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Transformation Fitness & Wellness

Arin Lindauer

Assessing Progress

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One of the most important steps in anyone’s health and wellness journey is measuring progress. Otherwise how do you know if what you are doing is working?

We may get up morning after morning do our routine, feel pretty good about it, then step on the scale and nothing is happening.

This is super frustrating.

Or nutrition, you have been eating reasonably well, meal planning, etc. but again you step on the scale and nothing or very little movement.

This can be a vicious process and extremely frustrating.

Ultimately it can be defeating enough that we give up.

We get it.

That’s why it is so important to assess progress consistently with a few measurements.

We do rely on the scale, but we also rely on body fat assessments with ultrasound technology (assesses lean & fat tissue) and circumference measurements.

If you only step on the scale it may or may not tell you the whole picture of what is happening.

The last thing you want to do is kill yourself each workout, eat reasonably well, then feel defeated every time you get on the scale.

Also getting on a consistent schedule to assess progress. If we step on the scale everyday it can be too frequent and more of a mind game than anything.

Setting up intentional time, every 4-6 weeks is better for seeing the big picture and true results. Week to week our weight can fluctuate from water, sodium, illness, etc.

It does require us to be patient but add up enough 4-6-week time frames = big results.

Daily weigh ins can be helpful to keep us in check, but look at what it is doing for you mentally. If it is doing more harm than good, consider adjusting. If it is a daily check in and not a mental game, fine.

If you need help understanding if you are making progress, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We can help and more than anything talk through what is happening or not happening.

Slow and steady does win the race in most cases, along with consistent effort. If you need help with what it needs to look like for you personally shoot me a message!

Have an awesome day,

Arin

Being Satisfied

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Hope you are having a great day today!

Today I wanted to talk about being satisfied. There has been an ongoing mantra of “Never be satisfied”.

Keep pushing forward, more, etc.

While I don’t disagree with setting goals and always striving for more, there is an important part of the journey that can get missed.

Being satisfied, does not mean settling.

Those who are never satisfied are never at peace.

Being dissatisfied will leave you obsessing about the negative and it is a spiral.

We will miss out on life and it will prevent us from gratitude.

For me personally this has been a huge part of growth. I remember when we first started our business and people would say enjoy the journey.

I was not enjoying the journey, I was always striving for perfection, always dissatisfied with performance. While there is nothing wrong with having a high standard, when you are always beating yourself up it will cause anxiety over mistakes and optimal performance never happens.

It is so much easier to be dissatisfied and we are wired by nature to see what is wrong.

Seeking excellence and experiencing satisfaction are not mutually exclusive.

Let me say this once more being satisfied does not mean settling. It simply means accepting and taking pleasure in what is.

Allowing yourself to feel contentment whether or not a thing is complete or perfect.

“Life is short, so decide to enjoy it. Instead of discontent, bring joy and honor to what you do. I promise you’ll start feeling more alive, motivated and fulfilled.” – Brendon Buchard High Performance Habits

There is a reason we start each staff meeting by going around the room stating what is good both business and personal.

Start noticing what’s going well, appreciate your blessings, enjoy the journey, and record your wins.

Dedicated to your success,

Arin

Important Topic – Inflammation

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I have a super important topic to bring to you today and honestly, I could write for hours on this topic. I will keep it condensed for today.

Inflammation is something we are not talking enough about.

I am sure at some point we have all felt our joints ache or we felt puffy, maybe your rings would not go on. This could possibly be short term inflammation and we can relatively feel better after we move around and drink a couple glasses of water.

There is another side of inflammation that is long term and we may not realize what is actually happening inside our body.

Maybe our joints ache every day. We feel puffy every day. Or do you feel depressed, have IBS, chronic disease, I could go on.

Maybe stress is at an all time high and it doesn’t look like it will be letting up anytime soon.

We start behaviors such as excessive drinking, eating processed quick and easy foods — the spiral starts.

This all leads us down a path of increased inflammation in our body and to put it in simple terms it’s not good and it’s not good long term especially when it comes to disease. (Heart disease, diabetes, cancer…)

Now I don’t want to be all negative, you can reverse the effects of inflammation TODAY!

Here are several things that are worth doing:

Avoid: Sugary Beverages, Refined Carbs, Desserts, Processed Meat, Processed Snack Foods, Alcohol

Instead Eat: Fruits, Vegetables, Healthy Fats, Fish, Nuts, Peppers, Dark Chocolate, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Green Tea

Poor sleep has been documented as another way to increase inflammation. Try to get to bed earlier and set the stage for restful sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep.

Then being active. Making sure to be intentional about the movement you do everyday is a must. We are losing muscle each year we age, use it or lose it.

Also taking a good fish oil along with some herbs such as Turmeric have been very helpful in reducing inflammation. Drink water, shoot for half your body weight in ounces per day or more depending on activity and temperature.

Bottom Line: we need to be aware of what is happening in our body and fuel our body well. With all the stressors of life– control what you can control. Your nutrition is up to you. Always ask is this fueling my body or is it hurting my body?

Activity is huge when it comes to helping inflammation, but it needs to be appropriate. Do workouts that are part of a larger plan. Random is random and you’ll get random results!

As always, we are here for you when you are ready. Shoot me a message back if you need some help.

Arin

I’ve been looking at food journals…

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One part of our system in helping a client is looking at a food log. We have the individual track all food and beverage intake in an app called my Fitness Pal for a few weeks.

We want to see what a client is currently doing and based on their individual goal, provide recommendations.

This tool is helpful for most but not all. (I’ll explain more later)

One of the biggest things that happens without us even saying a word is awareness. A client may see that they were underestimating how many calories they were consuming.

Or they may say that food item was not worth it, etc.

I know even for myself when I was getting down to my lowest body fat, I tracked everything and found what I needed to do see my ultimate results. (I had a little popcorn fix each night that was keeping me from getting to 16% body fat – cut it and boom!)

By looking at log we can take a bird’s eye approach and see the whole day and then a whole week.

I never expect it to be perfect and it doesn’t need to be to see results.

Most of the time it is very small tweaks, focusing on this vs that.

Or we can see behaviors and we ask questions, were you stressed, were you working late, are you willing to cook, if not here are some options.

Its never a one size fits all approach.

One spot that has helped a few clients recently is reducing sugar intake. Please note the word is reduce.

It is unrealistic to say you are never going to consume sugar again.

It is in EVERYTHING!

Even the baby yogurts I thought would be a good thing for Lyvia have 7 added sugar grams no wonder she devoured it!

My take on sugar is to be mindful and reduce. Not eliminate.

Also look at it from an added sugar vs naturally occurring.

If there is added sugar it is processed.

Before anyone goes off the deep end, sugar is a complex molecule that we need in our diets and it is not the sole reason for disease or obesity. But it is important to take a look at consumption and for most of us reducing is helpful.

As with everything, food logging is not a one size fits all approach. For some clients it’s a stressor and one more thing to do.

Or it is not a true picture of what is being consumed.

Again, I never want someone to think it is an end all be all approach, it can be helpful for most for a certain amount of time.

Awareness, seeing the overall picture and making small tweaks!

Let me know if you need help!

We are here for you.

Dedicated to your success,

Arin

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Barbecue Sauce and Garlicky Cabbage with Bacon

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Prep: 15m Cook: 25m Total: 40m

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ cup frozen unsweetened cherries
  • 2½ Tbsp water
  • ½ cup organic barbecue sauce (such as Tessemae’s All Natural)

Ingredients for Side

  • 3 slices nitrite-free bacon, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup organic chicken broth
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Rub pork with oil, garlic, and paprika; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill pork on a grill rack rubbed with oil, covered, 12 to 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion reads 145°F, turning every 2 minutes.
  2. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, bring cherries and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce; simmer 5 minutes.
  3. Serve pork with sauce. Note: Find Tessemae’s All-Natural barbecue sauce at Whole Foods or online at www.tessemaes.com and www.amazon.com.

Instructions for Side

  1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain, reserving 1 Tbsp drippings in skillet.
  2. Add oil, onion, and garlic to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
  3. Add cabbage, broth, salt, and pepper; cook 20 to 25 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon before serving.

Broiled Greek Flounder and Kale Caesar Salad

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Prep: 20m Cook: 10m Total: 30m

Ingredients

  • 2 (6-oz) flounder fillets (or use grouper)
  • ½ pint grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ tsp Greek seasoning
  • ¼ tsp pepper

Ingredients for Salad

  • ¼ cup raw cashews, chopped
  • ¼ cup boiling water
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or use avocado oil)
  • 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 1 (5-oz) pkg baby kale

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Place fish, tomatoes, and olives on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil and Greek seasoning in a small bowl; rub over fish. Sprinkle with pepper.
  3. Broil 5 to 6 minutes per side or until fish flakes with a fork.

Instructions for Salad

  1. Combine nuts and boiling water; let stand 15 minutes.
  2. Process soaked nuts (with liquid), garlic, oil, lemon juice, mustard, and vinegar until creamy, scraping sides as needed. Add capers; process just until capers are chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place kale in a bowl; drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Toss. Note: Refrigerate leftover dressing for up to 1 week.