Lifestyle

  • Lifestyle

    Easy Summer Morning Routine

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    Whether you are a morning person or not, I have found 4 simple tasks I do each morning during the summer to help me wake up, prepare my body for the day & to get my mind set on the positive. Here is my Easy Summer Morning Routine.

    asy summer morning routine

    4 Easy Tasks to do Every Morning

    Now don’t get me wrong, I am like every other human out there. My alarm goes off, I hit snooze a few times lie in bed procrastinating whether I should get up or not and my bladder usually wins that battle.  

    That battle in my mind has set me up for the day. A day of procrastination, doubt & laziness.   This summer I have found 4 simple tasks to do right after I pee that has set my day up for success.  Mindset is everything and it is soooo connected to my body.  When both my mind & body are in harmony I can move about my day without worry, without stiffness and I can be calm & relaxed no matter what my day unfolds. Here is my Easy Summer Morning Routine.

    Easy Summer Morning Routine

    After the bladder is happy I head to the kitchen.  I use room temperature water and fill an 8oz glass. I squeeze 1/4 lemon slice juice into, add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt & head outside.

    • Room Temperature Plain Tap Water
    • 1/4 Slice Lemon Juice
    • Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

    You have just gone 6-10 hours without water (you were sleeping) and you are dehydrated. Your body went to repair mode while you slept & during that process puts the garbage into your system to be evacuated so help it along with a glass of water. And it’s 8oz towards your daily goal intake done!!  Room Temperature so it doesn’t shock your system with being too cold or hot.  Lemon is great for vitamin C and has many cancer fighting properties. The Himalayan salt to replenish your electrolytes you lost while you sleep.  And please don’t use processed table salt. Get the good stuff – it really does the body good.

    Now grab your phone or mp3 player. Put on a good tune and head outside.  The sooner you can get natural day light onto you the better. (this is why this is my “summer” routine, you will have to come back later for my winter one). If you are like me sleep is hard.  The amount, length of and quality is not great so helping my circadian rhythm aids in tonight’s sleep being better. Our bodies have an internal system that regulates sleep & wake cycles and the lack of natural light can off set this system. So the sooner you can get natural daylight on you the better.  3-5 minutes each morning is great!  

    I have my phone with me to play my favorite tune and while the sun lands on me I bounce ( dance like a crazy perso) on the balls of my feet for the duration of that song.  This wakes up my lympatic system.  The good tunes always puts me in a good mood.

    "The lymph fluid cannot move on its own. It moves as a result of your body movements. Bouncing helps to open and close the one way valves of the lymph ducts to allow free flowing removal of waste. This is important because when toxins build up in your body you will have reduced energy levels".

    Now I prefer to do this bare footed.  I am usually checking  in on my garden during this time. You know making sure the pumpkin flowers need help in pollinating, seeing what veggies are ready to harvest & just to be grounded, also called earthling. This electrically connects me to the earth.  The benefits help my sleep patterns, my energy levels, can reduce inflammation & helps promote better blood flow.

    There you have it, my 4 easy tasks to an easy summer morning routine.

    • Light
    • Hydration
    • Fun Upbeast song
    • Grounding

    Implementing these 4 things into my morning each day this summer has helped my mood, energy levels, hormones & over all total wellness.  Connect with me on Social Media & let me know if you tried any of these Easy Summer Morning Routine and how do you feel!

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  • Lifestyle

    Are You Up For It?

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    In my experience with working with people on their health journey, the #1 reason why people stop & start all the time is lack of accountability. They think they can’t, begin to believe it & stop showing up to make it work. When I created a path of accountability for me – that was the end of the yo-yo. It’s been 4 years & counting for me. So this spring i want to offer you the ultimate challenge that comes with accountability up the wazoo. Are you up for it?

    Are you up for it?

    This is not a physical transformation group, this is all about mental toughness, designed to develop all of the characteristics you lack in life that have landed you where you are at today.

    There are 5 activities you must complete each day for 75 days. If you alter, forget, justify an excuse to not do one or more then tomorrow you start over at day 1. Now, I have been following people online for the last year who have been doing this challenge & most have to restart multiple times because of the lack of accountability with themselves & the lack of community to help.

    I don’t know about you, but I am ready to push myself & see what I am truly made of.

    The daily tasks are this:

    • Follow a diet, any way of eating but you must stick to it 100% so that means no cheats, no sneaks, no falling off the wagon
    • You must drink 1 gallon of water every day. 
    • You must complete two 45 minute workouts a day and one must be outdoors
    • Take a progress photo of yourself every day
    • Read from a book ( no audio or podcasts allowed) 10 pages of personal development.

    That’s it. It’s not really that hard when you think about it.  But doing it alone can seem daunting, difficult & yes scary. 

    Are You Up For It?

    Now here is what I am offering up.

    I will host an online accountability group for the duration of the challenge. Day 1 will be May 1, 2021 sooooooo.. that means April is prep month.  I want you to succeed, I want you to come out on day 75 amazing. That means I will work with you 1:1 on getting your water intake up now so a gallon won’t be hard work. I want to help you design a fitness plan – even if that means walking, let’s do it. AND of course eating. I will eat the HUTT way with macro counting and will work with you on how you want to eat & teach you how so when May comes you are set.

    I am not making any money off of hosting this challenge. This is just me being me, wanting to work with you to better yourself. And yes I plan on doing this along side you. If you are willing to give everything you got then you need to join me.

    Don’t think about what you would be giving up. Think of what you will gain:

    • confidence
    • grit
    • belief in yourself
    • fortitude
    • endurance
    • perseverance
    • a drive to win

    I can help with tools if you don’t have a fitness plan, a way of eating plan. And I thought it would be sooo cool if we all read the same book so we could use our group as an online book club too!

    If you are ready – Let’s go…  the only catch is you must be over 18 years & live somewhere in Canada, USA, UK or France for the app we will use to host the group. 

    Send me an email right now to heathersrunningdiary@gmail.com with the subject line 75HARD  and let’s begin the path together. 

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  • Lifestyle

    Pride is the Original Sin

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    I get asked a lot how I stay motivated. How do I keep going day after day, week after week, year after year. How have I stayed on track, kept the weight off and still remain positive. The secret lies in accountability. And in this one action, human nature is displayed in full effect. Pride is the original sin. 

    Let Me Explain

    As a health coach, one of the tools in my bag is ACCOUNTABILITY. Not to be confused with babysitter or hand holding.  My story is 7 years it took me to lose 50 pounds.  I remember it was April of 2017 I created my Instagram account as a means to stay accountable. I figured someone somewhere would notice if I didn’t post that day and call me out. I needed that level of support to keep me going.  It is hard work doing it alone. I had no friends on the weight loss journey I was on, I had no weekly meetings to attend or someone to talk to. I was alone.  But somewhere I thought I could do it on my own, without help, my way on my terms. How hard can losing weight really be?  HA HA HA, I have to laugh at myself IT IS FRIGGIN HARD WORK! 

    I talk all the time about online accountability groups I host. And in 2018 I found out for the first time what this is. I was excited that I wouldn’t be alone on this journey. I had other people all with the same end goal. GET HEALTHY & STAY HEALTHY.  Virtual cheerleaders from all over the country supporting, encouraging, being there for me. It was wonderful.  I talk about this all the live long day as it’s a great tool. But it saddens me when I invite a woman who immediately says NO. I used to take it personally, but then I have to remember where I was just a few short years prior. 

    Pride is the Original Sin

    I was listening to a live call the other day from a fellow lady on her health journey.  And she was sharing her story from unwell to health.  She started with these tools back when all the programs were on DVD’s. And the coach that was assigned to her ( you get one free when you purchase a product) invited her to join an accountability group she was hosting. This lady, said NO.  Looking back she said it was because she was afraid of failing with someone knowing. She was afraid of falling of the wagon (again) and being ashamed. If she was going to fail, she wanted to do it on her own terms.  She realized one day that her pride was standing in the way of her achieving great things. Her health being #1. When she got out of her own way. Said yes to the accountability, yes to being open, honest & willing to support other woman along the way – well that is when change happened.  And here she is today, healthy, maintaining her health & earning an income for her family. 

    I see this all too many times myself. Some how we think we can do it alone, but we aren’t telling ourselves the real reason. We are letting our pride stand in the way of us being all we can be. Pride is the original sin. 

    When I was carrying around that extra baby weight that would not come off. I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. I would hide under layers of clothes to hide the rolls, I would only show my head in photos not my clothed body.  I hated that people saw me as over weight. I hated the judgement I THOUGHT they were projecting onto me. Oh she over eats, she is lazy, she is…blah blah blah.  NOOOOO, that was all me. My thoughts, my negative self telling me that is what people were thinking.

    Ladies, if you are carrying extra weight I will bet you dollars to donuts it’s not because you are over eating.  Let me tell you my story in a nut shell:

    SIGN ME UP

    My Story in a Nutshell

    I had my last child spring of 2010. I was cleared to lose the “baby weight” at the 6 month post partum time frame. I had a challenging recovery.

    From Fall of 2010 to spring of 2017 I did all of the following to lose the weight:

    • all the cardio
    • counted calories
    • joined Weight Watchers (I gained 15lbs with them)
    • Joined Curves & worked out every business day for a whole year (only lost the 15lbs I gained on WW)
    • I wrapped myself in wraps to lose fat
    • I used every fat burning cream I could get
    • I did diet pills, fat burners
    • I think I even tried the Special K cereal diet
    • I tried Slim Fast
    • Meal replacement shakes & starvation

    I DID IT ALL. I can’t count how many times I tried, failed & tried again. I was almost at my giving up, breaking point when I found ACCOUNTABILITY. My story is true that pride is the original sin. Our Pride, our ego’s always hold us back from great things.

    The weight came off & has never returned. It’s a lifestyle.

    So, the next time I invite you to join me. It’s not out of judgment or shame. It’s because I see my old self in you. It’s ok to be lost. It’s ok to have tried everything. It’s ok to rest.  Accountability is what has kept me going since 2017. The weight hasn’t come back, I have some great new friends in my life, an online community that motivates & inspires me daily. If it weren’t for them I might have quit. But I had to get over myself. Admit doing it on my own isn’t working as well as I had hoped and that I needed help. 

    When you hang out with eagles you will learn to soar! Trust me.

     

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  • Lifestyle

    Why You Need a Word of the Year this Year

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    Why you Need a Word of the Year this Year

    We have all done it, and yet we seem to fail. New Year’s Resolutions. We have the greatest intentions, biggest dreams & within 3 weeks it’s but a distant memory. This year, I encourage you to come up with a word to lead your direction this year, not a lofty large dream. A word of the year. 

    I never heard of a word of the year until I became a health coach & it makes so much sense.  This is such a great way to set out my intention & theme for the coming year. Something tangible, reachable & yet gentle enough to guide me in the right direction when I get off course.

    Why Choose a Word?

    What is one dream you want to see come true this year? I know, I know I said no resolutions but we need to break this down for you.  Maybe it’s to lose weight, or pick up a hobby, or run a marathon or read all the books.  Any of those are great, but now you need a plan of action to get you across that finish line. So write out your goals, and a how to get there plan.  And after that, what is one word to describe that action that you can use to set your intention, theme, mindset by to help you actually accomplish that goal?  

    • Strength
    • Focus
    • Endurance
    • Accountability

    to name a few ideas. Having that one word present in your thoughts will help you actually achieve that goal then a paragraph written down somewhere that you can’t remember.

    Now What to do with it?

    You now need to surround yourself with that word.  Get it printed on a coffee mug, put it as the screen saver on your phone. A post it note on your bathroom mirror, a hand written form of it on your vision board.  Having that one word present will have a greater impact on your day, not only 3 weeks from now but 3 months from now.  I remember my 2019 word of the year, because I wrote it down in my workout space. For the life of me I can’t remember my 2020 one as I never did write it down. But my 2021 word of the year? You are going to need to check out  my latest IG post for that one. 

    I would love to know your word of the year. Put it out there, manifest it out loud on social media, tag me too! The more we can support each other, the better year we will all have!

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  • Lifestyle

    Let’s Celebrate ALL the Wins!

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    In our quest to lose weight, get healthy we most of the time focus on the number on the scale. And we get so discouraged that we forget about all the other victories we have had. So this past week I asked members of the HUTT, both from the LIVE group classes and from our virtual gym members: WHAT IS ONE WIN YOU HAD THIS WEEK?! It’s time to celebrate these milestones. This post is to celebrate all the wins from this week, the responses are theirs, no editing and nothing but pride for their wins this week!

    But before I start, if that darn scale is messing with your head please sign up for my emails ( link is at the bottom of this post) and grab a free copy of How to Use the Scale as a Tool & stop having that number control your life.

    This last month I have asked my clients, group class people & challenges to share their wins and this is their list:

    • 2 nights without ice cream out of 7 nights at bed time
    • In every class I pushed myself harder every time
    • Wore a bikini to the pool
    • I bought a new top 2 sizes smaller!
    • Achieving new moves in class every week, fighting through the burn
    • Broke through my plateau – FINALLY!!
    • I wore jeans for the first time since I was married
    • I came to a class
    • I lasted the whole workout
    • I worked out the hardest I ever did this class
    • I really did well with my water & lost 2 pounds
    • managed 2 pushups on my toes
    • My eating was on point, down 6lbs this week
    • Did 2 tricep push ups on my toes
    • Never thought I could sweat this much
    • Did Insanity LIVE & didn’t die
    • Got lots of extra sleep in last week
    • Getting back on a sleep schedule
    • I felt some abs today – I HAVE ABS!!!

    Celebrate ALL the Wins!

    I am so proud of each person. This journey called health is so much more then a number on a scale. And we often forget about the “non scale” victories that occur. And it’s in these moments that we know our hard work is paying off.

    THIS is community, this is accountability and support. This is what you get from a team! And I am so glad each of these people are on my team and we are crushing our goals together!

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  • Lifestyle

    Celebrate All the Wins!

    • by

    In our quest to lose weight, get healthy we most of the time focus on the number on the scale. And we get so discouraged that we forget about all the other victories we have had. So this past week I asked members of the HUTT, both from the LIVE group classes and from our virtual gym members: WHAT IS ONE WIN YOU HAD THIS WEEK?! It’s time to celebrate these milestones. This post is to celebrate all the wins from this week, the responses are theirs, no editing and nothing but pride for their wins this week!

    But before I start, if that darn scale is messing with your head please sign up for my emails ( link is at the bottom of this post) and grab a free copy of How to Use the Scale as a Tool & stop having that number control your life.

    This past week, June 17-22, 2019 I asked all my clients this question and this is their wins!

    morinville fitness

    Now Let’s Celebrate!

    • Did a lot better at sky divers, ( this is a hard core back move in one of our group fitness classes)
    • Finally got my weight under 170 pounds!
    • Lost 5.5 lbs this week!
    • I am here ( at a group fitness class)
    • I walked 7 days last week
    • Enjoyed a weekend of camping without stressing about everything I ate
    • 2 nights without icecream, where last week it was 7 nights of ice cream at bed time.

    Celebrate ALL the Wins!

    I am so proud of each person. This journey called health is so much more then a number on a scale. And we often forget about the “non scale” victories that occur. And it’s in these moments that we know our hard work is paying off.

    THIS is community, this is accountability and support. This is what you get from a team! And I am so glad each of these people are on my team and we are crushing our goals together!

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