August 25, 2013August 13, 2015 by tessbrennan

Training for a (mostly) pain free 60-mile walk

I’ve focused a lot this month on snacks and snacking as a way to maintain health. For the next couple of weeks, I plan to focus on training for a (mostly) pain free 60-mile walk.

I write this as something of which I have first hand experience. I began walking these events as a tribute to my mother, a now, 12 year survivor.

My first walk was in Farmington Hills, Michigan in 2004. One WEEK after my first hurricane, Hurricane Charlie. The pain I experienced after this walk, I attributed to the fact that I trained on the flat roads of SW Florida and the event was in Farmington HILLS. Winking smile I now know differently.

My second in 2005 was in St. Petersburg, Florida, and during a monsoon. Not sure what I attributed the pain to after this event, but it was SO excruciating that I vowed to never walk again. And I didn’t, for several years.

My third in 2011 was also in St Pete. (as have all since) My ZTA sorority sister, Kendrick Hueble, succumbed to the disease in February of 2011. The idea of the pain she endured, the pain her family endured(s), was nothing compared to the, now dwindling memory, pain after my first two walks.

I forgot about the former painful results and the fact that I was now 6 years older and into my 40’s”

The pain wasn’t nearly the issue it had been so may years prior. In fact, it was darn near gone. I had some stiff muscles, but as I continued to stretch and keep moving, they loosened up and I felt pretty GREAT!

My fourth, last year, was amazing. Other than spending twice as long on my feet as I had planned/anticipated each day, it was amazing at how good I felt. I trained the same for all 4 of these walks. The only two factors that were different were my age (not in my favor) and my nutritional choices and, evidently, my health and ability to heal.

My fifth, to occur a mere 60 days from now! I decided 2 weeks ago, I would WALK this final Tampa Bay event… With only 2.5 months to train for it. My nutrition and other choices will assist or hinder me as I PUSH to train for a long distance event in a mere 67 days. (I only have 1 day a week to complete long distance training walks)

The next few blogs will focus on suggestions for optimum recovery and stamina being built for a healthy full 60 miles without needing a week of recovery time when its over.

Items I will discuss:

I’m not focusing on the actual training schedule as that is provided by the SGK website for all walkers. I am using a RAMPED up hybrid of this table to be ready for the event on time.

For more information, stay tuned, or contact me.

To support me in my fundraising efforts, you can visit my 3-day Walk web page.

HAPPY WALKING!

August 16, 2013August 16, 2013 by tessbrennan

All By Myself… (or am I)

2013 will be the final year for the Tampa Bay 60-mile walk. It will be my fifth walk, and the final Tampa Bay event.

With a recent health scare – I’m fine, it just shook me up, and a friend unable to join me for this one as a crew member, I have decided to walk it “alone”.

At first, I didn’t want to walk it alone, then I realized something. I’ve trained alone for 4 other walks. Hours on the sidewalks of my community and surrounding neighborhoods, through parking garages, through University buildings (looking for a potty – LOL), over bridges, and through shopping centers. So, alone can be good. Time to reflect and create… and text and update FB statuses…thank you Smart phones.

My next thought was the 2008 Tampa Bay event, where I met a fabulous bunch of ladies and they walked with me for the entire event.

Then, I begin thinking of the John Steigenberger’s, the Dylan Bouterse’s, and all the others who are there year after year that I have become friends with by walking along side, talking with, and communicating with them on Facebook and such.

(The smiley faces on these packs are a sign that we are part of a Facebook community. A way to show we are NOT alone.)

Oh, don’t forget all the friends and family who pray me through the event. And all the friends who support me by donating to the cause to allow me to be eligible to walk this event.

My goal this year, is to “Power Through” each day’s mileage. Get to Home base camp as soon as possible and cheer all the others on as they cross that daily finish line. To talk to people, hear their stories, and learn what I can. And let them know they too are NOT ALONE.

When I had my scare a couple of weeks ago, I realized, even though I am still a huge proponent of Attention to Prevention, even though we can prevent 50+% of the top 4 degenerative diseases… there will still be a need for a cure. And I want to protect future generations from the trauma my mother endured, and the fear I felt two weeks ago.

Now to focus on 70 days of training and to increase the discipline in my nutrition to allow me to recover, mostly, pain free.

If you would like to donate toward my event, you can do so here: http://the3day.org/goto/TessBrennan

This disease does not discriminate, neither does Susan G Komen. Their efforts have been of great assistance to my mother and my sister. Thank you, Susan G Komen.

July 17, 2013 by tessbrennan

Using a Pen to Lose Weight

No, writing with an ink pen will not burn exorbitant amounts of calories, but it CAN dramatically improve your weight loss efforts! When we have a baseline to begin with and work from, goals can be set realistically.

‘Weight loss’ strategy: Remember The National Institute of Health’s food journal project?

The NIH assembled a group of 1600 obese people and asked them to write down everything they ate at least 1 day per week. Slowly, people began recording meals once a week and sometimes more often. Some even started a daily food log and it soon became a habit.

The regular food log group soon found themselves looking at their entries and began finding patterns. The 10am snackers began keeping apples and bananas at their desk and slowly began replacing junk food with healthy food in all their meals.

The researchers hadn’t suggested any of these behaviors but the simple act of food journaling led to folks who kept daily food journals lose twice as much weight as anyone else.
This week, let’s create a food journal for our own heath.

Source: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
PS: Research has repeatedly revealed that sharing the weight loss journal with a close friend/member of family increases the effectiveness of the initiative even further!

So, put down your soda and pick up a pen! Write down everything you eat & drink, raise your personal awareness, and watch what happens. It works and this is why I include it in my list of things to do when “Getting Started” toward a healthier life!

July 15, 2013July 15, 2013 by tessbrennan

The exercise you ARE getting–without the credit.

A friend, and client, recently stated, “I would love to hear some non-workout- exercise ideas that don’t require massive sweating or leaving kids to be watched by daddy.”

This got me to thinking… Many of us get exercise weekly or even daily that we don’t give ourselves credit for. There was a study done on those working in housekeeping. Perhaps, we need to look at the things we are already doing and give ourselves the credit for what we are doing.

30 minutes of our daily activities can burn some calories for us. Here are some examples and the calories burned in a 30 minute session.

Active Gardening	37 Calories
Carrying a Heavy object	49 Calories
Carrying Groceries	72 Calories
Dance	225 Calories
House Cleaning	34 Calories
Roll in the Hay	17 Calories
Mopping	23 Calories
Mowing the Lawn	51 Calories
Actively playing with your Kids	28 Calories
Scrubbing Floors	34 Calories
Shopping for Groceries	23 Calories
Take the Stairs	43 Calories
Walking	34 Calories (depends on Pace)

This is a GREAT way to begin thinking about the things you do on a daily basis and the calories that it burns. Things add up and your activity level does too.

Playing at the park, we chase her around on all the apparatus and play too!

Occasionally we go bowling with friends.

Some other ideas for some “non-traditional” exercise might be…

Park farther from the store.

Take the stairs when you have <5 floors to cover.

Walk around the block while your kids scooter.

Walk to the neighbors, the store, the playground.

Do crunches in your home.

Do squats while watching a favorite TV program.

Have a “Dance Party” with your kids

Play Football with your Kids (or soccer/volleyball/etc.)

Swim/Tread water 152-167 Calories in 30 minutes

Challenge your kids to workout with you

Walk the dog

Wash the cars

Daddy & CLB having scooter races in the driveway.

We frequently have dance party in our home, do bike/scooter rides as a family, walk places, and just move about playing tag. We have friends who get together and ski most weekends in the summer. (Pretty sure that counts as exercise) Just make ways to be more active, change your habits – even dance while you cook dinner – kill two birds with one stone and eat it for dinner!

Erick, barefooting.

What things do your families do to stay active?

July 7, 2013July 7, 2013 by tessbrennan

There isn’t enough time to Eat HEALTHY.

Time and Money… The two things that keep most people from making a change, a different choice than they have made in the past.

Today = TIME: Jobs, Families, Homes to care for, cars to keep running, shopping, paying bills, a little ME time, kids activities, second jobs, COOKING… The list seems to go on forever.

A friend and trainer of mine, Paula English, once asked me if my “being busy” was actually a bad habit I had developed over the years. I was furious when she insinuated such a thing. How could she say such a thing, I REALLY WAS BUSY.

Then I took a look at everything I was doing in a day. I took a class, Mindful Based Stress Reduction, taught by Madeline Ebelini, who showed me, through 8 weeks of classes and learning the secrets, skills, and benefits of being mindful in my everyday life. What did I find? (yes, that is me in her video)

Paula was right. I had gotten so STRESSED out about everything I had to get done, the schedule, the TIME, the quality, all of it, that I had lost site of loving life and enjoying what life is about. Enjoying my family, friends, my career, and in prioritizing what I did need to do and choosing to leave other things behind. (Even saying NO to some things.) *gasp*

In recent weeks, while teaching a Waist Line Reduction, introductory class, we discussed obstacles in the way of people’s healthy choices. One of the BIG things was TIME.

“Time to prepare healthy food, time to shop for healthy food, effort to prepare healthy food.”

Enter: A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO FAST, HEALTHY FOODS!

When cooking on the grill, cook extra to use the rest of the week. We only ate 2 of these tonight, which leaves 3 to use for lunches or in a meal later this week.

Tomato is slice and eat, salad is quickly rinsed and placed in a bowl, chicken was cooked in bulk, green bean casserole (from scratch – NO canned soup harmed in the making of this dish) also made in bulk to enjoy later in the week, on another night. Beans were crispy tonight, so they will not be overcooked when reheated.

Mashed taters are from whole potatoes – not as quick, but doesn’t take me any longer than it used to when I made the boxed kind… maybe 5 minutes.

Salsa is one of our main staples. I make a HUGE batch once a week and eat on it all week long. Burritos, egg scrambles, topping to chicken or other meat, hamburger topping, as dip with a chip or a spoon.

By keeping fresh produce in the fridge, it makes quick snacks and such a breeze. Here is a snack I’ve taken to work with me. Throw in a little of a few things and go.

Here is one shelf in my fridge tonight. These are fast foods for myself or my daughter to enjoy with a quick grab. Watermelon, fresh pineapple, blanched broccoli, Greek yogurt, grapes (that need washed yet), chicken boobs… all tasty stuff.

My produce drawer is a bit empty tonight, was a “busy” weekend of running around, being the weekend of the 4th and all. But again, quick easy foods. Carrots, sliced bell peppers, organic sweet peppers, & romaine lettuce. (My baby girl says the “OOOOH, THEY SQUIRT SWEET CANDY IN YOUR MOUTH!” when she eats the organic mini sweet peppers. Love that she loves them.

Bottom line:

Be mindful of what you are going to stock in your home.
Prepare foods in bulk to save time. It takes just as long to grill 6 or 10 chicken boobs as it does to grill 2.
Keep handy snacks ready. Prepare several things at once on those days you are already in the kitchen. If I have to be in the kitchen while baking bread, I may as well be productive and get some salsa (pico de gallo) made as well.
Wash your veggies/fruits when preparing a meal for something else, again, use that time wisely.

I hope these tips help you in your quest to live a healthier life and to make healthier lifestyle choices, daily.

If you would like additional information on healthy eating or simple steps could improve your life left in your years, contact me. Thank you, for reading!

June 15, 2013 by tessbrennan

Overcoming Personal Struggles in Health & Weight Management.

Yes, I’ve lost 55 pounds. Yes, I’ve maintained it for 6+ years. Yes, I am a coach. and Yes, I still struggle with the couch.

Last Sunday, a friend from church approached me and shared that she was dealing with some struggles. We represent different products/plans in the weight loss/waist reduction industry. We are both coaches.

Her comment to me was, “I am finding myself struggling with old habits. I KNOW what I need to do, but am finding resistance in myself in those areas.”

WOW! Did I need to hear that. It’s a week later and we are still marching on. I know she is with clients today, and pray all goes well for her. I remember thinking, I am the coach, I should not be struggling with this. And I think I remember her saying something similar.

Remember to be kind to yourself!

In my first level team coaching class I teach a technique called “Eating with Fierce Kindness” it comes from a book written by Sasha Loring. Frequently, I hear my clients and friends tell me, “I know what to do, I know what to eat, I JUST DON’T DO IT.”

I can relate, I was there. I have “flash backs” where those old habits return and it is sometimes challenging to push those old habits away.

Things get in the way of “good health” just like things get in the way of any other goal or choice we make.

It rains for days
Its only sunny when I am at work
Kids needs
Family/friends needs
I’m tired
I’ll just play ONE game on my droid…

That’s my struggle – games on my iPad or Droid. I will admit it. I like to play games and will lose track of time. Its meant to be just one game, but then that one is so quick that… before I know it, and hour has gone by. An hour I could have walked, prepared healthy food, played with my child. For me, I have to limit myself to a couple of games right before bed or while I ride and my hubby drives. Here are the steps I use to “get back on track”.

4 Steps to Overcoming the bad habits

My first recommendation is to Be Kind to yourself. We are ALL human. We all make mistakes. We can ALL learn new habits.

Second, I recommend, making Small Attainable Goals. When you reach that one, set another and begin working toward it. Don’t give up, you CAN do it.

Third, Find a Partner, choose someone to work with you, support your, and hold each other accountable. This person could be a spouse, a friend, local or long distance, even a coach to keep you going. (I offer weekly groups of team coaching and a monthly support group to help people get together and do this. Look for similar programs in your area.)

Fourth, remember these habits weren’t formed in a day. It was formed through Daily Choices and Desires. What are your desires? What will this new choice offer you in the long run? Remember to remind yourself of the benefits of this choice!

Tosca Reno, in her book The Eat-Clean Diet shows a very good example of this.

Hey, if you made Starbucks your morning habit didn’t that take some doing? You had to get yourself there, stand in line, order your drink, pay for it, pick it up at the other end once the barista had made it and then get on with your day. The same is true for McDonalds”

We are capable of MASTERING THE COUCH or the games, or the *insert your own struggle here*. It may not be easy, but with perseverance, kindness to ourselves, and effort, each and every one of us Can Succeed!

If you would like additional information on our coaching classes, support groups, or personal coaching, please contact me. I am Happy to Help!

June 10, 2013 by tessbrennan

How to Find the Time in Your Own Life

My friends teach me quite a bit. I like to tie it all together. I, personally, have been having some difficulties finding the time to… Work out, spend time with my family, make phone calls, schedule a meeting with a philanthropic group, and a few other things.

I was making myself crazy! There just weren’t enough hours in the day.

Then, I remembered something my friend Lynne had told me.

There are two things that paralyze people from making changes in their lives. Time and Money.

This phrase resonated with me. I know that if there is something I really want to do/go/see/have… I will work to earn or find the money to do it. I’ve done it. Shopped in thrift stores, found super efficient and inexpensive household cleaners, begun coloring my own hair… all so I could afford other things that were more important to me. I just never thought about time as the same.

Enter last week. This was my busy schedule last week.

As I looked at this calendar and began wondering how to fit it all in and still be a mom and exercise… it hit me. LOOK AT ALL THAT TIME!

How much time was I “spending” with TV, phone/iPad games, Facebook, just thinking – “what should I do next?” So I made a shift.

I did some squats whenever I had 2-3 minutes to spend. I made meals in bulk on the weekend so my family could just heat and eat while I was gone. I scheduled the calls I needed to make so they would happen.

Enter my friend Rita who then said this next phrase and it all fell into place.

I had a retreat this weekend and we were in meetings or together for meals from breakfast until after dinner each day. Here is how I managed to “make time” for my health. Just little things that add up to big results.

At breaks I took the 3 flights of stairs down to the restrooms on the main level then back up to the meeting room.
At dinner each night, I left food on my plate and ate all my salad/veggies.
At breakfast, I scraped all the scrambled eggs off the crescent and ate a TON of fruit. Lots of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
Drank water and green tea throughout the day.
At one break rode the elevator up to my room on the 18th floor and then took the stairs back down to the 3rd floor.
Relaxed and enjoyed my quiet moments and short bursts of time outside on the balcony.
I ATE MY DESERT – only part of it(a few bites) but I was MINDFUL OF IT and enjoyed the flavors, the taste, the textures, the sweetness of the carrot cake the size of the Sear’s tower.
I brought soy milk and protein powder for morning smoothies to keep my schedule/routine.

We can work it in! It may take a bit of time to pay attention to what is going on in our lives, explore the possibilities, create new means, and then adapt to what life throws at us…

(I learned that at my retreat.) Smile If you would like assistance working health into your own busy life, contact me. I am happy to help.

June 5, 2013 by tessbrennan

Overcoming Obstacles to Weight Loss – What are they?

In a recent meeting with coaching clients, we discussed what obstacles prevent them from succeeding in improving their health and reducing the size of their waist. They provided me with several answers.

These are the main obstacles that 4 women came up with to their challenges with weight loss/waist line reduction.

Eating with Fierce Kindness, by Sasha T. Loring, lumps all obstacles into THREE categories. (I want to discuss “Celebrations” separately)

Loss of Heart – This occurs when we set an “end Point”, we become overwhelmed by what it will take to get there. We give up and say things to ourselves like: “I’ll never get it right,” “I’ll be like this forever,” or “There is something wrong with me.”
Laziness (don’t stop reading here) – This is many times a result of Losing Heart. The task just seems too monumental, too daunting. We assume a things must be “ALL OR NOTHING.” We have made making “comfort” number one in our life as a habit. This is when we need to think, “Does turning to food cause more problems that it will solve right now?”
Are there more effective ways to cope?
Lack of Self Worth – Being self critical, unforgiving of our personal mistakes, not feeling worthy of self care, or feeling ashamed or guilty of our actions. Many times we find ourselves in a sea of others needs – We care for others and avoid caring for ourselves.

If we begin to categorize our obstacles, we can see that Ms. Loring has an excellent point. When you think that the average American will “diet” at least 4 times this YEAR, it is evident that what people are trying isn’t working for the long term.

When we begin to look INSIDE ourselves as the beginning of a new way of eating, living, and treating ourselves, long-term or permanent success is within our reach.

For more information on the topic of Obstacles to weight loss/Waist Line reduction or coaching options, contact me. I am happy to talk with you to see how best to assist you in adding more life to your years!

May 16, 2013May 16, 2013 by tessbrennan

What Makes Me–Me?

Hmmm? What makes me, ME? Good question? If I am to take responsibility for all that I am, then the answer would be ME. There are many factors that figure in to make each of us, who we are.

It is true, I am a product of my surroundings, my experiences, and MY CHOICES.

If I take responsibility for myself, and I CHOOSE to live as if my body is my temple, then I have a lot more CONTROL of who I become. As a youth, I chose the State Level of Indiana FFA as my surroundings. I found ways to be involved, to assist, and to participate, and from those experiences I was given the opportunity to be a product of those experiences. These experiences taught me to love myself, that I CAN achieve goals and dreams, and that I CAN make a difference.

As a young adult, I CHOSE to jump into an unknown world with an “unknown” person, and that time period taught me to loath myself, that I was worthless, that food was the answer, and that I was a victim to my surroundings. Father John intervened for me, and corrected my path, and I thank him. It was MY choice to attend his parish and MY choice to meet with him.

I again redirected my life to better choices, better vetted choices. Smile Friends from my past, whom I had shut out, reopened the doors to happiness. At this point I began to love myself again. I realized I AM PRICELESS and I deserve to be treated as such. Not just from others, but from myself.

Today, I choose to surround myself with loving individuals, who lift me up. (There is still quite a bit of sarcasm in my life – but with more love) I realized what I CHOOSE TO EAT, BREATHE, SLATHER ON, THINK, AND DO… can be MY CHOICE. As can yours.

In the last month, I have been repeatedly overjoyed as the people I have surrounding me have achieved goals and milestones, and have begun the road to being kinder to themselves and to celebrating even the smallest of victories.

I am happy to be building communities for others to surround themselves with people, like myself, who see the value in themselves and each other on a daily basis, and the value that even the smallest changes toward the great good can make.

Thank you, my friends – I hope you know who you are – who have shown me that I DO HAVE CONTROL of my choices in these 6 aspects of my life, and that small, gradual changes can have HUGE impact!

If you read this and find yourself feeling lost, please contact me so we chat to see what simple step could be next for you… There are many doors, not every door will be for you, but one just might be.

May 13, 2013May 13, 2013 by tessbrennan

Weight loss–From a Guy’s Perspective

I am always excited to hear good news from others and their success. Today, I got word from a client on how he’s feeling after 2 months of coaching and using a product line we recommend.

I wanted to share it with you.

I’m sure you already know this, but I wanted to share a revelation with you.

When I started this program, I thought to myself, "Well, I feel good… I’m just getting fat(ter)." Whether or not you feel good at the outset of the program, that doesn’t matter. You start feeling good when you tighten your belt up one notch, or when you finally wear a shirt from two Christmases ago that you refused to give away because you hoped "someday" you would fit into it again (specifically the shirt I wore last Thursday!). Absolutely none of my pants fit me anymore. The pants I’m wearing today are cinched up at least an inch and a half at the waist, and these used to fit me comfortably.

It’s about people you’ve known for years just saying something as simple as, "Wow, “sweetie”, you look really good," or "How much weight have you lost?" Stuff like that really inspires me to keep up with my program.

You feel good when you hit some bumps while driving and your belly doesn’t jiggle (as much, anyway). That’s when I realized that I was really getting way too big. It’s an awesome feeling to look in the mirror and and actually begin to see the body you fooled yourself into thinking was actually there. Looking back at pictures from a year ago, heck, 2 months ago, is amazing.

I don’t just walk anymore. I think I have a little swagger in my step. I’m confident, and I feel like I really look great. I actually walk around with my shirt off around the house again because I’m not afraid anymore that, if I bend in a certain way, my fat rolls are going to disgust my wife.

All in all, "Feeling Good Fast" isn’t about whether or not you feel healthy, necessarily, it’s about seeing and feeling actual changes in your appearance, as well as in your confidence. It’s about feeling good fast in your own skin.

It’s always nice to get good news early in the day, it makes me smile all day long!

Healthy Grease Monkey

Choices Matter

Category / Motivation & Success

Training for a (mostly) pain free 60-mile walk

All By Myself… (or am I)

Using a Pen to Lose Weight

The exercise you ARE getting–without the credit.

There isn’t enough time to Eat HEALTHY.

Overcoming Personal Struggles in Health & Weight Management.

How to Find the Time in Your Own Life

Overcoming Obstacles to Weight Loss – What are they?

What Makes Me–Me?

Weight loss–From a Guy’s Perspective

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