When Clients Become Friends

I got into a very interesting discussion the other day about the personal trainer/client relationship with my friend (and fellow PT).  Specifically, it was about how that relationship can turn into a friendship, especially with long-term clients. 

She has had a client for over a year and feels that this person views her more as a friend than as a trainer.  As a result, my PT friend feels that her client isn't getting the results that she would like, but happily pays week after to week to have a "workout buddy".

Here is the dilemma:

Do you continue to work with a client who is not reaching her fitness goals, but is happy to continue to pay for your services?

OR 

Do you end the relationship knowing that, despite your best efforts, you are not able to help them progress any further?

I have a few thoughts on this.

Resolutions Revitalized

A new month is here and it time to reflect of those resolutions (goals, plans, images or whatever you want to call them).

You may remember at the beginning of last month, I updated my inspiration board to better reflect what is currently important to me.

A Positive, Healthy Attitude

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We all have a pity party sometimes.

Maybe you are frustrated with your job.  Perhaps you are not reaching your goals or maybe you are just stuck in a rut.

Shopping Saturday

Another beautiful day and I started the morning teaching a pliates class.  This new mat that I won for Joyce @ Freaking Fitness sure came in handy :)

Confessions of a Personal Trainer

Many of you know that I have recently re-embraced my love for all things healthy and have decided to go into business for myself; teaching, training and helping other fitness pros.

(The website is almost complete. Don't worry, you will be the first to know when it goes live :)

As much as I try to walk the walk, I am certainly not perfect.  No one is.  Many people assume certain things about personal trainers, which are not necessarily true.

Work-In Week Wrap Up and Getting Organized

It is the last day of my Work-In Week and I have to say that my mind, body and spirit have truly appreciated the time I have taken for me.

I only ran and weight trained once this week and that is OK.  My mind told me that I wanted to, but my body begged to differ.  I listened to my body and I spent the the week doing yoga, pliates and swimming.

I believe it is exactly what I needed.

Listening to the Mind, Body and Spirit

How is everyone doing with your Work-in Week?

My body is talking to me today and I am listening, so it is yoga and perhaps a dip the pool later.

In my guest post for Lisa @ I'm An Okie last week, I talked about the importance of paying attention to what your body needs.  It may be listening to what it wants you to eat, which activities feel good and when it wants you to rest.

Work-in Week

The last few weeks have been busy, happy and exhausting.

Starting a business is very exciting, but it quite a task.  You don't quite realize how much there is to do between research, promotion and prepping until you are knee deep in it.

Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled about this new opportunity, but I am finding myself a little stressed on this Monday morning.

Experiencing Pure Joy

If there is one thing that makes me smile, it is the giggle of a little person.

Meet my nephew, Bradley. He thinks everything is funny.

He laughs after he has been pulling my hair (see above).  He was in his jolly jumper for over an hour, laughing like he had heard the best joke it the world.  I bounce him up and down and he giggles like crazy.

We often get so caught up the pressures and stress of everyday life, that we don't take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures. 

Look at that. Pure joy.

I think we could all take a lesson from baby Bradley.

When was the last time you experience pure joy?

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

A Little Patience

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Patience.

Such a simple word, yet it can be so difficult to do.

As a child, we were often told to be patient, (I am sure that many of you are telling that to your children.) but we live in a "now" society. 

We want instant gratification.

If we are trying to lose weight, we get upset if the scale doesn't budge that week.  If we have set a goal, we are frustrated if we haven't accomplished it by our deadline. 

We want to lose weight and reach our goals now.  And if we don't?

We feel like we have failed and often times, we give up. We have all been there, focusing on the negative.

Enter patience.

We have to remember that making any kind of change takes effort and perseverance.  Take a moment to look back at what you have accomplished and get excited about the things yet to come. 

If there is one thing that I have learning in the past few months is that patience isn't just about sitting back and waiting for things to happen.  It is about being proactive with the understanding that all things come in time.

So, sit back, enjoy your coffee and be patient.

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

3 Reasons Why You and I Are Fabulous

Every week, I participate in #fitblog chat on Twitter.  At the end of the discussion, we all gets the chance to brag about something we did this week that made us proud.

This is my favourite part of the chat.  It is so great to hear all of the fantastic accomplishments of my cyber friends.

Without hesitation, everyone tweets about recent weight loss, running that extra mile or completing a project at work.

Funny how we have pride in the things we have done, yet we don't feel the same way about our bodies or our minds?

Being body proud isn't about vanity, it is about loving yourself and being happy with the skin you are in.  Don't be afraid to love who you are, what you look like and the qualities you possess.

I'll start.

I am fabulous just the way I am because...

My laugh is infectious.  It is hearty, distinct and can be heard from across a crowded room. 

My back is strong.  Through  running and strength training, I love how my back is becoming more defined and toned.

I have a baby face.  My cousin's daughter thought I was in my early 20's.  This truly made my day.  For the record, I am not in my early 20's :)

Now it's your turn.

Write down 3 reasons why your are fabulous just the way you are!

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Going Vegan, Day 7: Reflection and Wrap Up

It is the last day of the challenge and I have certainly learned a lot by going on this journey.

What did I learn, you may ask?

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Everything is Connected
Drawing some wisdom from Michael Pollen, we are deeply connected to everthing on this earth.  From the soil that feeds the plants, to the plants that feed us, to how we dine with each other. We need to take more time to remember and respect these connections.

Mindfulness
This challenge has made me more aware of not only what I eat, but how I treat my body and myself.  This mindfulness has changed the way I approach how I eat and how food affects my mind, body and spirit.

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Organic is Good
Like many people, I was skeptical (or perhaps uneducated) about the benefits of eating locally-grown, organic food.  While I may not always be able to make these choices with everything I eat, I am going to make a conscious effort to choose organic ingredients more often.  My body deserves it.

Veganism is a Movement
This I already knew, but this challenge has given me even more respect for people who practice this lifestyle. Going vegan requires planning, awareness and conviction.  Vegans stand up for what they believe in and speak with their actions, choices and their dollars.

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I am a Flexitarian
As I have already mentioned, I believe that there is room in my world for a little bit of everything.  I will continue to include meat, dairy and eggs in my diet, but much differently than before. (See points, 1, 2 and 3).  I was so happy to go on this trip of self-discovery to figure out what works for me.

If there is an ultimate lesson, it is this:  
Every body is different, listen to yours.

What did you learn this week? 

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Going Vegan, Day 3: Work-in Wednesday

Veggie Hummus Pizza

Now, I know I mentioned last week that I will not be taking pictures of my food for this challenge, but I am so proud of this.

I couldn't resist sharing my masterpiece.

A pizza made from scratch.  It was healthy, delicious and now, gone. :)

I have been so happy to read some of the great discussions surrounding veganism this week.

For many vegans, food is just one piece of the puzzle.  Susan @ The Great Balancing Act points out that many vegans are concerned with animals being hurt for our benefit.

Over with Samantha @ Health, Happiness & Skinny Jeans, she wonders whether true vegans would be offended by this "challenge".

One of the reasons many of us signed up was to be more mindful of the food we eat and to better understand the vegan way of life.

Veganism encompasses a spectrum of beliefs.  For some, they are choosing to eliminate animal products in their diet simply for health reasons.  For others, their choices run a bit deeper and they have ethical and/or ecological reasons for going vegan.

I think there is room for everything in between.  Whether you decided to just go meatless once a week or shun all animal products forever, it is about learning more about yourself and your connection with the world around us.

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This brings me to the title of this post.

In the spirit of being mindful, I have declared today a day of rest and reflection.  No workout for me today, rather a work-in.

A day to take care of myself.  Perhaps with some meditation, reading, revisiting my goals or just journaling my thoughts.

It is so important to set aside some time for you and use that opportunity to do something that is going to nurture your mind, body and spirit.

Have you had any discussions surrounding veganism this week?  

What are you going to do today to take care of yourself?


Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Going Vegan, Day 1: In Defense of Food

Welcome to Day 1 of the Vegan for a Week Challenge.  I still have to head to the store to pick up a few things, but I am raring to go!

I looked at my Inspiration Board this morning and had totally forget that I had included veganism as one of the things I wanted to try this year.  What great timing. :)

In preparation for this challenge, I mentioned that I was reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollen.  I had every intention of making detailed notes for my review, but I got so into the material that by the time I realized that I wanted to take notes, I was done.

I loved this book.

For those of you not familiar with the premise, Pollen feels that we need to re-think our current relationship with food and view it more as our ancestors did. We should be mindful about all the connections that have brought our food to the table; how the soil is connected to the plants, the plants are connected to us and we are connected to our culture.

We live in a society that views food in term of nutrients (i.e. low-fat, cholesterol free, high in protein, bad carbs etc) instead of looking at the food as whole.  The whole being much greater as the nutritional sum of its parts.  (Guilty, as I am sure many of you are.)

So what is his proposed solution:  Eat food.  Mostly plants.  Not too much.

He takes a very balanced approach when looking at food and his message couldn't be simpler:  Choose locally-grown, organic foods more often, plants are the best, but meat is beneficial too and always go for quality over quantity.

Many people (including me) were skeptical of the the benefits of organic.  It is costly and if I am eating plenty of conventional whole foods, what difference does it make if they are organic or not?  Well, as it turns out, a lot.  The richer the soil, the more nutrients and goodness in the plants and the animals who eat those plants. This results is a tastier food that is better for you and me.

I am a believer, all his connections just make good common sense.

I could go on and on toting the wisdom of this book, but I highly recommend that you read it yourself.  It will truly change the way you look at food.
 
Have you read "In Defense of Food"?  
What are your thoughts on mindful eating?

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Self-Esteem and Body Image

I was checking over my blog stats yesterday and I noticed that one of the most comment phrases to direct people to my blog is:

"you are not as fat as you think you are."

Interesting.

I did a post a few year ago with that exact title about what we often see in the mirror is not necessary how others see us in society.  We are often our worst critics.

Caitlin @ the Healthy Tipping Point is paving the way for people, young and old, to not only feel better about themselves, but to help others feel better too with her Operation Beautiful.

For those not familiar with the movement, the idea is that you write an encouraging and positive phrase on a post-it note and leave it a public place for others to read.

To me, the heart of this movement is self-esteem.  When you feel better about yourself, your healthy attitude will rub off on others.  While there are many factors that affect our self-esteem (family, friends, television, magazines etc.), I do feel that it is something that needs to be fostered inside of us.

What really matters is how you feel about yourself, not what other people think you should feel.

So how do you begin this journey of self-discovery to improve your self-esteem?

Here are a few things that have helped me over the years.

• Reflection.  Think about the people, places and things that have influenced your life. Did they positively or negative contribute to the way you feel about yourself?  How does that affect your life now?  Should it affect your life now?

• Daily Affirmations.  Self-talk can go a long way in determining how we feel and what we present to the world.  Try this:  Choose a phrase to state your intentions for the day like, "I will cherish my body today."

• Journaling.  Write down inspiring quotes, exciting events in your life and interesting people you have met. Make sure to look at this book daily.

• Laugh.  Have fun.  Spend time with people who make you smile. Laughing always makes you feel better, guaranteed.

What are your thoughts on self-esteem?  
What tips could you add to list?

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

6 Ways To Love The Skin You're In

It's summer and that can only mean one thing: bikini time!

Instead of the dread your feel when you pull out your 2 piece for the first time since last year only to find a few extra lumps and bumps, I invite to you embrace your body and find something, just one thing, about your body that you truly love. You'll feel better, I promise.


1. Imperfections? What Imperfections?
With all of the beautiful bodies that lace the cover of every magazine,it is very easy for us to be our worst critics. Do yourself a favour -stop picking your body apart. OK, so you don't have legs like J-Lo or abs Jessica Biel but try to focus on what your DO like about your body.
Is it your button nose, or maybe your toned arms. Don't you feel better already?

2. Your Body Is A Wonderland
The way our body functions is a true miracle of nature. It works for us night and day without any complaints. Unfortunately, most of us take it for granted until something goes wrong. So be thankful for your health and stop worrying about your butt!

3. Reality Check
Models are not perfect. They have an entourage of professionals making them beautiful 24/7. Many magazine photos are airbrushed. Are you getting the idea? This is not the real world, don't use it to measure your own beauty.

4. Talk To Yourself
Try to think more positive thoughts toward body image. Repeat to yourself, "I am a beautiful, intelligent woman." You will be surprised how much better you will feel when you start to look at yourself differently.

5. Your Body Is A Temple
Be good to your body, it is the only one you have. Stay active and eat healthy. I know it is simple but it is true. No diet, just balanced nutrition. Do whatever exercises that you love, that keep you motivated. Then, pamper yourself with a massage or a spa night with the girls - you deserve it.

6.Forget About It!
Contrary to what you think, the whole world is NOT looking at you. Forget about what other people think and worry more about how you feel on the inside.

Stay Healthy,

Tracy