Tag: fitness

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On Slow Progress, Time, & Consistency

I work as a health coach within a weight-loss and wellness clinic, and have for almost two years now. Previous to this endeavor, I coached exclusively women in one-on-one lifestyle programs aimed at gradual changes over time – with a six month commitment from each client. Knowing both sides of the “wellness-coin” at this point, I know a few pros/cons from both angles.

The obvious appeal of a weight-loss focused program is the fast results. Within the VitaLife program, our clients achieve an astounding average of 20 pounds of weight-loss within a 40 day period. Wow, right?! It’s almost miraculous, especially when you consider that the loss happens not with any shakes, pre-packaged meals, snack bars, shots/drugs, or surgical intervention. So what’s the schtick? How does it happen?

Whole clean foods….with temporary restrictions. 

There is no way to achieve dramatic loss quickly without dramatic change.

So, the benefit is: fast loss! Yay! Also – most people end up feeling AMAZING once they rid all the toxic crap from their diet and begin to hydrate from the inside out over the span of 65 days. The drawback is: you give up a lot of things for a short period of time to force your body into fat burning. 

Now, I hate restriction. I hate feeling like I “can’t” have anything I want to have food-wise. And there are lots of healthful foods that are not included in the program, simply due to the science of making the body shed fat fast. This type of program works really well for many, but where they fail is when/if they are not ready to make notable changes to their diets and lifestyle in the long-haul once the program is done.

You cannot keep doing the same thing over and over (diet-wise: i.e. junk food) and expect different results than you’ve already had (weight-gain and/or health struggles). 

So what’s the other option for health coaching and wellness? It’s the trifecta of long-lasting, and true change: Slow Progress + Time + Consistency. As a coach, this is my bread and butter (delicious, and I always crave it for myself and others!). As a mom/wife/woman, this is where I reap the most benefit personally: when I commit to changes that are gradual, buildable, measurable, and sustainable over time. (I like a checklist and a plan – anyone else?)

“Weight” is something that can be manipulated with drastic behavior changes for a short time, but HEALTH is something that comes from “tending your garden” so to speak:  to first culture nutrient-rich soil, plant individual seeds, and give them time, sunlight, water, and a climate to flourish.

I am a certified holistic health and wellness coach, meaning I see individuals as complex and unique, and each dealing with different goals, challenges, and physical realities. In order to really see change happen in your life — the kind of change that keeps you fulfilled, happy, motivated, and empowered — you need to be able to assess what your goals are, what challenges are in place currently, and how to physically and mentally commit to the change over long periods of time. 

Consistency of your behavior and mentality over time is what changes everything.

So what are the pros of a long-haul approach to wellness coaching: You get to keep flexibility in your lifestyle (without so much restriction), and you build stackable habits over time that are more likely to last in your lifestyle. And the cons? Well, it takes time, and you may not *see* the “results” as clearly (like a number on the scale) or quickly as you want.

I’m a radically different person today than I would have been had I not committed to changing my health and wellness at age 22. Your impetus toward change may be different from mine – and for some, it starts with a fast-fat-loss type program… but what matters over everything else is your decision to change, and to make it happen over time.

The fitness coach I’m following lately – Hannah Eden – does a good job of reminding me that the journey is never over in terms of fitness and health. Once one goal is met, then it’s time to set another and another and another. It’s through constant challenge over time that we grow, and become stronger not only physically in the gym, but also mentally in our lives. (*Disclaimer: some who are prone to mental illness or eating/exercise disorders may not be able to healthfully take this approach.)

Last year, I committed myself to the new “journey” of being an Athlete. While I have been relatively fit and active in various ways and intensities for the past 10 years (I’ve run five half marathons, done lots of different group classes over the years, gone through body-building programs and challenges, etc), I want to continually push myself into new athletic feats. 

My recent endeavors have been focused on HIIT – with plyometric movements, kettlebells (this is all new to me), and animal-flow style body-weight training. This type of exercise is about metabolic conditioning, to maximize fatigue in a short 30-45 minute workout. It’s effective! Below, you’ll see the effects of about 15 months of consistent resistance training and metabolic conditioning. It’s minimal difference on the scale (+/- 5-7 pounds), but major difference in recompositioning and body fat. This type of change happens slowly, progressively, over time, with consistency. (Oh, and a clean plant-powered diet!)

  • Not a before / after… just progress/change over time: November 2019 – Jan 2021

Whatever your goals are now, take time to really focus on the pros/cons of how to approach them, and recognize that either way (fast weight-loss or slow change), you’ll need to commit to yourself for the long run to really see the pay off. If you want some support, a good ass-kicking, a cheerleader, and/or a guide for the road, you know how to reach me. :-) 

You’ve got this. Now take a step!

– Whit

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It’s about the journey.

We’ve all heard that before, right? “Health is a journey, not a destination.” It’s a cliche because it’s true. 

I remember when it first “clicked” to me that I was ready to change my lifestyle, to lose weight, and feel better. I was 22 years old, freshly married, and really unhappy with how adulthood was panning out for me. Go to work, come home, sit and watch TV, eat a box of mac ‘n cheese, make a box of brownies, pour a rum ‘n coke. Sit. Sleep. Wake. Repeat. 

UGH. Blaaaaah! That kind of life was NOT leading to a healthy or happy person at all. So something shifted inside and I had this ‘ah-ha’ realization that I could redirect myself any time I damn well pleased.

And I was ready to do it, please and thank you.

As a naturally reward-centered and goal-oriented person, I set my first goal: to lose weight. I understand that weight-loss is NOT always an indication of health or wellness, or even positive changes for people. Oftentimes, weight loss is a scapegoat for some other deep seeded issues that people fixate on, and weight can be the ultimate blame or the ultimate “game” to focus on instead of whatever is really at the crux. But it was a natural first place for me to start, having never thought much about my weight before then (at least not obsessed over it). 

I was never an athlete growing up. I hated sports, hated games, and didn’t like being last and losing everything I attempted. (I had a few demoralizing years of attempting soccer, tennis, and track… nope nope nope.) So for me, getting started with anything fitness-wise was a first-ever attempt as an adult.

Working in a weight-loss clinic now, and having many years of health coaching experience under my belt, I can see how people wind up in the ‘yo-yo’ mentality with their weight. (See: scapegoat or distraction, above.) The real clincher I’ve found to be true in working with clients who are successful in losing weight and keeping it off is that there is a perceptible shift in how they think about their lives and themselves.

That happened for me – a life changing shift. It became not IF I lose the weight, but WHEN I lose the weight. (Again – “the weight” isn’t actually necessarily the problem here – but it was a tangible and measurable benchmark for me to start with in leading to a whole new lifestyle.)

The difference in thinking “If” versus “when” literally changed the direction of my life.

In my 20’s, I went through many phases in this journey. The first phase was weight-loss, and then it was active maintenance and calorie tracking. Then I shifted to intuitive eating, and started my journey to becoming a health coach. I tried the runner phase (I still run, but it’s not my sole identity), signing up for races, trying to better my distance and pace. I tried a yogi-phase (still love it, but am out of practice), and consistently did hot yoga and vinyasa, wore my mala beads and hippy-style clothes. I tried the body-building phase (which I’m still actively lifting now, but with a different approach), doing meaty meal-prep and steamed broccoli and egg whites…. Then I moved into the vegetarian>vegan phase… and then almost five years ago, I became a mom and had to readjust everything again.

Throughout all these stages, I was constantly looking for my next focus. Weight Loss. Maintenance. Health. Fitness. Motherhood. 

So what’s next? I’m already healthy. (check) I’m already pretty fit. (check) I’m already plant-based. (check) I’m an active mom, I work doing the things I love, married to a man I love. (check) I’m literally happier than I’ve ever been before. (I can’t believe how lucky I feel!)

You may be wondering why bother with a “next,” why not just stay right where you are? 

Because where I am is organic, ever changing, ever shifting and running through my fingers like an active stream. 

It’s not a destination. It’s a journey. 

It struck me that the next phase of my journey that feels right is a focus on improving my athleticism. 

For years, I’ve gone in phases of being more or less obsessive about exactly the number on the scale (for reference: I’m about 15 pounds heavier than my lowest weight, 10 years ago). But I’m seeing now that in my current life, this number has no place of health or wellness for me. I’ve already established habits that keep me healthy, so my weight is not a reflection of my health. I’m already very active, so it’s not a reflection of my lack of activity. My weight is simply my relationship with gravity. 

So it’s time to find a new focus. And I like the idea of being an athlete, growing into the “gains” I can make – the feats I can accomplish in this blessed strong body, versus how many pounds I can force it to shed. 

As a person who has never considered herself an athlete before, I’m ready to become one. I will never be an olympian or a professional anything. But I WILL be a badass 30-something mom who can squat and lift and sprint and curl. 

And you know what? You can decide to be whomever you want to be, whenever you want to. 

It’s never too late to be whomever you want to be.

Join your journey, just as you are. 

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First Video Blog (Vlog) – Health Coaching Principles

 

Greetings, friends!

Today, I got a wild hair and decided to try something new (well, newish for me): a video blog! I used to post an occasional vlog on SparkPeople when I was blogging regularly there, and would now like to get back in a routine of doing vlogs and blogs here on my own website. Sometimes it’s just better to hear things face-to-face, ya know?

My hope with these vlogs is to help generate conversation, and give you an opportunity to ask questions and possibly get them answered by me! I work on lots of different concepts with my clients, and would love to give you a little glimpse of what it would be like to work with me as a client.

In today’s vlog, I talk about my guiding principles in health coaching — the basic philosophies I have while working with clients toward healthy lifestyle changes. I hope you find it interesting, and that it gives you a better insight into what health coaching entails.

I would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and questions in my comments below! Do you agree with my principles? 

What would you like me to talk about next week? Any burning questions you’d like me to share my thoughts on? Ask away, and I’ll choose one to answer in my next vlog!