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Halloween Treats: How to Slow Down & Be Mindful

Author: adminOn: Oct 29Categories:
Halloween Treats: How to Slow Down & Be Mindful
Sentiments of a Wicked Empath
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Halloween is right around the corner and most of our clients ( including me ) are already beginning to worry about how they will manage so much Halloween candy next week. The stash of candy sitting around the house, at work, or the treats at holiday parties can lead most of us to automatic patterns of just grabbing, devouring, and not paying attention to the process of eating. Instead of feeling numb or overwhelmed, we can shift our attitude from judgment to honesty. Fear to self trust. The best way to do this is by slowing down and being present.

Here are a have a few of my favorite tips that will help you slow down, beat overwhelm, and give you the confidence to choose wisely and enjoy Halloween.

1. CONTEMPLATE. Take plenty of time to scope the party room or candy basket. Notice what you really want. DO NOT DENY what you are craving. Start by becoming aware of what you want. Examine all of your options before picking one. Once you pick it enjoyyyy baby!

2. HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO? Chew slowly. Notice yourself chewing the food and truly tasting the party in your mouth. Notice how your jaw moves as you chew. Connect to the present by tuning into your physical sensations : sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

2. WAIT ON MORE. Fully enjoy one piece of candy from start to finish before you move onto the next bite or decide if you want another piece. Put a timer on. Place a gap between urge and reaction. This gives you time to check in and ask “How do I feel?”

3. HUNGER SCALE. Check in before and after you eat. On a scale of 1-10
(1 – being starving, irritable, extremely hungry)
(10 – feeling you need to unbutton your pants, very full, uncomfortable)
Just checking in will help you slow down. The mindful eater may say something like, “I just ate a meal and had a cupcake. On the hunger / fullness scale I am at about a 6.5. I am comfortably full. I know if I eat another cupcake it will put me over the edge. I know this craving will pass. Let me wait 20 minutes and if I feel hungry, I am more than happy to have another or at least take one home to enjoy later.”

4. SIT DOWN and stop multitasking. Before you eat, take a seat!!! This will help you reduce distraction, meaning less chances of you over eating.

5. EAT KINDLY. Plan on eating with the intention of being in full view of others. Notice if you have the urge to eat in a private setting. Ask what is triggering you emotionally to eat in private?

Other Tips:
– Be KIND and compassionate to yourself.
– Make sure you don’t skip out on meals. Aim for at least 3 well balanced meals. When we are hungry, we make poor choices that can increase your chances to binge on candy and sugar later. Choose foods that light up your world…think plant-based rainbows (veggies and fruits) on your plate at each meal and you will naturally want less later.

– Make a list about all the things you love about Halloween that doesn’t include food. Fill yourself up with fun rather than food. I personally love painting pumpkins, making crafts, and planning my costume. If you are headed to a party, bring a game like Cards Against Humanity or Jenga. If you are spending time with family, maybe plan on watching a movie together after trick or treating. Plan your evening around having fun and socializing. Filling up with laughs and good company will help you forget about any urge to eat.

– Set yourself up to succeed. Create a special vibe and treat Halloween as a special day by enjoying candy for a day or two, then throwing the rest away.

– Candy buy backs. Check out http://www.operationgratitude.com/. Or contact your local pediatric dental office. Some will do candy buy backs for a good cause.

Remember Halloween is one day, so remember to be kind and compassionate to yourself. When in doubt, just slow things down.

What are your personal challenges that you face during this time of year? We are here to support you at Wicked Fitness.

Anna is a Certified Health Coach and Yoga instructor. She weaves both worlds into one, to help others live more balanced, positive and healthful lives. Make an appointment today to find out more.

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Uncovering the Truth about Abs

Author: adminOn: Oct 13Categories: , ,
Uncovering the Truth about Abs
Core Conditioning, Weight Loss, workouts
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Planking, crunches, and core work, oh my! These along with a plethora of devices that are on the market today like the Ab Wheel, the Ab Coaster, the Ab Cruncher and the Ab Doer all promise to deliver rock hard abs and a strong core. The burning question is however, do they really work? The simple answer is yes; they do work. With the help of these devices and exercises your core and your abs will become stronger. Unfortunately, if you want to see them, it’s not that simple.

What many people don’t realize is that you can’t spot lose weight. What this means is, you can’t simply point out a spot on your body and decide that this exact place is where you are going to lose the weight regardless if you concentrate on toning that area or not. For example, if you are looking at yourself in the mirror and think I love my body but… I really would like to lose just a little bit more of this back fat right around my bra line. Your only option to make that happen is to lose some weight overall and hope it comes off in that specific area. You can tone that area, however, and it can make a difference but especially when it comes to seeing your abs, you have to face reality.

The reality is, is that your abs are made in the kitchen. Regardless of your efforts in the gym, if they are not matched in your diet as well, you will never see your abs. Males generally tend to have a lower body fat percentage and so it can be a little bit easier for them to achieve this than it can be for us, women. Achieving and maintaining abs is a lot of work and a full time commitment so mentally prepare yourself to dedicate all of your efforts towards your goal.

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No Pain, No Gain, Staying Safe While Training

Author: adminOn: Oct 11Categories:
No Pain, No Gain, Staying Safe While Training
Ramblings of a Wicked Queen
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NO PAIN NO GAIN: STAYING SAFE WHILE TRAINING

After years of a moderately active, or even sedentary lifestyle you have finally done it! You have made the decision to take charge of your fitness, your health, body, and mind. For this, we at Wicked Fitness applaud you! It’s a big step, both mentally and physically, and it is a lifestyle change. It’s something in a world that sometimes seems out of our control, that we can directly control. It’s beautiful, it’s hard, and so empowering, and the “you” that is born out of it, is a healthier, stronger, more confident one.
Like any commitment you have ever made, it doesn’t come without sacrifice. The reward is so worth it, but it’s a journey. Your body will remind you of that. It will also remind you how inactive you have been. With your new healthy lifestyle will also likely come a few sore muscles and body aches. As a trainer, my number one concern and mission is keeping my clients safe. Yes, I am going to push you, motivate you, and change your body, but you have to remember, Rome was not built in a day. Nor did you gain an extra 20, 30, 50 plus pounds overnight. It took time to put that weight on. Although for some of us, it seems as though we went to bed one night and woke up 40 lbs. heavier…. Looking at a picture like “wait…what? Where did that come from?”
So, you took the first step, and now we are working it out… hooray! But, in thinking realistically at how long it took to put that weight on, just because you are on your way does not mean it is going to come off overnight either. There is no magic weight loss, although companies try to tell us those lies all the time. As much as you think in your mind that you can, you cannot take your body zero to 100 real quick. That would put you on a path to injury fast, which will thwart progress, and is not worth it.
With that said, there are a few things you must remember. STRETCH!!!! We stretch at the beginning of every class for a reason. Do not skimp on the stretching part, your muscles need it. Tweaked, twinged, strained and pulled muscles happen to the very best of us, even taking the proper precautions. In pushing your muscles to be stronger, your muscles may resist a bit, but stretching will keep them lengthened, and risk of injury lessened.
For all pole athletes, don’t jump in to your tricks. There is a reason our program teaches you from the first day to keep your arm high. Swinging in to your tricks and spins is far less jarring than jumping in to them. When you jump your body feels a sudden demand to catch itself putting a huge sudden strain on your muscles, which could lead to injury. Hands high, take your time, swing. It will also lead to less pole bruises, not to mention, elongating your tricks will look more graceful and aerodynamic.
Don’t push it. Only you can listen to your body. There is a difference between pushing yourself and pushing yourself so far your muscles throw a middle finger up to you. In all classes at Wicked Fitness, we try and give you a beginning exercise, an intermediate, and a more advanced. If you are just starting a workout routine, it might be lofty to attempt the most advanced exercise. A better idea is to start slow and then work your way up. See what your body is capable and then push it, don’t push it past its limits.
As I said, injuries happen to the best of us. You can ask me how like a dummy I folded like Gumby under 120 lbs. of plates one day at the gym (most embarrassing…moment…. EVER). Lesson learned. Some of us, have to learn the hard way to spare others from injury and embarrassment. Like in all sports and physical activity, it’s part of training really hard, and becoming stronger. But if we can spare you from ever having an injury, that is our goal! Keeping you safe, while building the best “you” you can possibly be. Time, technique, and patience is the key to your new fitness journey.

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