Fit Tip Newsletter January 20 2014

Fit Tip Newsletter                                  January 20, 2014

What is Your One Thing?

Do you remember the movie City Slickers, with Billy Crystal playing a city slicker named Mitch who goes on a trip with friends to experience living like a cowboy?  Their experience in the country was made possible with the help of their guide Curly, the gritty cowboy played by Jack Parlance.  Curly didn’t talk much, but at one point in the movie there was a small dialogue between Curly and Mitch that went something like this:

Curly:  Do you know what the secret to life it?
Mitch:  No.  What?
Curly:  This.  (He holds up one finger)
Mitch:  Your finger?
Curly:  One thing.  Just ONE thing.  You stick to that and everything else doesn’t mean sh*t.
Mitch:  That’s great, but what’s the “one thing?”
Curly:  That’s what you’ve got to figure out.

In today’s world, there are too many nutrition, diet, exercise, and weight loss choices, which leads to…

* Overwhelm, which leads to…
* Confusion, which leads to…
* Lack of taking proper action, which leads to…
* Lack of results, which finally leads to…
* Frustration and failure.

I see the above pattern surfacing every single day…in conversations I overhear in the supermarket, at the gym, at the workplace, on Facebook…and I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be so confusing/so difficult/so complicated!

By focusing on your “ONE thing,” you can simplify your health and fitness plan AND your life to eliminate these obstacles and begin to see success in reaching your goals.

Ask yourself this question:

“What is the ONE thing I can focus on today for my nutrition plan that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”

For me, and for many of my clients, it’s planning ahead.

I designate one day a week to cook and prep food for myself and my family ahead of time.  This makes our entire nutrition plan easier to adhere to.  If all or most of the prep work is done in advance and packaged up neatly in grab-and-go containers in the fridge, then we are assured we will stick with our plan, not go hungry, and not make rash nutritional decisions because we are starving and there is nothing ready to eat!

It’s my ONE thing for nutrition.

Now, ask yourself the same question for exercise:

“What is the ONE thing I can do today for my exercise plan in such a way that it will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”

For myself, it is getting my workout done first thing in the morning.  I am up early for clients every day, and I am already in the gym.  So, when I am finished working with my early morning clients, I get my workout done for myself.  Sure, it means that I have to do a little prep before I leave the house each morning:  I have to make sure to grab an apple (my pre-workout snack), and have my workout drink already made and waiting in the fridge, and I leave my gym bag in the car so it’s all ready for me when I leave.

If something comes up and I tell myself, “I will wait until later to workout,”….well, let’s just say it doesn’t usually happen!  The day disappears quickly, a dozen things have to be done, and the rest is history.

By focusing on my ONE thing, and getting up early to complete my workout, it eliminates any other excuses, leaves me fresh and invigorated for a productive day, and it makes exercising later in the day unnecessary.  It’s my one strategy for staying on track with my own exercise.

The ONE thing will instantly narrow your focus to achieve your fitness goals (or any goals) with precise accuracy.

Even if you’re currently “on track” and experiencing success, the ONE thing will KEEP you on track!

The beautiful thing about this strategy is that it will work in all areas of your life:  your personal life, your finances, your spiritual life, your family, your business/job, your relationships:

“What is the ONE thing I can do today so that everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

Start now.  Take a look at the areas of your life where you are strugging and narrow it down to just ONE thing.  Ask yourself that question, focus on the simplicity.  All the rest will fall into place eventually by just focusing on your ONE thing for a while.

Eventually, that ONE thing will be so easy and so natural that it will be time to find another ONE thing to keep you moving forward.  That’s the beauty of it.

Focus on ONE thing, and the rest will follow!

Sometimes We Need a Little Help 

A recent study conducted at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago found that participants who were trying to track their own diet and exercise programs in smartphone applications were most successful at achieving their goals when they regularly attended health-education classes offered through the university during the yearlong study.  (Classes were held twice a month for the first six months, once monthly thereafter).

Study participants were not only accountable to their peers who attended the same classes, but also to their health-education coach, who frequently would give “homework,” to the attendees and reach out to them regularly to check in on their progress and their “stick-to-it-iveness.” 

If you are interested in having a “Virtual Coach” to guide you to your weight loss and/or fitness goals, contact me today!  I am forming accountability groups as we speak, and will work with you to design a program that will ensure your success.  I will be your 24/7 Coach, there to encourage you, motivate you, provide you with the information you need, and check in with you regularly to keep on track!  Click on the link below (taking you to my Contact Form), and I will get back to you within 24 hours so we can get you started on the road to success!

Yes!  I want to learn more about Virtual Coaching!

(GREAT for making ahead and packing to go!!)

Makes 8 muffins; serving size: 2 muffins
Ingredients:

8 eggs

1.5 cups shredded turkey meat (can also use cooked ground turkey or chicken)

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup diced shallot

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 slices bacon, diced (turkey or soy, if preferred)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium saucepan, saute the shallots and red pepper in olive oil until tender.  In a medium bowl, scramble eggs, add turkey, red pepper, shallot, salt, pepper and bacon.  Swipe muffin tins with olive oil (I spray lightly and swipe it around with a clean papertowel).  Pour egg mixture into prepared muffin tins until just under the rim.  Do not overfill!  If you have extra mixture, make an extra muffin.  Fill unused muffin cups with a small amount of water to keep from scorching.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Let cool slightly and pop out muffins.  Store leftovers in refrigerator for reheating when ready to eat.

Nutritional breakdown per serving (2 muffins):

Calories 142, Protein 12.9 g, Carbohydrate 3.5 g, Fat 7.2 g, Cholesterol 232 mg, Sodium 222mg

I have Virtual Coaching programs available to fit any lifestyle, and any budget!

Contact me today and we will put together a coaching plan that is perfect for you!

Melanie will guide you in the transformation through solid training and coaching and you will walk away with riveting results, every time.