1 Month Check-In Video Blog

1 month down, the rest of her life to go!

Here's a video blog with Paige and I, discussing the first month of the journey together.  We discuss the ups, the downs, the easy things, the hard things, and what results she's seen so far.  Note to all readers and watchers, I had just put Paige through the ringer with a Trainer In Your Back Pocket workout, so there was no makeup involved in the making of this video.  Raw and real, like our journey!

Exercise can be efficient, effective, and affordable.

Ball Crunches as a part of the TBP @home Core workout.

Working out doesn't require a gym membership.  It doesn't require going somewhere else to do it.   It doesn't have to be expensive.  These are some principles of exercise that I truly stand by. Sure, I make my living off of other people paying me to exercise, BUT, my goal is to teach them what they need to know, so that they can then be set for the rest of their life.  Learn to do it right the first time, has always been one of my mottos. Making exercise efficient, effective, and affordable is something I stand by, and that's why I created my Trainer In Your Back Pocket  (TBP) online program.  (www.trainerinyourbackpocket.com).

The TBP plan always has an @home, and an @gym version.  As part of Paige's journey, her primary exercise plan will be coming from the TBP monthly workout plans and the weekly workout videos.   The at home version requires just minimal equipment, such as a stability ball and a set of dumbbells.  Both of which can be purchased practically anywhere.  

Paige is loving the Ball Squat Weekly Workout Video set (and by loving it, she wants to kill me for it)

Besides joining my 1x per week Small Group Personal Training class at the Columbus YMCA, Paige is following the workouts from the TBP plan.  Each month, she gets a new Total Body, Upper Body, Lower Body, Cardio, Core, and High Intensity Interval Training workout.    She also gets weekly workout video challenges.   Her goal is to get in as many of these workouts as she can each week on her own at home.  

Cobras to strengthen the back and shoulders

It's amazing how little you actually need in order to get in a great workout.  The key is to have a plan, knowing exactly what to do, how much to do, and when to do it.  That's what the TBP plan offers Paige.  So far, she's killing it with the plan!  The best part: She doesn't even have to leave home to do it!  (of course, she loves when I come over to do the workouts with her and hold her accountable!)

What's Worth All The Marbles?

Why are we (as a western society), taught to believe that drugs and medication will make us well and heal us of our illnesses, when the real fact is, that exercise and proper nutrition are the true medication we need?    Hippocrates himself, stated:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

Didn't he also create the Hippocratic Oath, that all doctors must swear by?  My, oh my.  Where have we gone all wrong?  

I've known it for years, but nutrition has been my "health insurance" since I left graduate school (and thus had no health insurance coverage for about 6+ years).  If I had to choose one program (giving up all exercise classes, marathon training, running clinics, etc that I teach), for one program that would HEAL the most people, I would have to choose the Standard Process 21 Day Cleanse.  I've been doing this cleanse myself every year since 2008, and I've guided hundreds of people through the program.  It's not a cleanse in the sense of "eat only this and that for 21 days, while drinking lemon water with cayanne pepper."  It's a purification program, based on eating real, whole foods like fruits and vegetables, select proteins, and eliminating all of the garbage that we so often consume. 

I know first hand the powerful results that can heal the body within such a short amount of time.  This is why  I wanted Paige to begin following a 21 day nutrition overhaul.

We didn't do "the cleanse" exactly as the book says, since, well, I didn't think Paige would survive it right away.  To be honest, Paige's eating habits were probably the worst eating habits I've ever seen from a client.  I knew if we went "all-in" that she'd be miserable, and most likely give up.  I had to modify the program so that it would be manageable for her, but still quite a challenge, looking at her past behavior.  

In just 21 days, Paige is really beginning to heal her health.  If I had to say so myself, Paige went from diabetic to not diabetic, in just 3 weeks.  Now, I'm not a physician, and Paige won't have bloodwork done until the 3 month point, but it's just my hypothesis.  

I could care less that Paige "only lost 8lbs" in the 21 days.  What I'm about to mention next, is worth all the marbles in the bag.  Paige's energy level went from a mere 3 (on a scale of 1-10), to a 7.5 in just 21 days.  Her sleep quality doubled from a 4 to an 8.  And her perceived stress level went from a 7, down to a 6.  

Clearly, Paige's body is beginning to work again.

IN JUST 21 DAYS! 

Food = Comfort & Love

From my perspective, Paige seems to be doing amazing so far!  We are coming up on 2.5 weeks since our journey began, and my expectations are already being exceeded, both nutritionally and exercise wise!  I was nervous that Paige wouldn't be sticking to the meal plans as well as she is.  I know she's craving her "meat and potatoes,"  her cheese and dairy, snacks and baked goods of all sorts.  Even when she made her quinoa tabbouleh salad, full of veggies and fresh herbs, she would have rather it had feta cheese on it (as would I, but that's not going to help us reach our goals right now, and yes, in the future, she'll be able to add some cheese back into her diet.)  Of course there are other tastier foods we can add to our meals, but right now, we need to break the bad habits of just automatically adding those foods to our meals.  In the future, they will be "treats" that get added in once per day.  Paige didn't get to her current health condition overnight. It was years of poor food choices, and adding that "feta cheese" just because it would make the food taste better.

  I know that baking is one of Paige's loves.  In fact, for many folks all around the world, baking goodies is perceived to be sign of "love."  We are always baking tasty (unhealthy) treats to give our friends to show our love.  When someone dies, is born, is going through a rough patch, we make them meals and desserts that generally aren't healthy.  Food = Comfort and Love.

If you think about it, it's true.  We show our love via food.  I remember going home from college, and eating all of the "fat foods" (that's what I call the foods I ate when I was a fat girl too).   My mom would make our favorites.  We'd have homemade Mac & Cheese, all sorts of canned-soupy-type casseroles, pasta galore, a freezer full of desserts, etc.  To my mom, at no fault of her own, making those "favorite" meals was her way of showing us love.

But we're looking at it all wrong.  When you truly love someone, don't you want them to be healthy & energized?  You'd probably die for someone you loved, so why are we killing our loved ones?  (Slowly, and legally, through our food).   We should actually be showing love via healthy foods, the kind that will keep us around longer with healthier bodies, minds, and spirits.

So, to anyone out there reading this, next time you're making someone a dish of some sort, think whether you're actually killing the person you love, or if your food will help to heal and nourish them.

Think of this every time you eat.  Is the food you are eating nourishing your body? or is it an act of self-suicide.  (morbid, but true).

The Assessment

On day 1 of our journey, Paige, Nickey, and I met at 8:30am at the track to get our starting measurements.  It was a bit hot and humid out, but nothing unbearable.  Maybe, for the first time, Paige would actually HAVE to drink water!  At this point, I hadn't seen Paige's blog post about her "last supper."  Make sure you check that one out! It was her first post in her blog about this journey: http://www.changeforitall.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-last-lunch-and-supper-and-video.html

Paige's Before Photos from 6/29/13

We would do several circumference measures, as well as BMI, Resting Heart Rate, and before photos.  We'd also do several fitness assessment pieces for baseline numbers, such as a Wall-Sit test to analyze leg strength/endurance, a pushup test to measure upper body endurance, a plank to measure core endurance, and a 1 mile walk test to estimate V02max, an indicator of fitness level.  

Paige completing her 1 mile walk test

Ironically, when Paige had joined my bootcamp class back in January for those 2 sessions, we had done several of the same measurements that we did for this assessment too.  So, on one good note,Paige was 7lbs less than she was in January.  BUT, her upper waist measurement (smallest part of waist) was 1 inch bigger, and her lower waist (at belly button) was 2.25 inches bigger!  This is definitely a sign of metabolic syndrome, which we clearly know Paige has.  Waist measurements are a huge indicator of health.   In fact, all of Paige's circumference measures were the same or larger than they were in January with the exception of the shoulders.  So, weighing less, but actually bigger!  A lot bigger.  Time to reverse this! I'd rather Paige weigh MORE, and be smaller!  Boy, do we have our work cut out for us.

 

Paige and Nickey enjoying their Wall-Sit

I also ask 3 specific questions during every assessment I complete.  On a scale of 1-10, what's your energy level?  On a scale of 1-10, what's your sleep quality?  and On a scale of 1-10, what's your stress level.  Paige answered: 3, 4, and 7, respectively.  We MUST improve these numbers, and good thing that a proper diet and proper exercise are the two best ways to improve all 3.   Weight loss will rarely take place if you have low energy levels, poor sleep, and high stress.  So, we have to take an all encompassing approach to this journey, and not ignore these important aspects.

Paige and Nickey doing their Pushup assessment

With our assessment done, we can now begin the plan.   I am excited to repeat this assessment every 6-8 weeks to determine progress and what we need to work harder at.  

Ready. FIRE! Aim.

Ready. FIRE! Aim.

So, for those of you who don't know, I write a column for the Real Story Publishing, here in Columbus, MS.  My column is called Tales From A Former Fat Girl (titled from the fact that I also, used to be a fat girl, as shown in the below image).  I decided to write my latest column about my experience BEFORE deciding to get this program with Paige off the ground. I realized that I'd never have all my ducks in a row before beginning. There would never be a perfect time to start. (since it'd been in my head for almost 2 years). Essentially, if you wait for what your brain thinks is  the perfect time, you'll be waiting for a long time.

Here's the link to my article: http://thisisrealmedia.com/2013/07/01/tales-from-a-former-fat-girl-ready-fire-aim/

Here's my before and after pictures. I  can't wait to get all of Paige's before pictures uploaded (and then I really can't wait for the after pictures coming in 6 months!)

The Food Plan- The First 10 Days

When Paige and I first met for our consultation, (just 1 hour before we got the official "diabetes" diagnosis), we had agreed to a gradual nutrition change. Paige would start by creating a 3 day food log, where I could then investigate some habits, nutritional deficiencies, and changes we would start with.  I had already told her that her Coke's were going to be a big no-no, and that would be one of the first changes.  We'd then go grocery shopping together to discuss new foods she'll be getting into the habit of buying, and I'd also go over to her house to clean out the pantry.

This all changed within the hour.  Once we got the diagnosis, I knew that nutrition was going to be our biggest and most important starting point.  We couldn't just "ease into" nutrition changes.  We had to make a plan where we'd go "balls to the wall" in an all-in type effort.  It got real in those moments, when we knew there was no room for fooling around anymore.

Luckily for Paige, I've been a Standard Process health care provider for about 5 years now.  If you don't know about Standard Process, visit their website at www.standardprocess.com.  There, you'll learn the truth about using whole-food based supplements and how important they are to our health.  They are the highest quality, top of the line, food-based, organically grown, supplements out there.  I'd never recommend something I don't believe in, use, or know know is 100% real food.

About 10 days ago, I attended a new webinar that Standard Process put on for their health care providers about a new 10 day Blood Sugar program.  It's very similar to the 21 day Purification Program that I've used as my own "health insurance" over the past 6 years, and have guided many of my own clients through.  In a nutshell, it involves eating vegetables, fruits, lean protein, whey protein, and healthy oils... only.  The biggest thing will be 2 vegetable servings to 1 fruit serving, minimum.   In addition to the foods that are eaten, there are a few supplements used to aid in the blood sugar handling, such as the SP Cleanse (a whole food based cleansing supplement, basically combining all of the cleansing foods, and putting them into a capsule), Gastro Fiber (a soluble fiber used to help inment for the diabetic or pre-diabetic patient to help with blood sugar handling imbalances).  Since I didn't have cleansing out the body), Gymnema (an herbal blood sugar handling supplement), and Diaplex (the #1 supple any Diaplex on hand, I decided to modify the 10 day Blood Sugar Program to at least get Paige started, and we'll add the Diaplex in when it arrives.

Here's an image of the types of food that Paige will be eating for the first 10 days.  I told her "if it's not on this list, she cannot eat it for these first 10 days."

As you can tell, there's no Coke, cake, cookies, or alcohol involved in this plan.  I told Paige that if she was going to do this, we'd have to do it right.  So, for the first 10 days of our program, we are going to be as rigid as possible with the diet.  There is only one slight snag.  Paige is going out of town on the 5th day.  So, all we can do is hope for the best, and she'll have to make the healthiest choices, plan ahead, as she travels.  So, our 10 days may turn into 14 days, making up for the days of travel.

After the first "cleansing" phase of the diet, we will continue the eating plan, maybe adding in a few more foods such as steel cut oatmeal, sprouted grain bread, etc.  We won't veer too far, since we have a big problem to fix.  The longer you've had the problem, the more time it takes to truly heal.  We have years of bad decisions and poor eating choices to "fix."

If you'd like to learn more about the 10 Day Sugar Handling Cleanse, or the 21 Day Purification Program that Standard Process Offers, please contact me.  I will help guide you through it.  They are designed to heal the body from the inside out.   Email me at liveforitallfitness@gmail.com