It’s not just me, they’re everywhere, right? What a time to be alive! Now I can just take a pill and eat whatever I want! Wait… it’s not a pill? You have to inject yourself? Oh, but it’s like an insulin injection where a plastic gizmo does it for you with a little snap. Well, that’s still pretty easy, isn’t it?

So how do these drugs work? What’s it actually doing in my body? What even is a ‘GLP-1’?

Effectively, these drugs work by curbing your hunger, and / or slowing your digestion. What does that mean? In the case of drugs like semaglutide, it mimics the effects of hormones that signal your brain that you’re full. GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, and is an intestinal hormone that helps your body regulate blood sugar levels. The GLP-1 drugs, then, are classes of drugs that mimic natural GLP-1 in your system and stimulate the pancreas to release insulin, which slows digestion and reduces appetite.

Some of these drugs take it one step further and release chemicals that block the intestines from absorbing dietary fat. The fine print says something like, “a portion of the fat consumed is not absorbed and will be eliminated through bowel movement.” I don’t know about you, but ‘fat in my poop’ does not sound like a pleasant evening.

What is all of this really saying? Basically, these drugs are either tricking your brain into feeling full, or messing with your digestive processes, or a combination thereof.

Do we know the long-term results of taking these drugs? These drugs are all brand-new, and are an off-shoot from diabetes medications. In fact, the weight loss is a side-effect of the diabetes medication. And that’s the thing with drugs, they always have side-effects.

Don’t get me wrong. For some people these weight loss drugs are a Godsend.

For the first time, these weight loss drugs are allowing people who were looking at a future of insulin injections and diabetic amputation to instead lead a relatively ‘normal’ life. I recently stepped on a nail that impaled my foot. It got infected and I needed surgery. My Podiatrist told me had I been diabetic, I would have lost the foot and possibly my whole leg from the knee down!

Facing the possibility of losing limbs simply from poor circulation is not how anyone wants to live. If I was pre-diabetic I would absolutely jump on these weight loss drugs RIGHT NOW. But does that mean I’d have to be on them forever? What happens when someone is on one of these drugs for 5 years? What about 10 years later? We just don’t know yet.

Will you see advertisements in the 2040’s with the voiceover saying, “IF YOU TOOK GLP-1 MEDICATIONS IN THE 2020’s YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION”?

That remains to be seen. My gut feeling is that you probably don’t want to be on these drugs for the rest of your life.
Of course, I am not pre-diabetic so I’m not considering these weight loss drugs at the moment. I am not pre-diabetic because following the initial ‘panic eating’ phase of the covid lockdown, I decided to get serious about my health. Within around 6 months, I went from weighing about 230 to 168. Without weight loss drugs.

That’s how I know it’s possible. You see, during the pandemic, I learned the 9 Core Competencies that everyone needs to know in order to effectively manage their health. Portion control is one of those Core Competencies.

Unfortunately, it’s also the only one the weight loss drugs are helping you with. If you stop and think about it, that’s the bottom-line with these drugs: They help you to eat less.

Eating less is important. That’s why it’s one of the nine. But if all you’re ever doing is controlling your portion sizes, you could still be missing out in the other eight areas.

What are those other Core Competencies?

Learning to take care of yourself by setting goals and moving toward them. Getting in touch with your body and learning to recognize your hunger, fullness and thirst cues. Ensuring that you’re matching energy intake with energy output. Learning the difference between higher-quality foods and lesser-quality foods and choosing the former more often. Giving your body the nutrients it needs. Moving often and well. Resting and recovering. And learning to manage emotions without food.

And that’s where I come in. As a Health Coach, I help people to learn those 9 Core Competencies and engrain them into their lives. I help people who are on these weight loss drugs to master the other aspects of their health so that they won’t need to be on the drugs long-term. I help people to take charge of their health so they get the results they want.

Would you like me to help you? Get started by getting your Personal Comprehensive Eating guide delivered to your inbox by answering a few simple questions here: https://www.eclecticwellbeing.com/myeatingguidequestionaire

To your health,

Mark

The post Should I try Weight Loss Drugs? appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

We probably think in terms like this because it’s been drilled into our heads that having an overabundance of body fat is a bad thing. They even gave us a handy little metric we can use to gauge how dangerous our body fat levels have become: The BMI scale.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and is the ratio of your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared, giving you a number like 26.3. You then take that number and compare it to the provided scale, where:

     Underweight = <18.5
     “Normal” weight = 18.5 – 24.9
     Overweight = 25-29.9 and
     Obesity = 30+

And now you will see that at 183 and 5’10 with a BMI score of 26.3, I am overweight for my height, even though I’m sitting around 15% body fat, which is extremely healthy for a 52-year-old man. What gives?

That’s the problem with the BMI table. It only works for average people. For example, in High School I was the same height at 135 pounds. Most people would have called me “scrawny” (and they did back then), yet BMI-wise, that’s considered “normal weight.” BMI typically goes out the window for anyone with an athletic build.

So why do we even care about weight in the first place?

Who really cares if I weigh 135, 240, 168, or 183? Well, I should. The heavier I am, the more strain there is on my heart, and the more stress there is on my joints.

But, it works the other way, too. When we have too little body fat, we can’t properly regulate our hormone levels. It’s more challenging to maintain body temperature. Vitamins and minerals don’t absorb properly. When we’re under-fat, we might have lower energy levels and lower resistance to disease.

A healthy body fat range for men is between 10-22%, and for women 20-32%. That percentage can come at any body weight and height, though, so BMI isn’t really our best indicator of health.

Do you know what your body fat percentage is currently? Probably not. Most of us have bathroom scales to tell us what we weigh, but nothing to tell us what our body composition is.

Body composition, you’ve probably surmised, is how much of what tissues make up our overall total body mass. For example: total weight, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass, visceral fat, and water percentage. (Ok, water isn’t a tissue type, but it does account for a good chunk of overall weight.)

How do we get this information? There are a few different methods.

The absolute most accurate measure of body composition is an autopsy. This is also an incredibly invasive procedure as it requires that the patient already be post-mortem.

As for things we can use while we’re still alive, calipers can be used to pinch the skin to determine how much fat is present. You take samples from several different specific locations on the body, then run a little math equation to get your average.

Caliper testing is pretty accurate, but it can be challenging to pinch yourself in the right spots to get accurate readings. It helps to have a friend or coach do it for you.

Along the same lines as caliper pinch testing is circumference measurements, where you use a flexible tape measure to take readings from specific areas of the body. This tends to be less accurate as people with larger muscles also will have larger measurements.

There are more “automated” methods as well.

Hydrostatic weighing is also fairly accurate. Basically you fill a bathtub with water all the way to the rim, then get in and measure how much water your body displaced. (In other words, how much water dumped over the edge once you submerged yourself completely.)

There’s something called Bodpod which is essentially the same as hydrostatic weighing, except you’re doing it in a sealed air chamber. The technical name for this is “air displacement plethysmography,” and it’s also pretty accurate.

Systems also exist that will take a 3D scan of your body with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Here, low-level x-rays at different frequencies are passed through your body. The rays slow differently in response to the different tissues through which they pass, giving you a clear look at your body composition. The machine must be expertly calibrated for the best results.

My favorite method, and the one that I use, is bioelectric impedance. There are different types and some are more expensive than others. The highest degree of accuracy comes from segmental scales. These pass a low DC electrical signal through your feet and your hands at the same time. Like the x-rays, different tissues slow the electrical signal at different rates, giving you an overall picture of your personal composition.

I personally use the Tanita Ironman RD-901 InnerScan Pro for this. [Not a paid advertisement.] It’s a non-segmental version of the scale, so it’s not quite as accurate. But it’s half the cost, making it the winner in my book.

Body composition isn’t everything though.

At Eclectic Well-being, we like to look at what we call, “deep health.” We want our clients to thrive in all aspects of the human condition. We focus on the whole person and their whole life.

That means we’re looking at multiple aspects of their health. We focus on physical health, how our bodies feel, function, and perform. But we don’t stop there.

We also look at mental and cognitive health. How well we can think, learn, and remember. What is our client’s outlook and perspective on life and the world? How much capacity do we have for insight and conscious awareness? How creative and flexible are we in terms of problem solving?

There’s emotional health, comprising our general mood and our ability to feel and express our emotions. Are we experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones? Do we respond to emotional challenges in a productive, resilient way?

We focus on existential or “purposeful” health. What’s your “why?” Do we have a strong sense of intrinsic self-worth? Do we feel like we’re a part of a larger picture? What is our purpose in life?

Social health also comes to bear. How well do we connect and interact with others? Are we maintaining fulfilling, authentic relationships? Do we feel like we “belong” to something?

And finally we look at environmental health, or the feeling of being safe and secure, feeling supported, and having access to the resources we need to survive and thrive.

That is what “being healthy” means to us.

A deeply healthy person is a person who is leading a well-rounded life. Because once you have that under control, the body fat percentage takes care of itself.

Seriously. Being overweight is a symptom of another area of your life being out-of-whack. Once we get that addressed, everything else falls into place.

So, do you want to keep addressing the wrong problem and try yet another diet? Or do you want to finally get this figured out?

Here’s some great news! Right now, you can get started with the Reboot program we’re partnering with Cultivus Fitness to deliver. It starts on 9/30, so you’ve got time to prepare.

For more information, check out: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=821172910195587&set=a.491199929859555

The post What Does “Getting Healthy” Even Mean? appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

My back has been giving me trouble lately.

The first time I ever through my back out, I was in my early 30’s and just sent the kids off to school.  I had never experienced my body not being able to stand up completely straight. But a day of rest and a bit of ibuprofen and I was good for another 10 years.

The next time my back went out, I was in my 40’s and married to Mark who had me go to his chiropractor. I had never been, and I wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of someone aligning my spine. But I went and again I was good for a number of years.

Since then my back has given me issues here and there, but nothing of consistency. Until 2023. I’m not sure if it’s approaching the milestone of being 60 years old, or if it’s the physical labor of owning a small farmette, but it’s definitely been bothering me more of late. In fact a few weeks ago I was in a state that I couldn’t even roll over at night. I can’t say that it was unbelievable pain, but my body literally, refused to move! It was scary. But with the heating pad and ibuprofen for a few days, it went away, only to return this week. And all I was doing was making the bed.

Need To Fix It Quick!

This time I don’t have a lot of time to get it back to normal. You see we leave for Greece in less than a week and our itinerary is filled with me leading yoga practices, hiking through the remote areas of the island, and snorkeling in the Aegean Sea! PLUS, we need to get our plants in the ground before leaving! We’re talking about 100 plants!

So yesterday, instead of being patient, I made appointments to help me. I asked a new friend here in Michigan for a massage therapist and a chiropractor. Luckily, the individuals she recommended both have availability before we leave!

First stop was the massage therapist. I used to feel uncomfortable going for a massage. I think it was all due to my limiting belief in being judged. But I never really got used to going.  However, I LOVE massages. When Mark and I first started dating, he used to give me foot massages. I could fall asleep to him massaging my feet.

Now that my mindset is in a completely different place, I go willingly for this massage appointment! I ask for a full body massage, but could she focus on my sciatica as I believe that is where my issue lies. The massage is WONDERFUL! I feel so calm and relaxed afterward, but my back is still not feeling good. I came home feeling a bit disappointed but went about my day.

By the afternoon, my back was feeling better.  Not good, but it was better. I could bend down easier, and my movements were more extended, but it was still not to a point where I could embrace working outside or even think about teaching a yoga class. But, the massage did help.

And bonus self-care, it also put me in a much more calm and peaceful state of mind.

The chiropractor appointment is not until next week, a few days before we leave. I’m hoping that will help even more. But there is no guarantee. We will have to wait and see.

Why did I wait?

The question I’m asking myself is why did I wait? Massage and Chiropractic care are actually great Self-Care activities that can be done regularly. Why wasn’t a self-proclaimed Self-Care Advocate, not taking care of herself?

If you have experienced my talk on Radical Self-Care, I talk a lot about incorporating self-care into your daily rituals. It’s important to do small things for yourself every single day. And for a long time, that worked for me. My small little self-loving activities have kept my mind, body and spirit in a healthy state.

But I am getting older. My body in particular needs more regular self-care activities that will promote a long, healthy, pain-free life. I want to live to well over a hundred, but I want that life to be filled with activity, adventure, and without pain.

This means I need to start incorporating more physical self-care like regular massages, regular chiropractic visits.

Self- Care, like everything in our lives, will change as we age. What was working last year, may need to be reevaluated this year or next year. What was once a sporadic, occasional self-care activity, may need to become a priority.

Listen to Your Inner Wisdom

My sciatica giving me issues is my body’s way of telling me to slow it down and change my routine. Just like years ago, when it was difficult for me to move immediately after getting out of bed, my inner voice told me to start my morning doing small movements while still in bed. Now I do it religiously every morning so when my feet hit the floor, I’m ready to move. My joints are warmed up.

My back is telling me now to start making regularly scheduled appointments for massage. Maybe, depending on how my chiropractic appointment goes, that also becomes a more regular practice.

Our bodies are not us, but as we age, they need more care. Just like your home or your car, things need to be serviced regularly and sometimes more frequently as they get older. Our bodies are the same. Our physical self-care at 20 and our physical self-care at 50, will not look the same. It will evolve as we age and we must use our inner wisdom to notice when we need to change.

Maybe you’ve been going to a Pilates class for years. It’s always helped you feel strong and healthy. But lately after class, your muscles no longer feel strong, but they feel tired. Maybe some pain is starting to be notice during or after class. Listen to your inner wisdom. It may be time to change instructors or change to a more gentle class. Maybe change to Yoga. Experiment and notice how you feel and then listen to your gut. You will know when and if you need to change.

None of us really want our bodies to age.

I’d love to have the mindset I have now, with the body I had 30 years ago! But that is not the reality we have today. Although we can replace much of our physical body, we still have not found the fountain of youth that stops the aging process completely.

But we can age with mindfulness. Noticing when the body needs additional or different type of care. And then making that a priority. Allowing us to live longer, but healthier. To live longer, with less pain. To live longer in a body that allows us to experience each day without pain.

Take care of your body so your mind and spirit can continue to live your soul purpose.

The post Self-Care As We Age appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

This past week, I’ve been getting signs I’ve interpreted to be about having more fun. From a post from a friend and professor of mine asking “What do Gen X, overachievers do for fun?? Beyond reading books, podcasts, & travel…” to day 15 of Gabby Bernstein’s Manifesting challenge, “Follow the Fun,” it seems the universe is whispering to me, “Girl, have more fun!”

I responded to my friend’s post, “Hiking. Gardening.” Both of these are fun for me, but they are also part of what I do for a living. Hiking is part of what we offer through Eclectic Well-Being and gardening is now part of owning Eclectic Sanctuary.

Does my fun always revolve around work?

My mom likes to read. So do I. She reads romance novels. At 84 and with her eyesight diminishing, she is reading once again, Gone With the Wind. What am I reading? Becoming, by Michele Obama. What did I just finish reading? The Subtle Art of Not Giving F*ck by Mark Mason. Is my reading fun or personal development? So, I ponder…

What is Fun?

As usual, I go to dictionary.com to ensure I understand the definition of fun. Maybe, after all these 58 years, I don’t know what fun is. 🤷‍♀️

I confirm that Fun is a noun. It is “something that provides mirth or amusement.”

What actually is mirth?

Check that definition and it seems it’s all about laughing.

Does this mean my fun must include laughing? I don’t really laugh much when I’m hiking or gardening. But I do find amusement (something that entertains) in both. Watching nature is entertaining, whether it’s on a hike and seeing birds and other forest life or watching my garden bloom. I do find nature quite entertaining, but I wouldn’t say it’s amusing. Amusing is back to that whole mirth thing, something that includes laughter.

Maybe I don’t really experience fun?

I move on to the second definition of fun, “enjoyment or playfulness.” Well finally!  I enjoy hiking! I enjoy gardening. Not sure if they are considered playfulness, but if fun is enjoyment – maybe I do have fun!

But I also enjoy working. Should I include work as part of my fun?

And if I’m in the right mindset, I can make cleaning the house fun. But does that also count as part of my fun activities for the week? In response to my friend’s post, could I say work and cleaning the house?  I think if I did, people would call me crazy.

Why Fun?

I’ve thought about fun before when I noticed I was so engrossed in my coaching and speaking engagements. It’s what inspired Explore Laugh Play, a summer 30-Day Challenge to put more fun in your life.

If you’ve played with me, you know I have plenty of ideas for Play!

In the challenge, we play hopscotch. Make an attempt at building a fort. We blow bubbles and catch fireflies. We explore, we laugh and we play.

Unstructured play is one of the best ways children develop. They learn social skills.

Play engages creativity. Play teaches probelm solving skills. When we allow children to play, we build their confidence and increase their overall well-being.

Adults also benefit from play. Similar to meditation, play allows us to be in the moment. It allows us to detach from responsibility and reduce our stress levels.

Adults also benefit for engaging our creativity and problem-solving skills from play. This usually makes us more productive at work and home.

Playing outdoors, we get fresh air, which helps us sleep better.

And as we age, play produces more grey matter, which is important for memory and reducing our chances of dementia.

What About Having Fun Other Than Through Play?

Catherine Price, author of the book The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, states that true fun “materializes when we experience the confluence of three psychological states: playfulness, connection, and flow.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/well/mind/having-fun-suceeding-coronavirus-pandemic.html)

She goes on to describe playfulness as doing things just for the pleasure of it. Ok, so fun has to be done for the pleasure of it.

Connection is having an experience with another person. It’s developing relationships.

Then flow is that feeling we get when we are so engaged in an activity, that we lose all track of time.

If I understand her correctly, one needs to experience all three: playfulness, connection, and flow, for an activity to be fun!

That opens up many of my daily experiences. Writing this article, part of my work, can be considered fun!  I enjoy writing just for the heck of it. It may be part of my work, but it became work because I enjoy it. And I want my work to be enjoyable. It’s connecting with all of you reading it. And I’m totally in flow!  The only reason I noticed the time was because my stomach started grumbling for lunch!

But is having fun while working enough?

Money, Health, Joy, and Peace

Stan Jacobs, author of  The Dusk And Dawn Master: A Practical Guide to Transforming Evening and Morning Habits, Achieving Better Sleep, and Mastering Your Life  states “To be happy in life, develop at least four hobbies: one to bring you money, one to keep you healthy, one to bring you joy, and one to bring you peace.”

I like this way of thinking, but can we apply it to fun? After all Fun is not Happiness.

However, studies show, having fun does contribute to happiness. And what are hobbies? Aren’t hobbies things we do for fun?

So what if we had something that we did for fun, that also brought in money? If our work, our job, career, or business was also something that we find playful, connecting us and being in flow?

Then, what if we have an activity that is fun but also keeps us healthy? Instead of despising our exercise class or eating cottage cheese because it’s healthy, what if we took dance classes with our spouse and ate a delicious but healthy dinner that we prepared together at a cooking class? Fun, but all healthy things!

Can something fun, bring pure simple joy? Joy comes from the little things in life: playing with a dog, spending time with our kids, going to a Broadway show with sorority sisters. These also are playful, connecting, and engaging flow.

That leaves peace. What do I do for fun that also brings me peace? I love to sit and watch the sunset over Lake Michigan. Waking up to a beautiful sunrise. Practicing Restorative Yoga at home, beside my fireplace with my honey and the cats and the dog. Yes, these are playful, connecting (with my Self and with Spirit) and they always go way too fast.

Back to the Signs

So, why so many signs that I need to have more fun? I feel like my life is filled with fun.

Perhaps it was just a reminder to engage in all areas of fun. I engage regularly in the first two. I am so grateful that my work is fun as I know many who live paycheck to paycheck and at a job they do not consider fun. Being healthy is a choice and I choose to be healthy in a fun way! Mark and I did take dance classes years ago and it’s on my list for us to take some cooking classes at a local place here in St Joe.

But doing things that bring me joy and peace? I do those, but they tend to be less regular, less often and I think for 2023 that needs to change. The change started, but I think the signs were reminding me and ensuring me, that they become more frequent and consistent.

Tonight looks like it may be a perfect sunset. I think I’ll take a drive to the lake with Mark and Ciara and find joy and peace this evening.

Need some inspiration to have more fun in your life? Check out the Free 7-Day MindShift! Shifting your thoughts so that you can have more fun!

The post Do I Have Fun? appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

I rang in 2022 with my word of intention, Surrender.

I’m looking at my intention as letting go of controlling what I cannot control. Giving up trying to manage every outcome and instead allowing things to unfold. To observe what is happening around me, and then formulate what only I can do, not what others may do.

Yet here I am, 3 weeks into the new year and I’ve had to remind myself several times to surrender. Reverting to my controlling ways is not easy to change, but having one word to focus on has helped me stay on track. It’s not easy, but I don’t expect changing something that has been a part of me for decades was going to be.

And then there was my intention of getting back to a regular yoga practice. Yes I teach yoga at least 3 times a week, and soon to be 4 with the opening of Yoga37 in Mansfield, but any yoga teacher will tell you, teaching is not the same as a practice. So over a week ago, I joined The Movement in Allentown. I scheduled a class. Then, last Sunday I wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t want to risk infecting anyone, so I canceled. Almost a week later, I’m feeling fine, but I haven’t rescheduled.

All-In – but then what?

Many of us, (if not all of us) start the new year with grand plans, intentions, resolutions, and goals. We are “All-In!” This is the year I’m going to do that thing I’ve been talking about for decades! Or maybe it’s the year you’re going to finish that project. Or maybe you’re going to get healthy! Get a new job. Stop complaining! So many things we are going to do and boom! It’s February 1^st and we are back on the treadmill, running and running, but still in the same place as the last minute of 2021.

Where are you in these statistics from https://discoverhappyhabits.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/?

64% make it through January in keeping to their New Years Resolutions

In a 2016 study, of the 41% of Americans who made resolutions, only 9% felt they were successful by the end of the year.

Why do so many of us give up on our intentions? The article gives 4 reasons:

• Unrealistic goals
• Didn’t track their progress
• Forgot about them
• Too many resolutions, goals, or intentions

Which one has stopped you in the past?

Unrealistic Goals

This is a great one when it comes to weight loss and exercise. After watching a motivational speaker like Tony Robbins or Les Brown, we think we can do anything! We’re going to lose 50 pounds and get into that skinny black dress we wore 10 years ago by June! Too often we set unrealistic timelines on ourselves.  The intention or goal isn’t unrealistic, but sometimes we simply need more time to get there.

Getting down to my ideal weight, the term Mark uses in his Metabolic Mindfulness program to describe the weight I would like to be at, is another one of my goals for 2022. Rather, my goal is to continue to progress to that ideal weight throughout the year.  See, I don’t want a short-term fix here. Sure, I could go on several diets, start running 3 times a week and get to my ideal weight in a few months. But then what happens?

Well based on my history, when I hit my ideal weight I go out and celebrate, eating all the stuff I gave up on the diet. I take a week off from running. And in one week I’m no longer at my ideal weight.

Not the end I have in mind.

I want a realistic goal and for me, that is continuous progress toward my ideal weight.

If you are already struggling with your intentions or resolutions, is it because you place unrealistic demands on yourself? Is the timing necessary? We want our intentions to be a stretch, to invoke change, but we want them to be achievable. If you are looking at your 2022 intentions with doubt, change them up now and make them achievable!

Progress

When making intentions for the new year, just like when setting any goals in business or life, we will more likely achieve them if we regularly measure our progress toward them. This can be done in so many ways, but my favorite is checking in on my progress each day, each week, each month.

You may be thinking that’s a lot of progress check-ins.  It’s not that I measure my progress say on my yoga practice every day, but I have a journal, a calendar of sorts, where each day I set my intentions. These are based on my weekly intentions, which are based on my monthly intentions, which come from my yearly intention. Of course, some things come up that need my attention and they get added as well. But I am very clear in mindset. I have my word, it is easy to remember.  I have my intentions, they are achievable.

Measuring my progress is answering one question.  Am I closer than I was yesterday?

Am I closer to naturally letting go of control? Does it feel more like me?

Am I closer to my ideal weight?

Am I closer to getting back to a regular yoga practice?

If the answer is yes, well I’m on track. If the answer is no, which is where I am right now for my yoga practice, I can make that a priority. Decide on one thing I can do that brings me closer.

Forgot Your Intention?

If you make it a priority to measure your progress, you can’t forget your intention. But if for some reason you do, then it clearly wasn’t your heart’s desire. Make a new intention, one that resonates with your entire being, and move on.

Too Many Intentions

This one gets me every day! Seriously, it really does!

I start the morning by writing in my journal all the things I want to accomplish for the day. Because I wake up refreshed and energized, in a positive mindset, I think I can do it all!

Sound familiar? Did you feel that way on January 1^st when you set all those goals for the New Year?

I’ve learned from experience that I set myself up to feel overwhelmed when I give myself so many goals and intentions, whether it’s for the day or the year. And when we are overwhelmed, we tend to not be productive because we are spending more energy trying not to feel overwhelmed instead of just doing what we can.

If you think you may have set too many intentions for the year, go back to them and sit with them. Are they all important? Do they all need to be done in 2022? Which have you not thought of since January 1?

The last question gives you permission to let those go.  If you haven’t thought about it in three weeks, it’s not important.

Decide which three at most are most important to you and hold onto those. Make them achievable. Measure their progress.

Adjust Your Mindset

Setting intentions for the year can be a powerful tool to creating your life, moving closer to the unique person you are meant to be. It’s the premise behind The Total MindShift, where we not just set our intentions, but we do so with purpose and with an understanding that everything we need to live our dreams, is all inside of us!

But we must consciously create intentions. Setting those that bring us joy. Those that bring everlasting change. Allowing us to shine our light on others. To become “powerful beyond measure.” In turn, we liberate others to shine just as brightly. For when we step into our greatness, we automatically become a beacon for others.

The post New Year’s Intentions: Day 22 – 343 More To Go appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve managed to do since the start of the pandemic.

In the beginning – panic eating

Don’t get me wrong – in the very beginning I was panic-eating just like the rest of us. Kathi and I were eating ice cream sundaes every night! Hot Fudge and Carmel Sauce were our go to favorites! Comfort food like mashed potatoes sounded awesome! Just like many of you, we used food to satisfy our need for certainty and comfort during those first few weeks of complete uncertainty.

After the first month I had ballooned up to around 225! Kathi didn’t want to step on the scale, but when her leggings felt tight, we both knew our panic-eating had to stop.

In April the textbooks for the nutrition certification course in which I had recently enrolled in had arrived.

Now, I don’t know about you, but the lockdown gave me a lot more free-time and it was the perfect opportunity to begin studying something I have always been interested in, nutrition and eating healthy.

I had tried numerous programs or “diets” in the past.

I’d done Atkins before, then Keto for a while. Tried Paleo, South Beach, and Mediterranean. I tried a packaged food program that I now can’t believe I ate those processed foods. They had no taste! Kathi hated it since it left her fending for herself since she wanted no part of pre-made meals!

Heck, one April I decided to try eating vegan. This was a number of years ago when Kathi still worked in the city. I was the chef in the house and I didn’t bother to tell her what I was doing. (See, whatever new diet regimen I decide to try, she was stuck having to try too 😉) However, she noticed after about a week of tofu and imitation meat products. She wasn’t thrilled with the vegan plan – mostly it was the cheese she missed.  Lucky for her, that attempt did not even last a whole month.

Looking for Health in all the wrong places.

So after all those different diets or eating plans I was still looking to be healthier. And this time was different. There was a realization of getting older and I didn’t want any short term fixes. I wanted lasting change.  For my food to fuel my body. To continue living an active life. I also wanted to change my family history. My dad died at only 62 years of age, and a few months later his older brother, my Uncle Bill, died at just 64. I don’t want that to be me. I see myself living to well over 100, and I want to live that long life being able to do the things I love, like hiking, scuba diving, exploring.

Finally, I also want Kathi to join me in this long healthy active life.  We share most of our meals together.  It’s important to me for us to share in this health journey! I want our meals to be tasty as well as providing the nutrition our bodies need as we age.

So after talking with a number of health coaches I know, I settled on the science and behavior based certification from Precision Nutrition. The program was supposed to take about a year to complete; I did it in roughly 3 months.

And then I put it all into practice,

and the pounds started falling off. Before I knew it, I was under 200! I stepped on the scale one morning and it read 199.4. I hadn’t been under 200 since the last millennium. Boy was I ecstatic!

But it didn’t stop there. Each week I was lighter and lighter. I’ve been consistently in the low 170’s for several months now. As of this morning I’m 172.6, and the lowest I’ve seen was 170.3, last week. I don’t know if I’ll see the 160’s. I’m not really even trying to shed any more weight.

Of course, I haven’t really been “trying” this whole time, either.

I’m not on any weird, restrictive diet. In fact, I’ve literally been eating Chocolate, Ice Cream, Pizza, Tacos, Burgers, and Pasta all along, and there have been a couple of occasions where I’ve gorged on a plate of desserts, or a really sweet and gooey Yogurtland bowl.

And still I was able to get down to my ideal body weight. The scale tells me I’m between 7.3 and 10.1% bodyfat. I think it’s being a bit generous, and I’d estimate I’m between 12 and 15%, which is right in the healthy range for a man on the cusp of his 50’s.

Although I studied this nutrition program because I wanted to get healthy and live a long life, I also did it because I want to help people. Besides teaching yoga and mindfulness, I wanted to teach people how to be healthy. To shed the pounds and negativity that’s holding them back from being their true Self. Living a full and abundant life!

Afterall that’s why Kathi and I started Eclectic Well-Being!

So, do you want to know the secret?

Join me for Well-Being 101 on Saturday, September 25^th from 10:30 – Noon, Eastern time, where I will spill it all!

✔ Learn to let go of what is truly holding you back from having the body you want, or anything else in your life that you desire by using this one simple technique.

✔ I’ll share one core principle which is the most proven effective way to make lasting change in your mindset and your body… It improves your chances of success by 95%… in anything.

✔ Discover how you can have more health, more joy, and get out of your own way without changing the core of who you are or doing things you don’t want to do.

This is a hybrid event, so you can attend in-person or via Zoom. Spots are filling up quickly, so register today 😊

https://eclectic.kartra.com/calendar/WB101Calendar

The post Eat Chocolate and Ice Cream Every Day, Pizza Weekly, Tacos, Burgers, Pasta, and Still Drop 50 Pounds? appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Yesterday I got into my white jeans!

That may not be that exciting to you, but for me, it brought me so much joy! I mean I was giddy!

I absolutely love wearing white jeans in summer! White jeans in summer are fresh and crisp and I had been dying to wear my new Eclectic Well-Being Tee with them!

But every time I went to put them on, the jeans were just too tight.

So when I was able to wear them last night – with my Eclectic Tee – to a networking event, I was thrilled! I wanted to jump up and down and tell everyone!

Why was I thrilled?

Well I don’t want to be THAT person that is so focused on their body. I believe in loving your body no matter what, but I also understand, sometimes that’s hard.

Not because of society, but our own voices or expectations.

I have a goal to lower my body weight. Notice that I am not saying lose weight because when we lose something, we usually want to find it again. I don’t want to find this extra weight; I want it to leave and never come back.

BUT….. this does NOT mean I don’t already have a positive image of my body right now!

My goal to be at 150 is not a NEED in order to feel good about myself.

I feel good about myself no matter what. I am not my body. My body is simply the vessel in which I live this life I’ve been given.

Maybe you’re wondering then, why do I have a goal to lower my body weight? And why, if I love my body regardless, why was I so happy to get into my white jeans?

Let’s tackle the first question, why I want to lower my body weight.

I do not want to lower my weight because I feel I am less of a woman or I am less desirable or loved at my current weight. Heck, I go around braless in many situations. I don’t feel my body is who I am.

But, I want to do things, like hike a mountain, without getting winded. I want to fit into some of my favorite clothes – my white jeans.

It is not about my feelings of body image. It is more how I FEEL in my current body. Right now, I don’t have energy in my body. It’s sluggish when I hike and it’s aging faster than I would like.

My desire to weigh less is because I want to live longer.

I want to live longer enjoying my life, doing things that I want to do.

So today I am happy I got into my white jeans (I didn’t mention that just a month ago they didn’t zip up).

I am moving in the right direction. The number on the scale is not important. How I FEEL in my clothes and in my daily activity is what it’s important.

Each day I note my progress by how I FEEL and nothing else!

And I am doing it for ME!

This is healthy living.

I am focused on my Well-Being.

I am not losing weight to fit some society definition of what I should be.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to have a healthy body. It’s ok to have a goal to be at a lower weight, or for some, a higher weight. But how you get there is not by following the latest fad diet. Or by working out to the point of exhaustion.

It is about finding the right lifestyle that works for you, one that keeps you living healthier and longer.  Providing a body that is able to do all the things you love!  It must work for you, not me or your partner. YOU!

If it doesn’t work for you, it’s not going to work, period.

It’s about loving the body you have by taking care of it!

Want to learn more about creating a Life and Body you love? Join us for Well-Being 101! Saturday September 28 at 10:30 am, Live in Hamilton NJ or virtual for everyone else! Register today!

The post My White Jeans! appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Last week we returned from our second trip this year!  This time we headed to the Desert Southwest and met up with our daughter, Hana and her boyfriend, Anthony.

Our trip was designed to spend days hiking and exploring nearby National Parks including Zion and Bryce Canyon, both in Utah. But since we were trying to use up time share weeks, we booked an old out-dated resort in Mesquite NV, about an hour from the closest park.

We arrived to temperatures over 110 degrees. In fact, the cold water ran hot, so I couldn’t even take a shower to cool off!  But the place was clean and friendly. The first day we rested and made a plan for the rest of the week.  Read along and follow our adventure.

Day 1 – Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon was the furthest away so we decided to visit that park first. We all awoke before 5am in order to be out the door by 6 to ensure we could gain entry to the park as the news kept talking about how crowded many National Parks were this summer. AND we lost an hour traveling from Nevada on Pacific Time and Utah on Mountain time.

Off we went in our Jeep Wrangler. I intentionally rented a Jeep, picturing us traveling around with the top down.  I did not factor in temperatures of 105 and higher! Needless to say we didn’t take the top down when we started.

To get to Bryce Canyon, Maps gave me numerous options as it is a distance off the closest Interstate. I navigated Mark to the one that looked the most interesting to me. It was about 10 minutes longer than the fastest route and took us through Cedar Breaks National Monument and Dixie National Forest. We pulled off a few times to take in the views. When we stopped to take pictures of Navajo lake, we noticed how much cooler the weather was now that we were in the higher elevations of Utah. I laughed that we needed to take the top down and so, we did!  It was the only day we rode topless!

I didn’t know it at the time, but the route into Bryce, Utah State Route 12, is dubbed one of the most scenic routes in America, and it was! Red Rock, Canyons, and Arches! In hindsight I wish we had spent more time here, but we were on a mission to hike the famous Bryce Canyon, so we only stopped for a few pictures.

Arriving at Bryce Canyon

When we arrived at Bryce Canyon, it was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as we had expected.  After driving in a circle, trying to figure out the best place to park and looking for the general store, we finally found it with a parking space right at the entrance!  After getting our sandwiches and bug spray, we got back in the Jeep and went in search of a parking space to leave the car for the rest of the day as it didn’t seem right leaving it at the store, although there was no sign saying we couldn’t.

Mark found us a spot near the Bryce Canyon Lodge, which seemed close enough to where we wanted to hike.  We got our backpacks and hiking shoes on and we were off! The intent was to walk from Sunrise point down through Queens Garden and up through Navajo loop to Sunset Point. However as we began walking we realized we were closer to Sunset Point, so we decided to take the hike in the opposite direction!

The pictures don’t do it justice, and my words cannot describe the majestic views!  But I hope some how I’m conveying the beauty and awesome of the day, hiking through Bryce Canyon.

We hiked most of the day, drove to other parts of the park and before heading back to Nevada, we stopped at one last hike, Mossy Cave where I found myself under the waterfall!

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That was just day 1.

Day 2 – Zion National Park

Luckily Zion was not quite as far AND we had reservations to stay the night in Zion, so we were not in as much of a rush the next morning! But I do think we were all a bit tired which was causing us to read into things.  I thought Mark was being short tempered, he thought the same of me. Luckily, we both were able to communicate how the other was making us feel and once we said it out loud, we let any negative vibes go so we could enjoy the rest of the day.

This day was my favorite! We hiked The Narrows, the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. The hike takes you in and out of the Virgin River, so you are literally hiking in the river.  Both the river and much of the riverside was covered in rocks. Now Mark and I were prepared! I had done my research and knew we needed shoes that could withstand water, but also gave support and solid footing on the rocks. My daughter and her boyfriend brought your basic water shoes, which although fine for the river, not fine for walking over 7 miles over rocks.  But they were good sports about it and pretty much kept up with us. After all the beauty again was incredible!  You didn’t want to come and then not see this!

Again the pictures just don’t do it justice!

We ended the day at dinner in town at a place actually recommended by an old friend we ran into at The Narrows.  Imagine that running into someone you knew from NJ who now lives in Florida in Zion!

I think we were all exhausted as after dinner we came back to the lodge and were in bed before the sun fully set!

Day 3 – Angels Landing

I don’t how we would have done this day had we not stayed the night in Zion. We were able to get to bed early the night before, and awaken to Mark’s favorite hike, Angels Landing.  As I am writing this, I wondered how it got it’s name and with the help of Google, I found that it “received its name in 1916 when a group passing through the canyon commented that only an angel could land on top of it.” But yet thousands do it I’m sure now every summer!

The Easy Start

The hike starts out relatively easily with slight elevation gain as you walk along the Virgin River. Then  you slowly make your way upward and before you know it, you’re starting to loose your breath because you are now quite high up.

After a number of switchbacks, the trail takes you through Refrigerator Canyon, a side canyon where the temperatures are always a bit cooler.  This was a lovely walk with picturesque views.

After a turn to the right, the trail begins its ascent again. Walter’s Wiggles is an engineering marvel of the 1930’s.  It is a series of 21 steep switchbacks which are the last hurdle before reaching Scout Lookout, the stopping point for many hikers.  I must have been too focused on the climb to take pictures of this marvel, but hiking it up and down were both strenuous in their own way!

At Scout Lookout, one can see how much further it is to the summit as well as the chains set in stone to assist hikers.

Who will go to the Summit?

At this point, Mark and Hana decided to attempt the last half mile to the summit.  I love a challenge, but getting to Scout Lookout was challenge enough for me.  The two of them set off as Anthony and I made camp.  Anthony, being a protective boyfriend, used my binoculars to keep an eye on the two daredevils.  He was relieved when in a few minutes it seemed they stopped their climb on the chains.  At first he thought both were coming back. But after a few minutes, nope, Hana found a place to sit on the rock as Mark continued his climb!  So much for keeping both eyes on our daughter!

A bit later Hana made her way down with another woman.  We sat and waited for Mark to return.  He had gone around the bend and we no longer could see where he was or if he had fallen off the cliff.  We watched through the binoculars and found folks sitting on the edge, dangling their feet into air, which just made my tummy turn seeing them through the binoculars. Finally, about 45 minutes later, I found Mark in my view heading back down the chains!

The rest of the afternoon was not as exhilarating, but still breath-taking! Emerald Pools, lunch at the lodge and dinner again in Springdale before heading back to Nevada.

Day 4 – A Remote Desert Drive

The next day Hana and Anthony were ready to just chill at the pool, but not Mark and me. We set out on a drive through Gold Butte Monument outside Mesquite.

This was why I rented a Jeep! A desert road with pot holes that turns to rock and gravel and then to dirt for a 63 mile loop!

We saw more red rock, Joshua Trees, a sink hole, a herd of cattle, a bush in the road (literally, I had to get out to move it and it wasn’t light!), and just beautiful scenery!  But this was not a route to take without a 4×4 vehicle!

My Love for Travel

This week simply reinforced my belief that travel is a requisite for well-being.  Travel allows us to explore and challenge ourselves. Travel inspires us. It connects us with others and with the world around us.  The earth that we share with all other beings on this planet.

I learn more from travel than any class I’ve ever taken. We learn about nature, how our planet was formed. We learn about the animals and birds and reptiles that share this planet with us. We learn about other cultures. Eat other foods. Try new ways of doing things.

This trip I learned a lot about different rock formations. About how they formed the mountains and canyons and deserts we see today. I learned more about traveling with others. Providing space for each to experience everything in their own way. To find beauty in what they see, not just what I see.

Travel has opened my eyes to the vastness of the world. The complexity and simplicity at the same time of this planet and of the billions of people living on it.

I can’t imagine not traveling.  It creates joy in my heart. It connects me. Not just to Nature and with those I travel with. But also to those that I meet while on my journey as well as, it connects me to the Universe, the Greater Good. Knowing we are all one.

The post Travel – So Good for the Soul! appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Why work with a Nutrition Coach?

To help you close the gap.

What is “the gap?”

Everything that stands between where you are now, and where you want to be.

What does that mean?

Whenever we try to expand who we are as a person, we encounter internal resistance. There’s that little voice in the back of your head that starts telling us things like, “you can’t do that. That’s for other people; not us. We don’t do that.” Then your brain starts to replay all of the times you tried something similar, and failed. “See? You can’t do that. You’ve tried before. It’s never going to work for you. You’re just not cut out for this. You don’t have what it takes.” Then your brain starts to blow things way out of proportion. “Do you have any idea how hard that would be? OMG it’ll be sooooo much work! We don’t have time for that! Nope. It’s an impossible goal. You’ll spend so much time on it that everything else would have to go. Why even try?”

How many times have you had that exact conversation with yourself? And how many times have you been pushed to actually do “the thing,” only to find out how easy it really was? As I think back over my life, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to work through this. But, I can tell you that every single time, I was bumping up against my “comfort zone.” We call it a comfort zone, but it’s really a rut. We literally get stuck in a repeating behavior pattern.

For example, I was terrified of public speaking.

There was a time when I was even terrified to speak with strangers. I remember being about 16 when I went to a computer convention in NYC with my buddy Chris. He and I were speaking with each other when a sales rep walked up to us and asked me something. To this day I don’t remember what he asked, but I froze. I’m talking total deer in headlights. The guy stood there for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably 10-15 seconds, before saying, “Ohhhhh Kayyyyy…” then walking off to speak with someone who wasn’t catatonic.

When I wanted to start my own business, I knew I would need to get better at speaking with people. So I became a Real Estate agent. I was easily the worst agent in the building. My broker could see my numbers, so she wanted to help. She recommended a coaching program called “From Sweathogs to Stars.” (Yeah, I didn’t know what a “Sweathog” was either. Apparently it’s a reference to the 1970’s TV show Welcome Back Kotter.) So, I took the Sweathogs program, and it did help me to get better at interacting with people.

That’s what Coaching Programs do – help people to push past their own internal bullshit so that they can get to the outcome they desire.

I’ve since been coached by some of the best in the business. David Bayer and Tony Robbins to be specific. Through their programs, I’ve expanded my comfort zone, gotten unstuck from my mental ruts, numerous times. Without those programs, Kathi and I would never have launched Eclectic Well-Being. (After all, “that’s not us. We don’t do that…”)

And now, we’re bringing coaching to you; to help you get out of your mental ruts. If you’ve been dieting year after year, losing 10-15 pounds then gaining back 15-20, you are stuck in a mental rut. I know because I was there too; for decades. I had it in my head that it must be genetics. “I am simply destined to be overweight, just like my father.” That was my mantra with each failed diet attempt. The reality is, diets are always a short-term solution. That’s why diets don’t work.

If you want long-lasting, sustainable results, you need mindset and consistency. And those, I can help you with. All you need to do is take the first step by scheduling a zero-pressure call with me to discuss your personal situation, define your desired outcome, and see if you believe I can add massive value to you by helping you get there, or not.

The post Close the Gap… appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

I was recently on a call with my friend Ken.  Ken is a great guy. He loves helping people. So naturally, when he found out I was a Nutrition Coach, he wanted to help me with my marketing.

He told me I should put out some content advertising an offer along the lines of:

[Extra Sarcasm]

Sign up now and get into YOUR BEACH BODY in Just SIX WEEKS!!!

[/Extra Sarcasm]

Now, Ken meant well, and in all fairness to him, he was probably thinking of something much less cheesy.

But here’s the thing: I help people get lean, and stay lean.  Programs that offer quick turn-around times like “Beach Body in 6 weeks,” don’t last.

Could I create a program for fast weight loss? Sure. It’s not rocket science. I could simply have people drastically reduce their food intake to about 800 calories a day and exercise like fiends. The weight will come right off, but then, just like ever other crash diet program out there, as soon as those people stop doing those things, the weight will come right back on. And often with a vengeance!

I can’t do that to people in good conscience.

My job as a Nutrition Coach is not about putting people through yet another round of diet yo-yo hell.

I help people break out of that cycle. Permanently. Forever. For the rest of their lives.

I work with my clients to come up with a solution that works for them. A solution they can live with, that’s not going to have them starving all day long; and without doing some crazy cardio routine.

A healthy, long-term, sustainable solution.

I give people the skills they need to reach and maintain their lean mass without adding to their fat mass each year.

Imagine what it could be like to consistently burn off extra fat, slowly but surely, without feeling hungry all the time.

Picture stepping on the scale and being pleased that the numbers are moving in the right direction.

What if instead of feeling run down all the time, there was a feeling of being energized, ready to take on more and more?

How would it be to look in the mirror, and admire the reflection looking back?

Would it be OK if other people admired that image too?

These days people have been conditioned to believe that in order to be fit and slim, they need to eat basic, bland, boring, boiled, low-calorie food that they hate, while also spending hours upon hours going nowhere on a treadmill / exercise bike / elliptical / whatever cardio machine.

That’s simply not true.

I mean, sure, people can get healthy that way.

But, how long would you expect someone to keep doing something that they aren’t enjoying?

The answer is two weeks.

Two weeks is the average amount of time people will give to a new diet or exercise plan before they call it quits.

Why? Because it sucks!

There’s a reason the diet industry keeps coming up with a new fad diet every year.

People tried the last one, and hated it.

“Oh, but here’s this NEW all-rutabaga diet! You haven’t tried this one yet!”

Yeah, same crap, different packaging. I don’t care how good that rutabaga is, no one is going to lose weight on that plan because it’s too monotonous.

To be successful, the plan needs to be something that people will actually enjoy.

And if people are doing something they enjoy, they’ll stick with it.

When people stick with something they enjoy, they’ll see results.

It really is that simple.

So, if it really is that simple, why are so many people overweight?

Because they’ve never hired a Nutrition Coach.

The average person tries a new diet 126 times in their lifetime.

126! And none of them worked!

Does that mean that these people are stuck being overweight?

No! It means they keep trying the wrong approach.

This is exactly why I became a Nutrition Coach.

There is such a large swath of bad information out there in the health sector. I’m like Google for Nutrition Information. I get my clients only the information that’s relevant to their needs and goals. And I filter out all of the bad, misleading, and often downright wrong information so they know they’re on the right path.

Have you ever seen movie stars make dramatic changes to their physique for a role? Do you know how they did that? It wasn’t by eating boiled cabbage and chicken 5 times a day.

They made that change by hiring a coach to help them.

A coach who understood:

• the goals of the client,
• the needs of the client’s body,
• the best nutrient profile for the client based on needs and goals,
• the optimum time and way to deliver those nutrients, and
• what to adjust based on performance and results.

The latest fad diet or internet quick weight loss program isn’t giving anyone any of that.

So, thank you, Ken, for the marketing suggestion.

My focus remains on long-term, life transformations.

The post Get Into Your Beach Body In Just Six Weeks! NOT. appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.