Back to School

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Megan

Kids all across the country are loading up their backpacks, sharpening their pencils and heading back to the classroom. Bedtimes are being reinstated, homework beckons, and so begins the more disciplined routine that inevitably accompanies September for the under-22 crowd. Some go with enthusiasm, others more begrudgingly, but every fall, when students walk into their classroom, it is with a fresh start – a clean slate. A new teacher, new textbooks, and maybe even some new faces. With it comes a new set of demands. The reading is a little longer, math problems a little trickier, and history digs a little deeper. At first this new set of expectations presents a challenge, but as the school year goes on, the students adapt. They rise to the level of these expectations and in the end they are better for it – stronger, smarter, more disciplined and more efficient with their time. They are ready to move on to the next level. They are, as we like to say in the gym, “always getting better.”

Just because you aren’t in school doesn’t mean September isn’t a good time to re-instate your own disciplined routine. Be more vigilant about bedtime. The hours before midnight are the ones that count the most. If you are thinking about starting an exercise and balanced nutrition plan, why not start now? Fall is a good time to buckle down; a good a time for new beginnings. If you have slacked off on your workouts in favor of happy hour, or your vacation wasn’t as active as you’d hoped, or you indulged in one too many ice cream cones, now is the perfect time to get back into it. Dust off your sneakers, buy a new pair if it makes you feel better, and hit the roads/gym/courts. Kids all over the country are dialing it in right now – heading back to the classrooms and re-calling their discipline and focus. Why don’t you join them?

If you’ve been working out and eating right all summer, take this time to step your game up! Challenge yourself a little more. If you are doing 5 x 30 second intervals, go for 8 or 10. It will be hard at first, but your body will adapt. In time you will graduate and up the ante. Your mind constantly demands new stimulus and so does your body. Always getting better.

Every day you wake up presents an opportunity to start anew, but if you are lacking motivation, or need a kick start, let the academic calendar be your guide! It will make your New Year’s Resolutions more interesting because you will have already lost the weight and you’ll be in great shape. Think how hot you’ll look at all your holiday parties. Now if only you can convince your boss to adopt Spring Break and Ski Week…

Posted in Health, Motivation, New Year, Self Improvement, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

10 Things You Can Accomplish EVERY Day

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Megan

We all have a seemingly endless list of things to do that stares us in the face every morning and haunts our thoughts at night. The one that always seems to get longer despite the fact that you’ve slaved away at it all week. Well, here is a list of 10 things you CAN accomplish every day, top to bottom, without much effort or time. So on those days when there is no time or energy to get anything else done, tackle these and give yourself something to feel good about.

  1. Make your bed – It makes any bedroom look instantly cleaner.
  2. Eat a colorful fruit or vegetable – It’s for your health.
  3. Do something to brighten someone else’s day – Yield, pay an earnest compliment, hold open a door, let the person in line with one item go in front of you.
  4. Go for a 10 minute walk outside – Take in a little fresh air and get some exercise.
  5. Wear sunscreen – Protect yourself against skin cancer and premature aging.
  6. Floss – Plaque in your mouth correlates to plaque buildup in your heart.
  7. Drink water – Every system in your body depends on it.
  8. Breathe – Not shallow chest breaths, but deep, meaningful ones.
  9. Laugh – It’s good for your heart, boosts not just your mood but your immunity, decreases stress and anxiety. Plus it feels good!
  10. Phone a friend – Connecting with friends and loved ones helps you live longer and better.

Now get in your well-made bed and get a good night’s sleep – essential for a productive tomorrow!

Posted in Motivation, Self Improvement, Success, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How Safe Is Your Sunscreen?

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Megan

There is a lot of chatter about sunscreen lately – UVA, UVB, which brand is best, does it contain potential toxins, are more expensive brands better? In June, the FDA announced new requirements for sunscreen labels as part of an ongoing effort to ensure sunscreens meet modern-day standards for safety and efficacy. Regulations will not go into effect until summer 2012, but hopefully they will bring more clarity to what we are putting on our bodies.

With so much information swirling around, I wanted to take a closer look.  After all, being outdoors in nice weather is healthy for both mind and body, but it is important to have confidence in your sunscreen. Sun protection is essential to skin cancer prevention.

Unfortunately, potential toxins are in many of the products we use and the foods we eat. However, armed with the information below, hopefully you can find a sunscreen to feel good about. It is important to note the validity of much of the research on potentially harmful ingredients in sunscreen remains in question. Some studies are not formally published or have not yet been peer reviewed, and many have not been conducted on humans. The FDA maintains the products are safe for consumer use and will continue to review safety information for targeted ingredients as part of the new regulations.

Bottom line – it is confusing and there is no perfect answer, so it is best to speak to your dermatologist to devise a plan that works for you. Skin cancer is a very serious health risk and the benefits of using the proper sunscreen far outweigh the risks of going without. Sunscreen is only part of what needs to be a multi-pronged approach to protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays. Seeking shade, covering up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses are also important strategies.

Ultraviolet or UV radiation from the sun bears 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers, affecting 1 out of every 5 Americans, and 65% of melanoma cases. Starting next summer, in accordance with the FDA, only products that protect skin from both UVA and UVB sun rays can be labeled “broad spectrum.” Those that don’t, or those with an SPF less than 15 must carry a warning that the product does not protect against skin cancer or prevent premature skin aging.

The FDA regulations ban exaggerated claims about the strength and durability of a sunscreen.  The terms sunblock, waterproof and sweatproof are no longer allowed on labels. Water resistant formulas must say on the label how long the product will protect the skin before reapplication is needed (40 or 80 minutes). Regardless, all sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours because they break down over time. Sunscreens can no longer be labeled with an SPF higher than 50 because there is not enough evidence that higher SPF products contain more protection.

When evaluating sunscreens, there are two key ingredients to look for: titanium oxide or zinc oxide, which act like a mirror to reflect the sun’s rays; and octinoxate or oxybenzone. Yet neither are without controversy.

An environmental group called Friends of the Earth fear that nanoparticles, which are added to sunscreens containing titanium or zinc oxide (to ensure that they rub on clear rather than white), may pass through the skin’s surface with potentially harmful effects. Friends of the Earth also believe that these nanoparticles may be harmful to the environment. However, the jury is still out on whether they are safe and most research shows the nanoparticles do not enter the bloodstream. There are currently no labeling requirements for nanoparticles.

The Environmental Working Group concerns themselves with the chemical components of oxybenzone, fearing that the body absorbs it through the skin. The EWG claims oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor that may cause hormone disruption and sun-activated allergic reactions. There is concern that children should not use sunscreen with oxybenzone because of this potential skin penetration. Another controversial ingredient in many sunscreens is retinyl palmitate. Retinyl palmitate is an ingredient found in many sunscreens and skin products. It’s a form of Vitamin A that over the years has been shown to be very beneficial to the skin. Now, studies are showing otherwise. Critics call the EWG findings “junk science.” Their research is in preliminary studies and has not been peer reviewed or published.

Regardless, the well established benefits of protecting skin against the sun far outweigh the risks associated with potentially hazardous ingredients. It is important to note that many of these same ingredients are in almost all of the cosmetics, shampoos and lotions that we use on a daily basis without thinking twice. That does not make it right, but it is not a reason to single out and crucify sunscreen, especially since we know the terrible risks associated with sun exposure and skin cancer. I am hopeful that safety regulations in both the foods we eat and products we use are put in place immediately in order to protect and inform the consumer from many of the toxins we have introduced.

When shopping for sunscreen, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation, which is awarded to sun protective products that meet stringent criteria for safety and effectiveness. A list of approved products can be found below. The SCF will be modifying the list again in May of 2012.

These conversations on sunscreen regulations and safety are something to be aware of. Hopefully by being more educated on the issues, you, along with your dermatologist, can come up with a strategy that works best for you and your family. Kudos to the FDA for stepping up and regulating the industry. We can only hope that labeling on sunscreen doesn’t become as complicated or loaded with misleading information as food labels! Enjoy your summer!

Here are a few articles that may be of interest:

Skin Cancer Foundation website

http://www.skincancer.org/Sunscreen/

Consumer Report List of Best Sunscreens*

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/226793.php

Environmental Working Group’s List of Best Sunscreens*

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

Sunscreens with Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Approval

http://www.skincancer.org/seal/#sealfinder

Skin Cancer Foundation’s Response to Sunscreen Concerns by EWG

http://www.skincancer.org/recentattackssunscreen.html

*The two lists are different because the Consumer Report list only takes into account effectiveness while the EWG list evaluates potential health effects from controversial ingredients.

Posted in Health, Sunscreen Safety | Leave a comment

The F-Word

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Megan

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a Nutrition and Health forum featuring Dr. Andrew Weil, author and integrative medicine pioneer; Michael Pollan, bestselling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Dr. Robert Lustig, a leading Neuroendocrinologist and childhood obesity expert at UCSF. It was a fantastic evening filled with excellent information. While the material wasn’t new to me, the discussion that night left me inspired. It made me think about what and how we eat.

A calorie is NOT just a calorie, especially where carbohydrates are concerned. In my early years of training, while I knew from a nutritional standpoint this was not the case, I honestly figured as far as weight loss went, it was. With further thought and education, I realized that consuming 1000 calories of salmon and consuming 1000 calories of French fries could not possibly have the same effect on one’s weight. It doesn’t. Not all food calories have the same impact on fat storage and energy expenditure, regardless of whether they come from fat, protein or carbohydrate. It is important to note: FAT is not what is making us fat. Rather a type of carbohydrate is. Sugar causes us to store too much energy. Sugar, in many forms (fructose, high fructose corn syrup or HFCS, sucrose, maple syrup, honey, even agave nectar – which is 75% fructose) causes the body to develop an insulin resistance. High levels of insulin in a person’s bloodstream cause the body to store more fat. Insulin interferes with leptin, the hormone that tells the body it is full – to stop eating. Without it, you continue to eat. Therefore, a high sugar diet IS a high fat diet.

In the early 80’s, the USDA and American Heart Association, among others, called for a reduction in dietary fat, with the intent to slow heart disease. It didn’t. Here’s why: when you lower the amount of fat in processed foods, the taste goes way down, so food companies compensated for this by greatly increasing the amount of sugar in the food so people would continue to buy it. In addition, they removed the fiber to lengthen the shelf life. A double whammy.

Fructose IS the f-word. It is poison. For the full explanation, watch Dr. Lustwig’s lecture, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” on YouTube. There is a lengthy biochemical explanation for all of this, but basically, when you eat 120 calories of glucose (ex: white bread), only 24 calories end up in the liver, most of which are stored as glycogen, which is non-toxic. When you eat 120 calories of sucrose (ex: fruit juice), all of the fructose, or 72 calories total, gets sent to the liver because the liver is the only organ in the body that can metabolize fructose.  By definition, this makes fructose a toxin.

Fructose consumption changes the way your brain recognizes energy – in a very negative way. The brain does not recognize fructose the way it recognizes other food, so despite your fat cells filling up, your brain thinks you’re hungry and you crave more food. Research shows that chronic fructose exposure promotes metabolic syndrome (the conglomerate of Type2 Diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease). Fructose does not suppress ghrelin, a hunger hormone, so you eat more. Nor does fructose stimulate leptin, the hormone that tells your brain to stop eating. Therefore your brain does not know that you have consumed food.

Fructose and ethanol (also known as drinking alcohol) are metabolized the same way. Chemically, they are the same thing: fructose is ethanol without the buzz. Ethanol is widely regarded as a toxin and is regulated by the FDA because too much of it is bad for you. It is an addictive substance that is recognized and treated as such. So why isn’t fructose? The answer unfortunately is simple. The FDA only regulates acute toxins, and fructose is a chronic toxin. A minor detail.

The more you learn about the food industry, the more you realize how tangled it is with our economy. Unfortunately, we live in a society where the government incentivizes farmers to limit their production to corn and soy. That is why junk food is so cheap. It is subsidized by our government. 16% of the corn in the US is turned into high fructose corn syrup. How silly to listen to the government preach the importance of “prevention care” as a way to cover health care costs for everyone, yet at the same time, they refuse to get to heart of the matter and regulate or tax sugar as the CAUSE of disease.

Back to fructose….does this mean fruit is bad for you? Fruit? No. Fruit juice? Yes. The answer here is simple: fiber. Fructose found in nature comes with fiber. The accompanying fiber not only provides an essential nutrient, but it mitigates how much sugar gets absorbed by the body, reducing the insulin response. This fiber also helps signal satiety in the brain. When you juice a fruit however, you are negating the fiber and it becomes strictly fructose, making it just another sugary liquid.

So now what do we do? It can be overwhelming right? Enough to make you reach for the bon bons. Not just yet. The simplest way to control the amount of sugar in your diet is to eat less refined food. Eat from the earth – or as close to it as possible. Get your sweets from fruits and veggies. Turn back the trajectory on refined foods! The further a food is from the way nature produced it, the worse it is for you. We need to bring cooking back. When you make food yourself, you know what goes into it. When you outsource, you lose control. It is a hard thing to do, but somehow in the last several years we have come up with anywhere from 2 to 6 hours a day to watch television or cruise the internet, so certainly with a little effort and planning we can come up with a few hours a week to make some healthy meals. Plan a week’s worth of food in advance, make a list and shop for it all at once, stick to the periphery in the grocery store because junk food looms in the center aisles, do as much prep work as you can in advance and allow yourself something sweet every once in a while, not every day. Stay away from any sugary liquids. EAT. MORE. REAL. FOOD.

Posted in Eating, Nutrition | Leave a comment

You Can’t Plant Weeds & Expect to Harvest Roses

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Megan

Are YOU getting in your own way?

Self-talk is the stream of thoughts running through your head at any given time. Positive or negative, this inner dialogue can be logical and reasonable, or irrational – based on misconceptions, insecurities or lack of information. Regardless, this internal chatter impacts not just how you see your life, but your overall health and well-being.  So stop for a minute and think…..if you saw a ticker tape of your thoughts throughout the day, would you be proud of what you saw?

We are taught to always look on the bright side, to see the cup as half full, to look for the silver lining. Most of us would probably say we try to do this. We all know how important a positive attitude is. There is so much talk about how our attitude defines us; it shapes the way we see the world and turns obstacles into opportunities. The only limits we have are the ones we put upon ourselves. Yet, it has been both my personal and professional experience that we all are our own harshest critic. You wouldn’t tell your friend she looks fat, tired or that her hair looks like a hot mess, but all of us at one time or another have thought these things about ourselves. So if the importance of a positive outlook is something we all know about, then why aren’t we better about living it?

People with a positive attitude live longer, experience less depression and cardiovascular disease, are better equipped to handle stress and have stronger immune systems. They are more likely to exercise and fuel themselves properly than their negative counterparts. Positive thinking helps you do more, go further, feel better – or just keep going.  Viewing things in a more positive light enables you to be more confident, pro-active and productive.

While you may think you are a positive person, it is important to take a 20-second time out every now and again to take inventory on what exactly you are telling yourself. Sometimes the dialogue in your head can be so unfavorable that not only would you never tell a close friend, but most likely, you would never say aloud because it would be rude, hurtful and inappropriate. If you wouldn’t talk to a friend that way, don’t talk to yourself that way. Be mindful of your thoughts. Make sure they are nurturing and productive. If not, throw them out or re-frame them in a more positive light.

Positive self-talk is not sticking your head in the sand and ignoring life’s unpleasant realities, rather it is re-framing them so you are better able to cope in a more productive way. 

Here are a few examples of some of the messages we need to overwrite because they are negative and counter-productive.

Instead of: Think:
I’ll never finish this assignment in time. I’ll make a list of everything that needs to get done and tackle it one at a time.
I feel so fat and out of shape. I can’t wait for my workout tomorrow…another opportunity to get stronger!
I ate so much last night. I am going to get some exercise, drink lots of water and fuel my body with colorful fruits and veggies today.
I should never have taken on this project; I am in way over my head. What a great opportunity to work on something I have never done before!

Every thought is a seed. You can’t plant weeds and expect to harvest roses. It is just as easy to see the positive as the negative, and looking on the bright side makes you feel better. It doesn’t cost more, and what we consistently think about, we create. Every time we worry about something, we are feeding it with energy. Instead, invest in the good. Chose to be happy, walk on the sunny side.  A positive attitude entertains constructive thoughts and pleasant feelings in our brain. But it all starts with being aware, so throughout the day, stop and check yourself…what are your thoughts? Are they positive? If not, how you can you re-frame them? Before you know it, you will have re-written many of the negative messages that used to haunt you and you will be on your way to being your best self. Besides, positive energy attracts positive energy; it is infectious. Pass it on.

Posted in Motivation, Positive Self Talk, Positive Thinking, Self Improvement | Leave a comment

March Madness

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Megan

Success may be a lot of things, but it is almost never an accident. Just ask John Wooden or the plethora of young men who played for him. Wooden tied success not to achievement, wealth or fame, but to how close a person came to their potential. Yet as the leader of what is the greatest dynasty in college sports, John Wooden led the UCLA Bruins to 10 National Championships in 12 years, including 7 in a row. He coached a record-breaking 88-game winning streak, and won 38 straight NCAA tournament games despite never discussing wins and losses. Even with a cumulative career record of 885-203 (.813 percent), winning was never his measuring stick for success.

“My players never heard me mention winning. All I mentioned was the peace of mind that comes with knowing you made the effort to be the best you can be and you’re the only one who will know that and I tried to get that across, but I want winning to be a bi-product of the preparation and work we do on the journey to get there. That’s the fun of it.”

When you asked him what he did for a living, he’d tell you he was a teacher. What he taught was basketball, but most importantly, it was lessons in life. This is what separates him from so many other coaches. He used sport as a metaphor for life; the court was his classroom. Championships were not enough – he wanted to prepare young people for the rest of their lives.

That is not to say he didn’t require everything from his players. He’d tell them before a game that while there were a bunch of people all over the world that didn’t care a bit about this game, for them, the next two hours were the most important two hours of their lives and they needed to give it their all.

While his players knew they were learning basketball, they were also learning the values and characteristics they’d need in life to be successful. Coach was a master planner and had meticulous attention to detail. The first day of practice, he showed his players how to put on their socks so as not to get wrinkles, because wrinkles could cause blisters and if you get blisters it could affect your level of play.

A stickler for time, Wooden did not tolerate tardiness. When his two star players were late for practice, he told them not to be late again. The next day, they were 2 minutes late. He didn’t say a word, but that night was a huge game and neither player was in the starting line-up. Despite the fact that the Bruins were getting beat, the players remained on the bench. Coach Wooden wanted to win, but to him it was more important that they learned the valuable lesson of being on time.

Coach Wooden put a premium on preparation. All of his coaches had a 3×5 card with every minute of the practice detailed out so as not to over or under-do anything. He’d evaluate each practice and adjust and prepare for the next. His practices were only two hours, but they covered everything that needed covering. They were disciplined, focused on fundamentals and he was always in control of his court.

It should be no surprise that Coach Wooden’s teams were always in superior condition, allowing them to finish strong each game, yet they never ran sprints or suicides. All the work was done in the context of preparing to play the game of basketball. In fact, practices were so intense, once the games came along, they almost seemed easy. Leave it to Wooden to implement sport-specific training way before anyone else. Train the way you play.

Coach Wooden did not give pregame motivational speeches: emotional peaks are followed by valleys. “Intensity makes you stronger. Emotionalism makes you weaker.” He taught his players to “think small” during games – to concentrate on quick but proper execution. Wooden did not even mention the opposing team or its star player, and former Wooden center Bill Walton has joked that he had to buy a game program to find out whom UCLA was playing.

Wooden spent several years tinkering with the 15 habits that encompass the fundamentals of his definition of success. Known as The Pyramid of Success, it is the map to his philosophies, and what guided him as a teacher and coach. Completed in 1948, it has been around since the Truman administration and has more than withstood the test of time. So paramount to his philosophy, yet in true Wooden style, he didn’t hammer it into his players; he mentioned it just once to freshman at the beginning of the season. These were the 15 habits his players developed through daily basketball practice.

“Industriousness and “enthusiasm” at it cornerstones, the foundation of the pyramid is the knowledge that life, like basketball, is a team game, with the main ingredient being the team. Coach Wooden would not stand for show-offs. The Pyramid allowed Coach Wooden’s players to summon their best anytime, and they began the summoning by being enthusiastic about their work. The first layer atop the foundation is Coach’s mental row of “self-control, alertness, initiative, and intentness.” He valued mental and physical quickness. He’d famously remind his players to “be quick, but don’t hurry.” The middle row draws upon the physical with “condition, skill and team spirit,” putting skill at the heart of the pyramid. The next row focuses on the spiritual: “poise and confidence” – consistent with his definition of success. The apex of his pyramid is “competitive greatness,” which Wooden viewed as a byproduct of what has gone before. He defines it as, “a real love for the hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at your best when your best is required.” He felt all great competitors he played with, coached and admired all shared a joy of the struggle – the journey, because only in that supreme effort lies the opportunity to summon your best, a personal greatness that can not be diminished or dismissed because of a final score or bottom line.

Despite all of his accolades, to Coach Wooden, love was the most important, powerful thing there was. The second was balance, or the ability to keep things in perspective. While neither makes up the pyramid of success, in it you find loyalty, which is not just something he preached. Married to his first love for 53-years, Nell was the first and only woman he ever kissed. She passed away on the 21st of March in 1985 and on the 21st of every month for 25 years, Coach Wooden wrote her a love letter.

A three-time All-American, Wooden earned a National Championship while at Purdue and he is the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and as a coach. Wooden served in World War II as a full lieutenant. The harshest words his players ever heard were “gracious sakes alive.” There were no recruiting scandals, no NCAA fines or investigations. Wooden not only conducted his program by the values in his Pyramid of Success, but it was how he led his life. As successful as he was, he always stayed humble. He kept his feet firmly planted on the ground and understood the important things in life: family, relationships and integrity. He wanted his players to be able to look in the mirror at the end of the day and be proud of what they saw.

At a time when college basketball takes center stage, it is appropriate to stand back and take a lesson or two from the best. The value of Coach Wooden was not just the wizardry we saw on the court, but the magic he instilled in his players. Successful people have successful habits. Surround yourself with them, learn from them, adopt their mindset, their habits and their work ethic and you will be better off for it.

A few of my favorite Wooden quotes:
“Do not mistake activity for achievement.”
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Happiness begins where selfishness ends.”
“It is about WHAT is correct, not WHO is correct.”
“You may not always be at your best, but you can always try your best.”

John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

Posted in Coaching, College Basketball, Grace, Motivation, Self Improvement, Success | Leave a comment

January 2011 Newsletter

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Megan

Dietary Fats, Sliders and the Seeds of Change?

Posted in Newsletters | Leave a comment

Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2011

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Megan

You were born a daughter.
You looked up to your mother.
You looked up to your father.
You looked up at everyone.
You wanted to be a princess.
You thought you were a princess.
You wanted to own a horse.
You wanted to be a horse.
You wanted your brother to be a horse.
You wanted to wear pink.
You never wanted to wear pink.
You wanted to be a Veterinarian.
You wanted to be President.
You wanted to be the President’s Veterinarian.
You were picked last for the team.
You were the best one on the team.
You refused to be on the team.
You wanted to be good in algebra.
You hid during algebra.
You wanted the boys to notice you.
You were afraid the boys would notice you.
You started to get acne.
You started to get breasts.
You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts.
You wouldn’t wear a bra.
You couldn’t wait to wear a bra.
You couldn’t fit into a bra.
You didn’t like the way you looked.
You didn’t like the way your parents looked.
You didn’t want to grow up.
You had your first best friend.
You had your first date.
You had your second best friend.
You had your second first date.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You got kissed.
You got to kiss back.
You went to the prom.
You didn’t go to the prom.
You went to the prom with the wrong person.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You lost your best friend.
You lost your other best friend.
You really fell in love.
You became a steady girlfriend.
You became a significant other.
YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.
Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it’s time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete. Because you know it’s never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one.
JUST DO IT.

This is probably one of my favorite Nike ads ever. Over the course of 8 pages, you watch a young girl grow into a woman, only it isn’t the same girl and in each frame she is playing a different sport. On the first page she is probably 11, a few years younger than I was when I first saw the ad. She is standing in a field at dawn. She looks happy, but perhaps a little unsure of herself. The next page shows a strong, graceful runner who looks to be around 15. It is a profile shot on a peaceful road and the girl is running by herself. Her stride is long and she looks fast, confident, powerful and happy. Her feet aren’t even touching the ground. That shot is my favorite. Over the next four pages you see four more girls, each a little older than the one before. She is doing aerobics (this was after all, the early 90’s), power-walking with a girlfriend, rowing solo in a skull across a river, and jumping rope. The last page of the ad shows a woman, who looks to be in her early 30’s, standing confidently in the same field. Of course because it is, after all, an ad, there are shots of the shoes she’d wear doing all of these activities creatively placed throughout.

I LOVED this ad as a young girl. It spoke to me in a lot of ways. I liked what it said, the way it looked and the way it made me feel. It validated some of the seemingly contradictory feelings I had growing up. While I never wished my brother was a horse, I remember feeling so many of the same things. Seeing them all there in print made the awkwardness I sometimes felt growing up seem normal, endearing even. I related to the girl in the ad and I looked forward to turning into the woman on the last page. She embodied how I wanted to feel. She looked fit and strong, smart and confident – comfortable in her own skin. Like she could smoke you in the mile, kill it in the board room, and work it at a cocktail party in her fab little back dress and Louboutins.

I still love this ad and am motivated by it. It still speaks to me. It reminds me that I’m still the same silly girl that spoke a little too fast, giggled when I got in trouble and loved the feeling I got after completing a task that made me feel strong. Only now I’m just a little older, some days wiser, but never immune to being reminded that nothing makes me feel more on top of the world than a butt-kicking workout.

So today, on a day when we celebrate girls and women in sports, let us recommit ourselves to making images of athletic, active girls and women prominent in our society – and tangible, visible role models. We need to put a premium on the messages we are sending out to our youth instead of filling up our media with images of women with an unattainable, unhealthy body-type that girls are harming themselves in order to achieve. And it shouldn’t stop there. On a local level, we can all play a part. Let’s remember how important we can be in the life of a young girl in helping her feel at home in her own skin. It certainly doesn’t have to be through sports. Nurturing a passion in a child is important regardless, but especially at a time when a young woman’s body begins to change shape, her hormones go haywire and we live in a society where a slew of unrealistic, mixed messages are sent out every day about how a woman “should” look, feel or act, providing her with the opportunity to feel strong, confident and accomplished in her own skin, is invaluable. Take a young girl in your life to a local high school or college women’s basketball or softball game, buy her a ball or a glove, or take her out for a run. Watch a women’s professional sporting event on TV together, or chose a local woman’s team to follow in the newspaper. BE the change you wish to see.

Athletics, at all levels, is one of the most effective avenues available where girls can develop and nurture self-discipline, initiative, confidence, and leadership skills, among others. Participation in organized sport builds necessary communication and cooperation skills that play a key role at home, at work and in society as a whole. There is a need for increased opportunities for girls to participate in and pursue physical activity at the community and scholastic level to increase their health and well-being on a daily basis so that they are able to develop not only key life-building tools, but lifelong fitness habits at an early age. If a simple 8-page Nike ad that adorned my wall in high school, and now sits in a binder filled with other inspirational, motivational clippings, could do so much for me that I am sitting here twenty years later still talking about, imagine what opportunities you could foster in a young girl or woman in your life to be involved and inspired by sports; to feel good in and about her body. In the theme of this year’s celebration, “Play, Believe, Achieve.” The potential is unlimited.

For more information on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, please visit:

http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/News-And-Events/Events/National-Girls-and-Women-In-Sports-Day.aspx

Posted in Courage, Follow your Passion, Girls in Sports, Grace, Motivation, Self Improvement, Strength Training | 2 Comments

The Seeds of Change

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Megan

Happy 2011! With the New Year often come renewed intentions to commit to a healthy exercise and nutrition plan. It can be a challenging undertaking, but nothing is more rewarding than feeling good in your own skin. This is not a process that happens overnight however. In fact there may be days, especially initially, when staying in bed with a donut seems more appealing than getting up and getting after it. If it is instant gratification you are after, look elsewhere. But anything worth having is worth working for. Life might be like a box of chocolates, but starting a fitness program is like planting a garden. Let me explain.

When you set out to plant a garden, chances are you start with a little research to figure out which types of plants or flowers are conducive to the climate you are in. Then you prep the soil, buy the seeds, and get to work. You place the seeds in the ground, carefully cover them up with dirt, water them and give them all the TLC required. You continue to water them, monitor the sunlight and maybe even fertilize the area, despite the fact that for the first several days or weeks, there are no visible signs of growth. Yet you do this because you know things are happening beneath the surface. You act“as if” you can see the growth, and you continue to nurture it and do what is required to make that garden grow. You don’t wait to see growth before you commit to care for the plant, because without these initial steps, there would be no growth.

Similarly, when you start an exercise program, you may research gym memberships, activities or fitness protocols, buy some new workout clothes or shoes, and commit yourself to the hard work that lies ahead. For the first few days or weeks you probably feel motivated and perhaps even excited about the new healthy lifestyle you are embarking on. But there will be a time, 6, 10, 14, 21 days in when that enthusiasm or motivation begins to wane. Then you try on a smaller size pair of pants, and they still feel tight. Or you look in the mirror and you can’t see your six-pack. This is when I want you to think back to your garden. Several days or weeks in, you check on the garden and all you see is the same pile of dirt. Yet, you continue to water and care for the area. Why? Because of the hundreds if not millions of gardeners who have come before you. The formula is tried and true. You don’t dig up the seeds every few days to make sure they are sprouting. You go on faith and act “as-if” because when you take the appropriate action, things will start happening. For a while though, it takes place under the surface and it requires a bit of a leap of faith to carry on. Maybe not the same conscious, oft trying faith that sticking to a newly adopted exercise and nutrition plan require, but faith nonetheless.

Meaningful change takes time. Things happen slowly. Admit it: you didn’t lose your six-pack overnight. It’s not like you skipped a workout, over indulged and poof! The next day you your waistline disappeared. It took time to get that way and it will take time to un-get that way. It isn’t like your jeans were super comfortable one day and the next you couldn’t get them buttoned. Uh-uh. That’s not how it happened. Change takes time, it happens slowly and when it is in your face 24/7, you are even less likely to see it. Think about newborn babies. When you see them day in and day out, they look the same, yet when you look at a photo from just a few weeks ago, the difference is remarkable.

Patience, young Jedi. It is important to be mindful of this when you begin to right the ship. So if you find yourself getting frustrated, stay the course! Chances are the plants are about to break the surface.

What I am trying to say is, it doesn’t happen overnight, and just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Exercise combined with proper nutrition is a proven formula, the same as in your garden. Commit yourself to do the work, follow the appropriate steps, and don’t worry about it. Stop looking for proof; don’t dig up the seeds to “make sure.” It WILL happen. If you eat right and exercise starting today, your body will be a billboard of this commitment soon enough. Perhaps not as soon as you’d like, but soon enough. You can’t rush nature. So if you find yourself feeling discouraged, I encourage you to act “as-if” you have the healthiest body in the world and treat it as such, because soon enough, you will.

Posted in Eating, Exercise Tips, Holidays, Motivation, New Year, Self Improvement | Leave a comment

Season’s Greetings!

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Megan

Each year, an inspiring quote adorns the front of the Presidio Fitness holiday card; a potential mantra of sorts created to inspire throughout the year. So aesthetically pleasing, the card is designed for display upon the fridge door, a desktop or bulletin board, as a reminder to our clients and friends not to settle for good, because we know they are capable of great. The card mimics the framed quotes scattered throughout the gym. Negative self talk can be a person’s biggest downfall and it is my hope that with some of these simple messages, we can encourage positivity and empower our clients to “just do it.” :)

2007

“Challenge your limits, don’t limit your challenges.”

2008

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not and act, but a habit.” Aristotle

2009

“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” D. Firebaugh

2010

“True commitment begins when we reach the point of not knowing how we can possibly go on, and decide to do it anyway.”

And, without further ado, the quote for 2011, drum roll please:……

“You can not own success, you have to rent it. And rent is due every single day.” D. Hardy

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Wishing you all a magical year in 2011; filled with health, love, inner peace, and happiness!

Posted in Holidays, Motivation, Self Improvement | Leave a comment