Yoga gifts. For your modern day yogie.
Posted by: Lindsay Hogg
I love, love and knowingly been in love before, I can tell you it really is like a different kind of high. Love even resembles the effect of cocaine on our brain!! How crazy is that?
This video is really interesting and if you weren’t pro-love before, you will be now! <3
Author: Lauren Dyck
I remember my first triathlon start very clearly. I squinted through my tinted goggles at the large-ish body of water that lay before me. A slew of doubts suddenly flew through my mind – what was I doing here? Why was I voluntarily going to get myself kicked and pushed through the water, only to then spin my wheels on a bike, and then RUN? Warm coffee would be great right about now. With a comfy blanket and Netflix. But before I could entertain these thoughts, we were off.
I finished in 11th place, but I didn’t care! I had pushed myself hard to do this. The weeks of training had made life extra-crazy, and every day I collapsed into bed. But I was hooked. The feeling of accomplishment and confidence was unmatched by anything else I had previously experienced. However, even more than the physical reward, I realized that the motor behind all of this had been my mental strength and ability to set my mind to something and see it through.
Physically changing your body is relatively easy. If you push yourself just a little harder each day, the body will adapt. This is the easy part. The bigger challenge in training for something new is to convince your brain that you can do it. Our brain is always looking out for us. But when we can experience the rewards that come from over-riding these over-protective mechanisms, we can really tap into our true potential – not only from a physical standpoint, but from a life standpoint as well. What the brain starts, the body will follow.
Here are three ways that you can kickstart your mental strength training:
• Seriously prioritize your goals. Consider your workout just as important is going to work or making dinner. If you keep your goal as a secondary “thing that I’ll get to later”, it’s much easier to leave it behind.
• Keep your plate organized. If you’re going to add in something new to your routine, keep in mind that something else might have to go. Our brain reserves are limited – we can’t do it all, all the time. Recognize that the thing to go will usually be the harder option, so set yourself up for success beforehand.
• Give it time to become a routine. Routines take time to build, but as humans we find comfort in them. Routines are just strengthened brain pathways – while introducing a new behaviour into your life, recognize that with some time and practice, it will eventually become as automatic as taking the dog for a walk. There are plenty of habit and goal-tracking apps these days that are great if you are a visual or interactive-type person.
• “This too, shall pass”. Doing something new, physically or otherwise, is not going to be easy. But the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward. Know that the reward will come, and you are in a position of discomfort only temporarily.
The rest of life suddenly begins to change shape when you begin to view new experiences as things that yield inner reward. What are you waiting for?
Lauren Dyck is a Registered Physiotherapist and avid Triathlete. She has completed over ten races since her first several years ago, including the 70.3 Half Ironman last summer with a podium finish.
When not training herself, Lauren specializes in treating endurance athletes of all levels in her personal physiotherapy practice, with an emphasis on strength training and injury prevention. She has two dogs – an English bulldog named Brick (for couch snuggles) and a chocolate lab named Floyd (as a running partner).
You can follow her racing adventures at www.sheswimsbikesruns.com
Posted By: Lindsay Hogg
I’ve watched quite a few documentaries and read some books on this topic. I can say that even with my knowledge of it, I still battle with food on and off. It’s quite scary when you learn what really goes on behind the scenes of what you’re picking up at the grocery store.
Posted by: Lindsay Hogg
I’m not normally one to watch anything celebrity related (no judgement, just not my thang!). But this video popped up on my favorite YouTube category and I thought it was quite lovely. Even women who we watch everyday have their own insecurities and battle with trying to find balance and happiness in their life. We are all human.
Author: Amber French
Toxic is more than just a Brittany Spears song…
When I was losing weight I felt morally obligated to share my journey (from the roof tops, as they say). I had something to say and wanted to HELP!!
Most people I know that have lost a lot of weight feel the same way and they quickly learn (as I did) that not everybody wants to hear it. I got really good at sniffing out the curious and focused my intensity on them.
Although not everyone wants to hear about what I had for breakfast and my workout for the day, most were supportive in their own way, Others were not…
Most that lose weight know that sometimes you lose more than pounds, some friends and family can be down right derailing and/or toxic. Some may not tough out your metamorphosis at all.
Toxic individuals can be as subtle as stealing your thunder and redirecting compliments away from you and on to them. You may have people who sabotage your efforts by throwing hurdles in your way (family can be good at that, serving up foods that you are trying to avoid or joking about your journey and trying to convince you “One wont hurt you”).
Weight loss may not turn your loved (read: tolerated) ones toxic, they may have been that way all along and your triumphs just bring it all to the surface.
I know one lady whose boyfriend was so jealous of her weigh loss that he all of a sudden started to lavish her with chocolates and chips and fancy dinners at restaurants that offered very little options for her. He would get mad when she bought new clothes and would tell people that complimented her that ‘it was no big deal, anybody could lose weight” he would tell her not to get to excited because they “both knew she was just going to gain it all back”!!!!!
Although that was an extreme and obvious case, toxicity can sneak in and it is up to us too handle it and be prepared when it does happen.
Her are my tips for dealing with the unsupportive and toxic folk:
Call them on it – if you are tired of hearing your loved ones backhand compliments or weight related jokes, make sure first that they know they are doing it and that you aren’t a fan. I have personally told someone in my life “Hey, this is hard enough without your negative 2 cents” they were very taken aback and eventually apologized and recognized that they weren’t happy with the progress of their own journey and eventually became one of my biggest supporters.
Set boundaries – if you have trigger foods or restaurants or people limit how much time you spend around them. if your friends love pubs and you can’t resist beer and poutine, tell them and involve them in helping to solve the issue by picking a different place to meet or holding you accountable when you give the local watering hole a chance. if you have a sister that makes you dive head first into a vat of molten chocolate either take her in small doses and stick to your plan. Review the issue with your supportive person and involve them in your get away plan.
Clean out your Contact List – Use your journey to cut ties with the people that you already knew were toxic. Claiming your health back is more than just healthy eating and exercise. it also involves finding peace and reducing stress. And while you are rocking the weight-loss/health-gain thing why not move on from those that don’t help you serve your purpose on this planet.
Up your Inner Circle – Take the opportunity of trying new run groups or fitness centres to find like minded people that can overtime become your people! Like minded individuals will get your journey and can be great resources, especially if they are further along in their own journey. You never know who you might meet while shopping organic or hitting the local juice bar. Be open to new friendships.
Taking care of your health should reflect in all areas of your life. Don’t let others carve out your path and definitely don’t hand over the power to those that can’t stand to see you succeed!
Happy Detoxing,
Amber
About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.
You can follow her @TheVeganHouse