The Oprah Reaction

Read Julia Havey's article first on the previous blog post.

Here's my comments:

Julia, I couldn't agree with you more. I watched the show and had the same reaction. As an obesity survivor too, I completely understand the “Blue Chips” vice. But, why is there a bag of the chips within arms reach from her “diet” menu? How long will it be before the “Blue Chips” creep their way back on to the daily menu. I work with many women over 50 who are struggling with various hormonal challenges, so I KNOW that the thyroid issue is significant. She’ll have to work harder in her workouts and have daily struggles to find that paper menu appealing. Oprah, one day that fish and salad will lose to the Blue Chips if they are sitting side by side on an emotional day. Throw ‘em out the window NOW! Show yourself some love and figure out the vices before trying to revamp your pantry. Remember the last time you did that, you traded potato chips for these "Blue Chips", didn't you?

It was nice to see Oprah realize the importance of strength training for the aging woman. Exercise is everything for the woman over 40! If you used a hammer and nail to mount your new healthy habits, know that you can’t get anywhere without good nutrition. It’s the hammer. But nothing STAYS off or “up” without building and maintaining muscle. It’s the nail. Build yourself the strongest anchor possible and the healthy habits will weather the “age” storm much easier.

On the 7th Day of Christmas...

Break Records. Let me explain. Today is one of my clients', Kirsten, birthday! Well, when it's your birthday, I always plan a special workout. The workouts are designed to give the gift of achievement and shock. Kirsten has worked really hard for several months and I knew that if I challenged her enough, she could break a studio record. (We've got a board in the studio with big achievements marked by the date and the client's name who broke a record) Before Kirsten's workout, the record for the most push ups in one session was 151 (not in a row, but over the course of one session). Guess what? The new record, set by Kirsten, is 170. Woohoo! You might be thinking, 170?, that's crazy, she must be an athlete or super advanced. Not really the case. You see, Kirsten works really hard in the studio and she's come a long way. She's strong, determined, and most importantly, she trusts me. She's still got about 65 lbs to lose and we don't let her weight or her mind doubt her abilities. I knew she could break that record if we broke it into smaller goals every few minutes. I also knew that if she broke that record, it would shock her and make her feel so good.

Do you know what she said when she finished number 170? "Wow, I never thought I would be on that board for any record!" And she said it with a huge smile. High five, Kirsten! You've got more possibilities in you than you know! I believed in you!

So, I challenge you to break a personal record today. Think of your usual habits: Maybe this time last year, you indulged in candy, cookies, and sodas way too much. Or maybe you decided to take a couple weeks off of workouts. Or maybe you skipped breakfast, didn't drink enough water, or brought the "bad" dessert to your company party. These would be your current personal records. Now, BREAK THEM toward better health! Let today be the day you make a better choice, start a better holiday habit, or do just one more exercise that you did this day last year.

Breaking records feels really good and turns a normal Dec. 19th into a fabulous one. Just as Kirsten!


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