Artio Fitness

19/07/2021

SURPRISE!

Well really it should be no surprise at all that carbs are not the devil nutrient they have been put out to be in the past few years.

Carbohydrates are one of our basic nutrients, and our bodies NEED them to live. They are responsible for us you know, having energy and basically the will to live, but over the last few years with the popularity of the KETO diet (aka 21st century Atkins), they have gotten a bad name?

Why? Because the idea is that the fantastic energy that they can give us, can also be stored as fat in the body. Because we all know that fat is just stored energy for later. And while extra fat storage can happen, it only does if you are eating more calories than your body needs.

While some people have issues with calorie counting becoming obsessive, we also need to realize that labeling certain foods as "bad" or "good" is also detrimental to our mental health. It leads to feelings of deprivation, anxiety when we do eat those foods, and terrible relationships with food as well.

What is the solution? It's tricky because not everyone has the same macronutrient (carbs/fat/protein) needs. Some bodies work better with lower Carbs and some work better with higher carbs. Diets are so individual to your body needs that following something you found on the internet may not be the healthiest option (both physically and mentally)

17/07/2021

Self Discovery

I think one of the massive overlooked things that we have on our fitness journeys is the fact that we discover so much about ourselves.

We literally change and shape the way we see ourselves through a completely new lens.

Think back to when you first started thinking about your health, and what limiting beliefs you had. I can never lift that much, or I could never run that far, but think about all the progress that you have made (it may not just be physical but largely mental as well!)

I have discovered that I am stronger than I think I am, that I don't have to let food control my thoughts, and that I am able to do some really cool stuff with my body.

All of this has created a newfound love of my body and what it can do for me, I am so grateful to be able to do so many wonderful things, and instead of hating the skin that I am in, I am now seeing all the truly wonderful things that I am able to experience because of my hard work.

15/07/2021

Trust me, I tried to cardio my way into my goals, but have been on a multi-year plateau!

I am 100% a giant cardio queen, I LOVE dancing and sweating and going at it on long runs, but there was/is only so much cardio could do for my body.

We often think that cardio is the only way to burn fat, but it's actually only one of the tools that we can use to help along the process.

Strength training, a good diet, and a nice balanced stress-reduced life are really the secret factors to why your cardio is not going as far as you want it to.

If you are looking to reach some weight loss goals, yes cardio is important, but really it can only do so much. Think of it as just one number in the equation but not the solution.

06/07/2021

02/07/2021

They are not at WAR. ⁠

How often do we catch ourselves speaking poorly about our bodies, not just the shape or the size but the ability to do something? Not strong enough, or not flexible enough.⁠

Well, it's time to say enough to that, your mind and your body want the same thing, health, ease, energy, wellness. Our minds have this idea of what our bodies should be, and even when we are making progress there is so much criticism that comes out⁠

Our outer worlds are 100% a reflection of what is going on inside, so if we are torturing our bodies and being incredibly negative about them, then it's going to be so much harder to create progress and the change you want to see. ⁠

It's not completely swinging the other way, though with being so incredibly positive, it's more about accepting where things are, knowing you are working on it, and looking forward to your growth. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

30/06/2021

GOOOAALLLLL!⁠

Not the kind that you see with the European cup, the kind that you set for yourself and often forget about or stress about not accomplishing.⁠
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A lot of times when we begin on a fitness journey we start with big dream goals like I want to lose 50lbs, or I want abs. We think of the biggest achievement that we want, and that can be a huge motivator for some.⁠

But how many times have you set out to accomplish something that didn't actually come to fruition?! I honestly can say for myself it's too many to count. ⁠

Tons of trainers will go with SMART (see below) goals for goal setting, and it's a great technique that I think is more workable than just what I call dream goals. ⁠

Example of Smart Goals ⁠
1. Specific - What do you want to do exactly?⁠⁠
2. Measurable - How are you going to measure this achievement? ⁠⁠
3. Achievable - Can you do this on your own? Will you need help?⁠⁠
4. Realistic- Do you have space in your life to be able to do this?⁠⁠
5. Timely - When do you want to achieve this?⁠

Start to think of a goal that you want to accomplish! then mentally go through the steps to make it SMART- let me know how it changed and how you started to work through the ideas ⁠

Here is mine- ⁠
OG goal: I want to lose fat⁠
SMART GOAL- I want to drop 2 pant sizes, by my birthday (8 weeks from now) I will be able to measure this by seeing and feeling my clothing become easier to fit into. I will work on this by cutting out inflaming foods from my diet and continue on my fitness plan. ⁠
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28/06/2021

Inner Critic

We all have that voice that tells us whats is up, but its really easy to allow that voice to boss us around and tell us things that are not true.

Why do we speak to ourselves so harshly but are so kind to our friends? We see other people as a human with flaws and accept them no matter what, but when it comes to ourselves if it's not perfect it's wrong or bad.

Stopping self-hate is a long process, it's not just an "Oh I guess I will be nice to myself today and every day". It's an ingrained pattern that is quite difficult to actually break away from.

The first step? Recognizing when it is happening. Noticing when your thought patterns begin to take a negative turn. You don't actually have to do anything, just exploring what is happening in your mind.

The more awareness you bring to it, the more easily you will be able to eventually change it.

24/06/2021

Backsliding

I ate 3 desserts Last Friday and 5 cupcakes on Sunday.

Did I mean to? Nope, was it something that just seemed to happen? Kinda. Did it make me super sick? Sure did!

It begins with just 1 or 2 and then quickly slides into more, we think: "Ah well I already ruined my caloric intake for the day, might as well just keep going and eat trash the rest of the day"

What if I were to tell you that there is another way? To possibly have your (cup)cake and eat it too?

Your day is not ruined by what you eat or didn't eat, or not going to the gym. Having a treat now and then does not mean that you need to backslide into old habits.

It can be easy to get into the YOLO attitude when those things happen and then feel the guilt afterward. But you have the ability to encourage yourself to keep with your healthy habits and goals instead of self-shame and sadness.

You are human, you are worthy of your own love, and you need to stop getting in your own way.

22/06/2021

Flawless?

This photo was taken a few years ago, about a year after I had knee surgery (ACL).

I see this photo and there are so many things I am absolutely happy with, I look stunning, my arm is ripped, and that I am doing Yoga in one of my favorite locations (Colorado).

But there are so many things I wish I could change, getting closer to the ground, being able to hook my hands, feeling calmer in the pose, but why do I highlight these things so much more than the good?

Every time we take a photo of ourselves it's so much easier to see the things that we don't like, before the things that we do, being so self-critical we are not respecting our bodies in the state that they are in.

Was I still recovering at this time? Absolutely, it is amazing I can even hook my arm at this point in my recovery.

I encourage you all to see your photos and not see the things that you wish were different, but the parts that you are really pleased with, hopefully, it will make that inner critic a bit quieter and less bothersome.

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