TODAY'S MISSION: STAY WHOLE
There's nothing that will impede you from your progress with this or any other fat-burning program more than going to pieces. What I mean is this: exercising with parts of your body instead of the whole thing at once, and eating processed or partial foods instead of whole foods.
A huge part of knowing how to make the physical changes you seek is to understand how the body communicates with food, movement, and itself.
When you do something as nature intended, such as a Plank Pose, that recruits hundreds of muscles at once, or eat a whole, fiber-rich orange instead of drink a sugary, caffeinated Vitamin 'shake'--um, I mean, 'supplement'--your body rejoices.
When you eat something your body recognizes, it is far more likely to take what it needs and excrete the rest. If, however, you give it a food that's been processed and modified from its original version, it is going to store in you longer, and make you more bloated, overweight, toxic and sluggish. Ew!
When it comes to exercise, using your body resistance instead of external weight sources or machines helps your body tone itself in harmony instead of looking strangely misshapen for your body type. It also burns more calories to work 100 muscles instead of your biceps only for 5 minutes. So if I'm going to spend my precious time working out, I'm going to go for the consistent, total-body strengthening yoga practice over a parts-and-pieces approach.
The other things that can make you look amazing are natural exercises like walking, running, biking, skating, rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding--and all the workouts that ask your body to do what it does best: come together on your behalf.
When it comes to your diet, do the same. Whenever possible (and it's almost always possible), choose foods that come from nature. Eat (and exercise) like you were born to do. You'll spark your entire system to shed fat, build muscle and keep your metabolism burning bright. It wants to do this. Help a body out!
TODAY'S HEALTH TIP: EAT MORE CARBS!!
Yes, I said it. No, I'm not joking!!
Fierce Foodie Myth = CARBS MAKE YOU FAT!
In fact, carbs are necessary for a balanced diet and to ensure you have enough fuel to get through your life--or this 21-day challenge. Carbohydrates do not inherently make you gain weight. Calories made from crap can make you fat. Also, let us not forget, carbs are the ONLY food ingested that feeds your brain. Literally, if you were to completely cut carbs out of your diet, you would slowly but surely suffer brain damage!
Often it's eating too much sugar and fat, which can be contained in some forms of carbohydrates store more fat. Also a lot of carbohydrates are processed, so you don't get the advantage of feeling full from the fiber found in unprocessed, or whole carbs.
For example, whole grain pasta is more filling and keeps you satisfied longer than white pasta, though both have the same amount of calories. Choose the whole food, and you'll end up eating less overall. To free yourself from the weight gain-promoting carbs, focus on choosing healthier types of carbohydrates--not avoiding them entirely.
Try using whole grains like quinoa, millet, spelt, kamut and brown rice more often. These wheat-free and (some) gluten free options will be much easier on the body to digest and break down, which allows you to burn and use what you need for fuel--not for fat.
If you can not make the jump to "new" gluten free options just yet, at the least, try out whole grain pasta. I am Italian and make pasta of various types most nights for dinner. Let me say this, I've switched to whole-grain pasta and my family didn't notice. If the sauce you use is homemade & delicious, it will cover up the slight difference in taste. And, it does in fact, make you eat less when eating whole grain. Pasta was my nemesis prior to my first challenge. I could easily eat 2 or even 3 bowls of pasta at dinner. Since switching to whole grain, I am satisfied after the 1st helping!
Not to mention, as well, during my college days (also, my thinnest time) I lived off carbs!! I ate brown rice for lunch every day & plain regular pasta every night. This was the fastest, cheapest way for me to eat and although it wasn't a completely healthy, balanced diet, it was 90 percent carbs and I was 100 percent skinny!!
So, carb away at your hearts desire, please. Just make good, whole grain choices and you'll feel full, energized and most importantly, your brain will be fed and working. Maybe it's just me, but I really like my brain working??
BONUS RECIPE OF THE DAY
Toasted Chickpea Snack
This snack provides all the crunchy satisfaction of chips but offers protein, calcium and fiber too. You can vary this recipe by changing the spices and herbs. Try curry, chili powder, Thai or Cajun blackened spice mix for an exotic twist.
1 can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
Olive-oil spray
Sea salt (or coarse salt) to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place chickpeas on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Shake them every now and then. They are done when they are crunchy and golden brown.
Pour into a large bowl, lightly coat with olive oil spray and sprinkle on the salt and herbs. Toss to coat. Enjoy!!
My kids ages 13 & 11 (including my niece, 1 & nephew, 3) absolutely LOVE toasted chickpeas!! You can make them alone for lunch or as a side dish with dinner. It pairs great with whatever you are making, just adjust the spices to match the theme of dinner. We love making it with spicy salmon.
TODAY'S YOGA TIP: DO THE WAVE
As you do your yoga workout today, pay attention to the way you move. Just before, and often during every pose, you do something I call The Wave. It's a movement that aligns your pelvis, spine, ribs and head more safely and recruits more inner body muscles in a holistic way, rather than lifting yourself into every pose with your poor lower, upper back and neck muscles, or putting too much pressure on your joints and low back spine.
The Wave goes like this, in this order, every time:
- Press your feet into the mat
- Lift your inner thighs up and out the sitting bones to widen them apart
- Draw your front, top hip crests in and up (lengthens tailbone down)
- Move the front of your low back spine into your body and up toward the heart as the back of your low back spine does the same.
- From this wave now moving up your spine, your front low ribs draw in and up too.The inner chest, neck and top of the skull all lengthen away from the pelvis. Finally, find a lightness as you reach into your final expression, like lifting your arms, now from the floor and the core spinal wave--not from a partial outer body activation.
- Press your foundation (hands, feet, seat--whatever's on the ground) down firmly.
- Pull your front hips and spine in and up.
- Roll, or Wave your spine long into your pose's expression.
TODAY'S HOMEWORK:
- First, how do you feel today?? Be honest!! If you can't be honest with yourself, with whom will you be honest? Are you sore?? Apprehensive? Be real!!
- Now, it's time to weigh & measure yourself. Make note of all your 'before' stats here.
- Lastly, and completely optional, take a 'before' picture.
TODAY'S JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT:
If you could look at yourself in the mirror, 3 weeks from now & see your perfect body, what would it look like? Literally 'see' yourself in your mirror visualization and describe it in FULL detail.
Begin your journal entry with this:
Now that I have the crystal clear vision and can see through obstacles and challenges, I know that I am creating my perfect body and that my dreams will come true. My miraculous body looks like ....
TODAY'S POSITIVE AFFIRMATION:
"I can clearly see the fulfillment of my dreams"
Good Luck with your Day 2!!~Stephanie Chasles
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