Podcasts about heike yates

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Heike Yates, a fitness entrepreneur and passionate advocate for women in midlife. Originally from Germany, Heike's journey is a testament to resilience and self-discovery, as she navigated through various stages of her life, from motherhood in her 20s to becoming an aerobics teacher and bodybuilder in her 30s. Heike shares how her love for fitness, nutrition, and mindset has been the backbone of her personal and professional evolution, ultimately empowering her to thrive in midlife. Her story underscores the importance of self-care and its role in maintaining health, family, and personal well-being. Listen in as Heike reveals the challenges she faced in starting her own studio in the 90s and how her entrepreneurial spirit has inspired women to embrace self-care practices for a fulfilling life. In our discussion, we also explore the transformative journey of building a personalized wellness coaching brand, transitioning from a boutique fitness studio to an expansive virtual platform for women over 50. Heike shares the serendipitous story of discovering the perfect studio location during a snowstorm and how the transition to an online platform has allowed her to connect with more clients, including an inspiring 87-year-old who embraced virtual sessions. We highlight Heike's approach to personalized wellness, tailoring fitness programs that consider clients' unique needs, medical histories, and goals. Hear the uplifting story of a 38-year-old single mom and landscaper whose strength and well-being significantly improved through Heike's tailored coaching. This episode is a testament to the power of personalized wellness coaching in transforming lives and fostering personal growth at any age.   Connect with Heike:Website: www.heikeyates.com Facebook: Heike Yates - Pursue Your Spark Instagram: @heikeyates LinkedIn: Heike Yates Let's keep the conversation going!Website: martaspirk.com Instagram: @martaspirk Facebook: Marta Spirk Want to be my next guest on The Empowered Woman Podcast?Apply here: www.martaspirk.com/podcastguest  Watch my TEDx talk: http://bit.ly/martatedx Ever wonder how one person can truly make an impact on the world? Tune into The Angel Next Door podcast, where we demystify early-stage investing, share inspiring investor and founder stories, and explore how YOU can do good while doing well. New episodes drop weekly—join us and start your journey toward meaningful change today!  

Lesley and Brad dive into an inspiring conversation with midlife health and fitness expert Heike Yates. They explore how to reignite your passions, overcome self-imposed limitations, and take action toward a fulfilling life. Learn how to stop over-researching and start doing, embrace change, and reclaim control over your future.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:Why midlife is the perfect time to rediscover what truly excites you.The importance of taking action instead of over-researching new interests.How to recognize and break free from limiting beliefs that hold you back.Using journaling as a tool to uncover your true desires and goals.How embracing failure can actually be the key to success.The power of surrounding yourself with the right people to support your growth.Why dimming your light for others is holding you back from your full potential.Episode References/Links:Ep. 472: Traci Peterson - https://beitpod.com/tracipetersonOne Voice L.A. - https://onevoice-la.orgIndivisible - https://indivisible.orgCambodia October 2025 Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.com Spring Pilates Training - https://opc.me/eventsPilates Studio Growth Accelerator - https://prfit.biz/acceleratorAccessories Flashcards Waitlist - https://opc.me/flashcardwaitlist If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!Check out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSoxBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable Pilates Follow Us on Social Media:InstagramThe Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channelFacebookLinkedInThe OPC YouTube Channel Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  We start to go, I'm gonna research these different hobbies. I'm gonna try. And then we get overwhelmed in the researching of things, and not the doing of things. You're not gonna know if you like something. Just go do it. So just go, just jump in and go do it. Lesley Logan 0:13  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 0:55  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the revitalizing convo I had with Heike Yates in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened tothis interview, you should pause. Go listen to that one, or listen to this one, then listen to that one. Binge listen. They're so fun to listen to. Brad Crowell 1:11  Binge in.Lesley Logan 1:11  Yeah. Today is February 20th 2025 and it's World Day of Social Justice. World Day of Social Justice is observed annually on February 20th. Internationally, the world is plagued with unfortunate issues that prohibit millions of individuals from living a fair life. Many of the world's population, through no fault of their own, are deprived of basic facilities, such as homes, jobs, healthcare, education, nutrition, and more. It must be the responsibility of the privileged to ensure that we can create a just world where social justice is a norm. How can we contribute to a social justice around the world from where we live? So you know what loves? I think that if you listen to this podcast, you're similar to me and Brad, and you are aware of all the shit that is going on. And there's.Brad Crowell 1:53  Lots of it. Lesley Logan 1:54  Fuck ton of it. And it can feel overwhelming, and it could be hard not to know what to do. And then it can feel like, if you're championing one thing, that you're leaving other people behind. And I think it's one really important to note that it's absolutely okay if you care about one thing, and you can still have feeling and sadness and wish for something different somewhere else, but you can also make a massive change on one area and if you don't have the money to donate to the help of that, then your education and your expertise can also be donated. Your time can be donated. You can leverage the networks that you have, maybe work for a company, and you can ask them to do their next donation drive for something that you care about. There's change you can make. There is, gosh, one of my clients today was telling me that there's a charity organizational website where you can actually see what different charities are doing and see how they rank, as far as like, where their money goes. Brad Crowell 2:49  That's cool. Lesley Logan 2:49  And that is a great way to, if you don't have a lot of money to give to in justices to make sure that what you have can go the furthest. We, Brad and I, did a fundraiser for those who lost their jobs due to the wildfires in Los Angeles. And I know that's not the world and justice, but it's something that's pretty terrible for those people going through it. And the charity that we worked with, One Voice LA, 100% of your donations go to those who need it. You can actually go to onevoice-la I'm sure it's dot org. Brad Crowell 3:18  onevoice-la.orgLesley Logan 3:20  Yeah. So you can go there, but there's definitely websites that you can use to research charities you're thinking of donating to, your time to, money to or leverage. And so I highly recommend that, because I also know that you have a whole life to live, and we can't save people without making sure that you are also taking care of you.Brad Crowell 3:41  I just pulled up two organizations that help measure charities. (inaudible) One is called Charity Navigator. Lesley Logan 3:46  That's exactly what my artist is talking about. Shout out to Meredith Bender. Hi, babe. Brad Crowell 3:49  The other one is called up Metrics, where you can measure and maximize your nonprofits impact. So I think this one's actually not this one might be like the business itself is trying to measure its own impact, whereas Charity Navigator, it sounds like we assess the direct impact of a charity's program relative to the cost required to run it to help donors identify high impact charities. So, you know, like the age-old story of, oh, you get these things in the mail every year for the annual Turkey drive, and then you write them a check for 50 bucks, and they take 45 of it to run the company and get $5 to the thing. Hopefully there are no organizations that do that, but obviously there are. So, Charity Navigator. Interesting. Lesley Logan 4:27  So use that on this World Day of Social Justice. And also please remember that it is really hard to herd kittens and so there's a lot going on. Educate yourself. Stay educated, stay informed. But also give yourself permission to focus on one thing that you want to change. And also, call your congress person if you live in the United States. Brad Crowell 4:31  It's not only about money. It's not only about donating to charity. Social justice is also political, and it's about championing those who can't champion themselves, right? I mean to me, literally, goes all the way back to what my parents taught me about the kids in the playground. Why are people picking on other kids? Because they feel like they can for some reason, and standing up against bullies is one of the best possible ways to advocate on behalf of others. And we obviously have a lot of bullies happening in politics in the United States. Lesley Logan 5:20  There's bullies all over the world. Brad Crowell 5:22  And all over the world. Lesley Logan 5:23  And they only have the room to grow because we let them. So call your congress person. You can call them every day. Did you know that? Brad Crowell 5:31  You can call them every day. Lesley Logan 5:32  People do. Also get involved in your local things, because apparently not many people go to like local city council meetings. And so the loud assholes, the bullies win because there's no one else there. Indivisible.org. They send a lot of emails, not gonna lie. Brad Crowell 5:47  Indivisible.org. Lesley Logan 5:47  Yeah, indivisible. And you can find the city near you, and then they will help you see all the different groups you can join that are about the causes that you care about.Brad Crowell 5:56  I just signed up for their newsletter about my zip code. Lesley Logan 5:58  Yeah, oh. Brad Crowell 6:00  indivisible.orgLesley Logan 6:00  That's great. I didn't find that option, and now I'm just getting a lot of emails. Brad Crowell 6:04  Right on the homepage. Lesley Logan 6:05  So there you go. So this is why we need Brad. Okay, let's go through this really quick. We are, while you're listening to this, we are in Cambodia, and you can join us in October, because it's for sure too late now, we're already here.Brad Crowell 6:17  It's for sure too late, unless you live in Cambodia. Then come on over. Lesley Logan 6:20  Yeah, come on over. Come say hi. So go to crowsnestretreats.com to sign up for our October retreat. We really want you there. It's beautiful. It's amazing. We spend a week together at our home and it's a true retreat. Really special. Brad Crowell 6:32  Yeah. It's magic. Lesley Logan 6:33  When we come back, we'll be heading over to POT in Denver. Brad Crowell 6:36  Yeah, we're gonna drive through Utah, Arizona and Colorado to get there. Not sure about Arizona. We might go the north part. Lesley Logan 6:42  Yeah, we're not doing any pop ups, don't, so we're on vacation. Brad Crowell 6:45  Yeah, no pop ups but we are, we're gonna drive and we're going to be there in the area for the whole event. We're excited about it. It's gonna be awesome. Lesley Logan 6:52  I've got some great workshops at it. So you can definitely still sign up. Brad Crowell 6:55  I'll be hanging out the merch booth. Lesley Logan 6:56  I know that they were almost sold out the last time I got a numbers count. So don't wait. Brad Crowell 7:00  Crazy, right?Lesley Logan 7:01  Then in April 27th through May 3rd, we have spring training, spring Pilates training, you guys. Brad Crowell 7:07  That's right from OPC. Go to opc.me/events. That will put you on the waitlist to find out about spring training. What is it going to be? Really quick. Go.Lesley Logan 7:16  Oh, it's all the OPC teachers and me teaching mat, reformer, a tower and a Wunda chair. You'll be able to buy a mat only ticket or an equipment plus mat ticket. So if you don't have access to the equipment, there'll be plenty of classes for you on just the mat. There are going to be all different levels, all different body types. And we're focused on one theme, and to find out what that theme is you got to go to opc.me/events and sign up, because I got to break the news to them first. Can't, that's worth, that's what we said. Brad Crowell 7:40  All right, if you are taking money to teach a client, if you are personally getting paid by the client, then you run your own business. Congratulations. Or if you have a home studio or a brick and mortar, I want you to come join me for a free webinar called the growth accelerator. We're gonna cover three big secrets that Lesley and I have put together after coaching more than 2500 businesses just like yours over the past seven years with our agency coaching program. Come join me for this webinar, prfit.biz/accelerator. That's prfit.biz or profit without the O slash accelerator, and join me for free. Finally, last up, we have the Accessories Deck, the Accessories Flash Card Deck with OPC. It is the sixth and final deck. We are so close to being done. I know that the first draft is done. It's being reviewed right now. Lesley Logan 8:27  This is the first Cambodia trip in years that I'm not writing a flash card on. Brad Crowell 8:31  That's so crazy. Lesley Logan 8:32  I know. What am I doing with my time? You guys. Brad Crowell 8:35  Oh, we're gonna do other things with your time. Lesley Logan 8:36  I have other things to write. I have blogs to write. I have a bot to edit. There's plenty for me to do.Brad Crowell 8:43  There's plenty to do but that's not what we're talking about. For the Accessories Deck. You know, we already did the photo shoot. It's looking really good. Lesley and I literally got a chance to meet the people who produce our flash cards when we were on tour. Lesley Logan 8:55  That was so cool. Brad Crowell 8:56  It was really lovely. We didn't actually get a chance to film anything because the entire place was closed for the holidays. So next time, I don't know if we'll ever be there when we're not there for the holidays, but one day, I would like to actually go see the operations. Let their team show us all these crazy machines that they use to make these flash cards. I'm fascinated by the process. Anyway, we're stoked to produce the sixth deck with them as well. We'll be dropping the presale really soon. So go to opc.me/flashcardwaitlist opc.me/flashcardwaitlist. Get yourself on the wait list. You will be the only people getting a 30% off offer on this final deck. So don't wait on that. Before we move on. We had a question.Lesley Logan 9:37  From YouTube. Brad Crowell 9:38  Okay, jasminesaif183 says hi, Lesley, would you say you teach classical Pilates, and if we wanted to learn the real Pilates, is there a playlist we can follow on your channel?Lesley Logan 9:52  Yeah, so I do teach classical Pilates. That's what I would consider I teach, and anything on my channel is classical. So there's no need to make a playlist, because everything is what I will learn from Jay Grimes, who studied with Joe Pilates, what I learned from the Taylor sisters who studied with Romana. So I am a classical teacher, and so you're good to go with anything there. We do have playlists that are like the mat or by equipment, but I'm not gonna create a playlist that's just because that would be the whole YouTube channel. Brad Crowell 10:24  Yeah, yeah. So. Lesley Logan 10:26  I also just want to say, in case, because she wrote real Pilates in here.Brad Crowell 10:29  I was gonna ask you to address that. Lesley Logan 10:31  I refuse to get involved in a conversation about what's real Pilates and what's not real Pilates. I won't do that because.Brad Crowell 10:38  Unless it's not Pilates in the least. Lesley Logan 10:40  Unless it's not Pilates in the least. Like a Megaformer. There might be some moves that are Pilates esque, but you I can't from their website 10 years ago. I cannot teach Pilates moves on a Megaformer and they cannot teach their moves on a regular reformer. It was from. Brad Crowell 10:53  That's clearly not Pilates. Lesley Logan 10:55  Yeah. So, so that being said, they might be telling people that's what they're doing. They might be telling their teachers or their trainers that's what they're doing. And I don't ever want to be the person who busts anyone's bubbles. So here's the deal. There's a lot of different Pilates styles out there, and most of them are all real Pilates. Now I teach what Joseph Pilates created with his intentions. Brad Crowell 11:14  From the book that he wrote. Lesley Logan 11:15  Yeah, from his book and from his teachings of his client, and I do the best I can to uphold what that purpose is. And if you were trained in a different way and you want to learn what I'm doing, great if you're training a different way and you don't want to learn the way I'm doing it, great. This world is a place where you get to. Brad Crowell 11:32  You do you, baby.Lesley Logan 11:33  You do you and you don't even have to explain it to me. I have no judgment, but I think it's really important to not get bogged down by the semantics of it, but there are styles, just like in yoga, there's yoga styles, and so if you find a style you like, keep going. Brad Crowell 11:48  Yeah, I agree. All right, y'all. Stick around we'll be right back. We're gonna dig into this fantastic convo that Lesley had with Heike Yates. We'll be right back. Brad Crowell 11:57  Okay, welcome back. Now, let's talk about Heike Yates. Heike Yates is a midlife health and fitness expert with over 35 years of experience, and she's the host of the pursue your spark podcast with a rich background as a seasoned Pilates coach and former Ironman triathlete, Heike is dedicated to helping women in midlife build strength, confidence in health. Through her podcast and coaching, she empowers women to embrace new possibilities, overcome challenges and lead vibrant, fulfilling lives, and she's working on a book and everything. It was really fascinating to listen to her share her story about how she was not raised in a society that intentionally worked out, meaning, I'm gonna block off one hour and go work out. Because where she was raised in Germany, your life was a workout. You were walking everywhere. You were hiking up and down mountains. You were doing all this stuff, because that's she you did. And then she said, when she got pregnant, her body obviously went through a dramatic change, and she gained 50 pounds, and then had no idea how to lose that. And so that is what took her down this path. And I feel like there's a generational thing there, too, for sure, she got into all the different things, and she went down all these different modalities over the decades, which I thought was really amazing.Lesley Logan 13:13  Yeah, I also like that she's really inspired to help women find their spark again. So it's not just about the movement of it, which I think for women in midlife, I don't know why it feels old. It feels like we're making it worse. Brad Crowell 13:25  Well, I think the reason. Lesley Logan 13:26  Because I'm 42. I'm not at midlife, when's midlife?Brad Crowell 13:29  Well, I think the reason that she's not saying pre post menopause is because it pigeon holes her into talking only about menopause. And you know, when she was talking about her book, she said, yes, some of the publishers were coming to me and saying, like, great, you're a menopause author, and she's like, but I'm not, you know, so I think she's using midlife to encompass a little bit of a wider audience there.Lesley Logan 13:30  Yeah. So I really was drawn to more what she was talking about women in midlife and having lost touch with their true desires. I also think because, again, you brought up generations, I think that my friends today have had more people tell them to know what their goals are and what they want outside of being a parent. And I think 10 plus years women older than us, like it was, you're a mom, that's what you did, and it was really weird if you were more than that, if you did anything else. So I do think that it's necessary to talk with those women about how to figure out that it's because also our desires change, and so you might have known what they were before, but then life happens. You go through and the things that brought you joy don't bring your joy the same way they do, and you have to have new desires, right? So I really want to say that she encouraged listeners to look not at what you can't do, but what possibilities are there. Focus on what is possible. You know, we talk about that all the time at OPC, so you know, I'm gonna love that Brad Crowell 13:50  Sure. Lesley Logan 13:52  She also said, if you don't try anything, you will never find what it is that lights you up. Brad Crowell 14:38  So take messy action. Lesley Logan 14:45  Yeah and I thought that was fun, because I think we start to go, I gotta research these different hobbies. I'm gonna try. And then we get overwhelmed in the researching of things, and not the doing of things. You're not gonna know if you like something. Let's just go do it. So just go, just jump in and go do it.Brad Crowell 15:00  Yeah. And one thing I found like a through line, and she didn't explicitly say this, but she did explicitly say, when you're trying to understand your goals, don't listen to what other people tell you that your goals should be. You need to find your goals yourself. And she kind of said it and then brought it back up again later on in the conversation. And so, you know, she encouraged honesty about our own desires, saying, when we look at ourselves, we've got to be honest about what we want, right? And then you asked, hey, what if you don't know what you want? Because you were talking about the retreat in Cambodia where you're like, hey, what does a year from now look like? And then people got they found that as a roadblock. They couldn't do the exercise because, like, I don't know what I want to be in a year, right? And so you asked her, What happens if you hit that hurdle yourself? And she said, You need to start journaling and paying attention to the desires that you have during your journaling. But ultimately, that still lends itself directly back to knowing your goals, your desires, not letting other people define your goals for you. I thought that was really important. I also think it's hard. I think it's really hard, especially when we feel boxed in by the life that we have today. Maybe your goal was something that is just literally not even possible because you have a job that keeps you in one place all the time, and you can't travel, you can't leave, or, I don't know, you have young kids that demand a lot of time, and now you have to wait to accomplish your goal. So I think that it's hard to decide what our goals can be, that we're willing to let ourselves pursue without knowing that it will fail because of the boxes that we live in, right?Lesley Logan 16:38  Yeah. I also think that we if we fail, then it wasn't worth doing, or we weren't deserving of it, or whatever and it's like.Brad Crowell 16:43  Then we feel guilty because we let ourselves down or something. Lesley Logan 16:46  I mean, how many times did someone fill the light bulb? A lot. And now if we fucking stop, we wouldn't have had light as soon as we did. So.Brad Crowell 16:55  Yeah and she did talk about failure, too. She said it's not failure. It's just, you know, it's the next step. It's the next baby step. She pointed out that many women feel stuck. They're either waiting for an answer to appear from the universe, or they're scared to fail, right? And her advice was, don't sit there frozen. Take action. Don't wait. It's okay to fail because we never actually do. It's something. We try something, we might not like it and then it's okay to change and shift your goal and reclaim control of your life. So she said, take action, and that's going to be the thing that moves you forward. And you know how much we're all about messy action. So, yeah. I think she's just also very kind. Lesley Logan 17:34  Yeah, she's got spunk to her. I really like it. Brad Crowell 17:37  Yeah, I think as a coach, she's just very warm, you know, all around as good vibes. All right, well stick around, because we do have some,Be It Action Items from Heike. We're going to find out about those in just a second. Brad Crowell 17:49  All right, so finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Heike Yates? To find what lights you up, start journaling. I did briefly mention this before. She said write down your thoughts. Start thinking about the things that maybe you're envying your friends for which I thought that's interesting. Normally, I was raised where, like, don't be jealous, don't feel envy. And she's actually saying not that you should tap into that and lean into that, but understand what's happening. Notice that. What is it that you're feeling that about? Write it down and then say, I want what she has, whatever that is, and give yourself the permission to say, to be honest, I want that. Look around for inspiration. Ask yourself, what are my friends doing? What do they do? Try activities that they enjoy or explore something new for yourself. She said, even if you don't know what you want, trying anything helps you discover what lights you up and what you don't like, which helps you narrow down what you do. Yeah.Lesley Logan 18:47  Yeah. I love she had so many great Be It Action Items, and so I also want to highlight that she said stop dimming your light and move on and enjoy life. And I love this, because often, as women, we were raised, you're too loud, you're too bossy, you're too this. We talked about this with Tracy Peterson, like you're too bossy, you're too this, you're too, like, all these things that actually people telling you that it's like a little thing where they're saying, turn your light down. It's too much. And actually, Heike is saying it's bold to keep your light on, move on and enjoy your life. And I think that that is the best thing we can do, because we're not going to keep everyone with us all the time. We're just not. And so dimming your light to stay in the box that other people want you in, it'd be a real shame, and that is not what you're trying to do when you're trying to be it till you see it. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 19:32  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 19:33  Please make sure you share your takeaways with Heike, the Be It Pod. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it. Share this with one of your midlife friends who needs to hear someone kind telling them things that might feel very familiar to them, and helping them enjoy their life more and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 19:46  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 19:48  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 20:30  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 20:35  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 20:40  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 20:47  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 20:50  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Midlife is not a time to slow down. It's an opportunity to redefine what's possible! In this empowering episode, Lesley Logan sits down with fitness and lifestyle coach, Heike Yates to discuss how women can embrace aging with confidence, take bold action toward their goals, and stop dimming their light. Heike shares her personal fitness journey, the importance of mindset shifts, and practical steps for staying active and strong at every stage of life.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How societal expectations impact women's confidence as they age.The mindset shifts needed to embrace midlife with strength and joy.Why taking messy action, no matter how small, leads to transformation.The power of community and accountability in achieving personal goals.How to reconnect with your past dreams and take steps toward them.Practical fitness and self-care tips for midlife and beyond.Episode References/Links:Heike Yates Website - https://heikeyates.comHeike Yates Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark Heike Yates LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heike-yatesHeike Yates Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heikeyatesGuest Bio:Heike Yates is a Midlife Health and Fitness Expert with over 35 years of experience. She makes wellness and fitness simple for midlife women, turning midlife challenges into easy, actionable steps that help them truly thrive. Heike's approach goes beyond just fitness and nutrition; she focuses on helping women get out of feeling stuck or in a rut, guiding them to get stronger, develop a resilient mindset, eat better, and boost their energy. As the founder of ‘Pursue Your Spark,' Heike also hosts a popular podcast reflecting her mission. Outside of coaching, she's an avid triathlete and adventurer, always seeking new challenges in the great outdoors. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!Check out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSoxBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable Pilates Follow Us on Social Media:InstagramThe Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channelFacebookLinkedInThe OPC YouTube Channel Episode Transcript:Heike Yates 0:00  When I look around and I see us in midlife where we feel so defeated by what we used to be able to do. Oh, I used to play tennis and now I can't. Women feel so defeated and so sad about what they're no longer able to do that it's time that we, or I, step up to the plate and say listen, it is not that bad. There are choices, but it comes down to the choices that you need to make and you need to see yourself in a different light.Lesley Logan 0:34  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 1:17  Hey, Be It babe. Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast. I've got a great interview for you. This is going to be a fun, uplifting, inspiring, take action, but all for you. And I'm excited for our guest today, Heike Yates, because she is you. Maybe she might be older than some of you, she might be the same age as some of you, but she is you. She is us. It's really nice and refreshing to talk with someone who has had all the obstacles. She's been through all the things, and is on the side where she's able to look at life in a way that allows her to live the life that she wants to have and really have fun with it. And so I'm excited for you to get to hear her and be inspired by her. And also I think you're gonna have some fun little one-liners to write yourself, write down and remind yourself that you freaking rock and that we're gonna talk about not dimming your light. So here is Heike Yates.Lesley Logan 2:11  All right, Be It babe. This is gonna be fun, ladies. I have been actively searching for guests that specifically speak to the age group that is pretty much listening to this podcast. And so I'm really excited, because our guest here today is an expert at that. So, Heike Yates, can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at?Heike Yates 2:30  Hey, I'm Heike Yates, and I have been a coach for 40 years and a Pilates coach for 20 of those, and I work specifically with women in midlife, and I hope you really feel better about yourself, feel stronger, healthier, more confident in your body, and not feel like you were held back. I want you to feel like you're thriving and not listen to all the other things you hear on social media that's are wrong with you. I want you to feel right in your body and right about the things that you think about yourself. In a nutshell, that's what I do. Lesley Logan 3:07  I mean, isn't that what we all want? But why is it so hard?Heike Yates 3:10  Because we're told something is wrong with us. You look around in social media, everybody tells us that we're not skinny enough that we're not lean enough, that we're not pretty enough, that we should use all these products to make ourselves better in life, and so we start doubting ourselves.Lesley Logan 3:33  But I feel like that probably starts when we're very young. So by the time we're midlife, it's been years of doubt of ourselves.Heike Yates 3:39  And it's also, I think, particularly through perimenopause and menopause, as we're going through the shift, things are getting worse because our bodies are changing and life is beyond our control. You think about sleepless nights. How many women can relate to not being able to sleep, not even because of the night sweats, just because we can't. And you wake up in the morning and you're whooped and you're barely functioning. And so menopause is a big dip, in my opinion, when it comes to these doubts, even getting deeper and stronger, and we feel like we're stuck.Lesley Logan 4:21  So how did you get to where you wanted to focus on helping women with this? And how did you get to be this expert? Let's go on your journey for a moment. What led you to this? Heike Yates 4:30  I'm a mom of two adult children now, and when I was pregnant with my first one, I had gained a lot of weight, namely 50 pounds, and at that point, I did not know what exercise means or can mean to a woman's body, or how to actually do it. I grew up in Germany and exercise is part of what you do. You walk to the butcher, you walk to the grocery store, you bicycle to the beer gardens because I'm from the south of Germany, in Munich area, and so exercise is part of your life. When I was pregnant and I gained 50 pounds, I had really no clue how to lose the weight and feel comfortable again in my skin. I mean, I love my son, I love my husband, but I felt out of shape. I felt yucky. And a friend of mine said, come on, let's go to the YMCA where we can take dance classes, because most women love to dance, and I'm no exclusion. We took this class, and it was so much fun. We did some dancer-cise, as it was called back. Then we did weights, and we did core work, and there was this group of women, and you can just picture this, we're in the basement of a church where you show up with your boom box and a yoga mat rolled up, and you had to bring your own weights into the room. Everybody, of course, had their little spot, so you had to make sure, as a newbie, that you didn't take their spot. And then the instructor hit play, and back then, we still had the tapes to pop the tape in, hit the go, and off we went, and the routines were pre choreographed. So as I learned later, over the period of time, you learned a routineLesley Logan 6:09  Like a Zumba class, kind of. Heike Yates 6:11  Like Zumba, exactly, but it was called dancer-cise, and that's how I got started, and I really loved it. And I was asked to become a teacher for the YMCA and their programs, and I wasn't sure if I could actually do this. Me, who's never exercised, hop around in front of all these people. I was like my husband encouraged me, no, no, you can do this. I think in the back of his mind he was just thinking, get her out of the house, get her away from the baby and the husband, and I started learning how to do these classes, and as I started to learn the routines, I felt really confident. I felt proud of myself. And I started to get to the point where I had to audition, because you just couldn't teach, you had to audition. Lesley Logan 7:01  Right, right, right. You gotta get someone to say, like, yeah, you actually do know what you're doing before we let you do it for other people. Yeah. Heike Yates 7:08  So I auditioned and I bombed, and I had no idea why I bombed. And she said, You know, I can't let you teach you don't hear the beat. And I said, What the heck are you talking about? I'm perfectly. Lesley Logan 7:21  I've been doing it. Heike Yates 7:22  I've been doing it. And she said, every now and then, you hit the beat. I had no idea what she was talking about. And she said okay, here's what I'm talking about. And I still didn't get it. Now she didn't know, and most people don't know, I'm deaf on one ear, and that affects my perception of sound. And so she took my hand and she put it on the speaker, and she said now, feel the beat. It was like a light bulb went off. That was the beat. And so I practiced my routine with the hand on the speaker, first to feel the beat, and then tried to remember where the beat was. And over time, I trained my one good ear to find where the beat was, and I passed the test. I was so, so proud of myself. And you know, it's a disability that is not visible, and it can relate to people with hearing problems. As we get older, we don't hear well. So with that said, once I passed that test, there was like no stopping me, Lesley. I just went for everything, pre post-natal classes, step aerobics, if anybody knows about step aerobics, then slide came along. We did slide, and then kickboxing, Tai Bo. So I did all of these classes and became a personal trainer, and then eventually started teaching yoga for three years, and then I discovered Pilates and fell in love with Pilates.Lesley Logan 8:48  I mean, we love Pilates around here.Heike Yates 8:51  We sure do. Who does not love Pilates? And so all of this was my career path, but along the way, I used everything I've learned, and I became a bodybuilder. So I was on stage with those big muscles, building muscles, and competing in body building competitions to running ultra marathons. So my longest distance is a 50-miler, JFK 50-miler here in in the area. And then I became an Iron Man triathlete.Lesley Logan 9:18  That is amazing. You do all these things and this is all part of the journey in kind of getting to where you are today, right? So you did Iron Man, those I can't do because I can't get in the water. I'll be real. I can swim, you guys. Open water swimming is not my thing. I can understand that. I just don't like when I can't, whatever's touching me, I can't see it. It's my own problem. You know, we all have our own fears. That's fine. So then what? How old is your kid at this point? Where are you at in creating your thing that helps women in midlife?Heike Yates 9:53  You know when you think about that as we get older, so now my kids are 32, one's 35 and I'm a grandma of almost three year old, so I want to stay fit for her as well. But in the meantime, it's midlife, past menopause, past all the hormone changes, so I'm postmenopausal, but what do I get? Arthritis in my knee. I have a bad knee. I have a bad shoulder, so I have to stop running because of that, I have some arthritis in my neck, and Pilates, of course, is perfect for all of this to help me strengthen my body and function. So now I'm looking for different things to do physically and so I can swim. I learned to swim just because I wanted to be an Iron Man. I'm not comfortable in the water. I'm a super slow swimmer, but I can do it. So I can, you know, do Aqua bikes. So I bike a lot. I do a lot of strength training, low impact exercises, and that helps when I look around and I see us in midlife where we feel so defeated by what we used to be able to do. Oh, I used to play tennis, and now I can't. Women feel so defeated and so sad about what they no longer able to do that it's time that we, or I, step up to the plate and say, listen, it is not that bad. There are choices, but it comes down to the choices that you need to make, and you need to see yourself in a different light.Lesley Logan 11:28  Okay, I agree. So how do we actually go about seeing ourselves in a different light? Because, for example, I have a client that I was teaching yesterday, I know we've been working on her strength, because she's had a bad foot that's been going on, we worked on her strength, and I was able to say oh, look, that's gotten so much better. And she's like, really? And I was like, yeah. We see ourselves every day and so we don't always see the changes that we're making. I feel like it'd be so hard to see ourselves in different light. How do you think we should go about doing that? Or how do you coach people on doing that? Heike Yates 11:57  I tell them to take a really good look at what they really want, not what somebody else tells them they want. (inaudible) as somebody else tells them they should be, but what they really want. And really get clear on, you know, I know it sounds so cliche, but the why? Where do I want to be in where I am right now in my life? Look at this. Look at not what you can't do, but look at what possibilities are there. Lesley Logan 12:26  Yeah, so I just got back from the retreat in Cambodia, and we did some breath work, and I had them visualize a year from the day of the retreat. And I was like, what do you want your life to look like? And Heike, the question of what do they want stumped half the women. They don't know what they want. They haven't been allowed to want things they have been raised or over time had to make so many compromises of themselves and what they want so to just even dream of what they want, you can't even get past the first question, then it goes to the spiral of, I don't even know what I want. What do you tell people to think about if they don't know what they want? What if they're just stuck on that one question? Heike Yates 13:09  You know, I think that's a good time to start journaling. Start writing down your thoughts. Maybe you're envying your friend. Write it down. I want, what she has, whatever that is, if you can't think of it yourself, look around you, and I always say, oh, what exercise should I do? I'm like, what does your friend do? Do what they do. Try it out. Or if you go on an Insta and you see a cool workout, I did a cool workout the other day. I did a bungee workout. I've been wanting to do that bungee workout forever, and I finally signed up for it, and I took that class and say okay, taking action, no matter how messy the action is. Even if you don't know what you want, but if you don't try anything, you will never find what it is that lights you up. Lesley Logan 14:02  Yeah, no, I agree. Like, even figuring out what you, trying things out and figuring you like, I don't want that, is actually very helpful. Helpful for getting closer to what you want and what you like and what you need and getting to know yourself. Okay, so we should change how we look at ourselves, and what was the other part of it? Heike Yates 14:18  When we look at ourselves, we gotta be really honest with what we want, or, like you said, which is also a good way to look at it, is what we don't want. I'm like, try things, go places, but do take action. And don't sit there and wait. And I find so many women don't take action. They sit there all frozen and do nothing and hope that the universe will provide some answer. It's okay to, air quotes, fail because we never fail. We try something. We may not like it, we may not be good at it, but it doesn't matter. We need to take action to move forward in life, and especially in midlife where, as you pointed out, we've been imprinted with these thoughts and feelings and habits that we should have and should behave.Lesley Logan 15:12  I'm thinking about some of the amazing women who listen to this show, who are action takers. If they're listening to this podcast, they're clearly ready to soak up information to make changes in their life. No one would listen this podcast unless they wanted to. We're literally saying be it till you see it so you have to take action. And I also know, because I get to meet a lot of our listeners, you can take action and then there is an obstacle, especially for the women of this age group. Their parents are getting older, and their kids are growing up, so they're that sandwich generation where they're taking care of two different groups of people. And so it can be, if they have five minutes of themselves, sometimes that's all they have. And so sometimes it can just feel almost like they're actually failing, because they're they set up these things, and they took two steps forward, and then something happens that takes them out of it. Something happens medically, with their partners or with their parents or with their kids, and then it can just feel like you're being selfish. Just, you know what I mean? We probably agree at the same thing. Self-care isn't selfish care, but when there is an emergency, when there is these obstacles, it is hard to do that. What are the habits or the things that you lean on in those moments, because it can just sometimes feel like things are crashing around you? Heike Yates 16:24  Have an accountability partner. Seriously, my clients that I see in person, they come in and say Heike, you're the only hour this week I allow myself to do what I want to do. And of course, they unpack all the other stuff that comes with it, like the aging parents and the teenage kids. You basically mentioned these two groups, which happened to me this week after I got back from vacation. It was like a tsunami of information, but it's the only time that they said no, you're there for me, you're waiting for me, and you make me feel important. You make me feel that I don't have to be feeling guilty taking the time. I don't have to fear the fear of repercussions, because I was selfish and took care of myself, and afterwards, they're like, I feel so much better. I'm so glad I came. Lesley Logan 17:23  Yeah, no, I agree. Like, accountability can be so key. It's also just part of like, feeling like you're in community and you're not alone. You are past perimenopause and all that, looking back, because I think that's when we get to connect all the dots. How can more women in midlife really enjoy embracing that change? Heike Yates 17:41  Again, it goes back, be honest with yourself. Start finding what your dreams are and your wildest dreams, I know it sounds so simple or difficult, however you want to look at it, I don't know what I want to dream of, but we all have dreams. We all have secrets that we don't tell anybody, because we feel that they're ludicrous. Why me? I shouldn't be wanting this. Keep that dream alive. I know when we started, before menopause, before the kids, before the marriage, the divorce, the whole mess that comes in the middle is we had a dream. My dream was always to travel the world and all through these years, and I've been where you just came from, your retreat in Cambodia. And I love, love, loved it. Angkor Wat was amazing. And I just came back from Japan. Lesley Logan 18:37  Japan is a wonderful place too. I like it. Heike Yates 18:40  Oh, my God, never been, so my dream from before all of this, when I was 23 was to travel the world. I took a little hiatus with being a mom, with building my career, with building my businesses, with doing all of that. But as the kids got older, also, the more I learned about how to care for my parents, we live both in Germany, and how to deal with that side of parents aging, I felt that it is really important to look back at that dream. It's like, what was it? And you'll figure out a way to do it. And the way I always think about is when you have a dream, I'm not going to tell your listeners, okay, pack your bags, go to Japan tomorrow. It takes baby steps to plan it all. I mean, it took me now two years to plan this trip. Even we had COVID, and we had all that, but I planned this trip with my husband, and I told my parents where we were, and my kids don't care, because they're all grown and but it's that dream that we have, and I know everybody has a dream, whether it's starting a knitting club or gardening the hearts out of your garden. It's not about the big audacious goals that we hear like, oh, she went to Japan. Look at her. No, it's about what it is that lights you up?Lesley Logan 20:10  Yeah, I think it's really, thank you for sharing that it took two years, because I think we can sometimes struggle with how quickly something should happen, and we can get hard on ourselves that the timeline isn't going as quickly as we think it should, or it probably should, giving ourselves permission to take three years to do something that usually takes some people a year, just because you've got other things going on. And that's where that accountability partner can come in handy, too. Heike Yates 20:37  Yeah. And when you think about this, it's baby steps with everything, your body changes through menopause. Well, you can lose weight if that's your desire, which, personally, I don't like to talk about weight loss a lot, because that's like the number one thing on social media. Everybody wants you to do, is lose weight, but feel better, feel stronger, you know, be able to walk further, to do the 100 without stopping. It's like the little things that we can do. And it takes time. It takes time. Lesley Logan 21:07  How do you get your mindset wrapped around the transformation that you're going to be taking? Because I do think that it can be, let's just say someone also had the dream of traveling the world, and they did take a break of travel because they were a mom. Now they're trying to do it again. How do they get out of the shame and judgment of I didn't use travel in any of these years, and I've got to start up again. And it can feel overwhelming, because to become the traveler again, be someone who can pack their bags, if you're not used to it, it's not the easiest thing to do. My mom traveled to Cambodia, maybe been 10 times or 12 times at this point, but my mom came for her first time. It was her first international trip. I got to watch what it was like to be a first time international traveler, because I do it all the time. I travel the world all the time. It's easy for me, but for someone, it's their first time, or they're just getting into it. I was like, wow, there's a lot more to think about for that. So how do we embrace that mindset, of that transformation that we're going to do?Heike Yates 22:01  I think a lot of times we hold ourselves back by saying that I'm not deserving of it. I think that's really the root of like, my mom just came to visit. She's 82 and she's really bad knees and a bad back. And I said, you know, come visit me here in the States. You haven't been to my new house, and she's not a world traveler by all means. Her travel is sort of like going on the bus tour. And we laid out a plan. She was so nervous. She's like, oh my god, do I have to sit there for eight hours? No, no, you have an aisle seat. So this goes into the how do I get out of? Plan it. We got an aisle seat. I said, you just tell the flight attendant that you need to get up every now and again, and then you walk around a little bit. And then at the airport, we made sure that she had wheelchair access, which she was adamantly not wanting to have, because she's strong and she's only 82 and she can do all this. And I said, Mom, imagine you have to schlep your suitcase. There's somebody that helps you, and they drive you around. And then she finally agreed to it. So she arrives in Washington, DC, with the biggest smile on her face while this dude is pushing her in the wheelchair, schlepping her suitcase. And she says, this is really great.Lesley Logan 23:22  I love that. I love that. Heike Yates 23:26  So it's planning. You are allowed to have the things you want to. Then start planning. Start planning. Again, baby steps. What is the list that the thing that I need the right now that gets me to where I want to go. And I have another little story on that. I ran the marathon in the Antarctica. Lesley Logan 23:47  Cool. Heike Yates 23:48  It's a. Lesley Logan 23:49  Okay, but hold on, don't forget your story. Is there a view, or is it the same for 26 miles? Do you know what I mean? Like, like, does the scenery change? Because that would be a, really, is it just penguins the whole time?Heike Yates 24:00  It's basically nothing. And the race is like from one research station to the next. We basically ran from Russia to China and back. Lesley Logan 24:13  Okay. Heike Yates 24:14  I don't know how many, how many times it was the most boring part of the race, really.Lesley Logan 24:21  All right, anyway, because I'm just like, wow. And then it's like, hold on, it's just ice, right?Heike Yates 24:27  There's nothing there. It's ice and gravel and snow. And you see a penguin every now and again. And that's, that's, that was the race (inaudible).Lesley Logan 24:33  That would be the hardest marathon. Because at least when I ran like, LA Marathon, at least every part of LA changes. I was like, oh, now I'm in Chinatown. Now I'm in Koreatown. Now I'm here.Heike Yates 24:44  Nope, nope, nope. Most boring marathon ever, and we're so glad we were done. But the package around it was super cool, because it was a whole trip. But the trip is very expensive, and when I told my husband that I wanted to do this he's like, we can't afford it. So I said, here's the deal, so for three years, I put away money every month that I comfortably could put aside towards the trip. Three years. And after three years, they said, here, sign up, pay the first down payment. And I had the money for the first down payment. I had the money, actually, for the second payment that was due a little while later, and then we chipped in the rest. And my husband's like, you have all this money? I said, "I planned." This is really what I wanted. So when you're thinking of I want to get out of the rut. I'm stuck in here and I want to follow my dreams. It's like, plan for it, and then follow through. Put your money where your mouth is. Yeah, you know, I saved my money and I said, we got there, and it was a trip of a lifetime. It was on freaking believable. Lesley Logan 25:54  That's really cool. I mean, that's, I think I'm worried about the marathon, but I'm sure, like, the whole thing sounds even better than all of that, what are you the most excited about right now?Heike Yates 26:04  I am the most excited about on publishing my first book. Lesley Logan 26:08  Cool. Heike Yates 26:09  I wrote my first draft. I'm in the moment trying to find a publisher or somebody who can help me edit my book and get everything together. And I, just before this interview, I talked to another publisher, and I'm trying to make a decision of who I'm going to go with that helps me publish my book.Lesley Logan 26:25  Oh, cool. Are you self-publishing, hybrid publishing? Looking for an agent? Heike Yates 26:28  I'm checking out all possibilities. And today was the agent that does a lot for the book, but it's also I talked to somebody today finally that understood what my book is about and could relate to the content. I'm trying to publish, again, a book for women in midlife. The book is all about getting out of the cages that hold us back and out of the rut and feel like ourselves again and tell us to do that. And not everybody gets that. I've talked to publishers who are like, oh, yeah, this is a menopause book for women. No. So even I, you know, like everybody else, I look around I see what's there. So that's what I'm most excited about right now. Lesley Logan 27:13  Yeah, we had a guest on a couple years ago, maybe it's a year and a half ago. Anyways, she went through 100 rejections on her book before it got published, but it was published in multiple languages when it was published, and it was the best publisher, but she had to find an agent and a publisher who understood what she was trying to say, and thank you for sharing that story, because I think a lot of times we can have an idea, and if you put it in front of the wrong audience. That wrong audience, it could be a family member, or one of your best friends, but they're not the audience for that idea or for that thing, and they could still love you, and they could still be an awesome person, and they could still say something shitty that makes you go, oh, but we have to be, I loved your response, it's like, no, that's actually not it, because we have to be able to be discerning and like, actually, you're not hearing what I'm saying, and that's okay. I'm going to move on to someone else who's going to hear what I'm saying and celebrate that. Heike, we're going to take a brief break, and then we're going to find out how people can find you, follow you, or work with you. Lesley Logan 28:11  All right, so if people want to follow the journey of this book, if they want to pursue their spark with you, where can they get more of you? Heike Yates 28:19  Literally, Google my name. Heike Yates, H-E-I-K-E Y-A-T-E-S. You'll find me everywhere and anywhere on social media, or Pursue Your Spark, either way, you'll find me everywhere on social media. Super simple to get in touch with me. Lesley Logan 28:34  That's awesome. Well, you know what? You have a name that no one else has, I think. I'm sharing my name, like my exact spelling and my exact name, with a lot of different people, and it's a little I'm like, how did that happen? I spell it differently than everyone else, but there was a travel author in the UK when I was a child that has my name, and I know, so very jealous. Okay, well, you've given us really, actually, some great little tips and takeaways, to be honest, people, if you're listening to this, you're probably like writing these things down. But because we cannot skip the Be It Action Items, bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted, steps people can take to be it till they see it, what do you have for us? Heike Yates 29:11  Okay, as I said already, dream big, bold dreams. Take action with small, I like to call them baby steps. Break down those baby steps even into smaller steps, and connect to your why, to your core, to where you were before life happened, before things changed for you. What do you want to do and stop, which is what I love to say, stop dimming your light and move on and enjoy life. Lesley Logan 29:47  Yeah, we don't have to dim our light. There's a lot of people out there trying to play with the dimmer as it is. Don't need to help anyone. Oh, gosh, Heike, this is such a pleasure, so fun, such an uplifting conversation. I am excited to hear how everyone else, what their takeaways are and how they use these tips in their life. Please let us know. Let Heike know. Let the Be It Pod know. Send this to a friend who maybe needs to hear these words, because sometimes, maybe we want someone to be our accountability partner or we want to be their accountability partner, but they may need a reminder first, and so I think maybe sometimes it's often easier to give your friend the advice through a podcast. And then, yes, they'll get to the end and they'll hear this, and they'll hear that we told you to share it to them, and then they're gonna know what the jig is. But you know what, they'll thank you for it, because they'll have stopped dimming their light because of this. So let us know. Share this with a friend until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 30:37  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 31:20  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 31:25  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 31:29  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 31:36  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 31:39  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Detoxing from toxic chemicals and eating whole foods is a significant way to improve your health. However, to achieve optimal health, you need to exercise. There are many ways to move your body, and there is an exercise routine there for everyone, even those who don't love working out. That's why we're so excited to chat about pilates with today's guest Heike Yates. She is the founder of Pursue Your Spark, where Heike is a pilates, strength, and fasting coach who helps empty-nester moms over 50 reclaim their health and strength and redefine their second half of life. Today we're going to discuss pilates, ageism and stigmas about exercising as you age, advice for making exercise a habit, and so much more. Learn more about Heike's services: https://heikeyates.com/ Get tested for BPA, phthalates, parabens, and other hormone-disrupting chemicals with Million Marker's Detect & Detox Test Kit: https://www.millionmarker.com/

In this episode of the Living to 100 Club podcast, Dr. Joe Casciani welcomes Heike Yates, founder of Pursue Your Spark and a leading expert in fitness and wellness for women in midlife. The focus is on how to empower health for women in midlife. Heike shares her philosophy on embracing a healthy lifestyle through strength training, Pilates, and intermittent fasting. With over 30 years of experience, our guest's approach is all about empowering women to take control of their health, regardless of age. The conversation delves into Heike's personal training methods. These focus on individual needs and small group classes that inspire and motivate. She discusses her Pursue Your Spark program, designed to help women build strength, boost confidence, and live vibrant, active lives. In other words, how to empower health. Heike also emphasizes the importance of promoting health and well-being for caregivers, highlighting how small, consistent efforts can lead to significant improvements in both physical and mental health. Mini Bio Heike Yates is a dynamic fitness expert and the founder of Pursue Your Spark. This is a transformative program designed to empower women in midlife to take control of their health and well-being. With over 30 years of experience in the fitness industry, Heike specializes in strength training, Pilates, and intermittent fasting. She offers personalized training that meets the unique needs of each individual. Her passion for helping women build strength, boost confidence, and embrace a vibrant lifestyle is evident in her one-on-one sessions, small group classes, and online coaching programs. Heike's holistic approach inspires women to achieve their health goals and live life with energy and purpose. For Our Listeners Heike's website: Heike Yates

In this episode of the Living to 100 Club podcast, Dr. Joe Casciani welcomes Heike Yates, founder of Pursue Your Spark and a leading expert in fitness and wellness for women in midlife. The focus is on how to empower health for women in midlife. Heike shares her philosophy on embracing a healthy lifestyle through strength training, Pilates, and intermittent fasting. With over 30 years of experience, our guest's approach is all about empowering women to take control of their health, regardless of age. The conversation delves into Heike's personal training methods. These focus on individual needs and small group classes that inspire and motivate. She discusses her Pursue Your Spark program, designed to help women build strength, boost confidence, and live vibrant, active lives. In other words, how to empower health. Heike also emphasizes the importance of promoting health and well-being for caregivers, highlighting how small, consistent efforts can lead to significant improvements in both physical and mental health. Mini Bio Heike Yates is a dynamic fitness expert and the founder of Pursue Your Spark. This is a transformative program designed to empower women in midlife to take control of their health and well-being. With over 30 years of experience in the fitness industry, Heike specializes in strength training, Pilates, and intermittent fasting. She offers personalized training that meets the unique needs of each individual. Her passion for helping women build strength, boost confidence, and embrace a vibrant lifestyle is evident in her one-on-one sessions, small group classes, and online coaching programs. Heike's holistic approach inspires women to achieve their health goals and live life with energy and purpose. For Our Listeners Heike's website: Heike Yates

Send us a Text Message.Life AFTER MidlifeHeike Yates is a seasoned fitness midlife coach passionate about helping midlife women rediscover their spark. In this episode she will talk about: Some practical tips for handling major life changes, such as career shifts and family dynamics, focusing on how to find new growth opportunities and maintain a positive outlook. Some strategies for managing stress, setting realistic and inspiring goals, and cultivating a mindset that sees midlife as a time of exciting possibilities rather than decline. Listeners will learn actionable steps to build resilience and embrace change. How Pilates and strength training exercises help midlife women. We'll explore how these practices can help boost energy levels, improve posture, and enhance overall well-being, allowing women to age confidently and feel strong in their bodies.Heike YatesFitness + Midlife ExpertCEO | Pursue Your SparkPodcast Host heike@heikeyates.com https://heikeyates.com/AUDIO ONLY EPISODEFIND DAWN HERE:Email: dawnversations@gmail.com https://www.podpage.com/dawnversations/ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2124488 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dawnversations/id1611645700 https://open.spotify.com/show/3nyVFDlLJ0y7S2MQ0ZqiZ5?si=RFLLwSTYQVGta30nkZ2vsg https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZFdplRZmXIguI31KbX2eg https://www.pandora.com/podcast/dawnversations/PC:1000700495 https://linktr.ee/dawnversations Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/francesco-dandrea/a-day-late-and-a-dollar-short License code: EYUYKNS4AFNOD1JO

Heike Yates, a renowned midlife health and fitness expert, founder of Pursue Your Spark and host of a popular podcast, brings over 35 years of experience in the fitness industry. She shares how her journey began with the birth of her first son, when she faced postpartum weight challenges and a lack of fitness knowledge. Discovering organized exercise classes not only helped her physically but also provided a crucial sense of community. Heike emphasizes the transformative power of community in fitness. For many, especially stay-at-home moms, the support from a group can be as significant as the physical exercise itself, offering emotional support and a feeling of belonging. The conversation also touches on how physical fitness positively influences personal relationships, enhancing self-esteem and overall confidence. Tune in to this inspiring episode to hear Heike's perspective on how fitness and community can drive personal growth and well-being. Her journey from Germany to becoming a midlife health advocate offers valuable insights and practical advice on pursuing your spark and enhancing your life. Website -https://heikeyates.com/ https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/

Send us a Text Message.From Foreign Service to Fitness: Heike Yates' Inspiring Midlife Transformation | Ep #145In this captivating episode of the Second Act Success Career Podcast, host Shannon Russell sits down with Heike Yates, a dynamic midlife fitness coach with over 35 years of experience. Heike shares her extraordinary journey from her early dreams in Germany to moving to the United States and building a successful career in the fitness industry. Discover how Heike transitioned from working for the Foreign Service in Washington, D.C., to becoming a personal trainer, bodybuilder, and the founder of her own fitness empire, Pursue Your Spark. Heike discusses the importance of health and fitness in midlife, her passion for helping others, and the challenges she overcame, including adapting to hearing loss in her fitness career. Tune in to Episode #145 of the Second Act Success Career Podcast for an inspiring conversation about resilience, reinvention, and pursuing your passion at any age. Whether you're considering a career change or seeking motivation to improve your health, this episode offers valuable insights and encouragement.SHOW NOTEShttps://secondactsuccess.co/145Connect with Heike Yates:https://instagram.com/heikeyates/https://www.linkedin.com/in/heike-yates/https://www.tiktok.com/@heikeyateshttps://www.facebook.com/pursueyoursparkhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIeOesGLGAOD5RhI2KYjcAPodcasts - https://heikeyates.com/featured-podcasts/------You belong in the Career Clarity Collective! Figuring out what you want in your career often feels like a full time job, BUT you don't have to do it alone! If you feel miserable at work and need a change, join like-minded women in this membership. You'll get access to group coaching, masterclasses, and community. https://secondactsuccess.co/membership Grab my FREE Level Up Career Journal to help you plan your next career move!https://secondactsuccess.co/careerchangeTAKE THE QUIZ!Is Now The Right Time To Change Careers? Take the Quiz! https://secondactsuccess.co/quizBook a FREE Discovery Call with host/career coach Shannon Russell - https://www.calendly.com/second-act-success/coaching-strategyLET'S CONNECT!Instagram - https://instagram.com/secondactsuccessFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/secondactsuccess.coTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@secondactsuccessAll the latest - https://secondactsuccess.co/linksFREE Resources - https://secondactsuccess.co/resources REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE THE PODCAST!

 In this episode, Tatiana interviews fitness and midlife mindset expert Heike Yates about the transformative power of Pilates. They discuss how Pilates differs from other exercise forms, its focus on mind-body connection, and its benefits for strength, posture, joint health, and overall well-being. Heike emphasizes the adaptability of Pilates for all ages and fitness levels and offers guidance on getting started. Key Takeaways/Themes: Pilates Foundations: Learn about the "Three Cs" (Centring, Circulation, Concentration) and how they form the core principles of Pilates practice. Strengthening and Lengthening: Explore how Pilates simultaneously builds strength and promotes muscle lengthening for a lean, toned physique. Mind-Body Connection: Discover how Pilates encourages mindfulness and awareness, leading to improved posture and reduced stress. Personalized Approach: Heike highlights the importance of finding a qualified instructor who can tailor the Pilates experience to your individual needs and goals. Making it Accessible: Get tips on finding beginner-friendly Pilates classes, online resources, and the value of starting with a few private lessons. Guest Bio: Heike Yates is a fitness, nutrition, and midlife mindset expert with over 35 years of experience. She is the innovator behind Pilates with the Resistor ball exercise program and has a teacher training course. Resources: Pilates Method Alliance: https://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org Heike Yates website: https://heikeyates.com/ Heke Yates on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ Call to Action: Subscribe to Happyish Ever After Podcast Rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts Follow Happyish Ever After on social media for more empowering content Get in touch with Tatiana Email me at: Tatiana@TatianaRobertson.com Visit the website at: www.tatianarobertson.com Find Tatiana on IG: www.instagram.com/tatianarobertsonofficial Join the Happyish Ever After Facebook Group Connect about wellness: www.facebook.com/TatianasWellnessPage

Midlife is a time when many women are busy, run-down, and often frustrated with their health. Today's guest is Heike Yates, a fitness and mindset coach who empowers women in this stage of their lives using a mix of Pilates, intermittent fasting, and mindset management. Tune in to hear great ideas, tips, and inspiration for thriving through your midlife era. You can access the full show notes and more by visiting: https://www.forgewealth.com 

In episode 146, Jill and Chris talk with Heike Yates, a Midlife Mindset and Fitness Coach, a powerhouse in fitness, nutrition, and mindset with over 35 years of expertise. She breaks down the complexities of midlife wellness into simple, actionable steps you can start taking action today. But don't mistake her for someone helping you get by in midlife—Heike's all about helping you thrive. She's transforming not just bodies but lives with her unique approach to getting active, eating right, and boosting energy. When she's not coaching or behind the mic, catch her outdoors, pushing her limits as a triathlete or embarking on a new adventure. Heike's podcast, Pursue Your Spark, has over 200 episodes and is a wealth of resources and inspiration for mid-life women. Heike also has two other podcasts, one about intermittent fasting and one about Pilates. We interviewed Heike in November of 2020 episode #71 and reconnected with her in August of 2023 at a podcast conference in Boulder Colorado. we knew we had to ask Heike to return to the podcast. For more information and links, visit our website at BecomingElli,com.

Welcome to the first episode of "Intermittent Fasting in Midlife," where I, Heike Yates, founder of Pursue Your Spark, dive into the world of intermittent fasting, especially for women in midlife. In this episode, I share why intermittent fasting is not just a passing trend but a significant lifestyle shift for women experiencing hormonal changes during midlife. I discuss its benefits in managing weight, boosting energy, and improving gut health. Drawing on my journey with intermittent fasting since 2018, this series will explore the science behind it and its practical application. We'll tackle questions about its fit with your lifestyle, compare it to other dieting methods, and discuss its key benefits, including mental well-being. You can also look forward to a special Q&A session for all your burning questions. If you're sitting there thinking, "This is exactly what I've been searching for," don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode with friends, family, or anyone you know who could benefit from unlocking the power of intermittent fasting. But wait, there's more! If you enjoy what you hear, you will want to take advantage of our staple series, the Pursue Your Spark Podcast. Over there, we broaden the scope beyond just intermittent fasting. We explore mindset strategies and fitness tips and even bring in experts to offer actionable advice designed specifically for women in midlife. So don't miss out. Hit 'Subscribe' on the Pursue Your Spark Podcast and join our ever-growing community of strong, empowered women mastering midlife on their terms.

In this inspiring episode of "Fit, Healthy, and You," we explore the fascinating journey of Heike Yates, a seasoned Midlife Mindset Coach. Join us as we uncover her path to becoming a master of midlife transformation. We'll delve into the mindsets and habits that may be holding you back from achieving your fitness and health goals, discussing what needs to be left behind in 2023. Heike will also share valuable insights on how to lead a healthier life in the new year, offering practical advice on nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being. Lastly, discover the secrets of staying organized as Heike reveals her personal strategies for maintaining order in a busy world. Learn how effective organization can be a cornerstone of your fitness and health journey. Tune in to this transformative episode and prepare to embrace a midlife mindset that propels you toward a fit, healthy, and more fulfilling future. Website: https://heikeyates.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark IG: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIeOesGLGAOD5RhI2KYjcA e-Course-Clear Your Desk, Clear Your Mind: https://www.udemy.com/course/clear-your-desk-clear-your-mind/?referralCode=0DD419607B4412066F49 Organizing Resources: Janet's Amazon Shop : https://www.amazon.com/shop/organizerjanet   Ways You Can Support Our Podcast: Individuals: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GCGOwithJanet    Businesses: https://www.shoutparty.com/shop/p/got-clutter-get-organized-with-janet     Connect with Janet:  Schedule a FREE 15 Minute consultation: https://janetmtaylor.trafft.com/         Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livinglifetotallyorganized      Social Media Platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/janetmtaylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janettheorganizer/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetmtaylor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janettheorganizer?lang=en

In this inspiring episode of "Fit, Healthy, and You," we explore the fascinating journey of Heike Yates, a seasoned Midlife Mindset Coach. Join us as we uncover her path to becoming a master of midlife transformation. We'll delve into the mindsets and habits that may be holding you back from achieving your fitness and health goals, discussing what needs to be left behind in 2023. Heike will also share valuable insights on how to lead a healthier life in the new year, offering practical advice on nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being. Lastly, discover the secrets of staying organized as Heike reveals her personal strategies for maintaining order in a busy world. Learn how effective organization can be a cornerstone of your fitness and health journey. Tune in to this transformative episode and prepare to embrace a midlife mindset that propels you toward a fit, healthy, and more fulfilling future.   Website: https://heikeyates.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark IG: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIeOesGLGAOD5RhI2KYjcA Connect with Janet: Schedule a FREE 15 Minute consultation: https://janetmtaylor.trafft.com/services/15-minute-session-with-janet      FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livinglifetotallyorganized    YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/janetmtaylor IG: https://www.instagram.com/janettheorganizer/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetmtaylor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janettheorganizer?lang=en   Organizing Resources: Janet's Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/organizerjanet e-Course-Clear Your Desk, Clear Your Mind: https://www.udemy.com/course/clear-your-desk-clear-your-mind/?referralCode=0DD419607B4412066F49 Ways You Can Support Our Podcast: Individuals: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GCGOwithJanet    Businesses: https://www.shoutparty.com/shop/p/got-clutter-get-organized-with-janet --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/janetmtaylor/message

Mammogram Exam Myths Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women worldwide, and mammograms play a crucial role in its early detection. In this episode of "Mammogram Myths with a Patient and Technologist" we sit down with a patient to discuss her experience with mammograms and how they played a crucial role in her health. We also have a mammography technologist Nicole Bemister as our special guest, who shares expert insights on what mammograms are, how they work, and why they're essential for women's health. Throughout this informative conversation, we debunk common myths surrounding mammograms, such as their discomfort and radiation exposure. We emphasize the importance of regular screenings and urge women to prioritize their breast health. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to learn more about mammograms, breast cancer prevention, and early detection. Tune in now and join the fight against breast cancer. Chaundria's Links ⤵️Listen & Review our Podacast https://link.chtbl.com/Bqq-BYj0Instagram https://instagram.com/radiologygurusOther resources https://linktr.ee/aradtechcoupleIf you want to support our show  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/my/profile

The turkey, stuffing, pies and much more, is it hard for you to maintain your healthy living routine during the holidays and beyond? Tune in as Heike Yate, Fitness and Nutrition Expert and Host of Pursue Your Spark Podcast shares.. · How to eat healthy this holiday · Ways to get a jump start on embracing a healthy lifestyle now and in the new year · How she stays organized Connect with Heike Yates: https://heikeyates.com/ Organizing Resources: Organize & Protect Important Documents: https://www.etsy.com/shop/OrganizePapersNow?coupon=JORGANIZER Secure Online Storage For Your Documents: https://2ndvault.com/?via=janet Janet's Amazon Organizing Products Picks (kitchen): https://www.amazon.com/shop/organizerjanet/list/ZDRVHV8WL8XG Affiliate Partners: Audible: Get a FREE eBook and FREE 30-day trial from Audible www.audibletrial.com/doDBNy Ways You Can Support Our Podcast: Individuals: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GCGOwithJanet Businesses: https://www.shoutparty.com/shop/p/got-clutter-get-organized-with-janet Connect with Janet: Website: https://janetmtaylor.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livinglifetotallyorganized Social Media Platforms: YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/janetmtaylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janettheorganizer/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetmtaylor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janettheorganizer?lang=en --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/janetmtaylor/message

Episode SummaryHave you ever wondered what all of the fuss is about with intermittent fasting? Have you ever thought about doing Pilates, but never really knew what it was? Well, thanks to our amazing guest, nutrition fitness and mindset coach, Heike Yates, you're about to get answers!  Heike will be sharing all of the details in regards to intermittent fasting and Pilates.  She also talks about how they have transformed her life as a woman in her empty nester phase.All about Intermittent FastingHeike was a triathlete and was working out constantly.  She realized that she was gaining weight, not feeling her best self, and struggling through symptoms of menopause and other ailments. Upon discovering intermittent fasting, she quickly became aware of the amazing benefits it had on her body and mind. While intermittent fasting isn't for every woman, it's definitely something to look into and talk with your doctor about.What is Intermittent Fasting?Essentially, intermittent fasting is a series of eating windows and not eating windows. Some people choose to eat from 7 AM to 7 PM, meaning that they fast for 12 hours per day, while others choose bigger fasting windows of 14+ hours. The idea is that it gives your body time to reset and digest properly, bringing many benefits along the way.How does it work?The great thing about intermittent fasting is that you're in control. This isn't some fad diet with a long list of rules. You set the rules by determining when you eat, your fasting window, and what you eat. It's really as simple as that. Some people will choose to start fasting by simply eliminating their late night snack. Once they finish their dinner, they simply won't eat again until the next day. For Heike, she realized she wasn't really that hungry in the morning and simply shifted her lunch from 1 PM to earlier, 11 AM. It really depends on you, your body's needs and hunger cues, and what you think is best! What are the benefits? Heike shares many benefits that she discovered for herself, along with others she has learned through research. Intermittent fasting is associated with improved gut health, memory, clarity, and overall health. For Heike, she experienced lessoned menopause symptoms, lessoned bloating, burned body fat, and more. All about PilatesBeing in the Pilates world of over 20 years, Heike has seen any and every kind of client reap the benefits from this practice. From clients over 600 pounds, to breast cancer survivors, to people of any age, Pilates is an exercise practice that can help anyone. What is Pilates?While most people think you need the fancy machinery to do a Pilates workout, this is simply not the case. In essence, Pilates is a type of conditioning that focuses on strength, flexibility, and alignment. You only need a space in your home about the size of a yoga mat in order to practice and start reaping the benefits! What are the benefits? The benefits of Pilates run far and wide! First and foremost, one of the biggest benefits is that it can be done by anyone. It's an inclusive workout that targets your whole body. Other benefits include: better mobility, improved balance and strength, better posture and alignment, and more.  LinksHeike Yates WebsiteHeike Yates FacebookHeike Yates Instagram

As we're moving through midlife, we have so much left to give and the only thing holding us back is the made up beliefs and insecurities that have been instilled in us from a young age. This week, episode 66 of The Jen Marples Show is about Finding Your Spark at Midlife!In this episode of The Jen Marples Show, my guest Heike Yates shares the importance of living life and running a business on your terms and actionable steps you can take right now to put yourself first and pursue your passions. Some of the talking points Heike and I go over in this episode include:Making the mindset shifts needed to run your business in a way that works for your lifestyle. Leveraging online programs to build multiple streams of income.Charging your worth and knowing that the clients right for you won't waiver. Shedding the insecurities that have been imprinted upon us since childhood.Making the time to continue self-development and pursue your spark. Life is about experiences and how you can continue to move forward creating these new experiences without others holding you back. Make sure to listen to the entire episode to receive inspiration, tips, and advice that will help you change your life and improve your business.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me on Instagram @jenmarples!  And don't forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Unedited AI Transcript HereCONNECT WITH HEIKE YATES:WebsitePursue Your Spark PodcastInstagramFacebookCONNECT WITH JEN MARPLES:Subscribe to my NewsletterJoin Jen's Private, Free Facebook GroupInstagramLinkedInTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@jenmarplesWork with Jen! WebsiteLINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

The kids have moved out, now what? Empty nesting can be a time of great joy and also a time of melancholy. For some parents, being defined as a parent is an identity that can be hard to let go of.  This can result in a tough transition. My friend and fellow fitness professional an empty nester herself have an intriguing discussion on how to love your life long after the demands of parenting have subsided. Heike brings up some effective strategies that can be implemented before or after your kids fly the coop. we had some good laughs as well as lightbulb moments. This is another very helpful discussion that demonstrates how to age with joy instead of passively aging gracefully. Follow Heike  Instagram @Hikeyates   Facebook:  Heike Yates- Pursue Your  spark  https://heikeyates.com Thank you for tuning and remember to check back on Tuesdays for a new episode. Connect with me on Instagram get in touch  judy@judyarazoza.com  

There are so many things that can change at midlife! Especially our bodies! In today's show, we will discuss some great intermittent fasting techniques taught by a fitness and nutrition coach, Heike Yates! Heike helps women over 50 overcome unhealthy fitness and wellness habits with her signature program: "The Empty Nest Reboot!" She has developed a reputation for creating real-life solutions and lasting results. You will learn how to gain energy, lose weight, gain clarity, and conquer menopause like a LADY BOSS!

Book a free Life Reflection Session with Dawn Mathis: http://ToYourGreatness.net. “Build on those baby steps to grow your health, to grow your strength, and to grow your confidence.” This week, Dawn is joined by fitness and nutrition coach, Heike Yates, who works with empty-nester moms over 50 to help them thrive during the second half of their life. She is also a fellow podcaster with Pursue Your Spark, where she speaks with inspiring women and experts on fitness and nutrition and shares stories that redefine what aging looks like for women. In this episode, Heike shares her journey in becoming a fitness and nutrition coach, breaks down the amazing work she does for the women she works with, and speaks on how we can change our mindset on the preconceived notions of getting older. Connect with Heike further: Website: https://heikeyates.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ GRATITUDE. Thank you for being a part of the “To Your Greatness with Dawn Mathis” podcast. LEARN MORE. Learn more about InSitu Life Works: https://www.insitulifeworks.com. Read Dawn Mathis's biography: https://www.insitulifeworks.com/about. Looking for a heart-centered community? Join our free InSitu Life Works network, where our insider community hangs out: https://insitu-life-works.mn.co. RATE AND REVIEW! If you enjoyed this podcast, please give it a rating and write a review. SUBSCRIBE! Be sure to subscribe to the “To Your Greatness with Dawn Mathis” podcast so you can reawaken your greatness, uncover your limiting beliefs, and experience success, fulfillment, and spiritual aliveness. Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/Dawn-Mathis-Apple-Podcasts. Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/Dawn-Mathis-Google-Podcasts. Spotify: https://bit.ly/Dawn-Mathis-Spotify. Anchor: https://bit.ly/Dawn-Mathis-Anchor. LET'S GET SOCIAL! Follow InSitu Life Works on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insitulifeworks. Subscribe to the InSitu Life Works YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/InSitu-Life-Works-YouTube. Like InSitu Life Works on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insitulifeworks.

When you're on a health and fitness journey, it is important to surround yourself with people who support you in making healthy decisions. If you have naysayers or people who discourage you from doing what is best for you and your health, having them around you can often hinder your progress and confidence. All you need to do is unlock the confidence inside you and set forth on your mission! No one has the right to tell you what you can and cannot do, so why give them satisfaction by giving up? When people try to spread negativity, please ignore it and hone in on what you truly want for yourself and why.  Your “why” is the reason behind your motivation that sets your heart on fire. For example, you could want to be healthy because you want to go out on active adventures with your family, or you want to live longer to be around for more of your grandchildren's lives. The confidence inside you will shine through when you feel the power of your “why.” I talked about unlocking your confidence and more in my interview on the Rock Your Midlife Summit. The host, Karen Tui Boys, and I talked about many different topics, including maintaining your identity after your kids move out, the myths and truths behind intermittent fasting, and the best exercises for women over 50! Click here to listen! Rating, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “Heike's insights are so helpful in creating a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle! Loving every episode of the Pursue Your Spark podcast!” ← if that sounds like you, consider rating and reviewing my show here!  Not sure how to leave a review? Open the Podcasts app. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes) Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews Click “Write a Review” underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate us on a 5-star scale and write a review if you choose (you can rate without writing if you'd prefer) Where to subscribe: APPLE PODCAST / STITCHER / SPOTIFY Links mentioned in the show: 5 for 50 Kickstarter For more episodes, click here.

TFS Presents had the privilege of interviewing Heike Yates from the "Pursue Your Spark Podcast"! We talked about Diet, Nutrition and Pilates! Heike was wonderful and gave some GREAT advice and tips on being healthier as we age gracefully! Follow Heike Yates: Pursue Your Spark Podcast: https://heikeyates.com/podcast/​ Heike Yates: https://heikeyates.com/​ Top Fitness Strategies: https://TopFitnessStrategies.com​

EP100: If you're at midlife, this is a must-listen fitness conversation with Heike Yates who empowers women 50+ to take back their health and strength for a vibrant lifestyle. Heike hosts the Pursue Your Spark podcast and has developed a 4 Week Lean Out Program called "Pursue Your Spark." Her fitness, nutrition, and mindset programs help women 50+ to build muscles, burn fat with intermittent fasting, and prioritize their health goals to look and feel better. In this conversation, we talked about her journey about how she got into fitness, how intermittent fasting was the solution for her once she got to midlife, and how she moved her business from the traditional style of teaching fitness in person in a gym environment to doing it online. Like most of my guests, Heiki started her online business late in life at the age of 55 and is super passionate about her purpose-driven work. To learn more about Heiki Yates, you can connect with her at the following sites: Website: https://heikeyates.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark If you'd like to connect with me, you can find me at: Website: https://www.notyouraveragegrandma.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurieColvinWright/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/not_your_average_grandma/ Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/NotYourAverageGrandma

Episode #27 | Heike Yates (Pursue Your Spark Podcast) by Ossa Lounge Podcast

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In episode 71, Jill and Chris talk with Heike Yates, a fitness and nutrition expert who has helped women worldwide to stay fit for over 30 years. Her passion is empowering women over 50 to say YES. I CAN. She helps them to take back their health and strength by showing them how fitness, nutrition, and mindset strategies combined create a winning team. Heike has developed a reputation for creating real-life solutions and lasting results. She is the creator of Pursue Your Spark, the 4 Week Lean Out Program, and host of the Pursue Your Spark podcast.  Heike is also a body builder, an Ultra Marathon runner and completed an Ironman Triathlon. She has many fitness and nutrition certificates including: * American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer certification * Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) Pilates * Precision Nutrition (PN) Nutrition Certification Level 1 * Road Runners Club Of America (RRCA) Certification * Pink Ribbon Program * Pilates Breast Cancer Coach Website: https://heikeyates.com Podcast: https://heikeyates.com/podcast

Heike Yates is a fitness and nutrition expert and speaker helping women worldwide to stay fit for over 30 years. Heike’s passion is empowering women over 50 to say YES. I CAN and take back their health and strength by showing them how fitness, nutrition, and mindset strategies combined create a winning team. She has developed a reputation for creating real-life solutions and lasting results. 

Heike Yates is a fitness and nutrition expert with over 30 years of experience. She is empowering women over 50 to take back their health and strength by designing balanced and straightforward fitness, nutrition, and mindset programs. Heike is the creator of Pursue Your Spark and host of the Pursue Your Spark Podcast. She has developed a reputation for creating real-life solutions and lasting results. More about Heike. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.   Full Transcript: Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to the Passionistas Project Podcast. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and today we're talking with Heike Yates, a fitness and nutrition expert. With over 30 years of experience, she is empowering women over 50 to take back their health and strength by designing, balanced, and straightforward fitness, nutrition, and mindset programs. Heike is the creator of Pursue Your Spark and the host of the Pursue Your Spark Podcast. And she's developed a reputation for creating real life solutions and lasting results. So please welcome to the show. Heike Yates. Heike: Hey ladies. So happy to be with you. Thank you for having me on the show. Passionistas: Oh, it's our pleasure. So Heike, what's the one thing you're most passionate about? Heike: Well, that's a tough one because if you have to just pick one thing I would say is empowering other people. And in this case, empowering women, that's the most, what I'm most passionate about. I know that's a broad term empowerment, but if you're giving somebody the tools to do something, whatever it is, it's mindset, body, or nutrition or exercise, whatever it is, you've given them the tool to do something, to get better at where they're at. Passionistas: How does that translate into what you do for a living? Heike: I don't just say here's a diet, here's an exercise program. Now go do it. It's more like, what do you want to do? Where are you in your journey? What have you experienced already that worked and didn't work? What would you like to do in the ideal world? If you go all crazy, all out, well, what would it look like for you? And then rebuilding around those things and putting them all together with the spark system to, to first figure out what somebody wants and their background, how they can put this in a plan for them that works for them and not for me or anyone of you. Um, but that it works for them personally, and that they also can continue to build on the baby steps. As I like to call them, to grow with the system, to grow with what they're learning and they're not stuck. And once let's assume the program is over, you're like, okay, now what? That there is something afterwards that you can take the tools learned and go, okay, this is great. Now I know how to put a meal together. What, what does a meal involve? And I don't have to go and say, Oh, now I have to find a recipe. And now I have to, Oh, can I eat this? Can I not eat this? No, this meal will have all components and you just make out of them what it is you would like to make out of them. Passionistas: So let's take a step backwards for a second. You grew up in Germany and then you moved to DC. So what brought you to the States? What was that journey? Heike: I love to travel. This is my, one of my other passions. I love to explore new things and this passion for empowerment travels into everything that I do. And I wanted to literally just travel the world, the world, and a job at the foreign service here in Washington, D C and well, that's where my travel ended. I met my first husband. We had two amazing kids and my kids are now all over the world. And I'm still here in Washington, DC and people wonder why I'm still here. I'm like, I just love it. I mean, you can say about what you wanted about, do you see, and it's a government city and so forth, but it has everything that I need and want. And I can do my little travels to the beach from here. It's three hours to the beach and I can go hiking within an hour. So it has that sense of freedom and independence that I'm looking for when I initially started out in Germany. Passionistas: So then why did you leave that nine to five corporate life that you had come to have here? Heike: It's so boring. I'm so sorry. It's just really boring to sit on your butt ski. As I like to call it for such a long period of time and there's, to me, there was no adventure. It was sitting from nine to five in the same office, on the same chair, on the same desk, doing the same work. And he just kept doing the same things over and over. And I didn't feel like it in besides I had two amazing kids and I draw, they wanted to spend my time with them and sitting somewhere, doing boring work. And my husband at that point, he was working. So we had an income, even though it was small, I still was able to stay home with the kids at least one at first and, um, hang out with him at this point. And I said, you know, let's just go. I mean, I gotta bite the bullet and let go of the money. But staying home as a mom, wasn't that easy. Why not? Because you're home alone suddenly with a toddler and you don't have any conversations. You don't go anywhere. You have a couple of friends who basically on the same boat and we're all like, okay, so our careers are left behind and now you're here with the kids. Now what, where is us? Where's the person that I was before I became a office worker before I became a mom. What happened to Heike at that point? Where does she? So that was a little tough. Passionistas: So how did that lead to a career in fitness and nutrition? Heike: It goes with empowerment and my freedom of independence, my seeking independence. Well, I got really big when I was pregnant. I had, before that I had quit smoking. Cause I guess I was smoking back in the days everybody smoked. And, uh, you know, if you stop smoking, you eat more clearly. So I was ginormous ended at month eight. I looked like a pink elephant. And I remember the day when I wore this pink outfit with golden glitter on and I was, I thought I was looking so cute. My husband said, you're look fantastic. And I look at the picture and I said, Oh, I look like a pink elephant. And having children, sometimes the weight just doesn't come off. Many women say, Oh, you just go nurse the baby. And the pounds will fall off. And you look like before, well, none of that happened. I had still 30 pounds to lose. And my girlfriend said there is a class at the church from the local YMCA, a, uh, community service based, uh, exercise programs and just, I did music. It's like dancing, let's go. And so we took the class and I could bring my son, which ended up screaming for the entire time in the nursery. But I didn't know that. So I was fine and I loved the class, but I would have not thought that I was going to teach this class, but they were looking for teachers and they said, Hey, you moved a well in class. Why don't you start teaching for us? And they actually teach, you're trained me for the program. And so I had training, I had my son in daycare who kept screaming. I don't know. He kept screaming and screaming, but at some point I think things went better, but, and that's how I started out. And that gave me just a little bit of money and a little bit of away from home, away from the kid and gave me my own identity. Back to that, I hike. It can create now something brand new that has nothing to do with office work and government and all this kind of stuff. It's something that I would have never, ever thought I would ever do. Teaching aerobics classes, me, but that's how my fitness journey third. And then when did you bring the nutrition element into it? Once I started teaching classes, people ask you all kinds of things. And, well, I didn't know that much about nutrition, but I knew how to eat healthy and cook healthy meals. And that was always part of how we grew up at home. But then I became also certified as a personal trainer along the way. So as I kept teaching classes, I was just interested in more things. It's like, Oh, if I can teach glasses, what else can I do? Oh, I can become a personal trainer. I can teach somebody how to lift weights. Oh, this is cool. But most people want to get in shape and want to maybe lose a couple of pounds. Well, how do they have to eat? Oh, okay. They have to eat this way. They have to exercise that way. And then it translated actually into what I was starting to do personally, you know, growing up in Germany, you exercise automatically. You don't, uh, oftentimes at least back in the days gyms were there, but people would bike and walk everywhere and we'd walk to the grocery store and you take public transportation. It's not like in the States where everything is in the car, in the Metro and people move very little. And so being exposed, this new fitness environment, I was like, this is really cool. How can I help somebody that I'm not training with weights and bands and all this stuff to get in shape? How can I help them eat better, get more energy. And like I said, maybe lose a few pounds or answer questions about, should I eat more protein? Should I have a high carb diet or what, what is Keto and all these things. And so I took what I've learned through certifications and educational classes, um, for my own training. And the first thing I did, I became a bodybuilder. So a bodybuilder needs to know how to eat correctly or not eat or hydrate or build big muscles. I mean, guys, I never got huge. I was much more muscular than I am now and much more cut, but this is another whole different learning process of how can you eat this way in order to get bulk? How do you eat this way in order to lean out? Um, and that was another perfect learning environment. And that then translated, you know, the story goes on and on. I became a runner as a runner, you eat completely different than you eat for building mass. So I started marathon running. So now I had to learn about endurance training and endurance nutrition. And what should you eat when you're out for a 20 mile run? Or how should you, as everybody loves to do the cart loading before a big race. Uh, and so all these steps then going into becoming an ultra marathon runner. So that's over 26 miles. So I ran the JFK 50 miler and again, another completely different way of eating. Cause when you think as a marathoner, you eat your goos or your liquid gels, that is all sugar. And you're done in a relatively short period of time. When you train for longer, Oh my God, you eat chips and M&Ms and salt and cookies. You would not believe [inaudible] told me about that a long time ago. Good stuff is out there on a trail race that is offered. But you, again, you're out there for 15, 20 hours or even longer for longer races. So you need a whole different type of nutrition. And so then I was like, okay, this is great. And I want to do something different. So I got into triathlons. Well, here we go. Another completely different system. You're swimming, you're biking and you're running. So I had this running nutrition under control. I didn't know anything about the bike nutrition or what do you do when you swim two miles, you clearly don't stop and have a sandwich or, you know, and so it was a learning process of the different sports that I chose, uh, that taught me a lot about nutrition. But along the way, I've always believed you need solid education and or certification or a really good ground where you can grow from. So I became a precision nutrition certified coach for, um, sports performance. And that really helps a lot explaining why something is and why your body metabolizes this way and how you can get the best nutrition for different sports. And it's the same works for anybody. If you come to me, it's a hike. I walk, well, I can tell you the same thing because it's all about biomechanics kinesiology and, and metabolizing foods and so forth. Passionistas: So now how did all of this lead to working with women over 50? Heike: I am almost 60. So I experienced what a lot of women around me experience slower metabolism, no energy, belly fat, um, here, not shiny, uh, lack luster. And you know, when I look at how I have trained, I got to a point, despite all my training, I'm changing hard, I'm doing everything right. I kept gaining weight. I nothing really works. So I, once again had to switch gears and going, okay, so everything that's worked until my mid forties, early fifties doesn't work now anymore. My thyroid is not the way it should be. I had changes in, I don't have a thyroid at all, but it's still I'm affected by different hormone changes in my body. As funny as it sounds right? So I'm past menopause, but I'm still going through the hot flashes or I can tell in your listeners probably can hold their ears, but I can tell if I were to get my period, my stomach gets rounder. I get these bloated feelings that if you ask somebody, they're like, Oh, you're just making this up. This is really not happening. And, and you way past this, but it's not true. And my endocrinologist choose these as your body will continue to go through hormone changes. And so we have to adapt your thyroid levels based on where you are. Every six months, we need to test so many women around me have said the same things. And they're like, man, nothing's working. What can I do if I exercise my butt off and still nothing happens. So we need to do things differently than we've done them before. And with the 30 years in the experience in the field, I think I have a lot to offer when it comes to over 50 and how to do things better. Now that we're older and that we're not the spring chicken, we're not with the same metabolism and also not the same needs. I mean, I am not particularly crazy about a high intensity interval, crack class. I don't know about you, but my knees are not. I mean, yes, I run, but I can take care of my knees, but jumping around and doing some super hard stuff is just, and that's what I hear from many women. They, they feel the same way. And so that's, I'm here to help. And you also fitness nutrition, and then mindset is kind of the third component. So why is that an important element in all of this? I would almost go the backwards it's mindset, exercise nutrition, or you can the change the last two pieces. But I think the mindset is really where it starts with self care. It starts with, how do we feel about ourselves? How do we empower ourselves? What do we think about ourselves? The self value that we have, the old stories, the old beliefs that we, we keep telling ourselves that we are not good enough, not smart enough. We don't know these things. And they translate into a fitness and nutrition package. Let's put it that way as well. Because if you start out not taking care of yourself, you don't know how to exercise, right? You don't know how to eat, right? You do everything maybe for somebody else or you as I call it, you dim your light and you just stay under your little light and never shine for what your true potential could be. And that's why I think the mindset component is really the key to the success in overcoming these obstacles that we come along in over 50 lifestyles. And then yes, we can't help our skin gets saggy. I mean, it's just the whole hormone changes again, but we definitely can do about something about how we think about ourselves and how we treat ourselves, how we treat ourselves, right? Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and you're listening to the Passioistas Project Podcast in our interview with Heike Yates. To learn more about her, Pursue Your Spark Podcast, visit HeikeYates.com. Now here's more of our interview with Heike. Talk about Pursue Your Spark and what spark stands for. Heike: Pursue Your Spark! Pursue Your Spark is in simple terms, the cook, the opposite of sim your lights So pursue your spark came out of a whole bunch of reinventions of this brand. It had different names before, and none of them really grabbed me and, and expressed what I wanted to be it's that any woman can pursue any spark in their lives. Does it mean, uh, you want to get a new haircut? That's a spark. You want to try new lipstick. That's a spark. You want to empower yourself to eat better. That's igniting a spark. It's the catalyst. And they become the catalyst, something bigger. There's this gateway that they can open up with, pursue your spark, to become something bigger than themselves. Something more than they thought they could reach and something that empowers them to do better than they did before. Passionistas: And what is the SPARK method? Heike: Oh, this is my top secret. No, I'm just kidding. Secret SPARK method. And it is built very similar to what I just mentioned is you first, you evaluate where you are. So you start, you look at where you are, you see where, uh, where you need help with and, and, uh, where you can grow where your basis is basically, then you take your basis and then you start a plan, a thing, things like I'm a Walker. I know I can walk two miles, but I would love to do a 10 K race. That'd be like, I always dreamed about this. Okay. So you currently work walking two miles. So how this is your base. What will be the next step is to create a plan that is sensible and doable for you to get to the 10 K that we'll be planning phase number two. And then you go into also the dream and this, in this case, it will be the dream thing. Okay. The 10 key is my stepping stone to the next thing to maybe something bigger, but it doesn't have to be. And then you're looking at what's possible and what's not possible. And that's where the roadblocks come in. The mindset like my feet hurt after three miles, this sucks. It's hot, it's raining. Um, I don't know if I can do this or I don't have good shoes. So what do I do now? And these roadblocks that sometimes are just imagined roadblocks, but they're there. And then as I say, in the end, we kick ass and we're going to follow up on the plan that we had from the get go. And so you keep evaluating each phase and you're like, okay. So here's my dream. Here's my goal. Here's the first plan that I had. Okay. This works great. So we keep going, Oh, we'll tweak it. If it's not working great, let's get the roadblocks out of the way. So we're not thinking of things that are maybe not there, or if it's a new pair of shoes, we'd get a new pair of shoes. And then we'll pursue that goal. That spark till you get to the finish line and you go like, I'm over the finish line, whether I want it rented or anyway, but you did it. And that's a spark method. Talk about what your clients sign up for with your services and maybe how that's changing right now. So I have a brick and mortar business, which I've had for a long time. And I've pivoted these people that I've known for many, many years into an online program. And that online program is, is an, I offer this to anybody, even if you haven't been my client before one-on-one is like, I work with you over zoom or any other channel that's convenient to you. So I can see you in person. And we're doing basically the SPARK methods to start with and determining what you need, what your goals are. And based on that, I'll train you over the internet virtually for one hour. So that's one part. I have small group training programs where you're in a small group of up to 10 people and everybody is in the small group together, and everybody does the same program. And this group also will meet online through a Facebook group. So you have connections and contacts. And I offer larger programs for individuals that are three months or 12 week programs that are geared exactly to who you are, where you are, where you want to go in a three months span. So these are those programs. I am about to start the 4-Week Lean program. And that is a 28 day program for women over 50. They want to boost their metabolism, learn about intermittent fasting. And now I'm a huge fan of intermittent fasting, and they want to take their life now and say, okay, I want to learn how to exercise and includes exercises for the whole 28 days, strategies, habit, building strategies, and help somebody to kickstart or tune up their fitness lifestyle. So if you, if you're the person who knows everything about intermittent fasting, that's not the program for you. If you're the person who wants really hard, tough busting exercises, this is not the program for you. And so these are the programs that I offer. And then I have a couple of free guides that I offer the five, four 50 lifestyle, again, a tuneup guide that you can get for free on my website and the kick quick start to intermittent fasting. That's also a free guide for anybody that wants it. So I'm thinking, keeping busy over the Corona virus, building programs, and, and finally, in a good sense, I had time to sit down and create this content, shoot the videos for the programs, write out everything and put it together. And you know, everything that goes with it, the behind the scenes stuff that nobody sees. And they're like, Whoa, look at this. And you're like, yeah, this took me a year to do. And I mean, I can't complain. I'm sorry about the situation. And I do miss my friends. Then I do miss seeing my in-person clients. But on the other hand, I'm meeting some amazing women online that I can connect through this way and can offer services that I know make a difference. Passionistas: And you also have a podcast which is called Pursue Your Spark. So tell everybody about that and what you hope women take away from that podcast. Heike: My podcast started out solely me and, uh, I'm talking about fitness, nutrition, mindset strategies for the woman in midlife and specifically the women over 50. And I coach everything through my podcasts that you may get in block form, or you can, um, get on my posts on social media. But my, my podcast is really a free source for you to learn more about intermittent fasting, more how to exercise, um, how to deal with mindset strategies when it comes to overeating or whatever the components are that we're talking about. But since I'm a very social person, I'm inviting guests as well. And my guests come from all walks of life. What they all have in common is that they overcome or overcame an obstacle. You find anybody. And this week's guest is, um, somebody who's battled breast cancer for a long time with a double mastectomy. So she will be on this week's podcast Or you can find somebody that is a much more crazy runner than I am, who ran into Infinitus is a 888 mile, 888 kilometer race self-supported. So you can find her, or you can find somebody like my friend, John Dre, who is a, what used to be a jet fighter pilot, who had to battle the health system too, which is where she is now alive, because she said, if I didn't fight the healthcare system, I would be dead today. So what do these women have in common? They overcame obstacles. They empower you the listener to take action. And you may find yourself in those stories and saying, man, yeah, I know about this one that had Lyme disease. Oh, I can talk to her and ask her questions or the bladder. I have problems with my bladder. Oh, I can reach out to hike this podcast and talk to the person that she had as a guest. And these stories help us not only be empowered and learn about each other, but also know that we're not alone, that you're not alone in your struggles that somebody else somewhere in the world has probably the same or a similar problem. And we'd love to connect with you, or we'd love to love for you to listen to their story and to help you out with what they experienced and what they've learned along the way. And that's my goal of the podcast. I love my podcast. Passionistas: What do you think is your best habit? Heike: Best habit is I'm very disciplined. I am extremely disciplined. If I set a goal, I'm going to go and do it. And, or oftentimes get myself in situations where I said, this sounds like a great idea, like becoming a bodybuilder and I'm at it. And I'm learning everything. And I'm very disciplined when it comes to the practice, to the, doing it, to the executing it. And just a little side note for the bodybuilding story, my girlfriend who got me into all of this, she did not compete she's I just couldn't get it together. I come and cheer for you. And I was like, Oh, I thought we were doing it together. I think that's my I'm very disciplined. Passionistas: What's the most rewarding part of your career? Heike: I get to kick everybody's buttski. I wouldn't say that. Um, but, well, it's true though. No, I get to help people be healthier. You know, my clients in my career have ranged from kids age eight to now my oldest client is 94 94. And when you look at the range of needs, these different people in different age groups in brackets have, it's just you, you I'm like your cheerleader by the side. Oh, you get to stand up from the toilet. Yes. Winner. Or you can run a race. Me and yes, I want to see the metal. It's just helping people to move forward with their health and not get stuck in what is so prevalent in the U S is heart disease overweight. I'm like, I'm here for you and you don't have to be definitely not perfect. And you don't, I will always cheer you on not no matter how little your accomplishments are. Cause it doesn't matter to me what Susie down the road does or how wonderful she did, whatever it matters to me, what you do and what you can accomplish every day. And when somebody comes in and says, hi guys, I've been really bad. I'm like, what do you mean by that? Well, I didn't eat a clean diet. I may have had a muffin or whatever this week. And I didn't stick to the plan that I was thought I was going to do. And I'm like, well, if you only had one muffin, that's a win right there. You didn't need the whole box. Passionistas: Do you have a dream for women? And what is it? Heike: Not really a dream. But I would say, I like to think of it as a more of a reality that we need to step up to the plate without fear too much. And right now in the past, in the past with the me too movement is like, we're sitting there hoping that somebody will do something for us to fix something or to make it better. And instead we need to step up to the plate with a clear message of what we want and how we want things to be and what we're not standing for. That's what I, my, my vision is. Um, and I hope I raised my daughter this cause she doesn't stand for any of that. She is like, Nope, she's after it. But I think instead I like rather than a dream, it's, it's really a reality cause we're right in the midst of it. And there's no better time for women to step up to the plate then right now to speak their mind. But clearly and succinctly. And um, one of my podcast guests has actually helped me through her book to do that in a, in a part of my life that, um, and it was about asking for something and not instead of saying yes, I wish could you potentially, and maybe wouldn't it be nice if to say, no, I deserve this because I do this and this, and here is why I deserve this thing or this raise or whatever it may be that we really step up and not be afraid of the consequences that the reaction is from the other person, which I think a lot of women still, and I'm not excluding myself. They're either grapple with that. I'd rather sometimes not say something because I'm thinking, Hmm, what are they going to come back with? And this is something we need to move forward. Passionistas: What do you think is your secret to a rewarding life? Heike: Happiness. It's all there is to it. If you're not happy from the inside out, then your life could be as beautiful as shiny inexpensive and whatever. But if you're not happy, happiness to me is everything. And it's like, what I tell my kids is like, are you healthy? Are you fine? Yes. But then my next question is, are you happy? Because if you're not happy, then to me, at least nothing really matters. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Heike Yates. To learn more about pursue your spark visit HeikeYatescom. We're currently taking orders for the fall Passionistas Project Pack, subscription box. Our theme this quarter is Passionistas Persist and the box is full of products from women owned businesses. We hope these items inspire you to stand in your power, roar at the top of your lungs, take care of yourself and remember to laugh because without joy, what's it all for. If we all support one another and stay persistent, great things will happen. You can find out how to subscribe to the box at ThePassionistasProject.com and while you're there, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to find out about our upcoming Passionistas Project to quality exchange, monthly events and subscribe to the passion to project podcast. So you don't miss any of our upcoming inspiring guests. Until next time stay well and stay passionate

Rocking Midlife™- the Podcast Season 1. Episode 11. My guest today is Heike Yates, an experienced Fitness and Nutrition Coach who empowerswomen 50+ to take back their health and strength for a vibrant lifestyle.We cover a number of topics in our conversation, including how Heike felt being an obesechild, and how she fell in love with fitness as a new mother, which started her on a 30 yearjourney of teaching others how to live fit and healthy live, all while still pursuing her ownfitness goals such as becoming an Ironman Triathlete.When asked are her 3 top tips for the midlife woman who wants to improve their healthand wellbeing, Heike lists the following:1) Mindset – picture what your goal is that you are aiming for, then itemise theobstacles and how you can overcome them, thereby setting yourself up for success.2) Happiness – find it in your everyday life, instead of hoping to be happy “one day.”3) Intermittent fasting – learn how resting your digestive system can help your bodyfunction so much more efficiently.You can find Heike at these links: Get her FREE guide “5 For 50. Lifestyle Strategies for Women 50+” HERE. Her website here: https://heikeyates.com/ All social media sites: @HeikeYatesEnjoyed this episode of the Rocking Midlife™ Podcast Show? Please click subscribe, leave areview and share with your friends!  Grab my Free gift 5 Tips to make your Midlife ROCK and be the first to find outwhenever a new episode of Rocking Midlife™- the Podcast drops!https://bit.ly/5tipsmidlife

Heike Yates and I discussed her running the JFK 50 miler in 2012. Heike shares how she started running way before the JFK 50.  We talk about the backstory of the JFK 50 and why she selected this race. We talk about how she prepared for the race both with her training, nutrition and mental preparation.  We discuss how runners step up from shorter races to Ultra marathons. We talk about pancakes. It's a good story - you'll enjoy it.  Heike shares the terrain and the course for the race and how her day unfolded on race day from the weather to her support crew and how long it took her to cover 50 miles of running.  She shares how she made her running strategy for the race including pacing, making and using a cue sheet and being paced by her son. Links mentioned in the interview: Montgomery County Road Runners - https://mcrrc.org/ JFK 50 Mile Run https://www.jfk50mile.org/ Today,Heike Yates is the creator of Pursue your Spark and you can find her at https://heikeyates.com/ Facebook:  @HeikeYates Instagram: @HeikeYates Twitter: @HeikeYates Podcast: @PursueYourSpark YouTube: @HeikeYates You can find the full show notes for this episode at www.mileaftermilepodcast.com  You can find the host, Amy’s site at www.amysaysso.com

Heike Yates joins us today on The Toxin terminator! She is a fitness and nutrition coach who has been in the exercises, nutrition, and mindset world for 30 years, the creator of Pursue Your Spark, and the creator of several programs to help you live a better life.Tune in as she shares with us her journey in fitness and nutrition, how it let to where she is today, and tips on how to go about your own journey.Find out about:·      The importance of community, human connection, and helping others·      Reasons why Europe and other hotspots may have a more physically active society·      The origins of Pursue Your Spark and a rundown of The 4 Week Lean Out Program·      Ultrarunning, Toughmudder, and Ironman Triathlons·      The importance of mindset when trying to pursue a healthier lifestyle·      Tips for getting started on your healthier lifestyle journey·      Why are you hear/your reason for doing thisQuotes: “I gained all this weight and I really did not know what to do to get rid of the weight.” “I felt on my own body how amazing exercise is.” “Your body will do what the mind has set out to do.” “In my opinion, if you're feeding your body healthy, organic, nutritious foods, the body cleanses itself.” “Don't dim your own light, brighten your light. Pursue your spark, whatever your spark is.”Important Links and Mentions: ·      https://heikeyates.com/·      https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/·      https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark/To listen to this podcast episode click here. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aimee-carlson0/message

Heike Yates joins us today on The Toxin terminator! She is a fitness and nutrition coach who has been in the exercises, nutrition, and mindset world for 30 years, the creator of Pursue Your Spark, and the creator of several programs to help you live a better life.Tune in as she shares with us her journey in fitness and nutrition, how it let to where she is today, and tips on how to go about your own journey.Find out about:· The importance of community, human connection, and helping others· Reasons why Europe and other hotspots may have a more physically active society· The origins of Pursue Your Spark and a rundown of The 4 Week Lean Out Program· Ultrarunning, Toughmudder, and Ironman Triathlons· The importance of mindset when trying to pursue a healthier lifestyle· Tips for getting started on your healthier lifestyle journey· Why are you hear/your reason for doing thisQuotes: “I gained all this weight and I really did not know what to do to get rid of the weight.” “I felt on my own body how amazing exercise is.” “Your body will do what the mind has set out to do.” “In my opinion, if you're feeding your body healthy, organic, nutritious foods, the body cleanses itself.” “Don't dim your own light, brighten your light. Pursue your spark, whatever your spark is.”Important Links and Mentions: · https://heikeyates.com/· https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/· https://www.facebook.com/pursueyourspark/To listen to this podcast episode click here. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Phylis was interviewed by Heike Yates of Pursue your Spark Podcast. Phylis shares about her book Unmothered and how we can have healthy mother daughter relationships.

This week we interview Heike Yates, she is the host of a podcast called Pursue your spark, she encourages women to find their passion at any age. Her story will not only inspire you but also encourage you to find your spark! We hope you enjoy this episode. Sparkle On 

Are you proud to call yourself a multi-tasker? As women, multitasking seems to be our goal. We go to work, cook meals, drive the kids to their sports or piano lessons, and at the end of the day, we are supposed to be the sexy and alluring wife for our partner and all this without missing a beat. Phew, I am already stressed thinking about accomplishing all that. Do we truly get more done through multitasking or are the things we try to distract us from the things we want to do? Today I am sharing 5 Strategies To Get More Done With Less Stress with you.  If you plan your day, you will get more done with higher satisfaction, less stress, and better quality! Try this approach for a week and let me know how you are doing! Links mentioned in the show: The Art Of Igniting Your Spark private Facebook group Heike Yates on Instagram The 4 Week Lean Out Program    Subscribe and Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes. While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on iTunes too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

Heike Yates is a certified personal trainer, pilates instructor and fitness warrior.  Almost 30 years ago, she left corporate America and never had a plan to pursue fitness as a career.  When she moved to America from Germany, she realized that activity wasn't readily available in the US as a part of everyday life. People spent more time in cars.   She knew she had to move as much as possible and get off her "buttskie" Heike joined a YMCA dancercize class to lose weight after her first baby, became a teacher of that class and then a personal trainer. Had her 2nd baby and taught pre post-natal classes, yoga, pilates, spinning, etc. Heike wanted to know more about movement and what she could do which his what has helped her do many different things in life.  If you're injured or frozen in time, you can find a solution for your lack of movement. There's always something we can do. If you sit all day move your legs and arms, it counts as exercise! Move more than you did yesterday You have to incorporate movement into your daily routine. Fun and laughter has to be part of what we do Pursue Your Spark Podcast & Program is for women (and men) who want to be physically and mentally active. Spark Method A step by step progression of gaining clarity How to gain energy How to gain confidence in your fitness How to get that rocking fit body heikeyates.com If you've never done exercise, start little. Stomp your feet, snap. What did you do when you were younger? What did you enjoy? Do that to start your Move journey.  

Well, hello there, and welcome to another episode of the Pursue Your Spark podcast. I'm your host, Heike Yates, and today, in episode #18, we talk about how to never diet again and get lasting results. Every season, there's a new diet on the market that seems so good, you just have to try it. But there are better ways to a healthy lifestyle. Today's episode has an exceptional bonus, so stick around until the end, and I tell you what it is. My approach may not be for everyone, and that's okay, but if you are the woman that fits my training philosophy of sustainable nutrition and fitness programs, and not a quick fix, then you my friend are at the right place. Many diets are so rigid. Eat this, not that. Eat at this time, and eat these specific amounts. It's time that we talk about how to never diet again and get lasting results, no matter what happens in your life. And a lot can happen that changes everything. Currently, we are in the sexy bikini season. You see enticing ads pop up everywhere, promising you flat abs, a perky butt, or a thigh gap. It seems that you can get very specific results in only 3 or 7 or 21 days. Thinking of the bikini season, you may roll your eyes secretly, thinking, "Oh my God, I can't even think about a bikini. I'm still trying to lose the weight from the last diet I tried." So you see, the bikini diet is then followed by the Thanksgiving diet and other holiday diets. It's exhausting to think about that rollercoaster that we subject ourselves to. The guilt of why we can't reject eating all the foods we are not supposed to eat. The shame of having to admit that we failed a diet again. But results don't happen overnight, even if we wish they would. Many women are looking for real and lasting results. They're tired of the roller coaster diets and the constant worry that all the weight will come back faster than they lose it, leaving them exhausted and hopeless with the frustration that nothing ever works. Does that sound familiar? These are the women that want something different, something that will last, not the quick fixes for each season. You see, in my programs, I'm showing my clients how to gain the confidence they need to make the right choices to lead a healthy lifestyle and how those choices will last well beyond our training together. My programs are not for elite athletes or high-level fitness competitors. They're also not for people that have all the accountability they need. They got it together; they know what they do, what to do, and how to change things around. And my programs are not for those that never struggle with nutrition and exercise in their life. Let me take a moment to tell you about Anne. When I first met Anne, she was interviewing me quite specifically. She told me, "I don't want to be on another diet. I have been on many diets. I need motivation to exercise. I have no energy. I have a very stressful job, and a long commute and I'm not sure if I really make the right choices, because I've relied on the diets that I'd been going through and I don't want to be a skinny thing. I just want to be strong and healthy." Before Anne came to me, she already had lost quite a bit of weight on her on, but was stuck and didn't know what to do. She had to get up at five in the morning, drive to work for an hour, work all day, and then was home by about 7:00 or 8:00, and sometimes, worked even later because of the stress at work. Her stress was out of the roof! She had made no time for herself. No time to actually think about food, so drive-thrus were a regular occurrence for her, but she was so determined to get healthy and fit. As we started working together, I got to know Anne better, and I could learn about her preferences. I learned that she hates skim milk in her coffee, so we had to make some changes that allowed for her to lose the weight gradually as she had planned, but in a way that was not eating yucky foods or drinking her coffee without her whole milk, but enjoying life and fitting it in her crazy work schedule. Anne was so determined and enthusiastic about her program and working with me. We both knew we would reach the goal because we held her accountable for all her actions. We made sure that she filled out her nutrition blog, that she followed the guidelines that fit into her crazy lifestyle. Slowly but surely, she started walking. Her cardio before was non-existent, and she started walking one block, then two blocks. It was really exhausting at first, and she felt like, initially, she wasn't getting enough food, based on the portion sizes she had initially eaten, or the foods that she had chosen that didn't give her energy. But as time went by, the program designed for her helped her lose weight, start getting fitter, putting on some muscle mass, losing fat, and started, to run, which was impossible in her mind. She ended up running a 5K, and truth be told, we actually ran it together! It was so rewarding for me as a coach to see one of my clients thrive and gain the confidence in fitness and nutrition. She now has the tools to live a healthy lifestyle. She knows how to work with her diet and her exercise to reach the goals that she had set out to do. I just love telling that story. So you see, my mission is to really understand your needs and deliver methods that work for you. I'm not here to stand next to you, holding your hand while you workout or showing you how to cook your meals. My programs keep your lifestyle in mind, and what you can realistically achieve, so it's doable and not confusing and hard. An excellent place to start to get to know me and most importantly, where I can begin to get to know you, is by joining our private Facebook group, The Art of Igniting Your Spark. You will meet other supportive and positive women just like you that want to kick ass in their life. So you may say, "But Heike! How long might a program like this take? I have all these other obligations. I don't lose weight as fast as the other XYZ Program? My life is way too crazy to cook and shop for food. The drive-through is so much easier. I don't have hours to spend working out. I have to get in shape first to start your program!" You know what? My programs are about taking small, actionable steps. Repeating those steps will lead to changing your habits, and those habits will last. Instead of another diet, start with making the change a lifelong habit and not a seasonal approach. You see, my programs are for women who want lasting results and for women that will not put their life on hold for another diet. Why not start with my 7 day “Pursue Your Spark” planner? In this program I focus on accountability, measurable results, maintaining your lifestyle and overcoming obstacles. The women in my programs are gaining confidence in their fitness abilities, they are getting stronger and feeling healthier in their bodies, and they are starting to understand nutrition and how to eat for a healthy body. Ditch the diets and never look back. It all starts with simple, actionable steps leading to lasting results that you can do no matter what the circumstances in your life are. So there you have it. How to never diet again and get lasting results. If you listen to my show and love the show, give it five stars and write a review on iTunes. You can do it right now. I really appreciate that you're listening, and if you leave a review for my show before June 1st, you will have a chance to win my Seven Days to Ignite Your Spark planner. I will pick three people from the reviews that will get the planner free, plus they will have the opportunity to work with me through a private Facebook group for seven days. So go ahead, leave a review and a chance to win. Until then, I'll see you next time. Ciao!   Leave your review HERE and win.

Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur. Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement. Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day.   Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her. Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on the biggest risk she's ever taken. Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about women's roles in society. Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on her definition of success Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Heike Yates on her definition of success.   Hear more from Heike: Heike Yates on what she learned from her mother about womens roles in society Heike Yates on the biggest risk shes ever taken Heike Yates on a lesson she has learned that sticks with her Heike Yates on advice to an aspiring woman entrepreneur Heike Yates on her proudest career achievement Heike Yates on the women she would like to be for a day   More about Heike Yates. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.

Today I want to talk about how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers. The holidays are just around the corner, and it's time to party it up, and most of us go bonkers. It's time to clean the house, fill up the fridge and the pantry with all the food that you know everyone loves. It starts with the pies, the cakes, the cheeses, the cream, including everything you deny yourself all year long. And the holidays seem to be just the perfect time just to cram it all in and stuff it all down without guilt because after all, it's the holidays. It usually starts with Halloween. If you're a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about. One year, my children brought home five pounds, not kidding you, FIVE POUNDS of Halloween candy. So, what did we do with all that candy? Of course, they got their share, but as a parent, we most likely steal the candy we love and eat it all. There's already that candy, sugar, fat, chocolatey, oh-so-yummy’s starting. We're thinking, "All right. It's Halloween, and I will get out my holiday combat gear for that." What is your holiday combat gear, you wonder? Oh, easy peasy. Stretchy pants, oversized T-shirts or pullovers. They cover any weight gain and includes anything that you might feel guilty about. November is the Thanksgiving eating marathon. Oh boy. Butter is everywhere, the eggnog is flowing (even the low-fat version) and football is on every TV in the U.S. The couches finally get the usage they deserve, and people just plop down, and sit, and eat. I’m from Germany, and we don’t have any Thanksgiving there, so coming to the States, this whole turkey business was utterly surprising. Nowhere in Germany do you get together on a specific day to eat some turkey or pumpkin pies. For years we made terrific feasts with all the bells and whistles. So, you're slugging it out with your eating marathon in November, and Thanksgiving is the blastoff for your eating marathon. But wait. Then there's December. December has an avalanche of Christmas parties, office parties, family get-togethers, and shopping has become an event in itself of shopping, wrapping presents and then sending them off. As you know, stress is at an all-time high, because there is so much to do before we can enjoy the holidays. And these times of the year, when it's freezing and gross outside and raining or snowing, seem like the best time to sit around, drink, and eat more food. If you're worried about eating and drinking too much, you think you don’t have to worry. You know why? Because you already see the cleanses, the fitness challenges or the 21-day fixes. These are supposed to make you feel secure in overeating and under-exercising. The next diet is already on the horizon to save you from who? Yourself, and perhaps to jumpstart you yet again. In my opinion, they prey on the weakness of self-discipline that we have during the holidays. We all have it. I'm looking forward to a stuffed yummy turkey and pumpkin pie, with a big slap of whipped cream on top, and a whole bunch of glasses of wine. But we lack self-discipline because that's the only time of the year we eat these kinds of foods, and why not? There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that within reason. These programs are there to theoretically help us because we eat ourselves helpless. Have you eaten yourself helpless? No, you didn't, because you already know what to do. It's every year you see the articles pop up. You read it everywhere. They say the same things over and over again. Only eat one plateful. Eat before the party. Don't wait till you get there because you will be hungry. Stick only to the healthy foods. Do not eat anything with mayonnaise or cream on it. Take one piece of pie or candy from the Smorgasbord. Walk after the meal. It's the same recommendations every year, and we know them by heart. This is not what I want to talk about. I don't have to tell you these same old mantras. All you do is you feel guilty, and I don't want you to feel guilty. I want you to take care of yourself and the people you love. So, here are my seven steps on how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers. #1 Book a massage. If you have a little cash lying around, book a massage. You can't do anything better for yourself for an hour, being taken care of, and just relaxing and lying somewhere in a comfortable room. #2 Go to the spa Who says you can't? It's only you. Get pampered. Get a pedicure. Do some aromatherapy or whatever makes you happen. #3 Take a bubble bath If you don’t have the extra cash to go the spa, then how about taking a bubble bath? Buy one of those yummy delicious bubble baths, spend an hour in there and relax. No stress, no running around. #4 Stop pleasing everyone around you You don't have to break your neck to make everybody else happy, to cook the perfect dinner, to set the perfect table, to buy the perfect gift, to run around for everybody else. Stop pleasing everybody because they don't want you to be frazzled and running around. Yes, they eat your fantastic cooked food, and yes, they would thank you for the fantastic gifts, but I'm sure that they are much happier spending time with you when you're relaxed with a glass of wine or beer in your hand chatting with them. #5 Make your gifts How about making the presents instead of buying them? I'm thinking of a very particular person right now. It has nothing to do with the holidays, but my son just got married, and his wife is incredibly crafty. She made terrific things for her wedding that she gave out to her guests. I loved it! She made a clothes hanger that said “Mother of the Groom” on it with the dates, and on the back, it says “With love, from Megan.” It really touched me, and I just love it. When I look at the hanger, it makes me feel so special. How about making a few of your gifts instead of buying them? They’re so much more meaningful. #6 Shop online Or if you do want to buy new presents for someone, consider shopping online instead of heading to the mall. You can always return the items, and you get to stay in your peaceful home without having to deal with traffic and the hordes of people. #7 Activities instead of objects Give and do activities as a present. What I mean by that is give a gift certificate for an activity, such as a skydiving lesson. Another example is from this past year where instead of preparing this big meal for my family for Thanksgiving, we planned a family trip to New Orleans. We got an Airbnb, got the family together, and explored a new city. We went to Bourbon Street, my kids took a glassblowing class, and ate excellent meals that we didn’t have to prepare. It was the perfect time to spend time together and not run around. These are my seven tips on how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers. Remember that it's more important to spend time with the people you love than go shopping. You're not a loser because you blew your healthy diet. You're not stingy because you don't want to buy elaborate or expensive gifts, but you're staying sane and will have a fantastic holiday season. You know, I want to let you in on a little secret. You don't have to go yet on another diet or fitness plan in the new year or make another New Year's resolution only not to keep it. Why? Because all you do is go back to your right habits that you established throughout the year. There's nothing that changed in November or December. All that changed was that you ate a little differently. You may have exercised a little less, and maybe you traveled a little more. Work diligently on those habits you’ve already established. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to join some crazy diet or challenge or cleanse to see results quickly. Go back to what you did. It's going to take a little bit longer to reach your results, but your habits are what brings you back to your healthy you.    So, with that in mind, I want to wish you happy holidays, and I hope to see you next time here at the Pursue Your Spark podcast. Ciao until then. For more inspiration and education go to my website: Heike Yates