Thrive Fitness

Caffeine: Take it Sip by Sip

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:40:00 GMT

The morning ritual of coffee is engrained in many of us. You get up in the morning and BAM right away make that cup of joe to get your morning fix of energy before you can deal with the day’s craziness. Although it might be the ritual we love, it’s the caffeine that gives us that zingy, tingly feeling we get when we are finished with our cup. Let’s take a look at caffeine and how it works.

Caffeine is a supplement that is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and various other foods. It’s a central nervous system stimulant, comparable to amphetamines (yet weaker). It has been around for almost 1,000 years and has been used for over 40 years to help performance in all types of sports. Whether you need an early morning jolt, are running a marathon, or trying to deadlift 600, caffeine may have benefits for you.

The Upside

Caffeine can decrease the feelings of perceived exertion, improve work capacity, and increase mental alertness. It is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, and blood levels peak after 30–120 minutes. The levels remain high for 3–4 hours and then start to drop. Although there has been a lot of research on the subject of caffeine, there is not enough evidence to support the supposed benefits of caffeine so pay attention to the word MAY in the statements below.

The nervous system . Caffeine activates areas of your brain and nervous system to improve focus and energy while reducing tiredness
Hormones. Caffeine increases circulating epinephrine (adrenaline), the hormone responsible for the “fight or flight” response, which can increase performance.
Fat burning . Caffeine MAY increase your body’s ability to burn fat via lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat in fat cells.
Endorphins . Beta-endorphins can increase feelings of wellness and give you the exercise “high” that people often experience after working out
Muscles . Caffeine may improve muscle performance through activation of the central nervous system; however, the exact mechanisms are unclear (11Trusted Source).
Body temperature. Caffeine has been shown to increase thermogenesis, or heat production, which raises your body temperature and MAY help you burn more calories.
Glycogen . Caffeine MAY also spare muscle carb stores, primarily due to increased fat burning. This can enhance endurance performance.

The Down Effects

Caffeine can cause anxiety, gastrointestinal disturbances, restlessness, insomnia, tremors, and heart arrhythmias. Just like other drugs, it can be physically addicting, and stopping caffeine can even cause withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine is also a natural diuretic so plan on making additional trips to the bathroom throughout your day. This means paying extra attention to your water intake to avoid dehydration.

Adrenal Fatigue

Caffeine can also have a significant impact on your adrenal glands. Adrenal fatigue describes a condition in which adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, such as glucocorticoid cortisol, often due to chronic stress. Caffeine stimulates neuron activity in the brain in which neurons send messages to the pituitary gland to stimulate the adrenal glands, which then produce adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline and cortisol are those famous hormones involved in “fight or flight” mode, which happens when you are faced with danger. But these “stress,” hormones are meant to aid us in true emergencies versus meeting a tight deadline to submit a business plan or quarterly report.

If your adrenal glands are fatigued, then caffeine can cause your adrenals to overwork to make more cortisol and burn out your glands. This leads to your adrenals being weakened and less able to respond adequately. This is why coffee has less and less effect over time on people with adrenal fatigue.

Is coffee/caffeine right for you?

Well, it depends. In the right amounts, it can be an amazing tool to help you hit your goals and enjoy it as a morning ritual. It’s important to be aware of the effect it is having on your body and adjust your intake accordingly. Recently, I was experiencing fatigue, anxiety, and heart palpitations on a routine basis. As a first step, I decided to remove coffee and caffeine from my diet. To be honest, the first two weeks were BAD. I felt horrible the first night with painful headaches and persistent nausea. I was in bed by 7 pm. After that, I slowly began to feel like myself again. My anxiety calmed down, my energy went up and I didn’t crash during the day. It was clear that I was WAY too reliant on caffeine. Moving forward, I’m still going to enjoy coffee as part of my overall lifestyle but now know how to maintain a balanced amount while staying in tune with how my body is feeling on a daily basis.

Calorie Burn Comparison: Cardio vs Weightlifting

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:36:00 GMT

Cardio vs Weightlifting? What burns more calories

If you are trying to lose weight, cardio, and weightlifting are great options to help keep you on track and burn some extra calories (as well as a bunch of other health-related benefits that we will go over below). But let’s just talk about calories.

Calories burnt during each of these types of workouts come in different forms.

CARDIO WORKOUTS

Research shows that cardio will burn more calories per session than weightlifting workouts of the same duration. The number of calories you burn during exercise depends on a variety of factors including age, weight, gender, and workout intensity.

Benefits to Cardio:

Improves cardiovascular health
Lowers blood pressure
Helps regulate blood sugar
Aids in Sleep

WEIGHTLIFTING WORKOUTS

These workouts help you burn more calories throughout the day. There’s a two-fold explanation for this. First, research has shown that after you weightlift, a person can continue to burn calories from that strength session up to 38 hours post-session. Some call this the “afterburn”. The afterburn is additional energy your body expends after you’ve finished exercising. The technical term, Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), helps explain the extra calorie burn. After a workout, your body uses oxygen and calories to remove lactic acid, repair muscles, and replenish stores of creatine, oxygen, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It’s during this recovery period that the afterburn effect takes place.

The second way weightlifting helps burn calories is that it builds muscle and muscle burns more calories at rest than other tissues, including fat. Increases to your muscle mass help to increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate) or the amount of calories you burn at rest. On average, 1lb of muscle burns 6 calories daily compared to fat burning only 2 calories per pound per day.

Let’s look at that in the short term and the long term. A 150lb female that has 70lb of muscle will burn 420 lbs calories a day. That’s 153,300 calories per year! In comparison, a 150lb female that has 50 lbs of muscle would burn 109,500 calories per year.

That’s around 12-13lbs per year difference in calories simply for having more muscle.

Benefits to Weightlifting:

Builds strength and stamina
Strengthens joints, ligaments, and tendons
Increases Bone Density
Elevates your mood and reduces stress
Increases Confidence
Reduces your risk for injury

WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU

It depends! Although we recommend a mix for most of our clients it really depends on your goals and your interest. The best program is the one you stick to!

At Thrive, we offer various class types that help individuals that are trying to achieve all types of goals. Our ThriveFit class incorporates weightlifting and cardio to help you achieve the best results for both weight loss and muscle gain. We also offer a boot camp and spin class that will give you an extra BURN to help shed fat fast.

How to Start a Fitness Routine in 2022

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:34:00 GMT

How to Start a Fitness Routine in 2022

Scene: It’s the beginning of 2022 and you decide “This year I am going to get in shape.”

Okay, now what?!

You do what every modern-day woman or man would do… You Google it! You type in“how to start a workout routine,” and you see some great advice from renowned sources.

For example, the Mayo Clinic has five steps for you, with instructions under each heading:

1. Assess fitness level.

2. Design program.

3. Assemble equipment.

4. Start.

5. Monitor progress.

We’re not going to argue with the Mayo Clinic! But let’s be real…those five steps are really far from simple for the average person.

For example, most people don’t know how to assess their fitness level, and even fewer know how to design a program and monitor progress.

And while you can start a program with minimal equipment, fitness equipment isn’t cheap. So if you buy anything, you want to make the right decision. But what do you buy? And is that salesperson correct in saying you “absolutely must have this gear—and this supplement at half off”?

Let’s be clear : We want you to start a fitness program in 2022, and any activity is better than no activity. You can literally start with a simple program that involves going for a short daily walk. From there you can increase the distance a little every day, and you’ll see some progress!

But the Mayo Clinic list puts a lot of pressure on a person to research, plan, purchase and assess. That can be totally overwhelming! We have seen this stress before. A lot of our current clients came to us after trying to start a program but became totally overwhelmed and confused. Some even quit trying altogether before eventually calling us.

We’re going to simplify the Mayo Clinic list for you: All you have to do is work on Number 4.

Just start by coming to talk to us. That’s it. Forget all the other stuff that can get complicated. You’re in charge of Number 4 only. We’ve got everything else covered!

We Can Help You Start Working Out!

We are experts in assessing fitness levels, designing programs, and monitoring results. It’s what we do every day and we are fully committed to our client’s journey.

We also have all the equipment you’ll ever need. We can even help you with Number 4 because we can motivate you and inspire you. To be honest, that’s our real superpower: making fitness fun.

What’s not fun is trying to figure it out on your own. Ever tried to change a tire, assemble a barbecue, or create a spreadsheet without the right knowledge and tools? It’s frustrating!

We promise to completely eliminate frustration and give you the perfect plan to help you accomplish your fitness goals—any fitness goals. We’ll even tell you how you’ll know you’re making progress—and how to speed things up.

The Mayo Clinic is 100 percent correct: “Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health.”

But you don’t have to figure out what to do and buy a bunch of gear. All you have to do is click here and book an appointment to talk with us!

The Thrive Team

Recovery: The Missing Element to Your Fitness

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:31:00 GMT

Recovery is one the most important elements to a fitness program that a lot of people overlook. Proper recovery can allow you to perform better, decrease your chance for injury, and create a sustainable fitness regime that will avoid burnout.

Natural ways we can ensure proper recovery are:

Sleeping better
A proper warm-up and cool-down
Managing mental health/stress
Nutrition
Hydration
Reducing alcohol intake
Managing your training days/loads.

Secondary ways we can recover are:

Massages
Sauna
Cold Therapy
Compression Therapy
Float Tanks
Chiropractic Care

Try to start out with the aspects of recovery that are in your control and affordable. Let’s talk about sleep, nutrition, and hydration.

SLEEP : Sleep plays an enormous role in allowing your body to recover properly. The first reason relates to blood flow. As you fall into the deeper stages of sleep, your muscles will see an increase in blood flow, which brings along oxygen and nutrients that help recover and repair muscles and regenerate cells.

Hormones play a role, too. When the body enters its deep sleep stage known as non-REM sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormones that stimulate muscle repair and growth. When the body doesn’t get enough rest, the secretion of this growth hormone declines, and it can become harder for your body to recover.

The hormone prolactin, which helps regulate inflammation, is also released while sleeping. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to experience inflammation in the body, which can make injury recovery more difficult while also putting you at risk of further injury.

Many of us don’t prioritize our sleep. We grind out each day in hopes doing the same regime will lead to us waking up feeling different but that doesn’t happen. Try to set an alarm at the same time each night to remind yourself to “unplug”. This means 20 minutes before bed you are not looking at your phone, computer, tv, etc. Also, try to

NUTRITION: You may have heard the saying, “You can’t out-train a bad diet” and that is absolutely true. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or perform better, your body runs optimally when you give it the fuel that it needs to move and move well.

CrossFit HQ says it best, in their nutrition guidelines, “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” You don’t have to change your entire diet right away to this style of eating but start with one element at a time, for example, eat one protein at each meal. Then try to add half your plate full of veggies and over time you will begin to be a healthier version of yourself.

This is a great aspect to your recovery to focus on if you are not seeing the results you desire.

HYDRATION: Drink H20. Try for 2-3 glasses at each meal and see how you feel.

Recovery is multi-faceted. There are many variables to consider but the key is to start somewhere. Consider the following aspects of recovery 1 credit,

Protein at 3 meals in a day = 1 Credit
8 Glasses of H20 in a day = 1 Credit
7-8 Hours of Sleep = 1 Credit
1 Meditation Session = 1 Credit

Start by trying to accumulate 2-3 of these in a day. See how you feel. See how your training goes. If you need help, the best way to make improvements is to find a coach to help guide you through the areas that need the most help. At Thrive Fitness, we have coaches who are certified in fitness, mindset coaching, nutrition counseling and much more. Reach out to us when you are read to make a change!

Bootcamp Week 1

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Nutrition 101

Let’s talk nutrition guys! Are you wondering whether you should fuel up before a workout and which kinds of foods will give you the biggest bang for your buck? Then read on for some helpful tips on foods to avoid and which to grab for as you head into the gym!

There is no hard and fast rule to eating prior to a workout. It really comes down to two factors: 1) personal preference and 2) how your body is feeling. If I’m working out in the morning I typically prefer to do it on an empty stomach but as the day moves along I know that giving my body something to work off of is crucial for maintaining solid energy. My first recommendation would be to start taking note of how you feel both before and during a workout to get some guidance on whether having a small meal or snack would be beneficial. If you get to the middle of a workout and feel, “washed out,” that is usually an indicator that your body is in need of fuel to keep you movin’ and groovin’.

So which foods are ideal? THINK: complex carbs with a dash of protein and fat. Healthy carbohydrates include whole grains and fiber to help get your engine going and provide sustained energy. When strength is included in a workout (i.e. lifting heavy weights, incorporating weighted movements) you may to add protein into the mix to give your body an added dose of amino acids which are valuable in the body’s recovery process and the building of new muscle tissues.

Here are some simple snack ideas to get you started:

Whole-grain rice cakes with a small serving of almond butter

Whole-grain toast with a small serving of Kerrygold butter

Apples, berries or bananas

1/2 cup of old-fashion rolled oats (add a small serving of nuts or nut butter for savory flavors and a small serving of fat)

Homemade granola bars (granola can become high-cal and high-fat very easily so look for recipes that include whole ingredients without added sugars)

1/2 Sweet potato

On the flipside, there are some foods you may want to avoid such as legumes/beans which are higher in fiber and can leave some people feeling boated and well, gassy during a workout which isn’t good for anyone. The same goes for:

Cruciferous vegetables (also high in fiber which can cause tummy issues)

Fried/fatty foods (these will leave you feeling weighted down and sluggish)

Dairy

Carbonated beverages

100% Fruit Juice (high in fructose and can be difficult to digest prior to a workout)

Approach your pre-workout snack like an experiment. Be willing to try different things and be aware of how you felt heading into the workout and again, what your energy levels felt like intra-workout to uncover which foods leave you feeling fueled and feisty. If something doesn’t jive well, don’t beat yourself up! Simply cross it off the list and incorporate something different the next day. This is an opportunity to learn more about your body and how you can help it run most efficiently throughout your day and in preparation for a kick-ass sweat session. Let’s get to it!

Mindset v. Mindfulness?

This week I want to talk about the difference between mindset and mindfulness. We will then do a deeper dive this weekend when we have our Mindset seminar. For now, I want to keep it simple:

-Mindset = your set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. Your mindset influences how you think, feel and behave in relation to the world around you. Our mindset plays a critical role in how we traverse the landscape of life, especially when it comes to things like adversity, stress, etc.

-Mindfulness = is our capacity to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing in any given moment with the ability to actively choose how we conduct ourselves rather than acting out of conditioned behavior patterns. Every human being already possesses mindfulness (yay!). Our task is simply learning how to access it….

Why does this matter when it comes to fitness? Fitness extends beyond the gym…beyond a workout and far beyond a sculpted body. Fitness is an ingredient within the larger context of our health and wellness. We can safely assume that the vast majority of people want to look and feel great physically, mentally and emotionally. With that in mind, our workout routine becomes part of a larger eco-system that creates our total health. If you walk out of the gym after having an amazing workout and instantly get overwhelmed with stress, anxiety, worry and the practicalities of life it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve the physical, mental and emotional balance that leaves us feeling our best. Our task then is to leverage mindset and motivation so that we can build off of our fitness routine and cultivate strength across all facets of our daily life. Can that be challenging? Yup! But it can also be extremely rewarding, FUN and once you get the basics down you’ll never want to look back.

Caffeine: Take it sip by sip

The morning ritual of coffee is engrained in many of us. You get up in the morning and right away make that cup of joe to get your morning fix of energy before tackling the day’s craziness. Although it might be the ritual we love, it’s the caffeine that gives us that zingy, tingly feeling we get when we are finished with our cup. Let’s take a look at caffeine and how it works.

The Upside

The nervous system . Caffeine activates areas of your brain and nervous system to improve focus and energy while reducing tiredness
Hormones. Caffeine increases circulating epinephrine (adrenaline), the hormone responsible for the “fight or flight” response, which can increase performance.
Fat burning . Caffeine MAY increase your body’s ability to burn fat via lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat in fat cells.
Endorphins . Beta-endorphins can increase feelings of wellness and give you the exercise “high” that people often experience after working out
Muscles . Caffeine may improve muscle performance through activation of the central nervous system; however, the exact mechanisms are unclear (11Trusted Source).
Body temperature. Caffeine has been shown to increase thermogenesis, or heat production, which raises your body temperature and MAY help you burn more calories.
Glycogen . Caffeine MAY also spare muscle carb stores, primarily due to increased fat burning. This can enhance endurance performance.

The Down Effects

Adrenal Fatigue

Is coffee/caffeine right for you?

Well, it depends. In the right amounts, it can be an amazing tool to help you hit your goals and enjoy it as a morning ritual. It’s important to be aware of the effect it is having on your body and adjust your in-take accordingly. Recently, I was experiencing fatigue, anxiety, and heart palpitations on a routine basis. As a first step, I decided to remove coffee and caffeine from my diet. To be honest, the first two weeks were BAD. I felt horrible the first night with painful headaches and persistent nausea. I was in bed by 7 pm. After that, I slowly began to feel like myself again. My anxiety calmed down, my energy went up and I didn’t crash during the day. It was clear that I was WAY too reliant on caffeine. Moving forward, I’m still going to enjoy coffee as part of my overall lifestyle but now know how to maintain a balanced amount while staying in-tune with how my body is feeling on a daily basis.

Coach Spotlight: Michelle

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:29:00 GMT

We are excited to announce that Michelle is being added to our coaching schedule starting in November. In addition to her experience coaching HIIT, Michelle was a competitive swimming star at Villanova and an international competitive swimmer for Puerto Rico. She is a certified life coach and recently completed her Two-Brain Level 1 Coaching Certification.

MICHELLE’S SPECS

Certifications : Two Brain Level One Coaching Certification

Certified Professional Life Coach

Height: 5’9”

Favorite Lift: Snatch

Least Favorite Lift: Split Jerk

Motivation for Training: Seeing what my body can do

Favorite thing to do outside the gym: Trying new things with my boo thang

Favorite Breakfast Meat: Sausage

Favorite Sport: Swimming

Favorite Color: Blue

WORDS FROM MICHELLE

“I am SO excited to begin coaching more of you and hopefully, to empower each of you in exceeding your goals! Athletics have been in my DNA since I was a little kiddo. At 13 after joining a summer swimming league I realized I was a fish out of water and living in the pool quickly became my passion. I was fortunate enough to excel in the sport and had the opportunity to compete internationally, qualify for the Olympic Trials, and earn a Division I swimming scholarship to Villanova University. I had no idea though that coaching would one day become my second love. In 2014, after going through some of life’s ups and downs, I felt called to become a Certified Life Coach. At that time, I was particularly interested in helping other women to uncover their own strength and grace so I launched my own workshops and motivational speaking sessions with the intention of helping others to get “unstuck,” in their own lives. Over the past 7 years, working with people from all walks of life has made me realize that I didn’t want my passion to be a “part-time thing,” but rather my life’s work. I have had the added privilege of learning soooo much from every client and every experience I encountered. As geeky as it sounds, I consider myself a student of life and a lover of learning! Yet, something still felt like it was missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. UNTIL I came to Thrive…since joining the Thrive community my passion for athletics and holistic living has grown tremendously. With each passing month, I began to realize that the work I had done to date was part of a larger calling in health and fitness. It became obvious to me that coupling my background in life coaching with fitness coaching is the complete picture. I finally found my missing piece (in more ways than one)! I firmly believe that our well-being extends far beyond the gym. It’s a journey of mind, body, and spirit. There’s nothing like finishing a kick-ass workout and being able to walk out the door with the mental/spiritual tools in place to live our daily lives from a place of inspired strength. My goal is to be a bridge in helping as many of you as possible to connect with your true grit physically and mentally. I am also thrilled to bring mindset coaching to our Thrive community (more of that to come!). I look forward to working with all of you and am always available to help! Here’s to a future of awesome WODs, hot bodies, and strong minds. See you soon!”

Thrive Bootcamp Burn – Week 2

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:27:00 GMT

Nutrition 101:

Now that you guys have your nutrition plan lined up for the next 7 weeks I wanted to send along some tips and tricks on meal prepping. As Coach Joel mentioned, meal prepping is a huge asset when it comes to preparing healthy, satiating meals that will fuel your body and taste good. I know the task of batch-prepping food for the week can seem daunting but remember this, meal prepping:

Saves time throughout your week by taking the guesswork / planning out of every meal
Can save money by allowing you to buy items in bulk then freeze for use later and avoid eating out
Helps better manage portion sizes
Helps to make mealtime less stressful by having it pre-prepared
Cultivates a better relationship with food as you mindfully choose which ingredients to use for the week

Here are some tips to help you build your momentum during this, “preparation,” week!

Tip 1: Vary your proteins – even if you’re cooking the same kind of meat like chicken for example try to make some of it shredded, some baked, some roasted with vegetables, etc. to create different flavor profiles

Tip 2: Pick versatile sides: Look for foods that work in a few different dishes. For example, you might use quinoa to make a side dish, add to a salad, or as part of a grain bowl for lunch.

Tip 3: Commit to a prep day: Pick a day of each week to prep as many of your dishes as you can. And make it fun! Put on some music. Invite a friend over to share the work and the food!

Tip 4: Think about cooking time: On prep day, start with foods that need the most time on the stove or in the oven: cooking meat, roasting vegetables, soaking or simmering beans, making quinoa. Once you have those going, you can do quicker tasks like washing lettuce or chopping veggies into handy snack sizes.

Tip 5: Consider portioning it out: If portion control is a sticky spot for you then divide recipes into ready-to-go single servings (also a time saver). Put each serving in a re-sealable plastic bag or glass container.

Use these recommendations to get the ball rolling this week. Jot down additional tips and tricks that you pick up along the way to make meal prepping your bestie rather than a chore and always feel free to share your “finds,” with the rest of the group so everyone can “feed,” off of one another’s progress. You got this!

Mindset Motivation :

This week we are talking all things energy (queue the ooooo’s and aaaaahh’s!). If you recall from our mindset seminar I explained that we are energetic beings living within a sea of….well, ENERGY! Think of energy like a silent superpower. It’s available to us in every moment to understand whether we are aligned with our inner guidance or something is amiss and, we can harness energy to change our circumstances. Bet you didn’t know you were that powerful but you are!

In order to address and utilize energy for our highest good we first have to become aware of it. This week’s mindset assignment is to build our energy awareness. To become observant of the people, places, and things that leave us feeling high vibrational energy (i.e. feeling in the flow, less stressed, happy, content, balanced, etc.) and those that leave us feeling depleted (think anxiety, stress, weighted, depressed, worried, washed out, etc.). Once we cultivate that awareness we can then start to be proactive in how we approach such situations and help ourselves align with high vibrational/feel-good energy and stay there. This week I challenge each of you to write down 3 times you noticed low energy and 3 times you experienced high energy. Jot down a few details regarding each encounter and we will use this next week to illuminate our path forward. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Cardio vs Weightlifting? What burns more calories

Calories burnt during each of these types of workouts come in different forms.

CARDIO WORKOUTS

Benefits to Cardio:

Improves cardiovascular health
Lowers blood pressure
Helps regulate blood sugar
Aids in Sleep

WEIGHTLIFTING WORKOUTS

That’s around 12-13lbs per year difference in calories simply for having more muscle.

Benefits to Weightlifting:

Builds strength and stamina
Strengthens joints, ligaments, and tendons
Increases Bone Density
Elevates your mood and reduces stress
Increases Confidence
Reduces your risk for injury

WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU

It depends! Although we recommend a mix for most of our clients it really depends on your goals and interests which is why setting specific and measurable goals is integral in improving your health and wellness. The best program is one that meets you where you’re at, empowers you to make steady progress, and provides a roadmap that you will stick to!

Bright Spots Friday

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:25:00 GMT

Motivation means desire.

The science of motivation is the science of success. That’s why I study motivation more than I study exercise techniques. After more than 9 years as a coach, I know the selection of exercises is secondary to your desire to perform them.

Here’s what we know about motivation:

Success has to happen before you’ll become motivated
Success has to KEEP happening.
We don’t always recognize success when it happens. We’re pretty hard on ourselves.

Good gyms provide access. Great gyms provide success.

That means we prioritize our PR board over our scoreboard, we track our progress in SugarWOD, and we need to take five minutes every week to reflect on the GOOD in our lives.

The practice of thankfulness doesn’t come naturally to anyone. That’s why we call it a practice: it’s hard, we don’t feel like doing it–and then we feel better once we have.

“Bright Spots Friday” is our practice of thankfulness. Every week in the Thrive Members group, we’ll post our “Bright Spots”: things that went right, things we’re celebrating, and little ‘wins’ from the week. Bright spots aren’t always directly workout-related (“I told my boss he needed to extend my deadline”) but practicing gratitude and thankfulness IS an exercise.

The first time, you’ll be reluctant to post your Bright Spots. “I don’t really know these people THAT well…they don’t want to hear about my life.” Or “I don’t want to share all my personal stuff…”

So I’ll go first. And I encourage you to follow with one TINY little Bright Spot. Make it workout-related to start, if that’s easier. What did you do RIGHT, or do BEST, or do for the FIRST time this week? Share in the Thrive Members FB Group.

We’re all family here. It’s a safe place. Look within, and start your weekend happy.

Thrive Bootcamp Burn – Week 3

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:23:00 GMT

Nutrition 101

Let’s take a closer look this week at CARBS (queue the oooooo’s and aaaaaah’s). Carbs have gotten a bad rap over the years due to the misconception that they’re inherently bad, or straight-up fattening. This misrepresentation prevents people from consuming a properly balanced diet because the right carbohydrates are essential for good health. Let’s keep going…

Carbohydrates are essential to life. They provide the body with glucose which is the preferred fuel source for the brain and nervous system, both of which require a constant supply to function optimally. When dietary carbohydrate is too low, lean mass will begin to break down and get used in providing glucose for the cells. This is far from ideal! Our bodies require a minimum amount of 130 grams of carbohydrates each day in order to meet basic energy demands and provide our brains with enough glucose to function optimally. This is why nutrition plans such as “macros,” can be useful in ensuring our body is getting enough of our core nutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

So, now that we know carbs are important for optimal function what are some signs that we may be cutting carbs too low?

Fatigue & Brain Fog: The most obvious indicator that your body isn’t getting the carbs it needs to function its best will manifest as feeling physically and mentally exhausted. In addition to feeling sluggish and even sleepy throughout the day, many people experience headaches and trouble focusing when they don’t consume ample carbohydrates.
Moodiness : Along with difficulty focusing, you may also experience changes in mood — especially irritability. In addition to providing glucose, carbohydrates also increase the body’s production of serotonin (our feel-good hormone) which lends to our overall feelings of well-being. If you notice consistent shifts in your mood consider looking at your daily carbohydrate intake and aiming for that 130 grams noted above.
Bad Breath (yikes) : Unexpected but very real: Falling short on carbohydrates can make your breath stink. When you eat low-carb, your body turns to fat for fuel and in the process of breaking down that fat, your body produces chemicals called ketones, which are released in the breath and have a foul odor.
Poor Workout Performance : Insufficient carb in-take may not have a measurable impact on low-intensity style workouts but if you begin to notice that you’re consistently struggling to simply make it through higher-intensity training sessions it may be that you’re not providing your body with enough glucose (a.k.a. carbohydrates) to utilize as fuel since it cannot produce ample energy quick enough with just oxygen or fat.
Tummy Troubles: When we cut back on foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, we eliminate a lot of the fiber in our diet. Without that valuable fiber, we end up with constipation and irregular time spent on the toilet (no bueno). Most Americans fall short of their daily fiber intake so if you’re cutting carbs too low you can practically guarantee digestion issues are on the horizon.

Hopefully, by now you’re learning to embrace carbohydrates again. The important thing to remember is quality carbs are part of quality nutrition. Aim for 130 grams each day and focus on functional carbohydrates to provide your body with optimal fuel that will keep you going day in and day out!

Mindset Motivation:

Last week we covered the practice of energy awareness and why it is an integral facet of our overall health and well-being. This week I want you to do two things:

Email me the results of your energy awareness exercise from last week (send to: michelle@thrivefitnessnj.com)
Begin establishing your core values

Why are core values important? Your core values are the bedrock of who you are and should be what you care about most in the world. Once established, our core values serve as guideposts in ensuring our happiness, integrity, optimal mental/emotional health, and a whole lot more. When we live in accordance with these values we are able to function our best on a daily basis…we can operate in high vibrational energy (think: “in the flow”). The key is to think about and establish what our top values are as an individuals. This week I want you to use the link provided here to review the corresponding list of values and select your top FIVE. In the coming weeks, we will then use these values to create boundaries – yahoo!!

The More You Know: Say “Yes,” to Stress… Wait, huh?

STRESS…that dirty little word we all know too well.

Stress isn’t a new problem. In fact, it’s been around for centuries clueing us into just how powerful our mental and emotional states can be to our health.

The United States consistently ranks among the Top 10 in surveys citing countries with the “most stressed out,” populations. Americans report feeling more stressed, angry, and worried than they had at any point in the prior decade – and that was the “good ole days,” before any of us have even heard of COVID-19!

While scientists are still hard at work trying to fully understand the role that stress plays in a holistic mind-body connection we have learned that consistent, elevated levels of stress are detrimental to our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

But there’s another side to stress that goes largely unnoticed. Stress is a valuable tool encoded into our human evolution. Stress is our adaptive “red flag,” – it is our mind and body’s way of communicating that something (or some things) within our environment are triggering our “flight of fight,” response. It’s a queue that our surrounding stimuli is not optimal on multiple levels. We vilify stress because we associate it with its negative effects – poor mental functioning, physical disease, and deficiency, and emotional unrest.

But stress in its basic form is the result of stimuli. It’s there to tell you, “Hey, something is off and it’s time to re-balance.” For each person, the process of finding a healthier balance will look a little different. As a community, each of us processes and experiences stress in highly unique ways that also intersect with each individual’s own coping / adaptogenic skills.

But this is where the “fun,” comes in…rather than trying to avoid stress altogether, if we lean INTO the stress we KNOW is there we can strategically begin to unravel its hold over us. The first step is saying, “yes,” to acknowledging that something is off-kilter in our environment and more importantly saying “yes,” to the sometimes frustrating process of discovering what stimuli is pushing us to our limits and which are propelling us in the right direction.

It’s in our willingness to say “yes,” that our power over stress resides. When we decide to move through it rather than trying to go around it is when we authentically empower ourselves to de-stress our lives and become the happiest, healthiest versions of ourselves.

So! You know where this is going! Are you ready to finally and courageously say “YES,” to stress?! If so, then your assignment is to continue building on the mindset work we have already begun. Take the time to do the energy awareness and core values exercises! These weekly to-do’s are designed to build off one another so that in time you have the necessary tools to not only manage stress but keep it in check over the long haul so that every area of your life looks and feels better. If you get tripped up, have questions or need an accountability partner don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

Thrive Bootcamp Burn – Week 5

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:21:00 GMT

Nutrition 101:

You can find healthy eating tips just about anywhere these days but let’s be honest, not all advice is created equal. Nutrition information can be overwhelming and straight-up confusing especially when you add in fad diets, obscure research trials, and fancy headlines. These myths can often lead us down the wrong path like unnecessarily avoiding certain foods altogether or worse, implementing what we think are healthier options that actually have a negative impact on our nutrition.

This week we are highlighting eight myths about healthy eating that you can throw out with the bath water ��

MYTH #1: EGG YOLKS ARE BAD FOR YOU

Dietary cholesterol has been wrongly accused of raising our blood cholesterol levels for years. It’s become clearer that saturated fats and trans fats are more influential in raising blood cholesterol levels. And while eggs—the yolks included—ARE high in cholesterol, they are relatively LOW in saturated fats. A significant amount of research has been done in recent years, and the verdict is that the entire egg can actually be a part of a healthy diet and in most people, does not significantly impact cholesterol levels or heart disease risk.

MYTH #2: COFFEE IS DEHYDRATING

Yes, coffee is a diuretic (aka, promotes urine production), but it’s an extremely mild one. It also has a lot of water in it and therefore actually counts toward your daily fluid intake. The amount it would take to dehydrate you is more than anyone should be consuming in a day—if you have two or three cups daily, your fluid levels will be completely fine. If you’re daily intake is more than that I would recommend revisiting the caffeine blog included in week 1’s weekly check-in!

MYTH #3: NATURAL SUGAR IS DIFFERENT FROM ADDED SUGAR

Take a deep breath and repeat after me….sugar is sugar is sugar. On a molecular level, the sugar in an apple is the same as the sugar you spoon into your coffee cup. There can be a difference in how our bodies break down the sugar when it’s combined with other nutrients like fiber and protein, but simply being natural doesn’t cut it. Sugar in a whole fruit comes with fiber and helps slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes. That’s better than sugar that comes void of other nutrients. But when you squeeze out the juice and drink it, or eat maple syrup, agave syrup, or honey, your body reacts the same way it would to table sugar or the sugar in a Coke.

MYTH #4: ORGANIC FOOD IS AUTOMATICALLY HEALTHY

The word “organic” comes with a big, shiny health halo around it. But the truth is that organic snacks are still snacks. Eating them in excess isn’t OK because they meet the requirements for an organic label. “Organic chocolate syrup is still chocolate syrup,” Caroline Kaufman, R.D. , tells SELF. Organic cookies, crackers, chips, and candies have the same amount of sugar, fat, and empty calories as non-organic versions. When it comes to produce, choosing organic versions of the “dirty dozen”—the foods that typically have the highest amount of pesticides on them—is a good way to cut back on chemical exposure. But be just as mindful of reading labels on “organic,” products and try to stick to whole, natural foods found on the outside aisles of the grocery store.

MYTH #5: MARGARINE IS AUTOMATICALLY BETTER THAN BUTTER

Margarine become popular in the fat-is-bad era, but many actually contain trans fats, which are WORSE for you than the naturally occurring saturated fat in butter. Butter’s ingredient list is short and sweet and doesn’t contain extra ingredients to make up for lack of taste. Not all fake butter is bad, but you have to be cautious about what you’re buying and look at the ingredients list first.

MYTH #6: SALADS ARE ALWAYS THE HEALTHIEST OPTION ON THE MENU

Sad but not always true. You’d think that choosing the salad is safe. But all the add-ons piled atop a bed of lettuce can make the sugar, fat, and calorie count just as high as the mouthwatering burger you’re trying to resist. “Watch out for tricky salad toppings that add up quickly: creamy, bottled dressings; cheese; bacon; croutons; or sweetened, dried fruit,” Zanini says. Other ingredients, like avocado and nuts, are healthy in small amounts but are usually served in too-large portion sizes, Kaufman says. To make sure your salad is as healthy as possible, look for one with leafy greens, lean protein (fried chicken doesn’t count), a small serving of healthy fat, and an oil-based dressing on the side. The oil helps you absorb all the fat-soluble nutrients you’re eating and keeps you away from caloric creamy dressing.

MYTH #7: LOW-FAT VERSIONS ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINALS

If you’re still buying low-fat varieties of naturally fatty foods (I’m looking at you, coffee creamer), you might be doing yourself a disservice. Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Fat is not bad, nor does it go directly to your hips. Any extra calories you eat that your body can’t use can be converted into body fat, not just dietary fat. Remember that fat is more densely caloric which is both a blessing and a curse. Because fat is so rich in calories, it is also very satisfying (almond butter anyone?!). Ideally, this means you could mindfully eat or use a small amount to feel full. I notice when I incorporate small amounts of fat into breakfast and lunch I tend to feel fuller for longer. It’s all about monitoring portion sizes. Remember too, when fat is removed from foods, it’s usually replaced by sugar or salt, so it’s important to read the ingredients list before choosing the adulterated version. Usually, you’re better off eating a small serving of the full-fat kind so you actually enjoy it and feel satiated.

MYTH #8: EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT FROM GIVING UP GLUTEN

Not everyone needs to jump on the gluten-free bus and you’re likely not to see any benefits from dropping gluten unless you have Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. It’s also important to note that not all gluten-free foods are created equally, or healthfully. Some gluten-free breads and baked goods are actually laden with nutrient-poor, refined flours. They can also be high in sugar. If you suspect that gluten may be a dietary issue my first recommendation would be to consult your doctor and collaborate in uncovering any food sensitivities/intolerances so you’re headed down the right path.

Mindset Motivation:

If you’ve been following each week’s mindset exercise you should be working through your Top 5 Core Values and Setting Boundaries. Last week I asked you to create a list of 5 things you allow based off your core values. This week we are going to focus on creating a list of 5 things you are willing to tolerate based on those same values.

For example, my core values were as follows: Balance, Compassion, Excellence, Love and Stability

Below are 5 things that I am willing to tolerate when it comes to setting healthy boundaries that serve my highest good.

I am willing to adjust my schedule when unexpected things come up during the week and temporarily throw off my sense of balance.
I will willing to listen to and consider constructive criticism when it is shared with honesty and compassion.
I am willing to find ways of putting in additional work during the week to excel in my career and achieve excellence.
I am willing to prioritize the needs of those I love the most at times to show my love and care for them.
I am willing to talk/work through difficult situations so that those closest to me know they can rely on me and feel stability in our relationship.

The More You Know :

As we head into the back half of our 8-week program I want to help you begin thinking about next steps when it comes to your health and wellness. What key takeaways have your learned so far and what areas of your life would you consider a top priority when it comes to progressing along your individual journey? Managing stress better? Honing in on a nutrition strategy that’s sustainable and effective? Committing to a longer-term program?

The world is your oyster! I want to encourage you over these next few weeks to really think about what things matter most to you at this point in your life because truthfully, they are all part and parcel of your health and wellness. And, when they work in unison we are able to be our best and truest selves on a consistent basis. That is my desire for you. My role is to be a bridge in helping you get from point A to point B. For this week’s “The More You Know,” I want you to look within(!) at what you may already know but have become disconnected from. It’s time to listen to that small, still voice within and use that inner guidance to begin charting a course forward. You got this!