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Falling Off The Healthy Wagon

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IMG_0041 I’ve always been a thin guy. I’ve never really had any issues with food (except maybe peas, ugh!), and for the most part I’ve been very active, but skinny. My partner, Rob, on the other hand will tell you that he was a fat kid. He ate anything he could get a hold of and was never much into being active. Becoming an adult changed that for both of us and we can now say, eating right and working out have been an important part of our lives for more than 35 years.

For the past three years, Rob and I have been working for ourselves. We are both Licensed Massage Therapist and Personal Trainers.   Rob is a Registered Yoga Teacher who also teaches Meditation and I have a ‘Certificate in Nutrition’ from The American Council on Exercise. We work out with a trainer three times a week and try hard to get in two if not three sessions of cardio each week. Our diets are clean, with no red meat. We buy and eat as much organic foods as possible and we drink a fresh fruit & vegetable juice each day.   With us being advocates for “Healthy Living”, we feel it’s necessary for us to walk the walk so as to inspire our clients to incorporate our “talk” into their lives. By being healthy and active people we feel we help our clients be the same.IMG_0053

A little more than two months ago, something shifted.   We found ourselves at the gym only twice a week with an occasional visit to the fat-burning cardio machines.   While our diet at home remained pretty much the same, we found ourselves skipping meals and eating out more than usual.   Snacking on hummus and crackers was almost an everyday thing and we began to ‘treat’ ourselves with a glass of wine or a beer almost every night.

Enabling each other in our “treats” and irregular habits became easy. A typical rational was – “Ok, its 7:30 pm and we’re just finishing up a massage client, I don’t feel like cooking so let’s just go out and grab something. And since we’re out, let’s have a beer with dinner.”   One beer easily turns into two, and after a couple of beers and getting home around 10:00 pm – well, now it’s too late to set the alarm for 6:30am to make it to the trainer, so let’s cancel. And the cycle continued.

It’s easy to fall into a cycle that feels good in the moment but is not supporting your overall plan for your life. That is exactly where we found ourselves.

We work mostly from home with our massage clients coming to us.  Originally, we were good at keeping up with our meals and our workouts, but as we got busier, scheduling clients started to become a problem. Not a problem in the sense that they were not welcomed and we didn’t appreciate the business (we welcomed all the business) but the problem was in blending the client’s needs and timing with our established healthy habits. Some days, one or two clients would book mid-afternoon and we found ourselves missing lunch or grabbing a handful of nuts. Then, a yoga teacher would call needing a sub for their 5:45pm class. So we’d end up in a restaurant having dinner……and the cycle continued.   We began to teach from one side of our mouth while we were eating a grilled turkey sandwich and having a cold beer with the other side. And the pounds started to accumulate.

UGH, did we ever fall off the healthy wagon!

The weight gain was noticeable – especially to us. We knew that something was up but we just didn’t see or feel it at first and then couldn’t stop it.   We talked about our lack of attention to our lifestyle and knew that something had to change…but nothing did. We had less energy and doing the things we wanted to do become harder and harder to do. Then one day while preparing for an upcoming retreat that we were hosting, called Personal Training for the Body & Soul – we stopped and said, wait a minute, this is exactly what we need! It made us stop and say; “What in the hell are we doing?” And more than What are we doing, Why are we doing this?

We both knew we were medicating ourselves. There had to be something deeper going on within us. But what? And–where do we go from here?

With our notes for our Retreat in hand we began asking ourselves a few questions. “What is really important to us? What do we value?” We made a list. Then came: “Are we acting in accordance to what we value and deem important?” The answer this time was a resounding, No! Then to bring it back around, we asked ourselves, “What do we need to do to get back on track and get back to our core values?” With new dedication and determination we began the process of getting back on our own wagon – we know what it takes.

We never did come up with a particular “ WHY” we fell from the Healthy Wagon. It is usually a combination of life situations that hit at once. In our case we let ourselves get overwhelmed about our life. Sound familiar?

Life is a spiral and we keep coming back to the same place. The trick is to see this place with new eyes, with a clearer vision because of our past experiences. It is never exactly the same. As with all things in life there is ebb and flow, a crest then a wake. This back and forth, is our True Self seeking balance – a natural process from moving away from center than back again, like walking a tight-rope, or staying grounded and balanced while doing Warrior II in a yoga class. It’s like knowing when to work hard and knowing when you need a vacation. We come and we go, we move this way and that – all in an effort to find our midpoint or quite spot. Falling off the Healthy Wagon and getting back on was part of our evolution. It made us more aware of what is important to us and therefore a little easier this time to climb back up and get back on.

“It is not so much about changing the pace of our life as it is about changing the pace of our mind”, Rob said to me one day!

The mind is a wonderful tool but it can also be a force that pushes you fast and furious off the wagon of your life. Take a little time each day to step back from yourself and take a look at what you are doing. Do you feel good or do you need to make some alterations? Take a look at your daily routine. Are you living according to your values and what is important to you? This self- check in can become a healthy habit which makes staying on track easier.

It’s your life. Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be in love with you!

Steve Bolia & Rob Dorgan

Can You Laugh At Yourself?

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Fotolia_55328154_Subscription_XXLHealth and fitness-related issues can often come across as serious topics. It takes a committed decision to step up, and to create a lifestyle that is the catalyst toward major changes.

Part of that lifestyle change is the decision to take responsibility for your own health. Part of this is doing your utmost to follow through with your health and fitness goals.

We all have a tendency to buckle in to those feelings of self-criticism when we fall short of following through with our fitness goals. We beat ourselves up for not trying harder. We wish that we were stronger in resisting those temptations to consume those foods that end up damaging our bodies. We think less of ourselves, and this can stir up old patterns of self-doubt and unworthiness. It is during these moments that we need to remain positive, and focus on our goals.

This is a time when we should learn to laugh at the challenges we face on a daily basis! When we see ourselves in a humorous light, we diffuse the power of self-defeating thoughts and feelings that can cripple our ability to grow and advance as healthy, happy human beings.

Allow me to offer one example of how laughing at a situation helped to conquer my food cravings, while turning the whole process into a game.

There are many times when I’m shopping for food and suddenly think, “Man, I would love some ice cream with a piece of pie!” My favorite is pumpkin pie…but everybody has their own button. It is during these moments that I do everything I can to not think about my cravings. I must admit, those cravings can be too hard to resist!

As a way of overcoming this situation, I make sure to have my shopping basket filled with the foods I truly need. I stay away from the aisles that carry poor quality foods that I know I should avoid.

If my cravings are especially intense, I make a game out of my shopping experience. I take this opportunity to boldly stand in front of the ice cream case. I focus on it all and think, ‘if I were to have this sweet treat tonight, what would be the best treat to select?’ I read the labels of every yummy morsel, and I then find the one that calls to me, and put it in my basket. This makes it easier to finish my shopping. Yet, all the while I feel as if I have my favorite, treat waiting for me. By the time I’m ready to check out, I have overcome my desire for the treat, and I have put the ice cream and pie back on the shelf.

Instead of becoming frustrated, and falling into a place of self- judgment, I find a way to laugh at myself, at my old programing, and make a game out of it all!

There are times when we goof up, and allow our old way of thinking to get the better of us. When this happens, learn to laugh at yourself. Get on with creating the life you truly desire. Don’t fall into the trap of self-judgment and unworthiness.

The more you can laugh at your old programing foibles, the faster you will create the health and wellness you desire.

Would you like to understand how these old programs sabotage all your efforts to create the health and fitness you desire?

Here is a complimentary webinar to get you started.

I would love to help you on your journey of health and wellness.

I wish for all of you, Vibrant Health!  Dave

Stacking The Odds In Your Favor

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DF2Fall is upon us once more. And so it begins that, with summer over and the days getting shorter, we wish to ease into more consistent actions that create personal health and fitness.

Unfortunately, with the cooler weather and holidays approaching, many will begin taking in sweets and junk foods and the like. Along with this first insult to the body systems, some folks will allow the busier schedule of the holiday season to be yet another reason for slacking off on their exercise.

In all, these misplaced actions send the body into a tailspin. The body is not able to keep up with the onslaught of over-eating, eating poor quality foods, and not getting the exercise or sleep that the body actually craves at this time!

The final result is that after January 1st, the reckoning time comes when you look at yourself in the mirror and admit you need to do something about how awful you feel. ‘Where did those extra ten to fifteen pounds come from,’ you naively ask? It is as if you didn’t want to take responsibility for your actions through the holiday season by pleading ignorance.

It’s as if you’re standing in front of your subconscious saying, “I swear your honor, I didn’t know that eating all those extra sweets, and fatty foods, and alcohol, along with not doing my exercise, was going to put on all this weight and make me feel so horrible!”

Now that we have imagined what will happen if you allow yourself to let go, let’s design some simple steps to keep you, not only on track with your health and fitness, but also accelerate your results.

How would it feel if, on January 2nd, you looked in the mirror and saw a lean, healthy, strong and vibrant body?

I know exactly what you would feel. You would have such a sense of accomplishment and pride in yourself for sticking to your guns and doing what you knew was right.

Let’s stack the odds in your favor so that you have this amazing experience come January 2nd.

  1. Get very clear on what you want your body and health to be like. It does not matter where you start. Write your goals down and put them in the present tense as if you already have it right now.
  2. Every morning, afternoon and evening you will take 5-10 minutes to visualize what a healthy body feels like as if you already have it.
  3. Make a list of the simple actions you must take to assure you don’t get caught off guard.
  4. Prepare all meals ahead of time for daily consumption. You could even make everything in one weekend and freeze some of it!
  5. Make sure to bring food with you to work and play.
  6. Bring 2-3 quarts of filtered water with you every day. Make sure to drink it.
  7. Get quality sleep – Bed by 10pm, wake at 6am.
  8. Exercise everyday – even if you only have time for walking.
  9. Always eat before going out to a party so that you are not tempted to eat all the high carb, fatty, sodium and sugar filled foods.
  10. When you find your thoughts drifting to negative ideas, recognize that they are only a product of past experiences. Now is the time for you to create a new reality in which you are in control of your thoughts, feelings and actions.

Remember you must take responsibility to create this healthy, fit, vibrant life. You already have all it takes. It is now time to use your God-given abilities to see that the autumn season is actually a new beginning!

Here is a complimentary webinar to get you started. I would love to help you on your journey of health and wellness.

I wish for all of you Vibrant Health!

Dave

Falling Forward Into Your Desired Health

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Fotolia_54489997_Subscription_Monthly_MWhen we analyze how humans walk, jog, and run, we can determine that these actions are a “controlled fall forward.” It is a scientific truth that in order to move forward, we must lean our weight to the front of our center of gravity. This causes our upper body to tip forward, or to “fall forward.” We then take a step to catch ourselves while we continue this forward fall. In order to stop the fall, we must continually adjust our bodies over our center of gravity.

I love using metaphors such as this because it allows me to combine the idea of locomotion with other actions that will allow you to reach a goal.

We look at the idea of walking, jogging and running as a controlled fall forward. So, naturally, when we decide to move forward in other aspects of life, we also must move forward toward a specific goal.

Standing still could be seen as a stagnant state of consciousness. Standing is a place of known events. When we are standing, we feel safe.

This state could be compared to where you are in your life right now. There is little that is unknown, or new, in your everyday life, and this makes you feel comfortable. Even though there could be a lot going on in your life that you’re not happy about, at least you know what to expect.

What if, while you were standing in that one comfortable place, you decided that you desire more! You might wish for a better body, or better health overall. Maybe you desire more wealth, a better career or anything that you know would bring you more happiness. The choices are endless.

There is an old saying, “You can’t get there from here.” There has to be forward motion if you are ever going to achieve that “more” state.

What do you have to do in order to obtain more in life? You have to fall forward and create some momentum until you are running toward it. In fact, I would say this is true for just about anything you desire in your life that is really big and different from where you are now.

Think about it. You will have to lean forward beyond your center of gravity, which means metaphorically you have to purposely take yourself out of balance and all that you currently understand and fall into the unknown in front of you.

That can be scary! Imagine what an infant looks like just as he/she is learning to walk. The infant sort of resembles a drunken sailor, right? The infant leans forward and tilts back, until finding his/her center of gravity. All the while the brave little baby takes those unknown steps forward that will eventually propel him/her across the room. The baby might be unsure and fall on his/her butt many times in the process.

But does this infant ever believe there is no point to his/her actions? Does the baby give up, and say “Oh why bother?” Of course not.

Any baby will continue to try until it becomes skilled enough to achieve the goal of walking. And this is a human at its youngest and most vulnerable stage of life!

We are no different than an infant learning to walk. We must understand this in order to grow. There will be uncomfortable moments, but those uncomfortable moments must be understood as part of the growing process. They should be expected as part of achieving any new goal that is big, bold and, yes … scary.

My mentor Bob Proctor says goals should be so big they scare you! If they don’t, then it is not big enough. A goal that doesn’t scare you is never going to stretch you, or force you to grow.

If you are not growing out of who you are right now, then you will stay exactly where you are. This means you will never become the person you truly desire to be.

We all know of folks who have achieved great things, who seem genuinely happy and excited about the challenges life offers. These people are consistently doing well, but do you ever wonder how they got there?

To use our metaphor, they set a big scary goal, something they really wanted, and they fell forward.

What is it you desire to fall forward into?

Do you finally want to have the body you have always dreamed of? Then fall forward!

Do you want, once and for all, to heal yourself of health issues that plague you? Then fall forward!

Do you want to create a life so amazing you are scared to even think about it? Then fall forward!

Open your heart and mind and begin to believe in yourself and your innate abilities that allow you to create what you desire.

Stop standing still, and fall forward.

I am here to help you on this journey.

I wish for you Vibrant Health!

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