Back Into Routine...

If I were to guess about half the people reading this are feeling off routine, myself included.

Our workouts are spotty at best, or nonexistent, and we often are finding other things to do instead of working out.

Whether you're trying to get back into a routine after 3 months or 3 years, here's how to get back into a routine...

Start Small. 

The biggest mistake I see people make is they go from 0 to 60 with no ramp up.

They go from minimal to no workouts all summer and think that going 4-5 days per week is best. 

Although that sounds good on paper, it usually ends up as a disaster on the other end. 

Start small. 

Small changes = Big wins. 

If you're looking to get back into exercise, start with just 1-2 thirty minute workouts per week. 

As you build confidence and routine, you can ramp up from there. 

If you're trying to get your nutrition back on track after a summer of too many burgers and beers, start small. 

Maybe it's trying to get a bit more water or add more protein to your day. 

Pick one thing, focus on that, build it as a habit, and then move onto the next one. 

Don't try to overhaul your diet and turn it into perfection on day one, we all know how that turns out. 

Stack the small wins. 

Getting back into any routine, fitness or not, can be overwhelming. 

Start small and stack the wins. 

Stacking small wins is the best habit/behavior change approach. 

Stacking wins is the brick analogy. 

The biggest wall in the world was built one brick at a time. 

The best retirement plan is to start small, put away a little each month, and leverage compound interest. 

You go from doing nothing to going for a walk. 

Going for a walk gives you the motivation to join a gym. 

Joining a gym gives you the motivation to make some improvements in your nutrition. 

Improving your nutrition leads to multiple workouts a week, and a new found a sense of confidence and energy. 

Try to go from nothing to multiple workouts a week and improved nutrition. 

It probably won't last. 

However, the slow stacking of each "win" is what leads the behavior change to be successful. 

It's building a strong foundation to support long lasting change.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Are Potatoes Good OR Bad For You?

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"Sweet potatoes vs. potatoes: A nutritional debate fueled by misinformation, baseless ‘superfood’ obsessions, and carbohydrate phobias. Here’s how these tubers compare — and why both deserve a place in your diet.

A few years back, some nutrition enthusiasts decided to figure out whether white or sweet potatoes were “healthier”.

One group compared the glycemic index and load of sweet potatoes vs. potatoes. They suggested that since white potatoes tend to be higher, they should be avoided.

Another group suggested that sweet potatoes are a vitamin A ‘superfood’, putting them way ahead of their white potato competitors.

And, of course, the carbophobes had their own take: All potatoes should be avoided because they’re too high in carbs and all those carbs will mess with your insulin regulation and cause fat gain.

Nonsense, all of it.

Both white and sweet potatoes, when eaten as part of a balanced and intentional diet, provide a fantastic array of nutrients while contributing to the satiety and deliciousness of any meal."

The 3 Steps to a Healthier Lower Back

If you have ever dealt with your lower back bothering you every morning after waking up, or find your self walking stiffly after sitting for a while, then you know how bothersome an unhappy lower back can be. 

We are often advised to stretch or to strengthen your core. This is good advice, but there is more to it than just strengthening your core. 

Here is a quick three-step process to a happier lower back. 

1. Relax

The first step is to relax and try to turn off overactive muscles. Check out these two videos for some simple exercises to relax:

90/90 Hip Lift 

Standing Supported Wall Breathing 


These two exercises are very similar. Both accomplish the goal of getting the lower back out of extension and breathing to turn off overactive muscles.

2. Reset 

Once you have relaxed, now we can try to find your neutral position. Here is a quick video on how to:

Finding Neutral 

Strengthen 

The last step is to strengthen the core, once you know where neutral is. If we were to hop right to strength but not know where to find a healthy lower back posture, all you would be doing is strengthening your core in a wrong postural position leading to many hours of side planks and planks all for nothing to show (other than you now can hold a really long plank, which is cool); it just does nothing to keep your lower back from getting aggravated at you. 

Here are some core strengthening tips:

Setting Up for Core Work

Coach Josh

Three strategies to plan for long winter nights

Of all of the weekends throughout the year, I enjoy the daylight savings weekend the most. There is something truly delicious about found time. It’s literally the only point during the year when you find more time.

And we are always trying to find more time.

We can stay up a little later on Saturday night, or stretch luxuriously into our pillow on Sunday morning, knowing that it feels like 9:00 but it’s really only 8:00. It feels decadent.

But Sunday night, the difficulty sets in when it’s dark at 5:00 – and you realize that winter is right around the corner.

New England winters are hard for many people without a pandemic. So many of us are thinking of the coming weekend and the changing of the clocks with a fair amount of existential dread because how will we get through the long dark nights?

By planning for them. We need to be proactive about our self-care. We need to take some time right now to think about what is necessary the preserve ourselves for the coming weeks. So here are a few strategies to help you plan. 

1.     Act against it

This piece of advice is a difficult one, but necessary when you find yourself on the cusp of falling into despair. You don’t feel like doing anything but going home after work and putting your jammies on and watching Netflix or reading a book at the end of the work day. The darkness and cold make it difficult to want to do more than that. So you find yourself giving in to that darkness, and then judging yourself for doing so.

Act against it means doing just that – when you want to do one thing, you force yourself to do the other. It’s not always easy, but it is doable.  

2.     Recruit and lean on your support

Do you have a pod? (Talk about a question I never thought I’d ask someone..) It wasn’t very long into the pandemic before most of us realized that we are social beings who are wired for connection. Even the most extreme introverts among us realized that we missed socializing after a few months.

Having a pod means having a few people in your life who are practicing social distancing and wearing a mask and doing whatever else you all may agree upon to feel safe and comfortable in shared space.

But support also means finding some people who can offer you a little gentle accountability - people who can help you get outside for walks or show up for a virtual book group even though most of us can’t stomach the idea of another Zoom call.

If you know that you struggle with those long nights, find a few friends and make some plans together. And let them know that this time of year is hard for you.

3.     Exercise is more important now than ever.

Exercise, in some form or another, makes us all feel better. According to Dr. John Ratey, the author of the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, exercise makes us feel better because when we get our blood pumping, our brain functions at it’s best. As humans, we were born to move but we now live in a society where we do very little of that, and being that sedentary can dramatically affect the brain.

Many people suffer from varying degrees of Seasonal Affect Disordere (SAD)*. Some folks can find some relief in purchasing a light therapy box. But many folks can also find some relief by exercising. In fact, in October of 2000, researchers from Duke University performed a study showing that exercise is better than Zoloft at treating depression.

So make your exercise plan. Is that going for a walk as soon as you get home from work? Or doing yoga first thing in the morning? Coming in to the gym three times a week? Going hiking or snowshoeing on weekends?

It doesn’t matter what exercise you choose. What matters is that you choose some type of movement.

And I know that exercise might feel harder in the winter - that it might feel harder to go the gym after work when it’s dark - but that’s also when you need to refer back to the first two strategies. Act against that pull to go home and get on the couch, and lean into your support network.

And if you need a little help, let us know.

*If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD, or depression, talk to your doctor or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.

4-Step Plan To Create A Habit...

We often talk about creating habits.

We know that goals are great, but we really need those small daily actions, those actions are what help us achieve goals.

Meaning, if I have a goal of losing weight, that’s great, but I still need to exercise, eat healthy, etc.

What we know is that those actions are a series of habits.

And more so than ever, small habits swing big doors right now.

Kim and I just recorded a podcast about this today, it’ll be out on Thursday.

As we head into winter it’s so important to start working on a plan now, start building some some healthy habits now, otherwise, it’s going to be a really long winter.

The large majority (upwards of 90% depending on who you ask) of our actions are driven by habits.

Our drive to work is a habit…

Our sitting on the couch after dinner is a habit…

If we do anything long enough, for enough repetitions, it becomes a habit.

So, in order to make true, lasting change, we need to change our habits.

Much easier said than done, right?

Well, in his book Atomic Habits (highly recommend), James Clear outlines 4-step to creating a good habit.

Step one: Make it obvious.

That would be the example of putting your vitamins next to your toothbrush is brushing your teeth is already a habit.

That would be putting your workout clothes in your gym bag next to your car keys so you take them to work with you.

The first step is to stack a new habit with an existing habit and design the environment to make the good habit happen.

Step two: Make it attractive

This is where you pair this new habit you’re trying to build with an an existing habit you already enjoy.

That might be stretching while you watch your favorite TV show at night.

The TV show is the habit, you enjoy it, and you’re stacking it with stretching.

I get to watch my favorite TV show is I stretch during it.

He also eludes to in this step joining a culture where the habit is the normal.

That’s why joining a gym like Spurling is so powerful.

You walk in, it’s your own journey, but everyone there is working out, the energy is contagious, and so it comes a habit.

Step three: Make it easy.

This is where you try to reduce as much friction as possible, have as few steps as possible.

This could be going to the gym right after work instead of going home first then coming back out.

This could be preparing your meals ahead of time so the steps that night to cook are less.

Automation fits into this category as well.

If you’re trying to make a good financial habit, you can automate your savings or your investing.

The easier the better, and that usually just takes some prep work for the environment.

Step four: Make it satisfying

It has to be worth it, right?

Maybe you give yourself a small reward after you complete the habit.

This is also where “don’t break the chain” comes in.

Keep track of your habit, something as simple as a daily box to check, and it’s extremely motivating and satisfying to not miss a day.

That’s it.

Simple?

Yes.

Easy?

No.

However, use this four-step frame work as you start to look at your goals this year and determine what habits you need to create in order to hit those goals.

If you need help with it just reply and let us know…

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Nail It

We know things are overwhelming right now.

Between the pandemic, the political uncertainty, the future of, well, anything, right now.

It’s all overwhelming.

So, what do we focus on when it’s all overwhelming?

The basics.

There is a term we toss around as a team a lot..

Nail the basics.

For us, that means three things:

  1. Great coaching at every single interaction.

  2. Hold every client accountable to their goals and attendance

  3. Continue to make sure everyone feels a part of the community as to not lose the “family-like” feel.

That’s it.

Nail the basics.

Because, you see, what happens, if you start to throw in too many moving pieces, too many new changes, too many shiny objects, it distracts you from the basics, and they start to fall.

I tell you all of this because it’s a good lesson for your life in general, especially fitness, now more than ever before.

Sometimes we take on too much, we try to do everything at once, and as a result, we see the main thing suffer.

You see that in relationships.

You see that in families.

You see that in work.

And you certainly see that in your health.

So, what are the basics of your health?

It could be three things like:

  • Getting 10 workouts in per month

  • Journaling your food at least 80% of the month

  • Sleep at least 200 hours per month

It can be fun to add a shiny object in the moment and talk about all the fancy things like cool new exercises, fancy diets to follow, or whatever the latest and greatest trend is today on social media, but the truth is, the basics work.

I don’t know a single client who shows up on our frequent sweaters board (10 sessions in the month) every single month, that doesn’t get results.

Nail the basics.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Breathing in the good

The house is cold as I pad across the hard wood floor in search of my slippers. I find them and turn the coffee pot on shifting from side to side to warm up.

As the coffee perks, I look out at the remnants of Sheila’s garden in the soft morning light. The sunflower stalks, once so tall and vibrant, sag dramatically bowing in acceptance of the cold.

Honestly, I’m nervous about the coming months. 

Typically, I enjoy the fall. I appreciate the crisp mornings that offer a respite from the humid days of August (and September). I look forward to Halloween (though costumes are fun year-round), and the holidays, but this year, I don’t know what to think.

I feel like life is hardest when we don’t have anything to look forward to – and that’s why my focus these past few weeks has been to take in the good.

I mean really take in the good and intentionally take snapshots and notice moments of contentment. 

Our brains are wired to have a negativity bias. Good experiences are Teflon in our brains, and bad experiences are like Velcro. That’s what kept our ancestors alive. Which is why it takes an active effort to internalize positive experiences. According to several studies, positive feelings can help you develop a stronger immune system, and a cardiovascular system that is less reactive to stress. They not only lift your mood, but they also increase optimism, resilience, and resourcefulness. 

The first step is to consciously look for and take in the positive experiences. This is where activities like the 21-day gratitude journal can become incredibly beneficial. The goal is to write down three different gratitudes everyday for 21 days - because you often have to actively look for and think about new things each day, you’re teaching your brain to focus on more positive moments.

The second step is to savor the positive experiences. Many of us do a version of this naturally. When we have a positive interaction or experience that makes us feel good, we replay it over and over in our minds. The action item here though is to connect our physical experience, what we feel, to the thoughts in our brain. One technique for savoring a positive experience is to pause, breathe in for five seconds, hold for five seconds, and then breathe out for seven seconds, all the while really thinking about and focusing on that positive experience.

There is a lot about life that feels very hard right now, though I know I have been much less affected by this pandemic than most. I’ve been very fortunate to have moments of contentment every day though, and those are the moments I’m trying to hard wire into my brain. Next time you have a thought or experience that feels good, pause, breathe it in, and savor that emotion.

Like a sleepy basset hound puppy whose head is on my knee as I try to write this :-)

 

What Is Steady State Cardio?

Steady-State Cardio is also know as aerobic exercise and generally called "cardio.”

I am sure you have had a friend say something like this to you, "I really need to work on my cardio." And let's be honest with ourselves that friend in this story is really us. 

We all have been told cardio is good for our health. But why don't we do it? I believe one reason is when the word cardio comes to mind, we think of running or ellipticals or, worst yet, treadmills. For many of us, the repetitive pounding of running and treadmills and the mind-numbing monotony of ellipticals don't inspire motivation. 

But here is the thing cardio, and more precisely Steady State Cardio, doesn't have to be like this. I will outline below two ways to make cardio less of a should do and more of a looking forward to doing. 

Before we get there, I would like to tell you a few of the benefits of doing Steady State Cardio in the first place. 

Benefits:

  • Increase Endurance: Being able to go upstairs or walk about without getting out of breath as quickly.

  • Increase Work Capacity: Increasing endurance will allow you to do more physical work or work in the gym. 

  • Increase Recovery: Cardio drives blood to the muscle, which can help in recovery.

  • Energy Control: When doing work, you will be able to control and manage your heart rate. This will allow you to work more comfortably and longer. 

Steady State Cardio

First off, what is Steady State Cardio? 

Steady State Cardio is maintaining the same heart rate for some time greater than 2 minutes. We often think of cardio as working for long periods of time but slowly, and that is cardio, but it can also be working at moderate to high speeds for long periods of time as well. 

Keep in mind 2 minutes is the minimal amount of time, but you should be able to do a fast walk or slow jog for 15 minutes as a baseline for health reasons. 

Cardio doesn't have to be running or biking. It just has to be a movement that keeps your heart rate at about the same level for greater than two minutes to be sufficient for cardiovascular purposes. 

Example: 

Running for 15 minutes at 70% of your heart rate max. 

VS.

Kettlebell Swing 10x, Push-Ups 10x, Jumping Jacks 10x for 15 minutes at 70% of heart rate max. 

These two examples of Cardio are the same thing. The body is working at 70% heart rate max for 15 minutes. You will get the same effect but with very different exercise methods. 

With this example in mind, here are three ways to get Steady State Cardio in without having to do the same thing for 15 plus minutes. 

Low-Intensity Circuits 

Low-Intensity Circuits give you the benefits of going for a 15-minute jog or run but with the variety we want. They are great for building up our endurance and teaching you to regulate your heart rate when paired with a heart rate monitor. 

This is like the example from above: Kettlebell Swing 10x, Push-Ups 10x, Jumping Jacks 10x for 15 minutes at 70% of heart rate max.

The goal would be to do a warm-up that would get your heart rate at about 60% of heart rate max and then start in with the circuits. First, doing the swings to get the heart rate at about 70% heart rate max. Next, moving to the the push-ups for 10 reps and then finally the jumping jacks for 10. 

Low-Intensity Circuits can become a game by keeping your heart rate above 70% but not working so hard you shoot up into the 80%. Try not to stop moving but slow the rate of exercises and/or focus on slow calming breaths to bring your heart rate down if needed. 

Low to Moderate Intervals 

An interval's goal is to work at high rates of effort for a short period of time, less than two minutes, and then recover by walking or resting and repeat. 

To make an interval more useful for developing your steady-state cardio, all you need to do is decrease the high-intensity effort duration and pair it with a low-intensity active recovery. 

Let's first define a few terms:

High Intensity/Effort: Working at greater than 80% of heart rate max. 

Low Intensity/Effort: Working at below 70% of heart rate max. 

Active Recovery: Recovering from a bout of high-intensity exercise by continuing to move at a lower intensity until you are sufficiently recovered to do another bout of effort at the same level of intensity as before. 

Example of Low to Moderate Intervals: 

  1. Bike until you are at 85% heart rate max; hold the pace for 10 seconds.

  2. Active Recovery: Jog in place or keep moving (walking) until heart rate drops to below 70%

  3. Repeat for 15 minutes 

This is a great way to increase your speed and teach you how to recover while still moving while building your cardiovascular base.

Coach Josh

The Infinite Game...

It’s a helpful mindset to have, especially right now.

Often times we get frustrated with something like lack of progress or we want to hit a goal by a certain date.

Although it is important to have some urgency behind things…

This game we’re all playing is an infinite one.

And that’s the way I try to think about it.

It’s a game, there is no winning and losing, it’s just about playing the game.

We should try really hard to make decisions that allow us to have more joy playing the actual game, make decisions and live in such a way that we leave things better than we found them.

I try to always think…

“Does this decision allow us to play the game better years from now?”

A lot of the business decisions lately are hard decisions we’ve had to make to assure we’re still playing the game in this post-pandemic world, to skate to where the puck is going, and to create stability and security as we head into 2021.

In my personal life, I often find the most motivating goals are ones that leave something for my kids, I guess you could call it “extending the game.”

Until some catastrophic event happens and wipes out the entire earth, humans are not going anywhere anytime soon.

We can at least comfortably say that our kids, their kids, their kids, and their kids will be here, right?

And isn’t that the point of all of this?

To be fulfilled, to be happy, and to play the infinite game.

The never ending game of getting better, living your life’s purpose, and leaving the world a better place than you found it.

Now, to bring all of that down to reality…

We often act like we’re playing a finite game, when in reality, this is an infinite game, a never ending game.

Here’s what I mean…

A football game is a finite game.

There is strategy and performance that goes into the game, and at the end of the time a winner is determined based on the scoreboard.

But life is not like that, yet we make decisions like it is.

Let’s look at the game of fitness, of health, of wellness…

In order to be at your best, to live the healthiest life, to be around for your friends and family as long as possible, I think we would all agree that working on your health and wellness is important, and that it is something that will always, in some capacity, have to be a part of your life.

It’s an infinite game…it never ends.

However, we often make decisions or tell ourselves stories based on it being a finite game.

“Let me lose 20lbs and then I’ll be happy.”

“I’m going to do this 30 day cleanse and then I’ll be good.”

Those are all decisions, strategies, and beliefs for a finite game.

Fitness is not a finite game.

I would argue there are very few things that are a finite game.

Let’s look at parenting…

How you do it, what it looks like, changes as the years go on, but you are constantly looking at becoming a better parent until the day you die.

What about personal development?

We are constantly looking at ways we can become better people, more kind to ourselves, better partners, a better friend, or a better co-worker.

It’s an infinite game.

So, what does this matter?

Well, hopefully two things come from it…

One…

You develop a life purpose that is more motivating than any short term goal ever could be.

You are forever intrinsically motivated to get better, in all aspects of life.

Two…

You don’t make decisions that “win” the short-term, the finite game, but then might sacrifice the long-term chances of the infinite game.

Short term decisions, short cuts, quick fixes, in any area of life, are often with that mindset that of “If I just get here…” but that’s not the mindset of the infinite game…

The infinite game is a game that never ends, it’s just about having a true purpose, a deep cause for yourself, and getting better in all aspects of life, forever, everyday….

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Your Well

Luckily we have some rain coming today, I know some of us have started getting worried about our wells running dry.

Funny enough, that got me thinking about one of my favorite lessons.

Dig your well.

We are who we are and we are where we are because of a series of choices.

We make certain choices, everyday, and those choices, compounded together are a direct reflection of who you are today.

Extreme Ownership.

A great book, but also a behavior I try to instill in my team and all of you.  

We can help, but only you, yes you, are responsible for everything that happens.

You know when you’re giving it your best, and you know when you’re not.

You know when you didn’t show up.

We can remind you, hold you accountable, and motivate you, but ultimately it’s up to you.

So what now?

If you’re not happy with where you’re at, fitness or otherwise, it’s time to start digging your well.

Where you’re at today is typically not a reflection of choices from yesterday or even this month, it’s a series of choices made over several months and even years.  

So, if you want to change, that’s how it’s going to happen.

Start digging your well now so that it can fuel you in the future.

Quite often we don’t see the benefits of these small behavioral changes, the 1% Better motto, the consistent effort before giving up..

Why?

All of those small changes are you digging your well, and then those habits will last you a lifetime, but you have to dig the well first before it gives you water.

You have to start digging your well.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Fixed vs Growth Mindset

Do you often just throw your hands in the air and say, “I can’t do that!”

Or do you see every challenge as an opportunity to overcome something and like good ol’ Thomas the train say, “I think I can, I think I can !”

What we’re talking about is fixed vs growth mindset.

For those who are readers, I highly recommend the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.

The Fixed Mindset

A fixed mindset is one where you believe your talents and abilities cannot be improved by any means,  that you are born with what you have and no part of you can be improved.

A person with a fixed mindset believes challenges and less than ideal outcomes are negative.

A person with a fixed mindset attaches themselves to outcomes, e.g You haven’t done a push-up in 20 years but you try a floor push-up and at that moment you can not perform one.

A person with a fixed mindset would believe they can’t do push-ups.

It’s important for you to understand that if you have a fixed mindset, its not your fault. It’s likely something from your past that molded your thinking without you knowing.

Here’s a typical scenario.

Meet Mary

  • Mary doesn’t take much interest in sports/exercise.

  • She was never taught fundamental fitness movements & kinesthetic awareness yet she was asked to perform sports in gym class. Since she had no proper training, she felt uncomfortable with exercise & sports so she never played any or learned to exercise.

  • Mary has decent genetics so she stayed slim through high school yet she is still self-conscious because everywhere she looks (tv & magazines) show skinny women.

  • She gains a few lbs through college but still not overweight. Fast forward five years, she’s in her late 20’s, still has never learned to balance exercise in life but now is starting to gain weight.

  • Her hormones and metabolism are changing….she is not unable to eat + drink what she always has.

  •  Now Mary is overweight so she decides to run because that’s all she knows how to do.

  • She doesn’t think she is athletic enough for movement and is too self-conscious to try on her own or at a gym.

The Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is where you believe that all aspects of your life can be improved through embracing discomfort, hard work and persistence.

A person with a growth mindset does not attach themselves to outcomes, e.g You haven’t done a push-up in 20 years but you try a floor push-up and at that moment you can not perform one.

A person with a growth mindset would say, welp it has been 20 years, why would I expect to do a push-up? I need to work on these!

Bring Back Mary: Growth Mindset – Spurling version

  • Mary is 20 lbs overweight, barely uses her gym membership because its boring and she doesn’t feel comfortable.

  • Her friend begs her to come into try Spurling so she comes during a bring a friend week.

  • She has trouble with some of the exercises, but the coaches regress the movements and keep her going.

  • Although tired and out of breathe, Mary is proud of what she just accomplished.

  • She signs up for 12 month membership, and loses 15 lbs in the first 90 days.

  • Mary is now outgoing, move confident than ever and had the most successful year of her career.

How You Can Transition From a Fixed to Growth Mindset

It’s important for you to understand that you were born with a growth mindset…or otherwise you would of never learned to walk.

There are two important points I want you to know:

  1. You are not stuck with a fixed mindset

  2. Even if you have mostly a growth mindset, from time to time you will slip into the fixed way of thinking…this is normal and its okay.

Catch yourself!

Replace I can’t, with I can I just need to work at it. 

Trust me, you can do 99% of things you would ever want to do.

This is not to say you will be close to good at them without any practice but you can do whatever it is to some extent.

When you find yourself setting limitations or letting others set your limitations, snap out of it.

Remember, YOU are the greatest miracle…no computer or anything else has as much ability as you have.

Just realize to do those things you need to progress small steps forward each day and that it will be an adventure; unexpected things will happen, you will have to alter or maybe even change your entire course, there will be highs and lows – embrace it all.

And if you do something and it doesn’t workout the way you wanted it to, feel good about yourself because you just over came a challenge. Next, look at it, whether a push-up or a new job and think, what did I learn from this?

Remember that failure is an event, not a person. Zig Ziglar

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

12 Way To Improve Your Nutrition

Tackling nutrition right now is a double-edged sword and I get it.

On one hand, you just don’t have the mental bandwidth to focus on one more thing right now.

On the other hand, you may have put on a few extra pounds over these last six months and you know your nutrition needs to change.

Luckily for you, I think there’s a happy medium.

You see, when we tackle nutrition here at Spurling we try really hard to not make it this big daunting thing, there are no meal plans to follow, no super restrictive diets, etc.

We take the habit-based approach to nutrition coaching which means that we work on changing a habit or behavior for a period of time and then stack that onto another habit as you progress along.

What that means for you is it’s less overwhelming, but the results are just as good, if not better because they actually last.

When it comes to changing your nutrition habits there are 12 habits that we aim to work on.

Again, not all at once, but there are 12 on the “menu” and over time you make improvements in all of those areas.

Here are we call the Spurling 12 habits of nutrition…

  1. Planning: Plan your meals for the week

  2. Shopping: Go shopping for your food

  3. Cooking: Cook your meals

  4. Journaling: Keep a daily journal of food and drink intake

  5. Gratitude: Keep a gratitude journal

  6. Slow Eating: Eat slowly

  7. 80% Full: Stop eating when you’re 80% full

  8. Portion Control: Practice proper portions

  9. Protein: Make sure you’re getting enough protein

  10. Calories: Review food journal to look at total calories

  11. Quality Carbs: Check the quality of your carbs

  12. Healthy Fats: Make sure you’re getting most of your fats from appropriate sources

Instead of cramming a meal plan down your throat, and telling you to eat certain things at certain times, we're going to try to change your behaviors. 

You see, following a "diet" is not sustainable. 

It may work for a week or two, but can you really follow it as a lifestyle?

Nutrition is more of behavioral psychology. 

Today, most people know what healthy is, and maybe you need some ideas and recipes here are there, but for the most part, we know what "healthy" means. 

So instead, we work on coaching you through habits. 

We know what healthy is, but why do we sometimes go after the unhealthy stuff?

Habits. 

We approach habits in a stacking format. 

Kind of like building a wall...one brick at a time. 

Pick one nutrition habit, focus on that 100%, and crush it. 

Then, generally after 2-4 weeks, we "stack" another habit on it. 

That way, we change the behavior over time, and you can sustain things as a lifestyle. 

Either way, even at it’s simplest I know it can feel overwhelming right now.

That’s why we put together an 8-Week Nutrition Coaching Program to help you tackle something that is so important right now but may feel overwhelming.

Coach Trent has been running our nutrition coaching program for the last couple of years and as you’ll see on the information page there are crazy success stories of not only physical transformation but really changing mindset and belief around nutrition.

The program includes weekly small group meetings (either in person or online) to educate, hold you accountable, and create an action plan for the week, daily support from Coach Trent, and results or money back guarantee.

Read all about and register for the program here —>>> 8-Week Nutrition Coaching Program 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling.

PS: When I checked in with Trent yesterday he had just 5 of the 12 spots left so if you want to tackle nutrition right now I’d encourage you to inquire today.

Read all about and register for the program here —>>> 8-Week Nutrition Coaching Program 

3 Fun Fall Activities

Fall is hands down the best of the four seasons. The temp is just right for sleeping, you can wear a light jacket and still rock shorts, you get to eat all things apple and cinnamon, and best of all, there are no bugs. 

Here are three of my favorite fall pastimes. 

Hiking 

Hiking is a great way to get a workout in and see the beauty of New England. There is a hike for everyone and every level within a 30 minute to one hour drive. 

One of the best tools to find the right hike for you is the All Trails App. The app does a great job of telling you which trails are easy, moderate, and difficult. It also gives you directions and elevation gain; this is helpful information when choosing what hike is right for you. 

Raking Leaves 

Raking leaves? Fun? 

Before you call me crazy, there are three main points I would like to make before you make your final judgment. 

  1. It gets you up and active 

  2. There is something so satisfying seeing the rake take away all the old grass and leaves and leaving behind a clean, vibrant lawn

  3. If you wanted to, you could rake a big pile of leaves and jump in them; this is still not as fun as the satisfaction of looking back on a clean lawn, but to each their own. 

Buy A Cup of Coffee

Out of the three activities, this is my favorite way to get out and active in the Fall. 

Go to a local coffee shop and pick up a cup of hot coffee and walk about town. Taking in the sights and sounds all the while breathing in the nice crisp air of Fall. Suppose you feel a little chill come your way, take a nice warming sip of coffee. 

What are some of your favorite ways to get you out and active this fall? 

-Coach Josh