In this exciting episode, we are talking with Marni Wasserman. There is so much importance of self care and forgiveness in our health and wellness journeys.

Now on to the show!

Highlights

05:20

So it started slowly, organically. We put out a show a week and we just kinda kept going and we did a couple shows ourselves, we interviewed some guests, we started to kind of get a feel for what our audience was looking for. It took us about 50 episodes to get our first sponsor and then slowly we started to realize this is becoming a business.

06:14

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and the way I was eating and living wasn't conducive to my wellbeing anymore and I drastically changed everything. I went from being vegetarian to eating more of a Paleo and animal based diet, of course with lots of good fats and lots of veggies still, but I, I really turn things around so I could no longer teach that in my cooking classes.

08:21

For me it was just this organic unraveling of love and wanting to learn everything I could about food and teaching. So it's, it's kind of funny that, you know, seven years or whatever it was into my career teaching and educating about health, I had this little wake up call that was showing me that the path I was on wasn't necessarily the right one for me at the time.

15:31

But it took about, I'd say six months to a year before Jesse, my husband and I decided to work with a functional medicine team to go a bit deeper, to get some gut testing done, to go on different protocols to find out what's at the root cause, what's going on in my body, in my blood, in my urine with my hormones, all that stuff to see what's at the core of this or where can we start to clean up shop from the inside out.

21:44

Everyone can eat more vegetables. And it always starts there. And I know it always sounds Cliche, you know, I feel like nutrition 10 years ago saying, eat your veggies. But it's so foundational because so many people can raise their hands in a room and say they are not even having a serving a day.

27:16

Whether it's just raw veggies cut up or whether it's a couple of soups done or a dip or a couple of prepared meats or proteins that are ready to go. You don't have to put everything together. You can just have different components and then every night of the week you can even build each one. It's just something different.

Listen more at https://www.myfitlandia.com/podcasts/.

In this exciting episode, we are talking with Anxiety Life Coach Ryan Light. Ryan is back and he is putting a spin on how to live a successful lifestyle while managing anxiety with a positive mindset.

Highlights

01:46

I try to drink it out of me. I tried to fight it out in me. I tried to run from make, ignore it. I tried to do all the thing is I I could do to get rid of it. Um, and then the last 10 years I've changed my perspective of it and I got to the root of the matter.

04:40

It became, I became the anxiety. It was interesting for me and most people do this a lot. As I became the one thing I hated, right. I the anxiety, but my whole identity was caught up in the anxiety.

07:55

And what I found, um, in that journey was everybody wanted to show me how to treat the anxiety for me. It was only maintaining it, right? That was only, I was only treating the symptoms. I was only treating the manifestations.

09:38

That's when things really start to get real. And you know, to be honest with you, I didn't want to forgive the people in my life, right? I didn't want to eat.

11:21

You just deal with it and look at it differently. And as you do that, you know, start to heal, right?

14:59

Yes. And that's what she did for me. She allowed me and gave me tools and techniques that I needed not only to be sit within the moment, right. Cause I was still having panic attacks and I was still having those manifestations even more because I started digging up this stuff. Right?

Listen more at https://www.myfitlandia.com/podcasts/.

In this exciting episode, we are talking with Alison Ashley.We are talking about the importance of self care and forgiveness is with our health and wellness.

Highlights

00:00

Like we're always, we always talk about all we have to forgive others. So I'm really excited to talk about self forgiveness and I'm super intrigued about what that means from a perspective of creating a forgiveness journal.

02:36

So, but the frigging forgiveness is huge and it's such a stress reliever and just like sometimes it's, you know, you're thinking that you're forgiving and you have to go deeper, deeper, deeper. There's deeper levels. There's not just one level of forgiveness.

06:30

And then finally they come to it themselves. And that's the best is, is that you're not giving the advice. You're letting them get it themselves. So that's the best.

10:17

You know, the forgiveness part, it gives you more power, just individual power and it just gives you that extra energy where you could use it in a forceful way instead of in a negative way. Um, and forgiveness is just so deep rooted that it leads into a lot of different things.

15:44

The weight thing is the hardest thing to lose because everybody's doing the diet, everybody's doing it the right way and they're just like, I can't lose this weight. What is going on?

16:36

... it's complicated part of the whole thing that's happening. So mind, body emotions on how it all works. Emotions are a big part that we haven't quite figured it out. Yeah. So like that. So how do you guide people through self forgiveness?

23:08

It's really about free writing, free letting things go. What are some questions you could ask themselves that would like if they're feeling stuck around how to do it, what are some questions that might help them get that writing process going?

Listen more at https://www.myfitlandia.com/podcasts/.

In this exciting episode, we are talking with Sean Harvey.  Sean Harvey is here to continue sharing his story of transformation and what it looks like for him.

Now onto the show!

 

Highlights

01:27

It's changed my life this last, this last 13 months has changed my life for myself as a father, as a husband, as a friend. It's certainly changed my waistline's sides and the type of jeans that I can wear.

05:43

It sounds like it was your mindset that's really allowing you to fully become yourself, but also it's that mindset that's helping you change your health habits.

07:57

Oh, that's beautiful. Like, I talk about this a lot, this idea of leaning into the pain and really the human work that we have to do in order to make a lifestyle change. Like those emotions, those feelings, those wounds of the past, whatever it is, those beliefs and perceptions that we grew up with, all of those, like it's in our mind.

15:12

I remember scarlet and grace and looking at each other going, oh, daddy can run now. That was a moment that I will not forget because it was massively important to me to be able to play with my kids...

25:15

I think it's natural for you to feel frustrated when you reach a point of Plateau because, you sort of have to begin to find your value in your ability to lose weight and to transform.

30:07

I think it's available for anyone and everyone, you know, to have to have their own tribe.

Resources & Links

Instagram:
@start.persevere.hope

Listen more at https://www.myfitlandia.com/podcasts/.

In this exciting episode, we are cracking the code to a healthy lifestyle with Christa King. Christa talks about how retreats have been a key part in her transformation with unlocking this code.

Highlights

01:43

Hi, I'm Christa King and I've cracked the code to making healthy habits stick by learning how to rewire my mind through my recovery is a burned out corporate exec to becoming a certified hypnotherapist and nutritional therapist.

02:20

I was 50 pounds overweight, drinking a bottle or two of wine every night, working 70 hours a week, traveling three to four weeks out of the month, all while my mother was suffering from severe mental illness 3000 miles away.

06:37

Once I unlock the secret, I started with myself losing and now maintaining 30 pounds of weight, but weight loss aside, it was my mind that had change. Weight loss was a byproduct.

12:18

I asked myself, how do I share the stories of people who have made massive changes in their lives by merely stepping out of their day to day for a few days?

14:49

Doesn't matter if you failed before, what your struggles have been, how chaotic things are right now. If you can step out of your life for a few days, you can experience a transformation and I invite you to do that now.

Listen more at https://www.myfitlandia.com/podcasts/.

In this exciting episode we are talking with David Skolnik PT, DPT, CSCS.  The Power of Retreats to Transform is not measurable after you sit down and listen to this powerful podcasts on retreat transformation.

The Fitlandia Whole-Life Reset Retreat is now accepting reservations! Only 15 spots. VIP options available. Get in now and let's give you an escape and the reset you need to start (and finish) your transformation.

Now onto the show!

Highlights

00:56

about six months ago left Portland and moved down to Sonoma County, California for a job opportunity to kind of step up what I'm doing in the rehab world going from part-time as a physical therapist to the director of Rehab at a clinic that focuses on kind of acute care, geriatrics.

05:07

How, you know, problems aren't usually formed in isolation or solved in isolation. So, it takes people with different perspectives coming together to, to, to either solve problems or even to figure out what the problem is.

08:13

And over the course of the last six years, I can't believe it's been six years almost since I went on that retreat. I've really started to not only embody the power of, you know, what that five days away did for my entire life.

13:25

You know, I talk all the time about the four cornerstones of fitness, these principles, if you will, of what it takes to truly make a lifestyle change, to get off that Yoyo dieting cycle, to actually change the neuro pathways in your brain.

16:00

Well, there's a quote I love and it's really simple. It's happiness is reality minus expectations. So how can you enjoy where you are and what you're doing? And I think part of that is, you know, no one's ever going to be able to stop thinking about the future and thinking about the past.

Welcome to episode #99 of the Fitlandia Podcast. Today my guest is Evelyn DeDominicus from Connecticut where she believes by practicing in collaboration with other professionals they can develop a stronger connection with their clients. We are going to talk about exploring ways to moderate alcohol; why it is important to understand our behaviors and habits associated with alcohol.

Highlights

11:56

I have to be perfect when really the intention is to help figure out what foods work best for your body and doing a clean elimination and then at the end adding foods back in one at a time. And it is, it's the same whether it's any kind of reliance...

18:06

I started off saying, I'm the type of person that's on or off, right? I'm like a light switch. And so if I start to say to myself, I'm the type of person that can take it or leave it. And that's empowering. That's an empowering statement, right?

34:48

You're figuring out what works for you and your life, but I just want to encourage everyone to do that.

37:33

It is about ending the shame. It is about understanding that our brain is actually working perfectly to keep us in this state of safety and survival. Like that's even the things that we think are negative are brain is leaving us to those because it wants to feel safe.

Welcome to episode number 96 of Fitlandia Podcast. I'm super excited because today we have another story of transformation. My guest today is Sean Harvey and I just know he's going to inspire you and give you insights that are going to keep you moving forward on your own journey. I met him a few months back at Leanne Vogel's Ketogenic Diet Cookbook tour here in Portland and he and I were waiting in line to meet our idle and after talking with him for just a few minutes, I knew I had to have him on the show. So after he listened to this episode, please head over to iTunes and give a rating and review and let Sean know what you got out of today's episode.

Highlights:

5:35 

There were a number of things that had been put in front of me to help with my wellness. And then a really good friend who is a holistic nutritionist just one day - and I don't know what it was about this day or what it was about these words that she said to me, but she just said, "Hey Sean, let's do keto together."

I've only ever heard of it in a couple of fitness communities, so I had no idea. It might as well have been a martial arts or something like that for me. But I was like, oh sure, let's do it. I had no plan. And this was a plan and I had someone who was going to do it with me. And so I just said yes. And uh, it's been almost 22 weeks this tomorrow we 22 weeks and that's changed my life. 

11:39 

I lost a good friend to cancer and that was very difficult. It hit me in a different way too because he was a healthy guy. He'd made a lot of the right choices. He's very athletic, very active, and he got taken super young from cancer, which something he couldn't control. And then here's me tempting fate with all the things I can control. So it kind of shook me awake in, into action.

16:43

I looked at what I could gain from it and it seems like such a simple thing. But like you mentioned, the brain is super powerful. And when you speak words of positivity and words of affirmation as opposed to the negative side, it causes a reaction in your body that moves you forward in the direction you want to go.

22:31

I'm starting to feel like I'm stepping out of that prison cell that I've been in for so long and understanding what freedom looks like for me. And I think my heart is opening up to more possibilities and more ways in which I can affect change for others and let them know that it's not hopeless.

Welcome to the Fitlandia Summer Series. Christa is prioritizing her self-care and taking a bit of a twist on the show by gathering the greatest insights and wisdom from her week in Fitlandia, delivering it to you as you continue your health, wellness and weight loss journey.

On your journey to creating a healthy lifestyle, you’ve got to know when to understand and reframe excuse-making, self-sabotaging behavior versus when to honor your body. In this episode of the Fitlandia Week in Review, I’m sharing a wall I hit with a flare up of my Hashimoto’s and how I allowed more rest to get through it quickly and easily.

Here’s what else you’ll learn from the show:

• Where I’m at on my journey to become fitter by 46 than I was at 26
• How to honor your body
• The importance of enjoying the process to your vitality
• My amazing power-sessions at Portland startup, Ruby Receptionists
• How to reframe negative thoughts, turning them into positive ones that support your goals – the TWO-WEEK challenge to change your life
• My incredible podcast show with Chris Zaino, due out Fall 2018
• Another incredible story of transformation with Sean Harvey and his powerful loss of over 100lbs in 22 weeks using the ketogenic diet

If you missed signing up for the July 30 Days to Thriving program, never fear! Our next one starts on August 1^st and listeners of the show get 25% off. Use FRIEND25 at checkout.

Also, if you are struggling to set healthy boundaries and make your health and wellness a priority, enroll in the Mind Zoning® Academy today and get scheduled for the July 11^th workshop on SETTING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES TO PUT YOU FIRST. Just $17/mo. No contract. Cancel anytime. Keep your bonuses!

Today, along with CEO of Cardsmith, Monica Burrell, experience a live, unedited transformational coaching session similar to those led by Christa King each week in the Fitlandia Fitness 30 Days to Thriving Program. There, host Christa King helps participants navigate those really tough challenges they are confronted with while making amazing lifestyle changes.  You can hop on board for the June 30 Days To Thriving.  For a 25 percent discount, enter code:  friend25 at checkout.

Now, join Monica Borrell and host Christa King as they get real with each other and today’s listeners. It’s a little scary to expose your inner self during a live coaching session, but there is so much power in vulnerability. Stories of transformation need to be told; they offer courage to the next person.

Who are You, Monica Borrell?

Monica calls herself a “serial entrepreneur”; she has started several businesses. Cardsmith is definitely her “child”...it is her most exciting and most challenging business venture. It is software as a service. She describes it as a virtual sticky notes brainstorming wall that can help individuals or teams engage in visual problem- solving.

Host Christa King admits that like many of her program participants, she is a “planner junkie”, overwhelmed with thoughts, ideas, projects. “Anything that we can do to simplify things, and streamline things is just awesome.” That’s why she recommends tools like Monica’s Cardsmith software and her own Strategic Vitality planner.

Intersecting Journeys

Christa entered the “start-up scene” a few years ago, first joining Woman Led, where she crossed paths with Monica.  Christa admits that since then, she has been caught up in the culture of “do more, do more”. She knows how hard it is, whether you are a start-up exec or a busy mother, to make yourself and your health a priority.  Fortunately for Christa, her business, Fitlandia Fitness, has become her own health journey along the way.

At about the same time, Monica started her journey with her own woman led start-up, Cardsmith.  She survived a lot of financial stress and hard times, as well as the excitement of a thriving relationship. However, the combination of stress-eating and happy-eating, lots of travel, and long working hours led to a physical gain of thirty pounds.

Christa remarks that many people are not aware of the time, money, resources, and sacrifice of going all-in for a new start-up business. And nothing is more important during such a stressful venture as a sense of community connection.

Monica Meets Fitlandia

Monica was involved in one of the first programs that Christa King offered a few years ago. She continued to take part in a Keto program, as well as Fitlandia’s 30 Days to Thriving elimination diet program, most recently. 30 Days to Thriving provides a structure for overcoming addiction to sugar, refined carbs, and alcohol while healing the gut and reducing inflammation. It’s about taking a break from certain foods, getting healthy, and then adding things back slowly in moderation, while you carefully observe the effect they have on your body.

Keep Moving Forward

Monica admits that she struggles with consistency in working toward health goals, and has been in and out of various Fitlandia programs. Host Christa King reminds us that whether you are feeling successfully “all-in” to a program or not, what’s important is the evolution of your journey. Christa defines success in the program as getting out of your head and into your body. Success is when you really start making mental connections about your food triggers and your relationship with food. And replacing unhealthy habits with things that better serve your goals.

Monica agrees, offering that she knows that Fitlandia has helped her to move forward. For one thing, it has helped her zero in on what kind of food life makes her feel the best and she has a new awareness of what happens when she wanders away from that.  As a bonus, she is happy to report that in spite of ups and downs, she has lost almost ten pounds since joining the Fitlandia community.  

Coach Christa Asks Monica to Share Her Discoveries

Some of Monica’s discoveries about food that works for her:

• emphasizing plenty of healthy fats with lots of vegetables...
• especially power greens!
• two eggs for breakfast with greens and home-made sambal
• Basic approach:  Keto minus dairy
• Some of her discoveries about what gets her off track:
• feeling crunched for time
• temptations of on-the-go food
• watching others enjoy their food choices
• relying on alcohol to relax and reward
• staying up or out late at night

Getting Honest

Christa asks if Monica finds herself back in a carb-craving cycle “the next day” after late night wine leads to a Taco-Bell binge, for instance. Monica says she feels horrible the next day, but since participating in 30 Days to Thriving, she can usually get back into her Keto food life within a day. However that first day she thinks: “Well, I blew it and I gotta get back on Keto because I know that I’m going to feel better…” and then adds, laughing, “but while I’m here why don’t I just have a little snack!”  Host Christa King admits that this is the honest reality for most of us!

Reframing Negative Thoughts

Christa is excited today to help Monica learn more about herself and about overcoming obstacles that keep her “stuck.” She points out that in the time she has known her, Monica has become a master something critical to lifestyle change: reframing negative thoughts.

An essential component of Fitlandia is Mind Zoning® meditation. Monica has learned to create her own Mind Zoning® mantras and incorporate them into her daily mindset. They are positive affirmations or reframes of negative thoughts.  An example might be: “I’m too busy to cook my own healthy meals,” reframed as “It’s easy for me to make some time to cook my own healthy meals.” What we tell our mind is what our bodies will execute! When we reinforce positive thoughts, we create strong new neural pathways and our decision-making begins to support those positive thoughts.

Time to Deep Dive

Christa probes Monica a little deeper, asking her why in those challenging moments, like making choices at a restaurant, does she NOT make decisions that will support her health goals? What keeps her from choosing the best possible options from the menu?  Monica sighs, “That’s a good question!” For one, she admits to tiring of sticking to that ONE best option every time she visits a favorite restaurant. She misses variety in those situations. Christa empathizes, noting how important it is to acknowledge that it has to be about incorporating a dietary strategy with a target of 80-90 percent compliance. We all need to have some flexibility. However, she points out that in those situations we should become mindful, asking, “Is there something triggering this decision or am I simply just tired of the same old thing?” In the latter case, we need to allow ourselves to choose the next best thing, without any shame. The consciousness of the decision is ultimately what is important.

I’m Taking a Break From ________.

Monica shares that alcohol is her toughest challenge when it comes to sticking to her healthy lifestyle changes. Evening card games with friends are a great way to have fun and enjoy a sense of community, but often lead to late night drinking. Alcohol contributes a lot of sabotaging sugar load and triggers craving cycles that can really get her off track quickly.  Christa relates to that, adding that working hard and finishing projects...that sense of needing to celebrate...is a known trigger for her own indulgence. But she has learned how to step back when she forgets what moderation looks like. She creates a new Mind Zoning® mantra that soon leads to decisions for changed behavior.

Coach Christa encourages Monica and podcast listeners to experiment with what it looks and feels like to simply “take a break” from sugar, or processed food, or alcohol. Set a period of time to explore moderation or refrain completely.  Use that time wisely. Without pressure, observe how easy it can actually be, how good it makes you feel down the road. Become curious about your connection to things in your food life. What triggers set you off? What traditions automatically set you up?

Contemplating the Million Dollar Question

How have your social encounters come to depend on your food (or drink) life? There is great power of revelation in this question. Christa urges Monica and all to contemplate when and how this first became your social pattern. In Monica’s case, she remembers that cocktail hour was the daily construct for her parents to unwind with conversation together before dinner. It was just a familiar pattern for the occurrence of comfortable connection that seemed to work...her elderly parents have been married a long time, so it seemed like a recipe for success. So she and her husband carry on similar rituals.

What Would it Look Like If…

The next step is to make an opportunity to really get curious about what the same social scenario would look like without alcohol (or sugar, or fast food, or junk food, etc.) The Fitlandia 30 Days to Thriving Program is a perfect way for anyone to take a month to explore just that kind of possibility!

Identify the Tipping Point and Remember the WHY

Going even deeper, Coach Christa asks Monica to consider what it is in the moment that makes her finally give in. What makes her decide that what she is choosing to cave in to is more important than the well-being that comes from not caving. This is a very critical question for all to get real about. A way to be strong in that moment is to have a well established “WHY” that you can clearly recall. Why is this (break from alcohol, sugar, etc) important? What is going to be your greater thing to remember in those make-or-break moments?  That is a foundational element in Christa King’s 30 Days to Thriving Program weekly motivational coaching.

Beware the Tiger

Even a well defined personal WHY cannot escape the tiger chasing you all day. Christa uses this metaphor to describe how compounded stress, good and bad stressors throughout the day, wear us down. The prefrontal cortex of the brain carries around our goals and holds up the WHY I AM TAKING A BREAK FROM (fill in the blank) card. But the primal brain is exhausted from being “chased by the tiger” all day and it says to the prefrontal cortex, “Shut up! I’m surviving here!” Basically when we are over-stressed, over-tired, under-fueled, our judgment lapses.  The prefrontal cortex pulls out the lists of dos and donts, but the primal brain says, “Nope! We are DOING this (indulging)”. This is why it is so important to do our daily movement (exercise) in the morning before we are burned out. And to do our food prep and batch cooking on a restful day off, so that we are not confronted at the end of a busy weekday with no safe plan for dinner.

A Hard-Wire Re-Wire

The challenge is really to put all these self-evaluation considerations together in a way that allows you space to re-wire all those hard-wired patterns. It takes time, but with reframed thoughts, weekly coaching, and community connection, it can be easier than you ever thought possible. Start on your own by looking at your event calendar or conjuring up the next opportunity to test a re-wire. Imagine yourself in that trigger moment or challenging scenario and picture what you could do differently. In your mind, walk through the situation. What would it look like to see yourself choosing to serve your highest goals in that setting?  

Monica walks through this mental exercise and determines that she is going to have to figure out a way to tell her primal brain, “You are not in charge!” That is what resonates with her and imagining herself empowered with that in the future is impacting her view of the achievable nature of real change. But she still isn’t sure how she will feel about it “on Friday night.”

Accept the Invitation

While Monica wonders if she can actually override her primitive brain on Friday night, Coach Christa invites her to commit to a goal, an action. She reminds her the choice is all hers. Christa asks, “Monica, it’s Friday night. What would you LIKE to do?” Monica responds, “I think I would like to have one drink” with the intention of observing what that decision and action feels like and what the results are.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Now that Monica has committed to a goal, Christa challenges her to determine what will set her up for success. These are the actions Monica thinks will help her:

• I can take my prepared WHY with me.
• I can ask my husband (friend, etc) for support.
• I can ask the server ahead of time to only serve me one drink.
• My “morning-after self” can write a letter to my “Friday-night self” and I can keep that with me.
• I can start with a non-alcoholic drink and see how that goes.
• I can repeat a mantra such as “moderation is easy for me”, “moderation looks like one drink”, “I am stronger than any craving”, etc.
• I can calendar my commitment

Christa suggests more:

• Get your work out in during that day to boost endorphins
• Before going out, do even just one minute of deep breathwork to support serotonin levels
• Find an accountability partner in your support community

As the live coaching session ends, Christa is encouraged about how much we can inspire each other through our vulnerability and willingness to connect and share accountability. Monica feels like she has a full toolbox to face her primal brain on Friday night!   

To experience transformational coaching with host Christa King, join the next 30 Days to Thriving Event, or register for the Mind Zoning® Academy, visit the Fitlandia Fitness website.   

And take a look at guest Monica Borrell’s innovative Cardsmith visual problem-solving software.

Today on the Fitlandia podcast #85, guests Mike McCastle and David Skolnik of Evolution Healthcare and Fitness (Portland, OR) join host Christa King of Fitlandia Fitness to help those struggling with reaching their goals by providing clarity about the process of successful goal-setting and goal achievement.

Why Set Goals?

Anyone can set mere goals. The importance lies in clarity. Setting CLEAR goals and considering WHY we are setting the goal will:

• limit our mind’s wandering space
• draw us into the moment, creating immediacy and focus which allows us to create a rich environment in service to our goals
• provide structure for immediate feedback that will tell whether we are on track

SMART and SMART(ER)

Fitlandia’s 30 Days to Thrive Program members are encouraged to use SMART goal strategy, to bring clarity and focus to their journey.

The SMART(ER) acronym reminds that we should set goals for ourselves which are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented/Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound PLUS:  we must regularly Evaluate, and Revise our goals.

Many of us have really demanding, high expectations; we launch into things without understanding what’s really “under the hood”. Members often want to lose weight FAST. No, no, no...slow down!  First things first. Focus on the Four Cornerstones of Fitness: Change behaviors around food, get moving, think positively, connect with your community. Jumping into a goal can be disillusioning, especially for perfectionists!

That is why the EVALUATE and REVISE aspects of the SMART(ER) strategy is so important. We need to be gentle with ourselves, observing our journey as it unfolds. Today’s guests add to that: Be gentle; yet analytical. Recording and tracking progressions daily, weekly gives us a tool to review and adjust our goal and/or the actions that are getting us to that goal.

Process Goals Lead to Successful Outcomes

Mike and David also point out that a goal with no steps is very unlikely to be met.  There is a difference between outcome goals and process goals. An “outcome goal” is something like “lose 20 pounds”. A “process goal” is what you need to do to move along toward a clear outcome goal. For example, in order to reach an outcome goal of losing 20 pounds, you may incorporate process goals of  2 days strength training, 3 days cardio workout; tailored diet meal plan.

If we create process goals but only focus mindset on outcome goal, we lose sight of the process and ultimately, the goal is unmet.  The outcome goal doesn’t ground us in the present. Instead, it’s always looking into the future. Remember, an initial requirement for a clear goal is that it draws us into the MOMENT. So in order to have success, we must be mindful our process goals, constantly evaluating and revising.

What is a Secret Goal?

David and Mike describe a secret goal like this: an athlete may say, “My goal is to compete in an Iron Man and I just want to finish with the pack”. But secretly, that person may be desiring a Top -20 finish and would be upset if they didn’t achieve at that level--then those feelings will get in the way of any positive feelings about the stated goal… and that disappointment will affect the next training cycle. Many are afraid to articulate their secret goal--afraid of the pressure that will come or the level of commitment it will take to get there

Christa King suggests that’s where Mind Zoning® comes in! The Mind Zoning® Academy helps us learn to set boundaries and give ourselves permission to make ourselves and our health-related goals a priority. This strengthens our ability to commit to the process goals that move us forward toward meeting our treasured secret outcome goals!

Why is Community Important to Success?

One of the secrets to making fitness easier is to work out or train with a group! Especially one with the same goal.  Your tribe will:

• Generate competition/motivation
• Impact brain chemistry
• Provide mental checks that provoke us to keep up, push harder, stay accountable
• Provide comfort in knowing others are suffering on their journey to the goal, too
• Give positive feedback from others, especially when we are our own worst critic
• Share personal experiences that empathize, motivate, validate.

Lack of engagement in the community is the biggest indicator that a person may not meet with success. Christa King reminds us that Community Connection is often the sustaining factor for process goals. That is why the community is at the heart of her 30 Days to Thrive program.

Say No to Shame...and Yes to Tribe

Guests from Evolution Fitness warn us about “fitness shaming”: the accusatory tones friends use when probing about your habits, ie: “Why do you go to the gym six days a week?” or the funny looks you get when you order your burger with a lettuce wrap. People become uncomfortable when seeing someone take action toward a goal. There’s a cognitive “spotlight” effect that seems for them to highlight areas of performance in their own life that they know need work. It makes people feel vulnerable and defensive.

However, the act of suffering together IN A GROUP for the sake of a goal seems to shut down that pre-frontal cortex, so the defensiveness gives way to unity with the group and for the good of the group. Functioning in a community literally helps us get out of our own way.

Christa expounds on this idea: We are wired to show up for our tribe. Use that as a motivator. Also, remember not to take personally others’ reactions to your goal-reaching processes and lifestyle changes. The subconscious really just wants to protect us from change. Knowledge helps us to override that. For example: Unless someone was a real jerk, he/she would never encourage an alcoholic friend to “have just one drink”.  And yet, if someone is trying to take a break from sugar, friends tempt relentlessly. It is this pervasive lack of knowledge about sugar addiction along with the subconscious fear of change, rather than maliciousness, that causes people to react negatively to our attempts to set and reach our health and fitness goals. 

What About FAILURE?

Evolution Fitness points out that any high achiever has failed many, many times. We should ascribe to the school of “Fail often; fail forward”. The more you fail, the more feedback you get. Immediate feedback is healthy; each failure is part of the process: a sort of report card of “where I was and where I am now”. When you fail, don’t make an immediate concession of your goal! Take that as positive feedback--quantifiable data-- with which to evaluate and revise your process goals. How you perceive failure is more important than the failure itself. The only real failure is quitting.

Christa King adds that there is no need for shame; no room for shame! Look on “failure” as if you were an observer in the room. What was going on that led up to it? Gather the information you need to be successful in the long run.

Consider Your Locus of Control

Those who complain and blame rely on external locus of control. Learn to shift from an external locus of control to an internal one. Taking responsibility and coming up with solutions shifts to internal and allows us more sense of power over our choices. This allows us an ability to view failure more productively, leading to better choices in the future. Turning to external factors is “failing backward”, not forward. Eliminate excuses, become the warrior, get the results you want! Our guest expounds: One of the Four Buddhist Noble Truths is that life begins with struggle...to exist is to struggle. What matters for success is what people do in that struggle to endure: Do you fight/flight/give up?...or do you find a moment to transcend and elevate? 

*** Caution, we use some adult language today!***

Today’s episode is a very exciting addition to the Fitlandia Podcast lineup! You are going to be SO thrilled to hear Kate’s special story of progress, transformation and courage.

Kate Kelly and I met through Dr. Jerome Craig, who has shared some of his amazing knowledge right here on the podcast previously, and we could not be more grateful or thrilled to have connected. Kate’s vulnerability and openness is a true inspiration for all of us and can move us each along on our own fitness and wellness journeys.

Kate’s Journey

Cheers to our journeys and instead of celebrating with red wine, today we are celebrating with our herbal teas! Kate and I have been talking and sharing our stories for the last few weeks and one thing that Kate mentioned that really stood out to me was that this time, her journey feels different. She is working hard and has begun the year by giving up alcohol for the month of January. She expressed how amazing it feels to have a tribe around her and how this time, “Wild horses could not make me drink alcohol right now.” She’s at a point in her life that she really feels in control of her habits and EXCITED about the fact that she has the power and gets to take a break from alcohol because she WANTS to! And believe it or not...it’s EASY for her right now.

I LOVE that passion and that fire!

Kate and I discuss how deeply connected so many parts of life are and how much clarity we have gained by giving up alcohol for even short periods of time. Not only does being sober seem to make facing depression and anxiety easier (with the help of amazing therapists, of course!) but our energy levels are noticeably higher, our clarity about life and goals is greater, and we feel more like our amazing selves each day.

The beautiful piece of these lessons is that it is YOUR individual journey. Comparing ourselves to others can be incredibly toxic...we need to learn to honor ourselves for where we are in that journey. If 10 days or even 1 day without alcohol is a huge accomplishment for you, own it! And knowing that we have the power and ability to make those choices is incredibly empowering.

On that same note, success is all about knowing yourself. What are your triggers? How do your habits (good or bad) form? How have you been nourishing yourself or sabotaging yourself? Checking in and being mindful and knowledgeable about yourself is SO important. Kate shared that she knows that it is very difficult to have just ONE drink...that once she has a glass of wine, she almost always has several more. We discuss how amazing that knowledge is! Just knowing those facts about yourself helps you stay mindful and stay on track and create a healthy relationship with your food, drink and habits.

Kate explained that she is learning to love the journey to a healthy lifestyle. In order to combat the frustration of giving up alcohol for the month of January, she created a list of choices she could make instead of choosing wine when she was craving a glass. (Things like, take a magnesium bath, do a burpee, update vision board and more!) This is a GREAT strategy and step we encourage you to take as well.

She talks about how this time she feels different, she feels empowered and clear and hasn’t had to rely on those distractions to want to stay that way...talk about inspiring! She attributes the ease of this transition to having ALL FOUR cornerstones present in her life at this time and the motivation her son provides her to be her best self.

“It’s not only a journey, it’s an exploration into yourself. It’s about becoming curious about our own bodies. We are learning and unfolding into our best selves everyday.”

Kate and Christa’s Tips for Transformation

• Be Mindful and Notice: don’t forget to take a step back often and note what habits and tendencies you are expressing...and how you can note your triggers.
• Be Gentle With Yourself: remember that you are learning and observing and improving upon yourself each day and that you are on a journey that takes time.
• Build Yourself a Tribe: having a group of supportive and open individuals who are owning their own journeys is the difference between wanting change and dreading it.
• Lean on Your Mantras: “It’s easy for me to be sober.” ...and what would that feel like to believe that truly and wholly? Let that emotions saturate your body!
• Let the Grief In: remember that the 5 stages of grief fit perfectly with the feelings we experience when making a lifestyle change. Know that and embrace the journey!
• Turn Anger to Understanding: “There is an opportunity for me to learn in this moment and I embrace the lesson that this experience is giving me.” Release the anger and learn from it.
• Own Your Own Journey: everyone experiences life differently and everyone’s body is different. Stop comparing yourself and be proud of your own journey and where you are today.
• Release the Word “Should”: YOU are in control and you CAN and WILL make the change. You have everything you need available to you in order to be successful.
• Embrace the 4 Cornerstones: the keys to making a lifestyle change are daily movement, good nutrition, positive thinking and community connection.
• Know Your Why: what is your motivation and intention for being your best self? Maybe a pros and cons list can help you discover what you can gain from making change.

If Kate’s story inspires you to want to get involved with a supportive community:

Two Ways YOU Can Get Involved with Our Tribe

• 1) Search “Fitlandia” in Facebook Groups and request to join our closed Facebook Group for positive support and inclusion!
• 2) When you sign up for any 30 Days to Thriving Program, you are offered a lifetime membership to the Secret Fitlandia Facebook Group where we all share our challenges, wins, ideas, and positive feedback.

Thank you so much to Kate for sharing her amazing story and strategies and to YOU, for taking the time to listen and move forward in your wellness journey!

We're still celebrating our episode with Leanne Vogel of Healthful Pursuits! If you're ready to join the February 2018 session of 30 Days to Thriving, be sure to enter LEANNE297.

Subscribe to the show, rate us and leave a review on iTunes or Sticker. We'd love to hear what you got out of the show!

Happy New Year, Fitlandians! We are so happy to have you here as we start off this new year by harnessing the power of intention. When we can let go of the restrictions that come with those New Year’s resolutions, we can instead look forward to creating a revolution! So, if you’re ready to get back on track and reclaim your health and vitality but need a little extra support, today is the last day to sign up for Christa’s 30 Days of Thriving which begins tomorrow on January 2nd.

And today, for a little New Year’s inspiration, we are extremely excited to welcome Fitlandia’s “super fan,” Josh Cyphers to the show. Josh is going to speak with us about letting go of shame and getting your fit self back – for good!

Josh stumbled upon Fitlandia as he was exploring different approaches to fitness and health using a variety of diet and exercise methods. He says he was drawn to Fitlandia obviously because of the rad name, but also because he saw it as a “trifecta of wellness”; focused on nutrition, fitness and mindfulness. He realized that previously, one of those pieces was always missing from his routine and that’s why he never had any lasting success.

Background

Growing up playing sports, Josh explains feeling as if he’d been on a diet practically his whole life. It wasn’t until he slowed down playing sports that he noticed how sedentary he had become and how his nutrition was lacking. He said that it began not only to affect him emotionally, but also physically in the form of weight gain, which he had never dealt with before.

Josh dabbled with different diets and exercise programs, but became increasingly discouraged and trapped in the yo-yo dieting trap. Recovering from an cycle injury, he says it resulted in indulging in sugary treats and beer, firing up the reward center in his brain. Josh explains that he reached a point when he was so frustrated from going from cycle to cycle and how it became extremely difficult for him to want to nourish his body and be good to it. For Josh, he ended up in a place of emotional and physical pain, making it hard for him to even get up in the morning to face the world. With the love and support of his wife, he made it a goal to start moving each day. With a list of 20 basic exercises he says he simply began to move, reminding himself to just take that one step.

Josh says, “The first step is always the smallest but the most important!”

Tips to Bounce Back

• Think back to a time you felt really alive and happy and ask yourself how can you get there again. For Josh, this was playing football and even if he didn’t get back to playing the sport right away, he knew he had to start with basic daily movement. To help with this, Christa says “visualize and connect the emotion to that goal which will wake up your brain to that very thing and actions will start.”
• Give yourself a realistic and strategic way of getting to your goal like Josh’s 20, one-minute exercises to just begin moving again. These small wins are how we create new thought patterns resulting in new lifestyles!
• Find what sets you back and what pushes you forward.
• Grow your community or “tribe” that allows you depend on them in times of need or of celebration; where you can all operate together.
• Mind Zoning®! Focus on how to reprogram and change your thought patterns so when times get tough you don’t have thoughts of unworthiness or shame. Josh explains how he was able to let go of his self-worth being tied to playing football and eventually, he experienced more positive thoughts and was able to move forward in his life.
• When you’re ready, be open and vulnerable to accepting help from others and let yourself lift others up as well.

Josh has come quite far as he describes waking up the day of the podcast with a “heart bursting of gratitude.” Since beginning his journey back to health, Josh says he now craves more movement and is always discovering ways to make himself eat and feel better.

We all have the power within and whether it’s joining our 30 Days of Thriving program or connecting with Josh and Christa in the Facebook group, we can’t wait to encourage each other this new year as we harness the power of intention.

It’s Not Too Late to Join Us! Sign Up NOW.

Leave us an honest review on iTunes and Stitcher and tell what you got from Josh’s courageous and vulnerable story.

Chad’s Journey to Sobriety

Although Chad grew up in a Mormon household, he had five generations of alcoholism passed down to him. Chad’s first “infatuating buzz” was at age 18 and he spent the next ten years chasing that exact feeling, resulting in a cycle of binge drinking and heavy daily alcohol consumption. In 2013, Chad injured his back, which left him with a herniated disk and paralyzed in bed. The doctors told Chad he must attend physical therapy sessions and have steroid shots before surgery could take place to repair the disk. After five months of limited activity, on OxyContin, although not drinking; Chad found he was severely depressed. He was finally able to have a successful surgery on his back, but by then he was addicted to opioids. It was during this time that Chad turned back to alcohol to ease the discomfort of opioid withdrawals and the associated insomnia. During one irrational drunken night, Chad found himself locked out of his house. He drove out to the desert where he laid with a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Nyquil. Chad describes this night as one of the darkest times of his life. Something or someone pushed him forward through it and he somehow managed to text his brother for help.

Chad returned home, sobered up and got honest with his wife and doctors about what had been going on. It was a false start though because after a few weeks of not drinking, Chad thought things had returned to normal and that it was okay to start drinking again.

For the next two years, he drank a fifth of vodka a day. Chad knew his drinking was a problem when it wasn’t fun or relaxing anymore but a necessity. He says, “I just didn’t feel like a normal, functioning person unless I had alcohol in my system.”

Chad worked hard at protecting his addiction. Chad says his family and friends knew he was a big drinker, but did not know to what extent. At his sister’s wedding, Chad thought he played the part of the “functional alcoholic” well, but to his surprise, he learned he had not. Chad’s wife and brothers were worried he was going to die, so they intervened with an invitation for him to attend The Riversource Recovery in Arizona. After much arguing, Chad complied.

While in rehab, Chad learned about his illness and he connected with some of the most genuine people he had met in his life. His counselor at The Riversource Recovery Center is now his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor and a dear friend. Chad continues to work day by day to be sober.

What Have You Learned from Transitioning Back into Day to Day Life?

• Learn to mourn the loss of the life you lived.
• It’s nonsense to mark when you’re going to change, tomorrow, next week or at the beginning of the year. That’s our primal brain’s safe way of saying, “Oh good, I don’t have to change yet.”
• As it states in Newton’s First Law of Motion (the law of inertia): “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” Chad relates this to people struggling with addiction since very often someone will remain in the same motion until something tragic happens that stuns them enough to move forward.

In recovery Chad says he’s learned, “The beautiful thing about being a human is we don’t have to hit that brick wall to be moved. We can be moved by being inspired to change and to change our path.” That “bottom” is wherever you decide to stop digging and if you decide that bottom is today you can start to make changes.

Release the shame and guilt of your disease. It’s important to understand you are still that amazing person but was struggling with an illness bigger than you could have handled alone.

Christa says, “You must love yourself as you are today and know that just because you want something else in your life or for your body, you are not broken.”

In September 2016 at one year sober, Chad’s brother introduced him to the ketogenic diet. Chad embraced it, immediately felt better and has dropped 65 pounds while inspiring thousands with his openness and vulnerability in the Keto Connection Facebook Group where he met Christa!

Continuously focusing on a lifestyle of recovery from food and alcohol addictions, Chad knew the last piece of the puzzle was to give up cigarettes. During a family trip he discovered he was upset and raging over things he didn’t need to be upset about. He took a step back and realized that his subconscious mind was throwing a fit because it wanted a cigarette. Chad thought, “Why would I give my brain a cigarette because it’s throwing a fit? I don’t give my toddler everything he wants.” This is when Chad quit smoking!

He explains, “You have to exercise your willpower like you exercise your bicep. It doesn’t get better or bigger unless you put it under pressure.”

Now realizing the freedom he’s gained from getting healthy, Chad says he never realized how gross he felt for so many years but is grateful for even the dark years because coming out of it he was able to make little changes that were sustainable.

We’re all struggling with something whether it be food, alcohol or drug dependencies but with the Fitlandia community you are safe, welcomed, cherished and honored. Please leave us a review on this podcast with some gratitude and let’s all continue to celebrate new beginnings, vulnerability and sobriety!

Need some support and guidance to take a break from alcohol? Sign up for our 30 Days to Thriving program and get early bird pricing for the January program when you sign up before November 30th.

 Subscribe to the show today and leave Chad and I a review on iTunes, letting us know how today's episode has helped you!

Background

Lainey always loved and wanted to own goats while growing up, but never lived in a place that could house them until she built her No Regrets Farm located in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Lainey tried breeding first, but after one round, she realized that wasn’t the road she wanted to follow. She then began adopting and now owns 11 goats, most of them rescues.

Following her divorce Lainey discovered she was feeling extremely tired and sick with pain in her hands leading to her elbows. After many different tests, she was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome. According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, this is "a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas."

Struggling with extreme fatigue that debilitated her, Lainey wasn't able to do much, but she vowed to sit outside with the goats every single day. The goats made her smile and laugh and gave her relief her from her pain, more so than she felt from any medication.

Lainey explains, “It’s impossible to think about yourself and your problems and your issues and your stress when you’re surrounded by that energy.”

This is how “Goat Happy Hour” came into existence! Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is used to improve a person’s social, emotional or cognitive functioning and has been proven to reduce anxiety and produce calmness. All types of animals can be used for AAT but goats are especially therapeutic. Even when chewing their cud, Lainey says, “They go into a meditative state and are truly present in the moment.” Humans get an overwhelming calming sense just being around them - happiness, joy and calm. The goats wander around the class and might sit on your mat, lick your face or even jump on your back when you’re in a table top pose.

After starting with Goat Happy Hour, Lainey was auctioning off a kid’s birthday party at the farm for charity when Heather Davis, a yoga instructor said, “You should let me have a yoga class here!” Little did anyone know that a couple promo shots and videos later, the yoga class with goats would have over a million views. People loved how the goats romped all over the yogi’s and although the session was extremely fun, it was also very relaxing. Lainey was interviewed by Modern Farm Magazine soon afterwards, and then by The Oregonian Newspaper. She has now gone international with Australia just launching their first goat yoga session this month.

“The world needed a happy distraction and it happened at the right time” Lainey says.

So, Why Goats?

Lainey discovered a special connection with her goats early on and when Goat Happy Hour came along she saw others found it impossible to feel sad around them as well. Lainey says videos and messages have poured in from around the country about how powerful even watching the videos of the goats have been for people suffering from physical and mental pain. The calmness and presence of these adorable, friendly and loving animals transfers over to the viewer.

What Science Says Animal Assisted Therapy Can Do!

For Mental Health:

• The simple touch of an animal automatically makes humans feel relaxed
• Decreases loneliness
• Improves comfort and increases mental stimulation
• Boosts mood, social and emotional development

For Physical Health:

• Decreases anxiousness, helps with deeper breathing, lowering blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular health
• Reduces physical pain and can result in less medication
• Increases physical activity and therapy sessions because of the bond with an animal

Lainey is dedicated to providing people with the same therapy that helped her bounce back with Sjogren Syndrome. She will be doing Goat Yoga at Hanson Country Inn in Corvallis where she hosts annual events but Lainey will also continue to focus on small therapy groups doing Goat Yoga in a nature place for healing.

What are your tips for listeners feeling stuck?

• Nothing will change unless you make it change. Don’t let your health being taken from you be the final straw for you to start making those changes to give yourself ultimate happiness.
• Take small steps that make you uncomfortable.
• Create a life with purpose and never with regrets.

If you want to get your goat on, check out Lainey’s website and hurry to sign up for one of her events before they sell out! You can also sign up to receive her newsletter with updates on holiday goat yoga, special events and pictures of these beautiful creatures when you can’t make a yoga session.

To stay in touch with Lainey and the goats, follow No Regrets Farm and Your Daily Goat on Facebook for a behind the scenes look at goat life.

Are you ready to restart your own journey to living a life of health and vitality? Sign up today for exclusive pre-launch bonuses, discounts and VIP access for

"Strategic Vitality: 11 Small Steps to a Big Transformation."

Show the goats some love and leave a review. Let us know what you got out of today's interview! Head over to iTunes or Stitcher today.

From Struggle to Success, Learn How to Reset Your Life.

Today we are ecstatic to welcome VH1 celebrity, designer, and life coach and superhero mom, Christina Johnson to the Fitlandia Podcast! After seeing the Starting Over TODAY segment on the Today Show, Christa knew she had to share Christina’s health journey and resilience to overcome extreme obstacles with her Fitlandia listeners.

Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Christina characterizes her upbringing as being “turbulent,” being a teen mom born to a teen mom, struggling with being abandoned by her father and growing up with a misconstrued definition of love. After having two girls by the age of 20, Christina moved to Atlanta and worked briefly in the nursing field. She left that job to work for Steve Madden and soon after, met and fell in love with the artist CeeLo Green. During their five-year marriage, they shared their mutual love for artistic expressions, launching Christina in a successful interior design career and consulting company, InnerPiece Designs (IPD).

During this time, Christina experienced weight gain and later was diagnosed with Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. This is when, she explains, “the reset started” and she began her weight loss journey. Amidst her divorce Christina had a defining moment as she sat in the parking lot of a McDonalds wolfing down more junk food than she ever had eaten before. Breaking down in tears Christina told herself, “I don’t know what you’re hungry for Christina, but it’s not this. Something is going on internally.”

While still living with her ex-husband, and trying to save face for their children, Christina knew she was crumbling on the inside and had to make some changes for herself. To push her be consistent and disciplined, Christina called her trainer and soon dropped 40 pounds. Moving into her new home she started yoga and dug into loving herself from the inside.

Her message to woman is to make sure you make the time to love yourself, forgive yourself, forgive your past and the mistakes you’ve made.

She says, “The weight isn’t just about the fat our body is holding, it could be about past issues we’re holding onto.”

During her near life-threatening struggle with Graves disease, Christina relied on the promises of faith and with the power of gratitude and affirmations, her health actually shifted. By tapping into her inner wisdom and forgiving others and herself for past doings she exclaims, “I’ve learned to turn my pain into compassion.” This is what drives Christina and allows her to help others during the process.

When asked about the show, “Atlanta's Exes”, Christina was extremely hesitant to participate because as a hands-on mama bear, she didn’t want the opinions or actions of others to manipulate her family dynamic. Instead, she used the show as fuel for inspiring other woman and daughters who may be suffering from domestic violence, struggling with an unhealthy habit or battling a disease. Christina’s experiences and how she worked to overcome her challenges has helped many women conquer their own fears and obstacles.

Today, Christina has learned exactly how to listen to her body and fuels it with an 80% plant-based diet but enjoys a well-deserved celebratory meal or glass of wine on occasion or at events. When doing so, Christina makes sure she rises early the following day so she can hydrate and begin to work towards her goals again and doesn’t get in a physiological craving spiral. Her extreme gratitude for her body and its healing abilities motivates Christina to always keep herself well rested, hydrated and property fueled.

If you struggle with getting out of bed early and starting your day off productively, make sure to include this rising early Mind Zoning® into your daily routine!

Hungry for the Reset?

Here are Christina’s tips for the person who still hasn’t experience their “defining moment” but is itching for change:

• Do the work. Look into your past and face the hardships so you can move forward.
• “If you still have a pulse, you have a purpose.” If you want something, believe you are enough to achieve it.
• Forgive yourself and know we’ve all made mistakes. Being vulnerable is necessary for change.
• Start with small daily changes - affirmations, gratitude journal, reading a great book.
• Get uncomfortable and step out of patterns of self-loathing or shutting down emotionally.
• Vulnerability makes you beautiful
• You Are Enough!
• Take a look at your life and what changes you can do to make yourself and the world better. “It’s so worth it.”

“Let go of your always and become something new”

If you’re ready to reset your life, make sure to connect with Christina for personalized life coaching, videos and retreats through her website, or follow her on Instagram @christinajohnson_ and @InnerPiece on Twitter!

Are you ready to restart your own journey to living a life of health and vitality? Sign up today for exclusive pre-launch bonuses, discounts and VIP access for

"Strategic Vitality: 11 Small Steps to a Big Transformation."

Show Christina some love and leave a review. Let her know what you got out of today's interview! Head over to iTunes or Stitcher today.

Welcome back to the Fitlandia Podcast! Today we have the pleasure of meeting with Thubten Comerford for another inspiring story of weight loss and transformation.

Thubten Comerford has come a long way from his elementary school days when his mother placed him on the Cambridge Weight Plan and he was constantly being reminded he was bigger than the other kids in his class. Growing up active but not athletic, Thubten always struggled with his weight. Upon entering college, he was in the early stages of substance abuse due to conflicting religious boundaries relating to his decision about coming out about his sexual identity. Thubten describes himself at that time as, “a “hot mess.” With no attention being paid to nutrition, he gained the "freshman 50” during his first year of college. He left school soon after and joined the National Guard and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After leaving the military, he went back to his parents’ house for a short time and then returned to school only to find himself living in a fraternity house, which escalated his negative drinking habits.

A few years after college Thubten became a practicing Buddhist Monk. While traveling and still struggling with his weight, he found himself reading Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s, Eat Right 4 Your Type and was quickly motivated for change. He soon dropped 50 pounds by eating right for his blood type and after starting a prescribed diet, dropped another 50!

Today, Thubten is 29 years clean and sober, describing it as a yo-yo rollercoaster journey that so many of us can relate to regarding dieting and self-mastery. He has lost another 40 pounds this year, on what he calls “the potato-based coffee diet” and is working to share his impactful story.

Books like, Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales, by Penn Jillette, have inspired Thubten during his transformation journey. He’s learned it’s about finding what works for his body while being aware that things change depending on time and environment. Today he knows how to be mindful of his actions since they are often related to deep-rooted thought patterns and forgiving of himself when working past negative emotions or during a setback.

As an avid entrepreneur, Thubten was searching for his next career endeavor when he asked himself, “How do I do food as a business that is an expression of me?”

With his vast knowledge of business and marketing, culinary skills and understanding of video and YouTube, he recently started producing a cooking show, Thubten’s Kitchen, a 13-episode, multi-segment program that will launch soon on YouTube and be formatted for network television. His Facebook site is live, and has more information, but here’s what each episode offers:

• The first segment is a culinary training program where expert chefs come into Thubten’s Kitchen and teach him (as the student) to prepare their signature plant-based dish.
• The second segment is with a farmer in the field.
• During the third segment, Thubten meets with an artisan making a plant-based cured or fermented ingredient.
• The closing segment concludes with Thubten making a wonderful plant-based dish using all the ingredients from the episode.

The business allows you to pick and choose the cured or fermented ingredients, including Thubten’s own line of products. There’s also a monthly pop-up episode, available on Feastly Portland where Thubten shares his very own recipes and plant-based meal tips.

Stay tuned for the Thubten’s Kitchen website for his great information on weight loss, healthy eating and everything nutritionally plant and nutrition based.

Closing Tips:

• Start somewhere and do something – measure something small that you can feel positive about
• Eat the rainbow and increase your plant based meal options
• Stay connected with Thubten and his favorite canine companion through Instagram for videos, food as they continue to work on launching his show and website!

Feeling overwhelmed on how to break free from a sugar addiction, join our 7-day No Diet Detox challenge for FREE. It starts with awareness. Sign up today!

Huge shout out and thank you to today’s sponsor, Portland Community College and their holistic nutrition program. This 100% online program is 1 year and provides students with science-based principles while integrating in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition to start your healthcare career in nutrition or to supplement into your current holistic program. Christa did this course back in 2015 which launched her into creating what Fitlandia is today! To learn more or enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC'S functional nutrition program.

Jeneen Haven – Another Inspiring Story of Transformation

Real people making real like changes and delivering strategies and tips. Jeneen found Fitlandia on Facebook as she was looking a support group that aligned with her beliefs of eating whole food, not a diet club, or anything fad-like. She joined the Fitlandia FB group and connected with Christa. Jeneen now works as a holistic health coach and shares her journey of weight loss and what she has discovered along the way about herself and her relationship with food. 

Jeneen’s Transformation Journey

Over 10 years ago, Jeneen and her family moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Boise, ID to start a business. She encountered winter for the first time, the challenges of entrepreneurship and a life that felt out of control. She realized that the one thing she had control over was herself. She weighed 230 pounds, felt embarrassed and ashamed; like she didn’t belong or wasn’t good enough to be with the other moms at her children’s school or at church. It was at that moment she decided that she was done being fat. Jeneen took an honest look at herself and acknowledged that she was obese.

She bought a YMCA membership, made a green smoothie daily, dropped the older kids at school each day and went directly to the gym. She checked her younger ones into daycare and hit the treadmill daily. Jeneen didn’t like the treadmill, but she did like “Law and Order” – and would watch the hour-long show before exiting the machine to get her children from daycare. They would then eat a healthy lunch, vegetable snacks in the afternoon, and a plant-based, protein evening meal with the entire family. She repeated this routine for ten months and dropped 80 pounds. There was no magic – just positive, healthy changes.

Jeneen’s Beliefs Around Food

• Food is love
• We celebrate with food
• It’s a way to connect with her children
• Being a good mother by baking homemade goods
  • Sweet rolls
  • Sugar cookies
  • Granola with honey, oats wheat flour and dried berries
  • Calorie-dense foods
  • Grain-based diet

Jeneen’s health transformation came when she let go of grains and began emphasizing veggies instead. Christa reminds us to, “Make every plate 50-75% vegetables, whether you are eating paleo, vegan or Whole 30.” And the importance of limiting fruits – it’s not the adage of “eat your fruits and vegetables,” its now, eat your vegetables and occasionally some fruit. The fructose in fruits can easily be stored as fat unless we are moving enough to actually burn the sugar.

Your Family Should be Your “Why” and Not Your “Why Not”

For years, Jeneen used her family and being a mom as an excuse not to take care of herself.

“How can I put my kids in daycare?”

“How can I not bake for my kids?”

“How can I not decorate cookies on Valentine’s Day?”

“How can I be so selfish?”

Using Weight as a Protective Shield

Jeneen’s feelings of not being as good, as pretty, or as organized as the other moms were the beliefs that kept her obese. The weight created a buffer to take herself out of the comparison with other women/moms who she felt she didn’t stack up against.

Jeneen’s mother is obese and growing up she felt a connection with her at a core level. She had fear that her mother wouldn’t love her if she lost weight and changed “tribes.”

Lasting Changes

Once Jeneen started to experience the increased confidence and freedom of releasing the weight, she could reap all the benefits of a healthy lifestyle; a few of them include:

• Shopping for clothes in regular stores
• Eating healthy and exercising to get off medications
• Endorphins kicking in
• Exercise increased from walking to weight lifting = feeling strong!

Christa gives a shout-out to resistance training, which supports the brain on so many levels. The benefit we women get with developing our strength and our muscles is so amazing.

Not Feeling Deprived

During Jeneen’s weight loss journey, she allowed herself a weekly treat of boneless buffalo wings. After eating healthy all week, she and a girlfriend would meet and share a basket of wings. This helped her to stay on track while enjoying the social connection with her good friend. She also had a weekly date night with her husband and she would choose a salad and protein. These activities were a testimony that she could still enjoy foods she loved, but in the right proportion.

There are general guidelines that create the highest level of success for most people, but then it’s about creating a lifestyle and an eating plan that works for life.

It’s important to understand what works for you and what your triggers are

Emotions Drive Specific Cravings

Angry = crave spicy

Stressed = crave salty

Sad = crave sweets

Happy = crave sweets

This discovery helped Jeneen realize that not only did she crave these types of foods at specific instances, but that she is now more mindful of using any type of food to numb emotions.

Become curious to when, what, why we are eating. What’s going on? What are the feelings?

Jeneen’s Take-away Tips

• Make your children your “why” and not your “why not”
• Change patterns learned from family of origin and model good behavior
• Set boundaries – don’t sacrifice peace, joy and confidence
• Do it for yourself – I’m worth it, I care how I look and how I feel
• Make fitness and health non-negotiable
• Investing in “me” does not take away from “them”

You can learn more about Jeneen and her work at: http://healmomfirst.blogspot.com/

We’d love to hear how this episode has helped you on your fitness journey! Head over to iTunes or Stitcher and leave us a review with your comments. We’ll feature them in an upcoming show.

Long-time (30 years!) friend of Christa, Gina Robert and her husband Kris, join the Fitlandia Podcast to talk about their incredible lifestyle overhaul. They'll share how they managed to make amazing healthy changes in spite of both of them having full-time jobs and 4 children, 2 of them under 10! This episode is filled with laughs as they all speak openly about what it takes to make a permanent lifestyle change.

The show opens with Christa cracking up as Gina says, "She looks just like she did in high school, except without the bangs." After the ladies recall they've known each other for over 30 years, first meeting in high school, they settle in to talk more about their collective fitness journeys. Through the power of Facebook, they've been able to watch each other's transformation over time.

Kris shares his story of growing up in sports and how he started to lose his healthy fitness habits in college to focus on his studies. He also notes the typical college lifestyle of not-so-healthy food in the cafeteria and drinking. As a teacher he found he was stress eating too. He would make attempts over the years with Weight Watchers and/or brief stints at the gym.

Kris was  diagnosed morbidly obese and found it increasingly difficult to find clothes that fit. He knew he had to make a change.

Gina then brought to his attention a challenge at Fit Body Bootcamp where they both signed up! Feeling a bit skeptical at first, Kris then became hooked through their challenges where he's now

• lost over 60 lbs since September 2016
• has all normal blood work, including cholesterol for the first time in his life
• lost 15% body fat
• inspired now to help others on their own fitness journey
• reversed digestive issues

Gina was personally motivated after her daughter turned 2 and after having a c-section, she wanted to get her body, especially her stomach feeling fit and doctors told her to reactivate these muscles. Well that inspired her to look at her total body the same way - that it was time to reactivate ALL of her muscles to get fit.

Previously, they would let their healthy food spoil so now they are saving money by making time to cook and using the healthy food they buy. Gina's gotten very creative using spices and veggies to change up using base proteins like chicken - and even her kids are gobbling it up!

Kris and Gina then go on to talk about their #1 tip: PLANNING for meal prep.

Sunday is their big prep day together and they'll take the time to get all of their veggies prep. When they do need to eat out, they just make healthy choices.

Christa, Kris and Gina commiserate on the negative attitudes they hear from others on how hard it is to give up X or they don't have enough time for X. It's just a matter of changing habits. Christa then talks about the power of Mind Zoning® to change the neural pathways in the brain.

Together they all discuss how unhealthy foods are a part of our culture and how to integrate the occasional treat. They are sticking with their new diet because they finally know what it feels like to feel normal and how that outweighs that brief moment of indulgence with cake. Kris wraps up with his favorite tip to have your favorites on hand. Try new things, yes, but when you're really busy, have your go-to meal available. Final thoughts from them all - have positive thoughts! Get the Mind Zoning® app free here.

"Focus on what you're gaining and not what you're giving up." - Christa

Show Gina & Kris some love and head over to iTunes or Stitcher (click below) to download this episode, give us a rating and tell us what you got out of hearing their story today.

Fitlandia continues its global reach as Christa sits down with Caroline from the U.K. What makes Caroline's story compelling is how she finds the resolve to prepare healthy meals to combat a heinous commute.

While her intense work schedule would leave anyone worthy of "excuse-making," Caroline shares her drive to focus on being well-prepared to keep her on track with a healthy lifestyle.

Listen today and get all of her tips!

If you, or someone you know, have a Story of Transformation that should be told, we'd love to schedule an interview to be the next guest on the Fitlandia podcast. 

Just email us at info@fitlandiafitness.com.

And don't forget to download today's episode and leave a comment in the reviews for us. We'll feature you on a future podcast!

For support on how you too can make a lifestyle change, access all of the member benefits at www.fitlandiafitness.com. 

Positive thinking and affirmations led Queing Jones down the path to a full body and mind transformation. After a pivotal moment by the lake, she made a promise to herself to be better -- to change from the inside out. Fitlandia and Mind Zoning® helped her realize that lasting change starts with the mind.

A Walk by the Lake 

Growing up, Queing was uncomfortable with her size. She would cringe at the not-so-cute clothes in the plus size section as a little girl. In college, she compared herself to the other girls in her dorm. The more she focused on the number on the scale, the higher it seemed to go.

During the summer of 2014, Queing was experiencing several unfortunate life situations at once -- she lost her job, was moving, going through a breakup and living off her savings to get by. One day she went for a walk by the lake next to her new place; the water made her feel calmer. She thought about how her conversations with herself were always so negative, which led to more unfortunate circumstances. So in that moment she decided she was going to be better. She wanted to look back on that day and remember that was the time when her life changed. Her new motto became -- "I cannot say anything to myself that I wouldn't say to my best friend!"

Training the Brain

"I enjoy fruits and vegetables"

"Look forward to walking"

"I choose things that are good for my body"

These are a few examples of what Queing tells herself. These positive thoughts are what began her weight loss journey -- not an expensive program, special diet, or magic pill. It truly is an inside job; if you think that weight loss starts with diet and exercise then it is not going to last. People ask her, "Well how did you stop eating fast food?" and she says that she now prefers to prepare her own wholesome meals because that is what makes her feel good.

Queing and Christa emphasize that this is a constant training of the brain. We must recognize when we have a negative thought, stop that thought pattern and then turn it into something positive. Queing says that the body is a good servant, but a terrible master. The mind and the spirit agree on what they want and then have a conversation with the body to tell it what to do.

Biggest takeaway: Catch yourself in negative thought and reframe it with a positive. Be thankful for what you do have and what you can do.

Queing enjoys hardcore group bootcamp workouts with other women. She learned what is fun for her and what will keep her motivated. Christa and Queing recognize that it takes a lot of courage to first walk in to the gym or a fitness class, but just remember that everyone was a beginner once. You cannot compare your journey to anyone else's.

Join the Fitlandia Facebook group to keep up with Queing and the other Fitlandians on their journey to holistic health and wellness. It is a private group where we support, share and love on one another.

Sign up for your FREE 2-week trial membership today!

This episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa talks to Caren Marre who has been a part of Fitlandia since before the platform’s official launch. Caren has long been conscious of health and fitness, but (like so many of us) life got in the way and her self-care ended up taking a backseat. After a long period of feeling sluggish following a series of surgeries she started gaining weight and ended up in a spot ready for change. She was ready for a new start and eager to get her first step going. At that time Christa came to Caren with Fitlandia and offered the guidance, structure, and healthy path she needed.

Mindfulness

When first starting out the single word that helped Caren was “mindfulness,” keeping track of what foods went in, and how your body felt after that. When Caren started out, it was a simple two-second filter to ask herself if she should eat something, and now it’s become a habit and she barely has to think. Just by paying attention she started to notice things and was able to successfully get healthier. It’s truly a lifestyle change.

One of her biggest hurdles, in the beginning, were the physical cravings. We so often default to “oh, I’m hungry, I want something” but to remind yourself “I’m trying something new” during that introductory phase is definitely a block. She used self-talk “remember, you’re doing this for yourself, Caren” to keep herself on track and leave her previous bad habits behind.

Mind Zonings®

Caren goes on to explain how influential Fitlandia’s Mind Zoning® Recording were in her journey, and how she couldn’t wait to get to bed just so she could set her daily worries aside and take a moment of relaxation and reflexion. Taking time for yourself is huge, and it seems hard, but they allow you to be more efficient, more effective, and more energetic. You’ll use your time better when you have the time to eat better, relax, and move more.

Something Caren did when she was starting out was to integrate her new changes into parts of her life that she was doing already. She went to bed half an hour earlier just to listen to Mind Zonings® and have that time of reflection. What she found was that when she started to self-assess her life and think ‘where could I possibly fit this in?’ she found that she was collectively wasting a good amount of time throughout the day. Whether it was zoning out watching TV or absent-mindedly scrolling through Facebook, she realized that she was able to trim out that excess and find the time.

Priorities

As  “Queen Bullet point Listmaker” Caren has an ongoing list of things that constantly need to be prioritized, and now that she’s incorporated these healthier tasks into her life it’s much easier to get everything done and lead a healthier lifestyle. Everything gets easier as you build that skill of paying attention to the priorities in your life.

“What resources do I have within myself that I don't even acknowledge?” - Caren Marre

Caren ends the episode by sharing her mantra “I have everything to look forward to.” The best is yet to come, and harnessing your energy, health, and spirit to take the fullest advantage of each day is the ultimate motivator.

On the 12th episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa sits down with Larry Dukes to discuss his story of fitness transformation. On discussing his tipping point, Larry talks about how he reached a peak weight of 315 pounds, but didn’t even realize how big he’d gotten. After a trip to Thailand last year the heat started to get to him, and he wasn’t able to do some of the same activities that other people were. In November of the same year he was visiting friends in upstate New York when they got caught in traffic following a Giants game. As they tried to push their way into the train someone yelled “better watch out for the fat guy!” He turned and said the only thing he could think of which was “you’d better be careful kid ‘cause the fat guy is hungry.”

That experience stuck with him, and eventually he got home and it really began to sink in. He wasn’t able to wear a lot of the clothes, he had trouble fitting in airline seats, and his own weight was keeping him from doing things he wanted to do. His family had a history of Type 2 diabetes, but when a doctor diagnosed him with gout he decided then and there that something had to change.

See Ya, Sugar!

By January 14th he started, and the biggest thing was cutting sugar. He was drinking 64 ounces of soda a day, and decided to flip that relationship and replace that with 64 ounces of water. He got a Fitbit and became obsessed with it. From there he got rid of cookies, brownies, and sweets and completely changed his relationship with food.

 “This is not a journey you can take with somebody else forcing you. It doesn’t matter who’s nagging you, if you haven’t bought into it nobody can get you in that frame of mind but yourself.” - Larry Dukes

Larry goes on to discuss his weight loss and how the initial wave of losing so much water weight was a great motivator. That slows down and plateaus, but he says instead of continuing to try to lose weight he focuses on maintaining that weight and lifestyle. There’s tons of great food out there that’s unhealthy, and he still enjoys them, but it’s now all about moderation. That’s key for him. It is about a healthy change, but “sometimes ya gotta eat Grandma’s cake.”

The important thing is being able to maintain your choices. There’s all sorts of pre-packaged food diets, but what happens when you have to go to a party, or a restaurant, or stop your subscription? Are you going to be able to do that? You have to make smart changes that you know you’ll keep. Food is still going to be a part of your life, so make sure it’s a change you can make.

Larry’s life has changed since that diagnosis, he’s lost 80 pounds, his resting heart rate and cholesterol are way down, his blood pressure is impeccable, and his gout is nearly gone. His doctor is “jumping up and down” with his changes. Larry is now feeling better with himself, feeling better physically, and feeling better emotionally. His story is a prime example of seeing a change that needs to be made and committing to it wholly. Change is possible, you just need to want it.

Ready to learn how you can make your own transformation? Visit www.fitlandiafitness.com today and start your free trial. Podcast listeners using the code PODCAST at checkout get 30-days FREE and 10% off for the life of their membership.

On this episode, Christa talks to her friend Abi Barnett about her personal fitness journey. When Abi set out on her journey she discovered she was very set in her ways. She’d had “fit” friends, but always thought it was hard work. She’d try to eat healthy, but would only last a few days before saying ‘forget it’ and going back to McDonald’s. Sound familiar?

After “eating her way through Europe” with two weeks of champagne, pastries, and beautiful food Abi decided to join in on one of Fitlandia’s Month-long detoxes. Food is a beautiful way to celebrate, but the detoxes are about balance and stepping back from the patterns that we dig ourselves into. Because she’s a clarinetist Abi is incredibly disciplined, and once the switch is flipped she’s fully into it. She approached the detox wanting to achieve 100% perfection and not mess a single thing up.

Abi recounts a few anecdotes about the first few days of her detox, but she ended up finding her own path and loving it so much she’s still doing it. She went from eating six bars of chocolate a day (literally) to drinking water while out with friends at the pub. She’s a prime example of how healthy a simple reset can be for our fitness. Abi was able to break out of her reliance on processed foods and cut herself off entirely to the point where she doesn’t even think of them.

By the end of the episode, both Christa and Abi agree that many people are turned off of detoxes because people often frame them in terms of deprivation. They go on to say that life is still about balance. If you’re in Paris and have a once in a lifetime chance to eat a world-class pastry eat the pastry.

“You’ve still got to have a life. We’re doing this to have a better quality of life, but if we’re depriving ourselves when we go to somewhere nice... we have to allow ourselves that experience and be able to go back to normal after.” - Abi Barnett

Abi’s final piece of advice is to not put up barriers. She wouldn’t have found this new healthier lifestyle if it wasn’t for the Fitlandia detox. Sure the first few days were rocky, but she came out the other side committed to an entirely new approach to health.

Nicole Anderson joins Christa this week to discuss her fitness journey and the impact that a corporate lifestyle has on health. Hailing from the Digital marketing space, Nicole reached her unhealthiest point about a year ago as genetics and stress intersected. She searched for a way to change knowing that most dieting platforms simply offer short-term solutions. She jumped into Crossfit knowing nothing about it and ended up losing 55 pounds through that program and coaching from gym’s owner. That community pushed her and she found a way to make that work with her hectic schedule.

“I found a way to make myself and my health a priority and still manage my job.” - Nicole Anderson

As her health was improving she was simultaneously reaching a wall in her career. Through this weight loss experience and Crossfit she discovered that health, fitness, and helping others was her passion. After a moment of realization she realized she needed change. She’d been doing the same job for 18 years. She didn’t just need to change her job, she needed to change her career. She left her corporate job and is currently in the process of launching her new health coaching career to help people become their best selves. Her goal is to help others overcome their roadblocks the same way that she did.

“You are three times more likely to achieve and maintain your goals when you’re connected with a community.”

It’s about putting an end to dieting. Whatever form that may take. You’re creating a lifestyle, you’re figuring out what works best for your body, and what works for each person will be different. In addition to her work/life imbalance, Nicole’s change was brought on after being diagnosed with genetic high cholesterol. Her rock bottom point was when she realized she hated having her picture taken because it meant she had to look at herself, and once she brushed the point of needing the seat belt extender on a plane she knew it was time for a change.

That diagnosis combined with her desire for a physical change made her decide that it was time to be proactive rather than reactive. She took a look at her eating habits, got into Crossfit and gradually eased into her new lifestyle. After realizing she was addicted to sugar she borrowed a mantra from Jillian Michaels “Will this bring me closer to my goal, or further away?” which went on to help Nicole combat the lure of sweets. She also touches base on how much our culture values independence but says do not be afraid to ask for help. Trying to do everything yourself leads to burnout, and the beautiful thing about us is that we are willing to help each other out no matter what form that takes.

Keep an eye out for Nicole’s business Born To Fly within the next month and on the Fitlandia website as one of our expert practitioners.