Live fully in midlife and beyond
All about the body
This past Christmas, I received a copy of Michelle Obama’s new book called “Becoming.”
In fact, I didn’t just get ONE… I got TWO of them!! (I did return one.)
And I know I’m not the only one who got this book, because it was hard to find… It was the best selling hard-cover book of 2018 (even though it was only released in November.)
It’s the idea behind this book – which I haven’t finished reading yet – that inspired this blog post.
Continue reading “Who are you becoming?”
We women come in every shape and size imaginable.
We’re also all ages, all skin tones, all religions, all hair colors, all incomes, all cultures, all abilities, …
We’re all human, and because of that, we’re all beautiful, right?
Well, no, not really.
At least not in our minds.
Continue reading “Do you feel pretty?”
It’s coming!
I’m rolling out a new, free 45-minute webinar for you next Tuesday.
It’s all about belly fat and hormones… but really it’s about so much more.
As your hormones are changing (over 40, heading to or through menopause), your body and mind are changing too.
Belly fat can be one part of that, maybe the most noticeable for some of us.
But you may also be feeling down or irritable. Or you may be having trouble sleeping. Or maybe you’re getting headaches or peeing more often.
That’s why I created this webinar, so I can teach you the essentials:
Because when your hormones are happy, your body and your mind. are happy too.
So, take a couple of minutes to watch the short video below, and then simply sign up by clicking on the big turquoise button.
Remember, it’s free, and it’ll be live Tuesday, December 11th at 11am EST.
And if you can’t make it live, register anyways, the recording will be sent only to those who registered.
Thanks and I’m looking forward to having you online with me on Tuesday!
Keep moving forward my friend,
Debbie
P.S. In case you missed the link above, you can register for the webinar right here:
https://debbie-harbec.lpages.co/webinar-balance-hormones-lose-belly-fat
Hunger.
I love this topic because I think hunger is the key to so many breakthroughs: Physical and emotional.
However, most of us aren’t comfortable with feeling hungry.
Hunger feels unpleasant and urgent.
And the human brain, because it was created thousands of years ago, is still seeking pleasure and avoiding pain in order to survive… So it’s not interested in being hungry.
In essence, our brain’s primitive survival function is working against us in today’s over-abundance world.
So, if you’ve got belly fat to lose, or you’re battling inflammation, or you’re suffering menopausal symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats, or you’re eating to avoid feeling certain emotions…
Learning to be hungry could change everything for you.
This week I decided to try something different.
I’m bringing my blog to you in video… I guess then it’s called a vlog.
It’s about the 4 hormones you should know about, especially if you’re heading to or through menopause.
And especially if you’re interested in less belly fat.
Also, I’ve put together a freebie for you.
It’s a PDF with the foods, 3 meal plans, guidelines and resources that can help you lessen the symptoms of menopause – including the gut.
Here’s the link to the freebie:
And here’s this week’s vlog:
Thanks for watching and don’t forget to grab your freebie!!
Keep moving forward my friend,
Debbie
Weight loss is a tough process.
I won’t sugar coat it.
Change – that is any type of change including weight loss – is uncomfortable.
But if the change is positive, pushing through the discomfort will strengthen every aspect of your being.
I know for a fact having personally gone through divorce, starting a business, and working with clients who’ve lost a lot of weight, making positive changes on purpose makes you more resilient, energized, and present in your life.
So, if you’ve got a lot to lose, and you’re ready to get it done, here’s how I recommend tackling it:
“Your body is telling you the truth.”
I heard this statement in a podcast this week.
And it’s been on my mind ever since.
I realize that I’ve learned to believe whole-heartedly in this principle, and now it’s become the basis of what I teach.
Basically what it means is, when you have a good awareness of your body, you can trust what it says and it will steer you in the right direction.
And this is very contrary to what I believed fifteen or twenty years ago.
I ate according to the clock and all that was on my plate – children are starving in Africa you know.
If I had a headache, I didn’t question why it was there, I just took a Tylenol (or an Aspirin).
If I was training for a swim competition or running event, and felt pain or even felt really tired, I just kept pushing through because I was strong (right?).
And even though I didn’t like milk, and it made me feel yucky, I drank it. I needed calcium (right?), so I mixed it with some sweetened chocolate flavored powder and just moved on.
Can you relate to any of these things?
In all these cases I just didn’t know to trust my body to tell me what I needed.
I just went with what was normal, or prescribed, or popular, and ignored the fact that my body could have been trying to tell me something.
And then my mother got cancer and died at 57, and life was turned upside down.
It made me question just about everything.
What was true?
I wanted the truth.
Was the truth in books, in the latest info-mercial, in what health professionals said, or in a yoga retreat?
I realized there was no one source of truth. Ultimately truth is what you believe is true. And that’s different for everyone.
But I did come to understand that my body, and your body, are finely tuned instruments of truth.
This body you were given, which houses your soul, is your closest ally, your ultimate protector, and it will tell you what is going on, and what to do.
But it can only do this if you stop to listen to what it says, and if you take care for it like the precious gift it is.
Your body is never the enemy, unless you believe it is.
Ok, so this is getting a little deep, but I think you see where I’m coming from.
With this new appreciation of my body, I’ve learned to listen to it more, and treat it more like a privilege than a right.
One of the things I’ve been doing regularly lately, is a full body scan.
I just take about 2 minutes, close my eyes, and mentally scan my body from head to toe.
I notice what’s going on, like tension or pain, but also take note of feelings of well-being and strength.
And thanks in part to this practice, I’ve become aware of many things about myself that I just failed to recognize before.
Now it’s rare that I eat when I’m not truly hungry.
I check in and listen for those tell-tale signals of hunger that my body reveals: grumbling, echoing noises in my belly; a feeling of physical emptiness (don’t know how else to describe it, I just know it feels that way to me); and even slight nausea.
And if I have a headache or I’m overly tired or even sick, I stop for a moment and try to understand why I feel those things. Am I not sleeping well or not enough? Am I doing too much? Am I feeling de-hydrated?
It’s rare that I’ll take a pill to resolve my problem (but I’m not opposed to medication when it’s needed). I’ve learned to look to my body first, and try to understand these things as symptoms of some bigger issue.
And I no longer drink milk and stay away from dairy most of the time. I feel better. And no broken bones.
And I’ve also learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for your body is rest. Exercise is great (and necessary), but if your body is truly exhausted, it can actually hurt more than help.
I now know that strength doesn’t come from pushing through pain or exhaustion, it comes from doing what you know is right for your body at any given moment.
But of course, I’m not perfect.
I do over-indulge in foods I enjoy sometimes, and I do let myself get over-stressed on occasion, and I do skip on sleep when I want to get things done.
But my body screams even louder when I ignore its signals.
And when I hear it, that’s when I try to reel myself in, and come back to the reality and the truth that is my body.
This may be a new concept for you, or it may be something you’ve been doing all along. But I’d love to know where you are with trusting your body.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
We’re almost one week into the 10-Day Build-Up-to-Spring fitness challenge, and there are now 65 of you following along with me!
It’s awesome to know that so many of you are out there, and working up a sweat with me every day.
And even if you haven’t joined the challenge yet, you can still sign up and do the last few days with us. You could even start over, at your own pace, starting with the first exercise and adding one each day.
Please sign up here if you’d like to see what we’re up to and even join in the fun:
https://debbieharbec.lpages.co/10-day-build-up-to-spring-challenge-2018
Until next time, keep moving forward!
Debbie
PS Spring Classes are coming! Boot Camp will start on Monday, April 9th, and Yoga will begin Thursday, April 12th. Just click on the link to sign up!
And there are still two winter classes left of both if you want to drop in and try them!
A year ago, Cindy became a client and forever changed the way I see my role as a coach.
She lived close by and knew I was a fitness coach. And from my blog she also knew I was certified with Precision Nutrition (PN), which she was already familiar with.
Like most people that contact me for coaching, she wanted to lose weight.
But of course, there was more to it than just the weight. A lot more.
To me, fall is like the start of a brand new year.
It’s a time to start something new, or pick up where we left off after the excitement and spontaneity of summer.
If you’re ready to pick up a new fitness habit, or just get back on the fitness wagon, then I’ve got something for you…
Hey there!
I want to know… What does being FIT mean to you?
As I get older (I’m now in my mid-forties), being fit has gone way beyond just about looking good in a pair of jeans.
FIT has taken on a much bigger, more important meaning.
As I move forward in life, I want to not only be physically fit, but I also want to be mentally fit, spiritually fit, and fit in terms of my relationships as well.
This means I want to stay active, avoid disease, be mentally sharp and focused, enjoy down time for yoga and meditation, travel, be present with the loves of my life, and just feel good in my own skin.
I want to keep enjoying these aspects of my life for decades to come.
Now, what about you?
Continue reading “The 3 Keys to Finding Your Fit After 40: Mind, Body, Food”