We all want to be successful. But success is a relative term. Just as there is no right or wrong way to eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, there is no right or wrong way to measure success. I believe that we have to “rewrite the rules” on what success in your health and fitness journey looks like; not for society, not for your parents, not for your spouse but for you, personally. You need to change your mindset and use your own, personal strengths and passions to build lifelong change.

In order to talk about your health journey it is important to understand how to MEASURE your journey… your success! There are many tools available to keep track of your progress. They monitor things such as calorie and nutrient intake, energy expended, steps, distance or flights of stairs taken.

Some of my favorite tracking tools are:

1. Fitbit

2. Apple Watch

3. iPhone

4. An old school pedometer that may do nothing more than track your steps!

5. Fitness Pal

6. Pen to journal, scrap paper or even sticky notes

Consider looking at the numbers tracked as a research project. Gathering numbers for data disconnects you emotionally from the numbers (there is no good or bad) it’s just numbers.

Gather your info and look at averages over a week or even a month to see trends that could be helping or hindering your journey.

It is important to have a very clear understanding and way of measuring your success. Instead of hoping the scale will show you what you want to see, Fill yourself with the positive effects your efforts have produced.

1. Keep a journal of weekly non-scale accomplishments that make you proud.

2. Write your “feel good” moments on your bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker. (Make sure it is not a permanent marker).

3. Jot down “smile” moments in the notes section of your phone

4. Write down your “wins” throughout the week and send them to me every Sunday!

5. Be creative. Think about what makes you feel successful!

Refer back to my podcast episode #2 for more ideas on measuring success.

Journal Questions:

1. Have you tracked your food and exercise in the past?

2. What did you like and dislike about this process?

3. What tools and approaches changed your mindset and how did they change your motivation level?

4. Write down three good feelings you could take away from fitness or nutrition if you allowed yourself to forget about weigh-in or measurements?

5. Has the scale ever been your friend? What is your current relationship with the scale? Could there be a place in your journey to keep the scale if you use it strictly as a tool?

6. What was your parents’ relationship with the scale? What were you taught as a kid about health and fitness?

Homework:

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. Goal setting and accountability are where the magic happens!!!!

Links:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Being healthy, happy and fit is a goal that most of us would agree is desirable. The amount of effort we put towards reaching that goal for ourselves is entirely up to us. But what about our children. By what we feed them, what we make available to them, how we perceive food, nutrition, appearance, fitness, etc. we are instilling in them the basis for their lifelong journey with nutrition and health. How scary is that? Are we screwing up our kids by underfeeding, overfeeding, not the right foods, not enough balance, picky eaters, etc?

Today I will interview Amy Reed, Dietitian, MS, RDN, CSP, LD. Amy is a Pediatric Dietitian who had 19 years of experience at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital before starting a private practice. She will walk us through all sorts of hard questions that we might be afraid to ask or not know who we should be asking (pediatrician, dietitian, therapist)?

1. Picky eaters

2. Overweight/underweight

3. Family eating – making it fun

4. Is there enough nutrition balance within the home?

5. Could we be accidently attributing to future eating disorders?

Determining if your child is healthy involves many factors of which weight is only one piece of the puzzle. You must also consider:
Do they eat a variety of food that is good for them?
Are they active?
Do they drink plenty of water
Are they happy?
Do they have low screen time?
Do you have family meals?

It is important to follow up those questions with ones about yourself. Are you portraying a healthy body image. Are you using positive words about food choices and exercise.
Children are not born with an instruction book about how to properly feed them. Parents do not need to feel guilty about or apologize their children’s weight. Guilt makes it hard to be successful in your efforts. Professional help is available, so do not hesitate to seek it out.

Homework:

1. Have at least one family meal this week. Make sure it is about togetherness and not what food is or is not eaten. Serve it family style where each person serves themselves.
2. Do a family activity such as taking a walk or bike ride if weather permits or have an indoor dance session or game of twister. Get moving as a family.
3. Assess your cupboards and fridge. Make sure fruit, veggies and other healthy choices are available. Pre-set snack plates for after school snacks.
4. If you have been considering consulting a professional, purity it on your to do list.

My theory is always “Knowledge is Power” and today is about opening our minds to a professional’s opinion What you do with that information is up to you.

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietitian

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Amy Reed Nutrition: https://www.amyreednutrition.com

Sips, Tips and Tricks to reduce sugar in your family’s diet

https://www.facebook.com/events/273752826626552/

Blog Link: Kind is the new tough

https://www.amyreednutrition.com/blog/2018/01/11/kind-is-the-new-tough

Blog Link: Encourage health rather than weight change

https://www.amyreednutrition.com/blog/2018/5/7/encourage-health-rather-than-weight-change

Are you drowning in information overload about the best way to lose weight? Keto, fasting, Whole 30 etc. Is there one perfect plan for your body? As I weed through diet talk, media hype and quick result plans I want you to know that I bring a dietetics degree and 15+ years of experience in the field. I mix science as well as examples of what I see in the real world to differentiate between what should work and what I see actually working.

Every scenario has its success stories as well as its hardships. Something about all the options could be beneficial. We all have different motivators that click and work for us. I am not promoting any special diet or plan; only what you hear me say daily. “Slow and steady wins the race”. Don’t let the hype of all the options sidetrack you from an amazing option of just goal setting and being held accountable to your own subtle habit changes.

In order to stay true to your journey you need to investigate your needs. To help build insight into what makes sense for you, answer the journaling questions below.

Journal Prompts:

What are things that you have felt like worked in the past? (Food logging, tracking points, wearing a pedometer, etc)

When you have seen results, what helped you stay motivated?

What health habits have been life long for you? ( ex. Has it always been easy to drink water? Have you always been active, a non-picky eater, you choose calorie free beverages, you don’t drink alcohol? We normally all have some easy ones’ jus built in from birth.

Do you need to see results quickly to stay motivated?

Do you have financial restrictions that limit your options for weight loss.

Consult your doctor before starting any new program. Depending on the medications and supplements you take, your family history or your medical issues you could cause yourself serious harm. You are trying to make healthy habit changes and the last thing you want to do is injure yourself in the process.

There is no need to start with drastic plans. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Making small tweaks in your everyday life can make a big difference so that you won’t need harsh plans. To get started with those small changes set SMART Goals: Sustainable, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Measured.

Homework:

Set a SMART Goal in each category

Food

Fitness

Behavior

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com

www.facebook.com/houselifestyles

Accountability

Published 1/25/2019

1. Have you ever heard yourself saying “I know what to do, I just need to do it”?!

2. Do you ever feel like when you are listening to nutrition advice, you have heard it all before?

3. Have you ever wondered why some people can show up rain or shine and all it takes is a dark cloud for you to cancel your workout?

4. Have you had good momentum or flow when you’ve worked with a trainer, dietitian, therapist or coach?

5. Have you seen yourself stop using outside resources to cut cost, only to lose that momentum months later when life gets in the way?

If any of these questions sound familiar to you, you are not alone. Working as a Registered Dietician and Personal Trainer, these same questions kept coming up with client after client. The answer to those questions is to bring accountability into your life. Accountability is defined as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. As an accountability coach I offer podcasts, newsletters, Facebook live chats and inspirational posts as well as live and virtual coaching sessions. I am excited to work with you to set realistic goals that fit Your needs. By tuning in and taking advantage of these offerings you are accepting responsibility for your lifelong journey to health and fitness. Knowing that I care about you and will be checking in with you to assess your progress is great motivation. Together we will continually tweak your goals to align with your changing circumstances, giving you a reason to continue when you are ready to give up.

Today’s episode offers a prime example of how accountability works. I will be interviewing a client of mine who has an accountability dream team in place, and she will be sharing her story of 14 years of weight loss success as well as weight maintenance. If you are ready to hear the secret ingredient to achieving goals and hear an inspiring story, Tune in…

Journal Prompts

1. If you hired a health coach, personal trainer, dietitian, therapist… what three things would you look for when hiring this person?

2. Based on personal experiences with external accountability, what worked well for you and what do you wish would have been different?

3. When looking back at times in your life when you felt healthy and on top of your game, what top three components helped you in your success?

Homework:

Reach out to an accountability source: this could be getting the trainer back on the books or as simple as lining up a walking buddy. I want you to start seeing your nutrition and fitness goals blocked out on the calendar. Ex. 3 walking days on the calendar with your neighbor OR schedule a health coach weekly OR meet a neighbor once a week to pre-prep some healthy dinners. Everyone’s accountability will look different, there is no right or wrong way to do this…

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Sign Up for your weekly newsletter:

https://www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com/newsletter/?fbclid=IwAR3xg3Ocmcp4zQbbWtUh4ZiyV0JNEUD6CH2OUHU3MEQK5VX3ebo0omas7tQ

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Accountability

Published 1/25/2019

1. Have you ever heard yourself saying “I know what to do, I just need to do it”?!

2. Do you ever feel like when you are listening to nutrition advice, you have heard it all before?

3. Have you ever wondered why some people can show up rain or shine and all it takes is a dark cloud for you to cancel your workout?

4. Have you had good momentum or flow when you’ve worked with a trainer, dietitian, therapist or coach?

5. Have you seen yourself stop using outside resources to cut cost, only to lose that momentum months later when life gets in the way?

If any of these questions sound familiar to you, you are not alone. Working as a Registered Dietician and Personal Trainer, these same questions kept coming up with client after client. The answer to those questions is to bring accountability into your life. Accountability is defined as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. As an accountability coach I offer podcasts, newsletters, Facebook live chats and inspirational posts as well as live and virtual coaching sessions. I am excited to work with you to set realistic goals that fit Your needs. By tuning in and taking advantage of these offerings you are accepting responsibility for your lifelong journey to health and fitness. Knowing that I care about you and will be checking in with you to assess your progress is great motivation. Together we will continually tweak your goals to align with your changing circumstances, giving you a reason to continue when you are ready to give up.

Today’s episode offers a prime example of how accountability works. I will be interviewing a client of mine who has an accountability dream team in place, and she will be sharing her story of 14 years of weight loss success as well as weight maintenance. If you are ready to hear the secret ingredient to achieving goals and hear an inspiring story, Tune in…

Journal Prompts

1. If you hired a health coach, personal trainer, dietitian, therapist… what three things would you look for when hiring this person?

2. Based on personal experiences with external accountability, what worked well for you and what do you wish would have been different?

3. When looking back at times in your life when you felt healthy and on top of your game, what top three components helped you in your success?

Homework:

Reach out to an accountability source: this could be getting the trainer back on the books or as simple as lining up a walking buddy. I want you to start seeing your nutrition and fitness goals blocked out on the calendar. Ex. 3 walking days on the calendar with your neighbor OR schedule a health coach weekly OR meet a neighbor once a week to pre-prep some healthy dinners. Everyone’s accountability will look different, there is no right or wrong way to do this…

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Sign Up for your weekly newsletter:

https://www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com/newsletter/?fbclid=IwAR3xg3Ocmcp4zQbbWtUh4ZiyV0JNEUD6CH2OUHU3MEQK5VX3ebo0omas7tQ

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Turning Away from Diet Mentality

Published 1/11/2019

Diet mentality focuses on the number on the scale. Many times I have seen that number destroy confidence, motivation, and self esteem. I help you find other ways to measure your health and fitness that take away the power the scale has over you and will not leave you throwing your hands in the air and giving up. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness . Stay informed and keep an open mind about what your journey looks like. The changes you will be making are not one time fixes, fads or diets. They do not provide instant gratification, therefore they are not exciting. They take you down a much gentler, redeeming path that will serve you well today, tomorrow and through every season of your life.

Journal Prompts

@9:40 Write down what “fit” means to you. If it is a BMI, a number on a scale or a waist measurement, I challenge you to balance your thoughts by thinking about positive effects that aren’t measured by a number. Readdressed @11:39: Write down three good feelings you can take away from nutrition or fitness if you forget about weighing or measuring; For example more energy, better sleep, better mood…

@12:14 What impact does the scale have on how you feel about yourself? What emotions does it invoke?

@12:53 Given the impact mentioned above how do you envision it could be different? For example; if you weigh yourself multiple times a day and feel the scale has power over you, you could change the timing or method of your weigh-ins to eliminate the mind games that arise. Weigh yourself at the same time of day wearing the same clothes on the same scale. Other ways to track your progress would be foodlogging, exercise logging or journaling.

Homework

@15:46 Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Direction Not Perfection Scale Smash; Smashing the negative self talk and set free from the scale : https://youtu.be/SyEDu05NnUM

Turning Away from Diet Mentality

Published 1/11/2019

Diet mentality focuses on the number on the scale. Many times I have seen that number destroy confidence, motivation, and self esteem. I help you find other ways to measure your health and fitness that take away the power the scale has over you and will not leave you throwing your hands in the air and giving up. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness . Stay informed and keep an open mind about what your journey looks like. The changes you will be making are not one time fixes, fads or diets. They do not provide instant gratification, therefore they are not exciting. They take you down a much gentler, redeeming path that will serve you well today, tomorrow and through every season of your life.

Journal Prompts

@9:40 Write down what “fit” means to you. If it is a BMI, a number on a scale or a waist measurement, I challenge you to balance your thoughts by thinking about positive effects that aren’t measured by a number. Readdressed @11:39: Write down three good feelings you can take away from nutrition or fitness if you forget about weighing or measuring; For example more energy, better sleep, better mood…

@12:14 What impact does the scale have on how you feel about yourself? What emotions does it invoke?

@12:53 Given the impact mentioned above how do you envision it could be different? For example; if you weigh yourself multiple times a day and feel the scale has power over you, you could change the timing or method of your weigh-ins to eliminate the mind games that arise. Weigh yourself at the same time of day wearing the same clothes on the same scale. Other ways to track your progress would be foodlogging, exercise logging or journaling.

Homework

@15:46 Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

Direction Not Perfection Scale Smash; Smashing the negative self talk and set free from the scale : https://youtu.be/SyEDu05NnUM

I’m here to let you know you are not alone on your journey to health and fitness. Get ready to visit common questions and concerns and let me guide you step-by-step through changes that will help you be who you want to be!

Podcast 1: Motivating Yourself for Others

I want to sort through the overwhelming, often conflicting information overload about health and fitness and make it attainable, realistic and fun. I will introduce you to my book Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from Your Wine Loving Dietitian and explain why I wrote it and how that ties into my theme of “Motivating Yourself for Others”.

By offering professional, evidence-based insight and thought-provoking journaling questions combined with homework such as setting realistic, attainable goals, I will guide you on your journey towards a healthy life. I do not judge. I believe in balanced choices. I want you to listen to my words and apply them where they are needed in your lives. I want to help you find the intrinsic motivation that will help you lay beautiful tracks for generations to come.

Journal questions to build insight within yourself about what you need.

1. Who would you write a letter to telling them why you care about your health? It can be to yourself or anyone else.

2. When you think of being healthy for someone else, what type of feelings do you get?

3. How do those feelings affect you?

Homework: Write a letter, to yourself or someone you care about explaining your reasons for wanting to be healthy and fit. You can give the letter to them or just keep it to refer back to when you need to remember your “Why”.

Episode Information:

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietician

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection

@3:38 Colleen Weinkam:Senior Writer - Content Creator at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Coauthor of Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-Loving Dietitian

@24:00 Trish Blackwell: Confidence Coach and Fitness Professional  www.trishblackwell.com