Where Have I Been? What Have I Learned? #Self-Care Summer.

Hi, it's me here! 

Yes, FitVista is still alive and running! Even though I haven't been around these parts as of late, my mind is constantly writing blog posts in my head and thinking of how I can best serve you and your health and lifestyle goals.

My nutrition health coaching clients are seeing huge success and I'm blown away by their dedication and the work we've been able to accomplish together over our six-month programs. This type of work is revolutionary and I'm humbled to be on the forefront of health coaching and the practice of pairing up to *finally* reach your health goals. I'll be taking on 3-5 clients at the end of August / early September, so if you want to hold your spot or learn more, email me : michelle@fitvista.com. 

Want to know what I've been up to day-to-day? Check out my Instagram, I've been going nuts. 

But on a deeper level, let's talk life, health and some soulful summer stuff. 

A Self-Care Summer

Yup, I meant to write this post on the importance of a "Self-Care Summer" in June ... and then, I didn't write it.

I do believe Procrastination is a Form of Intuition and when you avoid or actively don't do something, it's important.

Yeah, hell, sometimes it's just lazyness. But maybe it's your body telling you to rest. Maybe it's not a priority for you at the moment. Maybe you to need to recharge before you push ahead. Maybe the task at hand isn't aligned with your goals, your values, your life, whatever. See what I mean? 

So back to my "#Self-Care Summer" post I never wrote and why I haven't been blogging AT ALL.

I made the decision at the end of May to take a break from blogging and re-focus on my own health and my own unstructured time AND of course, always constantly ensuring my 1-1 private clients are thriving in our work together .

Quitting Finance in June 2014, going back to Nutrition School, ramping up at Equinox for Personal Training, starting my own business, launching my own blog, becoming a Precision Running Treadmill instructor at Equinox, on-boarding a full schedule of private clients I adore = it's been an exhausting two years! The best two years of my life, but taxing just the same. I almost didn't realize how much I was doing because I was loving every step of the way and so focused on charging FULL SPEED AHEAD. 

And you know what happened in March, April and May? I let my own health take a back-seat.

I'm a freaking personal trainer and health coach! I prioritized my client's workouts over my own, I stayed up late writing blog posts, I booked back-to-back-to-back sessions, I took on teaching MORE running classes, I accommodated my early-bird schedule for 9pm client calls. I was so determined to see my business succeed, and it did! 

I bet you've done the same in your life and business! I did gain some weight, like um, almost 10 pounds, and I started to feel kind of like a fraud.

Heck, I'm supposedly WRITING a book on Self-Care! 

And I am (I have an outline!) but all in due time my dears.

Kris Carr, my wellness idol, speaks about the importance of unstructured time, being outside in nature to fuel creativity, a season of inward reflection and withdrawl from the world to spark a season of output and setting the example for radical self-care and healing. 

So that's what I did.

Alex and I moved in together on May 1st and after 8 years of living in Manhattan, I'm now officially a resident of Long Island (woah!). Settling in to life living with Alex has been a dream and a huge priority for me. 

Long Island City is a beautiful new community a hop away across the river from Manhattan, with stunning skyline views. It's also QUIET. Instead of honks, I hear seagulls and instead of cramped city streets, I see the sky and watch the sunsets. It's kind of like moving out of the city without really moving out of the city. It's been good for my mind and OH so good for my sensitive and easily over-stimulated body. 

How did I get back on track?

There were a ton of things, but here are the highlights to get you thinking about your own health:

In May, I did a month of unlimited yoga at Yoga Room LIC and although I didn't hit my goal of 20 classes, I did get to 12 classes and felt way more in tune with my body and released a ton of tension. 

In June, I hired my own personal trainer (yup, a personal trainer hires a trainer) to hold me to two hard strength training sessions a week. I added in Bootcamp classes and some runs and within three weeks I'd lost almost five pounds of bodyfat and my butt muscles came back. Heck yes! 

In late May, our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share started and we began 26 weeks of fresh produce from an organic North Fork Farm that we pick-up on Tuesdays from a local bar / restaurant in Long Island City. It's been a beautiful way to try out new vegetables and expand my horizons. There is always a ton of lettuce and yes, it IS hard to get through it all.  

Sleep. Lots of it. This has been a huge priority for me in the last year. Sleep is one of the most effective ways to lower your cortisol levels and it acts as buffer to stress. Working out and exercising hard is my passion, and if I can sleep to buffer my intense activity levels and impact of stress on my body, then SIGN ME UP. Oh and sleep makes you lose weight, boom. 

Books. What did you love to do as a child? Do more of it. It heals. I was a huge book-worm and a A+ student and English Major. I thrive on reading. I didn't realize how relaxing it is to me until I really got back in to it this summer. I've been alternating between work reads (nutrition, coaching, running), fun well-written chick novels, and how-tos on entrepreneurship, like the 4-Hour Work Week. Stay tuned for a re-cap of all my summer reads! That would be a fun post, right?

Sun. Since March I'd been craving time in the sun. I deeply felt like my body was telling me I needed a "drying out" with sun on my face and a tan on my skin. I don't know it at the time, but I WAS deficient in Vitamin D and when I found that out in May from a blood test, I made time in the sunshine a priority!

By the middle of July, I found myself in a really good place. I'd lost the weight, I was more relaxed, I was naturally drinking less alcohol, rocking my workouts and feeling like I'd found myself again, you know? Feeling like I was walking the talk again after a couple month blip. 

But I didn't start blogging again, until now! And I love writing! 

I just haven't felt like constantly producing. Constant output. I've been on the fast track my whole life. 

And I kind of wanted a break. Woah.

Thing is,

It's OK to slow down in the summer. It's OK to slow down whenever you think you should.

Your mind might not let you, but your body might be whispering for a rest. I'm addicted to productivity and learning to relax has been the hardest thing I've ever done. (Tweet that). 

I'll write more in another post about my personal issues with elevated cortisol levels, phase one adrenal fatigue (I healed myself! Yay!), amenorrhea, paralyzing perfection, over-dosing on caffeine, multi-tasking and everything else that goes hand-in-hand with how I (used to) live my life. 

But this is the lesson I've needed to learn.

Self-Care isn't Selfish

I tell my clients that "Self-Care isn't Selfish," that you have to "fill your own cup first" and that you can show up as the best version of your authentic YOU self, when you've taken care of yourself and your needs. 

I 100% believe in that. 

Yet, I was too much of a chicken to write a blog post about it! 

I do know I wanted to prove to myself first that I could get back on track from my slip-up and 8-10 pound weight-gain. I mean, heck, it's my job to teach other people. 

I also had these visions of me using the hashtag "#selfcaresummer" and inspiring people to take care of themselves, but I felt a little bit too luxurious writing about it, a little too much like I wasn't doing enough WORK. Because I've always defined myself by my productivity, my grades, my $ bonus $ in finance, the number of clients I see per day. 

I also realize that as an owner of my own expanding and growing private practice, I have control over how fast or how many clients I take-on and I control the flexibility in my own schedule. Don't worry I'm not in La La Land, but to me, I've decided to define success less by dollar terms and client hours than by my own personal health, happiness, and frankly, the joy of seeing my clients reach their goals.  

I'm willing to bet that you have an hour of your week where you can implement more self-care. 

Anyways, I'm OUT. This is what I've been up to! 

I have been having a #selfcaresummer and focusing on my own health and wellness is the greatest gifts I've been able to give myself, share tips and strategies with my clients, AND I AM writing a book about it. 

I still have a full schedule and client load, but I'm not OVER-doing it and going at 140% of my capacity in life / work.

I'll warn you, when you go from 5.5 hours of sleep to 8-9 hours of sleep and from 3-4 cups of coffee to 1 cup of coffee a day, you do LESS during each day. That's been a hard adjustment over the last couple years. My capacity for hours of work has gone down. 

And just because I DO still get a bit defensive about how much I work, we're talking a couple hours here and there people. Rather than 5 clients a day, I see 3 or 4. Rather than spending two hours writing a blog post twice a week, I've been reading a book. Rather than submitting an article to Elite Daily, I go to a workout with my personal trainer. But hey, it all adds up. 

What's one hour you can trade this week for your own self-care? One hour! I'd love to know. 

Do you think you're carrying too much stress in your body? Is it leading to disease? Weight-gain? Do you feel off and stuck and in a funk and can't get out of it?  

As I said, I'll be taking on 3-5 clients at the end of August / early September, so if you want to hold your spot or learn more, 

Drop a line here or email me at michelle@fitvista.com. I'm jetting off for a long vacation and going on a social media / email detox, but I'll get back to you week of Aug 22nd! I care! And we can get started right away! 

xo,

Michelle

Part 2: My One Month of Yoga

My reasons for doing this nutty and soulful challenge at the LIC Yoga Room? See Part 1 for the full story! 

I skipped four days on my adventure up to Vermont for my Middlebury College Alumni Board meetings, but I'm determined to keep fitting in the yoga and doing 20 classes within my 30 day time frame! And you know what? If I go over a few days, I'm totally cool with that too. 

Best advice I've heard from a Yoga teacher in Vermont, is "If you are rushing to get to Yoga Class, DON'T GO." 

My body is feeling awesome, I've definitely lost a few pounds (combined with other diet modifications and exercise) and I'm not tight ANYWHERE. I have a massage with my massage therapist today, and what is she even going to work on? Just kidding, I could get a massage every darn day and be a happy camper. 

Written on a phone post outside of the studio. I'm trying to slow down, trying! 

Day 8: May 16th: Vinyasa Yoga with Amanda (sub)

Monday Yoga at 4:30pm is pretty much the magic pill. I had a busy start to my week and it was truly a bit of a nervous system overhwhelm stepping from the quiet woods of Vermont on Sunday in to the hustle and bustle of NYC on Monday. I learned my lesson with my Monday schedule: 10:30am training my client on UES, 1pm teaching my treadmill running class at Bryant Park and then 2:45pm meeting my outdoor running client in Gramercy, then back to Long Island City. Yes, it was a very cool day and I was psyched to see my clients, but that is way too much subway travel and noise for me! 

Back to yoga. I came straight from my running client, so was already a bit warmed up and excited to go through an easy flow. This delivered. I did a bit more child's poses than usual and Amanda came by and pressed down on my back to help with the stretch and calm the nervous system. It's my absolute favorite when Yoga teachers adjust and help you with the poses! 

I was so hungry afterwards I probably ate 800+ calories for dinner. I don't count or believe in calories, but just to give you an idea. I love being on my feet, (on days and hours I'm not blogging or health coaching)!

Day 9: May 17th: Hot Yoga Flow with Christina (sub)

I had a feeling this was going to be a tough class and I was right! In all the right ways. I was ready for a workout and this one delivered. It had been almost two weeks since I'd done my last hot yoga and I was excited to break back out my Manduka Yogitoes towel and get sweating. I got it from my boyfriend's mom for Christmas and I love it! It's a real dream living in a new apartment that has a mini laundry room literally next door to our apartment door, rather than trekking up and downstairs to the basement loaded down with my hoarded quarters -- my sweaty yoga clothes are going right in the wash these days! 

I was also positioned next to two models during class and I was pretty proud of myself for not being self-conscious AT ALL. In fact, my eyes have been sparkling lately and I'm truly feeling confident again (after the bit of a funk I mentioned in Part 1).

Models and Hot Yoga? Bring it ON! 

Written on the other side of the post. This is gorgeous! 

Day 10: May 18th: Hot Yoga Flow with Victoria G.

Not that I want to pick favorites, but this was my third class with Victoria G. (the one with the beautiful accent) and I'm such a huge fan! I feel a bit like a stalker, because I have this feeling she's "found my blog" and knows I'm writing about her, but hey! It's a compliment! I'm going to hand her my FitVista biz card after this blog series is over and encourage her to read up on her praise. 

She was checking in people to class on Monday and asked if I was in the "Work-Study" program, AKA, TRAINING to be a Yoga Teacher. Yup, I got mistaken for a yoga teacher. My dream of being a Yogi is coming true guys!

Back to class: my mind was brimming with this exciting new business idea I have and can't wait to tell you guys about it, so I felt like I was in a dream state all class and I missed the whole thing. I moved through the poses and it was actually an entrepreneur's dream to think and plan and do yoga at the same time. I left a sweaty mess and was so glad I brought my flip flops to "rinse off" after. 

Love that I see so much more of the sky living my "Island Life!"

What's Next?

I'm looking ahead at my Thursday and Friday plans and will be hopping all over the city, so my class #4 and #5 will have to wait until this weekend! 

Enjoy this lovely weather my friends, because according to weather.com this weekend is going to be a "Miserable Weekend in the Northeast." 

Silver lining? More yoga classes, finally organizing my closets AND arranging our bookshelves by color. Bowling one night with my girlfriends from Nutrition School. And drinking some wine or kombucha with Alex and snuggling up to a movie. Bring it on miserable weather! 

Namasate FRIENDS, and thanks for reading!

My One Month Of Yoga!

At the LIC Yoga Room

I've been dreaming about this challenge for months now. Anticipating my move from the island of Manhattan to Long Island City (LIC) and scheming in my head: making plans for myself, thinking of self-challenges and workout goals.

I've known for quite awhile that I need to do more yoga.

I used to be a yoga-once-a-month-kind of girl, vaguely knowing when the classes at Equinox were, making a half-hearted effort to go. It was always the first thing to get kicked off my list. I always made bootcamps and my personal trainer and my running groups a priority. 

But yoga? MEH, it "wasn't a real workout!"

I knew the recovery aspects were huge, but hey, I was 26 years old and my body could bounce back from anything. 

Now, not that I'm not much older, but I am turning 30 on May 5th and I thought, what better way to celebrate and get on track with a big goal of mine, than with 30 days of Yoga?

I'm obsessed with my new Zen Again shirt from Sub_Urban Riot. It's super soft and makes me happy every time I glimpse it in the mirror. From Amazon Prime! 

Feeling Tightness in Your Body?

Yup, I am. I've felt tension and tightness in my torso for a couple years now.

At first it was linked to breathing and now I have overactive lat muscles and tight Serratus Anterior. I'm using this 30 days to really open up my muscles that protect my rib cage AND massage my internal organs. I'm not super knowledgeable when it comes to Eastern Medicine, but I do know that everything is linked and tightness in your torso can lead to slower digestion, holding stress in your body and generally throwing things a bit out of whack.

Feeling Tightness in Your Mind?

OK, sort of yes too! I've unwound big time from my days in finance, but I'm still on the path to managing my stress levels.

For example, when I just wrote that above paragraph, I noticed I was holding my breath. What?! I'm writing about YOGA for godsake! But yes, when I write certain emails or try to choose my words carefully, I hold my breath. 

30 days of Yoga is definitely going to help loosen some of these old patterns and work on my mind-body connection.

The Lavender Room at Yoga Room LIC - how ZEN!

What's the Game Plan? 

On Monday, May 2nd I signed up and committed for one month of unlimited yoga at The Yoga Room in LIC.

Here's the details in case you're curious about creating your own personal challenge and also crunching the numbers in your head.

I paid $130 + tax ($5.80) for a total cost of $135.80 a month and locked in to a 3 month commitment. My plan is to go 20 times over the month (5 days a week), so that would bring my cost down to $6.80 a class. Yes, if I went 30 times that would be super cool, but I am TRYING not to stress myself out and be a perfectionist these days! 20 times in one month is going to be good enough sweetie! 

The unlimited membership includes free mat storage (or a free mat at every class if for some reason I don't feel like using my own stored mat, I can use one of theirs and they'll take care of cleaning it) and free towels. I did pay an extra $3 on Day One for a fancy alkalinized water bottle! 

OK, i couldn't figure out how to shrink this picture, but that makes sense because this Alkaline water is also the size of my head. Totally worth the $3 for the Hot Yoga classes in my opinion. 

I'll post in reverse order about my journey. And I hope this inspires YOU to pursue your own yoga dreams, or workout dreams or some kooky challenge you've always wanted to do. Above all, listen to your body, because it has more knowledge than we'll ever really know. 

I'm going to start documenting some more actual yoga photos in my next post, once my cute yoga clothes go through the laundry (and I find them in all the boxes!) after our big move to this new area of town! 

Blissing out in the sun before 4:30pm class on Wednesday. This "island living" AHEM Long Island, is going to be good. 

HINT: STart Reading at the BOTTOM for DAY #1. Mwah!

DAY SEVEN: May 11th: Vinyasa Yoga with Victoria G.

Wow, I've made it this far! I let myself take a break on Tuesday to spend the evening making and eating dinner with my man.

After an early start teaching my 8am Equinox Treadmill Class in Flatiron today, I wrapped up my last client call today at 3:30pm and decided to head out in to the sunshine. I lounged and soaked up the sun for 20 minutes and was happy that my feet lead me to the 4:30pm yoga class. [Um, those of you who know me well, know that I'm obsessed with planning, so I'd been checking out the schedule quite religiously to make sure I can fit in these classes!]. 

I was hesitant to step inside on such a beautiful day, but I'm so glad I did.

This class was lead again by the British beauty from Day 3, Victoria G. She taught such a unique and energizing class. It wasn't dripping with sweat yoga, nor was it hot yoga, and thankfully I was totally fine keeping my pants today. (See Day #4).

She told us to make the moves "Easy Like Sunday Morning," keep breathing and flow in to the movements. And then - get this - she led us in to an "advanced pose" called Firefly and asked us to be brave. I'd never ever tried this in my life and I DID IT. OMG, I looked nothing like these photos on google, but I still did it. 

Finally, Victoria told us that "falling is progress." Just think about how that can apply to so many areas of your life. Mess up and have too much booze and brownie sundaes and wake up with a killer stomachache? That's falling, you learn, you forgive yourself, you move on, you know better next time. Progress! 

Day SIX: May 9th: Vinyasa Yoga with Elizabeth B.

Well this was a treat! Year over year, I'm becoming progressively more hippie and this hit the spot. Elizabeth opened class with a type of piano chanting (OK, you real yogis are going to have to correct me here, because I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing, but it was beautiful to sing along at the start of the practice and unwind from the day during the 4:30pm class).

Elizabeth told us "we're so used to feeling like we should always feel comfortable. How about you get comfortable with feeling some discomfort?" That was interesting to me and I completely agree. This extends to feelings, and physicality. Like holding the chair pose in yoga (always super tough) or feeling sad one day. They are both OK! We don't need to be happy all the time. Permission granted. 

Me, happy after Monday afternoon yoga. This is pretty much my ideal outfit: spandex, running sneaks, navy blue KALE sweatshirt, J.Crew vest, aviators and ponytail. 

Day Five: May 8th: Restorative YIN Yoga with JENNIFER B.

This was exactly what I needed. Exactly. Last night I celebrated my 30th birthday with friends, guacamole, chips and more chips, sombreros and lots of booze. Oops! I mean, you only turn 30 once right? 

I knew I could handle today's class and in fact, I walked out of it feeling incredibly zen, and well, restored. Jennifer was such a doll and sang to us at the end of class. I immediately went from feeling 30 --> to 3 years old and it was a welcome comfort. 

In restorative yoga, you pretty much snuggle up on big pillows called "boosters", settle in to a position, breath and sort of doze off until the teacher tells you to switch to the next pose. It's incredibly calming for the nervous system and without being an expert, it's delicious for hangovers. 

Day Four: May 7th: Vinyasa Flow with Steph

Saturday AM Yoga! I must say, I was super proud of myself for 1) getting myself out of bed by 7:30am to enjoy coffee and my breakfast and 2) leaving for Yoga at 8:45am. All while my BF was still sleeping! I felt like "one of those yogis" that does yoga before everyone else wakes up. 

By now, I've left my favorite mat for the studio to store and I get two free clean towels when I arrive. It makes it much easier to roll out the door with only keys and sometimes some cash. I try to leave my cell phone at home {but I brought it along to take pictures today, to share with you all}. 

I was surprised that today's yoga was in the small room of the studio's three spaces. It was definitely tight for the Saturday morning crew. Everyone was gracious and moved around to fit in the last few people and I was fine with lining up my mat next to my fellow participant. I mean, that's what Yogis do on Saturday AM right? 

Anyways, the class was good, totally solid. This was the first class that was NOT hot yoga, but I did glance at the thermometer and it was a solid 79* and boy, did I dress incorrectly!

I LOVE with a capital L my Lululemon Herringbone long tights, but all I wanted to do during the entire class was take off my pants. Yup, you read that right. All I could think about was how many more minutes until I can GET THESE OFF OF ME. I hate feeling sticky and claustrophobic around my legs. I'm all about shorts when I can rock them! In fact, I try not to wear pants, EVER, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Note to self: next time, wear shorts. 

How much do you love their water fountain? I make it a point to refill my water bottle after class, before I hit the road! 

>>>> Update! Ok, after three days in a row of sweaty Hot Yoga my rib cage is no longer tight and I feel such lightness in my torso. I'm on to something! PS: Your body knows what it needs to heal. You've just got to learn to listen to it. <<<<

Day Three: May 4th: Hot Yoga with Victoria G. 

A yoga instructor with a British accent! What a treat! She really cranked up the heat. We were sweating through 104* temps and I was so thankful I brought flip flops to jump and rinse off in the shower after.

At one point during a balancing section of class, Victoria told us to look in the mirror and stare directly in to our own eyes to find balance, and how this could be scary because we'd have to confront ourselves and anything we may be trying to hide. Wow! I'm eager to lose 5 pounds I've gained since February (was in a total funk for a couple months) and I definitely had an emotional moment "confronting my own eyes" and THEN Frou Frou's "Let Go, Beauty in the Breakdown" song came on and I had my cathartic moment.

That's a ramble: bottom line. I was tired on Day 3 of Hot Yoga and feeling emo. Which I think is beautiful! 

Day Two: May 3rd: Hot Yoga with Caitlyn

This was a lovely 60 minutes. A bit less flow than Vinyasa, but totally sweat it all out and continued to open up my tight upper torso and rib cage. I keep pressing my fingers down and finding new trigger points on my sides and around my lower rib cage -- has this ever happened to any of you?! Please share! Oh and Caitlyn was a doll and we chatted after class about the silence of LIC versus NYC. Its golden. This 11am class will fit perfectly in to my weekly schedule and I think I'll be a regular! 

Day One: May 2nd: Hot VINYASA Yoga with Shevy

Mmmmm hot yoga, my favorite! I've been doing the 75 minute Hot Vinyasa Yoga Classes for the last six months when I found myself in the 'hood on a Saturday or Sunday, but now it's time to really dive in. 

I love that they heat the room to 97*-105* and we flow through various Vinyasa movements. This does feel like a workout! It's not nearly as hot as Bikram (115*) and I love moving through the postures. 

I felt a bit poofy this morning after celebrating my brother's birthday yesterday afternoon with beers and BBQ, so a hot yoga class was ideal for sweating it out and kicking off my challenge with a fresh start. 

I loved how the instructor told us to breath and make any sounds we wanted during class, so I let out a bunch of loud sighs and really got that oxygen flowing through my body. If you haven't tried Hot Yoga, I'd definitely recommend it! It's a great way to get a deeper stretch and feel like you're getting more out of the class than traditional Vinyasa. 

What is "Personalized Nutrition" and Why Should I Care?

How to Personalize Your Nutrition and Create "The [Insert Your Name Here] Diet"

Let's play a game.

How many "diets" have you tried? How many "diet books have you read?"

• Atkins? Check.
• Vegetarian? Check.
• South Beach Diet? Check. For 10 years. 
• Low-Carb? Check.
• Low-Calorie? Check. I was a girl in college, so of course, yes. 
• Weight-watchers? Not quite, but I know there are millions of you.
• Paleo? Check.
• 3-Day Juice Cleanse? Several times.
• Vegan? Check. One year! 
• Plant-based Paleo. Yup.
• Plant-Powered? Yes. 
• Whole30? Yes, this January, in fact. 

Now let me take a guess -- based off my extensive personal experience and my work with my clients -- that these "diets" didn't 100% work for you.  

Am I right? Yeah, I thought so.

That's why you kept bopping around year-over-year and tried new approaches, right? 

You lost some weight, then you veered off track "from the plan," got upset with yourself, kicked yourself that you didn't have enough will-power to stay away from the bread basket and then gained all the weight back. 

Next year, new diet, new approach. 

It's frustrating. Yes.

But it's also REALLY empowering.

Empowering you say? That I lost weight, then gained it, then yo-yo-ed all over the place? 

Stick with me here. 

If your past nutritional plans were listed on your resume, you'd have a ton and that's the EXPERIENCE we're going to draw upon today.

Think back over the past 10, 15, 20, 30 years of your life. What would your Nutritional Resume list? Write out your own timeline in your head or jot it on a piece of paper. It brings your past to life!

Don't kick yourself. You did nothing wrong. Nothing! 

See, the thing is, that no nutrition plan works for everyone. There is no "perfect diet."

One of my min-meals on a day working from home : vegan protein smoothie bowl with omega trail mix toppings. Mmm! Doesn't appeal to you? No problem!

 

Let's see what the scientists say about that. 

The New York Times published a great piece on "the new field of personalized nutrition" in November, called "Could Your Healthy Diet Make Me Fat?" They reviewed an Israeli study that proves that "healthy food" for one person, doesn't mean it's "healthy" for everyone, and in fact, could make YOU fat.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel built their study around monitoring the blood sugar of 800 participants before and after food consumption. What they found, was blood sugar spikes varied amongst the population, in reaction to eating the same quality and quantity of food.

In other words, each individual metabolized their food differently. Even taking in to account weight, height, age, and gut bacteria, each participant had a unique glycemic response to diet types, i.e. low-carb, higher-carb etc.

For example, one participant eats a piece of pizza and his blood sugar goes through the roof -- leading to fat storage -- and another person eats the same slice and she only experiences a slight uptake in insulin-response. The latter participant, therefore, would be less likely to gain weight by eating pizza. The same goes for "healthy foods" like tomatoes! 

In fact, the study "raised the possibility that an individualized approach to nutrition could eventually supplant national guidelines meant for the entire public" (Source: NYTimes) and concluded that "healthy foods" differ by individual. 

The study's findings on "personalized nutrition" highlights my core nutrition philosophy and parallels the concept of "bio-individuality" that the nutrition school I attended, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, has been teaching for almost 25 years. 

 

OK, So that's the Science. Now Back to you.

When you read a diet book, you can typically stay on track for two or three weeks. Then you eat the cake, or the chocolate, or god forbid, some whole-grains on the Paleo diet, and you've failed.

I'm a huge dork and was a total nerd in school and I still hate the thought failure! We all do! 

So how can you set yourself up for nutrition success? A "plan" where you never technically "fail" and instead, live in a positive mindset, enjoy the meals you crave, experiment with your own body daily and celebrate your victories? 

A selfie for the Michelle plan. Which changes seasonally too. On cold days I try to eat warming foods, on warm days, more salads.

 

Welcome to "The [Insert Your Name Here] Diet"

Many of my clients come to me during their initial consultations and want quick fixes. It makes sense. We live in the land of Google and easy answers.

Is greek yogurt good for me? Can I eat red meat? Should I eat after 9pm if I'm hungry? How can I get my protein? Do I have to totally give up pasta and wine?

My answer is usually, "it depends." 

YOU are your own experiment. YOU are your own nutrition plan. 

 

I don't believe in sticking strictly to labels like "Paleo," "Vegan" or "Low-Carb." Use your name instead and make it your own. 

Let me tell you some stories.

Julia is Italian, grew up on her mom's amazing pasta, exercises a ton during the week, has 2% Greek Yogurt and berries for breakfast, lean meats, salads, a mini-serving of pasta or bread each night and drinks wine only on Fridays and Saturdays. That totally works for her. That's "The Julia Diet."

Melissa is a lifetime Vegetarian. Refuses to touch meat, eats lots of spinach, bananas, eggs, hummus and veggie pizza. She rarely overeats and maintains a six-pack. She doesn't drink much, but will occasionally have a fun cocktail. This is "The Melissa Diet."

John is a Cross-Fit and Paleo devotee. He has eggs, sweet potatoes and bullet-proof coffee for breakfast, a lean meat and veggie for lunch, and red meat and veggies for dinner. He loves protein, lifts a ton and breaks "the rules" to have beer on the weekend with his buddies. This is "The John Diet."

Catch my drift? 

When you have your OWN diet, you can't mess up.

It's PART of the plan.

You did nothing wrong and you're holding yourself up to your own standards that work for you.

It also means you can't negatively compare yourself to others. You have your own ethnic background, your own history with food, your own cravings, your own workout plan, career plan and lifestyle.

No two people are the same. Ever. 

Another mini-meal from home. I typically eat 6 small meals a day. That's what works for me and "stops the hangry."

 

I'll give you a sneak peak at "The Michelle Diet" (that's me) and then lead you to create your own. 

Michelle is a Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Personal Trainer and Running Instructor. She's on her feet a lot and tends to eat five or six small meals a day. She typically starts her day with a green protein smoothie bowl, has almond butter and GF-bread for a snack, chomps down on a massive salad with hormone-free chicken for lunch, makes another veggie or fruit smoothie before evening clients, and finishes the day with roasted veggies, some meat and a light carb. She has chips and guacamole once a week, avoids gluten and dairy, loves monthly frozen yogurt free-for-alls and has wine and lots of dark chocolate on the weekends. She eats a spoonful of almond butter rather than go to bed hungry. 

Does this appeal to you? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.

I certainly wouldn't want "The Melissa Diet" or "The Julia Diet" or the "John Diet," much like you wouldn't want parts of "The Michelle Diet." 

And sometimes ... I get really excited about cucumbers. Yes, I ate all of those (and froze some for my smoothies). 

 

Now, take a moment. Walk me through "The [Insert Your Name Here] Diet." 

Now, I'm not saying that you don't need to make a ton of tweaks to health-ify your current eating plans. You probably do.

But I encourage you to use your past EXPERIMENTS trying all the different diet books out there, and pick and chose parts that work best for you. 

Remember those science experiments we had to do in the 7th grade?

Treat your body like the test subject. 

Take those past diets you listed on your Nutrition Resume and build out your own nutrition plan. 

You're constantly evolving and constantly learning in this information age. I want you to do the best you can today. Tomorrow you will know more, and your diet with evolve. 

You'll look back a few years from now and notice how far you've come. 

Still unsure? Enlist the help of an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. We're trained to work with our clients to personalize their nutrition to THEM and their needs. And to make it fun, happy, enjoyable and inspired along the way.

It's your life. I's your story. So let's make it about success and not failure, shall we?  

xo!

Michelle

PS: Schedule your complimentary session with me here. We'll get to the root of your personal nutrition story and start working on a plan for YOU. 

Why I enrolled in Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) + left my career in Finance!

Gosh, this was my first-ever video AND I shared it on YouTube. Thanks for listening! 

Always wonder what it would be like to leave your corporate job and turn your passion for health and wellness in to a paycheck? I'm Michelle Cady and I'd love to offer guidance along your journey and share my experience. 

I graduated from IIN in July 2015 and have since started my own thriving business, www.fitvista.com, have a full dock of coaching clients and paying NYC rent! Going to IIN gave me the experience, confidence and credentials to start my own business. 

In this video, I cover:

--Why and How I Left my Job in Finance to Enroll in IIN
--IIN Education Quality and Academics
--IIN Community and Network
--IIN Business Coaching and Tools to Start Your Own Biz
--IIN Client Coaching and How I Change My Client's Lives (!)

Contact me at michelle@fitvista.com to set up time to talk 1-1. 

Also, use my name as your referral when you enroll and $SAVE$ on tuition! Call to see if you're a good candidate for the school and speak with an admissions counselor directly at 877-733-1520 or (international) 212-730-5433. 

Try a FREE class here, using this link! http://geti.in/1LbwGj7

My instagram: http://instagram.com/michellefitvista
My blog: http://www.fitvista.com/

When I signed up I made the decision in less than a week. Frantic, yes. But best decision I ever made to move forward and take the leap in to the next stage of my career. 

We only live once right? 

xo,
Michelle

Whole30 Part 3: So, How's it Going?

Disclaimer! I wrote this post on January 20th and "saved it to publish later". There WILL be Part 4 of the Series to catch you up on the last 10 days .... hint, hint: I feel AMAZING! Way better than how I felt on Day 20. The last 10 days were the BEST by far! Stay tuned for the big reveal! 

Missed Parts 1 and 2? Read here for Part 1: Why I'm doing the Whole 30 and Part 2: Let's Nerd Out on Science.

So I've been getting this question a lot. I'm so genuinely psyched you all are so interested! And I have more than a sneaking suspicion you'd like to try it out for yourself "someday." All you need is that extra oomph of motivation and support right?

If you're reading this months or years from now, email me at michelle@fitvista.com with your secret dream to try the Whole30. We'll exchange a couple emails, gratis. I'd love to help be the motivating factor for you to try something new for your health.

But back to the question at hand, "So, How's The Whole30 Going?"

OK.

Yup, just OK.

We've stuck to the plan and I'm proud of that. It's been 20 days and we have 10 more to go.

I even went through a super tough emotional weekend with my grandmother passing away and didn't comfort myself with sugar, chocolate, or alcohol. That was hard. I had a lot of almond butter, omega trail mix and bananas though. And that's OK too. 

This was my comfort food. Half a banana, almond butter and lots of omega 3 mix. And more coffee than usual. Our addictions always find their way out - crazy right?!

I love that we're cooking more meals. 

I made my first ever hamburgers, roasted my first chicken, and shared some of my meal strategies with family while on vacation.

I bought new place settings for my table, to remind myself how awesome it is to cook at home (it's hard for me to say no to 6-7pm, 7-8pm clients, so I need to remind myself to schedule time for a real dinner!). 

The big break from alcohol has been awesome. I'm loving that part! 

I've had really good energy for my workouts. 

I do feel lean and trim.

But definitely had some days of bloating, which is normal.

You can't weigh yourself during the 30 days, so I'm excited to step on the scale in February. My guess is 3-4 pounds, maybe 5, but some would definitely just be water weight. 

Thing is, I was eating pretty darn well to start out with. I'm writing a post on "personalized nutrition" next week, so stay tuned for my thoughts there and my "Michelle Diet."

IS THIS DIET FOR ME FOR THE LONG-TERM? NO.

I want to be able to get back to my way of eating with balance: eating 80% Whole-30/Plant-based Paleo.

Then feeling perfectly COOL to add coconut sugar to my coffee, eat Mary's Gone Seed Crackers, have ONE square of 85% dark chocolate, enjoy hummus whenever I want, eat Kind Bars again (we had to cut out honey) and have a thin-crust fancy veggie pizza or some bread and butter when out to dinner. Some fried calamari too! 

These indulgences pack a lot of pleasure for me. There are a lot of healthy things on this Whole 30 "diet" that are not allowed: lentils, hummus, beans, quinoa, whole-grains etc. I want them back! 

Quick disclaimer! On Day 18, I did re-introduce my anti-inflammatory protein powder back to my diet. My holistic, functional medicine doctor had proscribed it to me, so I "justified" it as OK, even though it has a little bit of stevia and pea-protein in it. I felt great once I brought it back in and am proud of myself for listening to my body! 

What have I learned?

It's not over yet, true.

This is me saying NO to the free 61% mini itty-bitty piece of chocolate they give you at Exki, where I like to get my organic coffee in the morning. I usually like 85% dark, but this is a fun treat. 

I know my main victories already include: 

• Reduced chocolate intake (Day 20 and I'm no longer craving it!)
• Pretty much eliminated my need for a daily 1/2 bowl of oatmeal
• Cooked more meals at home
• Re-affirmed that I can stop drinking alcohol for a month.

These are huge for me!

I'll jump on the scale in a few days and let you know about that! Well, maybe! I'm still hugely sensitive about the scale - always a work in progress! 

SO MY FRIENDS, NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE INSIDE SCOOP, ARE YOU WILLING TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND TRY THE WHOLE30!? BUY THE BOOK, I DARE YOU. MAYBE NOT NOW, MAYBE YOUR MONTH IS APRIL (BEFORE SUMMER BEACH SEASON), OR SEPTEMBER OR NEXT JANUARY. BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, YOU READ IT HERE FIRST KIDS, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU! ANY QUESTIONS!? EMAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MICHELLE@FITVISTA.COM AND I PROMISE TO RESPOND PERSONALLY.

Whole30 Part 2: Let's Nerd out on Science

I've compiled a three-part post on my January 2016 experience with the Whole30. Want my reasons for doing the Whole30? Read Part 1 here and stay tuned for Part 3, "So How's it Going?" later this week. 

It's normal to first hear about the Whole30 and dismiss it as totally restrictive and border-line crazy. That is certainly what I thought before I started reading the Whole30 book. No dark chocolate for a month? Are you freaking kidding me?!? 

Quick Whole30 Definition

For 30 days, eating real, whole foods: veggies, fruits, clean meats, nuts, eggs and seeds. And coffee. And komucha! And almond milk. Now the kicker: no grains, no sugar, no processed food, no legumes, no alcohol, no dairy and no hummus. 

However, the core tenants of the Whole 30 are based in science and not on some fad, flash, gimmick-filled diet. In fact, the authors even wrote a more technical book, "It Starts With Food" to dive in to the nitty, gritty details.

Want the quick and dirty? Read on for the basic scientific take-aways of the Whole30, how I explain the nutrition plan to my clients, friends and family and what's been in my head for the past month: 

My breakfast "sugar fix" on the Whole30: Fruit, Omega3 Trail Mix, Almond Butter, over Coconut RX Bar and bullet-proof coffee, blended with cinnamon, ghee and coconut oil. 

 

Reduce your roller-coster ride relationship with sugar

Consuming added sugar makes your blood sugar spike, which causes inflammation, fat storage and can wreck your hormonal balance.

It can also make you cranky, lethargic and feeds the little devil that encourages you to eat more, more, more sugar throughout the day, and the next day, and the next.

It's really "not your fault" that you crave sugar all the time. It's the way you've conditioned your body to know it's near and therefore, crave it. It's a survival instinct. 

The best way to break-up with sugar?

Go cold turkey for 3-4 days. 

Warn your friends, warn your family. It might be rough. But you can do it. 

Read your labels.

Added sugar? Skip it.

A banana is fine, an apple is fine. Fruits have fiber to slow down the absorption of natural sugars in to your body. It's even better if you pair a carbohydrate snack with a fat or a protein (i.e. a handful of nuts or strips of chicken). 

For a few breakfasts I made chia seed pudding (2-3 TBSP chia seeds, almond milk, coconut flakes, cinnamon) and let it sit overnight or even just 15 minutes to expand. With half a banana and bullet-proof coffee.

Pin-point food sensitivities: 

You may not be full-scale allergic to gluten, you may not have celiac's disease, but once you reintroduce gluten after 30 days, you MAY balloon up. And then, my friends, you'll know you have a gluten sensitivity.

Have any of you experienced this? I have! I eat a pretty "clean diet" and when I have some pizza and beer, my body gets inflamed, I store water and walk around with a poofy face for at least 24 hours.

Same goes with dairy, legumes, sugar etc. for some people.

Did you know that dairy stays in your system for up to 4 days? So if you have dairy only twice a week, you'll never notice the low-grade inflammation to which you're subjecting your body. You need to cut it out for 2-3 weeks, then reintroduce. 

I swear, there is life after cheese! I used to love it. Crave it. Give-me-all-the-brie-in-the-world-now and i'll-even-eat-your-brie-crusts-kind-of-crave-it. Now I rarely have cheese (except sometimes on thin-crust fancy veggie pizza) and I've pretty much gotten over it. Your body adapts and your taste buds evolve. Now I crave roasted brussels (with bacon!). 

Re-defining food as comfort

We all have our go-to comfort foods and might not even realize it.

It might be the calming and rhythmic spooning of your breakfast cereal (which you should re-think anyways as it most likely just spikes your blood sugar), your 3pm Diet Coke + Chocolate Trail Mix fix, or your ever-increasing portion of buttery popcorn before bed. 

The comprehensive Whole30 book dives in to the differences between craving and real-hunger. The authors have also written a more scientific book It Starts With Food, that I'm definitely reading in the next couple months. 

This was a super satisfying victory dinner for me! It looks like mush, but it was DELISH. Cauliflower mash with clarified butter/ghee, chicken with garlic and sautéed kale with olive oil. Now that's some fiber, eh? 

Eating more Real, Whole Food

More plants! More plants!

You can't go wrong increasing the veggies in your diet, eating the rainbow, upping your nutrient intake, increasing your fiber and "opening your pathways of elimination" as they say.

Feel free to fill up your plate with veggies and eat with abundance. 

SO, HOW'S IT GOING?

Stay tuned for Part 3! 

In the meantime .... 

NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE INSIDE SCOOP, ARE YOU WILLING TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND TRY THE WHOLE30!? BUY THE BOOK, I DARE YOU. MAYBE NOT NOW, MAYBE YOUR MONTH IS APRIL (BEFORE SUMMER BEACH SEASON), OR SEPTEMBER OR NEXT JANUARY. BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, YOU READ IT HERE FIRST KIDS, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU! ANY QUESTIONS!? EMAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MICHELLE@FITVISTA.COM AND I PROMISE TO RESPOND PERSONALLY.

Whole30 Part 1: Why I'm doing the Whole30

Now that it's January 21st, it's been three weeks on the Whole30 nutrition plan, wahoo!

I started the Whole30 on January 1st on one of the few hangover-free New Year's Days in my adult life. I was that motivated to start, I had absolutely no desire to party my way out of 2015. 

After buying the Whole30 book for my boyfriend on Christmas, and strategizing with his family over the holidays (they'd done the Whole30 before and one family member lost 7 pounds, another 17!), I was SO eager to start. 

I've written a Three Part Series on the Whole 30. Stay tuned over next few days for Part Two, "Let's Nerd Out on Science" and Part Three, "So, How's It Going?"

Quick Whole30 Definition

For 30 days, eating real, whole foods: veggies, fruits, clean meats, nuts, eggs and seeds. And coffee. And komucha! And almond milk. All that abundance!

Now the kicker: no grains, no sugar, no processed food, no legumes, no alcohol, no dairy and no hummus. Not that hummus is a food group, but well, it kind of is. 

Before I dive in to the science of the nutrition plan in Part 2 of my Whole30 series, here are some of my personal motivations, ranging from serious to sentimental:

Preparing Real Food

As a NYC-resident of 7.5 years, I've developed a grab-and-go attitude towards food.

I do absolutely love that I live a few blocks away from Chop't, sweetgreen, Digg Inn Seasonal Market and (sometimes) Dos Toros, but combined with my past job in finance and ordering Seamless web for lunch every day for six years at my cubicle, I'm rarely pressed to create my own delicious and nutritious food.  Instead, I rely on my favorite salad combinations on the fly.

I'm determined that in 2016, I will continue to build my recipe repertoire in the kitchen, to make prepping meals stress-free and satisfying!

Eating Real Food

Along the same lines, given my constantly changing schedule of personal training clients, teaching running classes and health coaching clients, I sometimes eat six small meals a day, at odd hours. 

One of my 2016 goals is: Eating real food: Doing the #Whole30 this January to re-structure some of my automatic habits and prioritize cooking in my life. Building my repertoire of easy meals I crave, rather than relying on chopped take-out salads, green smoothies, or oatmeal/dark chocolate/almond butter.

Just because I'm having a second late lunch at 3pm doesn't mean it needs to be almond butter-based, but instead it could be a light salad or roasted veggies, etc. 

For my Clients!

I've tried out almost every "diet" in the book. Atkins, South Beach, Vegan for one year, Vegetarian, Hamburger-Free (is that a diet?), Plant-based Paleo, Plant-Powered, Paleo etc. I feel the huge need to test-run the Whole30 to support my current and future clients! I love and need to walk the walk, and talk the talk. 

Yep, to lose 5 pounds

I've had some sweet reactions when I told my clients this one - really?! Your trainer wants to lose 5 lbs!? Yes. Definitely.

I don't really weigh myself anymore and have built up a lot of self-confidence stepping away from the number on the scale and tuning in to how my body feels. But, I jumped on the scale at the end of December and saw that over the course of 2015, I had slowly and steadily gained 5 lbs.

Yes, I could tell a bit by how I looked in pictures, but my priorities in 2015 were building up my personal training business, launching my blog and health coaching business, spending so much quality time with my boyfriend and healing my elevated cortisol levels, NOT doing intense workouts or measuring my bodyfat several times a week like I'd done in previous years.

I'm glad I took a year to sort through my issues with the scale, I've learned a ton! But I'm excited to put the tools I use for my clients in action for myself again these next couple months and have those pounds melt away! 

Being a Cheerleader and Part of the Team

Support is everything right?! It would be really hard to do the Whole30 alone.

I've synced up with two free online community coaching groups, one by Brooke Brennan on Instagram and one by Liz Barnet on Facebook. Both ladies are fabulous fellow health-coaches and I love learning from them and being inspired by the group posts. It's also crucial to have a safe place to vent when cravings for chocolate go haywire!

Quick PSA: How can you find a support group for your "secret" health goals? Take a look on Instagram: the support of "strangers" can be super powerful. Or book a free session with me here, I'm sworn to secrecy with my clients and value the confidential information you all share with me. I love being your cheerleader! 

I'm also honored to be part of my boyfriend's family's Whole30 January. Over one of our last holiday meals in Ohio, over chicken pot pie and a crisp glass of white wine, we strategized on our plan for January and everyone's health goals. Talking about nutrition? My sweet spot! My happy place!

I love how January celebrates nutrition and fitness, two things I hold near and dear to my heart. I really try not to preach, so it was fun to have the conversation naturally veer towards my passions. 

I'm turning 30 this year!

Yep, in May. It's not just a coincidence. I want to be freaking ROCKING it on my 30th birthday from a health, fitness and self-awareness perspective. If my 20's were all about "finding myself," my 30's are going to be about "owning my truth" and spreading my passion for health and nutrition personally and professionally. 

Teamwork makes the Dreamwork

My boyfriend is a self-proclaimed recovering Sour Patch Kids addict. It's been a great bonding experience going through the ups and downs of the Whole30 together and developing a shared language on our food choices. He's really working on cutting back on sugar and I'm trying to kick my daily dark chocolate addiction. It's fun to do something with your partner. So pick a friend, parent or co-worker and see what challenge you can do over the next few weeks. Tell me about it here on my contact page!

Let's nerd out on Science

. . . . Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3! And truly, thanks for reading! 

So my friends, now that you know my insider information, are you willing to challenge yourself and try the Whole30!? Buy the Book, I dare you.

I'm here to support you! Any questions!? Email me directly at michelle@fitvista.com and I promise to respond personally. 

What your trainer and Health Coach gets for Christmas

So it's January 5th and I'm guessing you're already a BIT inundated with articles, Facebook posts, news reports, (my) Instagram photos and office water-cooler chatter about New Years Resolutions. I know.

Even though I absolutely love this time of year and the positive group energy about getting fit and fabulous and healthy -- after five days jam-packed with client goal setting and personal reflection on my 2016 priorities -- I'm ready to take a night off!

So what better way to do that, then to press rewind, and chat about my wonderful Christmas. I've put together a photo gallery below to give you a peak in to some of the healthy gifts I had waiting for me under the Christmas tree! 

This was the first year I celebrated Christmas away from my family. We're a tight knit bunch and while I missed them and our dear traditions on Christmas morning, I adored my time in Ohio celebrating the season with my boyfriend's wonderful immediate and extended family. His mom had kombucha, spinach for my smoothies and almond milk waiting in the fridge for me when I arrived. How sweet is that!? 

A few healthy highlights from the trip:

• My Ohio Marathon (see my post on my 5x5 Christmas Workout Plan - I ran 26.2 miles around their HILLY neighborhood split over 5 days and felt strong, powerful, and at times exhausted. So worth it. One day it was so warm I rocked it in shorts!)
• Spinning class with my guy, his mom AND his dad.
• Nervously sharing my favorite nutrition documentary, "Forks Over Knives" with the group and to my relief - they loved it! 
• Making my chocolate green smoothie bowl with Parsley Protein Powder for breakfast every morning with their Ninja Blender.
• Trying my first Grasshopper cocktail made with vanilla icecream. Ok, just kidding. Not "healthy" but SO good. It's green so it counts right? 

And without further adieu, PRESENTS! 

The Stunning Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve

You know that delightful kid feeling you get on Christmas? How can you bottle that up and sprinkle it out over your 2016?

I used to love curling up under the Christmas tree as a child, smelling the pine needles and making wishes on the colored lights

Yes, I lived like a princess for six days!

All I want for Christmas is You

It actually is. S-I-M-P-L-E

I was thrilled to get this stunning cook book after pining after it for over six months. Sarah is a fellow health coach and has a gorgeous and inspiring Instagram account.

Sexy Veggies? Sign me up.

I'm considering framing this quote in my kitchen. 

My Grasshopper Cocktail on Christmas Eve

It's green so it counts right? 

The Stockings were Stuffed.

Spot these healthy treats: organic dark chocolate, my fave fancy running socks by Feetures, FitVista approved Dark Chocolate by Endangered Species + Sea Salt Kind Bar, and gift cards to Lululemon, BBB, Marshalls and Ulta. Psyched to buy a new organic king sized pillow, some new napkins and bowls to make my #Whole30 January a bit prettier and some natural beauty products.

The best of the best yoga mat towel for hot vinyasa yoga. It's going to be a sweet, sweaty winter.

Check out their sweet colors, Yogitoes.

Adding Essential Oils to my Nighttime Ritual.

And his cousin got me a diffuser! I didn't snap a photo of it, but I'm so curious to learn more about the calming and stress-relief properties of essential oils and thinking about taking a workshop on them this winter. 

Preserve Your Sexy Naturally

Scrub from my girl at www.purnellbodyboutique.com

Winter Running Gear

Ooooh so fancy. Matching gloves, headband and wrap-around scarf. Get ready winter private running clients ..... cold not stopping me. 

My best 2015 present.

Private Pilates Sessions!

Woah, it's time I worked more on my core and my dear Brother nailed it with his generous gift of 3 private sessions.

Quartz Magic.

Because my mom thinks I'm a total hippie now. (Mother's are always right, right?). She got me this powerful stone, a gift card to a store near Union Square that sells buddhas, and prayer beads, and a gift certificate to a nail salon for my 10 minute chair massages. Bliss.

Eucalyptus Candle. Mmmm. Ommm.

His sister remembered me saying I needed more Eucalyptus in my life over Thanksgiving (it's calming properties). And she got me this candle. Super thoughtful. 

Downward Dog Time

The mat's great for travel too. I'm psyched to use it for Hot Yoga the first time this weekend. 

Stretching out those legs

After all the running I did over break, I'm overdue for Yoga.

My sweet, sweet family (and #FitVista)

This adorable selfie photo from my brother, Mom and Dad did almost bring my to tears Christmas morning. I love them! And this was their first take too. Those smiles are for real.

What I really look like after running 6.2 miles in the freezing rain.

#Whole30 January. It's happening.

I bought a copy for myself and my boyfriend and we're doing the #Whole30 together for the first time this January. Follow-my Instagram for our journey and a blog post is sure to follow. 

Yes, Christmas is about family and memories and all those truly important things. I know. But I hope you enjoyed your sneak peak in to my Christmas day and are inspired to pick up a few healthy gifts for yourself with your holiday cash! I like to think of Christmas as a launching pad for a New Year. Buying new workout classes, new sneakers, a gift certificate to a spa that you will ONLY use once you complete 10 bootcamp classes. Be creative. Treat yourself like a child, mother yourself and spark some magic in your life. 

Want a gift that's free?

Yup, free. Sign up for a 40 minute fitness and nutrition consultation with me here. I'm letting you jump right in to my calendar and book it. No email banter needed. It's that simple. We'll talk through a couple of your goals for the new year, I'll answer any of your questions and leave you with 2-3 solid and doable changes for you to implement in your life ASAP. Can't lose right? Right. 

Carry-on my friends, and carry that Christmas spirit with you all year! Minus the cocktails and cookies of course. Don't bring those to your January bootcamp class.

Peace, love and veggies,

Michelle

Top 10 Reasons why I Love my Nutribullet

My obsession with my Nutribullet started in April 2012.

It was love at first sight.

I even remember where I was and how I felt. It was a beautiful Easter weekend, spring was in the air and I bounced over to Bed, Bath and Beyond and later to Trader Joe's to stock up on blend-able veggies.

I was reading the book The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health at the time, and was deeply fascinated on the concept of flooding your body with alkaline-forming foods to combat our overly acidic diet and lifestyle and ward of disease and cancer AND lose weight. 

I continue to use mine almost every day, sometimes 3-4 times a day. I've bought my parents one as a gift (in the spirit of good health of course, but also to use while I visit home!) and brought over my older model to my boyfriend's place. 

Buy yourself or a loved one a Magic Bullet NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System or the Deluxe Magic Bullet NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender/Mixer System for Christmas! (I have the cheaper model.) They are only $79.99 on Amazon Prime!

Without further adieu, my praise:

1. Drinking my Vegetables.

Nine servings a day?! Yeah, soooo, only 1% of the American population hits the recommend amount. I love that I can throw in rotating greens of spinach, romaine, chard, kale and bok choy and add in 2-3 veggie servings to my breakfasts or snack. 

2. Green Ice-cream Smoothies.

I've perfected my go-to smoothie and smoothie bowl and it tastes like green icecream AND is super-clean. Sign up for my 5 FitVista Tips at the top of my blog to score my secret recipe! 

3. It takes 2 Minutes.

Patience is not one of my strengths. I'm still learning the art of cooking and WAITING to eat. When I'm hungry, it's wise to not stand between me and food. I love that I can whip up a smoothie, almond milk, bullet-proof coffee, or soup in just a couple minutes.

4. Pulverize it. 

I watched a lot of the goofy David Wolfe infomercials on the Nutribullet back in the day. Basically, the blade "pulverizes" the cell walls of your vegetables and superfoods so that you can access more nutrients, before the fiber rushes them through your system. A regular 'ol blender doesn't do this for you, so your stomach has to do the extra work to try and access the same amount of nutrients. I love that I can give my digestion a bit of a break and get extra oooomph from my blended goodness in my 'bullet. 

5. Add in superfoods

Maca. Cacao. Flax. Chia. Hemp Seeds. Cinnamon. There are a ton of fantastic "boosts" out there these days and it's sometimes overwhelming to think how you can fit them all in to your daily routine! I like to keep the above on hand and get them in through my smoothies. It's mindless. A monkey could do it. 

6. I don't have a dishwasher

So yes, the ease of cleaning my Nutribullet is a HUGE plus for me. Immediately after crafting my liquid creation, I run the plastic (BPA-free) cup and the detachable blade under hot water and let them air dry. I occasionally clean them with soap, but typically it's just rinse and GO. At some point in life, I'm certainly eyeing my own Vitamix, but for now, I'm super happy with how quick I can clean my 'bullet. 

7. One foot of counter space

So I live in a typical NYC apartment where the kitchen is smaller than my biggest closet. I essentially have zero counter space, but I DO have room for my Nutribullet and my SodaStream Genesis Home Soda Maker Starter Kit, Black and Silver seltzer-maker. It even fits under the height of the cabinets. Perfecto. 

8. Pack it to Travel!

I've done this a few times before. Sure, it takes up about 1/5 of your carry-on suitcase, but it was oh-so-worth it. A few years ago in Bermuda, I did a veggie smoothie detox and laid in the sun every day and came back to New York City feeling like a golden child. I've also taken my 'bullet on Bachelorette trips. True story! 

9. To-Go-Cups

I typically now pour my smoothies in to mason jars if I'm on the run, but in the past, I've used their various lids to pack-up and throw in my bag on the way to work or to the gym. It was a great conversation-starter at my old job to run in to a fellow colleague getting his Nutribullet smoothie out of the shared fridge! 

10. It's always there for you

I love that I can come home after a long trip, or wake-up on days feeling iffy and I can ALWAYS make a smoothie to get back on track. With frozen greens and bananas in my freezer, plant-based protein powder, nuts and superfoods in my pantry, I never have an excuse to NOT be kind and loving to myself and sip on my greens. While you might not want to curl up with your Nutribullet when you fall asleep at night, there is a huge comfort knowing that a tasty smoothie and feel good vibes are only a few steps away. 

Treating yourself and prioritizing beautiful nutrition for your body can be the first step to some amazing self-love and self-discovery.

My Nutribullet was genuinely a huge step in my life and my career progression from Finance to Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness. Once I fell in love with my blender, things changed.

Try it for yourself here: Magic Bullet NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System I can't wait to hear about your journey! 

Peace, love and veggies,

Michelle

My Five Day Detox #fitvistadetox

I have an obsession with feeling my absolute best

When I'm eating well and in sync with my body, I have so much energy and my happiness just radiates. But when my digestion is off and feeling sluggish, I have to try really hard to keep up with my life, to-do list and feel-good vibe. 

Hello Monday after Thanksgiving

I'm convinced the internet is breaking because of Cyber Monday and I can't get my wireless to work! I'm writing this post from home using my personal hotspot via the unlimited Verizon family data plan (sorry Mom!).  So while most people are hunkered down at their cubicles, shopping for deals, I'm here to talk about the greatest gift you can give yourself this week - a little digestive loving and reset! 

"Cleanses"

I've always been skeptical about traditional cleanses. Here's why: 1) So many of the pre-selected six bottles of juices cleanses are super high in sugar. Sure, they may shine green in the bottle, but the apples and pears have been stripped of their natural fiber and send your blood sugar on a serious sugar spike. Fiber helps control blood sugar spikes AND you need fiber to keep everything mooooooving along! 2) I'd say most people go on cleanses for aesthetic reasons (to lose weight, get slim, de-bloat or have their lean muscles pop) and not true deep-down health reasons. Therefore, if you're trying to look hot, you're going to want some protein in your 'cleanse' to maintain lean muscle, ensure your metabolism doesn't slow down post cleanse or pack on pounds when you're done with the cleanse since it's most likely your body has clicked in to survival/starvation mode if it's on a traditional 1,200 calorie juice cleanse. So, I think protein is important for most people, on most cleanses.

(Quick disclaimer: if you're truly trying to detox your body for a couple days, a pure vegetable juice cleanse with tons of warm water isn't going to kill you - always consult with a medical professional of course!). 

And finally 3) cleanses can add to pre-existing disordered eating patterns and fuel lifestyles of restricted eating. The worst is to 'cleanse' for 3 days to fit in your dress for a holiday party, then go crazy that evening devouring apps and mini-hot dogs like it's your job, take back four glasses of wine and end up in bed all day Sunday. Yup, I've done that before and learned the hard way back in January 2009!

Ok! Now the good stuff! 

Today I prefer to think of mini-detoxes as a way to re-set your system, give your digestion a break to heal and rebuild and redefine your sensitivity to sweets, extra fatty food, alcohol and all the other temptations that come along with an indulgent night, weekend, or string of holiday parties. Sometimes I do all green juices (vegetables only) and vegan-protein green smoothies 'til a 2pm late chewing-food lunch, or eat an early leafy dinner at 4pm or 5pm. That's a nice small way to re-set and give your digestion a break to repair and reduce inflammation. I've done this "green liquids until 2pm" for 1 to 3 days and I feel amazing!

My Detox "Rules" for Sanity

I have a few mantras I keep in mind these days to keep me sane if I take a break from chewing 1) don't starve yourself. You should not be lying on the couch moaning with zero energy and shutting your eyes when you see a food commercial. It doesn't have to be that way! 2) Choose abundance over deprivation: I like to think of these breaks as a way to flood your body with nutrients in green juices/smoothies etc, rather than dwelling on everything I may take out of my diet. 3) So much water. So much sleep. 4) Come off the cleanse slowly. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, eat lightly, take digestive enzymes. 

The "Why": My Five Day Detox

Fast forward to today! Cyber Monday and I'm feeling inspired (oh and still hacking my families internet data plan - whoops!). I had the most wonderful Thanksgiving in Ohio with my boyfriend and his family. It was the perfect combination of relaxing + family time + sleep + movies, but we still did a ton like go to a bar in Columbus to watch the Buckeyes win, go hiking in the hippie town of Yellow Springs and visit 4 week old puppies near my boyfriend's Grandma's farm. Aw!

His mom was incredibly thoughtful and picked up spinach and almond milk beforehand for my smoothies and had tons of veggie crudités on hand, so I was able to keep balanced with my breakfasts and snacks. While I know I'm highly sensitive to gluten, dairy and beer, I just went for it during some meals and had pizza, IPAs and French Onion Soup while watching the game, Jenni's famous icecream and two biscuits on Thanksgiving and more! Ay. My tummy was in trouble and I still feel lethargic, sluggish and not my energetic-self!

The Menu

I've done a lot of work and studied different methods to re-set and I came up with this personalized one for myself while waiting for our Uber at the airport last night. It's personalized to me. It's seasonal. It takes in to account my goals, what my digestive system needs to repair and what I need to avoid most this week (alcohol, dairy and gluten). I work with my nutrition health coaching clients to personalize re-sets for them specifically, so sign up here for a free session with me (!). 

Here's MY menu for the next five days! Hold me accountable! I want to wake up Saturday morning BURSTING with energy. 

• Breakfasts: Green Smoothie with two scoops of vegan-protein powder from Parsley Health, two handfuls of frozen spinach, 1/3 frozen apple slices, 1/3 frozen banana, pumpkin spice, sea salt, 1 TBS ground flax seed and homemade cashew hemp milk. I made it nice and creamy this morning and ate it out of a bowl with a spoon.
• "Bullet-proof coffee:" Half a cup of organic coffee, all blended with splash of cashew hemp milk, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, 1 pat of ghee (grassfed organic clarified butter), dash of sea salt, coconut sugar and cinnamon. 
• Lunches: Will pick up either 1) massive Chop't Salad with veggies, organic chicken and my fave Lemon Tahini dressing 2) Digg In Seasonal Market small veggie + protein plate. 3) Having healthy lunch date tomorrow at GustOrganics with Alyssa from Simply Quinoa. 
• Snacks: Kombucha, green juices, nut mylks: anything I don't have to chew! 
• Dinners: Second smoothie of the day, with adjusted serving amounts, probably less protein (see breakfast) AND warm bone broth soup + seaweed strips + teaspoon of miso paste. Will post a picture with full recipe on Instagram! Bone broth is so amazing for your gut health and healing! 

As you can see, there's a lot of nutrients here AND a lot of protein! My breakfast itself packs in more than 26 grams. I'm going to be full and not depriving myself. Yes, I'm going to miss my almond butter and dark chocolate chips, but I'm hoping to mix up a few cacao smoothies to hold myself over. After all, it's only 5 days. Let's do this! 

Happy shopping ... I mean, detoxing! Will be posting on Instagram with #fitvistadetox. Join me! 

Treat your body right, treat your mind right: sign up for a therapeutic one-on-one nutrition consultation with me here. Best gift for yourself this season! 

A 92-Year-Old Who Planks Every. Single. Day.

Now what's your excuse?

My grandfather. Yep. He just turned 92-Years-Young and is the personal training rockstar client of his retirement community. I interviewed him last week on his workout routine and advice for all you youngin's out there. The New York Times recently published an article on how strong legs = a strong mind. His answers are proof that the mind / body connection is crucial if we want to age gracefully. Cross-word puzzles are not the only answer! 

So without further adieu, I introduce to you, my witty, smart, sharp and super-fit Grandfather. I am simply in awe. And so proud to be a trainer myself!

Me: Grandpa, what does your typical weekly fitness routine look like?

Gpa: I see my personal trainer two times a week for 30 minutes. I play nine holes of golf, twice. And I do 30 minutes of my "personal training" homework exercises every morning as soon as I wake up. 

Me: Wow, when did you start this routine?

Gpa: It all started my 85th year.  I went to a trainer for the first time. She was also a yoga teacher. That yoga teacher taught me "The Art of Breathing" which I had never heard of before in my life. It became apparent that I never knew how to breathe in my entire life. The deep breathing and art of breathing is to make you aware of your body and what it's going through. When I was growing up, I was never a collegiate athlete and had problems swimming. I was never taught to breathe. You have to have oxygen in your muscle to be able to use your muscles.  

My mom snapped this photo last week in Arizona. Nice form Grandpa! 

The idea of yoga is to get the feeling of mediation and relaxation. And to recognize when your body is relaxed and when your body is your not relaxed. It's only with the use of yoga and understanding how the breath activates the muscles. 

Me: That's right. So you learned how to breathe correctly at age 85? A lot of people have a tough time breathing when they're younger and think it's "too late" to learn something new. I'm a terrible breather and know I need to work on it. How did you have the patience?

Gpa: Yes, learning took a lot of patience. I was lucky to have really good teachers who taught me patterns on how to breathe that made sense to me. You have to practice breathing, to coordinate the movement breathing in and out. You must practice this in your everyday activity, for example, deep breathing when you walk down the corridor. Breathe as you step. This allows you to take longer steps and have better balance. 

I used to do very simple things in life, - like trying to screw something in to a wall, thread a needle or make the bed - and I would hold my breath. When things didn't go right, I got frustrated. In normal activity, when we run in to stressful situation, we hold our breath. I found out you don't have control over your muscles or your mind when your breathing is off. 

Christmas 2014 in Arizona, when I first asked my Grandpa to be featured in my blog. He's only gotten stronger since then! Oh and he reads the WSJ every day too, brains. 

Me: It's also proven that flooding your body with oxygen, through breathing and eating dark leafy vegetables, can fight off cancer and disease. Cancer cannot thrive in a heavily oxygenated environment. 

Gpa: I didn't know that, but that makes sense. They also proved to me when they were taking my blood pressure - you can lower your blood pressure 8 to 10 points by deep breathing for a few minutes. I take deep breaths when I'm relaxing at night. You don't want to be tense all the time. When you're tense all the time, you can't make good decisions. 

Me: Back to training! What type of exercises do you do with your Personal Trainer? 

Gpa: We do the machines. She said she's actually increased the weight over the last 7 years. So I've been getting stronger, especially in my core and back. I don't walk hunched over like the other people around here. We also walk the tightrope and do balancing. I sit on the big ball, we take hand weights (8lbs) and do single arm and double arm lifts for 10 reps. We also have a step stool and I have to touch my left toe while standing on the step. That's hard. 

Me: And what about the Personal Training homework you do every single day? That's a Personal Trainer's dream!

Gpa: They've given me a group of exercises, I do every morning for 30 minutes on my own:

• I roll a little six inch ball around on my back (for my readers, this is self-myofascial release)
• 20 sit-ups with the ball
• Lie on my back and pull my legs up to my chest, 21 times
• Hip bridges for 12 times. Then I hold the hip bridge for 20 seconds
• Lie on one side and do clamshells, where I raise up one leg, do on both sides
• Lie on my back and do deadbugs core exercise for 21 times
• Plank for 30 breaths
• Sit in chair. Hold my hands on my waist and bend back as far as I can
• Elastic band I stretch out in front of me and I do that 12 times on each side
• Roll on my stomach and do cobra / upward dog for 5 minutes. Since I don't know how to time 5 minutes (how sweet), I count to 100 breathes by counting to 10 on my fingers, 10 times

Me: (Hello clients, some of these sound familiar?! I was psyched to hear my Grandfather was rocking some of my favorite moves: hip bridges, deadbugs, PLANK and modified foam rolling). 

Me to Gpa: Really impressive Grandpa! How do you force yourself to do these every morning? Don't you sometimes just want to skip them and get on with your day? 

Gpa: I kick myself in the rear. Just say you gotta do it. It's part of my getting up routine. There's not many people who can get off the floor at my age. 

Me: You've always been active playing golf, walking the golf course, and doing countless handyman chores around the house, but on the personal training side, do you wish you started earlier? And what advice do you have for me and my blog readers and my clients?

Gpa: Yes, wish I had started training earlier. People are scared of the weight machines. They don't get benefit of it if they don't have knowledge and don't know what they're doing. You've got to work with someone 1 on 1. It's so important. Most of the personal training session is not rep counting. What you gain from personal training is the conversation, the discourse and the education. You have questions and the trainer answers them. 

And the breathing -- breathing is everything for well-being, for your balance, and all the exercises you do. The breathing will stay with you beyond the the 30 minute personal training sessions, twice a week.

I can personally vouch for the satisfaction I've gotten from training and breathing, "even if it only added 10 years to my life." 

Me: I'm so impressed Grandpa, so impressed. I love you!

Me to YOU: How about that for inspiration this holiday season? As he said, not many people can get off the floor at his age, and he's holding the plank for 30 breathes every single day. Now what can you do today to kick it up a notch? Inspire you friends, your family and most importantly, yourself! 

How about challenge one of your family members to a plank competition this Holiday? On your mark, get, set, BREATHE! 

Happy Thanksgiving loves! I'm off to Ohio and so excited. Football, laughs, yummy food, planks, brisk walks and Buckeyes! 

Authentic Rest

I know a lot of people who are tired right now.

It's Friday at 4pm in NYC and it's been a busy week for many of us: one client took the red eye from London and was thrown in to days of work conferences, my friend had her first baby (!), another client squeezed four midterms in to a five day stretch, my boyfriend had three nights of work events, another client slept 2-3 hours one night because of an architecture project ... and me? Along with my typical training + teaching schedule, I launched my Costa Rica retreat and have spent extra hours seeing new potential clients for complimentary nutrition sessions. It's been a phenomenal week, but I'm beat! 

What's your Tired Story?

We all have our reasons for being busy -- fitting a lot in to one work week, being overly-productive, overly-social, and continually on-the-go. That tends to catch up to a lot of people by Thursday. We push on, (sometimes with a Thursday night happy hour), and by Friday afternoon the walls can come crashing down. At my old job, I always noticed that the 3pm Starbucks crowd was always bigger on Fridays. I'd love to see a Seamless web analytics report on what types of food are ordered-in for delivery lunch on Fridays versus Mondays and Tuesdays. Pizza with carbs on the side? Yes please! 

Learning to Listen

I work with my clients on learning to tune in to their body's cues about what it most desperately needs. Often our body whispers before it starts roaring. Friday nights are a great example. We most likely need to give ourselves permission to rest, to take it slow, to say no to social plans or let our hair down and change in to sweats, but usually we want a quicker fix. 

It's 4pm and the clock is still ticking towards 5 or 6pm. This would be the perfect time for a nap, but in the cubicle, sweets are a more socially-acceptable option that won't get you fired. What to do? How about a dance party in the stall of a bathroom? Or taking a 10 minute walk outside to "go to the bank" and swing your arms around a bit?

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

Oh happy hour. It's so easy! I remember countless times feeling worn-out and utterly exhausted by Thursday and Friday from an intense combination of work stress, earlyy morning workouts and not too much sleep. My plan would be to have a quiet night or run errands, or head home first to get ready for a date or meeting up with friends. But I was TIRED. Then I'd get that magic email from my office buddy -- "happy hour?"  YES. I had purposely not done much with my hair that day or worn a middle of the road outfit so I wouldn't be tempted to go out for drinks. But why not! It was the easiest way not to feel "blah and tired anymore!" It's really easy not to listen to your body when your half way through your second cocktail. 

Now let's talk about Saturday and Sunday

We pack our weekends. I'm a huge planner and I'm super guilty when it comes to over-planning my 'rest days.' But I urge you to think: how can I plan for, or schedule in, "authentic rest?" That could take on many forms for you, and I encourage you to think about what that may be for this weekend. Here's some ideas to get you started:

• 10 hours of sleep, or 12 hours, wouldn't that be lovely!
• A Saturday cat nap
• Going for a leisurely 60-90 minute long walk in nature (Central Park, East River + The Hudson count)
• A restorative yoga class
• A movie night with healthy popcorn
• Reading a book on the couch
• Lingering over a slow breakfast with the New York Times Weekend Edition
• Sitting and staring at the wall or out the window (I'm serious, doesn't this sound sort of meditative?)
• Doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Ok, pick one, and carry on with your weekends my dear friends!

And PS: if you have a cocktail tonight, give me a cheers. Being social can be a huge way to unwind and de-stress and I think that's pretty great too! 

My Green Ballz

It's NYC Marathon Weekend! In celebration of Runner's Christmas and in honor of the 50,000 runners who race 26.2 miles tomorrow, here's an entire blog post on my favorite tip for foot health (runners + non-runners!) and a few mile trip down memory lane on my NYC Marathons.  

These little buggers will change your life

OK, maybe not your entire life, but IF your feet had a life, then yes. I've recommended the Foot Rubz little green balls to countless clients and they swear by them too. Here's why YOU need to go to Amazon Prime NOW at link below and add them to your cart. 

Due North Foot Rubz Foot Hand and Back Massage Ball Green

We all have a thick lining of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of our feet - think of it like our ancient natural sneakers. This tissue can get inflamed by: uncomfortable footwear, ladies - heels!, men = dress shoes!, lots and lots of running, anything jumpy like dance, basketball or quick bursts where you clench up your foot arch, flip flops, standing for long periods of time or weight gain. 

This tender area is under a lot of pressure each and every day. It needs some loving! Self-massage is great, but rolling your feet on these little balls is way easier and helps relieve some of the clenching, stimulates nerve endings and can help relieve related muscle tightness, like calf pain or foot cramps.

I often have my personal training clients deadlift and squat barefoot to build up foot strength and have them roll their feet prior to their lifts to stimulate the nerve endings along their legs, increase muscle activation and BOOM lift heavier. Plus, it just feels SO good. 

Plantar Fasciitis, (groan).

Why did the scientists and docs have to pick such an ugly name? It sounds like a case of purple warts with little unicorns coming out of your feet. Here's my "PF story:" During the summer of 2011, I discovered "foldable flats." Remember those great little cheapie ballet flats you could throw in your bag and change in to heels when you got to work? I had four pairs and would commute in them to my desk, 20 minute walk each way = 40 minutes a day. I also fell in love with a dance class at Equinox and was doing lots of quick jumpy movements for my workouts. Combine that with running and I was a classic target for Plantar Fasciitis. What did I have for my Thanksgiving dinner that year? Three days of lying on my couch with frozen water bottles on my feet. OUCH. 

Due North Foot Rubz Foot Hand and Back Massage Ball Green

Avoid the nagging pain, buy these ballz, and try to roll two or three minutes each day. I always brought mine on business trips and vacations too. Here's a 25 second video clip to get you started. Bonus points if you can spot my boyfriend's Rubix Cube. 

Now let's run 26.2 Miles

I'm proud to say I checked the NYC Marathon off my bucket-list in 2007 while still in college. It was perfect running weather = cloudy, low 50's and little wind. Just like tomorrow's forecast. I ran a steady race, didn't hit the wall and started passing hundreds of people with 3 miles to go. I finished in 3:54:12 and was thrilled to run sub-4 hours. I told myself I'd never run another marathon. It's not so good for your body. However, as the years went on and I became stronger, faster, and even more a part of the fabric of New York City and the local running community, I am craving my second race and a faster time. But that's a story for 2016.

My little brother crushed the race in 2013, I helped him train and was his #1 Fan. He also beat my time by two minutes. Sense some sibling rivalry here?

This year I'm planning on cheering on my friends and clients on 105th and 1st Avenue. I'm making my 2015 sign today and will be sure to post it for you all. Until then, happy running, Happy Halloween and enjoy this beautiful weekend! 

Sleeping Your Way to Skinny

So what's the easiest AND hardest way to lose weight?

You guessed it -- sleep. 

We've all heard it a million times, "get your 8 hours of sleep for long-term health, blah blah blah." It's like the dental hygienist telling you to brush gently for 2 minutes twice a day and always remembering to floss.

We get it in theory, blindly nod our heads and then proceed to file it in away in the "that would be nice to do some day folder" and forget about it. 

So let's try another tactic. Sleep can make you slimmer, trimmer, skinner.

Sounds pretty easy right? Yeah, but who has the time? 

It should be a no brainer.

Sleeping your way to skinny, spending less time at the gym and more time in bed and voilà!

But the go-go-go pressures of our modern-day society and surge in technology over the last 20 years has re-programmed our brains, reward mechanisms and habitual patterns to resist the classic 8 hours. 

We all have our "sleep skimping" story

I used to be the queen of 6am workouts. My alarm would go off cheerily at 5:30 or 5:45am every single day of the work week. I'd literally spring out of bed so excited for (pick one, I did 'em all, almost every week): Monday's 6am Barry's Bootcamp, Tuesday's 6:30am Joanna's Equinox Bootcamp, Wednesday's 6:30am Personal Training Sessions with Erika, Thursday's 6:30am Jack Rabbit Track Running Training Program along East River and Friday's second Personal Training Session.

WOW.

Just recalling my old workout schedule and writing this all out makes me want to curl up and catch up on years of missed sleep.

However, I truly loved the workouts and I still do. It was magical walking out of my apartment to a class or training session and being one of the first people to hit the quiet early morning city streets. Early morning workouts were my very special time of day where no one bothered me and I could just think. Pretty darn precious for NYC, right? 

My mom used to plead with me to pick just one day of the week where I would set the alarm for 7 or 7:30am, "sleep in" and do things "normal people do," like prepare breakfast, slowly eat it while reading the newspaper, putter around my apartment for a bit getting ready and deciding my outfit, leisurely walking to the subway and getting to my cubicle by 9am.

Now, that seemed absolutely ludicrous at the time. Skip my workout?! Change up my routine!? Never. 

Instead, this was a typical morning for me before my day at the office when working in Finance:

6:30-7:30am bootcamp --> 7:30-7:45 shower at Equinox --> home by 8am --> blowdry hair, throw on matching pencil skirt suit outfit, jewelry, make-up --> make my breakfast of eggs or green protein shake --> throw in tupperware to bring to my work desk --> out the door by 8:33am or ELSE.

Phew. Talk about a stressful morning! 

This was my workout schedule a week before Thanksgiving, doubling up and being really hard on myself! 

Word on Early Morning Workouts

I'm not saying to throw away your early morning workouts. I think they're great!

Working out in the morning is super effective for staying on track with your exercise routine, starting your day off right, acting as a stress-reliever, giving yourself seriously good energy and vibes for the day and so much more.

But if you're like my old self, and have an intense workout routine on top of a stressful and demanding job, I encourage you to think through the below ideas on how you can add more sleep and rest in to your life and see even great physical results from your efforts. 

Sleep and Hormones

Sleep triggers some pretty darn cool chemical reactions within your body. This article goes in to great detail, but here's the quick and dirty.

A full night sleep releases Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in to your blood stream, which helps maintain healthy body tissue and allows your muscles to repair themselves after a solid strength training session. More lean muscle mass on your body = elevated resting metabolic rate (aka more calories burned per day) = room for weight-loss. Give those muscles sleep to grow baby! 

Leptin and Ghrelin. Ah those confusing cousins I could never quite tell apart. Here's a mnemonic I used for myself in nutrition school that may help:

Leptin is an appetite-suppressing hormone (think it "L"owers your appetite), but "L"ess of it is produced when you don't get a good night sleep. Therefore your not only cranky, but hangry and tend to want more food the next day.

Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone and makes your stomach "Growl" that it wants more food; more of Ghrelin is produced if you're sleep deprived.

I won't even get in to women's hormones and our sleep-skimping stories ... but please, stay tuned for another blog post on this one! Intense workouts, missed periods, cortisol spikes, weight gain, digestive issues ... the list goes on. Intrigued? Start googling. 

Now. Don't beat yourself up about this. These hormones are our bodies' way to keep us alive and protected when we're out in the wild, forced to go on long marches for food and need to be reminded to seek berries, or whatever we could forage in the forests. But our ancient ancestors didn't have cheap food, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or quirky and comforting NYC bodegas on every corner tempting us to eat, eat, eat! 

Now, back to your Sleeping Beauty Plans

I invite you to pick one of these sleeping tips out of my magic hat. Or better yet, read through them all and see what resonates with you tomorrow, or later this week. That's the one you know you should try out for yourself:

1. A Sleep Weekend, hooray! Make absolutely no plans. Repeat: No plans. Come home from work Friday night, turn off your electronics, get to bed strangely early (7, 8, 9pm is totally cool and OK! No FOMO!). Don't be surprised if you wake up Saturday, eat breakfast, and then feel like going back to sleep. Honor your body's cues and take that second nap on the couch! For people who are chronically sleep-deprived during the work week, it's recommended that they schedule in a "sleep weekend" every 4th or 5th weekend.                                                                                  
2. A Sleep Day. Can't swing a full weekend? Pick a Friday night through Saturday afternoon and test out the above.                                                                                                                                         
3. One Morning with No Alarm: For those of you with flexible schedules, this is a cool one to try M to F. Otherwise, try it on the weekends. I used to almost ALWAYS set an alarm (I mean, Saturday morning Zumba, c'mon!) and the anticipation of the shrill noise can lessen the quality of your sleep or make you anxious for your wake-up time. Sometimes I "back-end" my alarm to modify this practice on a Saturday/Sunday. I'm fairly certain I'll wake up between 7:30am and 9:30am, so I'll set an alarm for 10am for a "worst-case scenario."                                
4. A Zen Morning: Pick a weekday morning and change it up. Instead of rushing off to the gym or work, set aside an hour or 90 minutes to totally shake up your routine. It's going to feel .... strange. Like you are on some yoga retreat or on vacation in Europe. Brace yourself. You will survive. You may even enjoy it. Try yoga or light stretching on your home yoga mat with candles and light music, take a bubble bath, write in a journal or take yourself out on a solo breakfast date to a real restaurant and bring along the NYTimes.                                                                                
5. Sick Day: To all the bosses out there (and my old bosses), don't kill me! For the record, I did this twice during my six year career in Finance and I wish I had the nerve to have done it more. Your body, not your boss, knows when you need a break. In fact, I bet for some of you reading this right now, your body is SCREAMING for a rest and "Mental Health Day". Call in sick and sleep. The world won't end.                                                                                                                                                  
6. A One Week Vacation without Coffee: Ummm .... does that count as vacation? Yeah, I know, there are a lot of addicts out there. Try to plan one vacation a year where you can cut back on the caffeine and nap when you need to nap. When I would get to 3.5-4 cups of coffee a day, I knew I needed my one week yearly re-set. Maybe have a baby cup of coffee each morning while you're away, but otherwise cue in to your signals for naps, going slower and full nights of deep, caffeine-free dreams. 

Finally, please remember that everything I listed above won't actually magically come in to your life after you pulled it from my magician's hat. You have to plan for these sleep-more strategies.

If you've gotten this far reading this post, I'd bet that you're desperately in need of some loving sleep or deeply intrigued by the concept of "sleeping your way to skinny."

Want to talk more about those sleep issues and last few pounds? Book a session with me here in the Bookings tab. 

I wish you all the best switching up your sleep strategies and the sweetest of dreams! 

Sleep success?!? I'd love to hear about it, tell me more here!

PS: Arianna Huffington has written and spoken extensively on the importance of sleep and your career: her 4 minute TED Talk and article on Sleeping Your Way to the Top. 

The Hierarchy of Fat Loss (The #Basics)

You want to lose fat? Pop Quiz:

What's best: Marathon training or sprinting on the treadmill? Deadlifting your bodyweight or lifting those two-pounders at Soul Cycle? 

Here's all you need to know, and what I tell all my clients, summarized by yours truly. If you have time, you can read the longer original piece by the fitness industry legend, Alwyn Cosgrove, here. Drumroll please: here is your cheat sheet, in order of importance and impact:

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1. Nutrition, "You can't out-train a bad diet"

2. Nutrition, see above.

3. Lifting HEAVY and building muscle mass with serious Strength Training:

• Every pound of muscle on your body burns an additional 50 calories a day. Add muscle and you're automatically burning more calories on days you're not even working out. It's like buying an insurance policy for your resting metabolic rate. 
• Prioritize in this order: Deadlifts, Squats, Hip thrusters, Pull-ups, Rows, Overhead Press. Please use good form or ask for a personal training session. 
• A solid strength training workout will increase your metabolism for the next 24-48 hours as your muscle fibers repair. 

4. High Intensity Intervals:

• Anything that spikes your heart rate for short periods of time, 10-45 seconds is key, followed by a rest interval.
• Think treadmill sprints, burpees, mountain climbers, hill sprints, med ball slams, sled pushes. All the stuff that makes you want to puke sometimes. Do it. 
• Science: anaerobic bursts like these cause your body to go in to oxygen deficit and your body has to work harder to replace that oxygen, thus revving up your metabolism for the next 18-24 hours. 

5. A far fifth .... high intensity steady-state Cardio Training:

• That five mile run! I know, its far down on the list. So is 45 minutes on the elliptical or that long bike-ride. See, once you step off the elliptical, you're done burning calories. There really is no "after-burn."
• The good news: this is still AH-MAZING for your heart strength, your lung capacity, how you feel, endorphins and it does "burn calories." So carry-on my cardio friends, and check in with #3 and #4 to cross-train and add variety to your exercise and fat-loss routine. 

6. A far sixth ... low intensity steady-state Cardio Training:

• Walks, Yoga, Pilates -- the really peaceful and calming stuff.
• They won't torch calories, but they DO add up and are crucial for maintaining an injury-free body and a calm mind. Don't skip it.
• These are a great first-step for fat-loss beginners. 

So what are you going to do about it?

I encourage you to take a serious look at your current exercise routine. Be honest with yourself. How many days of the week do you engage in the above types of exercise? Now hold that picture in your head. Think of your goals. Is your current exercise routine going to get you to your goals? Do you need to add more serious strength training? Do you need to STOP going to the gym seven days a week and instead spend an extra two hours a week planning health meals? Do you need to get your bootay out of your desk and go for some long walks? How can you take your routine up a notch, add variety to your workout week and see some results (finally!)? 

Say thank you or schedule a nutrition health coaching, personal training or run coaching session with me here. Enjoy the endorphins team! 

Three Parts of "Being Healthy"

The Skinny Years

When I was in my teens and early twenties, "being healthy" = skinny. That was that. No más.

I remember refusing the ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies in our high school cafeteria (I still crave them), eating those 150 calorie yogurts for lunch (sometimes skipping the fruit at the bottom), chugging zero calorie Crystal Light lemonade after track practice (and using it as my #1 drink mixer in college), priding myself in finding the "best" low carb protein bar (weird chemicals = weird gas, yup) and counting out 10 almonds to tide me over until lunch at my cubicle.

I'll write a whole other blog post on the nutritional absurdity of focusing solely on calorie counting, but for now, I do find solace that my disordered eating habits were partially a product of the times [2000 to 2010].

Calories and chemicals were king.

I did indulge on the other end of the spectrum too: Costco brownie mix, the croissant turkey sandwiches the Middlebury Dining Hall would serve for lunch on Mondays, fro-yo deserts, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie care packages from my Mom and once I moved to NYC, those late night pizza runs.

I enjoyed some of these treats, but most of the time, I ended up kicking myself for "eating too many calories" and would keep on logging miles running or work extra hard at the gym the next day.

Sound familiar? 

When it all Shifted

As they say, "knowledge is power" and gosh, let me tell you, Nutrition is pretty darn cool.

Our bodies are amazing machines and once I started geeking out studying how we fuel our bodies, reading blogs, devouring nutrition books, watching documentaries, googling EVERYTHING, and finally, enrolling in Nutrition School, my concept of "being healthy" also made a marked shift.

What a relief!

Guess what? It's not all about the calories! Nor about being skinny!

It's about the quality of your food, the nutrients, the timing of your food intake and your overall mental and physical well-being. Packaged, chemical, artificial foods be-gone! 

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How I think about "Being Healthy": Three Parts

My three-part conception of health took time to develop personally and it's a tool I now love sharing with my clients.

Vanity is my code-word for skinny, but I added in two tremendously important parts: how you feel today and longevity. 

1. Vanity: Yes, there is one third of me that still wants to be/stay thin, skinny, lean, whatever word choice you like to use. I do refuse that chocolate cake and think about my weight, choose salads and veggies when I can and still can't get up the nerve to order fries on my own. (Dear friends,  I'm sorry for stealing all your fries over the years!). 
2. How I feel today: I want to feel awesome, light and airy every damn day! When I eat whole, unprocessed, organic, good-for-you foods, I feel amazing. I feel like I could conquer any workout, see five clients back-to-back, have a smile on my face and a spring in my step, sleep like a baby and be my best, most positive and happiest self. Oh and my digestion works like a charm. 
3. Long-term health + Longevity: I'm going to be that 90 year old in the retirement home that works out with a personal trainer, goes on long walks every day, reads two books a week and carries on intelligent and engaged conversations with her kids and grandkids. I know that fueling my precious body with good-for-me foods is going to allow me to stay active way through my later years and do my best to avoid the growing cancer epidemic and rise in lifestyle fueled-disease running rampant throughout the developed world. 

How does this all shake out? 

I urge my clients to think about their health in three parts - because you'll almost always have a strong motivator to make the healthy choice.

There are days when you'll think "screw the skinny jeans, I want the cake!" but then you'll think about how you'll feel after the sugar rush disappears and you feel icky, sick, bloated, creepily thirsty and kind of nauseous.

Boom, you just used the #2 "How I feel today" motivator!

Fast forward to another day and you're going grocery shopping. You're tired. You're stressed. It's been a long week and thoughts spring up like "Who cares about my bikini body - summer is still months away."

Cue the #3 "Longevity" trick and picture yourself being that active 65 year old retiree who goes on long bike rides, and put the freaking organic vegetables in to your grocery cart. 

In Summary

Healthy shouldn't be a code word for just skinny. Once you let that go, I promise you, being "healthy" becomes a lot more fun, a lot more satisfying and way easier.

What a great deal.

Once you get your healthy routine down (!): you can have the body you want (#1 vanity), feel amazing each and every day (#2) and rock it on the dance floor on your 85th birthday (#3 longevity).

Who's with me?

If this concept struck a cord with you, pass it on to a friend or comment below or email me your thoughts at michelle@fitvista.com. You never know who you could be helping! 

What Kind of Weekend do you Need, Want?

Hi there, it's Friday! You did it! 

I often find that I am either leaping in to the weekend with great energy and excitement over upcoming plans or falling in to the weekend, dragging my feet and dreaming of my sweatpants and night chilling on the couch. Fridays are a great time to check in with your body and see what it's trying to tell you. I've had many clients this week tell me about late nights studying for grad school (3am, what!!), early morning work conference calls (5am with Europe, yikes) and the resulting compromised sleep and feeling of fighting off an itch in their throats. 

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I invite you to ask your body today what it needs this weekend and rethink your "weekend schedule" to prioritize taking care of your wonderful self. I like to set a weekend intention - is this going to be a restful weekend for me to recharge my body and mind or a "fun weekend" packed with plans to blow off some steam, eat, drink and stay up late with friends? The perfect storm occurs when we go in to the weekend utterly exhausted, needing to catch-up on sleep and CHILL and instead get swept up with to-do lists, errands, three birthday parties we must attend, a visit from Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary and two long training runs, brunch with your best girlfriend, can't miss football games and oh, a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond (if we have the time). Who can recover and plan healthy meals in this madness? Is there every any room for spontaneity anymore? Take a moment today and see what you can cross off your weekend to-do list or gently back out of a social invitation. Your body and mind will thank you.  

We all know that great physical results in the gym are directly linked to recovery and rest days. So give your body what it needs and I will see you all next week to take our training to the next level. LET'S DO THIS. 

Be well and as always, let me know how I can support you!

Xo, Michelle