Podcasts about thriving program

Today, along with CEO of Cardsmith, Monica Burrell, experience a live, unedited transformational coaching session similar to those led by Christa King each week in the Fitlandia Fitness 30 Days to Thriving Program. There, host Christa King helps participants navigate those really tough challenges they are confronted with while making amazing lifestyle changes.  You can hop on board for the June 30 Days To Thriving.  For a 25 percent discount, enter code:  friend25 at checkout. Now, join Monica Borrell and host Christa King as they get real with each other and today’s listeners. It’s a little scary to expose your inner self during a live coaching session, but there is so much power in vulnerability. Stories of transformation need to be told; they offer courage to the next person. Who are You, Monica Borrell? Monica calls herself a “serial entrepreneur”; she has started several businesses. Cardsmith is definitely her “child”...it is her most exciting and most challenging business venture. It is software as a service. She describes it as a virtual sticky notes brainstorming wall that can help individuals or teams engage in visual problem- solving. Host Christa King admits that like many of her program participants, she is a “planner junkie”, overwhelmed with thoughts, ideas, projects. “Anything that we can do to simplify things, and streamline things is just awesome.” That’s why she recommends tools like Monica’s Cardsmith software and her own Strategic Vitality planner. Intersecting Journeys Christa entered the “start-up scene” a few years ago, first joining Woman Led, where she crossed paths with Monica.  Christa admits that since then, she has been caught up in the culture of “do more, do more”. She knows how hard it is, whether you are a start-up exec or a busy mother, to make yourself and your health a priority.  Fortunately for Christa, her business, Fitlandia Fitness, has become her own health journey along the way. At about the same time, Monica started her journey with her own woman led start-up, Cardsmith.  She survived a lot of financial stress and hard times, as well as the excitement of a thriving relationship. However, the combination of stress-eating and happy-eating, lots of travel, and long working hours led to a physical gain of thirty pounds. Christa remarks that many people are not aware of the time, money, resources, and sacrifice of going all-in for a new start-up business. And nothing is more important during such a stressful venture as a sense of community connection. Monica Meets Fitlandia Monica was involved in one of the first programs that Christa King offered a few years ago. She continued to take part in a Keto program, as well as Fitlandia’s 30 Days to Thriving elimination diet program, most recently. 30 Days to Thriving provides a structure for overcoming addiction to sugar, refined carbs, and alcohol while healing the gut and reducing inflammation. It’s about taking a break from certain foods, getting healthy, and then adding things back slowly in moderation, while you carefully observe the effect they have on your body. Keep Moving Forward Monica admits that she struggles with consistency in working toward health goals, and has been in and out of various Fitlandia programs. Host Christa King reminds us that whether you are feeling successfully “all-in” to a program or not, what’s important is the evolution of your journey. Christa defines success in the program as getting out of your head and into your body. Success is when you really start making mental connections about your food triggers and your relationship with food. And replacing unhealthy habits with things that better serve your goals. Monica agrees, offering that she knows that Fitlandia has helped her to move forward. For one thing, it has helped her zero in on what kind of food life makes her feel the best and she has a new awareness of what happens when she wanders away from that.  As a bonus, she is happy to report that in spite of ups and downs, she has lost almost ten pounds since joining the Fitlandia community.   Coach Christa Asks Monica to Share Her Discoveries Some of Monica’s discoveries about food that works for her: emphasizing plenty of healthy fats with lots of vegetables... especially power greens! two eggs for breakfast with greens and home-made sambal Basic approach:  Keto minus dairy Some of her discoveries about what gets her off track: feeling crunched for time temptations of on-the-go food watching others enjoy their food choices relying on alcohol to relax and reward staying up or out late at night Getting Honest Christa asks if Monica finds herself back in a carb-craving cycle “the next day” after late night wine leads to a Taco-Bell binge, for instance. Monica says she feels horrible the next day, but since participating in 30 Days to Thriving, she can usually get back into her Keto food life within a day. However that first day she thinks: “Well, I blew it and I gotta get back on Keto because I know that I’m going to feel better…” and then adds, laughing, “but while I’m here why don’t I just have a little snack!”  Host Christa King admits that this is the honest reality for most of us! Reframing Negative Thoughts Christa is excited today to help Monica learn more about herself and about overcoming obstacles that keep her “stuck.” She points out that in the time she has known her, Monica has become a master something critical to lifestyle change: reframing negative thoughts. An essential component of Fitlandia is Mind Zoning® meditation. Monica has learned to create her own Mind Zoning® mantras and incorporate them into her daily mindset. They are positive affirmations or reframes of negative thoughts.  An example might be: “I’m too busy to cook my own healthy meals,” reframed as “It’s easy for me to make some time to cook my own healthy meals.” What we tell our mind is what our bodies will execute! When we reinforce positive thoughts, we create strong new neural pathways and our decision-making begins to support those positive thoughts. Time to Deep Dive Christa probes Monica a little deeper, asking her why in those challenging moments, like making choices at a restaurant, does she NOT make decisions that will support her health goals? What keeps her from choosing the best possible options from the menu?  Monica sighs, “That’s a good question!” For one, she admits to tiring of sticking to that ONE best option every time she visits a favorite restaurant. She misses variety in those situations. Christa empathizes, noting how important it is to acknowledge that it has to be about incorporating a dietary strategy with a target of 80-90 percent compliance. We all need to have some flexibility. However, she points out that in those situations we should become mindful, asking, “Is there something triggering this decision or am I simply just tired of the same old thing?” In the latter case, we need to allow ourselves to choose the next best thing, without any shame. The consciousness of the decision is ultimately what is important. I’m Taking a Break From ________. Monica shares that alcohol is her toughest challenge when it comes to sticking to her healthy lifestyle changes. Evening card games with friends are a great way to have fun and enjoy a sense of community, but often lead to late night drinking. Alcohol contributes a lot of sabotaging sugar load and triggers craving cycles that can really get her off track quickly.  Christa relates to that, adding that working hard and finishing projects...that sense of needing to celebrate...is a known trigger for her own indulgence. But she has learned how to step back when she forgets what moderation looks like. She creates a new Mind Zoning® mantra that soon leads to decisions for changed behavior. Coach Christa encourages Monica and podcast listeners to experiment with what it looks and feels like to simply “take a break” from sugar, or processed food, or alcohol. Set a period of time to explore moderation or refrain completely.  Use that time wisely. Without pressure, observe how easy it can actually be, how good it makes you feel down the road. Become curious about your connection to things in your food life. What triggers set you off? What traditions automatically set you up? Contemplating the Million Dollar Question How have your social encounters come to depend on your food (or drink) life? There is great power of revelation in this question. Christa urges Monica and all to contemplate when and how this first became your social pattern. In Monica’s case, she remembers that cocktail hour was the daily construct for her parents to unwind with conversation together before dinner. It was just a familiar pattern for the occurrence of comfortable connection that seemed to work...her elderly parents have been married a long time, so it seemed like a recipe for success. So she and her husband carry on similar rituals. What Would it Look Like If… The next step is to make an opportunity to really get curious about what the same social scenario would look like without alcohol (or sugar, or fast food, or junk food, etc.) The Fitlandia 30 Days to Thriving Program is a perfect way for anyone to take a month to explore just that kind of possibility! Identify the Tipping Point and Remember the WHY Going even deeper, Coach Christa asks Monica to consider what it is in the moment that makes her finally give in. What makes her decide that what she is choosing to cave in to is more important than the well-being that comes from not caving. This is a very critical question for all to get real about. A way to be strong in that moment is to have a well established “WHY” that you can clearly recall. Why is this (break from alcohol, sugar, etc) important? What is going to be your greater thing to remember in those make-or-break moments?  That is a foundational element in Christa King’s 30 Days to Thriving Program weekly motivational coaching. Beware the Tiger Even a well defined personal WHY cannot escape the tiger chasing you all day. Christa uses this metaphor to describe how compounded stress, good and bad stressors throughout the day, wear us down. The prefrontal cortex of the brain carries around our goals and holds up the WHY I AM TAKING A BREAK FROM (fill in the blank) card. But the primal brain is exhausted from being “chased by the tiger” all day and it says to the prefrontal cortex, “Shut up! I’m surviving here!” Basically when we are over-stressed, over-tired, under-fueled, our judgment lapses.  The prefrontal cortex pulls out the lists of dos and donts, but the primal brain says, “Nope! We are DOING this (indulging)”. This is why it is so important to do our daily movement (exercise) in the morning before we are burned out. And to do our food prep and batch cooking on a restful day off, so that we are not confronted at the end of a busy weekday with no safe plan for dinner. A Hard-Wire Re-Wire The challenge is really to put all these self-evaluation considerations together in a way that allows you space to re-wire all those hard-wired patterns. It takes time, but with reframed thoughts, weekly coaching, and community connection, it can be easier than you ever thought possible. Start on your own by looking at your event calendar or conjuring up the next opportunity to test a re-wire. Imagine yourself in that trigger moment or challenging scenario and picture what you could do differently. In your mind, walk through the situation. What would it look like to see yourself choosing to serve your highest goals in that setting?   Monica walks through this mental exercise and determines that she is going to have to figure out a way to tell her primal brain, “You are not in charge!” That is what resonates with her and imagining herself empowered with that in the future is impacting her view of the achievable nature of real change. But she still isn’t sure how she will feel about it “on Friday night.” Accept the Invitation While Monica wonders if she can actually override her primitive brain on Friday night, Coach Christa invites her to commit to a goal, an action. She reminds her the choice is all hers. Christa asks, “Monica, it’s Friday night. What would you LIKE to do?” Monica responds, “I think I would like to have one drink” with the intention of observing what that decision and action feels like and what the results are. Set Yourself Up for Success Now that Monica has committed to a goal, Christa challenges her to determine what will set her up for success. These are the actions Monica thinks will help her: I can take my prepared WHY with me. I can ask my husband (friend, etc) for support. I can ask the server ahead of time to only serve me one drink. My “morning-after self” can write a letter to my “Friday-night self” and I can keep that with me. I can start with a non-alcoholic drink and see how that goes. I can repeat a mantra such as “moderation is easy for me”, “moderation looks like one drink”, “I am stronger than any craving”, etc. I can calendar my commitment Christa suggests more: Get your work out in during that day to boost endorphins Before going out, do even just one minute of deep breathwork to support serotonin levels Find an accountability partner in your support community As the live coaching session ends, Christa is encouraged about how much we can inspire each other through our vulnerability and willingness to connect and share accountability. Monica feels like she has a full toolbox to face her primal brain on Friday night!    To experience transformational coaching with host Christa King, join the next 30 Days to Thriving Event, or register for the Mind Zoning® Academy, visit the Fitlandia Fitness website.    And take a look at guest Monica Borrell’s innovative Cardsmith visual problem-solving software.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to episode number 84 of the Fitlandia Podcast. We are rounding out the month with the announcement of The Mind Zoning Academy. If you are having ANY challenges with mental obstacles, then this is the place for you. Every single month I am doing a LIVE webinar with me that is one part focusing on a mental obstacle, one part guided meditation, and one part group coaching so you can learn how to apply these principle and strategies to your life and keep moving forward on your fitness journey. To sign up, you can head over to fitlandiafitness.com/mind-zoning and you will be able to register for either the webinar version or the in person version with me held in Portland, Oregon. Everyone that registers will get a playback of the webinar itself, as well as professionally mixed Mind Zoning session so you can listen to it over and over again whenever you need it. TODAY, I am going to talk to you about Ending Body-shaming and Fat-shaming so that we aren’t hating and self loathing anymore, which really prevents us from getting all the health benefits we are looking for. With that, on to the show! My goal with today’s episode is that I give you enough education and insight to start intellectualizing more what is happening in your body with food and movement and mood and end the body and fat-shaming cycle that is NOT serving your fitness goals...it is really holding you back. When people come to 30 Days to Thriving Program, I would say that every single one of them have the intention of weight-loss. I like to make sure that they leave the program more focused on health and vitality and improvement in all areas of their life. Whether that is their resting heart rate or their blood pressure or their blood sugar levels, whatever it is that is also going to support them, rather than simply focusing on weight loss. But inevitably, we still live in a culture that is very much focused on body image and the shape that we are in and having ripped abs and being cut...and even I myself find that I am pinching and poking at myself. It is not something to hide from, but something to explore and understand what is really going on. More importantly, I hope that you can start to end body and fat-shaming today because really, our bodies are miraculous and beautiful and incredible and we come in ALL shapes and sizes! And part of our journey is accepting that. What I first want to start out with is a little bit of understanding about when we fat-shame someone. We’ve all heard it or done it. Whether it is something like, “Hey, put the cookie down,” or “Go for a walk,” or “Quit being so lazy.” I just want to say this first and foremost: to anyone who has been fat shamed, I am SO sorry that that has happened to you. I know that it is a very painful experience, I’ve experienced it myself, even people yelling out on the street to me, and I just have to say this: they are ignorant...they are completely ignorant. Not only is that a cruel thing to say something but they also lack the knowledge to understand what is happening in the body. So let’s back up a little bit first and talk about out of control eating, emotional eating, and what leads us to a lot of weight gain. We have this beautiful part of our brain, our reptilian brain, that is always trying to keep us safe. Then we have the prefrontal cortex that says, “Hey, I know I need to be moving everyday and I know I need to be cooking healthy meals.” But then there is that part of us that just can’t execute on it, right?! All of our good intentions, at the end of the day, is to cook a healthy meal and we are grabbing a cupcake or grabbing a bottle of wine, whatever it is! And that is because our primal brain is literally just trying to keep us safe. We have a lot of stress in our day, we have a lot of emotions that many of us haven’t dealt with, traumas and triggers from childhood that haven’t yet healed, and so our primal brain is kicking in to make us feel safe. And the ways that it knows to do that is to fire up the pleasure center in our brain and that usually comes in the form of sugar, refined carbs and alcohol. Whatever kind of addictive behavior that means. For some people, it’s drug abuse, for some people, it’s gambling or a sex addiction...but our brain is trying to find a way to serve us. But bringing it back to Fitlandia and my audience, most of us are struggling with an emotional connection to food. What we also don’t realize is that a lot of the processed foods that we consume are actually geared to make us addicted to it...and we might not even know that! For some of you, this might be the first time that you’re hearing that processed foods are made to be addictive and make us crave more of them. So when I say that it isn’t your fault, it truly isn’t your fault if you lack that knowledge and don’t know how to get out of it, then you can’t blame yourself for it, you can’t shame yourself for it, you can’t hate on yourself for it when your brain is designed to keep you safe. So, that’s just one tip of the iceberg, we could do a LOT of education in food addiction alone to help support you, but now it’s the “What’s Next?” right? What do I need to do to move forward on my journey? If I have this one little sprinkle of knowledge today that my brain is trying to keep me safe so I’m craving and firing up that rewards center in my brain and oh, by the way, what I’m eating is keeping me in an addictive pattern...now what? And that’s where my 30 Days to Thriving program comes in. We actually do a food elimination program of the commonly addictive foods, the inflammatory foods, that are going to help you do a body reset. But I also call it a nutrition and mindset program because we also help you reshape your thoughts around craving a lifestyle of health that is sustainable. So during that process, and the program while you’re learning how food is processed in the body, how to make good choices, how to break that craving cycle, that addiction cycle, learning how to starve the bad bacteria in the gut so you get out of this incessant craving need. Also comes this opportunity to really love on your body as it is TODAY...and I know for a lot of you, that’s a really tough one to swallow. We are programmed to hate on ourselves...we motivate ourselves through this shaming process and I want to get us out of that because when we shame our body, we actually keep it in this same state that it’s in. Many of you have heard the quote, “What we resist, persists. And where our attention flows, that’s what we create.” So if we are constantly looking at our body, looking at what we don’t like, we are actually feeding our brain to maintain that. So what I’m going to be teaching in the Mind Zoning Academy for July, is actually how to end that shaming cycle. It doesn’t matter what weight you are at, what your shape is, where your goals are and what you want to achieve, I’m going to walk you through a beautiful meditation that teaches you how to really appreciate your body as it is today. And I can’t stress this enough...it is a critical component in long-term weight loss, health, and vitality. Being able to accept your body today, while at the same time, lovingly release the weight, the guilt, the shame, the triggers, the trauma, everything, that got you to this point. So, I’m going to speak to the exercise that you can do at home BUT I hope you’ll all join me for this Mind Zoning Academy, because when we are in that relaxed, focused, meditative state, our brain slows down and we are actually able to access our subconscious mind much more readily so that we CAN start to change these thought patterns. So YES, do this exercise everyday, but also sign up for the Mind Zoning Academy at fitlandiafitness.com/mind-zoning so that you can also experience the meditation BUT you will also get a professionally mixed version of the recording too so you can play it over and over again. Okay, so here’s how it works: Stand in front of a mirror every morning, make it a habit, let’s say, when you are brushing your teeth. Usually, we are in the bathroom brushing our teeth, most of us have a mirror in front of us, it’s a great time to look yourself in the mirror, look at yourself in the eyes and say, “I love you today, as you are, while we are making these changes. I accept every part of you, today, while we make these changes.” And then do a scan from head to toe, focusing on gratitude, and being mindful of everything you love about yourself and your body. And it goes something like this… “Oh, I LOVE my forehead, and the wrinkles that are there just show the joy that I’ve experienced in my life. I like the color of my eyes. I am grateful that I had braces in my teenage years for a straight smile. I love the development I am getting in my shoulders for the strength that I have. I love that my arms are getting stronger everyday to lift more and feel muscle tone and strength, but I accept where it is today. I love my core and my torso, even with my rolls and the extra fat and tissue that I have, I love that my body is still moving everyday, that I have growing flexibility and strength. I love my hips, that I can get out on a dance floor and shake it! I love my quads, that are SO strong. They are the strongest part of my body. That get me out of bed everyday, that get me moving, that walk me to every task that I do. I love my calves that are also getting stronger and connect my quds to my ankles and my feet. And my feet, ah my feet! That bear the load of my entire body and still keep me moving forward. I thank you body, I honor you body, as you are today and as we are moving forward to grow our strength and vitality.” So that is how the exercise goes. Like I said, when we are doing this in the Mind Zoning Academy, we will take time to get really relaxed. We will do a progressive relaxation technique that helps us loosen the muscles in our body and really get into it and FOCUS on this wonder that our bodies are! That we get to move everyday! That we get to celebrate what IS good about our body and end the fat-shaming and the, “I wish I was this, I need to be that, I hate that I’m this.” We need to END that and make a practice of it, so that it isn’t holding us back to getting to our ideals and goals and dreams that we have for ourselves. Because really, we are a walking miracle everyday. OUr heart is beating, our brain is thinking, we are seeking new opportunities and we are executing action in our lives and THAT is something to celebrate in our lives. So, I will leave you with that positive energy. I can’t wait to see you all in either the webinar or live in Portland for ANY of the Mind Zonings because we are going to be doing this every single month so head over to fitlandiafitness.com/mind-zoning, sign up for the the next Mind Zoning Academy and I will see you all soon!

We all know dieting doesn't equate to making a permanent healthy lifestyle change, but self-sabotage gets in the way. In order to end the yo-yo dieting cycle, you first have to change your mindset. And today's show is going to help you do just that. Welcome to The Mind Zoning Academy. For those of you who are new to Mind Zoning, on fitlandiafitness.com I have these audio guided meditations to help you create new thought patterns so that living a healthy lifestyle is not only easy, but it sticks! Some of the feedback from my 30 Days to Thriving group is that sometimes they just want me around to lead them through a Mind Zoning, so I’ve listened and I am just thrilled to launch the Mind Zoning Academy. If you live in the Portland, Oregon area, I’ll actually be at Cloudability on April 11th to do a workshop all about Ending Self-Sabotage from 6:00 - 7:15 PM. Here is a link to sign up! And all of you listening should go ahead and use the code FFF50 to celebrate the launch and save 50% off. I want to encourage you to think of 3 people in your life that you want to help end self-sabotage with and go ahead and share this with them. If you aren’t in the Portland area to attend the in person event, I want to invite you to join our webinar Mind Zoning Academy on April 12th! You can sign up for the webinar here. You will not only get an audio file of what we talk about in the live session, but you will also come away with a professionally mixed version of the guided meditation that I deliver! Even if you can’t attend the webinar go ahead and sign up because you will still get the mixed version of the meditation and a recording of the conversation. Go ahead and register to help you keep moving toward your goals! If you register and attend either event, you will also get a FREE Q&A session with me! Not only will you get to hear a powerful Mind Zoning meditation, but you will also have the opportunity to share your experience with me and ask about any questions about how I can help you break through your fitness and wellness obstacles. PLUS, anyone who registers will also get a code for 50% off of the next 30 Days to Thriving Program as well!! Now, let’s talk about breaking self-sabotage. I’ve been talking about and delivering this meditation for the past 6 to 8 weeks because I am truly passionate about it. Sometimes we make excuses, we procrastinate, we put off what we know we are supposed to do! Everyone listening knows the basics...eat more vegetables, cut down on processed foods, cut down on sugar, carbs, alcohol, you KNOW all that. But why don’t you do it?! This is basically the foundation of Fitlandia. I help you create new foundations and new behaviors and thought patterns by tapping into your subconscious mind. Self-sabotage can mean a whole gamut of things. For example, if your brain is telling you you don’t have enough time to work out because you’ve overcommitted, that is something you can CHANGE, but your brain finds signals to tell you otherwise and won’t let you make the change. Another example on the other end of the spectrum is this deep lack of self-worth. I’ve seen this time and time again working with clients and also with members in our secret Facebook group and in the 30 Days to Thriving. When you explore your relationship with food and alcohol, sometimes these deep ideas of self-worth come up. Sometimes we sabotage our fitness efforts because we have a deep and unconscious belief that we are not worthy of success or good health or vitality. This technique will help you uncover the root of self-sabotage and it actually helped me identify with basically something that I was doing to myself, a punishment, where I didn’t see I was deserving of living a healthy life and feeling the joy that comes with having a fit body and mind. I have now talked about this on a few different podcasts and even have written a few blogs about it and love delivering it because this technique is something so easy but so powerful and helps people learn more about themselves. So anyway, I’ll probably bring it up again and again but here is the major premise: I was working with a naturopath many years ago and I was following a protocol that she had given me to change my nutrition and I was losing weight consistently and then out of nowhere my weight loss totally stopped at 172 pounds. For no rhyme or reason, it just stopped. I was following everything perfectly! I was doing a follow up with her, shoutout to Dr. Premazzi here in Oregon, and she said that sometime happened to you around that weight that could be a stuck trauma that is preventing you from moving forward. That was the first time in my life when I learned or even thought about the fact that an event or a trauma or a thought could have an impact over my physical body. That just blew my mind. She said she had an exercise for me. She grabbed me a pen and paper and had me close my eyes with the pen in my non-dominant hand. She said with the intention of understanding what is blocking me from moving forward, I should write down any words that come to mind. So i did it! I started to write down whatever words came to mind and there were a few bizarre words at first but then all of a sudden, I started writing out the word “punishment.” It hit me like a ton of bricks. Seriously. I was recalling that I was punishing myself, holding on to my weight as a punishment, for something that I had deeply regretted. It was incredible that I had come into this awareness. And this is something that all of you can do! What happens when we write with our non-dominant hand is that we are actually tapping into our subconscious mind. We are able to recall those thoughts, memories, and patterns that are actually driving 90% of our behavior. You can use this technique anytime in ANY area of your life. Share this with anyone in your life who may need some clarity and some discovery into how they are sabotaging. So that’s my little tip for you today...but here is the really cool part! In the first Mind Zoning Academy that launches this week, I am going to lead you through a meditation to not only help you identify the root cause of your self-sabotage but then, I’ll also help you uncover your hidden superpower that will help you break through and move past it! So sign up for the Mind Zoning Academy today, take advantage of all those awesome bonuses available to you, learn more about what your root cause of self-sabotage is AND your superpower that can help you move forward! I can’t wait to see you all this week! Bye!  

Hello Fitlandians and welcome back to the podcast! This is episode number 78 and today my best is Brooke Alpert, Registered Dietitian, nutrition consultant, and author of The Diet Detox. Before we jump into the show, I want you to come join my own mission to end dieting in the 30 Days to Thriving Program. It helps you release your reliance on sugar, alcohol, and refined carbs so you can start feeling your very best and create a dietary strategy that works for you.  For more info, head to fitlandiafitness.com/programs. There you can register for our the start of our next program on April 2nd. Just for being a valued listener, you can select any of the programs on that page and enter the code PODCAST20 to get 20% off as a big thank you! So today I’m here with Brooke Alpert. Brooke is celebrating the release of her new book, The Diet Detox and is a Registered Dietitian. Welcome, Brooke! For those who are new to the podcast, Fitlandia is all about NOT dieting...so it was a natural fit to invite Brooke to the show when I discovered her new book. Let’s have Brooke talk a little bit about how this book came to be. Brooke says she has been a Registered Dietitian for 10 and ½ years and has owned her own private practice that entire time. Her focus is in weight loss...she helps people lose weight but not with harmful dieting. After the birth of her 2nd daughter, she had the hardest time losing the excess weight and was feeling quite like a fraud in her business. She was feeling uncomfortable in her own skin and after a few months of trying to lose the weight the right way, she started to feel a little crazy. She was tempted to reach for the quick fix...and she truly understood the headspace that many of her clients are often in. She eventually had to sit down and have a real talk with herself about doing it the right way...the diet manifesto...the 10 rules to lose weight the right way for good. So what are these 10 rules? Brooke’s 10 Rules to Stop Dieting Protein Source and Fiber Source on Your Plate, Always Watch the Starches(Breads, Potatoes, Squash, Pasta, Etc.) Need to Have Fat on Your Plate(Eat REAL Food) Clocking Your Meals(Eat on a Schedule for Even Blood Sugar Levels) Watch the Sugar(It’s an Addiction-See Previous Book, The Sugar Detox) Intentional Indulgence(There’s a Time and a Place-Know Your Triggers) Drink Water(So Simple Yet So Neglected-Hunger, Energy, Immune System) Waterminder App Exercise(Move Your Body-HIIT Suggested-Listen to Your Body) 7 Minute HIIT Workout App Aptive App (Treadmill Workouts) Supplement Smartly(Ideally all Nutrients from Food but 4 Essentials and 4 Bonus) Essential 1: FibHer (8g Fiber and Protein in Water) Essential 2: Nightly 1 (Multivitamin for during night-time restoration process) Essential 3: BeautyFlora (Prebiotics and Probiotics) Essential 4: Fish Oil (Nordic Naturals suggested) Get Good Sleep (Epidemic of Sleep Deprivation-We Need Rest for Health) Sleep Foreplay (no blue light/screens before bed) Get a Minimum of 7 Hours...Aim for 8! Sleep cold (63-68 degrees Fahrenheit) Recipes/Owning Your Cooking: What does intuitive cooking mean? Tapping into your inner wisdom of what your body is needing at each moment. Cooking doesn’t have to be overwhelming and it can actually be really meditative and calming. Brooke talks about the 5 ingredient recipes in her book to keep it simple and delicious...and realistic for everyone! There are 45 recipes in her book and broken up into Protein, Fiber, and Starch so you know exactly what is on your plate each time. It’s all about connecting to your food, connecting to your body, and cutting yourself some slack! Make the best choices that you can...no one is perfect. Don’t feel guilty, just do your best in each situation. Bonus Advice: As soon as you feel guilty about what you ate, weight will be seen on the scale. If it will have any ripple effect on your next meal, don’t eat it. We should be working through the day, optimizing how we are going to sleep well tonight. Go back to the basics of being mindful about what you eat and do. Remember that this isn’t rocket science, it is just food! You can do this and there is no need to overthink anything. Just EAT REAL FOOD and the rest will come. A big thanks to Brooke for sharing all her wonderful advice and for helping us realize once again that health and wellness doesn’t need to be complicated. Again, you can find Brooke’s new book, The Diet Detox, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and loads of other retailers and learn more about her and her work on her website b-nutritious.com! You can also follow Brooke on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

*** Caution, we use some adult language today!*** Today’s episode is a very exciting addition to the Fitlandia Podcast lineup! You are going to be SO thrilled to hear Kate’s special story of progress, transformation and courage.   Kate Kelly and I met through Dr. Jerome Craig, who has shared some of his amazing knowledge right here on the podcast previously, and we could not be more grateful or thrilled to have connected. Kate’s vulnerability and openness is a true inspiration for all of us and can move us each along on our own fitness and wellness journeys. Kate’s Journey Cheers to our journeys and instead of celebrating with red wine, today we are celebrating with our herbal teas! Kate and I have been talking and sharing our stories for the last few weeks and one thing that Kate mentioned that really stood out to me was that this time, her journey feels different. She is working hard and has begun the year by giving up alcohol for the month of January. She expressed how amazing it feels to have a tribe around her and how this time, “Wild horses could not make me drink alcohol right now.” She’s at a point in her life that she really feels in control of her habits and EXCITED about the fact that she has the power and gets to take a break from alcohol because she WANTS to! And believe it or not...it’s EASY for her right now. I LOVE that passion and that fire! Kate and I discuss how deeply connected so many parts of life are and how much clarity we have gained by giving up alcohol for even short periods of time. Not only does being sober seem to make facing depression and anxiety easier (with the help of amazing therapists, of course!) but our energy levels are noticeably higher, our clarity about life and goals is greater, and we feel more like our amazing selves each day. The beautiful piece of these lessons is that it is YOUR individual journey. Comparing ourselves to others can be incredibly toxic...we need to learn to honor ourselves for where we are in that journey. If 10 days or even 1 day without alcohol is a huge accomplishment for you, own it! And knowing that we have the power and ability to make those choices is incredibly empowering. On that same note, success is all about knowing yourself. What are your triggers? How do your habits (good or bad) form? How have you been nourishing yourself or sabotaging yourself? Checking in and being mindful and knowledgeable about yourself is SO important. Kate shared that she knows that it is very difficult to have just ONE drink...that once she has a glass of wine, she almost always has several more. We discuss how amazing that knowledge is! Just knowing those facts about yourself helps you stay mindful and stay on track and create a healthy relationship with your food, drink and habits. Kate explained that she is learning to love the journey to a healthy lifestyle. In order to combat the frustration of giving up alcohol for the month of January, she created a list of choices she could make instead of choosing wine when she was craving a glass. (Things like, take a magnesium bath, do a burpee, update vision board and more!) This is a GREAT strategy and step we encourage you to take as well. She talks about how this time she feels different, she feels empowered and clear and hasn’t had to rely on those distractions to want to stay that way...talk about inspiring! She attributes the ease of this transition to having ALL FOUR cornerstones present in her life at this time and the motivation her son provides her to be her best self. “It’s not only a journey, it’s an exploration into yourself. It’s about becoming curious about our own bodies. We are learning and unfolding into our best selves everyday.” Kate and Christa’s Tips for Transformation Be Mindful and Notice: don’t forget to take a step back often and note what habits and tendencies you are expressing...and how you can note your triggers. Be Gentle With Yourself: remember that you are learning and observing and improving upon yourself each day and that you are on a journey that takes time. Build Yourself a Tribe: having a group of supportive and open individuals who are owning their own journeys is the difference between wanting change and dreading it. Lean on Your Mantras: “It’s easy for me to be sober.” ...and what would that feel like to believe that truly and wholly? Let that emotions saturate your body! Let the Grief In: remember that the 5 stages of grief fit perfectly with the feelings we experience when making a lifestyle change. Know that and embrace the journey! Turn Anger to Understanding: “There is an opportunity for me to learn in this moment and I embrace the lesson that this experience is giving me.” Release the anger and learn from it. Own Your Own Journey: everyone experiences life differently and everyone’s body is different. Stop comparing yourself and be proud of your own journey and where you are today. Release the Word “Should”: YOU are in control and you CAN and WILL make the change. You have everything you need available to you in order to be successful. Embrace the 4 Cornerstones: the keys to making a lifestyle change are daily movement, good nutrition, positive thinking and community connection. Know Your Why: what is your motivation and intention for being your best self? Maybe a pros and cons list can help you discover what you can gain from making change. If Kate’s story inspires you to want to get involved with a supportive community: Two Ways YOU Can Get Involved with Our Tribe 1) Search “Fitlandia” in Facebook Groups and request to join our closed Facebook Group for positive support and inclusion! 2) When you sign up for any 30 Days to Thriving Program, you are offered a lifetime membership to the Secret Fitlandia Facebook Group where we all share our challenges, wins, ideas, and positive feedback. Thank you so much to Kate for sharing her amazing story and strategies and to YOU, for taking the time to listen and move forward in your wellness journey! We're still celebrating our episode with Leanne Vogel of Healthful Pursuits! If you're ready to join the February 2018 session of 30 Days to Thriving, be sure to enter LEANNE297. Subscribe to the show, rate us and leave a review on iTunes or Sticker. We'd love to hear what you got out of the show!   

Antony Sammeroff and Tom Woods Discusses the genesis of the Surviving to Thriving Program and how people can earn a living making or selling online courses and other information products.