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Let’s just be clear about something: when you go on vacation, it’s important to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s even more important to make sure you get to splurge a little bit and savor your favorite not-so-healthy foods, but do it responsibly so when you get back home and step on the scale again, you haven’t undone all your hard work. Follow these five steps when you go on vacation and you should be golden! Step 1: Don’t Eat Crap If you don’t eat Lays Potato Chips at home, then don’t eat them on vacation. There’s nothing special about average junk food you can get at any grocery store. Forget the giant bag of M&M’s, and don’t even think about Jack in the Box. However, if you’re in Maine and they have fresh caught lobster on the menu, get it! And dip it in the butter! If you’re going to Mexico, go ahead and have the chips with salsa or fresh-made guacamole. And don’t you dare leave the Caribbean without enjoying a few conch fritters! YUM! Whatever it is, make it a special indulgence, don’t just indulge for the sake of it. Step 2: Listen to Your Healthy Voice Let’s not forget your fruits and vegetables. Just because you’re indulging doesn’t mean that you get to throw out all the goodness: the indulgences go on top of your healthy eating plan. You can especially take advantage of the delicious fruits if you’re on an exotic vacation. Mango, anyone? When I’m on vacation, I typically make healthy choices for breakfast and lunch, and have an indulgent dinner. Maybe a fruit platter with café mocha for breakfast and a great salad for lunch with chicken and salsa on top. I love salsa!. Step 3: Keep Moving Don’t skip your exercise. You’re on vacation... that means the “I don’t have time” excuse does not apply! Work it into your schedule. Walk to get a coffee in the morning. Plan a hike to see something at your destination. Wherever you are, 30 minutes of walking or running or even swimming will boost your energy levels and keep you feeling great. When you think about it, 30 minutes is just 1/48 of your day. That’s a pretty small fraction for the great benefit you’ll feel when you do it. Step 4: Take or Buy Your Staple Food Items If you’re used to making a protein shake for breakfast or eating a protein bar in the afternoon as a snack, take those with you. This eliminates the possibility of totally going off the deep end at a single meal. Or if you have the opportunity have some healthy choices delivered to your hotel. Many grocery stores will deliver. When we went to Disney World I had groceries delivered that we put in the small hotel fridge. It helped to have some healthy choices for breakfast and snacks. Step 5: Make Smart Alcohol Choices A Piña Colada or Cadillac Margarita or any other colorful drink with an umbrella sounds great – but could be in excess of 500 calories! Know what you’re drinking and work it into your plan. A light beer, a glass of wine, a vodka soda or tequila on the rocks would be a much better choice, calorically speaking. If you decide to enjoy a colorful umbrella drink as your indulgence like I plan to, savor every sip! But don’t have seven of them during the week. 7 drinks x 500 calories each = 3500 calories = 1 lb. of fat on your body = yikes! When you go on vacation, enjoy yourself the smart way and you’ll come back only a couple pounds heavier rather than five or six pounds heavier. The best way to stay on track is to recommit to yourself, no questions asked, immediately upon arrival home. Do not wait! Have your 1st healthy meal planned before you leave. Make it easy to get back into your routine!

We all can get stuck in not taking any action if we don't think it will be perfect. 2020 isn't perfect for anyone I know, and we still need to move forward. School is going to be starting again and many of us thought it would look very different than it does. We hoped with all our might it would not be HOMESCHOOL again. We were disappointed! And that is OK, but we can't bury our head in the sand and only complain about it. We can't drink it or eat it away. We need to find a way to make the next 4 months of 2020 as good as we can. Sounds good, but you are saying how do I do that? I can't do ???? Stop focusing on the CAN"T and see what you CAN do. How can you take a small action to move you towards your goals? Do you have any goals? Do you want to sleep better? Be more patient? Cook healthier meals? Exercise more? What do you think would lower your stress and bring you joy in the next few months? I may not have the perfect answer but I have got a few guidelines to help you choose something and get started before it's perfect. 4 Ways to take ACTION not just show MOTION (yes they are different and a topic for another blog). Choose an action that is small enough you are 100% sure you can complete it. Pair it with something you are already doing Reward yourself for doing it Keep a tracker and don't miss more than one day in a row Example I am going to drink 8 glasses of water a day I will drink a glass of water before my coffee (1), with every meal (2-4), when I brush my teeth (5-6), When I let the dog outside (at least 7&8) I will do what I want (read my book) for 30 minutes every time I reach my 8 glasses of water I will use a habit tracker app or put an X on the whiteboard every glass I drink I will start fresh every morning! It isn't easy to change behavior, but it can be done by making the changes so small you succeed with ease. IMPERFECT ACTIONS LINKED TOGETHER BRING GREAT CHANGES!

So many of us turn to food for comfort when the world goes sideways. Reaching for a bag of chips, a carton of ice cream, or a box of cookies when you are feeling spread too thin feels like an easy solution. The problem is that the quick fix of sugar and carbs is momentary and literally leaves you feeling worse once that food high settles, which it inevitably does. The reason we reach for junk food to mend a broken heart, ease a high-demand job, or quell our fears is physiological and evolutionary. Those are pretty serious motivators so let’s start by getting educated and then get a game plan for what to do instead of loading up on carbs and calories. No matter how loudly your body screams, “FEED ME CRAP!” you know that a stress binge will leave you feeling sluggish, defeated, and chubby. You will still have THE STRESS you were trying to eat away and even more for eating so much. So why do we do it? Stress causes our bodies to automatically increase respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism, and the blood flow to our muscles. Your whole body goes into “fight-or-flight response.” And that triggers your body to release a hormone called cortisol which increases your appetite. Your body knows you need energy to deal with all the B.S. causing you to stress out and it’s “helping” by keeping you fueled for your fight. Worse, all that stress you feel suppresses your production of ghrelin a hormone that helps keep your appetite in check. So now you are starving, stressed, and pretty much off the leash when it comes to food. Our brains crave energy-dense foods high in calories, carbs, fat, and sugar because they provide the quickest boost. Thanks nature So what do we do about it? Legitimately, EVERYONE has their own basket of crap to deal with on the daily, finances, jobs, relationships, health issues; life is brimming with a never-ending series of triggers. But we are powerful beings, smart enough to know what’s happening in our heads and in our bodies, and capable of making better choices. If we want to be our healthiest and happiest, we have to make active decisions to take care of ourselves. Here are six ways to keep a bad day from driving you to the kitchen: 1. Get outside. One of the quickest and best ways I know to circumvent a binge eating disaster is to get outside. Go for a walk, a run, a swim. Heck, sit on your balcony or porch with a good book and a cold glass of water. Breathe in the air, soak up some sun, and let nature relieve your stress instead of pushing you to eat. There are no calories in the grass or the sand. Getting away from the kitchen is the key. 2. Attack a clutter project. Close your eyes and pick one annoying pile of clutter that irritates you every time you see it. Grab a trash bag and a box and go after it. It could be as small as a drawer or as big as a whole closet in the basement. It could be a week’s worth of unfolded laundry or messy shelves in the garage. Time is precious and we are often too overwhelmed to keep up with little stuff. Then the little stuff starts feeling insurmountable. So clean it. Toss it. Give it away. The satisfaction you get from attacking that one eyesore will keep your mind and hands too busy for snacks. This was yesterdays calendar task. If you aren't getting our calendar challenges Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FitForYourLifePhysicalTherapyAndWellness/ and you will see our monthly calendar. 3. Visit with a friend. Stress can keep you isolated, and with today's restrictions you have to make an effort to feel connected . Think of the friends you haven't seen in a bit and make a quick date for a short walk, a video call or a virtual happy hour. Connecting with people you love automatically changes your attitude and your perspective. Laughter is what I love most about friendship. You can't feel bad when you are laughing so seek out your funny friends. 4. Go for a Drive. Get your keys and hit the road. Once you are out of your house, you won’t have access to the junk food that was calling your name. 5. Take a class. Sometimes you can't do a class when you need to but now you can and it's free. I have lots of Functional Fitness classes recorded and on Functional Fitness at The Hub Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/834005166962492/ 6. Change your sheets. Okay, here’s one that might seem a little crazy but hear me out. Fresh sheets feel like a new beginning. They smell good. They feel good. I don’t know about you, but I sleep better on fresh sheets. I wake up renewed and feeling clean. The simple act of stripping the bed and putting clean sheets on it says, “That’s over and I’m ready to start fresh!” Plus, if you flip the mattress you get a little strength training in. Clever yes? I call that “stealth exercise.” Quick Summary What all six of these techniques have in common is that they remove you from easy access to junk food and they either get your body or your mind moving. You need to take action when stress pushes you toward a passive solution and you feel like you are going to give in to a slow swim in a pool of calories. These are just six suggestions. There are about a million other ways to shift your focus, from washing your dog to planting a garden. If you want to explore this more message me for a free 30 minute coaching call.

1. Focus on Fun -- Not Food: Organize crafts, games, coloring and other activities for people to do while talking and socializing. Put away the food when you are done eating, don't leave snacks out for hours and encourage grazing mindless eating. 2. Make Decisions- be mindful of choices. Don't just eat whatever is there. Decide what things you want to indulge in. Ask yourself what do you want to eat and how much would you need to eat to feel satisfied? Total deprivation rarely works long term for health. So learning to make a conscious choice and only eat as much as you need to be satisfied works better. 3. Plan your workouts -- schedule the in your planner or phone calendar. Take the time for yourself to relieve stress and set up more healthy choices. 4. Set Boundaries Early. How many drinks? before you have the 1st one. How many parties can you go to without feeling overwhelmed? How much to spend on gifts before starting shopping. 5. Maintain your sleep. So much of how we feel, react and can function is controlled by how tired we are. Try to keep sleep as a priority throughout the holidays.

I am not sure when it happened but I am so glad it did. It is " stopped caring what everyone else thought I should be doing". I have always been a people pleaser. I may not have known that was what it was called, but it was me. I didn't want to be in trouble, I wanted so say what others wanted me to say, not what I was feeling. I wanted EVERYONE to like me. This is a tough thing to be because you will always fail! You will feel not good enough and you will most likely seek out comfort in food or other unhealthy behaviors. Sometime between childhood and 45 years of age I got the courage to be me. Maybe it was from moving across country and starting a job I hated, maybe it was from all the things I read, maybe it was from being married to an engineer that sees things very black and white, maybe it was from becoming a mom, maybe from starting my own cash based clinic, I don't know the exact moment it happened. But, I do know that I am so much happier and feel a lot less anxiety and stress. Do I still worry yes, but not about pleasing others. I worry about raising a confident caring child, giving back to my family and community, providing an excellent patient experience and about teaching others healthy habits that allow them to become the person they want to be. I don't worry about what a bad dancer I am or how silly I may look trying to learn Taekwondo. I laugh and make funny faces while my son teaches me how to floss. On my run this morning I said how much I appreciate a friend that will tell you what you need to hear, even if it isn't what you want to hear. This is how we grow and become better versions of ourselves. So I am being that friend now, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE YOU! Choose today to do one thing that is true to you. Do not be afraid to tell your friend the truth, it can be done with support and kindness. I remember when I became a partner in a physical therapy clinic and 5 owners had to agree on things. Not an easy task. One partner, Nate had the greatest ability to disagree with you without emotion or judgment and I remember thinking how much I admired that. I still strive for that. I am not sure I will achieve it but I am trying. So do not wait for January 1st to set goals to become what you want. Start today! What can you do today to be a little more like who you choose to be? What is the worst thing that will happen if you disagree? If a one person doesn't like you, find someone who does. Then be the friend that cares enough to tell them the truth. You will both be better people for it! The dancing koala is just because I have always loved koala bears! Be who you are and find friends that support that person, Do not try to fit into a group that isn't you. Yes it sounds like an after school special title but even into adulthood some still need to hear it. Work on being a new you now!

"Runners are the worst", "Triathletes don't listen", "Cross fitters don't stop when they should".... In my almost 20 years as a physical therapist I have heard these quotes or some version of them many times. I have worked with these groups more than other athletes but I am guessing it has been said about any dedicated individual who doesn't want to give up what the enjoy. "I just can't stop ... to get it healthy" is another favorite. I will say, " You don't have to, but if you continue with whatever is nagging or truely painful it will eventually stop you". When something is nagging and just a pain in the ass is the time to start figuring it out. I am not talking about googling it, asking your facebook group for what they have done, or reading an article. Find a professional. Would you google "how to invest my money?" Yet your putting your health in the hands of the internet. I know people do this for all kinds of conditions, I would say STOP IT! Ok, enough tangent getting back to the real message. Take care of things before there are so many layers to fix or you have to take time off. I start working with a new client and ask, "how long has this been bothering you?" Many times it is months or even years. My next quote,, " it will take time to peel back layers of dysfunction like the layers of an onion." Yes that means if you go in when it starts your health professional has a much easier time evaluating and treating what it is the primary dysfunction. I know many of us think. It doesn't hurt too much and maybe it will go away. Sometimes it does, but when it lasts longer than a couple weeks or it is worsening you should go in. Many answer, I don't know where to go so I don't go anywhere. To that I would say, ask your friends or people involved in your activity. Most are happy to recommend someone that has been helpful. Also, many are quick to steer you away from places that weren't. Another scenario I hear too often, "the doctor didn't recommend physical therapy". So what!!! If you aren't able to do what you want in a way you want. Do something about it! Healthcare is no different than other professions. There are good and bad practitioners. Many physical therapists will do a consult or answer questions before you schedule an official appointment. Feel free to contact me with questions ffylpt@outlook.com. So the take home messge of my rant is, Get off the internet and into an office of someone that really can help keep you doing whatever it is you love! Have a happy and healthy day!

I get a lot of comments because I like to run and I like to run long. Yes, marathons or more recently 1/2 marathons. "why would you do that?", "I can't imagine going that far", and a lot of other not so positive comments. Why do I do it? Because I ENJOY it. I get up at 4:30 to meet my girlfriends for a run because I want to. It starts my day off well. Is it for everyone, NO. Some people like to hike, bike, swim, walk, play golf, lift weights and a million other things. What they all have in common is they like to do it, so it gets done. No one will continue and be consistent with an exercise program they dread. Life has too many have to do's to have exercise be a negative stressor. As we get older we need to move it or lose it. Many things we attribute to aging like weakness, loss of balance has been proven to be more a function on inactivity. Inactivity is the real stealer of life, not aging. Kids are good at finding things they like, my son loves Lightening McQeen, so today at 4:30 we are going to see Cars 3. There is no choice in this unless I want to listen to 500 questions on when we are going. His like of McQeen drives our behavior. My like of running drives my behavior. You must find something you like to drive your behavior for getting moving. Friends help too. We all have a day we don't feel like doing it, but if you have someone counting on you it makes it harder to say I will do it tomorrow. Find a workout buddy, a walking buddy, a whatever partner to keep you accountable. Then you can stay moving for all the other things in our life you already enjoy.

I consider myself to be an intelligent person. I have managed to attain the title Dr. Stiles (though I seldom use this), but in one short phone call I was humbled. For the past 17 years I have worked at my career helping people achieve their goals. For the last 5 years I have been learning to be a #boy mom, and in the past 3 years I have been working on building my own business. I am successful at being a physical therapist. I think I am a good mom, but my business has not been a great success. It has done OK but really not grown. I have grown with a nutrition certification and hours of continuing education but hadn't really gotten business stuff done. I always found something else to do instead of finishing my website or starting my blog :) Then I had an opportunity to do some executive coaching. My husband attended The Center for Creative Leadership last year and thought the coaching portion was great, so I took a chance and signed up with Jana Steingass at www.luminatusconsulting.com As you can see my website is done, and I am blogging!!! It is only one month into my coaching, I have committed for 3 months. I can't wait to see where I am at the end of 3 months. So is my coach magical? No, (she is great) I just needed help in finding out why I wasn't getting it done. It was accountability!!!!! It was having someone asking tough questions on why? how does that feel? what small steps will get you there? A plan to follow. Duh!!! This is what I do to help others achieve their goals; run a 5K or marathon. We make a plan to get from A to B that works for you. I help people get control of their nutrition with small habit changes. I give exercise programs that work in your life. It is like getting a map to where you want to go. I am so happy i signed up for coaching and got my map. Can't wait to see where it will take me. And if our interested you ;)