Someone sees me doing something they perceive as ‘difficult’ regarding diet or exercise. They say something like, “I just don’t have the willpower to do that.”

Heres’ the truth. . .

I too, have little willpower.

Don’t set a chocolate dessert in my frig (or in front of my face) and expect me to NOT eat it! 

It will call to me all day & night! Even IF it is made with things I don’t ‘normally’ eat.

Don’t put salty foods in my face, especially when I’m being very active; the salty flavor calls to me too.

Don’t invite me to lunch at a good seafood restaurant unless I haven’t had seafood in a month. (My self-imposed limit because of contamination issues.)

Indeed, don’t ask me to find my riding gear at 7AM to get on my bike; especially if the sun isn’t shining!

But discipline & willpower are NOT the same thing.

Here’s how I parse the difference: Discipline makes willpower less necessary.

Here’s what I mean:

Discipline is an instant momentary decision that allows for simplicity in your life. It creates commitment & works by using your standards to create systems & goals. That creates routines and ultimately habits. 

Discipline allows you to accomplish more of your intentions and makes willpower unnecessary or less of an issue. . .MOST times. 

Daily Discipline gets you out of bed in the morning to work for someone ELSE so you can have a roof over your head & food in your kids’ stomachs.

Discipline and having long-term vision are also why you start that side gig, put your money in a 401k or buy insurance. We all know it COULD be easier in the immediacy of it all to NOT take those actions. When we CHOOSE discipline, life is easier. We all know that.

So, let’s bring it to personal care & self-care:

Discipline, in the moment, is what gets me out of bed when the alarm goes off & put on the clothes next to the bed. Then I get on my bike without really thinking about it.  The bed is far less likely to call me back. If I don’t have the clothes by the bedside, that’s just ONE additional thing that is required that will make it easier to stay in bed! When I’ve stopped my routine, for whatever reason, taking action before bed gets me back out there!

Similarly, discipline in the moment, when I’m shopping  (shopping when I’m NOT hungry helps) allows me to bypass the cookies, chips, and frozen desserts (even the non-dairy ones MOST of the time). This means those things aren’t in my frig or my cabinets and makes it far easier for me to not eat them. They don’t “call to me” in the middle of the night like the ice cream used to ‘back in the day.’

That also brings up a point. If you have a family that doesn’t conform to how you choose to eat or care for yourself, here’s a suggested adjustment:

Are they willing to CHOOSE to go without those favored foods for a few weeks to help their mom, dad or spouse who is trying to better themselves? If not, perhaps they need to buy that stuff themselves, not depend on you to do it. (Alternatively, if they are still young, it’s easier for you to make that choice for the family’s health.)

Here’s what I found, personally, when I started making these changes: After about 4-6 weeks, my desire for some but not all of those foods started to diminish.

Clients, like Lorna (who has given me permission to use her name & quote) have said things like “I don’t want to eat the things that aren’t good for me anymore.”

But recognize, likely your personal favorites will always be more difficult to say ‘no’ to.

For me, during that transition, I was able to say “no” to potato chips but not tortilla chips, or cheap cheddar cheese but not Havarti or Brie. Vanilla ice cream could go in the back of the freezer & I’d be fine; but not some rich Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Dazs flavor. 

So, there was an initial period when I wouldn’t buy the stuff. If my family chose to buy it, hopefully, I didn’t see it. Then for a long period of time, when I shopped, if I bought dairy or chips for the family, I bought the things that weren’t my #1 items. It helped me move that line between discipline and willpower. 

And there’s magic in the way your body functions. You crave the things you’re used to eating. So as you stop eating them, your taste buds change and adapt. You stop wanting that stuff.

Now, I can attend a party with good Brie or Havarti and have little problem staying away from it as long as I’m not drinking. 

That discipline has become a habit and my physiology has changed because of it. That can happen to you as well.

Imagine the freedom of a life where your tastebuds rule your world just a little less. As a former cheese and ice cream-aholic. I can tell you: it’s very liberating.

So when it comes to discipline & willpower in self-care, examine it from the conversation of “how can I put SYSTEMS in place? How can I make it easier for me to do the things I know would be best for my future well-being? And how can make it harder to do those things that aren’t good for me?

What is one thing that you’re willing to put in place after reading this? Email me. I’d love to hear.

The post Successfully Evolve Your Self-Care: Discipline vs. Willpower appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

But as is typical of reaching any long sought-after goal, now that I’m here, it doesn’t seem that incredible to me.

I know that  you and many others could do similar things by setting a goal, putting the pieces in place and working consistently toward it. (Sound familiar?)

And, like many goals in life, worthy goals spill over and bring more positive change to other areas of life as well.

So today, let’s outline a few things:

You don’t have to be (and I’m not) some great accomplished athlete.

     
Just acknowledge where you are in relation to where you understand that you need to be. But, where you need to be is not a finite point. It will evolve & adapt as you and your life do. 

When I left on this trip, I knew I wasn’t in as good shape as I had been when I toured a year ago or as I thought I should be.
The trip had also evolved and had at least 3 different iterations before I left

But here’s the thing: everything you do while working toward your goal is an intimate part of the process that helps you succeed.

What do I mean? It’s kind of like the ‘Just do it’ adage. The first days of my tour served to get me in shape for the rest of the tour. There was a certain minimum fitness that was necessary (for example, the ability to ride 25-40 miles/day).

But I didn’t need to have the capacity to accomplish the most difficult climbs at that point. I could compensate by slowing down, doing less miles in a day and even (heaven forbid) walking & pushing the bike if necessary (and it was at times).

Set your goal: Your goal should be specific and measurable. 

My goal was to ride my bicycle on EuroVelo 1 through the fjords of Norway to Nordkapp (AKA North Cape, the northernmost accessible point in Europe). 

Your goal can be as audacious or as matter-of-fact as you choose (or anything in between.) 

A marathon or some other ultra-event?  

Being able to hike or kayak with the grandkids?  

What is meaningful for you? It’s your goal, you choose it & you choose its meaning. 

For me, this trip represented the challenges of a lifetime. 

I chose a challenging goal because I understood that the physical challenge would require a concomitant mental-emotional challenge and that those challenges would make me stronger. 

And  those capacities would spill over into the rest of my life and business. 

What is a goal that is representative of the kind of thing you would like to be able to continue doing for the rest of your life? 

That’s where my goal started from. 

Pick something that will inspire you and propel you forward for this and for future goals.

Start your training: {In this article, I’m going to address only the fitness aspect. 

Other articles, elsewhere, will deal with other aspects (nutrition, mental-emotional attitude & more)}.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. 

Physical Aspect #1: 

Aerobic training: Back to the above; start where you are. 

I was recovering from the broken wrist I sustained in January. And I had  not kept in shape the way I wished I had. I knew I needed an interim goal to help get me back in shape in time for my trip.

So, I registered for the 50-mile ride that was part of the SLOBC WildFlower Century when a friend offered me a ticket a mere month before the event. That jolted me into shape. I knew I had to get on the trainer (I still wasn’t cleared by my surgeon yet to ride on the road).

So, starting where I was at. I began with a 30-minute stint on the trainer (basically like 30 minutes on a spin-bike; hardly a great accomplishment). I worked on increasing my time on the bike while also increasing the level of difficulty. I disciplined myself to increase the time of my workouts consistently and in a short time, was up over an hour daily. This may not seem like a lot for someone planning a tour where they will ride 4-8 hours daily. But, touring or doing a 50-mile event is less intense than pedaling your ass off for an hour-long spin class. So it was a great start. 

So, look at where you are today and where you need to be and increase in slow and steady increments. Consistency is the key. Have your doubts? If you ran ¼ mile today and then increased by ¼ mile every day, at the end of a month, you’d be running over 7 miles/day. Then the task of a marathon would no longer look so daunting. 

Add other fitness necessities: Stretching.

Stretching is an important aspect to incorporate so that you don’t injure yourself. Stretch more than just the muscles directly involved in your activity. For example, for cycling, you want to stretch all the muscles in the calves, thighs & hips, the shoulders and upper back. That’s what will help you  be comfortable riding for 3-7 hour stints. (Need more detail? Let’s talk)

More fitness necessities: Strength -training. 

It’s important to build strength capacity, not only in the muscles you use in an exercise but in related groups and in your core. Many activities use very specific muscle groups and this can lead to imbalances. Those imbalances can lead to injury if you don’t  strengthen. Strengthening the surrounding muscles helps you perform with more efficiency. It also keeps you from inappropriate muscle recruitment which could result in injury. 

More:  Balance exercises.

These may be less important for your goal, directly, but should be incorporated to keep you moving properly for the long-term. Falls can be one of the leading causes of hip fractures and other serious injury as we age. Balance exercises can go a long way toward keeping you able to live independently as you begin to age; whether you’re 45 or 85.

Ok. So you’ve set the goal, started working on stretching, strengthening, aerobics & balance. 

What’s next?

Continue to increase capacity, consult with specialists as needed.

Whether it’s help with a bike fit, shoes or other equipment; help with nutrition, a physical trainer, or a health coach; or help with rehab and recovery; a professional consult can be an important part of the process. 

If you’re not sure which professional you need, set up a time to talk with me. If it’s something I can help you with, I will. If not, I’ll likely have a referral suggestion that’ll get you the help you need.

It may be that someone to hold you accountable day-in and day-out is all you need. I can be that someone for you.

My goal is to help you stay well and do what you love for the rest of your life. I can help you function optimally now and at age 90.

In conclusion: Doing what you want, physically, at any age, is possible for most of us. We need only put the goal in place and discipline ourselves to work on it continually; just as we do with other goals in our life.

The post Do What You Love Till the Day You Die! appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Today I’m going to address the parallels between your health and running your business.

My hope is that seeing the parallels here will help you begin to take better control of your health.

Broadly speaking, the two main things in both areas are to know where you’re starting and know where you’re going.

Yeah, pretty simple, in principle.

As I write this, I recognize the health realm is much easier for me than the business. Ha, that’s why I’m the health coach and there are several business coaches reading this. But I digress.

Know where you’re starting from. . . 
This requires measurement. Surprise, Surprise.

Measurements like: your weight (use a bathroom scale), your BMI (body mass index), or your percentage body fat. You’ll need your waist circumference for the body-fat calculator; another valuable parameter.

Other easy-to-do measurements include your resting heart rate and blood pressure.

Measure your heart rate before you get out of bed in the morning. Measure blood pressure after resting 10 minutes. Support your arm and keep it at heart height for the blood pressure measurement.

More measurements may include: fasting blood sugar, Hgb.A1C, Cholesterol and inflammatory markers. (A healthcare provider like myself or your primary care physician can help you determine and order the most appropriate tests.)

If you’re a business owner, you might liken these numbers to understanding your bottom line, both for your business and for your personal needs.

Further, as a business owner, you recognize the basic difference between (a) “I’m not losing money.” vs. (b) “I have breathing room, I can pay myself and am moving forward.”  

Determine where you are for your health: (a) or (b) above. Where are you within normal range? How do you feel? How much energy do you have? How are you sleeping?

If these are positive consider yourself at the (b) level. Simple enough. Does this make sense?

Know your goals:

Just like in business, you can and should have both short and long-term goals. 

. . .again, the parellels between your health and running your business.

What are yours?

Personally, my current short term (within 6 months) health goals are (1) to be below 20% body fat and (2) to increase my endurance enough to be ready for the long distance bicycling tour I plan to do in Europe when I can safely travel again.

As to ‘why’ below 20% body fat. . .if you’re wondering.
That’s simple. . .I’d rather carry things I need (like my laptop, so I can continue to run my coaching business!)  on my tour with the additional 5-8lbs. rather than carrying it on my body!

My long term goal is to remain mentally and physically fit till the day I die!

I say this recognizing that I may not be able to do long-distance bike touring at age 100. But I totally intend to be able to walk my dog on the beach or go for a 20-mile bike ride.
I also intend to have the mental and physical capability to cook for myself and those I love at 100.

I have my plan for the short term chunked down to daily and weekly activities and I know that these will continue to set me up for the long term. 

So what about you? Is it time to start thinking about both your short and long-term health goals?

Let me help you determine those short and long-term goals. Focus on the parallels between your health and running your business by setting up a (free) consultation today.

The post Your Health: Where Are You? Love Where You’re Going? appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

Last month, my husband & I went a 2 week bicycling trip in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts; starting in Bangor, Maine and ending in Southern Massachusetts. Yes; just us, our gear & bikes; no car, fully contained. This was the first tour we have been on in many years and it gave me a chance to re-connect the incredible feelings of freedom & power that come from doing physically exhilarating activities in a natural environment. Here’s the crazy thing; in the midst of cycling in the pouring rain, I remember thinking, “This is crazy but I’m enjoying myself!”

Climbing to the top of many hills, I was able to reconnect to that powerful feeling from my youth. You know that one that reminds us we can do anything we set our minds to and plan for properly! It gave me the opportunity to realize that although I’m many years older, I’m still able to do those things that I choose to. It was a great opportunity to realize that all the years of taking good care of myself; of ‘walking my talk” in regards to healthy eating & proper exercise have paid off. That here I am over 60 years old and able to cycle 40-60 miles day in and day out for nearly 2 weeks without injury and with virtually no aches or pains.

So, what are those things that you want to be able to do 10 or 20 or more years from now? How do you picture yourself? What do you choose to be doing? Maybe it’s as simple as being able to keep up with the grandkids or maybe it’s more adventurous than that. Whatever it may be; if you can’t easily do it today, it’s time to put the plan in place that will get you there. This sounds amazing simplistic but start where you’re at and just do more each & every day. And if you ARE able to do it now, then it’s just about keeping that commitment to yourself as life rolls onward. Just make the commitment. Your future is worth it. And if you need some help figuring out how to get to a point where you can consider and plan these things, let me help; my Food Over Medicine 5 part webinar could be a great beginning for you or maybe one on one health coaching is a better plan. Register for the program below or call me today for a FREE Consultation. I’m here to help.

The post Life Lessons Learned while Bicycle Touring appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.

What SHOULD We Be Doing?

You can broadly divide exercise into strength-building, stretching, and aerobic. Then there are areas of overlap: Flexibility exercises usually build strength and help with balance but can also be aerobic if done over a sustained period, for example. Similarly, Yoga can be more of a stretching exercise but can also help with strength, flexibility and balance. It’s obvious that this article will just begin to scratch the surface.

There are 3 important things to keep in mind:

1.  You should strive to eventually include strength-building, stretching and aerobics into your routine on a regular basis.
2. In order to make progress in any of those areas, you will need to do them an average of 3 or more times per week.
3. As we age, maintaining strength, balance & flexibility become more important.

So Where Should You Begin?

The easy answer is with something that isn’t too much of a struggle! Getting started with something you can do (and enjoy!) and increasing from there is more likely to keep you doing it rather than trying to do too much too soon, getting sore; or even worse; injured, and then quitting!

I like to suggest that the easiest way to begin is to start with something you like doing! Maybe it’s walking, hiking or bicycling. Maybe it’s basketball, soccer or tennis. In our area, it could even by kayaking, swimming or other water sports. Starting with something more recreational in nature does a couple of things: (1) gets you doing something you enjoy that may not even be a chore.  (2) Makes it easier to find an accountability partner!

So start by finding that accountability partner & setting up an agreeable schedule. Then add from there.

Some things to remember:

• It’s important to include warm-up time before & time for stretching & cool-down after. This will minimize soreness.
• Monitoring your progress will help keep you motivated. Some simple ways to monitor: total time, total distance, body measurements or weight measurements. Many of these you can do on your own or with simple phone apps. Ideally, chart your results so can see your progress over time.
• The body becomes accommodated to activity quickly. This means that once you’ve lost a certain amount of fat, for example, by doing a particular activity, you will probably need to (1) work out longer or harder or (2) switch to a different activity in order to lose more fat. Varying your activity will keep you progressing.
• As you get more fit, begin to add in additional types of exercise for more strength-building, aerobic capacity, flexibility, balance & other goals.
• Set goals that are specific & measurable and dependent on what you’re doing. For example: it may make more sense to set a goal based on a clothes size or a measurement rather than weight if you’re not obese since muscle can weigh more than fat. And CELEBRATE when you achieve your goals!
• Of course, you should check with me or your health care provider before beginning a fitness program.

Here’s a link to a simple 9 minute body-weight workout

The post Fitness & Physical Well-Being appeared first on Dr Leslie K. Empowered Wellness.