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Many thanks for your time and participation in our survey last month! The results were touching, inspiring and at times hilarious. I strive to create the best experience and company possible, thank you for your input – it is invaluable!As promised, one lucky participant has won a $25 iTunes gift card and Blakely FIT t-shirt. She is…..
Jody B!
Here is a screen shot of the final survey questions answers – facinating! Enjoy…
Are you feeling it? That urge to let it all go? The temptation to indulge at every turn during this holiday, end-of-the-year obligation melee.
Well, maybe you did derail at Thanksgiving. Maybe you wish you didn’t eat the pastries left in the conference room every day this week. Maybe you haven’t finished your workouts as planned. So what. Letting less than ideal choices guilt you into additional indulgences is adding insult to injury. Let them go. Move on.
Taking a ten-minute walk, passing over an extra piece of candy or getting an extra hour of sleep will serve you exceedingly well in this holiday frenzy. Don’t let setbacks deter you; you’re too smart to throw in the towel. Hold on to what is important: your health, your livelihood and your loved ones. All your small decisions in the end WILL make a difference in your continued success.
You can do this. Keep your chin up. I’m rooting for you!
In The Confidence Code, Christine Lagarde offers a brilliant call to action: “Dare the difference.” Dare to define your own path to exhibiting confidence in your life. Dare to break through women’s statistical habit of not exercising confidence as often as we could.
I, of course, love this.
So much so that I suggest you apply it to your strength endeavors as well. Strength training is gaining significant popularity among women right now and for good reason. The benefits are incredible – improved metabolism, bone density, fat loss and muscle mass increases just to name a few. However, with in this trend, we, as women must “Dare the difference.” We are anatomically different from men and that awareness is integral in effective strength training program design.
You are unique. Select a plan and definition of strength that speaks to you. Create fitness goals that bring you to what you really want, however different or unpopular. And, like our unique brand of confidence, this might also be different than a man’s. Maybe you would love to be able to do a handstand, a pull up, to dance the tango, to carry your toddler up 3 flights with out being winded, or to simply feel strong again after a time of placing your health on the back burner. If you are enticed by the idea of strength training (and I hope you are), dare to move forward and dare to choose a workout that speaks to your preferences and your anatomy. It is a delight to define our own kind of strength. Dare to do it. Your body and mind will thank you.
After dinner and a warm bath, we snuggle and read before bed like many young families. Sometimes I’m a model parent: animated, engaged. Other times, not so much — going through the motions and struggling to stay awake as the day’s chores still loom.
Recently we read, once again, The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper’s tale of perseverance and grit that has lasted for more than 80 years in print. On this particular evening, I’m attentive — and suddenly struck by an enlightening passage.
Mr. Piper writes: “Some of the cars were filled with all sorts of good things for boys and girls to eat — big golden oranges, red-cheeked apples, bottles of creamy milk for their breakfasts, fresh spinach for their dinners, peppermint drops and lollypops for after-meal treats.”
Apples, oranges, spinach and milk depicted as precious treats for children? How often do we see good food as a treat?
Thanksgiving is at our doorstep. Yet before all the harried preparations subsume our lives, we might take a moment to recall Mr. Piper’s words. Remembering life before we had such abundant produce departments could provide perspective for the feast ahead. Recalling a time when health was not so easily remedied with pills or surgery could inspire us to take more care with our bodies. Maybe this is the other lesson in Mr. Piper’s timeless tale.
Today, we have so much food in our grocery stores and restaurants that one third of it goes uneaten, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In fact, food is the biggest single source of waste in this country, more than plastic or paper, the EPA finds.
Thanksgiving provides time with older generations. Let’s ask about their experiences. Do our older relatives and friends recall a time before our era of plenty? When vegetables were not available year-round? When a “golden orange” was a coveted gift? And when candy was a special treat? What about a time when resolving pain did not include MRI, physical therapy or ultrasound? When walking to and from work or school was not a chore but part of daily life?
No question, we’re truly fortunate to have access to so much food and state-of-the-art healthcare. As we celebrate through this holiday of gratitude, a broader perspective might let us appreciate and enjoy our food and health all the more. It could be an unexpected gift hiding in a familiar place.
When I was a dancer, I took an Alexander Technique workshop at a festival in Colorado. During class, about thirty of us were lying on the floor circling our arms and rotating our torsos exploring the economy in our movement.
The instructor walked by a fellow dancer and said, “That’s beautiful.” He replied, “Oh, that wasn’t even a good one.” The instructor snapped, “I didn’t say it was good, I said it was beautiful.” Twenty years later, this comment still resonates.
What words do you use to describe your success and missteps in healthy living? What is your body image vocabulary? “Good, bad, fat, skinny” is very limiting. Couldn’t we use some descriptions that are less stringent and arguably more accurate? As I’ve stated before, progress is not a straight line. All of us evolve in our own way. That dance teacher wasn’t evaluating whether the student was doing it right or wrong, she was appreciating beautiful movement. How brilliant. We all need to view our efforts and complex bodies with a wider lens. Grab a thesaurus and step away from “good and bad.” It just might offer a fresh perspective and renewed appreciation on our paths to live healthfully and happily.
Last Thursday afternoon, I found myself getting excited. Really excited.
Growing up, I loved Halloween as much as the next kid: bags of free candy, late night celebrating, costume fun, what’s not to love? This, of course, transitioned as a young adult. Halloween afforded me the excuse to party, dress up and partake in other indulgences. My partying days are now less frequent and my enthusiasm had waned for this beloved holiday. Until, last week.
My daughters rekindled an old flame. Their relentless anticipation of the parties, the candy and spooky, haunted, fun was contagious. Their joy and energy pulled me in and I found myself enjoying the preparations that otherwise (I’m embarrassed to say) would have felt like “one more thing to do.”
Isn’t this possible with living healthfully? It’s a stretch to compare candy to kale. Let’s remember, enthusiasm is contagious. And enthusiasm for healthy living is possible and probable when we surround ourselves with the right people. Do you have anyone in your life that seems to have struck a healthy living balance? Could you hang out with them more? Ask them to coffee? Listen to their story of arriving at said balance. Let it inspire you. Being around people on a healthy living journey can be a powerful source of inspiration. Look around, listen and let their energy spark a change that could last a lifetime.
When most of us were moving through the school system, there was little focus on teaching students to live healthfully. Arguably there was also less of a need. Most of us walked everywhere, played outside for hours and ate unprocessed foods. Formal healthy living discussion was often limited to to P.E. class, Home Economics, and maybe lessons on the Krebs Cycle.
So, it’s understandable that some of us are confused or feel that living healthfully is eluding us. Never fear, simple solutions are readily available. Living healthful can do wonders for our quality of life and capacity to enjoy our day to day.
Take a peek at these easy tools to steer yourself back on track.
And, of course, you can always reach out to me. I would be delighted to help.
Happy Halloween, everyone! Be safe and have fun! 773-680-6824 train@blakelyfit.com
I was a big fan of the show Dirty Jobs for a while. Have you seen it? Personally, I had a bit of a crush on the host, Mike Rowe. Anyway, one episode was all military. They illustrated how a few soldiers leveraged winches and pulleys to pull a multi-ton military vehicle out from being stuck in the sand. The winches and pulleys were their mechanical advantage. The winches and pulleys provided leverage in a seemingly impossible situation.
That’s how I see exercise. I firmly believe, exercise can be your mechanical advantage. With all that you have to accomplish, exercise will give you leverage…
Conversation between my husband and me:
Michelle: “I don’t really like it when people assume I only eat low fat foods.”
Patrick: “Well, it’s kind of a compliment. They’re indirectly assuming that you practice what you preach.’”
Michelle: “It’s not the misconception about me that’s upsetting, it’s the misconception about how to live healthfully.”
The path to consistent exercise and healthy living are (at times) misunderstood. Infomercials, elevator talk, misinformed friends or family, and poor reporting have left some of us mistaken about the effective and accurate guidelines for healthy living. Like the new kid in class, I hope you make the time to get to know the truth about effective ways to live healthfully. Below are the top three wellness misconceptions repeatedly crossing my desk:
Misconception #1: Healthy eating for weight loss is primarily about fat and calories.
Food is more to our bodies than weight management. Nutrients are an important part of the equation. Focusing solely on fat grams and calorie intake will leave you unsuccessful (and very unsatisfied.)
Misconception #2: Lifting weights will make me big and bulky.
I have met VERY few women in my line of work that are genetically predisposed to “bulk up.” Lifting weights has tremendous benefits for your health, longevity, injury prevention and weight loss. As long as you are with a skilled trainer, there is nothing to fear.
Misconception #3: Faster, harder or more intense is better.
Unless you are a serious athlete or training for a VERY specific event, faster, harder and more intense is NOT necessarily better. Moderate exercises performed on a regular basis is generally an excellent exercise prescription for individuals wanting to lose weight and improve their wellness and health.
Connect today to start your change: 773-680-6824
train@blaketlyfit.com
Strength Training Exclusively for Women, Chicago, IL
Flavorful, colorful and stuffed with the goodness of spinach.
I think your going to love this one.
Wash and quarter four servings of fingerling potatoes.
Toss with two sprigs of rosemary (remove stems, chop leaves), two tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread onto parchment paper on cookie sheet.
Flatten four chicken breasts individually with kitchen mallet.
Spread 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, a sprinkle of garlic powder and one cup of baby spinach onto each breast.
Roll chicken breasts into a tight roll (keeping spinach tucked.)
Press crushed corn flakes onto exterior. (I’m sure there are classier options – post yours on FB)
Spray non-stick cooking spray onto baking dish and transfer chicken.
Bake potatoes until brown and crispy.
Bake chicken to internal temp of 165 degrees.
(I started the potatoes for ten minutes at 450. Then, lowered the temp to 350 and added the chicken for about another 20 minutes.)
Enjoy!
Shopping list:
Four chicken breasts
Four cups baby spinach
Small cream cheese
Garlic powder
Small box of cornflakes
Fingerling potatoes
Fresh rosemary
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STRENGTH TRAINING EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN
