Health Matters
reach their goals becomes a source of inspiration that can keep you moving forward.
? o h W s Say
Don‛t underestimate the role that stress plays in weight gain. Hurricanes, death of loved ones, health challenges, job losses...many of us gravitate to high fat/high sugar/high both foods - or just consume too much food and drink - when dealing with stressful life events. On top of that, our bodies react to stress by releasing larger amounts of the hormone cortisol, which tends to result in an increase of belly fat. But for goodness‛ sake don‛t beat yourself up about it. Sometimes it‛s all we can do to put one foot in front of the other. As soon as possible, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the ring!
If your fitness levels have fluctuated in the past, you already have the answers - or at least clues - to what works for you.
Your journey will rarely be linear; you‛ll have setbacks and maybe decide to change your course or approach. Training/working out is, well, work! The good news is that when you stick with it and start seeing results, it won‛t be so much of a struggle. You might even start craving your workouts! If you want a strong healthy body, you‛re going to have to sweat a little or a lot, and feel sore sometimes.
If you‛ve lived long enough, (say you‛ve wandered this planet for at least 30 years), then you‛ve stood in line at the grocery or drug store and seen hundreds of magazine covers proclaiming miracle fixes for every weight and health challenge imaginable, mostly, it seems, belly fat.
No one plan or program is going to work for everyone. Don‛t get me wrong, some are silly and a waste of your time and money (Shake Weight anyone?). And we all know the most succinct answer is move more, eat less. But how...? Start by paying attention to you. Identify your goals and make sure they‛re really yours, not someone else‛s. Is it to lose weight? To be able to carry your own groceries and get up and down off the floor with your kids without a struggle? To perform and Olympic style barbell snatch? To feel great as you age and to avoid developing serious health challenges like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure? If you‛ve had success in the past, start by considering what has worked for you in the past. And if you didn‛t keep up with it, why didn‛t it work for you? Did you truly hate what you were forcing yourself to do? Don‛t kid yourself - we rarely learn to love those things that make us truly miserable.
But you know that. It‛s never going to be effortless. But it‛s always going to be worth it!
“Coming back the next day is more important than any other single training day.� - Dan John “Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising each time we fall.� - Confucious “The perfect is the enemy of the good.� - Voltaire
thekettlebellfitnesscenter.com Nancy L. Hallock, RKC, Russian Kettlebell Instructor, BS, CPT nhallock@gmail.com 518-275-2058
What foods make you feel healthy and keep your blood sugar levels steady? Many people are sensitive to sugar in all its forms as well as to grains and gluten. Try eliminating things from your diet and see if your cravings reduce. One thing that applies to 99% of the population: eating lots of fresh vegetables is a very good thing! Whatever your goal, find a reliable source of support, inspiration and accountability whether it‛s to yourself (e.g., journaling), or to another person or group. Find like-minded people you can meet with in person, or communicate with remotely (online, email, phone support). As you know, the first few weeks or months are hardest while you‛re adjusting to new habits or lifestyle. And it‛s gets easier faster when you don‛t feel like you‛re alone in your struggle. Watching others overcome similar challenges and 62
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