Photo credits:
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Coaching

Signs of Life

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022
by Smart Fit Womxn

Too often those of us in the health and wellness space focus on what’s going wrong with our clients. What risk factors for future disease do you have? What bad habits should you break to help you be healthier? Why aren’t you (fill in the blank)…exercising more, eating more fruits and vegetables, sleeping more, spending less time on social media, releasing your stress in ways that don’t involve eating, etc., etc., etc.? Basically, why aren’t you being a superhuman?!?

There’s typically a beautiful intention behind this: we want you, our client, to suffer less and experience health, wholeness, and confidence in your body. We want you to have all the energy and vigor you need to live life to the fullest. We want you to see yourself as beautiful and strong, and in turn, bring more beauty and strength to the world. We want good things for you.

But what happens when we focus on what’s going wrong instead of what’s going right?

We get more wrong than we get right!

And sadly, we see our wonderful clients start following our lead. Perhaps you’ve experienced this, too. You start focusing on what’s going wrong and how you think you’re failing. No matter how much progress you make towards a goal, you only see when you don’t fully achieve it, and understandably feel discouraged.

While there is certainly a time and place to discuss things like risk factors for a disease and ways those could be addressed, this doesn’t mean all our focus should be on finding what’s wrong so we can fix it. When we do this, the track record of outcomes isn’t great.

So, what can we do instead?

We can start looking for signs of life, places where you’re thriving. And as we do so, our hope is you’ll follow our lead.

We may see that someone isn’t exercising regularly, but they rank a 5 out of 5 for relationship satisfaction. Or they struggle with liking what they see in the mirror, but they found a job they absolutely love.

Everyone has something that is working in their life. Something that is going well. Some strength they’re utilizing to make life better.

Our job is to help you see what those strengths are and where things are going right. Then we can help you apply this to other areas of your health and well-being so you can thrive there, too.

Here’s how this can play out in a coaching session:

While reviewing how a client’s goals went for the week, we hear they didn’t achieve their goal of eating fruits and vegetables each day. But as we keep asking questions such as “What was the best part of pursuing this goal?”, we find out they planned and prepped lunch for the week for the first time ever. Thanks to our discussion during the previous coaching session, they realized the organizational skills they use at work can be applied to creating healthier habits, like meal planning and prepping.

If we only looked at what was wrong, our client would leave feeling discouraged about not completing their goal. Instead, they see a fuller picture of the truth – yes, they didn’t perfectly complete that goal, but they took steps in the right direction to make achieving that goal more feasible in the future.

When we look at what’s going right and where you’re thriving, you’re a lot more likely to continue making progress on your goals and achieving all those things you want and we want for you – health, wholeness, energy, vigor, and confidence in your body.

So, what happens when we focus on what’s going right instead of what’s going wrong?

We get more right than we get wrong!

Ready to try out wellness coaching for yourself? Sign up here for a free 30-minute session and see if it’s right for you!

Photo Credits:
Photo by Andre Furtado on Unsplash
Photo by Milan Popovic on Unsplash
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

A Day in the Life of a Guilt-Free Health…

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022
by Smart Fit Womxn

Sabrina wakes up ready to start her day. She recently finished working with a wellness coach, and she’s excited to test out her newfound freedom. Sabrina used to struggle with a lot of guilt and harsh self-talk when it came to trying to live a healthy lifestyle. But after working with her coach, she learned to recognize when these thoughts would come up and how to react differently.

Initially, Sabrina planned to get up early and go for a run. But her 2-year-old was up sick last night, so Sabrina let herself sleep in. When this would happen in the past, she would sleep in, feel terrible about missing a workout, then move throughout her day with a low-grade feeling of defeat. But this time, she was ready. Because of sleeping in, she only had 45 minutes to exercise, get ready, and feed her son breakfast before jumping on a Zoom call for work. So, Sabrina got her son’s breakfast ready and while he ate, she pulled up a 15-minute yoga workout and got some movement in before work. “Normally I would have been so upset that I didn’t get a full hour of exercise in, but now that I know ‘everything counts’¹, I feel good about what I could do this morning. Not to mention, some stretches before sitting down to my desk felt good!”

Between each Zoom meeting that day, Sabrina alternated between playing with her son – who fortunately was feeling better throughout the day – and doing some air squats and walks around the house to move her body more. A couple of times, her son joined in and tried doing squats with her! “Just think,” she said to herself, “I used to be so upset about not getting my morning runs in, I wouldn’t do any other exercise because I thought I’d failed that day. But now, my son gets to watch his mom get creative and move her body, and he’s having fun, too! Definitely a win-win.”

By the end of the day, Sabrina feels fulfilled, but exhausted. She knows some fresh air would do her good, so when her husband gets home, she suggests they go for a family walk. On their walk, the “neighborhood grandma” sees them and rushes over to say hi. After hearing their son was sick and Sabrina worked and took care of him that day, she brings out a fresh batch of cookies. “You need this more than me – you had a busy day today!” she laughs. Sabrina thanks her for the kind gesture and they take the cookies home.

Once dinner is over and her son is asleep, Sabrina and her husband eat the cookies and chat about their day. “Wow!” Sabrina thinks. “I’m actually enjoying these cookies. I used to try to not eat ANY cookies, or I would eat ALL the cookies and not even taste them. Either way, I would feel terrible afterwards. But now, I can sit here, enjoy time with my husband, and really SAVOR these cookies. I don’t have to feel bad about eating them. I’ve made a conscious decision I’d like to eat these, I know eating treats has its place in a balanced diet, and I know how to slow down and truly relish the flavors. All this means I’ll feel satisfied afterwards.”

At the end of a long, but good day, Sabrina hits the pillow grateful for the time spent with her wellness coach. “I feel so much freer enjoying my food and moving my body. And I know this freedom helps me be kinder to myself, which means I’ll keep wanting to take care of my body by moving it and fueling it well. This is a much better cycle to be in.”

If you long to experience a guilt-free health journey like Sabrina, wellness coaching can help you do so! Click here to get a free PDF to learn more, or if you’re ready to get started, click here to register for a free 30-minute coaching session! We can’t wait to help you experience freedom on your health journey.

Cheers to your health!

Sources:
¹Segar, M.L. (2015). No sweat: How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness. New York, NY: AMACOM.

Photo credits:
Photo by OC Gonzalez on Unsplash
Photo by Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash
Photo by kabita Darlami on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Are You Really Ready to Make a Change?

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021
by Smart Fit Womxn

Have you ever experienced the frustration of setting a goal for your health…perhaps it was to eat differently or exercise more, limit your social media time or go to bed sooner…and though you knew it was a good idea, you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it?

Then you feel frustrated and ashamed because you think you lack the willpower to do what you know is good for you.

Shame doesn’t propel you to make changes, rather it drives you to further unhealthy behaviors to cover up the discomfort it brings.

It can be such a hard cycle to get free from!

But something can help you stay out of this cycle, and it starts even before you try to put a new health goal into motion.

It is simply this: recognizing the difference between “I’m thinking about making a change” and “I’m ready to make a change”.

Thinking about making a change isn’t enough to propel you to carry out your new health goals because the desire to change hasn’t fully formed in you yet.

That doesn’t mean that desire won’t come. Eventually it does. But setting goals when your own internal motivation isn’t ready to support you often means your goal will fall by the wayside, especially when there isn’t anyone or anything externally to motivate you.

How can you tell the difference between thinking about making a change and truly desiring to make that change? Here are a few telltale signs of each:

Thinking About Making a Change:

You’re beginning to sense your current status quo isn’t all it was cracked up to be
You’re seeing the benefits to your health and life if you were to make this change
Though you see the benefits of changing, you still feel the benefits of staying the same. If asked, you can easily list the pros of changing, but can also list the pros of staying the same
Your whole heart isn’t in it yet…rather you feel like you SHOULD make the change, but not that you WANT to make the change

Ready to Make a Change

You know this is something YOU want to change, rather than something you feel you MUST do or SHOULD do
The pros of changing far outweigh benefits of staying the same…”when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change”¹
You’re in planning mode. You’re not only figuring out the specifics of your new goal…what you will do and when and where you’ll do it…but you’re assessing challenges that will inevitably come up and what your backup plan will be

What does this look like in real life?

Let’s take a goal of eating healthier as an example. If you were in the “thinking about making a change” stage, this would look like the following (in bold)…

Thinking About Making a Change:

You’re beginning to sense your current status quo isn’t all it was cracked up to be. The way you’re currently eating makes you feel lethargic and bloated.
You’re seeing the benefits to your health and life if you were to make this change. If you changed how you were eating, you would feel energetic and lighter, better able to tackle the demands of the day.
Though you see the benefits of changing, you still feel the benefits of staying the same. If asked, you can easily list the pros of changing, but can also list the pros of staying the same. You would list the pros of eating differently as more energy, feeling lighter, feeling more like yourself, feeling better inside. You would list the pros of your current eating habits as more convenient, possibly cheaper, fulfilling the cravings you have for certain foods, and meeting the need for comfort after a stressful day.
Your whole heart isn’t in it yet…rather you feel like you SHOULD make the change, but not that you WANT to make the change. You know that it would be “good for you” to eat healthier, but you don’t want to give up the treats you’ve been enjoying.

As you can see, being in this stage means experiencing ambivalence. Though you’re thinking a change may be worthwhile, you still see the good in your current way of eating.

Now, what would this goal look like if you were in the “I’m ready to make a change” stage? See below in bold…

Ready to Make a Change

You know this is something YOU want to change, rather than something you feel you MUST do or SHOULD do. You’re not making changes to your eating because someone else is telling you to do so. Even if you had no one checking in with you (loved ones, doctors, accountability partners), YOU would still want to make this change. You’re excited and ready to get started.
The pros of changing far outweigh benefits of staying the same. Though you know it will be tough to make changes, you’re so tired of not feeling good in your body that you see the pain of changing as less than the pain of keeping the status quo.
You’re in planning mode. You’re not only figuring out the specifics of your new goal…what you will do and when and where you’ll do it…but you’re assessing challenges that will inevitably come up and what your backup plan will be. You’ve decided to start by eating one vegetable at every meal. You know this will be challenging when you go out to eat for Tuesday trivia with your friends, so your backup plan will be to eat two vegetables during Tuesday lunches.

It’s a different feeling when you’re ready to make a change. The excitement is there, as well as the thought process of how to implement these changes.

What happens if you find yourself in the “thinking about making a change” stage? Should you be ashamed that you’re not further along?

Though it’s understandable that may be your first thought, it works better in the long-run to have patience with yourself and not rush this process. It’s natural for all of us to start with simply an idea to make a change, and then eventually it will blossom into full-grown motivation to reject the status quo.

There are things you can do in the meantime to help move yourself along the change continuum.

First, seek out the help of a wellness coach. We help people through the entire change process and know the questions to ask and support to give to help you move forward.

Second, continue thinking through the pros and cons of changing AND staying the same. Using a chart much like the one below is helpful.

Finally, assess your personal strengths and how you could apply those to making the health changes you’re thinking about.

For the example above, if your strength is organization, then you would be good at scheduling weekly meal planning, grocery shopping, and food prepping to ensure you eat one vegetable at each meal.

Discovering you’re only in the “thinking about making a change” stage is actually quite hopeful. Your struggle to stick with your health goals is less likely due to a lack of willpower and motivation, but rather a need to let that motivation further develop.

Sources:
¹Quote attributed to Tony Robbins: https://quotefancy.com/quote/922520/Tony-Robbins-Change-happens-when-the-pain-of-staying-the-same-is-greater-than-the-pain-of

Photo Credits:
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash
Decisional Balance Chart: https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/tools/obesity-kit/obtoolkit-tool14.html

wellness coaching

Accessing Your Motivation: How to do what you know…

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021
by Smart Fit Womxn

Does this statement sound familiar? “I know I should work out, but I just can’t get myself to.” Or “I know what foods make me feel good, but when it comes down to it, I eat what I don’t want to eat.”

Isn’t it frustrating? We know what’s good for us, and we truly want to do what makes us healthy. So why can’t we just do the things, already?!?

If you find yourself stuck in this cycle with a particular behavior or habit you want to perform, there are two things that will help you stop doing what you don’t want to do, and finally do what you want.

“Don’t should on yourself”¹

I heard this quote years ago from a talk about setting boundaries, and I thought it applied so well to setting up healthy habits. You see, when we try to guilt ourselves (or others!) into doing the healthy thing, it may work for a bit, but eventually, guilt isn’t enough to motivate us to keep performing the behavior. Having a guilt trip (even a self-imposed one!) tramples on our autonomy, our ability to choose, and we humans don’t enjoy losing our right to choose. Thus, we’ll retaliate, often passive aggressively, by doing the exact opposite thing.

Instead of putting yourself through a guilt trip, work on accessing your true desire behind why you want to start that healthy habit. You can do this by asking yourself “Why do I want this?” a few times so you can get to the bottom of what’s really motivating you. Check out our blog post here and this helpful article from Precision Nutrition on how to this.²

2. Recognize decisions are made based on emotion rather than logic

You know this to be true if you’ve ever planned to get up early to exercise then when that alarm goes off, you hit snooze and stay in bed! This happens to all of us because when the moment comes, we make decisions based on emotion rather than logic…even if we’re typically logical people!

Instead of planning to do something you know you won’t be happy about when the moment comes (then getting upset with yourself at your apparent lack of willpower!), figure out how to make it easier to do what you wish you were doing. How can it be easier for you to incorporate that workout? How can it be easier to choose the foods that make your body feel good? This can take a little thought and creativity, but it will keep you from getting back into the cycle of feeling guilty and like you lack willpower or motivation. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, states, the systems you have in place, rather than your goals or habits, are what help you actually do the things you want to do.³

If you could use help to stop “shoulding” on yourself and come up with creative systems to finally implement healthy habits, check out wellness coaching! You can get started by signing up for a free session here.

Sources:
¹Jones, A. (Host). Yes to you, means no to something else. [Audio podcast episode]. In Boundaries. http://catalysthome.org/.
²Beers, E. (n.d.) Forget bikini bodies and big arms: Here’s the real secret for getting motivated to transform your body. Precision Nutrition. https://www.precisionnutrition.com/weight-loss-motivation
³Miller, D., Peterson, J.J. (2020, May 18). James Clear-the secret to a successful product launch. [Audio podcast episode]. In Business Made Simple with Donald Miller. https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/c/9/7/c975f37bbbbdab99/EP201_JamesClear_Edit2.mp3?c_id=73002320&cs_id=73002320&expiration=1625709915&hwt=d1b5073095b2274f01425a039cc152db

Photo Credits:
Photo by Julien L on Unsplash
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

What Brings You Life?

March 24, 2021March 24, 2021
by Smart Fit Womxn

Do you know the answer to this question, “What brings you life?”

Often this feels daunting to answer. It’s easy for us to get caught up in the day-to-day urgent needs of those around us…what our kids need, what our jobs are asking of us, what our spouses or partners or friends or aging parents need.

Add in all the daily things we do to simply keep life running, and we find ourselves unable to articulate or even know what would bring us life!

Be assured if you don’t know your answer(s) right away, you’re not alone and you don’t have to feel shame in not knowing.

Rather, take this as your invitation to pause, peel off the veil of daily life and distractions, and ask yourself…

“If anything was possible, what would bring me life?”

What would fill your tank, get you excited or hopeful, or simply help you feel more (fill in the blank) or less (fill in the blank)?

What were those things you did as a kid or a younger adult that brought a smile to your face?

What would your loved ones say you enjoy?

Why is figuring this out important? As we slowly make our way out of a traumatic global experience, our bodies, minds, and hearts will need to heal.

John Eldredge, a counselor, speaker, and author was recently discussing this season of healing as a guest on a podcast. He mentioned one aspect of healing would be to “write a prescription for your recovery”¹.

In essence, write down what brings you life!

Knowing what this is for you is the first step, which hopefully leads to the next step: finding ways to implement these things into your life more often.

It seems we all are in need of healing and doing more of what brings us life is one way we can walk down the road of recovery.

So…what brings you life?

If you’d like help processing that out loud, wellness coaching might be right for you! Check out our free PDF to learn if wellness coaching is what you’re looking for, then book a free 30-minute coaching session to try it out!

Sources:
¹Downs, A.F. (Host). (2021, March 22). John Eldredge + A year of the pandemic (No. 281) . In That Sounds Fun. That Sounds Fun Network.

Photo Credits:
Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash
Photo by Colin Maynard on Unsplash
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

FitTips

One Simple Idea to Navigate the Holidays Well

December 16, 2020December 16, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

The holiday season can be a tough time to prioritize our health in normal circumstances, but what about on top of all the stress and uncertainty we’ve been through this year? How do we both enjoy the holidays AND not feel guilty or like we’ve been too hard on our bodies once January comes around?

One simple idea: Take everything into context.

What does this mean?

It’s a way to see your life as a whole, and rather than focusing in on each minute thing (i.e., feeling guilty for eating a lot of Christmas cookies), it allows you to make decisions based on the big picture.

What does this look like in real life?

Here are three scenarios where this idea can play out:

Eating

The holiday season often includes eating food you don’t normally eat or eating more than usual. Instead of worrying about every little food choice (“Should I eat this? Should I not?”), and perhaps feeling guilty if you’ve indulged, you can instead take your whole day into context.

This looks like thinking through your meals for the whole day, and planning where you can get in something green, some protein, AND where you’d like to indulge.

For example, you could decide that at the end of each day, you want to eat some peanut brittle your grandma used to make, because it reminds you of being at her house for Christmas. Throughout the rest of the day, you can eat in ways that give your body energy, then thoroughly enjoy that peanut brittle as an evening snack.

You’ve not only fed your body well the majority of the day, but you also haven’t restricted yourself from a treat you only have during this season.

Exercise

Taking everything into context with your exercise is something we’ve discussed a lot on this blog, especially lately. This looks like assessing how much stress you have on a daily basis outside of exercise (because exercise is a stressor, though usually a good one), how much sleep you got the night before, how your body feels and what it needs, etc.

If you haven’t slept well and you’ve been fairly stressed, exercise could take the form of recovery…a slow walk around the neighborhood, a gentle yoga practice, or doing a few stretches.

But if you feel rested and your overall stress load is pretty low, a higher intensity workout, such as running, HIIT, or lifting heavy weights can feel great.

Taking into context the overall stress on your body each day can help you determine what type of exercise would be best and would serve your body well, rather than add additional stress.

Energy

Figuring out what depletes your energy and what fills you back up is a worthy endeavor. As you get clear on this, you can take into context if your day is full of energy filling or energy depleting things.

For instance, if having all your kids at home 24/7 fills you up, you might not need to carve out time to do additional energy-filling activities. But if this depletes your energy, then you’ll want to find a way to fill up your tank again so you can continue to engage your family in the way you want to.

When you take into context your entire day based on what will add to or subtract from your energy, you can see where you might need to take pockets of time to fill back up. This isn’t always possible, of course, but it can give you a sense of where you might delegate tasks or ask for help or time so you can pursue those things that give you life.

Taking everything into context-lifting your eyes up from the minute details to look at the bigger picture-can help you make decisions on eating, exercise, and energy in a way that isn’t caught up in feeling guilty about each little thing.

Rather, this helps you approach the holidays in a way that serves your body well and still empowers you to enjoy them to the fullest.

Photo Credits:
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
Photo by Marie Despeyroux on Unsplash
Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash
Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash

wellness coaching

Win-Learn vs. Win-Lose: Why having the mind of a…

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

You’ve heard the phrase “win-win or win-lose,” right? It’s this thought that a situation only has two outcomes: you’re either winning and achieving what you wanted, or you’re losing and you failed.

The great part about this phrase is that it’s high stakes, and sometimes that can be extremely motivating to us! Anyone else thrive off of writing those college term papers last minute?? That impending deadline can set us up with the higher stakes we need to get in gear and get writing.

But when it comes to pursuing our health goals, having a win-win or win-lose mindset does us a disservice.

Think about it: if we achieve the goals we set for ourselves, we feel like winners. But if we don’t…well…let’s just say feeling like a loser isn’t all that motivating.

Fortunately, there’s a different way to think about our health goals: win-learn¹.

With this outlook, we either achieve our goals and feel like winners, or we don’t achieve our goals but recognize there is still something we can learn from them, namely, what didn’t work for us.

This win-learn mindset mimics that of a scientist.

Scientists are all about experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t. When they set out to do a new experiment, they often formulate at least one hypothesis, which is their educated guess as to what the outcome of their experiment will be.

The beauty of the experiment, though, is that these scientists get to see if their hypothesis was correct or not. If so, it adds more proof that the current way of thinking might be true, and if not, it can lead the scientist down another path to find out what really is true.

And you know what? The best scientists don’t find their identity in their hypotheses always being correct. Rather, they enjoy the process of experimenting and trying things, and often get surprised by what they uncover. And those who are willing to move forward and experiment again when their hypotheses are proven wrong help us all progress through their findings.

So how does this relate to our health journeys?

If you come into the goal setting process like a scientist-willing to try it out and experiment a bit to see what works and what doesn’t-you’re much more likely to stay motivated to find out what DOES work for you.

Why? Because you’re approaching your goals with a win-learn mindset.

When you achieve your goals, you can celebrate and take note that what you initially thought might work did indeed work. And when you don’t achieve your goals, you don’t have to feel like a failure.

There is no shame, rather, there is beauty in the process of trying. You can take note of what didn’t work, make tweaks, and then set new goals.

Your identity doesn’t have to be in whether or not you’re always achieving your goals, but whether or not you continue the pursuit and the process of learning what works.

And lest we forget, there is a great lesson to learn from a scientist you may have heard of-Thomas Edison. He and his team knew the importance of trying and tweaking and learning through a myriad of attempts…

“This [the research] had been going on more than five months, seven days a week, when I was called down to the laboratory to see him [Edison]. I found him at a bench about three feet wide and twelve feet long, on which there were hundreds of little test cells that had been made up by his corps of chemists and experimenters. I then learned that he had thus made over nine thousand experiments in trying to devise this new type of storage battery, but had not produced a single thing that promised to solve the question.

In view of this immense amount of thought and labor, my sympathy got the better of my judgment, and I said: ‘Isn’t it a shame that with the tremendous amount of work you have done you haven’t been able to get any results?’ Edison turned on me like a flash, and with a smile replied: ‘Results! Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work!'”²

Sources:
¹Moore, M., Jackson, E., & Tschannen-Moran, B. (2016). Coaching Psychology Manual. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
²Rutgers School of Arts & Sciences. (2012, Fall). Thomas A. Edison Papers. The Edisonian. http://edison.rutgers.edu/newsletter9.html#4

Photo Credits:
Photo by Bonnie Kittle on Unsplash
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Photo by Hannah Middleton on Unsplash

wellness coaching

How Stress Might Be Derailing Your Health Goals

September 17, 2020September 17, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

Ever feel like you’re doing everything “right”, and yet you can’t lose weight?

Or perhaps you don’t know where your motivation for working out seems to go.

Or maybe you can’t find a reason why you consistently gravitate toward less healthy foods.

There might be a common culprit for each of these scenarios:

Stress.

Stress can play a large roll in our overall health and our ability to achieve our health goals. If you answered “yes” to any of the above, read on to find out HOW stress can derail your health goals, and WHAT to do about it.

How Stress Derails Your Health Goals

It impacts the energy in/energy out process¹:

You may have heard the term “energy in vs. energy out”, or “calories in vs. calories out”, especially when describing weight loss. It’s a simple equation and when the energy you expend (via exercise, daily activity, and simply staying alive) equals the energy you take in (via food that’s eaten and absorbed, etc.), you maintain your weight.

When one of these becomes greater than another, you either lose weight or gain weight.

Though the equation is simple, the process of increasing or decreasing energy in or out (ex. “eating less and moving more”) is not.

How does stress fit in here?

Stress can affect both sides of this equation. If coupled with poor sleep, it can up your hunger hormone ghrelin, while decreasing the hormone leptin, which helps you feel full. It can also increase your desire for high or quick energy foods, rather than healthier foods.

Stress can impact your desire to do any exercise, because the body already “feels” like it’s done a lot of work. If you consider what happens when you know you’re stressed, your heart rate and breathing are both increased. That’s the same thing that happens when you exercise!

Not to mention many of the “fight or flight” hormones are turned up, which is good for exercise or if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, but not so good if they’re turned up constantly.

It messes with cortisol²:

Speaking of hormones, cortisol is a common one you’ll hear of when talking about stress. When you experience an acute stressor, your brain, eventually tells the adrenal glands (by way of other hormones) to release cortisol and adrenaline. After it’s done this, the adrenals tell your brain “mission accomplished” and the fight or flight response should subside.

However, in chronic states of stress, this communication seems to get broken. Either the adrenal glands stop telling your brain they did what it asked, or the brain doesn’t receive the message. Think of it as a “call failed” message on your phone when you’ve lost service.

Being in a state of stress long-term then, can keep constant cortisol coursing through your body, which can eventually lead to feeling sluggish…which then impacts the energy out/energy in equation.

It compounds:

Though experiencing occasional stressors shouldn’t do much harm to the body, the piling up of stressors can. This is termed the “allostatic load”³, which is the combination of all your stressors.

It’s important to note here that exercise itself is a stressor. This is a good thing, as it helps your body adapt to the “stress” you put it through when you work out. However, if you’re already under a lot of stress, it’s wise to change up your exercise routine to be lower in intensity, so as to get the benefits from exercise, while not adding a large stressor onto an already big pile.

Remember, stress impacts how energetic you feel, so if you’re stressed and exercising hard, you may find you’re not recovering as well from workouts and/or you’re experiencing signs of overtraining (ex. elevated resting heart rate).²

Finally, it’s helpful to remember that negative feelings about your body and negative self-talk can contribute to your overall stress load. If that hits a little close to home, know you aren’t alone! Read on to see what you can do about it.

What to Do About Stress

Recognize stressors:

So how do you combat the effects of chronic stress if you realize this might be happening for you? (And how do you not get stressed out by what you’ve read so far?! 😁 )

Start by getting curious. Pay attention as you move through your days and see how you feel after doing usual activities. For instance, how do you feel after spending time on social media? Reading or listening to the news? Taking a walk with your child?

Pay attention to what seems to increase, and what seems to decrease your stress levels, and start to eliminate those things that add to the stress when and where you can.

Add in stress relievers²:

After you’ve recognized the stressors, now you can do the fun part…figure out your stress-relievers!

It can be helpful to realize that these don’t have to be earth-shattering or expensive (ex. an all-day spa experience). Rather, these can be small items you add throughout your day:

Prayer/meditation
Getting outside
Creating something
Enjoying a hobby
Helping a friend, family member, or neighbor
Giving back to a cause you’re passionate about
Recognizing what you can and cannot control
Keeping a gratitude journal
Replacing a stressor with a stress-reliever (ex. replacing screen time with reading a book)

If you don’t know what deflates stress for you, then consider this another invitation to get curious! Start by considering what you liked to do when you were young or had less responsibilities. And don’t be afraid to try something new!

Additionally, allowing space in your schedule for transition time may prove to be a big stress-reliever. Moving directly from one thing to the next to the next doesn’t give any down time or reflection time. Even if you can only spare a few minutes, you may find you enter into the next event much more relaxed.

Consider wellness coaching:

Finally, consider wellness coaching! When you meet with a wellness coach, you intentionally take the time and space to process your health goals and habits, as well as some time for yourself, which can be a big stress-reliever. As our client, Jessica, stated “our weekly sessions forced me to set aside some time for myself…more importantly, to prioritize my health and time so that I can be the best mommy, wife, and teacher I can be.”

Wellness coaching is designed to not only help you with exercise and eating habits, but also to thrive as a whole person-which means reducing stress levels! Through the coaching process, we help you recognize what you can and can’t control, and be empowered to make sustainable changes.⁴

And if you find a big cause of your stress is body negativity, you’re in the right place! Our mission here at Smart Fit Womxn is to help you rise above the current health culture and equip you to see your body as strong, capable, beautiful, and worthy.

If you haven’t tried coaching yet, simply add your name and email here for a free 30-minute session and see if this is one stress-reliever you’re excited to incorporate.

Sources:
¹Berardi, J. (n.d.) Calories in vs. out? Or hormones? The debate is finally over. Here’s who won. Precision Nutrition. https://www.precisionnutrition.com/calories-in-calories-out
²Maciel, R., Feit, A., & Bowman, A. (n.d.) Do you have a Stress Bod? The surprising science of feeling awful—and what to do about it. [Infographic]. Precision Nutrition. https://www.precisionnutrition.com/effects-of-stress-on-the-body-infographic
³Magyari, P., Lite, R., Kilpatrick, M., Schoffstall, J. (2018). ACSM’s resources for the exercise physiologist (2^nded.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health
⁴Moore, M., Tschannen-Moran, B., & Jackson, E. (2016). Coaching psychology manual (2^nd edition). Wolters Kluwer.

Photo Credits:
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash
Photo by Sean Thomas on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Rediscover Your Motivation

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

Odds are, due to the pandemic, you’ve found at least some of your normal routines have been thrown off. Whether it’s no longer commuting to work or the loss of a job, no gym to exercise at or group fitness classes to take, or being more isolated from community if you live alone or surrounded constantly by family members or roommates, it’s likely what you previously thought as “normal life” is not currently the case.

So, what do you do if you thrive from having routines? How do you set yourself up for success in the midst of the uncertainty of how long shutdowns and social distancing will last?

The first step is the same way we start every initial wellness coaching session with new clients:

Get really clear on what you want.

You can do this by asking yourself a variety of questions:

When I look back on this time, what do I hope I’ve accomplished?
Who do I want to be when this is over?¹
What do I truly value?
What is important to me? What are my top priorities?
What good do I hope will come from what I do (or don’t do) during this time?

Knowing what you want helps you know what direction to move forward in. It parts the clouds of vague goals and feelings and the pressure of “I should do ___” and sheds light on what truly motivates you.

Take 5-10 minutes today to write out your answers to the questions below (we put them in a journal page format for fun) 😊. For added support and accountability, post a picture with your responses on our Instagram page or Facebook page with the hashtag #discoveringmymotivation so we can all be cheering you on. If you don’t want to post for the whole world to see, you can also direct message us your responses so only us coaches can see and respond.

By thinking through these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of where you want to go and how you want to feel.

And what do you think happens when you get really clear on what you want? The next right step becomes a whole lot easier to see.

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Sources:
¹Ponder, S., Acho, S., & Carter, S. (Executive producers). (2020-present). Home team: A new podcast [Audio podcast]. https://www.hometeampodcast.com

Photo Credits:
Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash
Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash
Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

3 Tips if You Don’t Currently Have an Exercise…

August 12, 2020August 12, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

I don’t currently have a regular exercise routine, but I’d like to…someday

That’s great! You’ve started thinking about adopting a regular exercise routine, which means you’re beginning to think of the benefits exercise might bring to your life! Here are the 3 tips for you:

Get specific on what you’re hoping to gain
There’s a reason (or maybe several reasons!) you’re considering making exercise a habit. What are those reasons? Take a moment to answer the following questions to help you get really clear on this. You can either jot down your answers, or talk them out with a friend or family member:

What is the driving force behind the desire to change now? Why now?

Picture yourself living your healthiest life. In that picture, what types of exercise are you doing? How are you feeling in your body?

If you’ve exercised in the past, what have been your best experiences to date with exercise, times you felt fully alive and engaged?

Getting clear on the reason you want to start exercising (or start again) helps you begin to get a picture in your head of what you’re aiming for, as well as start tapping into your internal motivation. You’re much more likely to stick with goals set not from external motivation (I SHOULD do this), but rather, internal motivation (I WANT to do this).

Consider what you bring to the table
Think for a moment about your strengths. This can be a tough one, but I don’t want you to be modest here. We all have strengths that we bring to the table, things that come more naturally to us or skills we’ve honed over time. If it helps, think through strengths you exhibit in other areas of your life besides your health…what strengths shine in your work? Your home life? What strengths would your closest friends and family say you have? Recognizing 1) that you DO have strengths and 2) what those strengths are can help you start to creatively leverage those when you begin to implement an exercise routine.

For example, if one of your strengths is organization, it may be hard to spot initially how this would support a new exercise habit. But actually, it’s an amazing strength to leverage for this! You can much more easily see how to put exercise into your schedule, and how to organize your days so that you have time to exercise.

Assemble your squad
Yep-that’s right! Even though creating an exercise routine that becomes a consistent habit is ultimately up to you, having a squad or team of folks in your corner can only help you.

Think about it as the people along a marathon race course, cheering you on with handmade signs they made especially for you, or standing at fueling stations to hand out water or Gatorade. Those marathon runners, though they’ve put in the time and effort, have not gotten to the finish line on their own, and the sooner you invite people into your desire to start an exercise routine, the better! So start thinking about who would support you…family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and ask them to come alongside you as you begin to figure this out.

For your next step, check out our IGTV for an IG Live about the Stages of Change, and assume that with exercise, you’re in the “Contemplation” phase. This video will give you tips on how to progress through the stages of change and begin setting goals at the right time to ensure you the most success! As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!

Be the best version of you!

3 Tips if You Struggle with Consistently Exercising

August 1, 2020August 5, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

I sometimes have a regular exercise routine, but struggle with consistency

First off, please know that you are not alone! Sometimes this stage can just feel so FRUSTRATING right?? But all of us, whether we’re currently in this stage or not, have been here before and can relate. So again-you’re not alone! Now, for the 3 tips!

Consider it might not be a willpower thing
When we know we desire to make a change, or implement a consistent habit, AND we know the benefits of said change or habit, we can be really dumbfounded when we find it tough to follow through with the goals we’ve set for ourselves around these habits. But consider this: it might not be a lack of willpower. It might actually be the stage of change you’re in, and the fact that you’re not yet ready to set and carry out goals around this behavior. (If you haven’t had a chance to listen to our IG live about the stages of change, you’ll find it on our IGTV page!)

When we start the process of wanting to change something in our lives, one of the first stages of change we go through is called “Contemplation”. Contemplation is where you’re starting to see the benefits of changing…all the good that can come of adopting a regular exercise habit, for instance…and YET. And this is a big YET. There are still benefits to staying the same. We may not recognize that right away, but there’s always a reason we continue with the status quo. For example…you know that exercising will help you have more energy overall, but you also know that adding an exercise routine will mean less time with your kids after work. See-there’s a benefit to NOT adding in an exercise routine. So, what do you do if you realize…oh yeah, I’m still getting benefits from NOT changing? That brings us to our next tip.

Think through the pros & cons
It sounds so simple, and if you’re like me, you’ve done pros and cons lists for big decisions like “where will I attend college?” and “should we move to this place and take this job?” Shoutout to my Dad for getting me started with this! But rarely do we stop to think about this for our habits.

So take a bit of time…even 5 minutes would do!…to jot down all of the pros for adopting a regular exercise routine that you can think of, and all of the cons of adopting that routine. For example, a pro would be “It can help me reduce stress” and a con would be “I have to wake up earlier to fit it in my schedule”. Then, and this is the important part, make a pros and cons list for maintaining the status quo, as well. For example, a pro would be “I don’t have to do the work of figuring out what type of exercise I like” and a con would be “I’d continue feeling a bit lethargic every day.”

Build up the pros, and overcome the cons
This is the third and final tip. After you’ve made your pros and cons list, is to continue adding pros to the “adopting an exercise routine” side over the course of the next several days. Talk to friends or family about what you’re doing and see if they can brainstorm pros with you. And always feel free to reach out to us as well! The goal is to tip the scale in favor of the pros, which actually helps tip your internal motivation in favor of adopting an exercise routine. And when the motivation turns from external (which can feel a lot like “I know I SHOULD do this”) to internal, you’re much more likely to stay consistent once you set goals, because it’s something you truly see the benefit of, want to do, and have chosen to do.

BUT! And this is an important BUT. We cannot forget the cons, because usually these are barriers or challenges to you making exercise a consistent routine. First off, know that it’s normal to have challenges-that’s true for all of us!-and it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong (in fact many times, it means you’re doing something right!). But, thinking through ways to overcome these challenges PRIOR to goal setting will help you have a plan b, or c, or d in place BEFORE those challenges arise. Once again, you can chat through these with a friend or family member to brainstorm ideas and backup plans to help you overcome these barriers. Talking things out typically helps us see that there’s a way forward.

Be the best version of you!

3 Tips if You Currently Have an Exercise Routine…

July 30, 2020August 1, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

I currently have a regular exercise routine and want to keep going

Amazing! This most likely means you’ve done a lot of work to determine what works for you…what you enjoy, what is available to you, and how exercise fits into the rest of your life. So, don’t forget to celebrate that! And now, the 3 tips to keep you going and motivated are:

Don’t sweat the little things

If you miss a day here and there that you planned to exercise, don’t let it freak you out. This is NORMAL and life happens. Trust that you’ve built this as a habit, and just get back to exercising tomorrow. Having grace and compassion for yourself in these times helps you continue to see exercise as a joy and privilege, rather than something you HAVE to or MUST do.

Mix it up

When a health behavior becomes a habit, you’ve moved into the Stage of Change called “Maintenance”. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to our IG live about the stages of change, you’ll find it on our IGTV page! The thing to watch out for when you hit the Maintenance phase is boredom. So to prevent against boredom, see how far your creativity can take you. How can you mix up exercise modalities, or locations, or goals? And if you need assistance with this-simply reach out to us!

Get inspired, not…tired

Finally, if you have current exercise routine, find ways to stay inspired, not tired. What does that mean? It means following accounts, reading books, listening to podcasts, and chatting with friends/family who are also pursuing exercise and health habits in ways that inspire you to keep going, while feeling good about and celebrating what you’re currently doing. Additionally, watch out for times when you fall into comparison (which is essentially when you place your hard days/valleys next to someone’s best days/mountaintop experiences). This can lead to feelings of guilt, like you’re not doing enough, which can then lead to discouragement and, once again, feeling like exercise is something you HAVE to do or MUST do. A simple question you can ask yourself when you find comparison creeping up is “is this me or the people I’m surrounding myself with?” If it’s you, find ways to mourn the tough or frustrating things happening in life right now, but then get back to work. Possibly even find a way to encourage that person…it’s amazing what empowering others can do to raise our own spirits. And it it’s the people you’re surrounding yourself with, figure out what you can learn from them, but make sure they’re not the loudest voices in your lives. Remember-you’ll know a tree by the fruit it produces, so if guilt comes up and it’s not from you, it will be good to find some other trees.

Be the best version of you!

Let’s Dream a Bit

July 22, 2020July 22, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

A question to ask ourselves to help us navigate these uncertain times

Wellness

All About Wellness Coaching

July 2, 2020July 15, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

Check out the video below for answers to the most common questions regarding wellness coaching!

Be the best version of you!

The Power of Conversations

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

Wine nights.

Bet you didn’t think that’s where this blog post was going, but here’s why I start there.

I love wine nights. Not because I enjoy the wine or the good food which usually accompanies wine nights (though I do love those things!), but rather it’s what those wine nights typically bring about…

Deep, rich conversation.

There’s something about gathering together, each person not simply bringing food or drink, but their perspectives and personalities to contribute to the whole. There’s something safe, secure, and warm about being invited to come together, to lay down whatever burdens you’ve been carrying throughout the day and share these with the friends and family you’re communing with. It’s a time for encouragement, discussion, connection, laughter, tears, longing, and celebration.

And all of this occurs because we’re conversing with one another.

Though coming to the same place can be challenging during a global pandemic, we’ve seen how people are finding creative ways to gather together. We’re recognizing we need each other, especially when we have barriers to seeing one another in person.

With the protests, laments, and calls for racial equality, the need for racial reconciliation weighs heavy on many hearts and minds.

If you find yourself overwhelmed with everything that’s happened in the last few months, and wondered, “Where do we go from here?”, you’re not alone.

Perhaps the next step to take isn’t flashy. It isn’t postable. It won’t require the use of hashtags or pictures. Many people might be unaware you’re even doing it.

But it will be powerful.

What is this next step?

It is simply this: engage in deep, rich conversation.

With those who are like you and those who are not. With those who have stories and backgrounds similar to yours and those who do not. In creative ways when you need to socially distance. With or without wine 😉

Because when you think back on the times you’ve changed for the better or grown, it’s most likely not from a social media post. It’s most likely not from something on your news feed. Rather, it’s because you befriended and learned the story of someone different than you. Or you were able to share your story with someone who listened well. You engaged in deep, rich conversation and you emerged better for it, and so did those around you.

Why do we believe so much in the power of conversations? That’s actually what wellness coaching is all about. Engaging in deep, rich conversations to bring about positive health changes that last. We’ve seen it happen, not only as coaches but in our personal lives, as well.

Don’t be fooled though – doing this work won’t come with a lot of glory. It will be hard and challenging and will require a LOT of humility. And it won’t come with any Instagram or Facebook likes.

But it will be worth it.

It will be worth it when we start to become the change we wish to see in the world.¹

It will be worth it when we know we are loved and loving others in our community.

And maybe, just maybe, we might all emerge from this pandemic with deeper friendships.

And that is always a cause for celebration. And wine.

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

¹Quote by Mahatma Gahndi: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/24499-be-the-change-that-you-wish-to-see-in-the

Photo Credits:
Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
Photo by AllGo – An App For Plus Size People on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Exercise to Sustain You

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

There is a beautiful thing happening right now, even in the midst of the darkness this pandemic has caused.

People are rediscovering a love for moving their bodies.

Many across the country are finding ways to get outside and simply take a walk or stay indoors and do a home workout (using whatever equipment they can find!).

And why is this such a beautiful thing?

Because the hope is that more and more people will realize exercise is not meant to be a punishment or something you should do or have to do. Rather, it can be something that sustains you…bringing many health benefits and a greater quality of life along with it.

Keep in mind, however, that exercise (and all of your health habits!) are meant to serve you, not the other way around.

In times like these, it’s important to check in with yourself to understand what health habits would be helpful to you. Habits like exercise, while something that produces so many benefits, is still a stressor.

When you exercise, you’re putting a stress on your body, which tells it to produce favorable adaptations so it can be prepared to do those movements in the future, should you ask it to do so. This is a wonderful thing, unless…

You’re already under a lot of stress.

Though exercise is a “good’ stressor, it is still a stressor. We all have an allostatic load, or an amount of stress we can handle¹. In times when your stress levels are low, exercise-even intense exercise-can be a wonderful tool to help you feel your best. But at times when stress is high, adding an additional stressor, even a good stressor like exercise, will cause harm. This could show up in a variety of ways, from simply feeling overwhelmed to getting sick because your immune system can’t keep up.

Taking a moment to recognize how you’re doing and what your current stress level is can help you see what the next best step for your health would be. In the case of exercise, perhaps that next step is one of the following…

Simply starting to add more movement into your life
Your usual exercise routine
A gentler form of exercise
A rest day

But quite possibly exercise and other health habits are the farthest thing from your mind.

Perhaps access to safe places to exercise or healthy food isn’t an option right now. Perhaps you’ve lost your job and are simply trying to keep food on the table and the lights on.

As Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows us, we must meet our basic needs (food, water, warmth, rest, and safety) before we’re able to move toward thinking about other privileges like being physically active². If this is what you are experiencing right now, perhaps the most beneficial thing for you to do is provide yourself grace and surround yourself with the love and support of others.

As you consider your current stress level and how health habits fit into that, we hope you’ll feel empowered to take the next step that serves your health and sustains you…right now, where you are. And we’ll be here, cheering you on.

Written by Brittni Paris
Wellness Coach & Blogger

Sources:
Photo by Sue Zeng on Unsplash
¹https://www.precisionnutrition.com/good-stress-bad-stress
² https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Be the best version of you!

Healthy Living: The Great Experiment

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

You have high hopes heading into the New Year. You’re clear on your goals and you’ve determined steps for achieving them. Your new year of life is looking bright, and no one can stop you! But then…

Life happens.

You or one of your loved ones catches the latest winter bug going around. Or you have big projects with fast-approaching deadlines to complete at work. Or your parents are aging, and you decide to spend more time helping them do things around the house. Or you begin a new semester and all the things you’ll have to do in a few short months are glaring at you from the syllabus. Or you’re realizing the toll a new baby AND a toddler are taking on your energy. Or your best friend is getting married, and you’ve taken on the role of bachelorette party coordinator…for 11 bridesmaids.

Can you relate?

It seems even when we set out with the best intentions to create a healthier life, things inevitably try to get in the way.

So, what do we do?

There is one big mindset shift that can change everything, and help you make progress on those goals:

Viewing healthy living as your great life experiment.

What does this mean? Rather than looking at our goals as win-lose (it’s a win when you achieve them, and a lose when you don’t), you can look at them as win-learn¹. When you decide to learn from yourself and about yourself while working to achieve your goals, you find meaning even in the times you don’t succeed.

You gather information, much like any scientist, from what worked, what didn’t work, and from there, you can determine what to do next time. As you acquire information, you find ways to creatively overcome the obstacles that arise when “life” happens.

Additionally, you eliminate all or nothing thinking. This mindset is more of a hindrance than a help on the path toward a healthier life. All or nothing thinking says “I missed that workout, so I guess I’ll quit going to the gym this week, and start again next week,” or “I ate more sweets than I wanted to this morning. I’ve blown it trying to eat healthier, so I’ll eat whatever today and try again tomorrow.”

All or nothing thinking tells us if we’re not PERFECTLY performing, we might as well not try at all. But win-learn thinking tells us “Hey, that didn’t work, but what are the takeaways? How can I be successful later today?”

Eliminating this perfectionism allows us to show kindness to ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather follow a thoughtful, kind leader than a harsh taskmaster.

If you find yourself struggling to keep up with the goals you set for 2020, don’t despair. Instead, find ways to adopt win-learn thinking and see those small wins add up to something big.

If you’d like assistance changing your mindset, you’re in the right place! As wellness coaches, we coach you through setting and reviewing goals, so you can have dedicated time to being the investigative scientist into your own life. Ready to make a dent in those goals? Sign up for wellness coaching today!

Another helpful resource: “Never press ‘pause’ on your health and fitness again.”²

Written by:
Brittni Paris
Wellness Coach & Blogger

Credits:
¹Moore, M., Tschannen-Moran, B., & Jackson, E. (2016). Coaching psychology manual (2^nd edition). Wolters Kluwer.
²Precision Nutrition: precisionnutrition.com
Photo by Charlotte Karlsen on Unsplash
Photo by Science in HD on Unsplash
Photo by Nicklas Bajema on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

What if the problem isn’t your motivation?

January 24, 2020January 24, 2020
by Smart Fit Womxn

Yep-that’s right. What if the frustration you feel when trying to live a healthy lifestyle isn’t due to a lack of motivation or even willpower? What if there was something else going on?

What if you don’t know what you really want?

Woah. Let that sink in for a moment.

“How could you even ask me that?” you might be thinking. “Of course I know what I want! I want a body that looks good in all my clothes and in pictures. I want a body I love and I want to feel good in it.”

That’s all well and good. But you may have simply scratched the surface into your true desires.

Let’s experiment a bit.

Close your eyes, and picture yourself living your healthiest life. What would you feel like? What would be happening in and around you? What would you be doing? Where would you be? Who would be with you?

Get as detailed as possible with this picture in mind. Then, ask yourself a very simple question:

Why?

Why do you want to feel that way? Why did you picture yourself that way? Why did you picture those particular people around you? Why did you picture yourself doing certain things?

The reality is, we typically don’t sit still long enough to really dig deep into the motivation behind what we say we desire. Because of this, we don’t truly know what we want!

For example, when I picture my healthiest lifestyle, I envision waking up at sunrise, meeting up with friends for a morning surf session. My body is strong and limber as I swim through the waves and balance on my board. The rush of the cool water and the waves is invigorating and stays with me for the rest of the day.

Why does this picture come to mind? Perhaps it reveals a longing to enjoy my favorite part of nature and share that love with those I most care about. Perhaps it reveals a longing to prove to myself that I can hone the skill it takes to master surfing. Perhaps what is means is, my real motivation for getting healthy is not only to look and feel good, it’s to experience connection with friends while fully enjoying this grand world-and THAT’S a powerful antidote to the lack of motivation I can at times experience.

When what we really desire is this tangible to us, it’s tangible enough to make the necessary changes in our lives to make it happen.

This is good news.

It means you’re not worse than someone who seems to be crushing it with their healthy habits. It means you didn’t miss out on some sort of motivation gene that others must have. Rather, it means your motivation, your “why”, is in there, deep down. It’s simply waiting for you to uncover it.

Wellness coaching is the art of uncovering motivation. If you don’t want to go through this process alone, sign up for wellness coaching today! We love helping womxn find their motivation and live the healthy lives they’ve longed for.

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Photo credits:
Photo by Leighann Blackwood on Unsplash
Photo by Erke Rysdauletov on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Do Small Steps Really Matter?

October 30, 2019November 1, 2019
by Smart Fit Womxn

Dispelling the myth that a healthy lifestyle requires all or nothing commitment

Let’s start with a question. When you’ve considered making health changes in the past, how many times have you thought you needed to completely overhaul your life to do so?

For instance, if you got your numbers back on a yearly physical and realized you could make some changes to get those numbers into a healthier range, would you start thinking the following…

“I guess I could eat a little better. And that means I shouldn’t eat my nightly dessert anymore. And I probably shouldn’t go out for fast food with coworkers each Friday. And my Starbucks Frappuccino, that’s going to have to go. And I’m only going to eat clean food! I don’t actually know what “clean” means, but my friend Kim was telling me she was eating clean, so that seems like something I should do.”

“Oh, and then there’s exercise! I’m going to have to hire a personal trainer. Thankfully there’s a gym down the street and they have trainers. I’m going to need that person to kick my butt. I’ve been lazy, so I need that. If I can’t find someone who makes me sweat, then it’s not worth my money! Gotta sweat for it to count, right??”

Has this ever been the rabbit hole your brain has gone down when you’ve considered making changes for your heath?

If so, don’t worry! You’re not alone.

We’ve seen for our clients and ourselves that this all or nothing thinking is pervasive when we consider making changes that impact our health. It makes sense, as the fitness industry has made a lot of money advertising quick, “guaranteed” fixes to us. These quick fixes aren’t typically sustainable and can be drastic in nature. This leads us to think we need to make drastic changes to improve our health, otherwise we’re not doing it right.

But the problem with this thinking is we often get overwhelmed attempting to completely change our habits, and we simply quit and do nothing at all.

What if there was another way?

What if the goal instead was to move the needle forward, if ever so slightly?

Think about the following statement:

“I don’t have the capacity right now to hire a personal trainer and get to the gym, but I could take a walk once a week on my lunch break.”

How do you feel when you read that statement?

Does something rise up in you that says “But that’s not enough! I need to be crushing it at the gym to be healthy!”?

Again, this all or nothing mentality is PERVASIVE. This means it’s lodged deep down inside us. The key, then, is to start recognizing when we jump to these grand conclusions about what we need to do to be healthy, and realize this…

The walk you DO take is far healthier than the gym workout you DON’T do.

When we realize the options are “do everything perfectly, but eventually get overwhelmed and quit because it’s not sustainable” or “make small, sustainable health changes that may not feel like a lot right now but will add up over time,” it starts becoming easier to see which is the better choice in the long run.

So the next time you start heading down the rabbit hole of all the habits you need to change to be healthier, we want you to picture a spectrum chart like the one below and think, “What would it take to move the needle forward?”

Remember-doing something small every day (or most days) adds up over time and is ALWAYS better and more beneficial to your health than the grand, “perfect” habits you eventually quit because they aren’t sustainable.

If you’d like assistance in figuring out what small, sustainable habits would move the needle forward in your life, you’re in luck!

That’s exactly what we help our clients figure out when they work with us. Click here to sign up for wellness coaching and get started on making small changes that add up over time. Your first appointment is free, so why not get started today?

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Photo Credits:
Photo by Devin Edwards on Unsplash
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Why a Lack in Creativity is Keeping You from…

September 11, 2019
by Smart Fit Womxn

I was out on a morning run (I can usually talk myself into 1-2 of those per week), when I saw them.

A group of women, circled up, all wearing activewear and doing lunges.

“Okay,” you might think. “That seems pretty normal. What’s so interesting about this scenario?”

But what I didn’t mention was that these women were clearly moms. How did I know? They were all doing lunges…next to their STROLLERS.

“What an amazing idea!” I thought as I stopped listening to my podcast and pondered what I’d just seen.

These women represented a lot to me in that moment.

Women who were busy-but were still exercising.

Women who were consistently sacrificing for a little person (or people) they loved-but were still exercising.

Women who rallied together with others in their same stage of life-and helped one another keep exercising.

The biggest reason people give for not exercising is a lack of time¹. Though I didn’t know any of the women personally, I’m guessing they didn’t have a lot of time either. If any of you currently have, or have had, kids who were still small enough to ride in strollers, you know that time is not your greatest resource.

But instead of giving up and giving into a perfectly understandable reason not to exercise, these women got CREATIVE.

They found others who would hold them accountable, all while empathizing with the ups and downs of having small children. They found a space in a little corner of a park and figured out a creative way to exercise.

The point of sharing this story isn’t to say we all should mimic exactly what these women were doing, nor is it to shame us if we haven’t been exercising-whether due to little kids, lack of time, lack of workout partners, etc. Rather, the point is to learn from these women. On our journey towards health, sometimes a dose of creativity, like they exemplified, allows us to overcome obstacles to make the changes we desire.

So-how about you?

Is there something in your health journey you’d like to change, but you can only see the barriers, challenges, or lack of resources standing in your way?

What would a dose of creativity do to help you overcome those obstacles and pursue the changes you want to make?

How can creativity fuel the healthy life you long to live?

Note: Sometimes we can run out of ideas ourselves, and our creativity can be jogged by inviting someone else in to help with our health journey. A wellness coach can do just that! By meeting with a wellness coach, you have a guide, an outside perspective, looking at your health journey with fresh eyes. Through a coach’s questions and reflections, you can dream up new options you’d never thought of before. And someone just might be writing a blog post about how inspiring YOUR creativity was to them!

Want to keep that creativity alive and work with a wellness coach? Simply follow the steps below and get started today!

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Sources:

¹Riebe, D., Ehrman, J.K. Liguori, G., & Magal, M. (Eds.). (2018). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription(10^thed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Photo Credits:
Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash
Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Welcome to Smart Fit Womxn!

July 4, 2019July 4, 2019
by Smart Fit Womxn

Welcome to Smart Fit Womxn! We’re so glad you clicked on this post. Here you’ll find the one thing we think will revolutionize your health (spoiler alert: it’s wellness coaching!), how we seek to serve you with your health goals, and how you can get started working with a wellness coach today!

You know you want to live a healthy life. You want to look and feel your best, having energy to live out your full potential, be there for your kids and grandkids, or simply enjoy the body you’re in. But each tip, trick, new exercise, or new diet you’ve tried has only left you feeling worse about yourself when you inevitably give it up because it’s not sustainable.

We get it.

It seems like new habits won’t stick, as if we’re all doomed to living in a perpetual state of unhealth and low energy. Simultaneously, we’re bombarded with expectations of what we should look like to be beautiful, successful womxn. The whole system makes us feel like failures.

Enter wellness coaching.

When you work with a wellness coach, you uncover your deepest internal motivation for why you want to get healthy, which will then inform the goals you set. Why is this a better process? Instead of listening to the outside voices of what you should be doing, you find what actually drives you and we help you leverage that to make sustainable changes. Turns out the magic happens when we stop “shoulding” on ourselves.

And you know what? People are seeing success.

The research on wellness coaching is in its beginning stages, but the outcomes are promising. When used as an adjunct therapy, coaching shows positive psychological outcomes for cancer patients, lowered A1C values for diabetics, and improved risk factors for heart disease patients¹. And while more studies are needed, coaching has the potential to be a valuable method of helping with weight reduction in obese patients and effectively increasing exercise and healthy eating behaviors.^1,2,3,4,5

Why this success? Coaching helps you pair your personal motivators with your unique strengths and resources, so you can achieve your health goals in the midst of real life.

And that’s not all.

A wellness coach will help you clarify your own personal vision of health, which will take that ambiguous phrase “I want to be healthier” and turn it into a detailed picture of what success on your health journey looks like to YOU.

So, how do you get started? It’s easy. Simply follow the steps below:

Sign up here!
Watch for an email from us to set up your first online appointment (the first one is free!) and fill out a health form so we can get to know you better
Your coach will call you on Skype or Zoom when it’s time to meet!

We’re tired of seeing womxn feel like they’re failing at living healthy lives. Let go of the old cycle of starting and quitting unsustainable health habits and begin working with us today!

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Sources:
¹Sforzo, G.A., Kaye, M.P., Todorova, I., Harenberg, S., Costello, K., Cobus-Kuo, L.,…Moore, M. (2017). Compendium of the health and wellness coaching literature. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 12(6): 436-447. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617708562

²Clark, M.M., Bradley, K.L., Jenkins, S.M., Mettler, E.A., Larson, B.G., Preston, H.R.,…Vickers Douglas, K.S. (2015). Improvements in health behaviors, eating self-efficacy, and goal-setting skills following participation in wellness coaching. American Journal of Health Promotion, 30(6): 458-464. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.140627-QUAL-304

³Blackwell, J., Collins, M., Scribner, C., Guillen, J., Moses, K., Gregory-Mercado, K. Health and wellness coaching implemented by trainees: impact in worksite wellness. (2019). Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956119831226

⁴Rutten, G.M., Meis, J.J., Hendriks, M.R., Hamers, F.J., Veenhof, C., Kremers, S.P. (2014). The contribution of lifestyle coaching of overweight patients in primary care to more autonomous motivation for physical activity and healthy dietary behaviour: results of a longitudinal study. Int J Behav Nurt Phys Act., 11(86). DOI: 10.1186/s12966-014-0086-z.

⁵Lancha, A.H., Sforzo, G.A., Pereira-Lancha, L.O. (2018). Improving nutritional habits with no diet prescription details of a nutritional coaching process. Am J Lifestyle Med. 12: 160–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616636616

Photo Credits:
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash
Photo by Court Prather on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Want to Live Your Healthiest Life? Three (More) Behaviors…

April 26, 2019
by Smart Fit Womxn

Last month, we discussed three behaviors to reflect on that can move us forward in our health journeys. You can check that out here if you missed it!

This month, we’re talking about three more behaviors you can start today. Rest assured, these are not meant to upend your life, but rather they are small tweaks that, over time, will actually have a large effect on your health. Small steps, when taken consistently, add up to big change. (For more on this topic, check out Aimee Suen and her Small Steps podcast!)

As a reminder from last month, you can look at each of these behaviors through the lens of the diagram below, answering “yes” or “no” according to what you’re already doing. Based on your answer, the diagram will give you the next step(s) to take.

Are you ready? If so, snag your journal or piece of paper so you can jot down your answers as you think about them.

3 more behaviors (broken down into smaller parts) that will help you live a health-filled life:

Planning
- Nutrition
  1. I schedule time to make a shopping list and shop for groceries (either online or in person)
  2. I plan ahead for when I will cook or meal prep
- Movement
  1. I plan out when I will exercise each day (and have a back-up plan in mind for when “life” happens)
- Money
  1. I plan how I will spend my money so I’m not (unpleasantly!) surprised at the end of each month
- Rest and rejuvenation
  1. I build in transition time between running from one thing to the next
  2. I keep open space on my calendar for resting and relaxing
  3. I plan specific time to do things (either by myself or with loved ones) that rejuvenate me

Social support
- Time
  1. I make time for relationships, especially top priority ones
- Help
  1. I ask for help when I need it and offer to help others when I am able and willing
- Teammates
  1. I have people in my life who are cheering me on to be the best version of myself

Spiritual
- I take time to pray, meditate, journal, reflect, be in nature, be with community, or some other practice to promote the health of my soul
- I have a place or people I can go to, and/or habits established that cultivate peace of mind and rest from the constant busyness of life

Remember, as you go through each of these, it’s important to pause and celebrate the things you’re already doing. Well done! Recognize the benefits you’re receiving from incorporating these things into your life and keep it up. If you’re not already practicing some or all of these things, this is not a cause for shame. Rather, this is a place to start, and we suggest picking one behavior at a time on which to focus your efforts. As we said before, small steps, when taken consistently over time, will add up to big change.

As we close out this two-part blog series, we wanted to give you a bonus behavior that will help you live your healthiest life: seeking professional help. This can come in an array of forms, from counseling, to chiropractors or physical therapists, to personal trainers, to doctors, to dieticians/nutritionists, and, of course, wellness coaches!

It is never a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength, to ask for professional help when you feel stuck in your progress, or you just want someone who has the tools to help guide you on your health journey. If you think this would be right for you, take the next step today to get connected with one of these providers.

As always, we would be honored to work with you as your wellness coaches! Feel free to reach out on our website, Facebook, or Instagram, and we’d be happy to provide you with more details.

Until next time, cheers to making progress on your health journey!

Written by:
Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Photo Credits:
Photo by rishikesh yogpeeth on Unsplash
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Photo by Peter Boccia on Unsplash
Photo by Juan Jose on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Want to Live Your Healthiest Life? Three Behaviors You…

March 1, 2019May 1, 2019
by Smart Fit Womxn

Over the past two months, we’ve been discussing the difference between focusing on weight loss and focusing on healthy behaviors (you can catch up by reading this and this!). But what exactly are the behaviors that will lead to living our best, healthiest lives?

For starters, it’s not the typical “overhaul everything in my life that’s unhealthy and only do healthy things from here on out” sort of lifestyle.

If you’ve ever tried that approach, you know it’s extremely hard to maintain. Instead, we advocate for a more gracious approach in light of all the things you’re already doing in your life: working, parenting, going to school, maintaining relationships, being awesome, etc.

So, to keep us from the all or nothing approach, a helpful way to think about these behaviors is through a simple check-in with yourself. Ask “Am I pursuing this already?” and if so, take a moment to celebrate the ways you’re currently prioritizing your health and the benefits these behaviors have brought to your life. If you’re not pursuing a behavior, have compassion on yourself. We all have to begin somewhere, and we all (including us wellness coaches!) have things we can do to improve our health. So, consider which behavior you would like to start, then jot down the next small step you can take to begin incorporating this behavior into your life. Here’s a diagram you can use as you peruse the list at the end of this post:

Notice that working on one behavior at a time is plenty, especially if you’re in a particularly busy season of life.

Change takes time and effort, so we’re more likely to stick with something when we allow ourselves to focus on one change at a time, and set small, achievable goals around that behavior. Then, when we see success, we’ll gain the confidence and momentum to continue.

Are you ready? If so, grab a pen and paper, or open up a Word doc or “Notes” app, and consider these behaviors using the diagram above:

3 behaviors (broken down into smaller parts) that will help you live a health-filled life:

Paying Attention
1. Nutrition
  1. I take a moment to recognize how my food/drink made me feel after consuming it, and whether I have higher or lower energy afterwards.
  2. I pay attention to whether or not my food/drink choices bring me pleasure when consuming them.
  3. I know whether or not I feel better abstaining from certain things rather than trying to eat/drink/experience them in moderation.
2. Movement
  1. I check in to see how I feel after I take time to exercise, and whether I have higher or lower energy afterwards.
3. Rest
  1. I check in to see how I feel after taking a nap or getting adequate sleep at night.
4. Hobbies
  1. I check in to see how I feel after taking time to do something I love, like a hobby, favorite pastime, spending time alone or with a close friend/family member.
5. Energy
  1. I pay attention to what gives me energy and what drains my energy.
  2. I recognize that I am an introvert/extrovert and need alone time/people time to fuel me.
Nutrition
1. I shop the perimeter of the grocery store when my budget allows, so that I can consume less processed foods.
2. I cook a majority of my meals at home so I have more control over the ingredients I ingest.
3. During a majority of my meals, I ensure half of my plate consists of fruits and vegetables.
Movement
1. I have scheduled time to move/exercise in a way I enjoy.
2. I creatively find ways to move daily, even outside of scheduled exercise time.

We hope this reflection exercise encourages you as you think about the behaviors you’re already doing, as well as the behaviors you can start today to be on the path to your healthiest life. Join us on April 1 for the next post about three more health behaviors you can consider for your health journey!

Written by Brittni Paris, Wellness Coach & Blogger

Photo Credits:
Photo by Chris Murray on Unsplash
Photo by Emma Dau on Unsplash
Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

What Exactly is Wellness Coaching?

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018
by Smart Fit Womxn

We’re so glad you asked! You may have seen us posting that we’re offering a holiday deal on wellness coaching (if not, check this and this out!), and wondered what it is. You are not alone! Wellness coaching is relatively new to the health and fitness scene, so we’d love to share what it is and how it can be beneficial to you on your health journey.

Many of us know the basics about what we should do to live a healthy life. We generally know that we should exercise, eat healthy, get enough sleep, have healthy relationships, and not stress out too much. We may even know some of the details about how to do these things.

But, many of us aren’t doing what we know we should do to live healthy lives. Why is that?

There can be a variety of reasons, ranging from a lack of time or energy in the midst of a busy life, to feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. We may also lack access to safe places to exercise, healthy food
options, or support from loved ones to make healthy choices.¹ These are just a few of the barriers we face when considering making healthy changes.

So, we find ourselves in a place of having some knowledge, but little success in implementing that knowledge into our everyday lives. This can make us feel like living a consistently healthy life is frustrating and discouraging, rather than what it is supposed to be: freeing and life-giving.

Enter wellness coaching.

Working with a wellness coach can help you bridge the gap between knowing what you should do and actually doing it. You can think of us like a guide on your wellness journey: someone who comes alongside you, helps you clarify what a healthy life means to you (we call it your Wellness Vision), and points out the strengths and resources you have to succeed. We work with you to figure out how you can live the healthy life you want, even in the midst of your current circumstances.

How is this different from other “get healthy” schemes, you ask?

This is a great, and necessary, question. Unfortunately, there are many quick fixes and gimmicks out there (haven’t we all tried at least one?), that usually leave us feeling more discouraged than when we started. There are two main differences between wellness coaching and these schemes:

Wellness coaching isn’t concerned with fast results, but rather sustainable change. In fact, it’s backed by research to help produce changes that last.
Wellness coaching is designed to have YOU in charge. Though we coaches are trained and educated to give you the best information out there, you are actually the one who determines what changes you want to make, what goals you want to pursue, and how you want to go about doing so. Wellness coaching is tailored to you and your autonomy, which means you’re more likely to stick with healthy habits and goals…because you’re the one who made them!

We hope this gives you a bit of clarity on what wellness coaching is and how it can benefit your health journey. But don’t simply take our word for it. You can also hear from our clients about the successes they’ve found thanks to wellness coaching.

Our goal here at Smart Fit Chicks is to help you define your vision of health and feel empowered to become the best version of yourself. If you’re ready to get started, sign up for wellness coaching today! If you have any questions about coaching, feel free to reach out to us here.

We can’t wait to join you on your journey to health!

Written by Brittni Paris, SFC coach and blogger

Sources:
¹Riebe, D. (2018). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription(10^thed.). The American College of Sports Medicine.

Photo Credits:
Photo by Florian van Duyn on Unsplash
Photo by Bewakoof.com Official on Unsplash
Photo by Nqobile Vundla on Unsplash

Be the best version of you!

Taking the Long View

October 26, 2018
by Smart Fit Womxn

Growing up in Nebraska, you learn there are two things you learn:

Always say “hi” to those you pass, whether you know them or not.
Remain a Husker football fan for the rest of your life, no matter where you live.

As you can imagine, this first one can be awkward when you live in larger cities, or places where folks aren’t used to being talked to by strangers. And yet, I’m grateful for this being instilled in me, as it makes every place feel a bit more communal. The second item, I embrace with gusto, even though I’ve lived in four different states since I left Nebraska.

Read more “Taking the Long View” →

Anticipating the Change

An example of this in action…

Your action step…

Why Make a Plan?

Your Action Step…

Why womxn aren’t investing in their health

Why investing in your health matters

Take the next step to invest in your health

Dispelling the myth that a healthy lifestyle requires all or nothing commitment

Has this ever been the rabbit hole your brain has gone down when you’ve considered making changes for your heath?

What if the goal instead was to move the needle forward, if ever so slightly?

The walk you DO take is far healthier than the gym workout you DON’T do.

If you’d like assistance in figuring out what small, sustainable habits would move the needle forward in your life, you’re in luck!

These women represented a lot to me in that moment.

Women who were busy-but were still exercising.

Women who were consistently sacrificing for a little person (or people) they loved-but were still exercising.

Women who rallied together with others in their same stage of life-and helped one another keep exercising.

But instead of giving up and giving into a perfectly understandable reason not to exercise, these women got CREATIVE.

So-how about you?

Is there something in your health journey you’d like to change, but you can only see the barriers, challenges, or lack of resources standing in your way?

What would a dose of creativity do to help you overcome those obstacles and pursue the changes you want to make?

How can creativity fuel the healthy life you long to live?

Want to keep that creativity alive and work with a wellness coach? Simply follow the steps below and get started today!

We get it.

Enter wellness coaching.

And you know what? People are seeing success.

And that’s not all.

Sign up here!

Watch for an email from us to set up your first online appointment (the first one is free!) and fill out a health form so we can get to know you better

Your coach will call you on Skype or Zoom when it’s time to meet!

For starters, it’s not the typical “overhaul everything in my life that’s unhealthy and only do healthy things from here on out” sort of lifestyle.

3 behaviors (broken down into smaller parts) that will help you live a health-filled life:

But, many of us aren’t doing what we know we should do to live healthy lives. Why is that?

Enter wellness coaching.

How is this different from other “get healthy” schemes, you ask?

We can’t wait to join you on your journey to health!

Growing up in Nebraska, you learn there are two things you learn:

smartfitwomxn