Needing a little metabolic kickstart? Try this workout at home. Do each exercise with no rest between sets, as fast as you can with proper form. Repeat for a total of 3 times. And if you have any gas left in the tank, try the AB challenge too!

More than likely, we all have one. We probably use it way more than we should. We definitely give it more power than it deserves. The Scale. Quietly nestled in the corner of your bathroom, or maybe hiding behind the closet door, this little device invites us to step on hopefully and many times, step off with disgust. "The number didn't change!" "The number went up!" "I worked so hard, yet the number didn't go down enough!" I'm guilty too. For a point in my life, I let this number define my success or failure. But I have good news for you- you are so much more than a number.

The scale is good for one thing- giving you a single snapshot of your total body weight at that given moment. It does not tell you your muscle mass, fat mass, organ mass, bone mass, how much food or fluid you have consumed, etc. Yet this number is so often used to assess health status without any other data.

A more accurate assessment of health status would include body composition measurements, blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels, resting heart rate, and blood pressure. Together, these measurements can tell you what your body weight is made up of, and whether or not that is healthy for you; because we know that everyBODY is different and one size does not fit all.

So much of our body makeup, shape and size is determined by a multitude of factors, some completely beyond our control. For example, women tend to carry more fat than men; a stressful environment or situation can affect the way your body stores and burns energy; your genetics can determine where you primarily store excess body fat. And there are many more- cultural influences, age, eating patterns, activity levels, etc.

I've often referred to achieving health through the use of many tools, and the scale is just another tool. You wouldn't build a house using just a hammer; you can't achieve health by looking at the scale alone. If you find that the scale has become a fixation for you, I challenge you to get rid of it! Treat your body with respect by fueling it with nutritious foods, moving it everyday, and resting it sufficiently. Recognize your accomplishments and choose to see your health journey in a positive light rather than focusing on how much more you have to go.

Try this challenge with me for one week:

• Make 4 meals per week at home (versus eating out)
  
• Pack 2 healthy lunches
  
• Eat 7 servings of fruit and veggies a day
  
• Run 1 mile without walking
  
• Do 15 push-ups every day
  
• Take 15 minutes (or more) of your lunch break and go for a walk
  

Always Refueling!

Taber

The next time you are in a public place, take a look around at the device on people's wrists. Chances are, many of those devices are counting, measuring, and calculating activity. This wearable technology holds so much promise for improving health and physical performance. But does your activity tracker truly measure all of your activity? And if not, what does that mean to you?

A study was conducted by Arizona State University to measure the accuracy of activity trackers. In this double test, participants were asked to engage in activities like exercise, playing games, and housework while wearing the small devices on the wrist or waistband. These results were compared to the industry "gold standard" for determining energy expenditure which uses high tech masks placed over the participants face to measure oxygen consumption.  The study found that the trackers were able to record some but not all of the participants' movements; namely, they counted steps taken while walking or jogging and accurately determined the corresponding energy consumption.

However, the activity trackers missed some movement that would've also contributed to energy consumption like participants standing, easy bike riding, or sweeping with a broom. These devices rely on mathematical equations that are easy to measure, (ie, walking, jogging, running) and they are accurate in this area.

So here's what I want you to take away from this: Activity trackers are a single tool among many that add up to a well balanced and healthy lifestyle.  They are excellent for tracking walking or jogging type activity, they encourage you to move more, they can be a source of motivation to change behavior.  But the other tools among your toolbox (clean eating, resistance training, sufficient sleep, low stress levels, etc) must all be used to achieve good health.

So, the next time you are performing a weighted squat (working your hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes while stabilizing through your core) or holding a plank (using your ENTIRE body to resist movement) remember that your activity tracker is probably napping. And you know how hard and how much work goes into these exercises- trust me- THEY COUNT. Don't miss this! Total body resistance training will probably never equate to the "activity calculation" that an hour jog can- but that is ok. As long as you understand what your activity tracker was designed to measure along with the importance of the many other non-walking/jogging events that take place in your day, you will continue down this successful path!

This week, two things to Refuel your exercises:
1. Choose an activity tracker with heart rate monitor capabilities. So much can be learned by assessing our heart rate throughout an exercise session. 
2. Work hard in your resistance training sessions to get everything out of each movement and don't let the "lack of activity" calculation trick you into thinking it wasn't enough.

At the very surface level, we've discussed what clean eating is and what food items we should be seeking to fuel our bodies. Through this wellness journey, we'll plan to make 'bite sized' changes to our normal routine, with the goal of these small changes becoming our new normal. This week we dive into our drive to eat- and that point at which we should stop. It's the battle between appetite and satiety.

Before we jump into the differences between appetite and satiety, lets visit the basic principal of weight loss. Your body weight is determined by an energy balance. The calories you consume from food and beverages are called your energy intake while the calories you expend to support your life and daily activities are called your energy expenditure. When energy intake equals energy expenditure, your body weight remains the same. In contrast, when energy intake exceeds your energy expenditure then you have an energy surplus. Excess energy is stored in your body as fat resulting in weight gain. And finally, when energy intake is less than energy expenditure, you have an energy deficit. Your body makes up for this deficit by burning stored fat for energy resulting in weight loss.

Based on this principal, we can conclude that your body weight is greatly influenced by your appetite (the desire to eat) and satiety (the sensation of fullness). Are you able to recognize the difference? Many people do not and this leads to overeating, which results in a surplus of energy intake, which means you gain weight!

To know the difference (and feel it) requires great levels of awareness each time you sit down to eat. So let's break it down:

We all notice our appetite when we experience hunger- that signal from your body (an uncomfortable growling or contraction of the empty stomach, sometimes called hunger pangs) that it needs food for energy. When you are truly hungry, your stomach, brain or both will send cues encouraging you to eat food. Sometimes appetite and hunger are used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. We can have an appetite without being hungry--(raise your hand if you've said yes to dessert after eating that whole appetizer/entree combo!) instances where our body doesn't need additional calories, but our appetite takes over! Being aware of these cues is imperative-- and we should assess our hunger before we eat.

But there is GOOD NEWS! You hold the key to avoid overeating (excessive energy intake) by becoming aware of your satiety level-- the point at which you have satisfied your hunger, but choose to stop eating. So join me in this challenge this week:

1. Eat slowly- this will help you to become aware of your satiety level- which can sometimes take up to 20 minutes to fully register with your brain!
2. You DON'T have to eat it all- unlike the 100 year old parental command "Finish your food," it is ok to NOT finish your food. Think about portion sizes in America- typically enough for 2 people!
3. Drink plenty of water with your meal- it's just good for you- plus it will help that feeling of fullness come sooner.
4. Don't wait until you are ravenous to eat- we almost always overeat when we've let our hunger cues go on for too long.
5. Prep! Prep! Prep!- you're busy- that last minute _______ (fill in the blank)  always takes longer than you expected so have smart snacks (veggies, fruit, nuts, almond butter, protein bar) on hand.

For additional reading and some good tips, read:
https://www.findingbalance.com/articles/understanding-hunger-and-fullness-cues/
http://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2010/06/14/hunger-vs-satiety-do-you-know-the-difference/
https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/healthy-living/eating-right/1838-hunger-scale-mindful-eating-weight-loss.html

Always Refueling!

Clean eating, verb
   1. to scrub your food down with Lysol before consuming

If only it were that simply (and non-toxic)!!  What is clean eating (and for the hard to humor out there, it's NOT the above definition) and why is it important? Let break it down simply: Clean Eating is not a diet, it's a happy and healthy lifestyle, that you choose. The focus is on real, whole foods that are fresh, unprocessed, and nutrient-dense. Let's start at the surface of this lifestyle, and we'll dig down deeper through the weeks.

At its very basic foundation, clean eating follows these principals:

1. Make it a lifestyle- not a diet. There is no end date. Eating clean becomes a way of life because it fuels your body in the way it was designed to be fueled.
2. Eat Real- The cornerstone of clean eating is eating whole, real foods — which means choosing foods that are un- or  minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible.  Think about filling your grocery cart with items from the outer aisles of the store: produce, meats, dairy. If it comes in a box or jar, it has had some form (if not many) of processing. 

Here's how to start:
     Choose Unprocessed foods that include:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Dried legumes
• Nuts
• Farm-fresh eggs

     Minimally processed foods include:

• Unrefined grains, like whole wheat bread and pasta, popcorn, steel-cut oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Unprocessed meat; wild over pastured, pastured over grain-fed
• Hormone-free dairy
• Oils (coconut & olive)

    Stay Hydrated

• Drink plenty of water

Like anything in life, clean eating is a balance of choosing whole, nutritious foods while maintaining the enjoyment from your meals. It doesn't mean you will NEVER have another brownie, or that you'll soon turn wicked witch green from eating all those greens- you allow the occasional treat, in moderation, but make the choice of a dinner plate that fuels your body.

If you would like to learn more, here are some great sources on how to begin a clean eating regimen.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/plans/diets/clean-eating/
http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/is-your-diet-dirty-7-tips-to-clean-it-up 

How will you begin to Refuel this week?