Hi everyone! So, we have reached major milestones with our cardio and strength training. Way to go, Bodyholics! Seriously!
Now, that we have completed the climb up the Bodyholic Transformation Challenge 2.0... Let's move on, shall we? That IS how we roll.
There is one thing that is hovering over me, as your trainer, and that is nutrition. I have been asked by members of our community, as well as people in my life outside of the community, to really take the time to focus on nutrition. And... my friends, this is up next on our agenda. For a whole month... starting July 19th.
This means we have a whole month before the next challenge, and we are definitely going to use this time wisely. That is just how we roll.
Due to the fact that I am a data person - I love collecting and analyzing! I have taken Tamar's nutrition challenge to the next level. (For those of you who don't know Tamar - she is one of the beloved original Bodyholics and wanted to know what I consumed in a week, so I recorded it for her.) Let me tell you what the next level means for me:
I have purchased a (beautiful) notebook and EVERY single day I will write down the following data:
Weight
Energy level
What food I ate
Coffee
Water
Workout
Sleep
The purpose is to understand what is BEST for my body. When do I function best. What makes me feel good. What makes my workout rock. What makes my mind clear. What makes me happy. What makes me irritable. What bloats me up. What calms me. You get the picture. Oh! and if you are wondering what food has to do with all that... then, I promise you it has almost everything to do with it (1). Period.
I do not expect you to do the same exact thing. I do plan to clearly formulate my insights so you can see what I learned and did, and hopefully benefit from it.
So... What do I want you to do??
Get your house ready and make your life easier. Make it as friendly as possible for meeting your goals: lose the processed stuff, load up on the fruit and veg. Get your proteins ready , whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore. Make your carbs complex: whole grains, brown rice, spelt flour, oats, etc.
Don't workout so much - 30 minutes a day MAX! Yup... you read that correctly. There is a scientific reason for that, believe it or not. If you don't have clean eating habits, then I need you to focus on building them so that they can become automatic. The longer your workouts are, the less willpower you will probably have in order to stick to the habit building (2).
Turn to me and the community for support.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
The only way to turn anything into a habit is by REPEATING it. No joke! It changes the neural pathways in our brains (3). Your healthy habits will absolutely become automatic with every single time you repeat them. I promise! You just need to lean in for support and repeat.
You've got this. We've got this.
xoxo, Di
Turner J. Your brain on food: a nutrient-rich diet can protect cognitive health. Generations. 2011 Jul 1;35(2):99-106.
Baumeister RF, Tice DM, Vohs KD. The strength model of self-regulation: Conclusions from the second decade of willpower research. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2018 Mar;13(2):141-5.
Gerdeman GL, Partridge JG, Lupica CR, Lovinger DM. It could be habit forming: drugs of abuse and striatal synaptic plasticity. Trends in neurosciences. 2003 Apr 1;26(4):184-92.