Year of Push 3.9 So What? Now What?

I believe that the quality of our lives is directly related to the quality of the questions we ask ourselves and the honesty with which we answer.

If we go through life unconsciously, not asking questions and not paying attention to the motives driving our actions, we won’t reach the quality of life we’re capable of.

When we ask questions, not only are we seeking answers & solutions (instead of fixating on problems), we’re also simply paying more attention to our thoughts & actions. Unconsciousness is a hurdle we need to clear.

Questions are magic. They’re powerful tools for growth & breakthrough.

Two questions I constantly ask myself are:

So what?

and

Now what?

For me, these questions are simple & immediate redirects from thought to action.

So what?” doesn’t mean “who cares?” but rather “So what will I do now?”

Yesterday I caught myself complaining about my workload. I was sharing that I always feel behind and no matter how much time I spend working and how efficiently I approach the work, the pile never seems smaller. I was overwhelmed & focused on the problem.

My friend asked, “What can I do to help?” and I immediately responded,

“Great question. But I’m really the one who needs to ask that to myself. What can I do to help?”

So what? Now what?

I can get the next thing done & not give away my precious energy to complaining. What a gift it is to have work to do!

When clients email me with a setback or frustration, we’ll always work through the question “now what?” Yup, there’s a challenge. Yup, there’s a situation. And now what are you able & willing to do about it.

The “so what” and “now what” questions move you out of thinking about the problem & into doing something about the problem. 

No exaggeration, I probably ask myself those questions 10+ times a day!


I’m going to miss lifting weights today! It’s a pure running workout…yay…

(slight sarcasm)

Seriously though, I’m grateful for a chance to practice and get better. I’ll be practicing my running AND my attitude about running!

I got to the gym 30 minutes early to do some strength work on the rings and loosen up my quads before the run. I am determined to have a great attitude through this workout!

“Tosh Sprints”

3 Rounds:
200 Meter Run
400 Meter Run
600 Meter Run

I got through it. With this workout it’s meant to be equal parts work & rest (so if you did your 200 in 1:30, you rest for 1:30 before doing your 400). However, I was under a time crunch due to my work schedule and had to cut almost all my rest periods short.

I didn’t think I’d finish but I made sure I did.

On each run I was telling myself, “I am an athlete. I am getting fitter with each step.” That way of thinking sure beats, “This sucks. I’m exhausted. I don’t know if I can do it. Is it over yet?”

It is getting easier because I am doing the work & that feels amazing.

On the food front:

I woke up at 5am and had a bottle of butter coffee from Picnik. Before the workout I had a second coffee, but this one was plain black cold brew.

Immediately after the workout I had a call with a client so I knew it was going to be a bit before I could eat. Fortunately, my zevia energy drinks & sparkling waters came in so I sipped on a couple of those. I’m not a fan of the cola flavored energy drink but the raspberry lime, grapefruit and mango ginger are awesome!

Around 11am I had some grilled chicken and a few hours after that I had a cobb salad.

I’m trying to eat all my Paleo Power Meals before a busy weekend of travel, concerts and Memorial Day fun so dinner was steak frites (with sweet potato fries) from PPM.

I’m going to be sharing some recipes & holiday strategies on the blog & podcast over the next week or so – stay tuned!

PS: If you’re new to these posts, listen to this podcast episode to get the scoop on what changes I’m making in my life and you can start back at my first daily post here.

Year of Push 3.7 Use Your Butt

How you do things matters. It’s a huge mistake to focus primarily on what you do at the expense of improving and paying attention to how you do it.

How you do things determines whether it’s easy, hard and/or sustainable.

Let me use working out as an example.

Doing a deadlift without bracing your core will fatigue you quickly, put unnecessary strain on your back and increase your risk of injury.

Bracing your core, removing the slack from the bar and intentionally firing your glutes will make the same movement much easier, it will reduce the load on your back and dramatically decrease your risk of injury.

It will feel easier and be easier. You can even do more work with less energy.

This theory holds true in all movements from pushups to pull-ups to planks, rowing & running.

The theory is also true in our daily lives. Yes, what we do matters. How we do it often represents a huge opportunity for improvement.

Anything done with a great attitude is easier than the same thing done with a negative attitude.

Anything done in a calm, organized manner is easier than the same thing done in a hurry.

Yesterday I shared that I went to the CrossFit regionals this past weekend. I saw this play out in real time.

Sure, the athletes were doing the same workouts. What they were doing was uniform.

How they did it was not.

The advantage was with the athletes who had mastered how they went through the workouts.

The workouts were far easier for the athletes who stayed calm & focused while moving efficiently.

They saved energy and made fewer mistakes.

It’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it.

I was excited to apply this perspective to today’s workout. By staying calm, breathing evenly and really focusing on my form, the workout was much easier than it would have been otherwise.

With the deadlifts, I kept reminding myself “Use your butt. Use your core!” Instead of merely pulling a bar up off the ground with my arms & back, I was consciously recruiting the strongest muscles in my body, making it so much easier.

“Christine”
3 Rounds:
500m Row
12 Deadlifts (160 lbs)
21 Box Jumps (20″)

I really love both rowing and deadlifts but those deadlifts make the box jumps feel hard! By staying focused on my form, using my butt for power & landing softly on the box, I made those jumps so much easier than if I was sloppy and looking to grind through without attention to HOW I was moving.

When I do push-ups I tell myself the same thing: Use your butt! Who knew squeezing your glutes could make a push-up so much easier?

I’m telling you guys, just like using your biggest muscle groups and being efficient in your movement makes workouts easier, being efficient, calm & organized in your approach to the day makes your choices easier.

Sometimes the smallest adjustments to how we do things makes the things we do require far less effort.

On the food front:

I started the day with a bottle of butter coffee from Picnik and a cup of cold brew.

About an hour after my workout I had 4 grilled chicken strips with some honey mustard.

A couple hours after that I had a coconut chocolate RX bar.

I get a lot of questions about bars and I’ve done a podcast episode on them. In short, I don’t think there’s any bar that should be included on a daily basis for most people.

I totally recognize that they might represent a huge improvement for some people and in that case, do what is an improvement for you so long as it’s working. I have found that for me and many others, bars can trigger cravings AND not satisfy hunger.

I like the flavor of RX bars and I have a couple of them from my weekend at the CrossFit East Regional. However, I don’t go out of my way to buy bars. It’s not a good idea for me. It doesn’t set me up for success.

On the front of the RX bar (coconut chocolate flavor), it lists some of the ingredients. They proudly label the front of the package with:

  • 3 egg whites
  • 6 almonds
  • 4 cashews
  • 2 dates
  • No B.S

I can totally see how consumers would think that’s all that is in the bar. That’s not true. Sure, there’s not too much more but I just want people to be clear that there are a few other ingredients listed on the back that aren’t on the front.

If you’re going to eat bars, please make sure you pay close attention to whether or not they are working for you.

—-

At this point in the day, I had to call an audible. Such is life. The unexpected is expected. If you’re expecting it to go according to plan, please stop. You’ll always be frustrated and feel out of control.

Here’s how it went down:

I write these blogs in the early afternoon. By that point, I’ve made it through my workout and I have a food/work plan for the rest of the day.

Today was no different. I planned to have Paleo Power Meals for both lunch and dinner & be in bed early.

However, my plans changed and I’ll have a visitor for dinner tonight. No stress! Roll with the punches! I’m more attached to my potential than I am to my plan.

Lunch remained Paleo Power Meals: chopped suey on a portabello mushroom “bun” with cauliflower rice.

What about dinner….

I don’t want to serve Paleo Power Meals (I’m selfish & don’t like to share – seriously) but I also don’t want to go to the grocery store and spend time cooking a legit meal.

The solution? His & her shakes!

I say “his and hers” because my goals are different from the average bear. If I’m going to have a shake for dinner I don’t want it to have fruit or sugar and I want to make sure to get my veggies in there. I also don’t need multiple sources of protein – I had plenty today. No protein powder for me!

For someone with different goals, I might make the shake more indulgent & delicious.

Here’s what’s going into mine:

  • frozen cauliflower
  • almond milk (unsweetened)
  • spinach
  • greek yogurt
  • avocado
  • peppermint extract
  • vanilla extract

Mine is a lot like the peppermint shake I posted a few months ago.

Here’s what’s going into his:

  • frozen cauliflower
  • almond milk (unsweetened)
  • greek yogurt
  • strawberries
  • vanilla protein powder
  • vanilla extract

Yay for no-cook meals that are still delish & fat loss friendly! And here’s to not getting so attached to “the plan” that you can’t enjoy the adjustments!

Here’s to a great day and focusing not just on what you do but also on how you do it!

PS: If you’re new to these posts, listen to this podcast episode to get the scoop on what changes I’m making in my life and you can start back at my first daily post here.

337: 6 Changes We All Need To Make

337: 6 Changes We All Need To Make

I rarely make blanket recommendations. When I talk about nutrition, I’m quick to say that strategies depend on your goals.

When I talk about nutritional improvements, I’m quick to consider someone’s baseline. I’m not going to recommend the Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss to someone who is currently eating fast food & candy every day. It would probably be too big a transition for them, right now.

I think that almost all change is relative to the individual and their goals.

However, there are a small list of changes that I think EVERYONE would benefit from, regardless of their goals and their baseline.

In today’s episode I’m sharing what those are and why I think they’re so important.

Listen Now

Download Episode

Resources:

Episode: Water & Water Filters

Aquasana Water Filtration Pitcher

Aquasana Shower Filter

Summer Fat Loss Fast Track Wait List

How To Leave A Rating & Review (thank you!!!)

Year of Push 3.5 Win The Weekend

The weekend is here! I know that for many, the weekends are met with mixed emotions. “Yay” for less structure but “oh crap” that lack of structure can leave you feeling not-so-great about your choices.

I think many people fly by the seat of their pants on the weekends. They “hope” they make great choices and they intend to, but they aren’t intentional. Big difference.

Having good intentions and being intentional about what you do & why are totally different.

I’ll use myself and this weekend as an example.

I have had a great week. My workouts were on point and I’m just feeling really good as a result of really good choices.

Enter: Friday.

I’m going out of town for the weekend. I’ll be staying in a hotel and eating out for all my meals. I’ll be with great, fun company and great, fun company sometimes turns into a “live a little!” approach to food and alcohol.

Sure, my intention is to make great choices and keep this amazing feeling going strong. But my intention isn’t enough.

I choose to be intentional. To not just hope for it but to actively participate in creating what I want.

That doesn’t mean I’m going for perfection, it means I’m intentional about what will make me feel my best. Big difference.

So, this morning I took a few minutes with my journal to write out how my ideal weekend would go.

First and foremost, I planned to crush my workout this morning. Done. See below.

Second, I made a plan for hotel-room workouts on Saturday & Sunday. Between my jump rope, burpees, body weight squats & push-ups, I can absolutely get a great sweat going. And it doesn’t take long. These workouts will be done in 15 minutes or less but the intensity will be high.

I’m not interested in perfection or being a purist so I set an intentional standard: one food indulgence, one alcohol indulgenceif I’m somewhere it feels totally worth it. I’m not going to order an average glass of wine just because I can, but if there’s some drink that really screams at me, awesome.

Same thing with food. I’m not going to have nachos “because I can” but if there is some indulgence at a restaurant that seems SUPER worth it, fantastic.

Beyond that, I’ll eat like I normally eat. Clean meals. Mostly non-starchy veggies, some protein, some fat.

On top of that, when we can walk, we’ll walk instead of taking the car.

I haven’t created a rigid plan and I’m certainly not taking away my enjoyment of the weekend, but I am being intentional about what I want and how I want to feel.

That’s how I win the weekend, and it’s how I win every day: going beyond good intentions to being intentional.

About that workout I crushed…

“1775”
100/80 Calorie Bike
50 Power Snatches (75/55)
25 Over-the-Bar Burpees

Like I’ve said before, if you haven’t been on an airdyne bike, they will BLOW YOUR LEGS UP. The resistance is nearly instant and pushing through that lactic acid burn is a beeeeeeotch.

The goal was: keep moving, don’t stop. Steady pace & smile on my face. Hey…that’s a good mantra, eh?

On the food front:

Before my workout I had 2 cups of black coffee and 1 tbsp of coconut butter (off the spoon). I had a spa appointment after my workout so I knew it would be a while before I ate.

Around 11:30am I had the same milkshake from yesterday. So delish! This is, for me, a large meal. When you look at the ingredients, you’ll see why. I did skip the cashews in the shake (which is why I snacked on them a little later). I’ll intentionally keep my fat lower in my other meals.

After leaving the chiropractor around 3:30 I had a couple handfuls of cashews. I wasn’t hungry and could absolutely have gone without this, but hey, I ate them & enjoyed them!

Since I had that shake & nuts earlier (a whole buncha fat), I’m keeping dinner on the lighter side with grilled chicken, pico & sauteed veggies.

Nom nom nom.

If you need more weekend support, check out these podcast episodes on weekend & evening strategies.

Episode 050 – Do You Treat Weekends Like Vacation

091 – Eating Out For Weight Loss

248 – Are Evenings Hard?

PS: If you’re new to these posts, listen to this podcast episode to get the scoop on what changes I’m making in my life and you can start back at my first daily post here.

Year of Push 3.4 Milkshakes & 10 Point Turns

Remember back in drivers ed when you were taught the 3-point turn? You needed this skill so you could make a complete direction change in as few moves as possible.

I have to ask, who picked the number 3? Is that just an average? Sometimes you can make a u-turn, sometimes it’s a 10-point turn and 3 seemed like a reasonable average? #justcurious #why3

I mean, who here hasn’t made a 10 point turn, improving your position only by inches with each attempt, not quite sure if you’d be able to make it happen?

I know I have! At best, it’s more like a 4 or 5-point turn on a good day!

(I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of men, especially the ones who have been passengers in my car, are rolling their eyes right now. Uh huh. I understand. My point is a valid one though…)

Here’s why I’m bringing up the so-called-3-point-turn: it seems like many of us approach change with the expectation that we should be able to make a simple U-turn.

We hold ourselves to this standard that with a simple decision, we should be able to do a behavioral or nutritional U-turn.

Guys, life is more like the 10-point turn. Behavior change, improvements in fitness, healthier food choices, they all come about as a result of many, many, many 10-point turns.

We make a little progress…whoops, back it up, readjust…a little more progress…straighten out…inch it forward, inch it back…

Why are we so frustrated by that?

That is LIFE.

Stop expecting it to be so easy just because you want it to be.

One of the primary reasons we give up and give in is because we resent the 10 (or 100) point turns in our lives. Then, we give up.

Well, if you keep giving up, you’ll never get there.

Instead, keep inching forward, readjusting & staying patient.

Get patient. seriously. Get patient.

Staying patient was the name of the game in today’s workout. Freakin’ running again. Sure, it was only 200m but with a 20 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes), there were a LOT of runs.

On top of that, I thought it would be a good idea to do goblet squats with my 55 lb kettlebell while watching TV last night. Not a bad idea in general, but my glutes are screaming that I might have overdone it…and they screamed the loudest during all this morning’s running…

“Hells Bells”
AMRAP 20:
200 Meter Run
14 Kettlebell Deadlifts (70’s/53’s)
2 Rope Climbs

Instead of getting frustrated with my speed and fatigue on the runs, I focused on getting a little bit better with each round. “Better” doesn’t always mean faster, but I’d focus on keeping my upper body relaxed. I’d focus on keeping my steps quiet and quick. I chose to focus on an improvement instead of on the fatigue and difficulty.

I won’t get better at running because I want to and my improvements won’t be fast or obvious. It will be tiny inches of progress like that 10-point turn.

I started to get tired at many points throughout the afternoon as it was a day of computer work and webinars. I stopped when I could to do small sets of pushups and then, before my last webinar, I did 100 burpees for time in my living room. Why? Because it sure as hell wakes me up and it feels WAY better afterwards than coffee or sugar!

Tired? MOVE!!

On the food front:

My friends, the warm weather is here in the Boston area! With all the outdoor running in the heat, yesterday’s muscle soreness and today’s challenging workout, I was craving a milkshake.

Here are some of my issues with most “protein shake” or “whole food milkshake” recipes I find online:

  • They are loaded with sugar in the form of multiple servings of fruit and or honey
  • People treat them like a snack instead of what most of them should be: a meal
  • They use highly processed powders with ingredients we don’t need or aren’t as bioavailable as real food

I decided to play around with something that would be refreshing, satisfying for hours and help me recover from some of this muscle soreness.

I don’t regularly eat fruit or starch and when I do, as per the Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss, it’s either with my evening meal or post workout. Today it was in the post workout window. And: it was a MEAL for me. Not a snack. Not a post workout drink.

A meal.

I don’t want to make a shake that is going to have me hungry an hour later, but I also don’t need a 700 cal meal or a blood sugar bomb. So, this is what I came up with.

Milkshake Meal

  • 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk (you could sub coffee for a mocha flavor)
  • 1-1.5 cups frozen cauliflower (1 cup if riced, 1.5 cups if florets)
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut milk solids (the solid part of canned coconut milk)
  • small handful of cashews (you can skip this if you want to lower the cals)
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
  • Optional: stevia to taste (I didn’t add stevia)
  • Optional: collagen powder  (I did add this)

I use the frozen cauliflower in lieu of ice and the key to making this delicious is having a great blender. If it’s chunky, that won’t be too fun. I use a vitamix.

I’m really happy with how full it kept me for many hours! Around 2pm I had 4 grilled chicken strips with Primal Kitchen Chipotle Mayo for dipping.

Dinner was simple, courtesy of Paleo Power Meals: steak and veggies.

Make the rest of your day the best of your day!

PS: If you’re new to these posts, listen to this podcast episode to get the scoop on what changes I’m making in my life and you can start back at my first daily post here.

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