I Asked So You Don't Have To
Questions for Integrated Health Coach (And My Baby Sister) -Linda Arrandt
What are some common mistakes people make when trying to improve their health?
“Some common mistakes people make when improving their health are to begin lifestyle changes on a Monday after a long weekend of indulgence. I call that the “Monday morning mentality”. More often than not, they may start out with strong goals such as eating more plant based and having only chicken and fish, or eliminating either gluten or dairy or both, committing to 3-4 days of exercise and/or working on sleep. Beginning with good intentions for two days and then life’s busyness takes over and there may not have been food prep time so grabbing fast food or comfort food may be easy, thus the food elimination goes out the window or perhaps alcohol is needed to reduce stress or the exercise plan doesn’t happen.
Another mistake I see people commonly make is having a “New Year Resolution” mentality. As above, clients may begin strong and then self-sabotage rears its ugly head mid-month. I prefer to begin by crowding out the kitchen and foods that don’t serve the individual persons health goals. I feel that it is more important to begin your wellness journey connecting to and figuring out: ”The Bigger Reason Why”.
Lastly, I believe that it is important to take the word “try” out of your vocabulary and use the word “do”. I like to defer to the Nike tagline “Just Do It”. For example, one of my current clients wanted to lose weight, feel better in her body by reducing inflammation so she could get on the floor and play with her grand-daughter. She had pain in her knees and legs and wanted to get her core strong. We have been working together with Pilates training and Health Coaching for nearly 3 years and she lost 65 pounds on her small frame (under 5’). She has been committed to doing Pilates 3 days a week and started with a 12 Week Candida healing program. Her mobility is great now and she is not in pain any more. She even purchased her own Pilates Reformer and I have taught her to be independent so she can easily do her own workout in between sessions.”
Can you share some simple tips for someone just starting their health journey?
“I have had much success with clients to break down their goals by using the SMART Goal concept.
Here is how to break it down…
S – Specific
Specific: Includes what the goal is, how much time will be spent achieving it, and when the process will be done.
EXAMPLE: Instead of saying I want to lose some weight, be specific, ”I want to lose 10 pounds by August 15th (6 weeks, even if you need to lose a total of 50 pounds).
M – Measurable
Measurable: Uses firm numbers like amount, duration, and frequency to track your goals.
EXAMPLE: I will get 8,000-10,000 steps per day by walking the dog for 20-30 minutes before work and 20-30 minutes after work each day. I will walk for an hour Saturday and Sunday. I will consume 1200-1300 calories a day for 6 weeks.
A – Attainable
Attainable: Sets short-term goals that are realistic and achievable with your time and resource.
EXAMPLE: I will eliminate alcohol, refined sugar and gluten for 6 weeks and will increase vegetables and fruit. I will write down everything I eat in My Fitness Pal and track calories for 6 weeks.
R – Realistic
Realistic & amp; Results-focused: Supports your long-term wants
EXAMPLE: the results have paid off as I lost 10 pounds and feel better in my body after this six-week period. I will evaluate and review how I got there.
T – Timely
Timely: Includes a deadline for achieving the goal
EXAMPLE: I will do this for 6 weeks and then evaluate how I reached this set of goals and create the next time-bound set of Smart Goals.”
How do you help clients stay motivated and overcome obstacles?
“This is hands down the most challenging aspect of behavior and lifestyle change. We need to retrain our brains to create long-lasting lifestyle changes. Going on a diet or only creating a short-term movement practice during a weight-loss phase can lead to self-sabotage when you have stress or lack of time. What gets scheduled ahead of time is a great way to keep motivated. For example, when I teach Pilates, I work on teaching my clients mat exercises they can do at home in between sessions or when they are out of town. Also, when eating healthier, it is helpful to have a home food prep practice. Creating a new way of living with consistency as a lifestyle will help keep up the motivation and clients often overcome obstacles when they see how this new lifestyle has helped them to lose weight, balance hormones and increase their energy.”
What can we do when we have a sweet tooth but want to stay healthy?
“To help my evening sweet tooth, one of my favorite tools is a kid toy. One brand is called Frozen Magic. I take my favorite meal replacement shake, called Solutions4 and blend it with a half of a frozen banana and some other frozen berries and blend it in my Vitamix, then I pour it into the frozen Magic and squeeze it. It creates a soft serve like texture and it deludes me to thinking I am eating ice cream. It does the job to tame the craving. Another device I like is called a Yonanas machine. It is available on Amazon. You take frozen fruit and put it into the machine and it turns it into a frozen soft serve consistency. Watching the quantity is still important as it is a lot of concentrated sugar, although it’s all natural, but as an added benefit can pack antioxidants, which is a good thing! One tactic I like to share that my Mother used when she was young and changed her diet with weight loss as her goal, was to have her favorite Butterscotch Sunday once a week on Saturdays with her friends. The rest of the week she ate very clean and stayed within a calorie range.”
What are some simple things you can buy that will help a busy mother feed their family and themselves on the go?
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