Fresh Look

by Kris Pitcher

Sometimes you just feel like you need a face lift. It's a difficult thing, because change can be uncomfortable for some people. But I would argue you are savvy, forward thinkers who can take a little nudge with a fresh look.

I used to really love my look. Then on April Fool's day I changed it thinking I would just change it right back. Only I couldn't quite get the look back I had been so accustomed to. And ever since I've been not as excited about it. With that, I decided we could use a fresh look at Fitness Bliss.

Spring is a good time to take a fresh look at a lot of things. A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with a vendor who had come up from Los Angeles. Let's just say she did not fit into our black and grey office theme dress code.

She was such a refreshing concept. She was full of color, fun accessories...plus she had those crazy nails with all the bling, designs, and tiny dioramas on them. I half expected to see some scene from a Day of the Dead shadow box on her index finger (which she did not have).

It made me think about the doldrums of my winter wardrobe and how desprately I need to take a fresh look at putting some color into my life. I've already promissed all of you I won't buy another pair of black pants (unless I really, really need them).

Welcome to spring! Take a fresh look at your wardrobe, your workout, your meal plan. Take a new look at your goals, your hopes and your nails. What a great time of year to take a fresh look!  

Loser!

by Kris Pitcher

Do you have what it takes to be a loser? That's right a loser? Usually we want a winning attitude, but in this case it takes a special kind of attitude to be a loser.

Weight management is a process. It's not a program that starts and ends. It is a process that is life long. You know my mantra: you only have to do weight management as long as you want it to work.

It's a losers attitude that this is something you will do for a lifetime. You don't just diet for a wedding, a reunion or a contest. You manage your weight for the rest of your life.

Recently I was explaining to my new colleagues (who I love) about my contest diet. I was eating chicken and broccoli out of a Pyrex container as I was explaining. One of them said, "I can't wait to see what your diet looks like if this is how you eat now!"

It doesn't look all that different. My habits don't drastically change...because it's something I do all the time. The amounts of food will change, but it will look the same.

It will look the same because I manage my weight off season just the same as during prep. We should all have that mentality. We always manage our weight. It's not a program that stops, but a process that continues. It's endless.

We don't get to a magic place and it's all over. Poof! We've arrived! Nope. If we want to stay there we keep working. Those same behaviors that get us to our goal, keep us there. This is the loser's attitude.

In order to be a lifelong loser, like me, you've got to make the mental shift. This isn't something you do for a short time. I've been successfully managing for 20 years. And I will continue to be a loser for the long haul.

No, it's not easy. But I am happy with the result. It's my lifestyle. And I'm OK with being a total loser! LOL!

Public Service Announcement

by Kris Pitcher

This is a public service announcement:

I am not the fitness police.

I'm also not the fitness confessional...although I do love gossip, and will keep your stories (mostly) to myself. I actually love that people tell me stuff. I also love that people feel accountable to me.

Now in all fairness, there's two Kris' here. There's the Kris associated with Team Pitcher. Yes, you are accountable to me, and yes you can make your confessionals to me, and yes those are in strict professional confidence.

I'm talking about the "regular" Kris. Every day me. It's the people I'm surrounded with, who are great people, and I enjoy you all very much. But let's put it this way, just because you knit...I am not going to take up knitting or explain to you why I am not currently knitting.

See? And in that same light, you don't have to explain to me why you are not currently exercising. You don't have to tell me when you will begin exercising again, or explain why you went through the drive through to get your lunch. Not necessary.

I do like to talk about it, and I'm happy to. But ultimately you won't want to do what I'm suggesting and I'll get tired of telling you the same thing and eventually we'll find it easier to talk about knitting.

It's not your fault, everyone does it. Sometimes I think I must have a neon light on my forehead that says, "Fitness Police - Confess Here". It's the checker at Walmart, the lady at the post office...it's everyone.

So, we'll just clear it up. I'm happy to talk about it, or not. And, I don't carry a badge because I am not the fitness police.

Nutrient Bioavailability

by Kris Pitcher

What the heck is bioavailability? Well, food conscious people have been looking to get the best nutrients from the most efficient forms. Like any nutritional choice, this is a very value laden topic.

Many people would prefer to get their nutrients, and we are talking about micro nutrients typically here, from their food only. This means they do not prefer taking a supplement to get their micro nutrients.

It's smart to try to get the majority of our vitamins and minerals from the foods we eat each day. There's nothing "wacky" going on in this ideology.

Now, because everything needs a name...this is called functional food. Right. It cracked me up too. Isn't all food functional? Anyway...

Bioavailability refers to the body's ability to use a nutrient. It's measured by how well a vitamin or mineral for example is digested, absorbed and how well it's distributed. It's also measured as to whether or not it's actually taken up by specific body tissues for use.

How we grow, process and store food all effect the bioavailability of its nutrients. Consider the soil it's grown in for example. If the soil is not rich in nutrients, the plant we are growing will not have those nutrients either.

The more highly processed foods are the more those vitamins and minerals are stripped away. The further that food travels from the farm to your table the longer it is exposed to light which diminishes the nutrients even more.

As we take into consideration our preparation methods, cooking brings some nutrients to life and destroys others. Nutrient combinations are necessary for absorption in some cases and diminish absorption in others. It's complex. It's a science.

The big picture take away is if you eat a wide variety of different colors of vegetable s and fruits daily, eat whole grains, lean proteins, dairy and healthy fats you are likely getting the nutrients required - in some areas.

Many of us do not eat a wide variety of food from the various groups and can benefit from a micro nutrient supplement. You can have blood work done to check your nutrient levels to determine if you should be supplementing or not. You can always check with your physician to determine guidance in this area.

Control Freak!

by Kris Pitcher

Occasionally, when I'm trudging around with my cooler full of meals and my tiny containers with their portioned one ounce almond/walnut mix...I wonder if I look like a freak.

"Everyone has to eat." I tell myself. I wonder if other people feel conspicuous with their super-sized meal? Probably not. That's normal after all, right?

I have a system!

My preference is to control what I can control. It snowed last Friday, so I know I can't control the weather. But I can eat what I'm supposed to eat in order to meet my goals. They are my goals, it would only make sense for me to work to get there.

And maybe it's the monotony of the food. It is literally the same thing meal after meal, day after day, week after week. This works for me. I don't need "variety". But maybe it's that monotony that seems so conspicuous to others.

I'll tell you what, it doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter if I stick out like a big ol' thumb. It doesn't matter if I drag (figuratively) my cooler along where I go each day. I don't care if you see me take a bag of chicken out of my purse to put on the plain salad I just ordered at the restaurant.

It doesn't matter because I've got a plan. It's not so much that I'm a control freak...I mean you should see my house. I control nothing. The piles of magazines that come in and never go out. The office which has crept from it's designated room up to the kitchen table. My creative space which looks like it was hit with a hurricane. Don't care.

What I do care about is the plan. The plan is I'll be on stage competing, and I know what I need to do to get there. Period. So, I eat the way I'm supposed to eat, and I do my workouts.

Maybe we should all be freaks about something important to us. But maybe a more fair name would be passion freaks?

I'm The Wrong Naked

by Kris Pitcher

Let's face it, working out helps us look better without our clothes on. Recently, when I was talking about starting my diet someone said, "Well, you look great!"

Thank you! But it's all relative to what you're wearing frankly. And when I'm wearing my posing suit on stage...if I were in the condition I'm in RIGHT NOW I would look like a sausage that had come out of it's casing.

Sure in my business clothes I look fine. But I'm the wrong naked. My husband would disagree (thank you honey). But, to get on stage I've got serious work to do.

Most of that work will happen with my eating. What are your plans to become the right naked? Are you following the plan set forth? Yeah, neither have I.

The first thing I'll do is follow the plan I've been given. I mean follow it to a "T". With no extras. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Not even one raisin. I pinkie swear.

Then we watch for change and make adjustments. That's how the process works. So, get on board. The winter is over and you can't hide any longer. It's time to get on track so you can get on the course, the beach, the boat etc. And you want to be the right naked!

How to Change Your Life!

by Kris Pitcher

"Lose weight to change your life..." the commercial touted. I just cringed. Here was another mass media, heavily marketed magic bullet plan. A plan that has it all wrong.

You don't lose weight to change your life. How exactly do you think your life is going to change? That's exactly the opposite of what happens.

You change your life to lose weight. This commercial plan proposes the exact mentality that I've been trying to help people fight for twenty years - if...then.

If I lose weight, then my life will be better. We have to turn that around. If your life is better, then you will lose weight. You can't wait for a better life? That makes no sense. You create it!

By creating it you make the things happen that will get you to your goals. Want a happy life? Go for a walk in the sunshine. Eat a healthy well balanced plan. Spend time doing the things you like with the people you love.

Those are the things which get you to your goals. If you lose weight, those things don't magically happen for you. Nothing magically happens for you! You make them happen. And by doing so, you create happiness.

You change your life to lose weight. Period. There is no waiting, there is only now. Do the things now that will get you moving in the right direction toward your goals. There is no if/then...you have right now. Go get it!