Add to Lose Weight!

When I sit down with a nutrition client, one of the first things they ask, “What am I going to have to give up?” Yes, eating healthy is going to come with some changes, but we tend to look at things we are going to have to give up, instead of adding in the healthy foods that are going to replace the unhealthy ones. Using this mindset, it’s easier to make the necessary adjustments.

Here are three add-ons to your current diet that will have you feeling better and eating healthier in no time:

1. Water-Yes, this sounds simple. But drinking more water can be tricky for some. I am not asking you to give up your favorite beverages, but only to add a glass of water after you drink one. Enjoy coffee in the morning? Add a glass of water after you drink it. How about a diet coke? Grab a glass of water! Lastly, that glass of wine after a long day…water! By the end of the day you are staying hydrated and already feeling better. And you didn’t even have to give up any of the habits you already have.

2. Vegetables- “I can never find a place to add vegetables.” Well now you can! Add a cup of chopped frozen spinach to your omelet. Eat a handful of baby carrots when you eat a cookie. The key is you don’t need to change anything you are currently eating, just add some vegetables.

3. Multivitamin- In the morning you brush your teeth. Keep your multivitamin by your tooth brush. Before you brush your teeth, take your vitamin. It may not seem like much, but it’s a step in the right direction.

As you can see, the mindset of what you can’t have is blocking you from all the awesome decisions you can be making without even having to change your current diet! Adding is an amazing first step in changing your nutrition for the better. And it gets even more fun after we take a look at some of the habits and stories that keep us from changing our health. That’s where I come in. I help support and advise you on how to eat, train, and think differently about your health. To see what it’s all about, book a free assessment where I walk you through the process. Let’s get started today!

Should You Get A Peloton? Interview with Connected Fitness Expert Colin Jenkins!

Welcome back!

In this week's podcast, my special guest is Colin Jenkins. Colin is the owner of Lighthouse Fitness in Ventura,CA. He is also a former Crossfit Games Athlete and 6x Regional competitor. He is also runs two awesome Youtube channels The Shredded Sloth and Connect the Watts, a connected fitness channel that focuses on fitness devices of the home. We talk about all things fitness but focus on Crossfit, surviving the the pandemic, and connected fitness devices that you may want to add to your home gym!

If you like today's podcast, please subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend! For more great content, visit my website, www.flochfitness.com

He lost how much weight?!?!

“I just can’t eat right, I always mess things up!” This is the most common misbelief I see as a nutrition coach. 99% of clients I see can sit down and write out a perfect day of nutrition. And I am not joking about that. However, most of them get bogged down in the miniscule: macros, gluten, dairy etc.. But they are completely unable to stick to a plan for more than two weeks without self sabotaging or giving up. If you are in tune with the way your body feels and have a basic knowledge of nutrition you can get to at least 90% of what you want your body to feel and perform like with the right mindset and time.

Below is a couple of clips from a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast featuring actor Ethan Suplee (Remember the Titans, My Name is Earl, American History X). Ethan is a shining example of what transformation truly looks like. He didn’t “lose weight,” he became a new person. He admits that he is still a work in progress but there is so much in this little snip-it that you can take from when it comes to your own health and nutrition.

If you are ready to change who you are, and as a byproduct lose weight and feel better, I’m here to help. Click the link to book a free assessment and let’s start moving toward the life of you dreams.

4 Days of Meditation?!?!?!

As you already know, I have find great value in meditation. Not only does it help me deal with the trauma and emotions from years ago, but it allows me to sleep better and recover faster.

Last weekend, I decided to jump in for a four day virtual meditation retreat hosted by Evolving Out Loud founder Kyle Cease. The premise of the weekend was to give the attendee an opportunity to look at some of the patterns that are running their lives and start to question and process them. Each day including 3+ hours of meditation, group work, and individual case studies.

It took about two days of effort and frustration before things started to make a turn. Until that point, I was in an inner struggle of trying to find and eliminate the problem from an egoic space. What I found was that any time you are trying to solve your problems from the “fixer” perspective, you are going to be creating options that are only from your limited old story. Here is an analogy that hopefully explains this concept: imagine you walked to school the same route every day. I then ask you, can you tell me another way to get to school? Because of your limited perspective, it would be impossible. To find a new route, you would have to deviate from the old. That’s where my breakthrough came. By allowing my thoughts to be observed and letting go of the way it “should"“ look, things started to shift I was able to challenge the thoughts of “this is bullshit and doesn’t work” and “If I could only figure this out, then I’d be fixed!” When I heard these voices come up, I created space and allowed them to be there. Didn’t try to fix or push/pull. I just let them be. Each time I got caught back into the story, as soon as I noticed, I went back to feeling the body and allowed the thought to be there. The beautiful biproduct of this technique is that you get some unbelievable breakthroughs and epiphanies on the other side (which I will share more in later posts).

All in all, it was an amazing experience (one that wouldn’t have been possible without my unbelievably patient and gracious fiancé Lauren) and I am going to continue to integrate these meditative practices on a daily basis.

If you are interested in learning more about meditation and how it can help you achieve your goals, I am here to help! Click the link below to set up a free assessment today!

Continuous Glucose Monitoring For Better Health?

There has been a technological revolution of the fitness industry over the last decade, and the pandemic has only accelerated it. With smart watches that track your heart rate and activity and bikes that feature cutting edge electronics, our health and wellness is only going to become more integrated with tech. Last week, I spoke with Kara Collier, RD, the Director of Nutrition of the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) health app Nutrisense. In our talk, we dove into exactly what CGM offers, how there new app works to better your health and wellness, and the future of biometric tracking. If you’d like to watch or listen, click below!

If you haven’t subscribed already to the podcast and Youtube page, please do! It’s free, and it helps grow the channel.

Thank you again to Kara for her time!

What Do My Workouts Look Like?

Over the last year, my workout routine has changed drastically from what I would do when I owned my own gym. Circumstances like training equipment, available time, and energy created hurdles. However, I didn’t allow these changes to dissuade me of my foundation and my goal; remain fit and pain free. I have been amazed at how little training I have needed in order to have the aesthetic I desire while still having fun and keeping my priorities in order like my family and work.

Just to get an idea of little training I have been doing, here is a sample week of training:

Monday-

Aerobic Intervals:

4min Countdown Clock:

Run 400m

12 KB Front Rack Reverse Lunges (16kg/hand)

15 Push-Ups

Row In Time Remaining

-rest 2min b/t sets

x 4 sets

Tuesday-

Rest

Wednesday-

Rest

Thursday-

AMRAP 12min:

Run 100m

12 Box Jumps (24”)

12 Wall Balls (20lbs.)

-rest 2min

AMRAP 12min:

10cals Row

15 Russian KB Swings (24kg)

Friday-

Rest

Saturday-

Team Workout (with Lauren)

AMRAP 25min (share work):

100 Hang Power Cleans (115lbs.)

100 Cals Assault Bik

100 Walking Lunges

Sunday-

AMRAP 20min (alternating movements):

12 KB Push Press (24kg/hand)

12 Cals Row

12 Ring Rows

As you can see, I am training at most 2.5 hours in the entire week. This includes my warm-ups as well. To reduce the time it takes for me to prep for my workouts I choose movements that aren’t going to need as much prep time and I prioritize two or three movements in my warm-up in order to be ready. Though my training time is tight, I am 100% consistent. 4 times per week. No excuses. Something is better than nothing…always.

One last thing to mention is even though my workouts are important, my diet has also been consistent as well. No processed foods, no sugar, and 95% whole foods (more on this in another post).

Dump the excuse of “not enough time,” and let’s get started creating the life of your dreams today! Click the link below to get started.

3 Ways to Boost Your Testosterone...Naturally

As we age, keeping testosterone levels in healthy ranges is linked to better overall health. Unfortunately, life stressors, poor diet, and bad sleep tends to cause testosterone levels to drop. Aside from addressing these variables, there are supplements and dietary changes that we can make to better optimize testosterone levels (without hormone replacement).

1. Zinc: Zinc It is involved in various actions of cellular metabolism. It supports healthy growth and regulates more than 100 enzymes. It is highly related to our reproductive health system and assists in DNA synthesis. Zinc can be considered as a testosterone booster, which slows down the aromatase enzyme, decreasing the conversion of testosterone into androgen. Although dietary zinc is mostly found in animal products, zinc rich foods include some grains and nuts.

2. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is actually a hormone! In a 2011 randomized controlled study, researchers found men who were given a daily high-dose vitamin D supplement significantly increased their total testosterone from 10.7 nmol/L to 13.4 nmol/L, whereas there were hardly any changes in testosterone concentrations in the group given a placebo. These findings suggest that men deficient in vitamin D who take a proper vitamin D supplement may fix low levels of low testosterone.

3. Fats: Studies show increases in saturated and monounsaturated fats lead to increased testosterone. Saturated fats are found in foods like eggs, red meat, palm and coconut oils, and dairy products. These fats are typically hard at room temperature, and only have single bonds between carbon atoms. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as olive oil and avocados, are typically liquid at room temperature, and contain one double carbon bond with the rest being single bonds.

Looking to implement some of these changes but need accountability and support? I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started.

Getting Started...

Depression and anxiety are more prevalent than ever in America since the start of the pandemic. One of the most accessible and consistent conservative treatments for anxiety and depression is regular exercise. Paradoxically however, people are having a hard time getting started with an exercise program because they are unmotivated (caused by anxiety and depression).

Here is a helpful toolkit for getting started:

• Adopt a mindset: Some exercise is better than none.

• Lower exercise intensity if feeling anxious.

• Move a little every day.

• Break up sedentary time with standing or movement breaks.

• Plan your workouts like appointments by blocking off the time in your calendar.

Need some more help with finding tools and motivation? Listen to this week’s podcast with Scott Hagnas to learn more!