Keep Your Promise: Lose Weight and Take of Care Yourself

Have you ever said to yourself, ok, I'm gonna start  Monday?

Meaning it's Friday or Saturday and there's probably been too much food/drink involved. You are certain it will be ok to say "screw it" eat drink and be merry and start over on Monday.

 Or...I'm going to start exercising on Monday. It was a crazy weekend and there was little to no movement but come Monday things are going to change!

 I've been there plenty of times with the first example. Monday was like a savior. It made me feel less guilty for overeating knowing I was starting fresh in a few days.

 But ... it always felt like I let myself down. A broken promise to myself and that just never feels good. After all, we are 100% in charge of our health. No one can do it for us. I absolutely hated letting myself down when I overate on a weekend. Overate by a lot, not just an extra cookie.

 My question to you is this ... do you ever break a promise to yourself?

If so, I'd like to help you stop doing that. I want to inspire you NOT to overeat, to start moving your body, to feel amazing in your own skin! When you keep your promises and take excellent care of yourself and your health, you feel like a $1,000,000!

I can help you through private coaching or by joining the Perfect Balance Tribe. Please email me to get information on coaching and click here to join the Tribe.

 Your health is your wealth!

Changing Your Body

We are all given things from our parents. Noses, teeth, body frames—need I say more?

Genetics play a big factor in our body frame. A male friend of mine is thin. His parents were thin. He wanted muscular legs. I told him, sorry— it's just not going to happen. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!

I was just recently talking to a client who wanted to lose weight in her tummy and inner thighs. I told her there was no such thing as spot reducing.  In my experience, the place you want to lose weight from the most is the last place that loses weight.

Then she told me she wanted a hip dip. For those unfamiliar with that term- think of the size of Kim Kardashian's hip/butt area. I explained just like there is no such thing as spot reducing, there is no such thing as spot increasing either. I asked about her parents, she said they were thin. You just can't outrun your genetics. Aside from a butt implant, this gal is not going to increase her butt/hips.

Look at your shape and know you've got a GREAT frame to work with. Be realistic, please. You can lean out and build some muscle if you want to. That takes work but is achievable.

If you’re frustrated by not seeing progress and not reaching your goals, I do one/one coaching! I'd love to help you on your journey!

The Secret to Real Weight Loss and Great Health

For too many years I read everything I could in every women's fitness magazine about weight loss. I was ALWAYS looking for the secret, that key that would let me lose that last bit of weight I wanted to lose.

I kept thinking I would find the key, that one thing that would work. What I didn't realize for far too long is... there is NO key to weight loss or great health.

Losing weight is about creating a calorie deficit—period. Getting into good shape is about moving your body consistently day in day out most days of the week for most of your life.

 Building healthy habits in the kitchen is about buying more fresh foods and planning colorful meals, day in and day out, every month and making that a habit. As well as, slowly getting the processed foods out of your life. It's eating real food to fuel your body day in day out.

Taking care of yourself and your health takes work. It takes time and dedication. In my opinion, it is the most important job you will ever have. You are a role model for your kids as well as others you might not even know look up to you! You may even inspire family to take better care of themselves.

The secret is.... eating lots of veggies, moving your body daily, strength training, walking, drinking water, getting enough sleep, and loving your family and friends!

 If you need help on your journey, Join the Perfect Balance Tribe for daily inspiration, weekly yoga, stretching, and workouts! I'd love you to be part of my Tribe!

 Your health is your wealth!

Starting a Streak to Boost Weight Health and Weight Loss

In my latest issue of Runner's World, there was an article on streaking. This helped people cope with divorce, cancer treatments, having kids, staying sober and the list literally goes on and on.

I read it and thought, Nah. I don't want to. I love running but don't want to HAVE to do it every day. Then my daughter read it. She's got 3 more super intense weeks of school left. She said she wanted to run a mile every day for the rest of May. Of course, I had to jump on board to support her.

It's only a mile. It takes less than 9 minutes. But it's something. It is stress relief. It is a perfect way to start any day. (If it was December, I wouldn't be doing this—I am a weenie in bad weather!) But, after my initial "I don't want to," I'm really enjoying it!

Because I'm an old running geek, I'm keeping track of my time daily. I get pure pleasure out of seeing how fast I can go! As well as those days it feels like I'm running through water :)- I call those days slogging=slow jogging.

Think about starting a streak of your own. It could be 10 counter push-ups a day. It could be 10 squats a day. Something doable that doesn't take a lot of time! Why- because you are worth it!

 If you need DAILY inspiration, please join my Perfect Balance Tribe! I post daily- sometimes multiple times a day, have monthly challenges (this month is 5 servings of veggies a day), and have weekly FB live videos including yoga, stretch and strength.

Staying Fit Later in Life

I recently talked about an 81-year-old guy trucking (walking fast) up a big hill! My husband has had a few conversations with him.

 The first was hello, wow you're pretty fast, great for you etc.  The guy-Ron told my husband he's 81!!!

 In the next conversation, my husband asked what his walks. Ron replied, " I walk 4 hours a day!" This is amazing for anyone, let alone someone who is 81!

 Here is the INCREDIBLE part. During the conversation, Ron was saying he stops at all the parks and does some tricep dips on a bench. At first, it was 10 or so at each bench. Now it's 60-70 at each park. Which totals up to 3,000 or so every day.

Maybe, to stay happily married,  his wife kicks him out of the house for 4 hours a day! But the fact is, Ron is taking charge of his health in such a strong way is amazing.

 I'm so inspired by someone who takes their health so seriously day in and day out!

 If you want to take better care of yourself and your health, start slowly. 10 push-ups on the counter every time you have a cup of tea or coffee. That adds up! Small steps lead to big success every single time.

The Hard Truth When it Comes to Weight Loss

Many women I know (sorry guys, I mostly hear from women) want to lose weight. It's hard. We have hormones, cycles, perimenopause, menopause (and why is it called MENopause???).

 Here's the thing. If you want to lose weight, you've got to create a calorie deficit. It's never going to be about the latest fad diet ever. Or anything promising you quick weight loss that you find at the store or online.

 It's work to lose weight. My best advice is to log your food every single day. Either in a journal or on an app like myfitnesspal. Tracking what you eat is the only method I have found to work in all my years of helping people!

An old friend of mine wanted to lose weight as some of her numbers on her bloodwork were too high. Her daughter who is in medical school told her to log her food every single day for the rest of her life. This daughter was on a rotation where she was in contact with many people dealing with disease because they were obese. She had seen people's poor food choices directly affect their health.

Does this sound drastic? It literally takes minutes a day. I'm guessing we all have a few minutes to log what goes in the piehole.

It's not fun, it's not easy but...it's worth it. If you are looking to lose weight, you are worth taking the time daily to track your food. It will also make you aware of what keeps you full (veggies!!) and what doesn't (sugar!). Please don't "try everything" else and say nothing works!

When It Comes to Losing Weight, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

When discussing results, I always tell people, there is no such thing as fast results—either in the gym or on the scale.

Our health is a lifelong process, there are no quick fixes. It's hard to accept but... day in and day out daily decisions are what lead to a healthier life and weight loss.

I thought about this on Saturday when my family was doing a birthday workout. It was a challenging one, to say the least. 25 pullups plus 53 repetitions of 10 exercises.

 It was interesting to watch how each person attacked the workout. When they chose to do the burpees (I did them first to get them over with!), as well as when they did the bike (it hurts so much)!

 My approach was slow and steady. I wasn't trying to go as hard as I could and rest. I chipped away going slowly and not taking breaks. My kids could not believe it when I told them I was finished. They still had a bit to finish up.

Keep plugging away, day after day, meal after meal. Slow and steady progress will get you feeling amazing in your own skin! It will never happen overnight. In fact, if you try to change too many things at once, it will lead to disastrous results. Believe me, I've seen it many times over the years.

Moral of the story … slow and steady wins!

To Lose Weight, Add Things to Your Day

As any of my clients/students can tell you, I'm a BIG proponent of adding things to your day. I hate taking things away as it feels like restriction/deprivation. I love telling people to add food to their meals.

 Whenever I look at a client's food journals, I rarely tell them to take anything out (with the exception of a 6 pack of Coors light and hot dogs for one meal). And yes, that person and I are still friends.

 Instead, I encourage them to ADD things to their day. Now, more than ever, we should be trying to boost our immune system and eat loads of veggies!

 Look at your meals. If they are the same color(beige/brown) I encourage you to add color to your plate. The health people I follow encourage 8-10 servings of veggies a day! If you are struggling to get any in, then add 2 servings at lunch and dinner. Cut up your fav veggie and put into baggies so it's easy to grab for a snack. We all have the time right now to chop our veggies and plan for success.

 The BEST way to get vitamins and minerals into your body is with veggies. Along with your veggies, add a healthy fat like avocado or nuts. The fat helps your body absorb the vitamins and minerals.

 We are responsible for our health every single day. It's our job to take the very best care of ourselves possible. You are worth it! You will feel better when you eat for your health! You are amazing!

ps. I'd LOVE you to try out the Perfect Balance Tribe! I give you daily inspiration, weekly workout videos, monthly challenges and talk food and fitness!

Pam's Top 10 Healthy Habits

Pam's Top 10 Healthy Habits
by Pam Sherman, Founder of The Perfect Balance

Forget the fads and shortcuts. I've helped hundreds of people over the years achieve better health, and these are the Top 10 essentials. If it feels overwhelming, just pick 2 to try today, and work up from there. Your health is your wealth - prioritize yours today.

1. Sleep more. This is the single most important thing you can do for your health every single day. Try to keep the same bedtime hour daily. Don’t be on your phone until just before you go to sleep. Your brain needs to wind down for an hour before bed. If you can, grab a 15 minute nap during the day. Rest is essential for overall health.
   

2. Drink more water. This should be your main beverage throughout the day. Yes, I know coffee is a necessity - but water is vital for our bodies. Don’t leave home without your water bottle.
   

3. Get outside and walk. Our bodies are not meant to sit all day long. We are meant to get up and walk around. Long before we had gyms, our ancestors roamed the earth - slow walking for hours a day. Most of us don’t have hours to walk, but I bet we could all fit in 30 minutes in our day to get outside, breathe the fresh air and walk. If you don't live in an area where this is possible or safe, one of the best exercise equipment investments you can make is a treadmill. Or just put on some music and dance!
   

4. Eat more veggies. Think about half your plate being filled with veggies two out of three meals daily. Shocking to some, but it's the single most important dietary addition to your day. View my site for great, easy recipes with veggies.
   

5. Eat real food. Our bodies don’t recognize the chemicals in processed foods. Our digestive systems haven’t evolved that much over the last few hundred years. A rule of thumb - if your grandma (or great grandma, for you younger ones!) wouldn’t recognize what you’re eating, skip it.
   

6. Find an exercise you love and make it your passion. I’ve worked in gyms for 20 years and have seen some miserable people on various pieces of equipment. If you hate it, don’t do it. There are so many choices for exercise these days - try them all and find one you like and be passionate about it. Zumba, rock climbing, crossfit, yoga, pilates, group classes- and the list goes on and on. Don’t say you don’t like exercise. Keep trying and find friends to join you!
   

7. Find your people. Having friends or a tribe counting on you to show up daily can keep you accountable and active. With social media it’s easy to call out your friends for missing class. It’s more fun with people who have the same interests as you.
   

8. Plan out your day. For the most part, we all know what our day will look like. Pack snacks, lunch, bring extra water- plan for success. If you have an apple in the car, you’ll eat it when you get hungry and be satisfied. Going a long time without eating and being dehydrated leads to disaster.
   

9. Don’t reward yourself for a workout. A friend once said, "I’m not a dog, I don’t need a treat." I go to Starbucks almost daily and see so many people negating their workout with one drink order. Your reward is feeling like a badass the rest of the day for a job well done. For making yourself and your health a priority - that’s a fabulous reward.
   

10. Be KIND to yourself. You are AWESOME!