Thursday Thoughts Ed. 88 - Don't stop now!

5:30 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Sitting down to compose my weekly post and my brain is stalled. I've usually got an idea in mind by the middle of the week and just have to sit my butt down and write. Not today. I've got nothing.

What I do have is a spinning mind of worry, anxiety, confusion and stress.  Why? Good question. I'm not completely certain. But, I do have some thoughts.

2013 was a straight forward year right from the get-go. As January began I knew precisely what needed to be done at work, in my training and at home.  My days were to be spend consolodating materials for my now titled Real Results nutrition course. After work hours were scheduled with detailed runs, rides and swims designed to take my triathlon racing to the 'next level'.  Andrew and I were all cozy and nestled in for winter dreaming of hitting the trails come spring.

This year is a totally different animal. Nothing is that clear. I've taken a step back from personal training to take steps forward as a nutrition coach and writer. Two days out of the week I have to self-motivate to research, prepare efficient to-do lists and then actually do them. Although, I am still hitting the gym and staying in touch with my coaches, training with the intention to race is hitting the back seat - there are less XTERRA races in my area and our budget precludes dishing out race fees to ride bikes every weekend. We are knee deep in trying to buy our first home (so exciting!) and all extra time and money are earmarked for paint, furniture and a kick ass place to cook healthy meals!

So, here I am. It's the end of January and my vision board is stale. Most of my goals seem far off in the distance. As I recently learned, long term goals are much harder to work for because the pay off is so remote. The winter weight gain has settled in and without a regular routine and all this added stress it is frighteningly unwilling to budge.

It seems like the best thing to do it take some of my own advice and get a bit of perspective. Interestingly, I wrote this post this same time last year.  I need to get busy! What about you?

Thursday Thoughts Ed. 62 - Make it Happen, January 20, 2013

Follow the link above or read on....


Happy Thursday Everyone!
We are two and half weeks into the new year and things seem to just be ramping up in my world.  This is a super busy time of year -- and I love that. Do you find the busier you are sometimes the more you get done?  It must be momentum. 
Whether you set specific goals or resolutions this year or not, we could all stand a little reflection once in a while. This weekend I taught a seminar called Behavior Change and Weight Loss. Losing weight is so often about breaking bad habits and making new healthy ones. Now, this we all know is easier said than done! First you have to recognize the bad habits (we may not even know when we sabotage ourselves), stop them in their tracks and then rewrite the course. And there's that -- The Course. Which path are you on?? 
Go through the steps below to get clear about your goals, discover the path you are on, set your sights on where you want to go and then GO for it!
These questions can relate to your work life, personal life, or health and fitness. After you look through the steps put together your own answers on paper. This will give you a better idea of what YOU need to do to achieve YOUR goals. Let me know what comes out of this process. Want to get in a little deeper, make a plan of action? Email me and I'll be happy to help you MANIFEST THE BEST! 
#1 Set yourself up for SUCCESS: Ask yourself a few questions to get focused and steer your life in the right direction…
What am I aiming for right now?
Where do I want to end up?
What can I do to be sure I get there and faster?
How am I doing? Is my plan working?
What do I need to do differently if I‘m of course?
“Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw
 
#2 ATTITUDE and Outlook: Check in everyday and find a way to boost yourself up. Think about it…self-esteem and self-worth make all the difference.
What would make me happy today?
What can I do to make sure I feel really good?
How can I make other people feel good so I can too?
How do I get in touch with the parts of me that make me feel really great?
 “How you judge your self-esteem is how high you are likely to rise.  The reputation you have with yourself is the single most important factor for a fulfilling life.”
“Every achiever I have ever met says, ‘My life turned around when I began to believe in me.” Dr. Robert Schuller
 
#3 Get CLEAR about what is IMPORTANT: Here you will find the keys to your success. 
What do you really want out of life? (Success, recognition, love, money, family...)
What is most important to you?
In general, what motivates you?
What do you value most in life? 
“People with goals succeed because they know were they are going.”
“There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” William Barclay
  
#4 Watch your WORDS: Remember…
Language shapes our reality.
Language represents thought.
We use language to process our experiences.
We believe what we say in our minds.
Changing our words, changes our thoughts, which changes our reality.
 “We become what we thing about all day long.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
#5 Break Bad HABITS and make new ones: Take a look at your day, week, year? Notice what happens again and again.
Write it down.
Change a negative behavior at the front end.
Do something different. Anything.
Hook onto a new habit and go for it.
”Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.” Albert Einstein.
“It’s not what we do once in a while; it’s what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.” Jenny Craig

#6 Get SMART:
S – SPECIFIC (I will lose weight v. I will lose 3 pounds this month)
M – MEASURABLE (I will exercise more v. I will hit the gym 3x/week)
A – ATTAINABLE (I will lose 15 lbs this month/ I will lose 3 pounds this month)
R – REALISTIC (I will workout every day/ I will workout at the gym 2x this week and add 500 steps to my day.)
T – TIME BASED (Have an end date in sight to stay on track. Don’t put it off.)
 
“It is the moments of choice that continually shape our lives, so choose wisely!” JJ Satangelo
 
#7 Take ACTION: Take a few minutes to think about this.
Are you ready? Really ready?
Are you ready and willing to change, to act?
Will you do whatever it takes?
 
“If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined he will meet a success unexpected in common hours!” Henry David Thoreau
 
#8 Stick to it. Be PERSISTANT and CONSISTENT: How are you going to make sure this happens?
 “I will block out ________ minutes a day/OR week, to work diligently on my tasks and goals.”
 “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education with not, the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination are omnipotent!” Calvin Coolidge 13th President.
 
#9 Put it in the POSITIVE:
Reframe your beliefs and attitudes and give them an optimistic, confident spin.
Read NYTIMES Article Take it Easy! 
“Excuses are the tools of the incompetent.” – Unknown.
 “A negative attitude wipes out discipline.” Toni Robbins.
 
Do it NOW:-) Do it ALWAYS.
Your friend,
Remy
 

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Keepin' it Real : Winter Ride in Scappoose

11:58 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

January 26th, 2014 - Winter Ride in Scappoose

The weekends finally afford us some time to ride outside the city limits. All week I go 'round and 'round my usual loop with nothing much changing but the wind. Come Saturday with the sun shining like this I'm ready to wonder.

I can't believe its nearly the end of January and we geared up for a mountain bike ride dressed in spring kits and sunglasses!


The trails were just PERFECT.  The Kona has been in the basement since the end of last summer after XTERRA Nationals. A little extra winter weight just meant my legs were full of juice! Climbing up the first rocky hill (way ahead of Mr. M) I knew it was going to be a good ride.

There were at least a half dozen other riders in the woods. Everyone with a silly smile as we passed seemed to say, "Can you believe this! January! In Portland!"

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/scappoose CHECK IT OUT!




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Success! Julie Jo

11:45 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Julie's Success Story

Julie Deal
Registered Nurse

"When I first stepped foot into Northwest Women’s Fitness Club, I was coming out of a horrible couple of years of job changes and depression. I had always been an athletic person, but I was finding things were harder to do than I remembered. I was tired of how I felt and looked. I knew I needed to start getting serious about my exercise and lose some weight, but I was hesitant to join a gym. I hated then, the smells, the intimidating machines, the intimidating people and the lack of support. I always felt like I was just on my own, relying on some knowledge I had gained from swim team training as a kid.
I had a welcome surprise with this gym. There were no funny smells, there were people around asking how my workout was, there were towels to mop up my sweat, and there was an aromatherapy room. I didn’t feel intimidated, I felt welcomed. I felt like I had joined a big family.
I was connected with Remy as my Personal Trainer. I was quite hesitant and nervous about having a personal trainer. I knew that I was out of shape and overweight, but certainly didn’t want anyone pointing that out to me. Remy was a perfect fit. She quickly read right through my hesitations and took things slowly. I didn’t have a fitness goal when I started, just wanted to come to the gym. After working with Remy for a couple of months, she mentions I should do a triathlon. I told her she was crazy, that I didn’t run, haven’t swum in 15+ years, and have a bike that is gathering dust in the garage. She said it didn’t matter, I didn’t have to run, and no one cares about the bike, and reminded me that I know how to swim. Next thing I know, I am running 3 miles, I have purchased a new bike, have gotten back in the water, and am signed up for the Girlfriends and Dudes Triathlon.
Doing that event has opened up a new world for me. I want to do more races and want to continue to improve my fitness. I actually want to go to the gym and miss it when I can’t go. Who would of thought? As one of my friends said while we were running a 5K race in June, “I feel like I’m in an alternate world. You are running!”
I could have never imagined how far I have come and how great I feel today (around 50 lbs lighter)), and I have only Northwest Women’s Fitness Club and Remy to thank for it."


Julie Deal

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Thursday Thoughts Ed. 87 - Macronutrients 101

9:01 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments


Dearest Readers,

This week the focus of my Real Results healthy eating class was Nutrition 101. We learned all about Macronutrients, the Big Three, and the role they play in a healthy diet. Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat make up the majority of our food intake. Our bodies require vitamins and minerals to stay in tip top shape, but in much smaller amounts. All three of the macronutrients are needed in our diets and each perform vital functions in the body.

If you get a handle on how these major players impact your body you'll set yourself up for success as an athlete, or at weight loss, as well as overall health. 

Protein 

Protein is my favorite macronutrient. I try to make sure that all of my meals contain a healthy portion of lean protein and advice all of my clients to do the same. Protein is the bodies building block. Without protein we can't build muscle or repair the daily break down of cells in our body. If you are on a mission to get stronger and fitter - you won't get anywhere with protein.

Lean protein sources primarily come from animal sources, like beef, chicken, eggs and fish. But there are good veggie sources too, like nuts, seeds, dairy and beans.  

Try to consume one serving of protein at each meal and snack. 

Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates are the body's main sources of energy. Carbs give you the fuel to power through your workouts. 

There is so much confusion about carbs and grains and which kind of these foods is really good for you.  Not all grains are created equal - bottom line. Certain grains/carbs such as refined flours and sugars cause major spikes and dips in blood sugar and insulin secretion in the body. Too much insulin promotes excess fat storage and can make long-term weight loss nearly impossible.

So, to determine if a carb or grain will help you reach your weight loss goals it is important to understand how they work.

This is where the Glycemic Index can provide helpful information. Foods are ranked according to their effect on blood sugar. For our purposes of weight loss we want to enjoy foods on the low to medium side and avoid foods that rank high.

Think slow carbs throughout the day and especially in the evening. And keep fast moving, sugary carbs for during or after intense exercise. 

Fats 

Fats are another important source of energy. Unfortunately, over the years 'fat' has been made into a nasty word. We've been taught that fat is the stuff that makes you fat. Not so true. Contrary to once popular believe, dietary fat doesn't just automatically sit on our hips and plump up our behinds. 

If you give your body the dietary fat it needs to function smoothly you'll be helping your brain work quickly, you'll help your moods stay steady and you might even boost a tired metabolism. 

But you've got to know the facts. 


Saturated fats, usually solid at room temperature are considered unhealthy and can lead to heart disease, high cholesterol and excess belly fat. Examples are animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, cream and fatty meats. 

Polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, soy and sunflower. These fats remain liquid at room temperature. Although considered healthier than trans-fat overconsumption can lower both levels of good and bad cholesterol.

Monounsaturated fats are considered “good” fats and have been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Think olive oil, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, avocado.

If you are on a mission for weight loss, improved athletic ability, or what to keep your body happy and healthy this is important stuff to know. Think about what's on your plate, remember what it can do for you, or to you and choose wisely!



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Making the most of it, Monday.

11:45 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Yesterday I woke up with a renewed sense/need to get my ass in gear.

This holiday season was festive to the max.  Thank you to all my dear clients and friends who gifted me the delicious bottles of red wine. You know what I like. I finally polished off the last of it last night, with help, of course.

So, now it's back to reality.

When training for triathlon racing wine must be reserved for weekend nights, or the random Wednesday and limited to 1 or 2 glasses tops.

Also, cheese and crackers, the worlds simplest and tastiest appetizers do not a good meal make. Skip it, Remy. Eat dinner.

There is a ringing in my ears and it sounds like my coaches, "You need to work on your core." Ugh! I will ride a bike and lift weights 'til the cows come home but working my abs, back and center body strength takes serious dedication.

Fine. Starting yesterday I added a few little goals and plans to my to-do list. The wine, the core and the cheese. All the while, looking on the bright side (see post on positivity).

Heading up to teach my regular Monday night Indoor Cycle class last night, I realized what a great resource I had ahead of me, a room full of women to help keep my accountable, like I do for them. Microphone on, I told them all my resolutions, revelations and plans. We launched a plan check in once a week to keep it real. They share there goals/success/struggles and I share mine.

It's time. I've got a couple extra pounds of holiday happiness I need to turn into power. Evening's glass of wine shall turn into morning's super smoothie. Snacks will look like salads. You will see me on the weight room floor daily grimacing on the swiss ball.

Habit change like this needs guidelines. And flexibility built in. For example: Date night mid week? Enjoy it and stay in on Friday. Can't get to the gym? Do 50 crunches before your shower.

There are two and a half weeks until the 1st of February.  By Groundhog Day I will have made progress - and I won't be looking back, no shadow here, onward!

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Positivity!

12:47 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments


This year I decided to set just one resolution. And it's a bit different than in years past. I can not fail. I will not give up in two months. There are only benefits, no drawbacks, no guilt trips. But, it's a tough one. I have work to do.

This is it: Think more positively.

Most of you who know me, might be surprised to hear that positive thinking is my new year's resolution. In fact, I've mentioned this mission to a few of you and have heard, "But, you are so positive already!" Yes, I am. To you. It's my job, my career and life's work, to uplift, motivate and help you make both mind and body even better.

The more consistent I am at doing this, thinking good thoughts, the more happiness and hope I can share.

This is what I want for us, a healthy, happy, body and mind.

Over the weekend, I read the results of a new study on DNA that looked at how the effect of spoken works and affirmations effects our internal systems. The results reinforce the idea that the positivity we share with ourselves and with others has a direct impact on our DNA - the very stuff that brings us to life.

This year, it is my hope that our words, thoughts and actions are more positive than negative, more uplifting, less destructive.  I hope you start the year with good words to yourself, you are worth the effort, you are capable of big change, you can make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Let's make it happen.

Manifest the Best.




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Real Results: New Year, Same You, Just Healthier

4:12 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

New Year - Same You - Just Healthier!

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Success! Barb. M.

6:56 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Barb's Success Story
Dear Remy Maguire,
You have once again written a no nonsense, practical guide for eating. Learning from you is so much fun, and I love the way to stay on message, sharing the basic ideas in so many fresh, interesting ways. I never thought I'd know the day when fruit could taste like chocolate, but I can turn a fresh fig into a delicious chocolate. Here are some things I couldn't do a year ago: only have one glass of wine at dinner, turn down chocolate, or limit my sweet intake to only one sweet a day, i.e. a few semi sweet morsels. (If I eat more, I don't feel good.) I have eaten kale, collard greens, arugula, salmon, beans, almond milk, almond butter, tofu, spaghetti squash, and now purchase virtually only organic fruits and veggies. See what you've done for me?!
You amaze me and inspire me. I'm so glad that you are in my life. I still have work to do, and always will, but I know you'll be there to cheer me on or kick my butt!
By the way, I felt really good about my run today. 2.4 miles in 35 minutes--20 minutes of that was between 4.2 and 4.7 mph.
Not bad for an old bird like me.

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Success! Loren S.

6:55 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments


Loren's Success Story

"Heading into my mid 40’s I was getting to be pretty stout and taking some medications for high cholesterol. I’ve spent my whole working life as a professional chef and I just accepted my condition as a price for my profession. Being around delicious food all day, every day can be a blessing and a curse. I also spent a lot of time telling myself that I didn’t have time to exercise. I was out of shape and getting big enough that finishing the last couple of days of my week in the kitchen was pretty difficult physically. Sore back and hips were another price for this wonderful profession. Then the doctor told me about my high blood sugar and metabolic syndrome. That was the trigger for me. Being fat and having high cholesterol were okay but I didn’t want anything to do with diabetes.
I joined a gym, paid for three years so that I would be financially as well as emotionally committed and got on the elliptical. I lost some weight and gained some fitness on my own but working with a trainer took me to the next step in fitness. I’ve been working with Remy at NW Personal Training for the last six months or so. She’s helped me to get farther along in my fitness than I had for the last three years on my own. She keeps the workouts varied and challenging. Just when I start to get full of myself she shows me something new that keeps me moving forward. I’m learning and getting some joy from the idea that this is a lifelong process and not an end to reach. I turned 50 this year and am stronger and more fit than I’ve been for at least 20 years. My back doesn’t hurt anymore, my blood sugar is down, my cholesterol is down, my blood pressure is down, my weight is down (still more to go) and my body doesn’t hurt at the end of my work week any more. It feels good to fill out the top of my t-shirt more than the bottom of it. As important as all of that, I feel good about my health and fitness now. All day baby!"

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Success! Cindy K.

6:55 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments


Cindy's Success Story

"You actually inspire me and without you over the last 9 months, I truly would have been lost. You have been my rock and I am so very blessed to have met you.
When I made that first appointment and got you as my trainer - I didn't realize everything we would go through together, what a kind ear you would
be and an inspiration for me to keep going when all I wanted to do was to give up and crawl in a hole. You have become a very dear friend that I
will always cherish.
And to see the changes in my body has been amazing. To know I have lost 13 pounds and 21 inches; and started with 5 to 8 pound free weights and I am now up to 20 and 25 pounds and even more on the various exercises/machines...and to see pictures of myself on vacation in a swimsuit and with bare arms and be proud and not embarrassed for the first time in about 15 years. I actually have had so many people tell me how
good I look - people that I have been shocked to hear it from.
And it truly is due to your inspiration. You have been my constant, and working out has been my strength to push through to the light and I
actually feel great now. I have a whole new freedom, self esteem each and every day (not just on occasion), and I feel powerful!! I actually look forward to working out and am trying to find ways to increase the number of workouts each week and have not lost my drive at all.
I do feel sexier, younger, stronger and again soooo much happier! I would never have planned a vacation with windsurfing, kayaking, and rafting
before I started working out with you. Funny enough on all three activities I lasted longer and had more stamina than my 20 and 23 year old
sons!
Again, you are my ROCK!!!
Thank you!"

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Success! Doug Hicks

6:53 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

http://www.ideafit.com/success-story/why-sweat-it


Doug's Success Story

Happy & Healthy Client
Several years ago, I began to notice I ended most days oddly achy and tired. I thought it was due to my job and the jostling hour-long bus commutes. I was now in my sixties so there was that as well. Then, just over a year ago, a passing comment by a friend, confirmed by my doctor, alerted me to the troubling side effects of statins, the drug I took to lower my cholesterol.
Some who have taken statins for a prolonged period have reported side effects including inflamed joints, impaired cognitive ability, and muscle pain and weakness. The warnings are thought to apply to only 5-10% of those who take statins, but they are chilling nonetheless.
Perhaps, I thought, I was one of them. Within a week of not taking statins, my joints ached less. The side effects returned within days of resuming, no matter which statin I took. With my doctor admonishing “you must make lifestyle changes,” I stopped taking them altogether.
I understood what he meant by “lifestyle change.” It meant real exercise and a fundamental shift in diet. There would be none of the blissful vision in advertising of “value meals,” fast food, and all you can eat dining. That would be a thing of the past.
I started by changing my eating habits. Nutritional guidelines overwhelmed me so I focused just on minimizing saturated fat. This was especially effective because many foods I typically ate – beef, desserts, cheese, and eggs – were sat fat dense. I switched to non-fat milk. That might seem like a small thing but my theory was every gram of sat fat consumed hurt. My wife turned my meat-heavy Midwest appetite to simple cuisine like stir fries and hearty salads. And I learned to favor squash, swiss chard, bok choy, and sushi. (We’re still in discussions about eggplant.)
Then I signed on with NWPT. I knew that to make a difference, I needed someone to press me to exercise hard enough. I committed to a package of training hours, met with a trainer, and scheduled twice weekly training sessions.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a trainer. To paraphrase Tom Landry, long-time coach of the Dallas Cowboys, my personal trainer makes me do what I don’t want to do to become what I want to become. She does this by challenging me, adjusting my workouts when necessary to meet the goals we set for strength and aerobic fitness. And she keeps it fun. That’s important because if it isn’t fun, I won’t do it for long. Oh, and she listens to my complaints, but not really, also important.
The realities of aging can be dismaying – aerobic capacity decreases 10% each decade; we lose muscle mass more quickly after the age of 50; bone density decreases 1% per year. Obviously, I can’t stop aging, but I need not hasten the process. Getting and staying in shape isn’t easy – your mind calls you crazy to sweat so! – but the reward is strength, balance, and vitality. Who wants a long life without that?
My dad lived to be 93. He was a ballroom dancer all his life and had good health almost to the end. I don’t think that’s mere coincidence – the body is supposed to move. There is no guarantee, of course, I’ll make out as well as he did, but I like the odds maintaining a healthy body and mind offers."

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