A Good Time for Transformation

The way I see it, life is pretty mundane unless you’re working on some sort of transformation. Giving up smoking, becoming vegetarian, becoming a parent—whether it’s a small or huge change, there’s a reason every year begins with New Year’s resolutions and the excitement about “starting fresh.” Life would be a long walk on a treadmill if we didn’t throw some challenges in its wake every now and again.

We love us a good transformation. It’s my favorite part of a talk show—when they show the grizzly bear of a man in the “before” picture, and then have the Men’s Health cover-ready version walk out on stage in the “after” version. Or the dowdy woman who has never cut her hair or shopped at a mall who walks out in a trendy new ‘do and J. Crew outfit? Forget about it. It makes me tear up. And I just bet it has the same effect on you.

In my world, the transformations I see most often are flabby to tight. Weak to strong. Heavy to much, much lighter. Carnivore to herbivore. Mindless to thoughtful. You see, becoming a healthier being is not just about waking up early to get your 30 minutes in at the gym. It’s also about transforming yourself, mind, body and spirit. Imagine you are going to be the guest on that talk show: what would your “before” picture look like? And what about the “after”? What is it you hope to transform?

I consider myself a constant work in progress. My body—that’s a given. I’m always finding ways to push myself to higher boundaries. But spiraling out of that is the diet transformation, which has gone from vegetarian to mostly vegan, always looking for more ways to be more plant-based and learning, learning, learning…. It’s genuinely a thrill. Then there’s the spiritual, metaphysical part of me that’s goading my transformation from a reluctant successful trainer to allowing myself to ask, what if? What if I do allow my business to blossom? What if things get big? What if?

I do love a good walk on a treadmill, but I can’t imagine being stuck on it for too long. I stay inspired by watching the transformative successes of my clients, and by creating new challenges for myself all the time. What does your “after” picture look like? What small steps can you take now to get yourself from here to there?

Meet a Real Fitness Girl: Cindy P-L

Cindy P-L has been training with me for a couple of years now. I’ve seen her get strong, go vegan, and lose weight. Her progress is worth mentioning, so here is her story, in her words.

Cindy P-L

I have been a serial regular exerciser all of my adult life.  Unfortunately, this was interspersed with bouts (months to years) of time out of the workout routine also. Fortunately, almost 3 years ago, I started working out 5-6 days a week, and this time, it seems to be sticking.

I like the balance of cardio plus weight training because I absolutely know that my body needs both. I always strive for cardio daily to promote weight loss. However, I need to do weight or resistance training and most importantly core work at least 3-4 times per week. Having a strong core has made everything else easier, and the same goes for stronger arms and legs.

When I need to self-motivate, I remember my commitment to myself and my health and how great I feel since I’ve been serious about it.  And I reestablish my health goals in my mind. Truthfully, I also have a strong fear of missing 1 day and that day turning into missing a week, and so on.  It has happened so easily and quickly in my life in the past.

Down the line, I hope to lose 15-20 more pounds (that will be 85-90 total) and then slow down the workout routine just slightly.  I’d like to reach a point where my long-term routine is 4 hard workouts a week, plus active family time.

I know that regular exercise will be a part of my routine for the rest of my life in order to remain healthy, stave off the diabetes that most of my family experiences, and remain comfortably active. My most important goal is to run around with my grandchildren one day!

My advice for someone who knows she needs to be exercising/eating a healthy diet but just can’t imagine how to begin: Start with small goals. When you’re 20 or even 100 pounds overweight and you’re not working out or eating well, it’s hard to get started because it all feels overwhelming. It’s important to know that every meal eaten more healthily and every minute working out is positive motion. You need to accept that it might take years to meet your goals. But, the good news is that during those years, you feel better and better every day, so it’s not lost time at all.

For me, the best advice is that there’s no quick fix, and that’s really OK!

Just a typical Thursday night dinner (aka thank G-d my husband is the cook)

The answer to “What do you eat for protein?” (Which is, by the way, the most tired question. A) Do you really still buy into the “man-beating-chest must have protein” way of thinking? and B) By now, you must know about legumes, lentils, tofu, nut butters……..)
Cast Iron Stir-Fry With Avocado, Basil & Peanuts from PPK
Cast Iron Stir-Fry With Avocado, Basil & Peanuts from PPK

I’m loving my citrusy summery juice

I’ve been enjoying my morning juice so much lately, I thought I’d share an updated summery recipe. Into the Vitamix, I throw:

About 6 oz water

A quarter of a grapefruit

1 whole Clementine orange

A light grating of fresh ginger

A handful of spinach or kale

A sprig of parsley

4-5 baby carrots

About 1/4 cup frozen mango or pineapple (instead of ice)

Add some green powder if you use it (we use Amazing Grass Raw Reserve), but even without, what a blast of nutrients in your glass! I hope you love it like I do.