The Number One Nutrition Question

The number one question I always get asked when it comes to food is “how do I get to the point where I’m not constantly thinking about food and getting rid of the good/bad title that comes with diet culture?”. The answer is that it can take awhile to get to this point and can be a complicated process. We need to ask ourselves why we make food choices. When it comes to giving food a “good” or “bad” title we want instead to switch the language to eat more of and eat less of. Never ever restrict! Don’t think of subtracting things from your diet, but instead think of adding in more healthy options. We’re talking about loading up those plates with fruits and veggies. That way when you get to the eat less category you are less likely to binge on those items since you will be more full from the eat more category.

We are conditioned by friends, family, and society as a whole to constantly think we need to restrict ourselves to be able to achieve our health goals. Restriction will always lead to binging. I’m going to tell you now that it is not easy to get to the point of trusting yourself that it is okay to eat the donut and not feel bad that you did. This feeling can also come from our past and how we were raised. As women we have always had to fight for ourselves because we are used to fuel patriarchal capitalism and that’s all we are seen as from a society view point. In short, make babies for the workforce.

Almost everything we do is based on what society tells us to do and not how we actually feel. Most of the time our emotions are invalidated by something or someone when they should not be. We are told often to lose weight, have a big butt and a small waist, don’t weigh over this specific amount or you are deemed worth less than others.

Even the medical system is against anyone who is deemed overweight/obese by BMI and those people have to fight a lot harder for proper healthcare. So then we get into the conversation of why? What is the reason you want to fix your nutrition? What is the reason why you want to lose weight? Because I promise you it is not all that it’s cracked up to be. I have seen so many people lose weight and they are miserable, they have body dysmorphia, losing weight didn't fix any of their problems like they thought it would, and they were unhappy.

We have to find the happy medium. Your body will find its homeostasis, the weight it likes to be at where you can run all your systems properly and you can do all the things you want to do in life with no issues. We have to remember that bodies are just skin suits for our brains and we are much more than our skin suits.

The entire fitness and nutrition industry that is presented to the public is filled with toxic manipulation and based solely on people's insecurities instead of being based on longevity and living a lifestyle, where your only goal is to do all the things you want to accomplish in your life.

Back when I was living in NY and I was trying to lose weight I could never do it because I was hyper focused on it and eating the “right” things and working out 3-5 days a week and it didn't work because I was so obsessive about it. As soon as I stopped trying and focused on what foods I enjoy eating and what are the foods and activities that make me happy that's when I saw the weight come off, only after I reset my mentality toward food and the industry did I make long term progress.

We also have to remember, circling back up to our skin suits, that we will never be the same or have the same body that we had when we were younger. Our bodies and our minds are meant to grow and change based on our lives and that's okay. But trying to get back to what we looked like in college or even 10 years ago is an unrealistic expectation that will set you up for failure.

Enjoy life, enjoy the things that your body is able to do for you right now and the things your body has done for example created human life. We don’t thank our bodies enough for that. 

New Year, New You?

Coming to the end of the year we give ourselves time to reflect on the goals we wanted to achieve. Did we achieve what we set out to? Did we have obstacles to overcome? Were there any unforeseen circumstances or things out of our control?

Sometimes we set the same goals for ourselves at the beginning of every year to hold ourselves accountable for the consistency in our lives. Once you have done your end of the year reflection, it is time to set new goals for the new year and take what we have learned this past year with us to make sure the goals we set are attainable. Remember that your goals can be anything: fitness, nutrition, self, finance, relationship, emotion, etc.

Before you set your new goals, write down everything good that happened this past year on one sheet of paper and everything you want to let go of on another. Keep the good in a place you’ll remember for next year, burn/rip/destroy the paper you need to let go of. Now get a new sheet of paper and write down your goals for 2022.

Start off with five small goals (something you can achieve within a few weeks to months) and two big goals (something that may take the entire year). Remember your small goals could be stepping stones to achieving your big goals. Some of your goals can be the same as 2021 but try to add in a few new ones.

I know it can also be hard to set goals for fear of disappointing yourself or others but they are important even if they are small. As we reflect on this year, try not to be so hard on yourself. We are living through uncertain times and it is important to give yourself some grace and peace of mind knowing that you did the best you could with the situations you were given and the information you had at the time.

Happy New Year from Girl Fight :)

Altitude/Elevation Training Using Masks

Altitude masks are a special type of mask that can help to increase your cardiovascular endurance. Many athletes and frequent gym folk turn to these types of masks to one up their competition.

Altitude masks work by providing the same conditions as a place that is high altitude on sea level. Altitude training and respiratory muscle training has been reported to improve performance in those that use them. Regardless of what type of workout you are doing wearing a mask or not you will see improvement in aerobic capacity (VO2max), endurance performance, and lung function. However, those who use an altitude mask have shown improvement in ventilatory threshold (the amount of work the muscles can maintain without fatigue), power output from ventilatory threshold, respiratory compensation threshold, and power output at respiratory compensation threshold.

When the ventilatory threshold is surpassed, the muscles don’t receive the necessary amount of oxygen and that is when we start to become fatigued. When the body is exposed to hypoxic conditions (lower oxygen) it stimulates the kidneys to create erythropoietin (EPO), which increases red blood cell production. In turn this gives your hard working muscles a better chance to receive the oxygen they need to reduce fatigue.

On top of the endurance metrics, altitude training has been shown to improve deep breathing and increase ventilatory efficiency throughout exercise when not wearing the mask. The mask works by covering your nose and mouth. You then adjust the valves to increase the resistance, making it more difficult to breathe.

A few side effects of altitude training include: lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, discomfort, anxiety, lower alertness and focus, hyperventilating, and fainting. REMEMBER that you are reducing the amount of oxygen you can breathe and these are normal side effects for a reduction in oxygen. Take it slow and listen to your body. If you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease it is NOT recommended that you use this type of mask.

Sources:

Porcari JP, Probst L, Forrester K, et al. Effect of Wearing the Elevation Training Mask on Aerobic Capacity, Lung Function, and Hematological Variables. J Sports Sci Med. 2016;15(2):379-386. Published 2016 May 23.

https://sites.udel.edu/coe-engex/2020/02/25/elevation-masks-for-endurance-training-stamina-or-scam/

What are Girl Fight Community Events?

They are fun events, whether virtual or in-person, that bring us together. They will allow you to create something you never thought to do, go on an adventure that you haven’t wanted to do alone, or simply, to get you out of the house!

We at Girl Fight Fitness care about you as a whole! We understand life gets busy between work, school, kids, hobbies, and other various activities. As a result, we want to offer enjoyable, relevant events that you can sign up for and fit into your schedule.

Creating time for fun outlets within your schedule can help reduce your stress level and boost your mind set in a positive manner (especially with a great group of ladies who support one another!).

Signing up for an event will ensure you don’t push off necessary me-time, which is easy to do! It also means you don’t have to plan the event…we do it for you! It takes the guess work out of what you’ll need, how long it will take, and figuring out the steps to complete/accomplish something.   

Have questions? We have answers:

1.    What does this cost?

It’s free with an active Girl Fight membership! There may be a supply list or some recommended items (but we will let you know of these beforehand so you may prepare accordingly).

2.    How do I sign up for them?

You sign up just like you normally would for a Girl Fight class on our website under the “Schedule” tab. You normally see classes in a Purple (Glenville) or Yellow (Latham) marker. However, these will be listed with a red marker.

3.    How often will these occur?

These will be occasional and not on a set schedule, but we will strive to offer at least one community event per month.

4.    What do the events entail? What will we be doing?

They will be different each month! They can be anything from a group hike to a cooking class/competition. Therefore, what you will be doing will vary.

Be sure to look at our Facebook, Instagram, and scheduling page for community event postings. We will alert you when there is a new event and what it will involve. If you like what you see and think it would be fun, come join us!

As an example, March’s community event will be teaching you how to complete two different egg decorating techniques. Both techniques require the eggs to be hard-boiled, but do not require the use of boiling water for the actual decorating process that many egg dipping techniques require. This is especially good if you have kids that you don’t near those hot surfaces/liquids while trying to decorate them. The first will be a marbled design using shaving cream and the second will be putting ANY image onto the egg’s surface. This allows you to customize the eggs exactly how you want to!

Girl Fighters - if you have any other questions about community events, please let us know! We are here to answer them.

We hope to see you at one very soon!

-Your Girl Fight Family

What do Fat Loss and the Bank have in common?

"I don't know, I was just expecting it to happen... faster..." 

One of the biggest struggles we have as women trying to get in the best shape possible is how long of a time it takes.

I won't lie, it is a long, long process. And it is frustrating. That's why many women give up so quickly.

There's definitely a faster route and a slower route. But you have to do an honest deep dive and ask yourself what you're willing to sacrifice to get results faster.

It's exactly the same mentality as saving money in the bank for a vacation.

Let's say you know your vacation is going to cost $5,000, just like you know that your goal is to lose 30 lbs. of body fat.

There are two ways to get to that vacation goal by saving your money. You can do it quickly with a lot of sacrifice and cutting back on luxuries and the things that you enjoy, like daily gourmet coffees, dinners out on the weekends, expensive hobbies, etc.

Or you can build in more time to reach the goal and save much more slowly in smaller amounts. Yes, it will take longer, but the path to getting there is going to be much more tolerable and much less full of sacrifice.

The same is true for your weight loss goals.

You can lose weight very quickly, but you're often going to be missing out on a lot of things you love, like free time with your family and loved ones by fitting in twice as many workouts each week, and cheat meals or some of your favorite foods because you really have to cut back on nutrition to make your results happen quickly.

Or, you can take the longer way and cut back a little less aggressively. Work out 3 days a week instead of 7.  Eat healthy 80% of the time and eat for fun 20% of the time rather than cutting out your favorite foods entirely.

Yes, the results are going to come a little more slowly. But honestly ask yourself, which one is more sustainable?  Which one can you stick with without giving up after 2-3 weeks?

Some people can flip on their focus like a switch and stay super dedicated to working out every single day and 100% clean eating. But unfortunately what happens after they reach their goal is they really haven't taught themselves any kind of moderation. And they slowly start to slide backwards into old habits because their extreme lifestyle can't be maintained long-term.

However, the people who learn moderation and are willing to practice the patience to get there over a longer period of time.  And they can continue this type of lifestyle for weeks, months, and even years.  Meaning, yes, the results are slower, but they will keep coming indefinitely.

You can absolutely get fast results, but what good are they if you can't keep them?

Just like saving your money aggressively, how long can you eat ramen noodles and drink instant coffee before that lifestyle gets weary?

If you're interested in sustainable change, definitely check out our website here: https://girlfightfit.com.

Have an amazing day!

Combatting Winter Depression

Hey Girl Fighters! Do you feel sluggish, unmotivated, or depressed due to winter weather? Are these feelings heightened among the ongoing pandemic and the certainty of the future? You’re not alone. We’ve researched and found some tips and tricks we’d like to share to help combat some of these commonly experienced symptoms!

1.    Write Down Daily Activities

When there’s not much to do because of continued pandemic related restrictions, some days can be a blur. You may ask, “What did I do today?”, as one day appears to look like the previous one. We recommend writing down what you do each day, as sometimes even small accomplishments can help you maintain a positive attitude. Did you clean out the fridge or finally tackle that pile of clothes in the closet? It counts! This may help you find gratitude in the small things that we typically see as a “chore” that “needs” to be done.

One of our trainers says they color code their planner to easily show how balanced their day was! For example:

Pink – Errand

Orange – TV Show/Movie

Yellow – Fun

Green – Fitness

Blue – Work

Purple - Meals

 

2.    Do You Work From Home? Get Up and Get Outside!

        Westfall, a Forbes contributor, reported that a recent study showed 75% of workers in the United States have struggled mentally while working from home. Our recommendation would be to make sure to get up and move around for a bit every hour. It can be easy to get stuck in your chair especially when there is a lot to get done.

        Another tip would be to go outside for a minute or two on your deck, porch or lawn. It can be hard to get yourself to do this during the winter, but Sowa, MD, PHD, reports that nature can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and as a result, anxiety/depression. Keeping a coat, a hat, and some gloves near the door can encourage you to get out for a couple of minutes when you need it most!

3.    Find What You Like To Do

 Do you not like running? Don’t force yourself to run! Find a type of exercise you like to do, as that will help you stick with it. Sometimes it may not be a certain type of exercise, but a particular trainer that you like! However, the key to all of this is to allow yourself to take the time to find out what you like.

 

4.    Exercise More Often (even for small bits of time)

 

Can’t make it to your favorite Girl Fight Fitness class that day? Don’t let that stop you from getting a small workout in. Take 10-15 minutes and do some squats, sit-ups, or pushups. While you crave the individualized attention that your trainers give you during class, short self-guided workouts like this will help keep you motivated to show up for those longer workouts. According to Harvard Health Publishing, regular exercise assists the hippocampus to become larger, and therefore, more equipped in helping us balance our emotions. Doesn’t that sound great?

 

Stay balanced and healthy!

 

 

*This blog is meant to provide tips on helping reduce feelings of stress from an exercise standpoint and is not a medical diagnosis/treatment in any manner. If you require help from clinically trained staff, please contact your physician or local hotline for assistance.

 

What to Expect During Masked Exercise

Tips from Coach Amber!

Hi! Amber, Girl Fight Fitness running coach here, to talk about masks. This is new for me to write a piece about my personal experiences. So please bear with me! Also, for those of you that may not know me, I’m not usually seen within the four walls of either location. I’m used to helping those of you who choose to set goals on crossing a 5k finish line and help you do so outside in parks and on running trails.

This year, I’m sorry to say, has looked very different. From the unexpected shutdowns and continuously canceled races, it has made personal running popular but group settings almost non-existent. As a result, this gave me the time to experience other Girl Fight classes and what they are like with the newly implemented state protocols.

Let’s face it, masks can be a pain in any area of life, especially when you forget it and have to go back home or to the car and grab it. However, I kind of experimented the other day with different kinds of masks during class. I had three different masks and will explain each of them.

1. Cloth Mask - I started the class with the cloth mask and found it to be just okay at first through the warm up and the first couple of rounds of kickboxing/floor work. It was a bit heavy feeling, but it was nice to take it down (in my socially distanced square) for a sip of water.
2. Disposable Mask - I noticed this one to be a bit more breathable and more comfortable. When it got damp with sweat, it was more comfortable than the cloth one. It was a little bit more lightweight and got me through the workout. Again, those sips of water in between, where I got a slight break from the mask, was much appreciated.

Say it with me… ew, mask sweat! I am not saying I’m going to solve the wearing a mask while working out topic, but hopefully I can give some tips based on my own experience that can work for you all as well! Also, I’m sure everyone has different styles and materials of masks, but one thing I can say for certain is that I was grateful for my third mask. 

3. Spandex Mask - This one is just a basic cloth/spandex one that I decorated myself and is more of a stylish one that I wore into the studio and out of the studio. This one was not damp with the workout sweat and made me overall more comfortable to continue on with the day’s errands and even just for the drive home.

I hope this helps you continue your fitness with a little bit more comfortably during this time!

A virtual high-five!

Amber

*This blog is meant to provide tips on adapting to new routines and procedures and is not a statement that these mask types or wearing one will prevent sickness and/or your own personal comfort levels.