What Stage Are You At?

There are 5 stages a person goes through before starting a healthy routine.  If you are having a problem sticking to a routine, learning the 5 stages and identifying where you are may make it easier for you start and stick to a healthier lifestyle.

Somethings gotta change!!

First Stage: Pre Contemplation

At this stage you don’t think there is a need to eat healthier and exercise.  You think everything is fine and you can continue a life of scarfing down junk food and practicing the art of being a couch potato.  You shrug off claims that diet and exercise are good for you and decide to spend you free time in front of the television.

Second Stage: Contemplation

You realize you need to do something. Your weight has gotten progressively worse, and you don’t have any energy. You may be experiencing some health issues and you feel tired most of the time. When you check your kitchen for something healthy to eat, you find the closest thing you have for healthy consumption is water. Still the problem seems too big to handle and you decide to do nothing.

Third Stage: Preparation

In this stage you start collecting information. You call a few gyms for pricing and inquire about healthy eating programs. You may even engage in some sporadic exercise like walking once every week or so. People in this stage are ready to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This is the stage most get stuck in. If you can stay on this path and try to progress to the next stage it will be a big and important hurdle. Starting a routine with a friend is more fun. It’s much easier when you are not going it alone.

Fourth Stage: Action

This is the stage when people engage in a regular routine of healthier living. They exercise several times a week and make healthier food choices. This stage is still new and the routine has not been regular for more than 6 months. It is at this stage that more than half of the people give up and slide back to their old ways. If you can push through at least 6 months it is more likely to become part of your regular routine.  Your body will really show signs of a healthier lifestyle. Having a friend helps a lot in this stage. Sharing experiences, hardships and triumphs with someone else increases the rate of success.

Fifth Stage: Maintenance

By now the body has a routine and eating healthy is something that comes much easier. This happens after 6 months of a daily healthy routine. Regular exercise is craved by the body and you don’t feel right unless you stick to it. Health has improved, energy levels are up and you not only feel better but look better too!

We wish everyone good luck in starting their routine. But it is not luck you need. Your limits are defined by agreements you've made about what’s possible, change that agreement and you can dissolve all limits*. Remember you are never too old, too fat, too out of shape, too weak or too busy to start living a healthy lifestyle, only too lazy!!!

*Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, "Everyday Wisdom"

Written by Joann Agoglia

Edited by Rob Marshall

10 Reasons Why People Don’t Exercise

1. Too busy/I don’t have the time/my life is so hectic.

This is probably the most popular excuse for not living a healthy lifestyle. In today’s world everyone is busy. Life is stressful and there is always something to do or somewhere to go. People who workout don’t do so because they have too much time on their hands; they do it because they have set priorities in their lives.  Taking the time to exercise and work on being healthy is important to them. It should be important to everyone. Without your health, very little else matters. Unfortunately, people spend more time and money on their outer selves then they do on their inner selves. Just think of all the time and money we spend on hair care products, make-up, moisturizers, perfume, cologne etc. We think nothing of spending time looking good on the outside but often fall short of taking the time to make ourselves healthy on the inside.

Pets need and love to exercise!

2. I don’t know how to start/what to do.

Starting an exercise routine is easier than you may think. The best way is to start walking. Put on your sneakers, open the door and start walking. Walk for 15 min then turn around and walk back home. There does not have to be an ideal time to do it, as long as you start. Aim for 3-4 times a week. If you can get in 4-5 that’s great. The point is that you set that time aside to exercise. Once this has become a routine you can change it up a bit by adding in strength training and stretching. Make sure you consult a professional on the proper way to stretch and strength train. Eating healthy is easy too. Start by having a healthy breakfast and drinking enough water. Most people are always dehydrated. Cut out unhealthy snacking and try not to eat 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. After that has become routine consulting a health coach is a good way to go.

3. I have an injury/I have aches and pains and can’t exercise.

Chances are that injury or those aches and pains are your body’s way of saying it needs to move. Tight stiff muscles and joints cause aches and pains. The older you get the tighter and stiffer your joints become. Stiff joints and tight muscles make you more prone to injury. Those injuries don’t necessarily come when you are doing something strenuous. They often occur when you are doing your everyday activities, lifting a not-so-heavy object, reaching for something on a high shelf, or twisting a certain way. If you have a nagging injury it’s best to see a physical therapist first. They will give you the right exercises to do to help strengthen the injured area. You may have to rethink those aches and pains and that injury. Use it because you are starting to lose it.

4. Too expensive/I don’t have the money for a gym membership or a trainer.

It costs $0 to go for a walk and some health care insurance companies will reimburse you the money to join a gym. You can forgo the gym all together and find a personal trainer to come to your home. This is less expensive than joining a gym and then paying for personal training; plus, you save time and money on gas. Shop around. Affordable personal trainers are out there, and they are qualified (like us) to help you reach your health goals. Most of us will give you a free training session to start.  I think of it this way: what do you spend weekly on you cell phone bill, cable and internet, car payment, gas for your car, or eating out??  Aren’t you worth more than those things? Like I mentioned in reason one, we spend so much to look good on the outside. Most personal training sessions cost a lot less than the price of getting your hair dyed and styled or the price of dining out for two.

5. I’ll start tomorrow/This is my last day of eating unhealthy/Tomorrow will be a new day.

This reminds me of a quote: “Procrastinators of the world unite…tomorrow.” I much more prefer “Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.” We don’t have tomorrow; we have no control over it so why put off something for tomorrow when you can do it now?  Right now is all we really have control over. Right now is when you can make a difference or make a change. If you can make a difference now, then do it. You will be glad you did.

6. I’m too embarrassed to go to the gym/only fit people go to the gym.

Whenever I hear this one I am always surprised. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Sure there are fit people at the gym, but there are also people who are just starting a fitness routine and people who have been working on losing weight but still have more to go. There are older people staying active, younger people training for a sport, and people working through an injury. There are all kinds of people. If you’ve made the decision to go to a gym, you did it for you and not for other people. If that is still not enough, you can always join with a friend or hire an in-home personal trainer (which you can also do with a friend).  It is always easier to start something with a pal and more fun.

7. Too hard/I can’t handle working out.

A workout doesn’t have to be very strenuous, especially when you first start. You need to start out slow. Remember: slow and steady wins the race. You may not be in a race, but starting out fast and strenuous is a good way of getting injured. Some people like to sweat and push themselves to the limit, but if you are not one of those people that’s fine. As long as you get moving it’s a good start.

8. I don’t like to workout.

This is one I can relate to. Neither do I! I also am not too fond of a lot of vegetables (especially peas), I don’t like to floss, and I hate taking any type of medication even if I really need it. I hate cleaning the toilet, scooping out the litter box, cleaning out the vacuum, changing diapers. But guess what: it has to be done so stop whining and do it.

9. Too tired.

Your lack of energy can be due to your lack of exercise and or an unhealthy diet. Living a healthier lifestyle will give you more energy to do the things in life you really enjoy.

10. I don’t need too. I have always been thin and able to eat whatever I want.

Just because you’re not over weight doesn’t mean you don’t have to exercise or eat healthy. Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t about looking good or losing weight. It is about having a healthy functioning body. Thin people get sick and injured too. Tight stiff muscles and joints are not limited to people who are over weight. Being thin doesn’t give you a good cardiovascular system. Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. People of all shapes and sizes have cardiovascular problems and die of heart related diseases.

These are just 10 reasons why people don’t work out. If one of these reasons sounds familiar I hope we have helped. If you have a different excuse, let us know. We would love to here from you. Whatever your reason is for not starting a healthy lifestyle I bet you can find a lot more reason to start one!

Written by Joann Agoglia

Edited by Rob Marshall

A Dose of Reality and A Nugget of Nutrition Be Leaner and Greener

Reducing your waist line can help you reduce your carbon foot print and visa versa. Take an average lunch for example. Since most of us have a limited amount of time for lunch, quick and simple is the only way to go. This is why the fast food drive thru is always crowded, but it is not the only way. It is simple and sometimes quick, but those are about the only benefits.

Most fast food lunches contain 700-1200 calories. Even the salads! The calories can be cut in half for the salads if you don’t use any dressing and get rid of the croutons. Lets face it, a salad for lunch leaves you hungry in a couple of hours even with chicken or a hard boiled egg. Now take out the dressing and not only is it not filling, but it isn’t satisfying either.

One nights worth of trash at a fast food restaurant.

 Now let’s take a look at the effects on your carbon footprint from that meal.  Everything you order comes in its own wrapping. The sandwich has a bag or a box, and the drink has a cup and sometimes a straw. You may get bottled water, but you need to make sure the bottle is being recycled. If you get a side, that too comes in its own container. It doesn’t matter if it is paper or plastic because neither one can be recycled. Then everything comes in yet another bag. If you have the time to go inside you will be using a tray that has a paper liner that is not recyclable and trays use up water and electricity when being washed. Additionally, your car uses gas to go waiting in line at the drive thru. If it is a nice day you just may have the car windows open until you the smell of the car exhaust gets to you. So you close the windows and turn on the air conditioner or maybe the heat which uses even more gas.

All of this from only one lunch for one person. This is repeated hundreds of thousands of times a day all across the US. What can you do about it?

If you don’t already know, packing your own lunch can be much healthier for you. Compared to a meal at your favorite fast food restaurant (or even you favorite big chain restaurant) your homemade lunch can contain less calories and a bigger amount of food to eat.  If you pack everything in reusable containers just think of all the trash you save from going into the landfills. You may not live near a landfill, but someone does.  We also encourage the use of reusable water bottles. Find yourself a tin drink container. It can go from freezer to dishwasher. If you frequent popular cafes, take advantage of the reusable coffee mugs they always have for sale or try stores like Target for cheaper prices on bigger travel mugs.

Unfortunately the average American produces between 9-10 pounds of trash in just two days and is 17 pounds over weight. It all adds up when you reduce the amount of trash you create on a weekly basis and the amount of calories you consume on a daily basis by taking your own lunch to work! One person can make a difference!  If you have children you are setting a great example for them to follow. They too can pass this good habit down to their children.

If you have a hard time deciding what to bring for lunch, feel free to contact us. Just let us know what you like for lunch and we can come up with a leaner, greener way for you to enjoy your favorite meals.

Written by Joann Agoglia

Edited  by Rob Marshall