Every week I sit down with Marcus Smith from
Innerfight Gym and we we talk fitness. There seems to be an endless supply of content and an endless number of questions.
What I love about sitting down with Marcus is there are no dumb questions. Even the simple questions are important and get the same degree of respect and diligence from team Innerfight.
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Our notes and links.
This is the last show until August!
It is all about survival of the summer, we all talk a good game but BBQ, picnics, potato salad… and the summer of excess is on its way, what should we be doing now?
Q. Marcus, what do you recommend I take with me in my bag for essential summer exercise while traveling?
Q. Marcus did you once talk about gym shoes and running shoes being different or am I imagining things because I saw a new pair of neons that would blow people away in my step class?
Q. Marcus I hurt my wrist about a month ago and I am still working out but the wrist is not getting any better, time to take a short break to let it heal or am I maybe looking for an excuse to beat the workout heat?
Q. James is a big camel back advocate but he is James, Marcus how important is hydration in a 60 minute workout can’t we load at the start and end and be ok?
Q. good calories, bad calories, Marcus HELP I am drowning in a sea of information and I am not sure if the calories form a cantaloupe are better than a burger at ShakeSHack!
Q. are there really snacks we should be eating pre and post workout? Or is this a load of marketing to get me to spend
Q. your favourite Smith Street meal this week and why?
Love this on how to ditch the all or nothing mentality
How to Ditch the All-or-Nothing Mentality
1. Find your why … your real why. We talk about this one a lot, and it’s with good reason: it might just be the one thing that will make the difference between you actually making change and just hoping you’ll make a change. When you get down to the root of why you want to be healthier/lose weight/etc. (and, believe me, it has nothing to do with a swimsuit or size), it resonates. (And it might actually lead you to not care about a silly number and help you to realize your true worth and value … )
2. Get mindful and trust your body. When I was in the yo-yo weight cycle, I ate and worked out because of all kinds of reasons — it was time, I “had” to, I felt fat — but none of them had a damn thing to do with what my body was telling me I actually needed. Once I slowed down, honored what my body needed (rest … a hug … peanut butter) and started paying attention to my hunger and fullness cues and honoring them above all else, it was hard for the all-or-nothing approach to survive. Our bodies are amazingly wise and intuitive. We just have to listen and trust them.
3. Replace instead of cutting out. What’s the first thought you have when you’re told you can’t have something? You want it, right? So instead of trying to take a bunch of unhealthy foods or habits out of your life, try replacing them with something healthier — ideally, something you genuinely like. And …
4. Remove good and bad labels. French fries aren’t bad. Eating fries doesn’t make you bad! But eating too many of them gives you a stomachache. Likewise, carrots aren’t intrinsically good, and snacking on celery because you think it’s a “good” food won’t make you a better person. Take the guilt — and the halo — off of foods. Instead, try to choose the healthful ones that make you feel good the majority of the time. (And then, when you do have French fries, enjoy them!)
5. See what else is going on. Having “problems” with food and exercise can actually be a blessing in disguise. In a lot of ways, it’s your unconscious self trying to tell you something — receiving that message allows you to go deeper into what that “something” is. Admittedly, that isn’t always fun — this process requires some self reflection and time getting real with yourself. But, it can lead to some huge breakthroughs in areas of your life that are lived off the scale (and, girl, a lot of your life is off the scale). Are you self sabotaging? Dealing with perfectionism? Do you not believe you deserve to be healthy and feel good? Are you avoiding something? What do you really need? (And — spoiler — it could be that you’re totally fine as you are and need to just love and embrace the amazing person you are RIGHT NOW.)
6. Remind yourself that you have the power to change. You know that day 1 feeling? You can have that every day if you focus on one itty bitty thing that you want to improve. Don’t try to change it all at once. Focus on one very doable thing, like, say, drinking more water or taking the stairs when you have the opportunity. Then do that thing until it no longer takes any willpower to do it. Then, do another one. And then another … and another … and another.
7. Practice self love every day. Forget the scale; put your focus on feeling good. What can you do today to show yourself unconditional self love? Do that. Starting today.
The all-or-nothing mentality hold can be so strong — especially if you’ve been in the pattern of thinking that way for years. But you can trust me — and our 10 in 4 Challenge grads — when we tell you life is SO much better on the other side!
Love this FitBit idea of creating a lunch club at work!
If you’re looking for a creative way to connect with your co-workers, a lunch club might be just what you’re looking for. The concept is simple—a group of colleagues who meet on a regular basis (once a week, month, etc.) and eat a homemade meal together. Plus, it’s a smart way to save money and stay healthy. Brown-bagging it with your colleagues can help save you nearly $3,000 every year, and avoid about 200 extra calories per meal, compared to restaurant fare.
On top of that, eating with your co-workers could even result in better team performance. In fact, one study found that firefighters who prepared and ate their meals together at the firehouse were significantly more likely to have higher group performance than those who didn’t eat together.
5 non scale victories from FitBit
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to fixate on the numbers on the scale. You’re eating all the right things! You’re staying active and crushing your step goal! But there are many factors at play on your weight loss journey, and your weight can fluctuate on a daily basis. While you wait for the pounds to melt off, there are plenty of non-scale victories you could be celebrating. To keep you motivated, here are the best ones Fitbit users just like you are tracking.
5 Non-Scale Victories Worth Celebrating!
Reaching a Fitness Goal
Whether you’re nailing Downward-dog or running a mile without stopping, that feeling you get when you accomplish a “fitness first” is worth celebrating. “One of my biggest rewards was running a 5K!” says Fitbit user Anna B.
Having More Energy
One of the many benefits of getting healthy is having more energy to do the things you love—chasing after your kids, keeping up in workout classes and just feeling better all around. Fitbit user Rachel H.’s non-scale victory came when she was waiting for her little ones to get out of school and found herself climbing stairs. “I climbed 53 flights of stairs—seriously!” she says. “I was so proud of myself.”
Buying Smaller Clothes
While the number on the scale may not be changing, your clothes could be sending you a different message. Buying fresh threads to accommodate a slimmer shape can be hugely satisfying. Fitbit user Annie B. donated more than three dozen items of clothing to charity and revamped her wardrobe. “I had to replace all of my old pants and tops,” she says. “I even bought skinny jeans!”
Getting Stronger
Flexing stronger muscles is a major non-scale victory that feels good on the outside and inside. Fitbit user Stephanie M.’s latest non-scale victory: being able to deadlift more than she weighs. “Getting stronger has also improved my yoga practice,” she says. “I can now hold poses that I used to struggle with.”
Snapping More Photos
It’s a very subtle shift, but some Fitbit users have noticed they feel more confident about appearing in photographs as their weight loss journey progresses. And comparing your “before” and “after” pics can give you hard proof that you’re crushing your goals. “I can see quite plainly in my photos that my body is changing, no matter what the scale shows!” says Fitbit user Carol R.
Find a way not an excuse!
Love this!
