Diet Beta Test

Since reading a blog post by Katherine Nilbrink, one of my favorite plant-based nutrition mentors about listening to your body instead of following the latest diet fad, I have become more aware of how certain foods make me feel. I notice how sugar laden food tastes so good in the moment, but within a few minutes of hitting my bloodstream makes me feel sick and weak. I notice how poor eating habits have caused inflammation which has wrecked havoc on my body. It has caused edema, raised my blood pressure to dangerous levels, and created joint pain that includes a frozen shoulder which makes it difficult to do simple things like brush my hair or get money out of the ATM.

Dieting has been on my mind a lot lately. But, my track record with diets are not good. In fact, it's the one thing I think I've failed at the most. There are so many good programs out there, but I usually derail the first week, sometimes the first day.

I have been a fan of Chalene Johnson since I discovered her during my Beachbody days. I love her bubbly personality and she's so fit. She is passionate about helping people live their best life. So, when I saw that she is offering an experimental program where participants create their own diet that got my attention.

The truth is I know what to do. I've studied nutrition and wellness nearly every day of my life since I was 18. I also know that when it comes to our health, we can never learn enough. I always think when I join a "diet" program that I wish they did this or that because then it would be easier to follow. So, now is my chance to put together a program that works for me. I know I could do it on my own, but the accountability and motivation is higher when you surround yourself  with like-minded people. I also like being involved with BETA ground-breaking programs. There is something exciting about being the first to breath life into something that could help hundreds of people. I sure hope it's a first "diet" program I stick with. Why wouldn't it be if I am the one creating it?! I think this will be a fun experiment. I'll let you know how it goes.

The program starts May 1st, so there is still time if you want in! Sign up at dietbetatest.com.

Find Your Soul Mate to Lose Weight

I listened to the Chalene Johnson podcast where she talked about Oprah Winfrey purchasing Weight Watchers for 30 million dollars and doubling her money the next day. Wow! That just shows how desperate we all are for a diet that provides the magic answer to our weight loss woes. 

Chalene had some great advice about "diets" that made a lot of sense to me which is basically to find one that you can do for life! She also simplified how to find an exercise program that you will stick to. 

She called it "soul mate" exercise which is exercise that you love to do. She said to find your "soul mate" close your eyes and think about the exercises you enjoyed doing as a child, in your teens, in your early 20's and so on... When I did this exercise SWIMMING came up in every age category! I do love to swim. 

The water has always been a place where I feel light and free, but I don't swim as much as I like because I am not comfortable being in a swimsuit or shorts in public. My legs look like they are in the later stages of lipedema, swollen and lumpy. I am very self-conscious for anyone including my family to see it. 

Sometimes, I say what the heck and jump in the pool anyway, but it makes me feel very uncomfortable when I see people staring at my legs. I just want my body back! 

I know wishing won't make it happen, so I just have to get over my insecurities and dive in to become one with my soul mate!

 

Kathy G

Listen to Chalene's podcast and learn more about soul mate diet and exercise!

http://www.chalenejohnson.com/podcasts/oprahs-weight-watchers-what-it-takes-to-lose-weight-for-good/

 

What is Your First Exercise Memory

I listened to the Chalene Johnson Show "The Ultimate Exercise Routine" podcast the other day and it made me think about something I've never really thought about before and that is my deep-seated feelings about exercise. I admit it, I'm from the school of thinking that exercise is a chore. Of course, once I start exercising, I feel good, but getting myself to do it consistently is like pushing a Mac truck uphill.

Chalene did a mind exercise where she asked her listeners the first thing that comes to mind when you think of exercise or movement as a child? Is it positive or negative? 

I have a few thoughts that immediately come to mind when I think about exercise as a child and they are all negative. 

My first thought is when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I was big for my age. I was 11 and looked like I was 18. My body was overdeveloped. I think I wore a size C bra even then. I was in the gym, trying out for the basketball team. The coach was young, maybe in his early 20's. He had us running drills back and forth the full length of the gym. As I was running, he came up beside me and made a comment about me having big boobs. I immediately slowed down and became self-conscious any time I ran they my breasts didn't bounce up and down. I also remember always being last to be picked on a team in gym class, coming in last when I ran, and last even on the hippity hop races. I decided sports was not my thing! 

The second part of Chalene's mind exercise was to think about movement you loved as a child. I had to think a little harder about that one, but a couple things came to mind. 

I loved it in elementary school when the PE teacher would get out a giant parachute and all the kids would circle around it and move to create wind under the parachute. We would move it up and down and all around. I remember it being fun to feel part of the group, not to be singled out, and the colors were so pretty. 

I also liked to play jump rope with my friends at recess. I liked Hopscotch too. I loved to skip. Skipping made me feel happy. Even now I think it's probably impossible to skip and feel sad at the same time. I also remember going on a hike with a small group of kids, that felt like such an adventure. I loved it. 

Swimming is probably the thing I loved the most as a child. I never remember being afraid of the water. I would jump in any body of water no matter how dirty it was. Creeks, ponds, lakes, mud puddles, it didn't matter to me. I didn't think about snakes or germs. Playing with the water hose was a blast too. I would offer to wash the car just so I could play with the water hose. 

When I was a teenager, I loved to walk around the "big block" with my best friend. The big block was a four mile square near the tiny town we lived in called "Herbst". It is surrounded by cornfields in east central Indiana. I looked forward to waking around the big block with my friend. We would sing sings, talk about boys, our plans for the future, and whatever else crossed our mind. It never seemed like exercise, just hanging out with a friend. 

I'm glad to see that I also have positive childhood memories about exercise. Chalene challenged us to focus on the exercises and movements that made us happy as a child because that can lead us to our "soul mate" workout, something we look forward to doing instead of something that makes is feel self-conscious or that we have to force ourself to do. 

It never crossed my mind before that my sub-conscious could be associating exercise with early childhood negative experiences and trying to protect me. The mind is a curios thing. It fascinates me to continue learning how the mind works and use that knowledge to live my best life. I believe awareness plays a bug role in progress and transformation. Thanks Chalene! 

Now I'm headed to the park to walk with that same best friend from high school that I walked around the big block with (we are blessed to have kept in touch all these years). Tomorrow, I may mix it up by going skipping in the pool. 

What's your soul mate exercise?