lifestyle

are you making excuses?

Today I want to explore something that has been coming up with clients and in conversations with others. I help my clients recognize unproductive thought processes that work against their goals. Through my own work with therapy I believe, more than ever, that with the help and guidance of others it is easiest to improve ourselves. While I can’t work with each of you one on one, I hope today’s post helps you reevaluate and challenge some of your own thought processes related to your health and wellbeing.


You have heard ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. In the age of social media we know the constant comparison to the lives, bodies, etc of others brings us down and can make us feel pretty bad about ourselves or our circumstances. Most of us are aware of the harm this can do, and hopefully, take measures to avoid that spiral.

However, I have been noticing a different kind of comparison. People comparing their behaviors to others as a way to justify why their behaviors “aren’t that bad.”

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I do not and will not shame anyone for their food or lifestyle choices. It is a choice. However, when you are actively trying to take better care of yourself, improve your health, support your goals through eating more nutritious foods and moving your body, comparing your habits to someone’s ‘worse’ habits in order to justify your inaction or misaligned choices is NOT HELPFUL.

I see more and more people using this sort of comparison to make themselves feel better about not doing the things they told themselves they would do. I hear people using the choices of others to justify why their own choices ‘aren’t that bad’. This thought process is being us as an excuse to not follow through with goals that have been set.

Here are some examples:

  • You set a goal to move your body four times this week. You don’t do it. Instead of evaluating what happened and taking steps to try again and succeed at your personal goal, you focus on Susie in the office and how she is never ever active and justify your behavior because ‘at least you are not like her’.

  • You know your reliance on and constant intake of sugar is contributing to your rising blood sugar levels but you say, “at least I am not eating donuts and candy everyday like my coworker Bobby does.”

  • You have a new diagnosis of prediabetes and are feeling resistant to giving up soda. You know you want to get your blood sugar under control, but you also know you will “never let myself get to the unhealthy place my cousin did”.

REALITY CHECK

Your health has NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW SOMEONE ELSE CHOOSES TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELF!!!

We are unique. Our health is determined by genetics, environment, stress, lifestyle factors, and more. Just because we don’t eat fast food everyday like Joe Schmoe doesn’t mean we get a free pass to avoid a heart attack. Don’t think that just because you skipped the fried mozzarella sticks and watched your friends eat them that your excess alcohol intake is erased. Health does not work that way. We all respond differently to food and exercise, and really all health related behaviors, positive and less productive.

This sort of comparison is negative, judgmental, and none of your business.

So take a moment to reflect. If you find yourself going down this thought cycle, I hope you can recognize it and stop it. People in your life don’t deserve this kind of judgement. And your health will not improve from it.

If you have a desire to take better care of yourself, own it, do it, and stay in your lane.

Remember - health is built on consistency. Stay clear in what you are trying to accomplish, take it one day at a time, and for goodness sake leave other people out of it.


-Rant over-



beef and sustainability

What a fun few months I have been having! If you read my post earlier this month you read about how I was turning my focus to being present and enjoying life, instead of worrying and overstressing about big projects and goals. This shift has helped me really focus on the fun and professional work that is important to me. Plus, this approach is helping me say ‘no’ more often, which means more time for things I love.

In March I was insanely excited to head out to Kentucky for a couple of days (Sponsored by the Beef Checkoff) to learn all about beef production and sustainability. Did you know that Kentucky produces more beef than any state east of the Mississippi River?

On our trip we learned from a master butcher, ground and made our own burgers, had a steak taste test, toured the YARDS, an education center focused on the science and practices in the beef industry, and toured Eden Shale Farms. The best part was hearing from and interacting with local farmers.

I have to say, I was really blown away by these incredible farmers who work so hard every day to care for their animals, that they don’t get a chance to get out there and share what beef farming and ranching really looks like. Some farm full-time, some have their family members help, some work full-time and take care of their farm and cattle in the evenings and on weekends. Many of the 38,000 cattle farmers in Kentucky operate multi-generational cow-calf farms. These are real families that have helped to feed our country for many years.

They all have one thing in common: they CARE.

These beef farmers and ranchers care so much about their animals, and their wellbeing. I don’t feel this message is conveyed enough, or ever. Our society is quick to shun different foods and food groups and then others latch on to the latest trend. When was the last time you made a food decision FOR YOURSELF? The last time you didn’t play back in your mind what someone at work said to you about this food, or what food your sister was avoiding on her new diet. It is important that we educate ourselves and make up our own minds about what and how we want to eat.

I eat beef, and I eat poultry, and I eat dairy, and I eat more fruits and vegetables than most people I know. I also eat almost all of my meals at home. I eat products and foods that I believe in and I feel good knowing that beef not only provides me with the essential vitamins and nutrients my active body needs, but also that it supports real families, agriculture, and our environment.


Here are some things about beef and sustainability that I learned on my trip. I really hope this helps you make a new food decision for yourself, or at the very least, teaches you something new.

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Facts about Beef and Sustainability:

  1. Cattle are ‘upcyclers’. They eat human-inedible plants (ahem- grass) and convert it into a high-quality human edible protein.

  2. Cattle also consume plant-based leftovers that would otherwise go to waste like distillers grains, and cottonseed.

  3. Cattle graze on rangeland that is unsuitable for cultivation which expands the land available for food production.

  4. Corn only accounts for 7% of cattle’s diet. Concerned about this corn being removed from the food supply? The corn usage for animal feed has decreased while the corn usage for fuel production as increased so if cattle weren’t fed that bit of corn, it would likely go towards fuel production

  5. The US beef production system is 10-50x more efficient than other nations. We have more efficient practices, which are being improved constantly, and through these practices use fewer natural resources and put out a carbon footprint that has been on the decline since the 1970s.

Ultimately, the decision of what you eat is and should be up to you. We are all entitled to our own food choices, and that is what makes education and awareness of the facts that much more important. If you want to explore more you can check out this website which has the answers to the most common questions, and misconceptions about beef. If you have questions, post in the comments I will happily reply and work hard to find the answer to your questions if I don’t know the answer myself.


PS the grain v grass fed discussion was insanely informative for me and you all need to read this blog post from Nicole to learn more about the actual process of finishing beef.

 

Post content is sponsored by the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, a subcontractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. All opinions and meal ideas are my own.

life update: 2019 goals

Why hello there, friends.

As we enter into quarter two of 2019 I see that blogging once a month has become my norm (I apologize) and that my resolutions for 2019 remain unset (I will not apologize for this).

I have decided I am forgoing setting goals for 2019, both for my life, and my business.

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If you read my January post you read about how much success I had in 2018 both with meeting and exceeding many of my goals. But, 2019 is proving to be the year of slowing down. Right now, I do not need goals to push myself and achieve and challenge myself, I need to slow down. This post is let you know where I am at, and what I am focusing on. I hope it helps you be ‘okay’ with whatever your choices are. Whether you are choosing to make this a year of hustle, a year of family, a year of love, whatever it is, it is yours to choose. I certainly am periodically panicked that I ‘should and could’ be doing more. But then I remember, I am enjoying the less doing and more being. I also remind myself that those things are available to me when I want them. I know how to hustle, if I want to start pushing my limits I can certainly flip that switch. For now, this break is okay. I hope you will share your 2019 updates with me and of course continue to follow my journey on IG where I share daily. Below are some updates on what I have been up to and enjoying.

what I’m doing

  • Focusing on my job. My new job has proven to be a great outlet for my skills and passions and as a result I feel less drive (pressure) to do ‘all of the things’ outside of work. Work is more fulfilling, and that is a positive.

  • Getting married. I am getting married in just over 5 months and while we aren’t doing anything crazy, it is still WORK. We have weddings to attend, family functions, events to plan, and details to organize. That is enough for my to-do list for the next few months, thanks.

  • Hanging out with my nephew. Because he is cute.

  • Exercising. I joined a gym for the first time in several years. It is fun to get back to lifting heavier and also rediscovering what my best ‘balance’ of lifting, running, walking, yoga, barre, etc really is. I love experimenting with my body.

  • Therapy. This is new to me but has been great.

What I’m loving

  • Reading. So. Much. Reading. If you are following me on IG you are following along with my reading and my audiobook listening. I set a goal of 50 books completed in 2019 and I am already just about halfway there. Reading is great because instead of stressing and finding ‘things to do’ and things to worry over, I take any moment of free time and open a book.

  • Teaching group fitness. I am teaching at InlineFit in Canton, Baltimore 3 classes per week + subbing and recently started picking up some Saturdays at LIFT in Mt. Vernon, Baltimore. These classes are a highlight of my week.

  • My InstantPot. (DuoPlus 6 Qt.) Really working on spending more time enjoying my time in the kitchen. Turns out when you don’t overfill your life it is a lot easier to find enjoyment in cooking.


So thats my 2019 trajectory. Nothing crazy. No big goals. Just lots of things going on and I want to enjoy and be present instead of stressing over the week or waiting for stressful events to pass by. I hope you continue to enjoy my content, even if the pace is slowed down. As usual, if there is something specific you want to hear about LMK!

Talk soon!