Training Time: Half Marathon, Here I Come

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Karen Morse

I’ve been quiet for awhile, but I wanted to share that I have started training for the OC Half Marathon that will take place on Sunday, May 5th!

The first thing on my agenda was making sure I had the right socks (which incidentally ended up being Wright Socks

I’ve been using the Nike Running Coach Half Marathon Training Plan, which you can see here. Since the race is on May 5th, I had to jump in at Week 5. Luckily, I’ve been doing lots of jogging & walking over the past several months so I wasn’t totally out of my league.

This plan has been working for me. Not too many days per week of running, but a couple of days of short runs followed by one long run each week. It also encourages strength training & yoga plus stretching.

Yesterday, I did some speed training & took a spin around Stanford’s amazing track Cobb Track & Angell field. Pretty awesome to have such a great place to train within walking distance of home!!

Has anyone else every done a half marathon? Any advice for this first-timer?

Is Ditching Dairy the Answer to Having a Flat Stomach?

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Karen Morse

In addition to ramping up my cardio & Pilates the past couple of weeks to get Bikini-Body ready for Hawaii in a couple of weeks, I’ve been reading up on food-based cleanses and other recommendations to get rid of any excess bloat before suiting up. Only 12 MORE DAYS until I say “Aloha”!!! Can’t wait!

A 2009 Baylor College of Medicine study found that about 12% of adults are lactose intolerant, which causes swelling during digestion. In many, the symptoms can be mild enough or we can grow to believe they are “normal” enough to where we may not even know that we have the intolerance.

Several experts suggest ridding your diet of both dairy & wheat products for 7-14 days before a beach vacation to appear as svelte as possible.

I love my morning coffee with 2% milk and my afternoon Tazo Awake Tea Lattes from Starbucks, so this is going to be a tough one!

I started substituting almond milk in my morning coffee, which isn’t bad at all. I’m going to switch to herbal tea in the afternoon or a cappuccino with almond or coconut milk. We’ll see!

Source: Uploaded by user via Karen on Pinterest

I don’t think ditching wheat products will be too difficult. I did it once before in the 2011 Whole Living Action Plan (and dairy too, for that matter). I did feel immensely better after giving up dairy, caffeine, and wheat products for an entire week!

I’ll keep you posted on my journey! Any ideas for your favorite milk-substitutes are much appreciated! I do LOVE a good coffee in the morning since I don’t use any sweetener, a little splash of something creamy is a must!! Thanks for sharing below!!

2013, We’re Off to a Good Start!

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Karen Morse

Only January 10th and already one of my New Year’s resolutions is coming true! After meeting and working with the amazing Robin Fisher Roffer a couple of years ago on building my personal brand, each January I have taken her advice …

Starting last year, I wrote down my hopes and dreams for the year in a narrative format as if they have already come true. By March of last year, at least half of what I’d written had become a reality. One of my goals for 2013 was to get a writing assignment from a health & wellness magazine. When I wrote out my dreams this year, I said that I had received my assignment in January with others to follow in February.

I was thrilled this morning when I opened up my email and found a note from an editor looking back at me with an assignment for the April issue of her magazine! I put my dream out into the world, and in just five days it had become a reality!!!!

I don’t know if it gives you the motivation to work harder or that you are willing something towards you. Whatever it is … it works!

I’ve also stayed true to my health goals. Despite the CHILLY weather, I’ve been out walking my usual Stanford Dish Trail and even met a couple of new friends along the way

I’ve even got a little vacation to look forward to next month! A little getaway to Maui, which is LONG overdue! Next week, I’m pulling my old 2011 Whole Living Action Plan out of the archives & starting the food-based detox to rid my body of all of the extra junk I started eating before Halloween! Gotta get bikini-body ready by next month!

Best wishes for an awesome 2013 for all of us! I’ll be back on Monday with a new Meatless Monday recipe!

Redefining Health & Wellness

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Karen Morse

So, you have a goal to be healthier, more fit, to lose weight, be happier, and just feel better in general. What’s next?

Grab a pen & notebook, your iPad, or whatever… It’s time to take notes and start making the vision in your head a reality. Ready?

Health and wellness is about more than just diet and exercise. Think about your mental health as well.

Are you happy?
How much time do you spend doing what you love?
Check in with yourself … do you remember what inspires you?

If you can’t remember or haven’t thought about your passions in years … don’t worry; you are not alone. Start by asking your self questions and just getting as much information about you as you possibly can.

What do you consider your strengths to be? What do your friends and coworkers tell you your strengths are?

You are creating a vision, so dream as much as you want to here.

What do you want your life to be like in 10 years?
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
What do you see in this ideal life?
What are you doing (working, going to school)?
Who are you spending time with (family, friends)?
Where are you (are you living in the same place)?

Once you have a vision, it is time to start defining your goals. Read all about goal setting in my earlier post, Do You Have a Plan?

I want to save you a lot of wasted time and disappointment by sharing this one thing with you. You have GOT to track your progress. Put your goals down on paper! The success rate of women who keep track of their goals is leaps and bounds ahead of those who do not. It is a proven fact.

Other tips for success:

Share your goals with your friends & loved ones
Hold YOURSELF accountable
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Sometimes the only difference between success and failure is getting the help you need. I’d love to work with you on developing your wellness vision. Between now and the end of this month, I’m offering $100 of my Personalized Wellness Plan service.

Fall Forward

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Karen Morse

Fall Forward

While I love the idea of getting an extra hour of sleep when we turn the clocks back, I have a hard time dealing with it getting dark at four o’clock in the afternoon! Can you relate?

It has been a rough week getting adjusted with more tension in the air surrounding the recent election & results. I’ve seen comments from friends on Facebook about how we are a nation divided and how things are only going to get worse, etc. I wish we could all just channel the overwhelming energy and emotion that we are putting in to negativity and turn it into something positive. I’m not planning to get political in this post, but I support Americans accepting what they can not change and working together as hard as we can to fall forward instead of backwards.

Just like any other goal, you have to put something in to get something out. Just my two cents in an area that I normally stay away from … but I do feel strongly about looking ahead and not focusing on the past!

Speaking of looking ahead … I’m looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving in our new house! Gotta get on the menu planning! I found some really yummy side dishes, desserts, and different ways to make brussel sprouts (my favorite!). Now to order the turkey for the meat eaters!

Though I LOVE the fall, the cold & rain can make me a bit lazy, even though I know that a workout is JUST what I need to give myself that extra boost of energy (not another cup of coffee at 3:30!). Here is a link to my Pinterest board called Workouts You Can Do Anywhere if you are looking for workouts you can do indoors or for a little motivation!

Best Quotes About Life

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Karen Morse

I don’t know if it was having a birthday last week or the fact that the Christmas cups are out at Starbucks already (!), but I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. This time of year always tends to get busier and crazier than even our normal busy & crazy, so I wanted to share a few inspiring quotes to help get you through the next several weeks. Hope these make you think, smile, laugh and just keep going whenever you need them!

Motivation — Where Are You?

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Karen Morse

I needed this today!! You Must Believe In Yourself

I’ve missed more than a few posts lately, and I can’t remember the last time I sent out my weekly newsletter that is supposed to go out every Tuesday.

I really *was* busy at first with my house move, then it was a challenge to get our internet service set up. But that has been resolved since early September. The truth is, I’ve just been feeling demotivated.

I was set to write an article for my favorite magazine. I’d been dreaming of writing for them since I first launched my new career as a health coach and health writer. After a well thought out query to the right editor, my pitch was accepted! I was really on cloud nine. As many writers know, magazines often have a 4-6 month lead-time … so I wasn’t surprised when the editor told me that my piece was slated for the March issue & that she would be in touch in August with the formal assignment & a due date in September.

August came, I followed up. September came, I followed up. October? Still followed up, but starting to get the message. While it is actually par for the course to be ignored by an editor to whom you send a query or pitch, I thought it was incredibly strange to get the cold-shoulder after a response & tentative due date? I let it totally wreck my confidence (well, that and the many other flat-out “no’s” and cold-shoulders I’ve gotten since August).

I’m not thin-skinned at all. I actually welcome a rejection letter! At least I know that my idea was considered & perhaps not right or coming at the right time.

So rather than write about rejection when I myself was feeling de-motivated, I chose silence. I guess I should also add that I haven’t been getting ANY comments on any of my posts, so I have to wonder if anyone is even reading my blog anymore????

I’m not one who gives up easily, so here I am today trying to keep it real, taking a deep breath, and setting a personal goal to keep writing & keep reaching for my own dreams. I read an awesome article today by Jeffrey Eugenides (the guy who wrote Middlesex & The Virgin Suicides) called How To Believe in Yourself – Even If You Sometimes Don’t. In the article, he talks about his journey as a writer & how he has dealt with own fears & anxieties. It is a great story about he came to realize that inspiration comes from within. It gave me the motivation to pick up my laptop & compose this post when all I really wanted to do was sleep all day! Give it a read!

Oh, and if you read this post … please leave me a comment so that I know someone out there is STILL … well … out there!

How Do You Know If You Need a Life Coach?

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Karen Morse

A friend asked me what the difference was in a life coach and a health coach/wellness coach.

Like health and wellness coaches, life coaches work with you to set goals and map out a plan of action to accomplish your goals. Some life coaches focus primarily on career-oriented goals, while health coaches like myself focus on your mind, body, relationships, and your environment. In some instances people think they need a life coach and a therapist, however, a good health coach can help you address life and relationship issues that are causing unhappiness. At the same time, a good health coach should know when a client needs a therapist or therapist to address issues of clinical depression or other mental health issues.

Both life coaches and health/wellness coaches should ensure that you are setting S.M.A.R.T. goals:

S – Specific (Do you use words like “who,” “what,” “when,” “why,” , etc.?)

M – Measurable (Do you answer questions like “how often,” or “how many?”)

A – Attainable (Clearly describe the result you want to achieve)

R – Relevant (Is this goal realistic for YOU?)

T – Timely (Is this something you should be pursuing now, or would it be more appropriate a year from now?)

You can read more about S.M.A.R.T. goal setting by downloading my FREE PDF, “The Smart Girl’s Guide to Getting What You Want”

One of the most important things when you are working towards your goals is taking the time to celebrate your accomplishments. This can be anything from celebrating a 10-lb weight loss when you have a set a goal to lose twenty, or like I did yesterday when I finished half of my run…

Half-way there! #fitness #motivation

Little rewards & pats-on-the-back go a looooong way when you have set hefty goals for yourself. A good health coach should be there to remind you to recognize the little triumphs on the way!

Woo hoo! Finish line!!

How To Be Happy

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Karen Morse

Ah, happiness … why does it elude us sometimes? We work hard, we’ve done everything we are supposed to do, but that happiness fix seems just out of our grasp.

When I googled “How To Be Happy” before writing this post, there were more than 2.5 billion search results returned. Seems like we are all on the same quest.

One of Audrey Hepburn’s famous quotes – “The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy — it’s all that matters.”

But how do we do it? Most of us don’t think of happiness as a kind of good health. Getting happy and staying happy involves just as much self-care as scheduling regular visits with our doctors, therapists, and personal trainers.

Part of being a good health coach or wellness coach is the ability to dig deep & figure out what is eating away at us that causes us to overeat or have unsatisfying relationships.

People often ask me, “Why Do I Need Wellness Coaching?” We are all unique individuals, so the solution to health & happiness is unique for each and every one of us. In fact, I’d bet if MORE people had personalized wellness plans developed for them, they wouldn’t need a therapist AND a personal trainer — they’d be setting and achieving goals that broke through both their physical and mental health barriers.

Here are some things you can start doing immediately to Get Happy:

1. Practice gratitude.

Once a week, think of just one thing you are grateful for and write it down. The more specific you are about why you are grateful, the more successful this is. Remember not compare yourself to others. When you do this, negative thoughts creep in. Focus on YOUR life!

2. Experience life.

You don’t have to go far — just get out of the house! Sitting on the couch watching TV isn’t getting you anywhere – literally! – and it’s could be making you depressed. Even if you don’t want to, take a walk and be grateful for the beautiful scenery around you. Or, get up early one morning and go to a place where you can watch the sunrise. It is a beautiful thing to witness, and you have an opportunity to do it every day.

3. Commit to an attitude of gratitude.
Start each day by saying “I am grateful.” My friend has a small bell hanging in one corner of her office at work. Every once in awhile, someone will brush past it as they enter her office, and the bell softly jingles. This is her private reminder to herself to count her blessings. Find something that works for you.

How to Make Time for Yourself

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Karen Morse

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that like me, none of you have had a magical star-aligning moment where you have all of the time, confidence, and support you need to reach your healthy living & fitness goals.

It takes work and dedication in our lives filled with imperfect circumstances!

I’m here to tell you that it *IS* possible to make time for yourself. I want to see you make some serious effort towards your self-care goals. To create the time, you may need to say “no” to some obligations, cut down on TV or Facebook time, trade off childcare duties, get up early, or stay up late.

Think you can’t find the time? Read Laura Vanderkam’s book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. It will OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

For inspiration and workouts you can do anywhere, check out my Pinterest boards for lots of great FREE resources.

Once you’ve cleared some space for focusing health & wellness goals, put it on your calendar! If you don’t take charge of your time, someone else will be GLAD to do it for you. Don’t give away that power!

Make it happen!

Photo courtesy of dailypositivequotes.com