How to Rock Your Performance Review

That moment when the invite for your annual review hits your inbox… and dread sets in…

You know what I’m talking about, right?

Even for rockstar employees like yourself, annual reviews can leave a bad taste in your mouth, especially in a world of check boxes and ridiculous HR requirements. 

(Am I the only one here who’s worked at a company were you literally were not allowed to be ranked high on everything?  What kind of BS is that?!?!)

But there’s another side to annual reviews.  They provide an opportunity to celebrate your accomplishments and to demonstrate to your manager how you see your performance, your value, and your future.

Here are five tips to rock your performance review.

1. Get in the driver’s seat

One of the best pieces of career advancement advice I ever got was this:

“If you’re manager invites you to a meeting, never assume that he/she is running the meeting.  Always be prepared to take the ball and run with it.”

With performance reviews, this is even more critical.  You have a vested interest in the outcome of the meeting, so take charge of driving the conversation.

DO:Have talking points and questions ready.

DON’T:Be so stringent that your manager can’t get a word in edge-wise.

2. Decide what you really want (and deserve).

We all, invariably, want to earn more money.  But is this all what you really want?  (It’s ok if it is)

Think bigger picture here.  When you think of your career, what do you want to accomplish?  What do you want to be known for?  It might be a cross-functional training opportunity. It might be leadership development.  

Get clear on what you want: money, a promotion, a client-facing role, training opportunities, autonomy.

DO: Ask – clearly and concisely – for what you really want and be prepared with suggestions for how your manager can help you reach your goals.

DON’T:Be unreasonable.  Asking for a 20% raise when the average for your company is 4% is not only likely to be denied, but you’ll also be taken a lot less seriously for asking for it.

3. Power in Numbers

Look – your performance review is not an opportunity to bitch and complain, talk about how you feel, or lay out what you “think” you deserve.  It’s your (sometimes one and only) annual chance to prove your value.  Feelings and your personal sense of entitlement do not demonstrate the quality and merit of your performance.  Facts make your case.

DO: Have concrete details (and the numbers to back them up) about the contributions you’ve made to the company’s goals.  Be as thorough as possible.   

DON’T:Leave it to your manager to know what you accomplished this year.

4. Practice your delivery

A performance review is an inherently nerve-wracking situation; practice can help you feel cool, calm, and collected, even under stress.   Rehearse asking for and justifying what you want. It gets easier and more natural every time you say it out loud.  Also, practice consciously restraining from filling in all the dead space.  Give your manager time to contemplate and respond.

DO:Practice out loud (just like back in grade school when you had a big presentation)

DON’T:Wing it (unless you don’t really care if you get what you want)

5. Be Open to Criticism

News flash: you’re not perfect! (sorry to burst your bubble)

But, even if you were, there’s still an opportunity to be EVEN BETTER. 

Ask for feedback on your work.  Get specific details and ask clarifying questions if you need to.

DO:Use criticism as an opportunity to grow your skillset and advance your career.

DON’T:Get combative.  Picking a fight will not support your case that you’re a stellar employee.

So, are you ready to rock your performance review yet?  Go get ‘em, tiger.

rock your performance review

I Don't Have a Weight Loss Story

Clients often come to me for help with weight loss.  I don't "do" weight loss.  It just happens to be a benefit of the work that I do.   Weight is a symptom that there is an imbalance in your life related to your "primary food" - surrounding yourself with authentic and heart-warming people, finding ways to be active, doing work you love.

"Food is more than what you find on your plate.  [Primary food] can fill your soul and satisfy your hunger for life. When primary food is balanced and satiated, your life feeds you, making what you eat secondary...When we use secondary food as a way to alleviate or suppress our hunger for primary food, the body and mind suffer. Weight gain is just one of the consequences."

Let me tell you a story...not a weight loss story, a stress loss story.

When I was in the thick of a miserable existence, I was using all my energy (and most of the hours in my day) at work.  The last year at that job, I literally dragged myself out of bed every day, totally spent from the day before, just to head back to the gray cubicle that I'd grown more and more resentful of.  I let my 6-year relationship with the man who would eventually become my husband, THE most important relationship in my life, become secondary.  I ate whatever quick meals I could grab and go with, or I didn't eat at all.  When I was exhausted in the middle of the day, I headed to Starbucks to throw my hard-earned money at a triple shot (or quad if it was one of THOSE days) latte.  When I got home, the first thing I did was pour a glass (or four) of wine, before logging back in to work.  Eventually, I'd settle in to a restless night, just to wake up and do it all over again.

At the same time as this job was totally draining me, I was also deeply engaged in the work that I was doing, and I was f'ing good at it, too.  I still don't quite understand how I could love and resent something at the same time, but that's what it was.  Leaving felt like admitting defeat; staying felt worse every single day.

I was a mess.  I couldn't see it, but my primary food was TOTALLY out of whack and the symptoms were all there:

-A disgruntled attitude and accompanying constant stream of expletives coming from my cube -Binge drinking several nights a week - an escape from the drudgery of my everyday life -Constantly dipping energy levels, only fixed with multiple shots of espresso -Trouble sleeping through the night and waking up feeling drained -An emotional and physical disconnect from my husband; and -A reciprocal emotional and obsessive connection with my work

It was bad... but it didn't seem to be quite bad enough for me to quit.  Honestly, if I hadn't had the eye-opening experience where I realized I was totally replaceable, I might still be in that job.  I'd be single, have put on 20+ pounds, and get about 5 hours of sleep a night (if I was lucky).  

It was incredibly hard, but I did leave.  And something amazing happened as a result: I started to take care of ME.  I started running and got serious about my yoga practice; I even went so far as to go to yoga teacher training.  I spent more time with my husband - quality time, not "bitch about lazy coworkers" time.  I cooked more and ate lots and lots of vegetables.  I went on a hunt for work I loved (and I found it!).  Once I started to do the hard work of getting my primary food in order, the stress melted off of me - slowly at first, but compounding over time.

It happens like that with weight, too; when you start to do the hard work of creating a life you love, the rest starts to fall in to place.

It's not easy.  It's not always fast.  It's hard to walk away from things that don't serve us.  It's tough to take a step back.  But, it's also revolutionary, and empowering, and beautiful - and, as a personal coach, I'm here for you every step of the way. 

Feel Refreshed (not drained) this Holiday Season

So, how many photos of Starbucks holiday cups have you seen on Facebook and Instagram this week? I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen about 20.

Starbucks, I’ve seen your cups and hear your message loud and clear: The holiday season is here.

So many of us use the holiday season to kick back and indulge because, HELL, we’ve worked hard this year.  And you know what, you DO deserve to indulge and have a blast (not JUST during the holidays, but that’s a discussion for another day...).

But, what you don’t deserve is packing on a couple pounds in as many months OR completely overloading your body on sugar and booze OR day-long holiday shopping sessions fueled by Diet Coke and Annie’s pretzels. 

Let’s make this year different.  What do you say?

Join me for my 5 day Holiday Refresh from December 2^nd to December 6^th

(conveniently scheduled right after Thanksgiving, so you can kick that post-turkey bloat to the curb!)

You’ll get all the support you need to help you:

• Slash cravings for sugar and carbs
• Reduce bloating
• Lose a few pounds
• Have more energy and wake up REFRESHED every day

So you look and FEEL outstanding this holiday season (and rock that hot little black dress you bought for office holiday party!)

Here’s what’s included in the Refresh:

• 5 days of done-for-you Refresh meal plans & a companion Shopping List ($199 value)
• 5 days of Shakeology ($25 value)
• Daily email support from me, your coach and cheerleader ($50 value)
• Access to an exclusive, members only, online support group ($99 value)
• PLUS a personal 50-minute Breakthrough session ($175 value)

The cost? Only $49 USD!

Ready to get started? You must register by 4 pm EST on 11/22! Click below to register!

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Any questions?  Email me (I promise to respond within 2 business days)

The Fine Print

• Registration closes Friday, November 15th at 5pm EST
• All purchases are final; No refunds or exchanges
• All Breakthrough Sessions must be scheduled by 4/1/2014

Why Nutrition is Foundational to Lifestyle Coaching (and anarchistic!)

What if I described myself not as a health coach or a lifestyle coach, but as a health and lifestyle anarchist?

“The philosophy of anarchy lies in empowering people to take control of their own lives and not on having others having power of them.” – James Cox

Maybe it’s time for a title change?

As a health and wellness anarchist, my mission is to help women TAKE CONTROL of their lives (not necessarily to rise up against “the man”, but, hey, who knows!).

Describing myself as a health coach is a) so damn vanilla it hurts and b) a serious misrepresentation of what I do.   Can I get a show of hands for how many of you think I focus solely on nutrition and weight loss?

As my business continues to evolve, so has my philosophy on the work I do.  I am LIFESTYLE focused; someone who builds a foundation with nutrition, but then works with you to take control of the rest of your life – all that really important stuff like your career, your relationships, yourself, just to name a few.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely an advantage to focusing on nutrition first... as a “grown-up”, you are absolutely, 100%, in control of what you eat.  Just let that sink in for a second...

You are absolutely, 100%, in control of what you eat.

That’s the essence of why I consider nutrition foundational to my work.

If you’re saying to yourself anything like: “But my family eats X”, “my company takes me out to lunch on Fridays”, or “my friends love to meet up at Denny’s for breakfast”, these are EXCUSES.  You’ll never be able to take control of anything if you continue to live under the shadow of these excuses.  So, CUT. IT. OUT.

full house

Seriously, though, if you want to stay in the “safe” world of excuses, it’s probably OK to stop reading now.  But, if you’re committed to giving up those excuses, I’ve got some tips to help you stay on track.

1.    Food is Fuel

Reframe your thoughts on food.  For many of us, food is a social tool, an emotional outlet, a feel-good drug.  It’s time to let that go.  Food is fuel for your body to support you in everything you do.   That’s it.

2.    Know Your Why

Why do you want to be healthy?  Be honest.  It’s okay to want to fit into a size 4 (or 6 or 8) or to look hot in a bathing suit for your upcoming cruise.  Or maybe you just want more energy to make it through your day without reaching for the RedBull.  Do you want to live to be a 100 or to set a good example for your kids/grandkids/spouse/friends?  Whatever it is, get CLEAR on it and remind yourself of it DAILY.  Staying true to your why will help you stay on track.

3.    Give Yourself Wiggle Room

Clean eating is NOT ALL OR NOTHING.  I would never tell you that you CAN’T have something.  If you want a jelly donut, have it.  Don’t feel guilty about it.  Then, get back to business.

4.    Be Prepared

It’s so easy for all of us to get stuck in that excuse trap, especially when it involves social situations.   Be prepared with a response to the conversations and the questions so you don’t get suckered into doing something you don’t want to.  It’s also a great idea to review a menu and decide what you’ll order before you get there, so you don’t even have to crack the menu and risk getting off track.

5.    Keep it Fresh

fresh prince

Whoops - not that kind of fresh!

Experiment with new recipes and new foods regularly.  Commit to trying 1 new recipe or 1 new food a week – it’s really as easy as that.  If I hadn’t done this myself, I’d have never fallen head over heels for b. sprouts or learned how easy and versatile quinoa can be.

Now I want to hear from you.  What’s one step you will make to take control of food?

The Day I Realized I Was Just a Number

You may have read my story already, but today I'm blowing the doors off and letting you see why I'm REALLY here doing what I do.  This is my story of getting lost in Corporate America.   This story is hard for me to tell... it breaks my heart EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  Even years later.  But I realize it's also helped me to grow in ways I could never have imagined possible.  And learning to take control of MY STORY has actually renewed my faith in Corporate America. 

You stop being a number when you take the reigns of your own story.

Are you taking control?

6 Techniques for Creating Good Habits

I recently started reading Darren Hardy's "The Compound Effect". This book is all about taking small actions, making positive changes, and creating good habits consistently that will compound into big things over time. On the flip side, there's the case where you're making small actions (or inactions) that are taking you in the opposite direction. So many of us get stuck there... and end up stagnant in our work, at home, in relationships, you name it. If you're feeling stuck, its time to make some changes, and my new 5-week online Bootcamp may be just the thing you need to get started. The fact of the matter is, most of us are not EXACTLY where we want to be, although maybe we're on our way. A big part of the equation is crowding out the bad habits with good ones.

Darren provides the following 6 Techniques for Creating Good Habits:

1. Set Yourself Up to Succeed

This is probably the easiest place to get stuck - not setting yourself up to succeed.

"Any good habit has to work inside your life and lifestyle."

What is it that you're trying to accomplish and what in your life is holding you back? If you're trying to eat healthy, but that 3 pm sugar craving has you running for the vending machine, stock up with some healthy snacks, instead. If you want to work out more often, but find yourself exhausted at the end of the day, get up a half hour earlier and get a quick workout in (trust me, this WORKS!).

2. Think Addition, Not Subtraction

Instead of focusing on the negative, the things you're giving up, the things you can't have, turn your focus toward the things you can have. I have a friend who, within the last year, completely changed her diet due to a medical condition. Instead of wallowing in the fact that she couldn't enjoy some of her favorite foods, she opted to focus her energy on creating healthier versions of those meals and savoring every delicious morsel.

3. Go for a PDA: Public Display of Accountability

I think we can all acknowledge that staying accountable just to ourselves is pretty darn tough. We're too easy on ourselves. Find a bigger, broader way to be accountable - whether it's sharing on social media, telling your friends and family, or hanging up a big ol' sign in your cubicle at work (this is one of Darren's best examples).

4. Find a Success Buddy

Take accountability to the next level by pairing up with someone who has similar goals and can keep you on point. Agree to meet regularly (phone, email, skype, whatever works) to hold each other accountable, share successes, failures, and aha's, and keep each other pushing further and further forward.

5. Competition & Camaraderie

Let's be honest, we all love a little friendly competition. I mean, who doesn't love winning? So, if you're working towards creating a new habit, loop in some other people with the same objectives and make a game of it. You'd be surprised how much faster and harder you'll push just to beat out Kelly from HR.

6. Celebrate!

It can be easy to get wrapped up in work, or in unconscious, unproductive zoning to combat hard work (case in point, a few months ago I posted about my embarrassing addiction to TV. It's an action I have been working to consciously change and with Darren's tips, I'm making serious strides), but the healthier way to deal is to celebrate each success.

"You've got to find little rewards to give yourself every month, every week, every day - even something small to acknowledge that you've held yourself to a new behavior."

Change is hard and celebration is absolutely deserved, so let your hair down and enjoy it once in awhile!

I strongly encourage you to pick up this book. It's affordable, short, relatable, AND actionable, and I can almost guarantee that you'll be inspired to make positive changes in your life.

For me, I'm focusing more on my time management. I actually consider myself to be pretty darn good at managing my time, with everything I've got going on, but I know I can be doing even better. Now, I want to hear from YOU, what positive habit do you want to create in your life?

5 Signs You Should Leave Your Job

If you’ve read my story, or ever talked to some of my friends and family, you’ll know the one thing I happen to be really good at is changing jobs (check out my job history here).  It’s not that I’m restless… it’s just that I don’t believe in being unhappy.  If you are not happy, there is an opportunity to make changes. Now, I’m not saying to go out and quit your job tomorrow (although wouldn’t that be nice!) or that corporate jobs are BAD, BAD, BAD (they’re not – I have one that’s just fine).  What I am saying is that if any one of these 5 signs you should leave your job resonates with you, it’s time to reevaluate your career and to make a plan to move forward.

1. You dread going to work everyday

This is a no brainer.  Sure, all of us have days where we’re just not feeling our jobs… but when those days turn into EVERY DAY, it’s time to move on.  Do you dread getting up every morning knowing where you’re headed?  Do you show up later and later all the time?  It’s time, friend.

2. Your heart’s not in it

Having a career that you love – one that challenges, pushes, and inspires you – is a major part of living your best life.  If you work a 40-hour work week, you’re spending 35% of your waking hours each week at work (not counting any commuting time or extra hours).  Don’t you want to spend that 35% of your time doing something you love?

3. You feel taken advantage of

Someone once said to me, “You set the expectations people have for you within your first few weeks at a job.”  If you’re dedicated and hardworking, I’m positive you let that shine through during those opening months, but many times that means you’re the go-to person, putting in long hours, saying “yes” too often, doing whatever you can to make it work.  What happens when you decide you need balance? 

In my experience, I’ve found that it is very hard to change those perceptions after they’ve been established and reinforced by your actions.  You’re stuck in that role as if your feet are stuck in cement blocks.  And often, there are negative repercussions to scaling back – you may be viewed as lazy or not-committed, even though you’ve gone above and beyond for a long time.  Often, it’s just easier to start over and set the expectations from the start.

4. You want to develop new skillsets

As I mentioned before, your work should challenge you and I believe you should always be presented with opportunities to grow professionally.  It’s also becoming more and more valued to have a varied skillset, as technology and management direction can sometimes change on a dime.  If your job isn’t creating growth opportunities for you, it’s time to move on. Sidenote: Sure, you could do this on your own, as well, but your company will directly benefit from your growth, so shouldn’t they shoulder some of the burden as well?

Even if you don’t necessarily want to grow and be challenged, there’s also something to be said for doing the same job at different companies.  Different processes, different cultures, different people all contribute to a completely different experience, one with its own set of unique challenges.

5. You find yourself continually saying, “I’ll leave this job when…”

This is something I keep hearing from friends.  All different friends, in all different industries (but all women).  Most often the when is “when I have kids” but I’ve also heard “when I finish this project”, “when I get through this month”, and “when my husband earns more money”, amongst others. 

Women are more likely to stay in a job longer than men, even when it’s clearly time to move on.  I have to ask, what are we waiting for?  Are we really okay with being unhappy until that when scenario actually happens, IF it happens?  Why not take action now and do something that makes us happy, even if it’s only for a short while?

If while you were reading this you thought, “Yes… this is totally me, but I’m scared to move”, you’re in the right place.  Changing isn’t easy, whether it’s a job, a bad habit, or sometimes even just out of your pajamas. 

If you’re nervous or scared, that’s what I’m here for and one of the main reasons that I created my Lifestyle Design coaching.  I’ve been through this process [several times] and am finally in the right place.  I’m here to share everything I’ve learned and walk you through this process step by step so you come out on top.

33 for 33: My Goals for the next 18 months

A few weeks ago, a fellow health coach posted the 30 things she planned to do before she turned 30.  As I often find with my "tribe" of coach friends, I was inspired and motivated by her list and I wanted to create my own.  The 30 mark has come and gone for me (without much fanfare), but since my "half birthday" just so happened to pass a few weeks ago, I decided to create a list of "33 for 33" - the 33 goals I want to complete in the next 18 months.  There are lots of business goals on here, but life isn't all about work - so I'm also setting specific objectives for my mind, body, and soul.

Business

1. Match my corporate income through my coaching business
2. Write an eBook and publish it on Amazon
3. Be published 5x on notable blogs
4. Go 5-star diamond with my Beachbody business
5. Launch the Lifestyle Design Bootcamp, a 5-week online coaching program, in October 2013
6. Become a Certified Personal Trainer
7. Start and Finish B-School
8. Enroll in IIN’s Immersion Program
9. Launch my Beachbody Income Tracker
10. Attend Franklin Covey’s Productivity training
11. Throw or attend 5 coaching related events
12. Limit work to 6 days a week MAX

Mind

1. Re-engage in my meditation practice (at least 10 minutes/day)
2. Minimum of 10 minutes of professional development reading daily
3. Say NO more often
4. Unplug – At night and on weekends

Body

1. Lift heavier weights (I have specific goals here but don’t want to list them all out)
2. Juice more
3. Complete Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset with my husband
4. Run a half marathon in under 2 hours
5. Be able to do at least 1 unassisted pull up

Play

1. Read 1 leisure book a month
2. Watch less TV
3. Commit to monthly date night
4. Go to the movies more
5. Play my banjo
6. Have more social play dates

Home

1. Redesign our bathroom and evaluate adding a half bath
2. Build a vertical garden in my yard (and keep it alive!)
3. Create a functional office space

Travel

1. Travel to Hawaii with my parents for Christmas 2014
2. Go on a yoga retreat (local or international)
3. Go on a solo vacation with my husband

Now, I want to hear from you.  What are you working towards?

Recipe for Success: Lessons Learned at Beachbody Coach Summit

I spent 3 days last week at BeachbodyCoach Summit 2013 in Las Vegas.  It was a whirlwind filled with celebrity trainer workouts, team building, and personal development.  I’m honestly still reeling a little from the experience; I felt like I didn’t STOP the whole time I was there (which seems very unhealth-coachy), but the excitement and buzz of the 7,000 other coaches in attendance was contagious. 

Tony Horton

The theme of this year’s conference was Dream Big- this was a game changer for me, both personally and professionally.  I have always had a hard time looking forward in my life.  When I’d sit down with professors or managers and was asked where I wanted to be in five years, it was rare that I had an answer.  Looking back, it’s clear that I was not in the right place.  I’m in the right place now and my experience this weekend only helps to solidify My Dream.

Since this conference was so powerful for me, I want to share with you some key takeaways - my a-ha moments!  Here are my top five plus some important updates at the bottom:

John C. Maxwell’s The Rule of Five

“You want to cut down a tree in your back yard.  Instead of cutting it down in one swing, everyday, take an ax, swing 5 times, and hit that tree.  It doesn’t matter how big the tree is, just consistently swing at the same tree.  One day, the tree will come down, with what seems like little effort."

-John C. Maxwell (paraphrased)

Best-selling author John C. Maxwell (Daily Dozen, How Successful People Think, and Today Matters) was the Keynote Speaker and I loved every second of his talk.  I wish I could share everything I learned from him, but that could take hours and as he says: Read the Book! 

For the sake of time, I will just share one of my favorite things from his talk: The Rule of Five.  The Rule of 5 is a series of activities that you do EVERY DAY that are fundamental to your success. Through discipline and diligence, you will achieve your life’s work. 

Step 1 to the Rule of Five is identifying your tree.  Step 2 is identifying your five required actions.  For John, his tree is writing books and his Rule of 5 are reading, filing, thinking, asking questions, and writing.  I’m still identifying my tree and Rule of Five.  What’s yours?

Beachbody’s Mission

Beachbody’s mission is so in-line with my own.  And it’s simple.

Help people achieve their goals and live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Unlike many other companies, this is NOT lip service.  After Summit, Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler posted this on his Facebook page:

"Selling" just for the sake of numbers is for other companies. We are here to help people. So think about how you can "be more creative about showing people you truly care about them" and then get out there and do it.

Beachbody truly wants to change the world and END THE TREND of obesity.  So do I.  Perfect match.

endtrend

Finding  A Tribe

Human beings can’t help it: We need to belong. One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people.

-Seth Godin, Tribes

tribe

My Beachbody team is all over the U.S. and Canada, so even though we talk in pretty much every day, we rarely see each other face to face.  It was great to spend 3 days with my team – I feel really connected to these people. We are on the same path of helping people improve their lives.  This is my tribe.

I’m A Customer, Too

During one of the breakout training sessions, one of the trainers said “Don’t forget, you are a customer, too.”  I partnered with Beachbody because I use and enjoy their products and I truly believe that they provide real value.   Even if I wasn’t a Beachbody coach and never earned a penny from them, I would still sing the praises of Shakeology and talk about how kickass P90X and Insanity are... granted, maybe not as often, but I still would.

Productivity is Not Busy-ness

It’s the engineer in me - I LOVE learning about how to be more productive and efficient.  The training focused on being STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME, something that even the best of us time managers need to constantly keep in mind.  For more info on productivity and time management, check back next week for the release of my free eBook, You Don’t Have Time to Read This Book: 8 Strategies to Find More Time in Your Day.

Beachbody Product Updates

T-25

Summit was the launch of a brand-spankin-new program from Shaun T, the creator of Insanity and Hip Hops.  In my opinion, T-25 is a game changer as far as workouts are concerned – you see results in just 25 minutes a day!  Here’s the T-25 highlights:

• Workout 5 days a week for 25 minutes (note: (2) 25 minute workouts are suggested but not required on Day 5)

• Fully modifiable so ANY ONE CAN DO IT

• Alpha, beta, and gamma phases are all 25 days (5 weeks) in length

T-25 (alpha and beta phases) is on sale as a bundle with Shakeology for $180 through the end of July.  That’s like getting T-25 for just $50 – a freaking dollar a day!  Intrigued?  Let’s chat to see if this is a good fit for you.

Vanilla Shakeology

Yes, you read that right.  Shakeology has finally made the leap into Vanilla.  The Shakeology team has been searching for years to find a clean, non-GMO, organic, ethically-farmed, sustainable source of Vanilla and they finally found it... in Madagascar! 

Beachbody has really high standards for what goes into Shakeology, so even though they found other products that met FDA guidelines, they went above and beyond to source this vanilla (another reason to love them).  This stuff is so yummy – it literally tastes like cake batter on its own and its a great base for flavor experimentation.  I tried a Vanilla Latte Shakeology and it was delish!  Interested in samples?  Email me.

Perhaps better than the Vanilla flavor, though, was learning that Beachbody has committed to the development of the Madagascar farming community that is supplying the vanilla.  They are providing training to farmers, ensuring fair prices, and helping to build schools.  If you know me, you know that international development is near and dear to my heart, so this really struck a chord with me.

Updates to Fit Club Membership

Staying true to Beachbody’s mission to support people in reaching their health and fitness goals, I have decided to offer the first 30-days of Rockin’ Hot Body Fit ClubFREE. 

Of course, I do encourage you to work with a Beachbody program and Shakeology, because I know these products work and will get you on the right path, but I understand that maybe you can’t afford to invest in a program right now or you’re skeptical about what the Fit Club is all about or you're not sure that working with a virtual coach will help you. 

Trust me, I TOTALLY understand your concerns – I had the same concerns when I joined my first challenge group.  So, try it on for size for 1-month for free.  You literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Email me today so we can talk about your goals and get you started in my upcoming online group (starting July 8th).

How To Stop Counting Calories - For Good!

I hope after last week’s post you’re recognizing the limitations in counting calories.  But, you can’t just DO NOTHING.  So, let’s talk about what you should do instead.

Just Eat Real Food

You want to know the real secret to not counting calories from food labels?  Eat food WITHOUT labels.  Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, grains (think quinoa, steel cut oatmeal, rice), and healthy fats all fit the bill.  Ditch packaged and processed foods - anything with more than 5 ingredients in the label.

If most of your food is packaged, start by replacing just one item a day with something natural.  Ultimately, aim for 80%-90% whole foods in your diet.

Restructure Your Plate

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that growing up you were probably familiar with the food pyramid as a guide to what you should eat.  No wonder everyone started counting calories - the pyramid did a poor job of helping people identify real food portions! 

Did you know that in 2011 a new food icon was introduced in the US?  The MyPlate icon was rolled out in early summer of 2011 (shown below) and has since been improved upon by Harvard School of Public Health with the replacement of milk with a glass of water, incorporation of more vegetables, and the inclusion of a healthy fat.  The new plate icons make food portioning much more accessible by showing you what your plate should look like at every meal.

US GOV MyPlate

HarvardMedHealthyEatingPlate

When planning a meal, use the Harvard School of Public Health graphic as a guideline.  I personally advocate making half of your plate vegetables, adding a lean protein roughly the size and thickness of your palm (approximately 3 ounces for women and 4 ounces for men), incorporating a healthy grain for no more than a quarter of your plate, and adding in a small amount of healthy fat such as olive oil, nuts, or avocado.

Be Mindful

In this day and age, we’re all guilty of it.  Whether it’s eating in front of the computer or TV or incessantly checking your phone at meal time, you’re probably distracted when you eat. 

Research suggests that people eat less at any given meal when they are focused on the meal in front of them (and conversely eat MORE when they are distracted).  Disconnect from electronic devices, focus on chewing each bite fully, and engage your senses to notice the smell, taste, texture and color of your food.

Reflect On Your Previous Meals

A report published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that we draw on memories about the satisfaction of our most recent meal when we make decisions about what and how much to eat next.

Simply taking a moment before each meal to acknowledge what was eaten that day is enough. Alternatively, consider photo documenting each meal with a quick cell phone snap shot and glancing through your photo roll before you sit down to eat.

As you can see here, healthy eating is as much about eating real, whole foods as it is being conscious of what you’re putting into your body.  Consistently focusing on both these practices will ultimately lead to health gains and weight loss without ever having to counting calories again. 

In the comments, tell me what practice above you struggle with and what step you’re going to take towards correcting it.  I’ll go first – I am always distracted when I eat. I need to stop that.  I know better!