National (Healthy?) Chocolate Day

     Way back in High School, I served as one of the journalists for our school paper. Although we might have been a misfit group of students, joining together to make a paper that honestly not many people read, we still tried to find a variety of topics and subjects to write about. One particular article I wrote was how everyday was a holiday. Yes really, every single day of the year. April 3rd is National Tweed Day, October 17th is National Pasta Day (something I can strongly get behind), and August 29th is National More Herbs-Less-Salt Day. See there really is a holiday for every day of the year. (Check the all out at the link I included at the bottom of this post) 

     All of these wacky and crazy holiday leads us to the fact that today, July 7th, is in fact National CHOCOLATE Day. How could you not celebrate that? Now I know it probably seems odd that a fitness blogger would be promoting a day that celebrates this sugary treat, but that is why I wanted to write about it. Always trying to break the stereotypes and what not (ha!). 

     You have to understand that chocolate is my very very favorite thing. I have always loved it and even when I am in my peak of eating clean and conditioning like crazy, it still acts as a temptation. This is why I decided to do my research for you and talk about how chocolate can actually have some health benefits...if it is eaten in moderation and you are particular in what you buy. 

     First of all, chocolate comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes. You have milk, dark, white, peanut-butter filled, nut-covered, and all of those rolled together. When it comes to making your chocolate selection it is always important that you are aware of what you are buying. Trying to lean towards darker chocolates is always a healthier option, rather than something lighter. 55%-80% is your typical  "better" range and when it comes to the percentage it tends to be the higher the better. If it does not have the percentage on the front, there is a good chance that the health benefits are out the window due to the sugar and other things that have been added. Trust me, I understand that the higher the percentage the more bitter the chocolate becomes. But a pro tip I have learned is that if you start with something such as 60% and have that for a while, soon you will be able to go up in percentage and it will not seem quite as unsweetened. 

     Second, avoid the typical name brands that seem to find themselves right by the cash register to tempt your little sweets demon. Instead, lean towards brands that might not be as well known. If you are at your local Health Food store (such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, EarthFare etc.) the selection of healthier chocolates may be greater. Trusted brands such as Endangered Species (Find it Here), Pascha (Find it Here), or Chocolove (Find it Here) are some of my go to brands. If you are not at a store that has as many unique or organic options other healthier brands include Ghirardelli, Godiva, or Lindt. Some brands to avoid would be Dark Dove Chocolate, Hershey's Special Dark, Milky Way Dark or even Dark Chocolate MnM's. Although all of these are tasty and claim to be better than a regular milk or white chocolate, they still have tons of added sugars. 

     Now that you know the types and brands, the last point I want too make is the actual health benefits that chocolate has. Many studies have shown that chocolate can increase your health when eaten in moderation (lets say a couple of blocks). Observational studies show a drastic reduction in heart disease risk among those who consume the most chocolate. Also it can be noted that chocolate contains numerous vitamins and minerals such as fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. It also increases brain function and can act as a stimulant for overall cognitive ability. (All of these facts and finds can be referenced through this article.) The main point is, when consumed in moderation, chocolate can provide powerful health benefits! 

     All of these facts being said I am not advising you to run to your local store and purchase large sums of your favorite candy bar. You still have to make good decisions if you want to continue living that healthy lifestyle. That will never change. But I am also here to tell you...if you want that little sweet treat, let yourself indulge! Just think smart while you do it. Alright friends, I hope I have encouraged you to go out and celebrate this wonderful, wonderful holiday that is National Chocolate Day! 

-ICF

Link to find out what Holiday it is Everyday:

HOLIDAY TIME

Sometimes You Cant Do It All

As I locked the sliding doors during my closing shift at the gym, I let out a long breathe. There was only one word to describe the feeling that was overcoming me- pure exhaustion. I thought back to that morning when at yet another job I has opened the doors at 4:25am...and here I was at 9:15 pm doing the same thing. It had been a long, long day. And I knew that the next morning I would have to be up and at my third job by 7:00. But the reason I bring up all of these times and different job locations is not to complain or to brag about how much work I was doing. But more so to be blatant about what hit me as I walked to my car. I had taken on too much.

There is such a delicate balance in life when it comes to the amount of things that you have time for. And the amount of things you have the energy for before it takes too much out of you. I have never been good at gauging my energy meter. 

In high school I was very involved in school and with sports. But thankfully my work was not incredibly challenging so I was given an idea that I could in fact do it all. When I got to college I found myself surrounded with a million new things to try and even more people to meet. I quickly applied to many different organizations and got involved in numerous things on campus. The spring of my sophomore year I realized I had not gauged my abilities well. I was involved with two major organizations, working at our Recreation and Wellness center, conducting a small group, training to be an Orientation Leader that summer, AND trying to juggle classes (the whole reason I was in college in the first place). I was constantly running around, packing my bag early in the morning with everything I would need for the day, knowing I would not be back until late that evening. I was planning every single minute of my day, and was forced to cram study times in late at night. Needless to say I was not succeeding and it took my parents hitting me with the harsh truth that made me realize- I could not do it all. 

The rest of college was better, but I was still constantly busy. I would never have survived without the support of my friends and family and my trusty daily planner. After I graduated and moved home for my year between graduate school I was given something I had not had in a long time. Free time. But me being me, I couldn't just appreciate that. I got another job and spent time going out with friends when I was off. Around December (upon realizing that graduate school is expenzssiive) I decided that I had time for another job. I applied to two places in hopes that I could pick up a few extra shifts. As life would have it in January I was granted both positions and decided that I could in fact take on both roles. 

I figured out a way to schedule in all of my three jobs and meet all of the training they required. Now I sit here with three jobs and a lot to do before I move. I am currently working seven days a week and still trying to find time to make doctors appointments and hang out with friends and family. There is no way around it- I am in the exact same place I was in three years ago. Stretched too thin. 

This post is starting to sound a little complainy again so I will not get to the point that I wanted to get across by telling you all of this. It is okay to not be able to do everything. It does not show weakness to admit that you can not do it all.

Yes, there are going to be times when you are busy, that is part of life. But you do have the power to control being overwhelmed and stress -ridden all of the time. Most of the time it is just at matter of having a real conversation with yourself and saying "What can I actually handle." I have found that when you are doing too many things you have a tendency not to be able to accomplish everything to the best of you ability. So my reason for this post is to say- find you balance. Find a couple things that you truly enjoy and stick with them. Give them your all. And do not be afraid to give yourself breaks. Rest (in terms of sleeping and just relaxing) is a requirement for you to work at the peak of your abilities. Giving yourself time throughout the day to regroup or a couple hours at night to watch your favorite show or read a book. Down time is essential.

To be the best version of yourself you have to honest with yourself. And as lame as it sounds you have to be able to give yourself some "you" time. Trust me, I am learning this more and more every day.

-ICF

Life Is Going To Happen

There is one thing I promised myself when I made this blog and my fitness account. That I would be real with my followers, my clients, and my friends. And here is the reality- life happens. There is no way to get around that fact.

Sometimes you find yourself answering the phone and getting news that forces you to drop everything and go. Sometimes you do not have the time to workout. And sometimes you have to eat Zaxby's because it is the only thing open at 10:00pm. And all of those things have happened to me in the last 24 hours.

But see the point that I want to make with this post is that we are ALL human and things are going to happen. And that is okay! You can live a healthy lifestyle as much as possible, you all know I am a huge advocate of that. But at the same time I am a firm believer that you can't let it control your life. If you do then you will go crazy. You have to be able to cut yourself a break.

So as my promise to you, I will never try and pretend that all I eat is Kale, that I never drink that-much-needed beer, or that I am always up at 6:00am to get in my cardio. I will always strive to be a motivation, but I think the best way to be a motivation is to show that I am just like every one else.

Remember life happens and that is okay.

-ICF

Healthy Ways to Deal With Stress

So if we are being honest, this post is a little ironic for me to be writing. This is because I might be worlds most prone person to anxiety and stress. Even over the smallest things. BUT the main reason I write these blogs and post on my fitness accounts is to address the fact that there is always someone out there that is dealing (or not dealing with) the same things that you go through every day. 

Now about stress. I would say that my severe stress began when I was in college, whether it was due to being overwhelmed by school, being nervous about making sone type of involvement opportunity, or not feeling good enough when it came to others on campus. But what is crazy is that I expected this stress to go away when I graduated. But alas, it just changed into things I am not dealing with in the "real world." Stress has a funny way of masking itself to make sure it is always there somehow. 

           That being said, when it comes to anxiety there are definitely better ways to deal with it than others. So that is what I am here to address- the good ways to help your anxiety and the things to avoid. Essentially the do's and don'ts of coping with stress. 

Do-Try to engage in some physical activity. I have personally had times when I feel that settling of anxiety coming over me that I have thrown on my tennis shoes and just run. Running as fast and long as I can until my lungs are burning and my legs are aching. But there is something about that feeling of pushing all of the over-thinking and negative feelings out of my body until all that is left is pure exhaustion. That being said others might find it better to preform a lower impact form of physical activity like biking or taking their dog for a walk. But the purpose is that physical activity can actual metabolize excessive stress hormones and help bring you back down to a more relaxed state. 

Don't- Over indulge on food or alcohol. It is easy when you are feeling stressed to go to the pantry and pull out your favorite junk foods with the mind set of "I deserve these right now." Although I am a big believer in little "happies" to cheer you up, when you are stressed it is easy to over do it. Make sure you are not compensating your physical state with your emotional one. 

Do- Try some relaxing activities or exercises. This could be anything from going and getting a massage to help release the tension building up in your muscles or simply taking a moment to close your eyes and breathe. There is incredible power in being able to regain your control in a stressful situation by bringing your mind to a better state of relaxation. 

Don't- Take time off from everything. Just because you are stressed and overwhelmed do not use this as an excuse to drop everything you have going on. In the moment it might feel good to try and forget about everything, but it is going to make it that much harder (and quite frankly more overwhelming) when you try and come back to everything. Short breaks are one thing, but coming back to it all later is a different story.

Do-Talk it out and be done. Sometimes the best thing we need to deal with our stress is to talk it out with a close friend or family member. To rant for a brief moment about how everything is effecting you. But the important thing is not to let this talk turn into a long venting session. Do not dwell in the negative and repeat the stress over and over again- it just gives the anxiety more power. Instead, get it all out and then come up with strategies on how to deal with it. Go ahead and move on to the positive. 

Don't - Try and deal with it alone and let it overwhelm you even more. I am beyond guilty of this- of bottling things up and then letting them consume me. DON'T be me. This is the worst thing you can do because not only is it unhealthy for your emotional stability, it effects everything. Even physical aspects like your ability to sleep and your mental health. 

Do- Find the best things for yourself. The simple truth is that there is not one solution for every person to deal with their stress. Everyone is different and everyone deals with things differently. Sometimes your ability to deal with stress is going to change, but it is all about being able to regroup and figure out what is going to work. Do not turn to the negatives and bad habits with the excuse "I am just stressed, I won't do this once the stress goes away." Because if you start it when you are stressed you will find it hard to give it up even when things are going well. 

So when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with anxiety- try some of these healthy stress tips! And always remember things are going to get better, they always do. YOU can do it. 

-ICF

Holding Yourself Accountable- Four Ways to do it For Real

How many times have you told yourself that you are going to start your diet after this one last cheat meal or that you will make sure you will go to the gym starting next Monday? Trust me, I have been there at least a million times and I know that it is so easy to just give up on your goals and say that you will complete them later. It is something I struggle with all the time- that is just the reality of life. But how can you make sure that this does not happen to you again? That you really put your best foot forward the next time you make some kind of health goal (or really any goal). I have come up with four easy things that you can do starting today (notice I did not say tomorrow ;) ) to ensure that you meet your goals.

1.

I know that when I was in college I would not have been able to succeed if it was not for my planner. Now that I've graduated, I expected that to change. But let me tell you- it hasn't! Whether it is work, clients, workout planning, social time, meal prep, working on applications, or even just watching an episode of Parenthood. I work best when I have written it all out. It allows me to see my whole day at a glance and ensures I get everything done. It is all about figuring out what is an immediate priority or what is important to you. That being said if you do not use a physical planner, try using your phone calendar. You can easily put reminders for yourself to make sure you do not forget or let something just slide into tomorrows schedule. It is not bad to plan everything out in your head- but you are probably about 80% more likely to not accomplish everything on your list. Especially when working out or making that healthy dinner is always the first thing to leave your list of To-Do. Make sure your fitness lifestyle is a priority and you will see the benefits.

2.

Something I always tell my clients at the beginning of our training is that I want them to go to the store and buy a notebook. It does not have to be anything fancy or expensive. A composition book or a cute Target one. But I want them to go out and buy it as a commitment to their fitness goals and themselves. So it becomes their special fitness journal to track their journey. I encourage them to keep it by their bed or in their backpack (really anywhere handy where they do not have to go out of the way to find it every day). Then take ten minutes at the end of every day before they go to sleep to write four things.

I. How was their nutrition that day. Some people like writing a detailed log of food, others just rank (realistically) how they think they did.

II. What activity or exercise they did that day. Again it is up to the individual to decide how detailed, but if they did not do anything active then they have to write none. Usually seeing that none makes you a little more motivated to at least do something (walking for 15 minutes or a quick ab workout) the next day.

III. Something that they can improve and focus on tomorrow. Their nutrition, making sure to workout, getting more sleep, drinking more water, being more positive about themselves. Any small goal that they try harder to accomplish.

IV. Last, I tell them to write one thing they love about themselves or something they think they did well that day. They resisted getting the muffin with their morning coffee or that they felt good in a pair of old jeans. Even just that they know they are working hard. It is so important to end on a positive note. You should be your own biggest fan and sometimes you just need to hear it.

If you begin this habit of writing every night you will find yourself making small positive decisions throughout the day because there is nothing better to hold yourself accountable than putting it into writing.

3.

Sometimes at the end of a long work day the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. Or the thought of spending a Sunday afternoon meal prepping for the week sounds horrible. Then find a way to make it more fun and find yourself a friend to hold you responsible. If you are intimidated by the weight floor at the gym, grab a friend and go to a fitness class or tackle some new activity (swimming, tennis, hiking, strength training) together. Instead of going to dinner, find a good recipe online and spend the night cooking it together. Have someone who expects you to hold them accountable as well. Two is always better than one.

4.

It would be easy for me to tell you that finding motivation is simple, but that is not always the case. One moment you might be feeling on top of the world and then the next something knocks you down and you feel like you have taken ten steps backwards. This is where it is so important that you know how to keep yourself inspired. A few things that I have done to keep myself upbeat about my fitness journey is by writing inspiration quotes or words on post-it notes and putting them around my room. On my mirror that I see every morning, on the wall beside my bedroom door, on my laptop. Places that I see a lot. They just serve as little reminders that I can do this. Also I follow a lot of fitness accounts on social media. Not only do they give me workout ideas and nutrition tips- they also serve as a great way to hold myself accountable. As I am scrolling through and I see someone doing a certain workout it makes me want to better myself in the same way. Everyone is different, but it is really just about knowing what keeps you in the right mindset and making it happen. You got this.

I promise if you start doing these things you will see a difference in your accountability. It as simple as these four things....

SCHEDULE, WRITE, BUDDY-UP, MOTIVATE.

You are going to see the difference in your productivity, your encouragement, and yourself. You Can start TODAY.

-ICF