 Despite having a business with the name “Inspiring Vitality”, last summer I would have given myself a solid C- in personal vitality. All of 2021 went by in a blur for my siblings and I as we juggled eldercare responsibilities for our parents with our own jobs and children. My mom was living with Alzheimer’s with my dad as her primary care partner, about four years in from the day she called to tell me she discovered a “great new pizza place” that was, in fact, our well-loved Grotto Pizza that was walking distance from their beach house in South Bethany, Delaware.
My sibling and I were rotating daily visits to help Dad and also to give them both what they wanted most at this point in their lives – time with us, their children – a gift to us all, really. My dad had his own health issues. He was in year eight with an LVAD (left ventricular assistive device) that was supposed to keep his heart going for seven years, so 2021 also brought emergency room visits and hospital stays for my dad with some siblings at the hospital and others rotating staying overnight with mom. It was overwhelming at times but it also brought us closer, especially to Dad, who for most of our lives had left all the coordinating and communicating to Mom. In January 2022, Dad’s heart finally gave out and after he passed, Mom moved in with my family, making 2021 look like a cakewalk. My siblings rotated in to help and we found a wonderful caregiver who came to our home part-time, but it was not sustainable. Six months into that arrangement is when my vitality score sunk to a C-. I was still exercising. I drank my water. I kept going with existing clients and speaking gigs on top of my full-time job. I did (not enough) writing and social media. I was trying to do everything I always did plus manage my mom’s care. “How do you do it all?” was the most common “compliment” I received and let’s just call it what it was - hubris, plain and simple. I had worked in senior living; I was a certified dementia care practitioner, and a fitness expert. I literally wrote a book on maintaining vitality as you age. Surely, I could find the right mix. But, I was exhausted. I had spurts of stress eating and anxiety. My brain felt jumbled. My weight crept up and I developed new aches and pains. I absolutely still believe that healthy habits give you energy for the stresses of life, but even that has limits. In the summer of 2022, it became clear that things had to come off my list for my own wellbeing. I stopped writing. I closed my online women’s fitness club. I had speaking gigs booked but I stopped reaching out for new ones. I mostly stopped posting on social media. I stopped doing anything that felt like pressure and instead focused on things that brought curiosity or joy. I went to bed earlier. I started each day with a prayer ritual. I spent less time on the computer. We found a fantastic Memory Care community for Mom. My husband and I traveled to South Africa and visited our adult children in San Diego and Texas. I did the 75-hard Challenge, even though as a fitness professional I had poo-pooed it in the past. I became the student instead of the teacher in more advanced yoga and weight training principles that excited me. I used weekend hiking dates with a friend to put myself in nature weekly. One of my brothers and I took over the beach house. I lost over 30 pounds that most people didn’t realize I was carrying. This summer, my vitality score is an A+. My energy is through the roof and my positive mindset is back. My joint pains are 90% better. I’m both wiser and more humble. I’ve had a year of adventure and new skills and life lessons. I’ve mastered headstands and set a goal to compete in bodybuilding in 2024. I’m writing again and recording videos. My creativity has been refreshed and I’m energized to share new observations with clients and expand new business offerings. In short, what a difference a year can make! Have you had a time when have you needed to take a step back to move forward? A phase of life that required humility and a new navigation strategy? Or perhaps something you were an expert in professionally but discovered that dealing with it personally was a whole different thing? My recommendation? Hit pause. Reassess and not just on the surface. Let curiosity and joy be your guide for a while, making your world smaller as an investment in getting bigger again later. If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story!
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I really want to know! Take a listen and then jot some things down. This important question can help you start envisioning your future and what it will take to get you there!
Research tells us that up to 70% of our aging experience is due to lifestyle choices. And...it's never too early or too late to make some changes that will positively influence our aging experience! What are you going to do to help ensure your future healthy self? Need some help figuring out the habits that will work best into your life? Check out my custom coaching program and let's chat and see if coaching is right for you!  May is one of my favorite months of the year! Flowers are in bloom and the weather gives us so much to look forward to with the summer to come!
Spring is also a great time for FITNESS! Many of us are itching to do more when summer clothes are on the horizon. I have the perfect opportunity for you! The Forever Fit Club hosts a Monday 5:00 pm ET 30-minute strength class every week. The content varies but there's always fun and companionship! The gals and I have decided to open up the Monday 5:00 pm strength class on May 16 to guests! It will be an "All Glutes" class. There will be plenty of variety and modifications available for different levels and best of all, it's a chance to meet other women who are also trying to fit in a little fitness into their busy lives. Won't you join us? Register here and you'll receive the zoom link. Feel free to forward this invitation to your friends as well. I'll look forward to seeing you! I used to come home starving and my go-to snack was peanut butter on a spoon. And let’s be honest here – I usually went back for a second spoonful. I didn’t want to admit how many calories I was downing in the first 15 minutes I was home. The PB led to a bite of this and a handful of that and the scale was creeping up because of this and other habits that kept me in “reactive” mode for hunger.
Tracking my food helped somewhat except I didn’t have an overall plan for the day, so I was re-calculating how much I had left (calories, macros, etc.) all day based on my choices. Temptation was my constant friend. I “knew” meal prepping for the week would help me save time but I had no idea that it would also be a game-changer for my fixing my impulse eating! I took the calories and macros that fit my goals and planned out a menu that I enjoy and then I got busy. Some Sundays I get it ALL ready for Monday thru Friday. Other weeks, I prep one or two components for the week on Sunday, do another on Monday, and another on Tuesday. The first few days of the week have some parts ready and for others I may be playing catch up. But it is way better than none at all! Gone are the afternoon snack attacks because I already have my snack decided and prepped. Gone is the decision fatigue of what to have that will fit my calories/macros. Gone is the roller coaster of my blood sugar and moods! I LOVE my meal prep lifestyle! What do you think? Could meal-prepping be a strategy that works for you? I have begun taking a limited number of clients for my new 12-Week BOOM Forever Fit Custom Coaching Program. Who is this program designed for? It's perfect if you want personalized, one-on-one support to figure out once and for all the eating and exercise habits that are right for you and sustainable for the long-term to reach your goals. Book a call with me if you'd like to discuss!  One pound at a time…down 20+ pounds and still going!
I am so proud of my client, Donna. She was patient and steady and allowed small changes to snowball over time for phenomenal results! Make no mistake - Donna had things crop up over the months like we all do – a problem with her shoulder one month, a knee acting up another, a job and family to take care of, and so on. She always did what she could and KEPT GOING! Donna has been part of the Forever Fit Club for over one year! Here’s how she describes her journey so far: “I was overweight, had no energy, and ate what I wanted, including a lot of carbs and chocolate. After working with Cathy I am more conscious of what I eat . I started tracking my meals on a fitness app, doing more cardio and weight training, and regularly attend Cathy’s weekly group coaching calls. The support of the group helps keep my mind set on track.” Cathy here again. Can you picture what you could be feeling like if you started a few small changes TODAY? There is NO TIME like the present! Why not join me on April 10 for my free masterclass “Countdown to Summer: The Forever Fit 3-Step Success Plan”. You, too, can follow Donna’s great example!  As the spring weather approaches, many of us have goals to amp up our fitness efforts in preparation for summer. April 10 is approximately 50 days until Memorial Day and it's the perfect time to get re-committed and re-charged! I hope you'll join me on that Sunday afternoon for "Countdown to Summer: The Forever Fit 3-Step Success Plan!" You won't want to miss these topics:
 One of the best things we can do for our healthy aging journey is develop a "Forever Fit" mindset. I say that because our mindset is where everything starts. It's pretty hard to "do" anything when our mind isn't on board. Nurturing the mindset that will best serve you, taking the small steps in the right direction, and then being patient along the way is a recipe for success! I'd like to tell you about my client, Shelly, who has most definitely developed a Forever Fit Mindset. I like to call her story “What a difference a year makes!”
Here is "What a Difference a Year Makes" in Shelly's own words: “Tears filled my eyes while looking through pictures last Christmas, not because of the joyous memories they contained but because of frustration and discouragement over how I looked in them. While I realized had gained weight, for some reason those pictures were a turning point for me. I didn’t feel good about myself at all, and looking back I can see that it also affected me mentally. I had no self-confidence and no energy for long-term. I knew there had to be a change. So, 2021 started with gradual change, more exercise, strength training and better food choices. It was a slow journey with frustratingly little obvious progress, but I did start to see results. Eventually results began to snowball, and in more areas of my life; clothes were getting looser, I started feeling stronger, and having more confidence. About nine months into my journey, I was really motivated to keep going since I was seeing results. I was actually getting rid of clothes because they were too big! The key for me was strength training, persistence, and accountability. Even when there was no time for cardio I regularly did strength training workouts. Even when I didn't feel like it, I tried to stick with it as much as possible. The accountability of knowing Cathy knew I was at a live workout and having an awesome accountability partner also helped me stay focused on meeting my goals. This is truly a journey, and everyone needs support. So many times, we know the “right” things to do but for one reason or another don’t end up doing them. Having someone help me in my fitness journey was the key!” Cathy again, back to say: WOW, right!? Everyone’s journey is different but one thing that is for sure is that support helps. Sticking with it helps. And it’s hard to do one without the other. Good thing you don’t have to! I founded the Forever Fit Club in 2021 as an online community to help smart, busy women find support and camaraderie on their fitness journey. I invite you to find out more about the Club and join us! Need a super quick tip on meal prepping? Try veggies in the Air Fryer! For me, batch cooking is the best way for me to prepare my veggies for the week. My favorites? Roasted Brussels Sprouts and sweet potatoes are almost always in the rotation! This week, I tried them in the Air Fryer. Yum – crunchy, delicious, and super simple. I'll admit that I wasn't among the early adopters for the Air Fryer because I wasn't eager for yet another appliance to take up real estate on my kitchen counter. What I found, though, is that because you skip the preheating stage of using the oven, it can be quicker and just as healthy for a variety of things I usually roast in the oven. Here are my steps: 1. Slice or dice to your liking (I also like to peel my sweet potatoes first.) 2. Pop into the air fryer 3. Spray with some oil 4. Press “air fry” at 400 degrees for 20 minutes 5. Pause it sometime in the middle to give a little stir. 6. Voila! Ready for eating and portioning out for the week! Give 'em a try and enjoy! Note - I'm reposting this from my Instagram page. Are you on IG? Follow me @InspiringVitality! What does the word "willpower" mean to you? Here are three definitions:
At first glance, it seems like willpower is a good thing. And while it can certainly be viewed as an admirable quality to have, how the word makes us feel is a different story. Do you feel positive or happy when you use the word willpower or does it usually come out of your mouth while you are chastising yourself for not having willpower? How we feel impacts our success and that's why I'm on a mission to remove the word willpower from the equation for healthy lifestyle choices. You don't need willpower to reach your goals! If you don't need willpower, you may be wondering what you need instead. I'm so glad you asked! If you've got fitness or weight loss goals and you've been beating yourself up for not having enough willpower, join me LIVE at one of my upcoming masterclasses to find out the simple steps that make willpower a non-factor! I'd love to see you!  Will a week on vacation spell the end to your exercise routine?
Nope - it doesn't have to be the end, whether you choose to workout on vacation or not! First things first, you will not "lose all your fitness" or "go backwards" by taking even a full week off. On the contrary, sometimes a little extra rest time helps your body regenerate and be ready to get back at it when you return. The trick, of course, is not to let it a week off get you out of the HABIT. Is that a risk for you? For some of us, when we get out of the habit, getting BACK into the habit is super hard. If that is YOU, I suggest you NOT skip the week when you are on vacation! Rather, find at least a few small ways to keep the habit going so you can still feel "on track". That could be a simple walk in the mornings a few times during the week, an online exercise video, or a short sequence of strength training exercises done with convenient and lightweight, travel-friendly exercise tubing. The content is less important than the habit (which is a common theme of mine!) while you are away. When you are home, you'll be glad that exercise is still in your brain and your habits! |
