Who or What is Holding You Accountable?

Some of the concepts I find myself discussing the most, whether it be related to fitness goals, weight loss, school projects, office projects, time management, whatever... are setting priorities and accountability. I completely understand how motivation comes in waves, and some days we are all a little more passionate about achieving our goals than others. I think I am a perfect example of this by the fact that I took a good 6 months off of blogging. It isn't that I didn't want to blog anymore, but I let other priorities get in my way. I have stated to all of you (however many of you that are out there reading my babble) that my goal is to post once a week throughout the summer, and I certainly hope you will help to hold me accountable!

I hope that I can help you to achieve your fitness/health goals. Whether by being an encourager, sharing tidbits of information, answering your questions specifically, putting you in touch with other professionals, etc. But it certainly takes a team of supporters to obtain the best results.
Who or what is holding you accountable? Here are a few ideas you might find helpful. Please feel free to comment if you have additional suggestions!

1. Write down your goals on paper, and make sure they are SMART (see previous post)

2. Tell at least 3 people you trust (friends, family, spouse) your goals. If you are willing, give them a written copy of your goals. Be specific in asking them for help. Let me tell you, my husband [love you GymJim!] tells me all the time he wants to start doing certain exercise programs - but I have learned that he does NOT mean he wants me to remind him about them! :)
If you are actually looking for help/support, be clear about that!

3. Keep a food diary. All fitness/health results will be affected by your nutrition. As much as I advocate exercise - I'll be honest, that is a very small component of your results compared to what you are stuffing in your body 16-24 hours a day. And of course, each goal will have different nutrition needs. I do not recommend to anyone to keep a food diary every day - that is too tedious. I log my food at least one day a week to check in and see if I am eating the right amount of calories, and also if it is broken down into the proper percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. There are a lot of websites that offer free and/or inexpensive food logging. I am a member of a site called DotFit (through HFPN) that I think is really great, because it uses the database from CalorieKing and you can also add in your own food items, etc. (You also start by doing a questionnaire related to your goals, and it gives nutritional recommendations based on your goal). I can give you a 14 day trial for free, and this does not include taking any credit card information from you or anything. Just comment below or email fitbritt@gmail.com if you are interested.

4. Wear a pedometer. This is a very affordable way to get an idea of whether or not you are getting an appropriate amount of activity each day. You can get pedometers for around $5 or less (of course the more you spend, the better the quality will be, plus a few additional bells and whistles). All you do is clip it to your waist band like a pager, and let it count your steps throughout the day. I would encourage you to wear it for a few days without trying to change your activity, recording your number of steps at the end of each day. Then, gradually try to work up to 10,000 steps/day. Someone set that as the magic number for health... it equates to ~5 miles of movement a day, and can be pretty challenging to reach if you have a desk job! But definitely a good number to aim for.

5. Use a heart rate monitor. Now I will go back to proclaiming how important your exercise is. It might only be 30 minutes to an hour of your day, but you better get the most bang for your buck (or calorie burn for your time)! A good heart rate monitor will have a chest strap that you wear against your bare skin, and also a watch (or waist clip) that gives you a readout of your heart rate. I personally like Polar monitors, they are a very well known brand that can be purchased in sports stores as well as online. I think I'll save the details for where your heart rate should be during your workout for another blog post... I've got to keep you coming back for more (and this post is going to get long)!

6. Wear an ExerSpy! or a BodyBugg, or a GoWearFit, or any of the other brands by BodyMedia - they seem to be the same! (But I happen to own an ExerSpy that you can use if you are local... and I also happen to sell them). If you do not know what this is, you are missing one of my favorite posts and favorite items of all times. In addition to logging your food intake, this arm band tracks your calories burned, steps taken, intensity level, and sleep efficiency around the clock. A friend of mine just got one, and she mentioned that one of the things she likes about it the most is she knows how many calories to eat each day based on her activity level (which of course, may change from day to day).

7. Share your goals on FitBritt.com. I created a new page, linked at the top of this blog titled "Hold Me Accountable!" for you to post your goals on this site! Other readers will be able to see your post, provide encouragement, and follow your progress. They will also feed off of your motivation and learn from your trials. Who knows how many individuals you will be able to help! Is anyone brave enough to be the first to share??

I hope that you will find some of these suggestions helpful. Please comment below with additional tips to share!

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

It Watches Every Movement... and Lack Thereof

Sooooo, I broke down and bought an Exerspy. I've mentioned it before (mostly talked about the previous brand called the BodyBugg). This is the device that you wear all day and night on your arm, and it measures your caloric burn, your number of steps, your amount of physical activity (breaking it down into both moderate and vigorous), and even your sleep efficiency.
IT IS SO GREAT!
You can sync it to the computer throughout the day and it is most helpful if you log your food intake as well. It will show you your caloric deficit (or gain) each day, and at the end of the week there will be no surprises when you step on the scale!
It can be used no matter your goal: weight loss, weight maintenance, muscle gain, etc.

I find it helpful to sync around dinner time so I can see how many calories I can still eat and what I still need to burn for the rest of the day. It lets me know if I need to go for an after dinner walk (or something more intense), and if I'm allowed to have dessert and still stay on track.

This post may become long, as I start to add some pictures and descriptions from the website, so I'll mention a few more things first:

- There are a few similar devices out there... the BodyBugg, the GoWearFit, etc. They are all relatively the same, but I can say that the ExerSpy is created by the maker of the BodyBugg, with added features and efficiency (according to a webinar I participated in with the creator). The ExerSpy is the only one I can personally speak of and walk you through the process, but I have friends that have utilized the other brands as well.

- If you live near me, I would be more than happy to let you borrow mine for a week to learn more about your metabolism and get an idea for your daily nutrition and activity plan.

- I have to say, I always thought I'd just want to wear it for a few days and get an idea of what's going on... but now that I've passed it along for another to borrow, I miss it! I want to know how many calories I burned in an intense spin class! I want to know if I am continuing to stay on track with my goal.

- I won't hide the cost from you. The Exerspy is $220.00, additionally you need to have a $10/month membership to the DotFit website in order to sync your device and follow your progress. (I can give you a 14 day free trial to the site.)

- If you are interested in making a purchase, please contact me. It appears you can only purchase through DotFit (believe me, I tried to find one on eBay, etc.) and I have a DotFit account, so I can help set you up. Also, at no additional cost to you, I make a small profit off of everything I sell through my site and would certainly appreciate your support :)

So let's look at the details:

This first picture shows how many calories I burned in a day. You can see my goal was 2093 calories, but I actually burned 2465, woohoo! You can also see many periods of low activity and one big peak when I went to a cycling class.

You can also zoom in and see calories by the minute, and if you block a time period off, you can see how many calories were burned during your exercise, etc. During my cycling class, I burned 227 calories.

Then, if you click on "physical activity" you can get a good idea of how many minutes you've been active each day, as well as if you have had any moments of more vigorous activity. (During my cycling class I performed 34 minutes of moderate activity and 24 minutes of vigorous)

You can also monitor how many steps you have taken each day... with the goal being 10,000 steps a day. You can see that I only walked 5,201 steps... which isn't as many as I should get, but since my workout was a cycling class, this number is a little more understandable.

You can also measure your sleep efficiency. In one of the webinars, the company said that 85% or higher is a good efficiency. Mine certainly varies from night to night, but on the particular night showcased here, I was 93% efficient in my sleep, hurray!

In addition to the feedback given directly through linking the ExerSpy, you can log your food and compare the amount of calories in to the calories out to make sure that you stay on track with your daily caloric goals. This first picture shows a day that I ate pretty close to my goal, but then I performed more physical activity than my goal, thus having a greater caloric debt which would put me on the fast track to weight loss. (My caloric deficit was 938 calories. If I maintained this every day, I would lose close to 2 lbs in one week)

And because we all have them, I will share with you a day where my caloric expenditure was WAY over my plan. I consumed 2727 calories when I was only supposed to consume 1568. Fortunately for me, I had also exceeded my activity needs for the day, and still managed to have a daily caloric deficit of 247 calories.

You can see how this information could be helpful regardless of whether your goal is to lose, maintain, or gain weight. For me, it is helpful to see the visual balance... if I eat too much, then I have to do more physical activity to stay on track.

I think it's clear to say, I'm a big fan!

Let me know if you have any questions :)

Have a HEALTHY day!

~ Fit Britt

Fit Britt Now Has Your Fitness Needs!

It has arrived! My online fitness store is up and running!

http://www.myhfpn.com/1073

Check it out if you are in need of any equipment for strength training, flexibility, yoga, weight management, supplementation, etc.
Everything you need to start a home gym!
I'd be happy to make recommendations and get you started with a free program (specific to your needs and goals), based on the equipment you own and purchase (resistance ball, dumbbells, medicine balls, BOSU ball, resistance tubing, kettle bells, etc!).
No matter where you live, I can set you up with a free 14 day trial to the DotFit website, where I can create exercise programs for you, send you videos and articles, and even skype to check your form and your progress!

Indeed, I make a small profit off of every sale on my site, so I certainly appreciate the support!
I hope to highlight certain products for you over the weeks. Many of you know I have been wearing (and LOVING) the ExerSpy arm band so stay tuned for my praise about that soon!

Have a HEALTHY day!
~Fit Britt

Put Your Best Foot[wear] Forward

As Spring makes an appearance and we spend more time being active, there is one piece of fitness equipment more important than all others... proper footwear!

We all know the foot bone is connected to the leg bone which is connected to the hip bone... but we often fail to realize that the pain we are having in our knees or lower back is due to our footwear and improper body positioning.

There is more to picking proper footwear than just picking out the most stylish, pair of sneaks at your local athletic store. It is very important to select footwear that is geared towards your body movement, the height (or lack there of) of your arches, and also your planned activity.

Gait Analysis

It would be best to go to a running store where the staff are knowledgeable in performing gait analysis - watching you walk, run, and checking the wear on your old tennis shoes in order to determine if you pronate or supinate.

Pronating involves your feet/ankles turning inward with each step, and is fairly common with low and flat arches. Pronators need stabilizer shoes that have more support on the insole.

Supinating involves rolling your foot outward, with the majority of the weight on the outside of your foot. There are also special shoes for supination with more support on the outer edge of the shoe.

When you go to an actual running store, the shoes should be labeled as stabilizers, neutral shoes, etc. However if you just go to a basic tennis shoe store, they may not label the shoes by type, but you can tell what type of shoe it is by where the darker, more supportive base is, like so:

Additionally, regardless of what type or brand of shoes your purchase, you should also get more supportive inserts. Two types that I use and enjoy are SuperFeet and Lynco orthotics. Both come in different styles for different activities and shoe types (athletic, casual, dress, etc.)

I would encourage you to either purchase your shoes and inserts together, or purchase the inserts in advance and take them with you to try on shoes.Also, remember that your tennis shoes should be replaced every SIX MONTHS or 500 miles. Most individuals complain of knee pain when the shoes are too old and no longer supportive. One rule of thumb for tennis shoes or any of your shoes is to try and bend them backwards. If the toe and the heel wrap around towards each other, there is no support left in your shoe!

These were my favorite shoes, which used to be very comfortable and supportive. But last December when I started having a lot of foot pain, I went to both an orthotic shoe store and a podiatrist and both of them commented on the lack of support of these shoes.Alas, we need to be making smart decisions about supportive footwear all the time, not just when doing activity. Don't buy shoes that are uncomfortable, unsupportive, and your toes don't have space to wiggle. And ladies, remember that when wearing heels all day long, you are keeping your ankle in "plantar flexion," which tightens the calves. Therefore, upon taking off your heels, make sure that you warm up slowly and stretch your calves thoroughly before taking off on your activity of choice.
We often don't make the connection that our knee, hip, back pain is coming from the footwear we've selected. I challenge you to check the shoes in your closet and make a commitment to make smart and healthy decisions for your feet and body with future purchases.

Finally, just a few suggested stores to check out:

- If you are in the DC area, look up a Pacers Running Store

- College Station friends check out Shoe Daze (they have casual shoes as well as running).

- All others - do your best to find a running store and specifically ask them if they perform gait analysis. (Let me know if you find a good one!)

Good luck and may your future steps be light :)

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

Excuses, Excuses

So... I have to say, I think about blogging just about every day. I have so many ideas that I jot down that I could be writing about, so many great tidbits that I am learning through my classes, experiences in my own life, etc.

So why haven't I been blogging? My reason has been, wait for it... I think you know this one... "I've been too busy. I DON'T HAVE TIME!" But it's time for me to be honest with myself... and it's time for you to do the same.

What do we really mean when we say we don't have time to do something? Let's be honest, we are saying that it just isn't a priority. There are other things we'd rather do than [fill in the blank]... blog, exercise, cook a healthy dinner, get a health screening, etc. We all have 24 hours in our day, we all have the same opportunities.

You and I both need to evaluate our priorities. Once upon a time, when we were filled with emotion and excitement, we passionately and outwardly set a goal for ourselves. Then, over time, motivation started to fade for one reason or another... with exercise perhaps you haven't found something you enjoy, you haven't seen the results you wanted to, something "more important" filled its' place for one day and then another. Each day we have the same decision to make all over again.... how important is our goal to us? Will it be a priority today?

Let's start by re-evaluating. Put together a list of the reasons why we want to reach our goal. What are the pros of acheiving it? What are the cons of not?? Look further into the future... how can acheiving this goal help your life? Better health? Better self confidence? More successful? Better relationships? Write these down and put them where you will see them regularly, posted on the fridge, bathroom mirror, etc. Give yourself a daily reminder of why this goal is important to you.

Each day we can chose to make either decision, and we won't always make the decision in favor of our goal... but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that it's a "time" issue. It's a priority issue.

I hope you'll be hearing from me again soon, because it is important to ME to be here to motivate YOU on your journey of health and happiness.

Have a HEALTHY day!
~ Fit Britt

Online Personal Training by Fit Britt!

While the website is not at 100% yet, nor do I have it linked from my blog quite how I'd like yet, the fact is my HFPN Pro site is up and running for Online Personal Training! And, as promised, all training and consultations for the month of January will be FREE!

Click here to check out the site!

Inquire by filling out the 'contact me' box in the bottom left corner.
I have a 2-page questionnaire for you to fill out, and then I can work on designing your individualized program, complete with pictures and descriptions of each exercise!
Coming soon, there will also be opportunities to purchase fitness equipment at a discounted price!
Already you can purchase various supplements as well as an exerspy arm band device similar to the bodybugg that I've blogged about (scroll down to item #1).

Let Fit Britt help you achieve your 2010 resolutions and cross them off your list once and for all!

Have a HEALTHY day!
~Fit Britt

It's Time to Brag (and get accountability)!

We've made it through a full work week in 2010 plus two weekend opportunities to be healthy and active! Are you willing to share your New Years Resolutions? Let us know your goals and how things have gone thus far! Perhaps you've come up with some tips that might be helpful to others! Maybe you've experienced some struggles that I or other followers can assist you with.
Publicly posting your goals will help you stay on track and give you an excellent support system to encourage you and share experiences along the way. Please add your comments below!

The last post was all about goal setting. One very important point to mention is that you MUST accept that there will be set backs! There will be mornings when the comforter wins over the tennis shoes and the chocolate cake is victorious over the bowl of fruit. THAT IS OKAY! You need to find a lifestyle that is manageable to continue living and enjoying, while continuing to progress towards your ultimate goal. This should not feel like a punishment. With that said, don't punish yourself if you miss a workout one day... or even a few days in a row. You have not failed. What is most important is to resist the urge to say "I'll start again next week." NO! If the day is not over yet... there is still a chance to fit a healthy morsel into THIS day. If it is the end of the day, start fresh in the morning... don't wait for the calendar to flip to a new week... a new month... or even a new year. Each day, each hour is an opportunity to start again.

Please! Share your goals and progress thus far!
If you are looking for additional assistance or direction, I should have my new online personal training site up within the next day... so stay tuned for details on FREE online training and wellness consultations for the month of January! (notice: I posted this last week and I'm posting it again in order to hold MYSELF accountable!).

Have a HEALTY day!
~ Fit Britt

How Big of a Loser are YOU?

I can't help it, I LOVE The Biggest Loser. While I agree it is not a realistic (or safe) plan that individuals can do on their own without medical supervision, it is amazing proof of what our bodies are capable of. This show represents all of the reasons I have committed my career to fitness for weight loss and weight management - mostly, preventative health care.

This season started out with some pretty big shockers: the largest contestant EVER to be on the show... not a male, but a FEMALE... 476 pounds. Many other male contestants in the 400's, one - back for a second season - a 20 year old who was told he would not live past 30. A female contestant who COLLAPSED while walking ONE MILE during the first episode, needing to be MEDIVACKED and hospitalized for over a week. The viewers weren't the only one's shocked by these standards... the contestants seemed pretty oblivious as to how much their weight had affected their health.

Could this be you? Maybe you are not 400 pounds, but could your weight be affecting YOUR health? Do you get out of breath doing simple activities of daily living (such as climbing 1-2 flights of stairs)? Are you taking medication for blood pressure or cholesterol? Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Have you gained more than 15 pounds from your high school weight?

So the show begins with all of the contestants in a pretty sad state. Last night was the season finale and portrayed the contestants in a MUCH different light. Most contestants are completely off medication for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and no longer using breathing machines for sleep apnea. The 20 year old is told he has statistically gained 23 years on his life....that almost doubles his life expectancy. All contestants lost between 30-55% of their body weight. The winner (or "biggest loser") lost 239 pounds in 7 months! [Did I mention these are not typical results for what you'll get at home?]

We can do one of two things. We can watch the show lying around like a couch potato and eating cookie dough proclaiming, "this isn't realistic... I could never lose that much weight," OR we could use this as motivation and take a few notes on what it takes to be a real loser...

1. Define the TRUE reasons for wanting to lose weight (not based on appearance). Do you want to be able to play with your kids? Get through the work day without special exceptions? Know that you'll be around for years to spend with your grandchildren?

2. Take note of when and WHY you eat... dig deep... what is all of the weight hiding and the food masking?

3. Realize that health naturally deteriorates as we age (muscle mass and strength, bone density, cardiovascular endurance, range of motion, etc.). Recognize that you can do something TODAY to help prevent the deterioration and keep yourself in "maintenance mode" throughout life. Our bodies live by the "use it or lose it" principle... and once it is lost, gains will be minimal.

4. Make YOURSELF a priority. Yes you have to work, and provide for your family, and perhaps you are even taking classes in the evening or are involved in organizations (for yourself or your kids). Find a way to fit activity into your daily schedule, write it in your planner, and don't over commit yourself to the point where your health suffers.

5. Make activity a FAMILY lifestyle. Have a strong support group and avoid places that cause you to make poor decisions for diet and inactivity.

6. Ask for help. I would LOVE to help...what can Fit Britt do to support you?

7. Understand that the choices you make today affect your future health and life expectancy.

8. Did I mention make yourself a priority?

Where to Find the Time?

Hello again! One of Fit Britt’s followers asked an excellent question. “ . . . How [does] Environmental Mama fits exercise into her daily schedule? For me, I find WAY too many excuses not to exercise (it is not my favorite thing to do:) and it is easy for a mother to play the martyr and say things like "oh but I have to do this for (insert family member or dog's name)" and then forgo exercising.”

I completely agree that it is even more difficult for moms to come up with an excuse and something with which I definitely struggle. First, I repeat to myself frequently.....happy mom makes for happy kids. Being fit and happy with my size and health makes me better able to deal with my kids, regardless of their age. Whether I am handling a screaming baby, fussy toddler, tantrum-throwing 2 yr old, sassy 3 year old....or a challenging teenager, I am better equipped if I am self-confident and have an outlet for stress. I reason that taking care of myself actually helps me take better care of my children.

So, how to actually take the time to exercise? Here's how I try to stay on track with exercising:

I handle it one of two ways:

1. I make it part of my scheduled day. I have a “spot” where exercise regularly goes. It may be twice a week, three days a week, or five days a week, but it is planned ahead of time. I find myself more likely to exercise if I always do it, say at 9am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Make a standing date with yourself.
2. I make an external commitment. It may be a local 5k that I sign up for (and pay) three months in advance, or join a local recreational sports team. You can adjust your “external commitment” based on your fitness level and what you enjoy. Perhaps it will simply be a regular aerobics class you attend with a friend or agreeing to coach a child's soccer team.

I alternate both methods frequently. I seem to go through phases where the regular exercising works great. Say, my husband knows on Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm is my workout time.....or I set my alarm early to do a video three days a week....or I take my kids for a walk before lunch every day. If I’m working, perhaps I devote two lunches to a brisk walk or run. Generally, at some point I find myself “falling off the wagon.” That is usually when I sign up for something. Personally, being a runner, it is typically a race of some sort. I register and pay and set up a training schedule. I’ll be honest. I usually regret signing up at some point, but I press on knowing I’ve already paid and told people about it. I am ALWAYS proud of myself and pleased at the end. That commitment gives me the extra oomph! I need to accomplish a new level of physical fitness. It keeps me inspired to keep up with my regularly scheduled workouts. Until, of course, the cycle repeats itself :)

In conclusion, I think finding the time to exercise is always a challenge regardless of where you are in life. I suggest trying different methods and finding what works for you. If you plan for a morning workout, and sleep through your alarm two weeks in a row—perhaps you need to reassess and look at an evening workout. If you are always skipping the evening workouts (this is me), then try a morning. Or sign up for a fun rec team. A three month sports season might be perfect to get you back into the groove of being fit. We all need encouragement from time to time, so find a positive fitness influence for you. At times I am better than others. Just keep at it!

Good Luck and Happy Exercising!

--Environmental Mama ;)

Additional tidbits from the Fit Britt:

I think this post equally applies to those who don't have kids! You often hear people say "I don't have time..." but the reality is we all have exactly the same amount of time each day. We also each have our own priorities. Having children is a huge lifestyle change, just like moving, starting a new job, getting married, etc. I think it is most important to establish your new routine as quickly as possible, so that it becomes a habit to make it a priority. Equally important is creating a support team. Talk to your spouse/sig-o about ways they can support your new lifestyle desires (watch the kids for an hour, be open to trying new foods, join in on the activity, etc.). However, we can't push our goals onto someone else, so whether the people you live with are on your cheer squad or not, you'll need an entire social network of friends to meet up with for walks, healthy snacks, group exercise classes, etc. Our society loves to catch up with friends over food and drinks... why not catch up during a hike instead? Maybe not all of your friends will be willing, but you certainly need some friends in your life that will be active with you, especially if you are not self motivated to exercise.
Lastly, I find what works best for me is learning more about the healthy benefits of exercise and proper nutrition (and what happens to your body when you don't exercise and eat right - no matter what you look like on the outside)... so I hope to continue to inspire and motivate you with new information every week!

Thanks AmberJamboree for the question, Environmental Mama for your input, and thanks to all for the dialogues that this blog has created!

Have a HEALTHY day!
Fit Britt