by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Dieting, General Health, Mindset, Peak Sante
Have you ever noticed how some goals make you feel like you’re at the mercy of outside forces (like the scale or how your clothes fit).
… while other goals put you firmly in the driver’s seat?
I don’t know about you, but I like to be in charge of my goals and whether or not I achieve them.
It looks like this:
You can’t directly CONTROL the end result. For example, you can’t actually control “losing 20 pounds” … even if you wanted to.
But what you CAN control is the actions you need to take to make it happen – like adjusting your nutrition and changing your workouts (among other things).
Creating ACTION-based goals are not only great for your confidence and building momentum, but they will also give you hyper-clear benchmarks for success!
Basically, if you just DO what you set out to do, you win.
As a side effect, they also help you reach any aesthetic goals you might have for yourself. (Like losing that 20 pounds or fitting into your those jeans.)
You can set ACTION-based goals based on:
- Eating balanced, healthy, portion-controlled meals for 90% of your meals
- Getting in x # of quality, programmed workouts a week
- Sleeping 7-9 hours a night
- Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day
- etc.
To make it fun, you can motivate yourself with rewards along the way – like a new workout outfit, getting a massage, taking a day trip, getting a new activity tracker, etc.
This works – and builds confidence – because you have control over your ACTIONS and can see (and feel) a direct result from what you do.
The more you take intentional action, the better you feel … and that’s a win-win!
Take a look at one of the goals you have set for yourself. Can you turn that into a tangible action-based goal to help you get there?
Write it down and get it in your calendar 🙂
And if you’re up for taking it to the next level and want some accountability- hit REPLY now or head over to my Private Facebook Group and let me know ONE action-based goal you’re committing to this week!
Head on over to my Private Facebook Group and post a comment if you found this article helpful.
Make it a great day,
Christina
REFERENCE: www.issaonline.com/blog/index.cfm/2019/setting-fitness-goals-is-essential–to-long-term-success
by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Dieting, General Health, Mindset, Peak Sante
There is a stat on Jack Canfield’s blog that might blow you away:
“Researchers estimate that we think about 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day – and that about 80% of those thoughts are negative.”
WHAT! That’s a mindblowing amount of negative self-talk.
If you’re going to live the life you are MEANT to live and that you DESERVE, it can’t be dragged down by all of that negativity and doubt.
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying:
- “They must think I’m _____”
- “I should be _____ by now.”
- “Why am I so _____.”
- “Why can’t I ever seem to ____.”
And filling in those blanks with something negative … then you have GOT to change the conversation happening in your head.
In my last email, I shared a solid step-by-step strategy to help you shift that negative chatter into something that empowers you and helps you reach your goals.
Today, I want to teach you how to PRIME YOUR BRAIN to be more receptive to the positive messages you are sending it … and it’s backed by science!
Studies show you can “prime” your brain to be more open to feeling confident, positive, and make healthier choices – and physically alter your brain circuitry in a way that promotes more positive responses!
Here are two things to try:
1. Meditation.
In fact, you can notice a difference in brain circuitry after just 2 weeks of meditation! Compassion and kindness meditations are very impactful. Many apps (like Headspace or Calm) include these guided meditations, plus there are hundreds of them for free on YouTube. If you are in my Essentials for Peak Wellness Membership, you can do one of my guided meditations included therein.
2. Discover WHY.
Think about why or how your health (or your body confidence) is meaningful for you.
Why does it matter? How will it serve you, your family, your community? What will it help you do, be, or achieve?
Making that “meaningful” connection turns on the part of your brain that responds to health advice. That, in turn, can help you feel more proactive about taking action!
Pairing these priming techniques with the shift in negative to positive self-talk will pack a 1-2 punch … and negativity won’t stand a chance.
This is incredibly POWERFUL if you apply it and take action. It just takes a little practice.
Head on over to my Private Facebook Group to share your thoughts on this article.
Make it a great day,
Christina
References: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/08/positive-emotions-your-health
by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Dieting, General Health, Mindset, Peak Sante
Did you know that your inner dialogue (aka the “voice in your head”) is one of the biggest influencers on your confidence and self-esteem?
If your self-talk is positive and empowering – fantastic! That didn’t happen by accident. You developed a HABIT of speaking to yourself that way, and your life likely reflects that positivity.
But if your self-talk tends to be on the negative side (which is the case for a LOT of people), I’ve got some coaching tips that can help you turn it around.
The first thing to know is that you are NOT your thoughts. That little voice in your head can say a LOT of things that aren’t always true.
That internal noise is called “thought chatter” – and it’s a process that happens when your brain isn’t otherwise engaged.
Think of it as a body process like digestion or breathing. It’s just a by product of your brain doing its job.
That means you can gain control over it!
What to do:
Here are some things you can do to turn that negative thought chatter into something empowering that helps you reach your goals (instead of derailing you) …
RECOGNIZE IT
the first step is to be aware that it’s even there in the first place! Pay attention to yours today – how often does it show up?
CALL IT OUT
As soon as you notice the negative self-talk happening, shut it down! Don’t criticize yourself for having the chatter. Instead, think, “I hear you in there – and I’m not interested in your nonsense TODAY!” You can even give it a name if you want – like Negative Nelly or Cynical Cindy, or Pessimistic Pete.
REDIRECT IT
If you notice yourself falling into negative thought patterns, turn those thoughts around fast.
Example: let’s say you are feeling stressed from work, and your internal chatter is telling you to skip your workout because you’re too tired and grouchy.
Turn that around by telling yourself your workout will lift you OUT of this mood and give you the exact boost you need (because it actually WILL!).
REPLACE IT
This is a proactive approach. Instead of redirecting the negative self-talk AFTER it starts, come up with some positive thoughts that have meaning to you. Then, repeat them to yourself several times a day.
Ideas: “I am confident and unstoppable.” “I feel strong and motivated.” “I’m really proud of how well I’m doing with my fitness routine.”
…
Negative thoughts are not something you should ever be ashamed of … we all have them.
The key is to become aware of them and to replace them with ideas and thoughts that help you build CONFIDENCE and feel good about yourself… not tear you down and beat you up.
Life is too short to let negative self-talk lie to you and prevent you from living the life you are MEANT TO LIVE. Don’t you agree?
Stay Healthy,
Christina
Naturopath & Functional Nutrition Practitioner – Workplace Wellness Specialist
REFERENCES:
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201803/the-voice-inside-your-head
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/201603/4-ways-stop-beating-yourself-once-and-al
by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Dieting, General Health, Peak Sante, Sleep
Maybe this has happened to you already … and if it hasn’t, there’s a good chance it will at some point!
One day, seemingly out of the blue, your pants don’t button up as easily, or you notice that the scale creeps up faster than it used to.
AND … it’s much harder than it used to be to get those pants to fit the way they once did (or return the scale to its former spot).
It’s not your imagination! The truth is your metabolism naturally slows down as you get older.
It happens at different paces and different times for each of us, but I do have some good news for you. There are things you can do to offset it.
And the sooner you start, the better!
Here are some of the top reasons your metabolism begins to slow:
- You’re less active
- You’ve lost muscle
- Your body’s metabolic processes have slowed down because of age
I’m going to outline a few key things you can do to keep your metabolism revved up as you get older.
Your activity level.
This is a sneaky one, because you might not actually notice you’re moving less each day!
How active you are each day (including your workouts and your normal activities of daily living) makes up about 10% to 30% of your daily calorie burn. Very active people can actually burn up to half their daily calories from activity!
BUT … studies show that as we get older, we tend to move less, both in terms of exercise AND our general daily living.
More than 25% of people over 50 don’t exercise, and by the time we reach 75, that number jumps to more than 35%.
Plus, studies show we also move less in general, burning almost 30% fewer calories through non-exercise activity.
There is a way to avoid that slowdown!
A study comparing women aged 21-35 with women ages 50-72 showed that when the older women engaged in regular exercise, they avoided the dreaded age-related metabolic slowdown.
→ The takeaway: Start a regular exercise habit you enjoy NOW, and find active hobbies! Having these habits in place will set a strong foundation for continued movement as you get older.
Muscle loss.
This next major cause of a slower metabolism is called sarcopenia – age-related muscle loss!
It’s tied in with your activity level, since being less active is one reason you can lose muscle.
On average, adults lose between 3% and 8% of their muscle mass each decade after the age of 30.
One reason this matters – beyond your general strength and ability to move easily – is because muscle burns slightly more calories (even at rest) than fat.
You can help maintain and build muscle as you age with consistent strength-training workouts: free weights, machines, and even water fitness classes can help!
The most important part is to create some resistance for your muscles to work against.
→ The takeaway: get in at least 2 strength-training workouts a week that work all of your body’s major muscle groups.
The aging process.
As you get older, the actual process of metabolism in your cells slows down or becomes less efficient.
There isn’t a lot you can do about this – but here’s some good news. While these slowdowns do happen, studies show they have a minor impact compared with lower activity and muscle mass!
→ The takeaway: concentrate on living a healthy lifestyle and on more activities to offset the metabolic slowdown.
→ BONUS takeaway: Make sure you eat enough protein. As people get older, they often tend to eat less protein. Aim for 10% to 35% of your total daily intake.
Tip: to boost absorption, spread your protein intake out over the course of the day, since studies show that to be more effective.
Actions you take today can have a BIG impact on your life into the future. If you’d like some guidance about putting these takeaways into action, I can help …
I hope this list helps!
Be sure to join me for the 5-Day Metabolic Jumpstart Challenge!
We get started on August 17th!
Sign me up for the Challenge!
I hope to see you on he inside!
Make it an amazing day!
Stay Healthy,
Christina
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6536a3.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17401138
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9329340
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276215/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394186/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15640517
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(19)30239-7/fulltext
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About the Author: Christina Della Rocca, n.d.
Christina Della Rocca is a multi-disciplinary Health Coach with over 20 years of experience in the fields of health, fitness, and wellness.
One of Montreal’s leading wellness professionals, Christina has been featured on Montreal AM live, RDS television, CHOM FM, CJAD, Mountain City Rock, and Trends Magazine. Founder and Director of EXERCISE PLUS A Wellness Company that brings health & Fitness programs to companies in and around the Montreal area., Christina is a leading Corporate Wellness Specialist.
by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Dieting, Peak Sante
I’ve got some interesting human facts for you today.
But before I go into that, stay tuned for tomorrows email when I will provide you with more information on how to rev up your metabolism with a 5-Day Metabolic Jumpstart Challenge. I’m just working on the final details.
ok, back to the interesting facts… They have to do with your metabolism and I hope at least one of them leaves you feeling empowered!
As I mentioned the other day, it’s tempting to think of your metabolism as something you can “turn up” or “turn down” … but the fact is, metabolism is a complicated process that happens in your cells – and the more cells you have, the faster your metabolism.
Random fact:
the average person has 30 trillion cells! That’s a lot of cells … and a lot of metabolism.
The biggest chunk of your calorie burn (aka your metabolism) happens just to keep you alive – it’s known as your BMR, your basal metabolic rate. BMR can vary a LOT between people.
Some things that impact your BMR are things you can’t control – genetics, gender, and more (we’ll get into some of this later).
But there’s actually a lot you CAN do to turn up your metabolism, and it has to do with your body composition.
I like to think of these ‘metabolic boosters’ like compound interest … it’s not going to make you rich overnight, but over time, it adds up in a big way!
Here it is …
Add more muscle to your body through your workouts. And I’m not talking about giant Hulk muscles, btw. I simply mean strong, flexible, and supple muscle!
Scientists estimate that every pound of muscle you have burns about 6 calories a day while you’re resting. That’s triple the amount of a pound of fat, which comes in at about 2 calories a day.
So,10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories a day, while 10 pounds of muscle would burn 60. Not that impressive.
But over a year, 10 pounds of muscle burns 21,900 calories (a little over 6 pounds), while 10 pounds of fat burns 7,300 calories in a year (around 2 pounds).
That means workouts that build your muscles – whether it’s old-school bodybuilding workouts, or fitness workouts that include weights – have a double-whammy effect!
Not only are you burning calories WHILE you’re doing them, but you get a BONUS burn in the future as you build muscle! Pretty cool, right?
Beyond your workouts, it’s important to get enough protein (between 10% and 35% of your daily calories) to help build, repair, and maintain your muscle.
Want to get even MORE tactical?
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that if you want to build muscle, on top of adding resistance training to your workouts, you should eat 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day – which equals 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Once again, stay tuned for tomorrows email where I will provide you with more information on how to rev up your metabolism with a 5-Day Metabolic Jumpstart Challenge coming your way on August 17th!
Stay Healthy,
Christina
Christina Della Rocca, n.d., FNLP, MASS.d., B.A.S.
Fondatrice de Peak Santé Spécialiste de bien-être | Entreprise et particuliers
Founder & Strategic Workplace Wellness Specialist | Peak Wellness Practitioner
REFERENCES:
https://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss
https://www.healthline.com/health/number-of-cells-in-body
https://www.self.com/story/how-much-does-strength-training-really-increase-metabolism
https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-musclmaintenance.pdf
Interesting in finding out your metabolic burn score?
Take the QUIZ!
by Christina Della Rocca, n.d | Peak Sante
Have you seen the new docuseries about Michael Jordan called The Last Dance?
I didn’t know this about Michael Jordan until a few weeks ago… but he had a secret club called “The Breakfast Club.”
After a 3-year playoff losing streak to the Detroit Pistons in the late 80’s, Jordan decided to triple-down on his already legendary practice habit by creating a secret “club.”
He realized he needed to improve his strength and endurance to overcome the Pistons, so he set up a morning workout habit to specifically improve those traits.
It wasn’t long until some of his teammates became curious about his early-morning routine and joined him.
Every morning as early as 5 o’clock, they’d get together for intense workouts and then have a nutrient-rich breakfast to help refuel, repair, and rebuild their bodies.
This was in ADDITION to their normal practice schedule!
Back then, this holistic approach – combining nutrition and fitness – was considered groundbreaking.
It’s common now because it works … but the Chicago Bulls went on to become a legendary team, dominating the NBA in the 1990’s by winning 6 championships!
This is a great story for so many reasons, because the same strategy can be applied in our everyday lives. It isn’t just for pro athletes and wealthy celebrities.
First, the Bulls had a goal – they wanted to win, but first they needed to beat the physically dominating Pistons.
Jordan took control of the situation by figuring out what needed to change.
Then, he created an intentional, step-by-step plan to make that change possible, and hired a trainer and chef to help him.
He didn’t wait for his team to buy into his new morning workout habit – he started on his own.
And when they saw his success, his teammates joined him – and they made a serious dent in sports history.
Think about how you can do this in your OWN life. What’s that first step YOU can take?
Have you been struggling to...
Reduce belly bloat?
Improve elimination?
Lose weight?
Get my free guide and start feeling better fast!
About the Author: Christina Della Rocca, n.d.
Christina Della Rocca is a multi-disciplinary Health Coach with over 20 years of experience in the fields of health, fitness, and wellness.
One of Montreal’s leading wellness professionals, Christina has been featured on Montreal AM live, RDS television, CHOM FM, CJAD, Mountain City Rock, and Trends Magazine. Founder and Director of EXERCISE PLUS A Wellness Company that brings health & Fitness programs to companies in and around the Montreal area., Christina is a leading Corporate Wellness Specialist.
