 Every night before we go to sleep, my wife Julie, and I tell each other what are wins were for the day, and every morning when we wake up we tell each other at least one thing that we're grateful for.
This might seem like a small pointless thing, but here's what really happens. At the end of the day, instead of laying in bed thinking about what went wrong that day, or what we wish we would have done differently, or even about what we need to get done tomorrow; we end our day thinking about what was awesome about the day. Then in the morning instead of waking up and letting our minds go straight to the chaos and business of the day or becoming overwhelmed, we start the day with a mindset of gratitude. We're thinking about what we're grateful for, and in turn we're starting the day off with a positive good feeling. The really cool thing about this is that since we've been focusing more on what is awesome in our lives and what we're thankful for, the more awesome things happen, and the more there is to be thankful for, and in turn, the less negativity, stress, agony, and sadness there is. The saying really is true. "What you focus on grows." Have you ever had this happen? You get into a fight or argument with someone over something, and afterwards you let it fester. You sit with the feelings of anger, and it seems to get worse. You keep the story growing in your head, you talk about it with other people, you keep it going. Then at some point, you actually forget why it all started in the first place and all you're left with are these negative, sad, angry feelings, and you've just been letting yourself suffer, even though there might not be a resolution to fix it all. The thing is, in most cases you have control over your thoughts, and what you will let them do to you, and the direction they'll take you in. In life, sometimes things happen that we can't control or that we don't understand. Sometimes we need to go through a grieving process, sometimes we need to seek medical or therapeutic help to get through things. But many times in life we have the ability to just focus on what we can control, and the ability to not let negative events cause us long term suffering. We have the ability to think about what we can do next to take a step in the right direction. If you don't already, start thinking, talking, and writing about great things that are happening in your life, the great things that you want to happen in your life, and what you're thankful for. Start focusing only on what you can control, and try to find a positive angle on bad things that have happened that you couldn't control. The more positive and gratitude you focus on, the more it will grow! Have an awesome week!!
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For today’s post I wanted to share with you what an average day of food and drinks looks like for me, and in general how I recommend that my clients eat for optimal energy levels, lean muscle mass, and body fat percentage. (Disclaimer - my way is not the only way. It’s the best way that works for me and how to coach others) From top left to bottom right (Picture below): 1) Water (Start the day with 1 glass and drink throughout the rest of the day!) 2) (Veggies and Protein) For example: Greens juice and protein powder smoothie 3) (Protein, Veggies, Starchy Carb, Fat) For example: 2 Eggs, chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, onions, spinach, yellow peppers, and Avocado 4) (Not really for macro or energy reasons, but for the love :)) Iced coffee, splash of cream 5) (Protein and Veggies) For example: Steak salad 6) (Protein, Carbs, Fat) Plain greek yogurt, berries, granola 7) (Protein, Veggies, Fat) Chicken and veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, brussels sprouts). *80% of the time I focus on the following throughout the day: - 8-10 servings of water - 5 servings of veggies - 4 to 5 servings of quality protein - 2 to 3 servings of starchy carbs from whole real foods - 3 to 4 servings of quality fats *10-20% of the time I eat what I want even if it doesn’t fall into these guidelines. Over time I have come to learn that I see the best results with my energy and body composition when my 2 to 3 servings of carbs are before and after a morning workout, or if I have a really busy hectic day, I need some type of starchy carb at dinner, otherwise my cravings make themselves very well known, and all I want is a burger, fries, and ice cream! We are all different, and our bodies operate differently… it can take some time to figure out how many servings of protein, carbs, and fat work best for you, and when… But in my opinion the best place to start is with veggies. If you can eat 4 to 5 servings of veggies per day, and make that a habit, you’ll eat less of other things that may not be in line with your goals, you’ll start to feel better, and you’ll be able to move on to another habit.  Last week I talked about my philosophy as a coach and how to program for maximum results. Today I wanted to share an example. (Demo videos shown below) The Warm Up includes dynamic movements, activation, and mobility work. (Shown on the left of the white board below) The Strength portion of the workout includes 2 supersets. A) includes a bilateral knee hinge, horizontal pull, and core stabilization. B) includes a unilateral knee hinge, horizontal push, and core stabilization + grip strength. (Shown on the left of the white board below) The Conditioning portion of the workout includes interval style quick, but controlled movements to get the heart rate up, increase cardiovascular capacity, and build on the strength phase. This will result in burning more calories after the workout is over. (Shown on the left of the white board below) Give it a try.  Sometimes the question to ask yourself isn't, "How will I reach this goal?" It's, "Who do I need to become in order to be capable of reaching this goal?" The greatest things in life require patience, dedication, and hard work. If it was easy everyone would do it. Be true to you. Work to become the person you want to be. The greatness is already inside you, waiting to come out. You got this!  This week instead of posting a recipe, I wanted to talk about the fact that nutrition doesn't have to be all or nothing. Yes, nutrition plays a very big role in our body composition, health, and overall well being. But that doesn't mean that we can't ever enjoy some foods that may be less nutritious. Below are some of my personal favorites, and I allow myself to enjoy them. After I eat them, I don't feel shame or guilt, or tell myself, "well I guess I fell off track, I might as well keep eating this way, and then start over on Monday or next month." The perspective that I have decided to take, and that I hope you take as well is that if you can eat foods that contain vitamins, minerals, lean protein, quality fat, natural complex carbs most of the time, then 10-20% of the time, just eat foods that you really enjoy, without counting the calories, sugar content, or checking the preservatives. Allowing yourself to enjoy these foods will prevent feelings of shame and guilt, and reduce the likelihood that you will over-consume them. Life is a journey. Let's eliminate the expectation of perfection and the mindset of being "on track" or "off track". If you're alive then you are on track. If you have the means and opportunity to decide what you're going to eat, instead of wondering when your next meal will come, then you are very fortunate. Be grateful, be mindful, and enjoy the journey! |
AuthorTiffany Kelley Archives
November 2017
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