Body & Mind

Your BODY:

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NEW YEAR, NEW Healthier You!!

How’s It Going with Those Resolutions??

We’re already two months into 2023. Can you believe it?!! Is it me, or is time ticking faster? On January 1st, some of us made resolutions to bring in the new year. It was a list that included those things we want to accomplish, strive for, or be. As usual, at the top of a lot of people’s list is the goal to be healthier. But here’s a question… has living healthier been on your list every year for as long as you can remember? If the answer is yes that implies you’re falling short of your wellness and fitness goals year after year. If that sounds like you, it’s time for a reality check. 

Let’s make 2023 the year we turn the corner on fitness. Like you, I struggle every day to watch what I’m putting in my mouth and how I’m treating my body. I’m convinced the struggle is a never ending one.  For me, success means making good choices more often than I don’t. Someone characterized this behavior as the 80/20 rule. Meaning you make good food and fitness choices at least 80 percent of the time while the other 20 percent still needs work. I would love to get to 90/10 just to see how I look and feel at that level. Right now, I think I’m about 85/15. Who knows, 2023 might be the year I get there; which would be Awesome! What about you? What are you trying to make happen this year?  😊    -K-

What’s New: To help keep you motivated and moving towards your goals, keep scrolling for more resources and don’t miss Tenille Ademiluyi’s “Consistency over Intensity”

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Portion Control is Everything!

Last time I shared my passion for meal prepping. At our house, it’s helping keep us on track. Serving your plate from a big pot or pan of something you cooked can be it’s own brand of suicide. Single serving meals works great; especially on weekdays. Here’s a dinner pick with turkey meatballs in Asian sauce, Asian rice and vegetables. Really good! This is one of Richard’s favorites! -K-

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Recovery Workout

“Stretch to the pain but not through the pain.” -Donovan Green-

 I previously shared that I have chronic osteoarthritis. It’s the type that can be crippling if you don’t work to combat it. Exercise is the best treatment I’ve found for arthritis. Doesn’t matter too much what kind of exercise; just that you get busy moving your body. In general, it’s critical to move to keep the body limber, mobile and free of pain. That simple truth becomes even more important as we age.  Do something, anything, just get up and move your body!  If you don’t, your joints will eventually atrophy which will be extremely painful and difficult to reverse. It can lead to crippling affects. If your resolve is to be healthier in 2023, some form of regular exercise has to be at the top of the list. 

Some days when I have pain or just feel sluggish, this recovery workout with Donovan Green has been a lifesaver. Y’all should know by now I’m a big fan of Donovan’s workouts. I consider him my personal trainer. He has been a featured on this blog lots of times over the past year. I’m hoping I can get him to do something special for the K Diaries family. Stay tuned. The super cool thing is you can find tons of his workouts on YouTube. He regularly adds new ones that target specific body areas. His workouts support  a variety of fitness goals and all without killing yourself! Donovan suggests doing this 30-minute routine every day. It’s great as a post exercise cool down or as a stand-alone workout.  I add a few minutes of cardio with it for an added challenge and to up my Fitbit steps. Check it out! You can thank me later😊    -K-

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Anything posted in this blog is completely based on my personal opinion and experience.

For Your MIND:

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Tenille Ademiluyi, Mental Health Therapist

Consistency Over Intensity

For many years, I thought in order to be successful at starting a new habit, I needed to go big or go home. This meant exercise routines had to be intense and at least 45 minutes if they were going to produce results.  Diets had to be strictly adhered to with no wiggle room.  Habits I considered negative needed to be dropped “cold turkey” with little room for transition or growth.  As you can imagine this mindset either failed completely or led to misery for me and those around me.  There had to be another way!

Last year I discovered that the key is consistency over intensity.  Inevitably, I would burn out on those everyday 45-minute workouts.  My hats off to you endorphin heads out there.  For me, working out is BORING.  But I have found if I can commit to doing something every day, whether it be a 30 minute workout or a 5 minute cardio burn, I have accomplished my goal.  I did SOMETHING that day toward being fit.  As I have adopted this mindset, I have added other little things I can do for exercise such as taking a walk or dancing to a favorite song.  I count it all and I never feel like a failure because my goal is to consistently move.  This consistency has led to movement being a valuable part of my life and not something I dread.  (Okay I still dread those cardio burns, but I can manage them at 5-15 minutes a session). 

This mindset works in other areas too.  I am working on a couple of long-term personal projects, and historically it has been typical for me to lose steam around week four.  But as long as I do something on the project whether it be a 5 minute or 2-hour investment, I have succeeded.  I am moving forward and not standing still.  My mom once told me once that if you do something toward your goal each day you will get there. She was right.

So, if you started out the New Year with a Go Big or Go Home mentality and are starting to lose steam, consider the value of consistency and be gentle with yourself!   So, what if you do 15 minutes at the gym instead of an hour?  You showed up!  You may find once you are there that you can push for another 15 minutes. Maybe another 20.  The key is to show up EVERYDAY and be consistent.  You will see yourself change as you commit to the process, not the end goal.  You’ve got this!  -Tenille-

 tademiluyi@protonmail.com

Body/Mind question(s):

What’s working for you in achieving your healthy lifestyle goals?

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