Posted by Sandra Condon on Tue, Nov 04, 2008 @ 07:19 AM
I am really happy that the election season is coming to a close. I have to admit, I became a bit of a political junkie over the past 6-9 months. I couldn't go to bed without watching something on the news about the candidates, issues and latest poll numbers. This morning I woke up this morning and thought, "Tonight is it. What am I going to do?"
As my day has gone on, I have started to feel relief. No more needing to catch glimpses and wondering who will be our next president. No more 24/7 coverage and no more information overload.
What does that lead me to.......Health and Wellness of course. There is so much information overload in the health and wellness field. Like with political coverage, there are truths and mis-truths, exaggerations, as well as out and out lies about everything that is out there to keep you healthy (or not). Some information is good. For example, I had a sales rep stop in to my club the other day to try and get me to sell his brand of protein bars. I flipped the bar over to glance at the label and saw High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sucralose on the label, and told him there was no way I would sell that to my clients who are looking for wellness. Having that knowledge allowed me to protect my clients and customers from buying a bar that looked legit. He had no response for me because I was an educated buyer.
On the other hand, some people will look at the word, fructose on a lable and think that is a bad thing. Fructose is a natural form of sugar and is in your apple that you eat off the tree.
Being informed is important, but information overload is not necessary. Talk to a Fitness Professional, decide what your beliefs are, and try and live as close to those values as possible. There are exceptions, but for the most part, turn off the Fit TV, shut the magazines (except one or 2) and use common sense as your guide. Your body and brain will thank you!!
Posted by Sandra Condon on Mon, Oct 13, 2008 @ 09:17 AM
As time has gone on in my career, I have made some major changes in my teaching for weight loss. My focus has moved from mainly weight loss using supplements, to a combination of exercise, food and supplements. This is for a couple of reasons. People need to be held accountable for their actions in order to build a lifetime of healthy habits. Many people want to take a pill and have all their health issues go away. They don't want to make the effort to really change how they live. While supplements are an important component to healthy living, they are not the entire picture. We need supplements because our food supply and soil is so depleted of nutrients that we are not able to get what we need from the foods we eat. However, we need to eat a variety of foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals to build great lifetime habits. We also need exercise and water to help our bodies work as efficiently as possible to achieve our optimum health. Today's blog is about helping you to understand supplements.
Supplements get a bad wrap due to the perceived lack of regulation from the government. This is actually untrue. Supplements don't get approved by the FDA because they are not a drug. That is a good thing because many of the drugs they approved for weight loss usually end up in deaths of innocent people before being banned by the FDA. Funny, huh?? Supplements are considered food. They are heavily regulated by the Labeling Laws and the Megadosing laws. Where people get into trouble is how they take them and how they purchase them. Many people go to a vitamin store because their friend or doctor (who has only one class in nutrition in their ENTIRE schooling) has told them they need something. They look over the shelf and are confused by the variety of prices and brands. So, they go to the counter and ask the person behind the counter for their recommendation. The person behind the counter probably makes about $7.00/per hour and may have little to no training in the area of supplementation. But you, as an adult, take their word as being the truth because they are behind the counter so they must know their stuff. Frankly, it's a very dangerous way to buy supplements.
The only way to buy and take supplements is to see a person who has had some training in the area. Don't go to a pharmacy and buy off the shelf. The quality and manufacturing of the products are not great. DON'T mix brands!! Quality supplement brands are built to work in synergy with each other. Which means that the manufacturers have to watch out for megadosing on all their different combinations. If you take a variety of manufacturers, you are asking for trouble and could easily overdose on a certain ingredient.
We here at New Life Health and Wellness know supplements. We have worked with and sold the same product line for over 7 years. We can help you navigate your questions and be sure you are taking the things that are right for you. We will determine the correct combination according to your eating habits and help to create the right plan.
Supplements are a necessary part of today's world. Be sure to go to an expert!
Posted by Sandra Condon on Tue, Oct 07, 2008 @ 09:08 AM
Have you ever experienced a change in seasons? Well, if you live in Marlborough or anywhere in New England, you'll realize that the fall is here and our mornings feel like winter is right around the corner. This weekend, the kids and I packed away all our summer clothes, shoes and beach toys. We then, pulled out all our warmer clothes, boots, hats and all that comes with winter. It was actually fun! But it got me to thinking about my most successful weight loss and wellness clients.
With the change in seasons come two schools of thought for the health conscious or those thinking about making a change. 1. I finally have time to go to the gym, focus on my lifestyle and really get this extra weight off. 2. I don't need to worry about what I look like because I can wear clothes that cover it up!
Where are you in this season 1 or 2? Have you decided that you are going to eat your way through the holidays and worry about it next spring or have you decided that you are going to work this fall and winter to look your best when we shed the winter coats in April?
I love the Personal Training Clients who come in right now and want to lose weight through the Holidays. These people see the value in enjoying the holidays as a few days, not 3 months. These are the people who feel great in their holiday clothes, have enough energy to get through the busy season and all the tasks, and who, when spring comes, don't worry about that first short sleeve shirt.
If you belong to the 2 group, give us a call here at New Life Health and Wellness In Marlborough, sign up for a class, work with a trainer or just get active. We are here to help!
Posted by Sandra Condon on Wed, Sep 17, 2008 @ 03:50 PM
I used to love play follow the leader when I was a kid. It was a great way to learn new things and not be the center of attention. However, early on in my chlidhood, I decided that I liked being the leader and I did not like having to copy someone else or follow their rules. (I was the 5th child out of 6 in my family, that should say it all..). Did that make me a difficult friend or sibling growing up? No, I stopped playing and went on to other things. I knew I would not live my life as a follower.
You may be asking yourself, what does that have to do with fitness? Well, maybe not only fitness....but life. In my life, I have always beaten to my own drum. I have always wanted more from life and really did not care what others thought.
When I decided 8 years ago to start selling vitamins, my ENTIRE circle of influence (friends, family) all told me I was crazy. I had a great career, wonderful family and I would ruin my whole life if I stopped working for that company. The fact is, I did it anyway. It was not easy, there were times I really felt I would fail. But, my basic belief in myself has always been "I've never failed at anything, why now?" I just need to work hard and I will have the lifestyle I was looking for.
So, 8 years later, after becoming a Personal Trainer 3 years ago, I have opened my own gym/wellness center in Marlborough, MA. I don't work for anyone else, I can offer my clients a line of premium vitamins, I can work with them on their knowledge of nutrition and basically, no one can say I can't.
Let's apply the same concept to weight loss. Are you struggling? Are there people in your life that say you are crazy to try? Well, I am telling you, go ahead, beat to your own drum and even if it takes you 8 years to realize your dreams, your journey there will allow you to grow as a person and allow you to help other people as they observe your ups and downs. The road to your optimum health is full of people you have never met and health you may not think is possible.
Believe me, no one laughs at me now...they laugh with me...
We believe in you and all you have to do is believe in yourself.
Posted by Sandra Condon on Thu, Sep 11, 2008 @ 01:31 PM
This September has really crept up on me! All of a sudden, there is school, activities, our new fitness center, networking events, and many other commitments. It begs the question "When is there time for me??" I think a lot of people feel this way, this time of year. September is a great time for renewals, renewed commitment to church, family dinners, and so much more... It's also a time where most of us feel overwhelmed. So plan.... plan your day, plan your meals, plan your exercise and most of all plan some down time. Going through the crazy fall season has lots of people running in circles and then... here comes the holidays. Taking control and using your daily planner is the only way to not let life and your health get out of hand.
This September, I bought a Blackberry that allows me to schedule (and not over-schedule my time). It is great tool to keep all your meetings, commitments etc in check. I have found that I used to double book everything and my level of stress was so high. Now, I incorporate my exercise and work into my day. I feel better and as a result, people get to see my passion for my business and don't feel like I am just another Fitness Club owner here in Marlborough. I challenge you to take a look at September. Have you planned??? Are you overwhelmed?? Are you eating right and exercising?? If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to take a minute and re-adjust....... Give us a call we can help...
Posted by Sandra Condon on Fri, Aug 29, 2008 @ 08:58 AM
I love to read. I read all kinds of books. Books that try to help you become better, always make me think. What do you read? Do you read things that have nothing to do with making you a better person? Do you read about other people whose money and fame have nothing to do with you? Do you read about our sagging economy or about the ongoing war in Iraq? Do you read diet books? Analyze IT . Ask yourself what you are feeding your mind. What is your state of mind? What is the story you tell yourself? How is your mood daily? What you read or listen to is a direct correlation to all those things.
People tell me all the time that I am enthusiastic and I have a passion for what I do and who I am. Why is that? I hang around with like-minded people. I hang around with people who are where I want to be like. I rarely watch the news. I work hard to make my own personal economy better. In other words, I don't listen to the people who say I can't or who try to drag me down with them. What do you do?? I challenge you to get out of the box, turn off the TV, join a high level networking group, and take charge of your life. Once your mind is healthy, you can then work on your body.
Posted by Sandra Condon on Mon, Aug 04, 2008 @ 03:56 PM
Have you ever asked for help? Have you ever wanted to ask for help and not because you were embarrassed or afraid of what people would think?
When you did ask for help, did it work? When you didn't, and wanted to, did that work?
These are some tough questions. As kids, we are told to get help from our parents, at school, stay after and get extra help from our teachers. In sports we work with our coaches.
What about Life? Business? Health? Many people hate asking for help. I was one of them, yet, whenever I do, I get the best results. Recently, this past year, I joined a Networking group that really focuses on helping it's members become better business people. I ended up hiring a Business Coach through this group, so that I could grow my business to the next level. Within 6 months, I opened my dream.
I got to thinking about my business and my clients and what we, as a people, do with our health. Everybody knows what they should do for their health. Eat right, exercise and stay low stress. Executing, however, is a whole different beast. Asking for help seems like we are saying "I don't know what to do". However, it is actually saying "I want to move to the next level" and want to do it with someone holding me accountable. With health it is hard. Maybe you have let yourself go and have convinced the mirror that you are fine. Take that hard look, be honest with yourself, make the assessment, then get expert help from someone who knows how to help you change it! Yes, it may cost you a little money to get on track, but once you do, your life becomes better and more productive and fun! Personal Trainers and Smaller Fitness Centers are people and places that can help you acheive the goals you set and help you realize your dreams. Business Coaches, Sales Trainers and Networking Groups are other examples of getting help in all the different facts of your life. Don't be afraid to go to the experts! Get healthy and grow to your potential.