Why the Scale is Hindering Our Progress

Why the scale is hindering our progress.

And remember that my Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge begins next Monday August 7th. 

Sign up for the challenge by clicking HERE

During this video I'm sharing my top 5 reasons why we should not use a scale to determine success.

During this Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge, I’m not holding back with the truth about diets, quick fixes and unhelpful fads.

I’m going to share with you why diets do not work. Then I’m going to share with you exactly what does work to help you see lasting results with your health and fitness.

After this 5 day challenge, you will have tools to finally begin giving up dieting once and for all.

Here’s what we will be taking about during this Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge:

Day 1 – Why diets do not work. 
How to stop the rollercoaster. 
How to begin doing what actually does work.

Day 2 – How to eat intentionally. 
How to make clean eating part of your lifestyle by understanding exactly what clean eating is.

Day 3 – How to begin clean eating.
How to begin making nutritional changes that will last a lifetime.

Day 4 – Strategies for eating out and staying healthy.
How to interpret nutrition labels and exactly what to look for.

Day 5 – How to use exercise to your advantage for maximum results.

Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge

I’ve tried them ALL over the years – and even a few that I created myself.  Then I failed them ALL over the years.

Constantly being on a different diet was how I lived my life from the time I realized that I was overweight as a young teenager, through pharmacy school and through the first seven years of my career.  Always on a diet, always restricting myself, always feeling deprived, always struggling with my weight.

I remember how bad the feelings of being deprived were.  The feelings of not being able to eat this or have that.  Those feelings are awful.  Those feelings bring on more unhealthy habits and more desperate attempts.

Diets.

They don’t work.

They don’t last.

They don’t bring us long term results.

What they do is set us up to fail.

During this Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge, I’m not holding back with the truth about diets, quick fixes and unhelpful fads.

I’m going to share with you why diets do not work.  Then I’m going to share with you exactly what does work to help you see lasting results with your health and fitness. 

After this 5 day challenge, you will have tools to finally begin giving up dieting once and for all.

Here’s what we will be taking about during this Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge:

Day 1 – Why diets do not work. 

    How to stop the rollercoaster.

    How to begin doing what actually does work.

Day 2 – How to eat intentionally.

    How to make clean eating part of your lifestyle by understanding

    exactly what clean eating is.

Day 3 – How to begin clean eating.

              How to begin making nutritional changes that will last a lifetime.

Day 4 – Strategies for eating out and staying healthy.

              How to interpret nutrition labels and exactly what to look for.

Day 5 – How to use exercise to your advantage for maximum results.

Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge will be happening beginning Monday August 7^th in my Empowered Intentionally Facebook Community.

All you need to do to join this Drop the Diet 5 Day Free Challenge is click the link below and complete the form with your name and email.  Then you will receive and email from me with instructions for joining the Empowered Intentionally Community.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN 

Exercise vs. Nutrition

Exercise vs. Nutrition

Which is really most important?
Which will bring us the most results?
Can't we just work off the calories that we eat with a good workout?

Living off 100 calorie packs, sweet tea, candy and coffee drinks was exactly how I started my career as a Pharmacist.  These were the foods that gave me the sugar rush, gave me a short burst of energy and helped me get through long work shifts.

Back then I could eat almost anything that I wanted and exercise enough to burn it off...or so I thought.

Click below for the rest of the story!

Why I'm Not as Healthy as I Should Be and What I'm Doing About It

This video is the hardest video I've ever recorded!  I'm being completely honest and open with you.

I'm a little scared to admit the things I talk about during this video - but it's time to be honest. 

TODAY I'm sharing WHY and exactly WHAT I'm doing about it.

Click the picture below to be directed to the video.

Ditch the Junk 5 Day Challenge

EAT ALL THE CARBS!?!?  

I know, this advice is a little strange!  Follow me for a second here, I’ll connect this to DITCHING THE JUNK CHALLENGE, I promise.

Eating all the carbs is totally against all that I’ve been working towards over the last couple of months.  I’ve been very diligent about eliminating almost all processed foods, including wheat and gluten because of results from a food sensitivities test.  

So, when my doctor told me that I need to eat wheat and foods that contain gluten for 2 weeks, I was literally MAD and frustrated all at the same time.  But, this advice is for a good reason, I’m having some blood work done next week and need to have gluten in my system for accurate results.

HERE’S THE PROBLEM that I have with eating breads and wheat products – it just causes me to CRAVE ALL THE SUGAR!!

Can you relate to the sugar cravings and the carb cravings??  Trust me, I KNOW what you’re feeling!

Next week, I’m creating a game plan for myself to help me when it’s time to stop eating the breads!  

It’s going to be a challenge BUT having a plan in place and SUPPORT around me will make it much easier.

During our Ditch the Junk 5 Day Challenge we will discuss:

1. Why we CRAVE carbs and what we can do about it.

2. The EFFECTS of not-so-healthy carbs on our body and mind.

3. Healthy food swaps to help us ditch the junk food cravings.

4. How exercise impacts sugar cravings.

5. How support and accountability WILL help you DITCH the JUNK once and for all!

This challenge will be happening inside my closed Facebook Community, the Empowered Intentionally Community.  

Here’s what you’ll need to do to join us.

1.  Click the LINK BELOW to sign up for the challenge with your email address.

2.  Then check your inbox for an email from me with instructions for joining the Facebook Community so that you’re ready to begin on July 10th!

If you have any questions at all, email me at kristinratliffhealth@gmail.com

What I Learned During the Hardest Workouts of My Life

It’s been a little bit since I’ve just written a blog to share my thoughts and part of my journey.  And since I just survived the hardest week of fitness that I’ve ever experienced, I decided that it’s time for me to get back to blogging about each step of my journey.

I’ve known about Shaun Week for a couple months.  The Beachbody community has been so excited for this fitness event since they made the announcement.  Most of my fellow Coaches have been talking about it for weeks.  I, on the other hand, was not excited about it.  The thought of Shaun Week scared me and made me want to stay as far away from it as I could.  Shaun Week was advertised as a 7 day, ultimate sweat for your life workout event, exclusive to Beachbody On Demand.

I’ll start from the beginning of my history with Shaun T.  I completed Shaun T’s 10 week workout program a few years ago, T25.  That one was hard for me because I’m not a big fan of fast paced cardio, jumping, athletic type or agility type exercises.  My favorite part of his program was listening to him during each workout.  He has a special way to motivate, encourage, push, inspire, yell a little and bring SO much out of each person during each workout.  When I finished that program I had decided that I probably wouldn’t do any of his other programs, because just the name insanity scares me!  You might also know him from his Insanity workouts!

So, when I heard about Shaun Week, I just knew that it would be too difficult for me and had decided that I wasn’t going to even attempt it.  

But me, being who I am, just could not miss out on this event!  I decided Monday morning, day 1 of the event, that I was going for it!  No matter how hard, no matter how much I had to modify, no matter how much I pressed pause, no matter what. 

So I began day 1 Monday – the first workout was titled Insane Basics – I was scared and immensely excited all at the same time.  I’m not going to lie, this workout was hard, I pressed pause a few times, I modified some of the exercises, BUT I completed the workout for day 1!  And I felt so strong, empowered and reinvigorated to take this week and make the most of it! 

And each day this week, even with workout names like Pure Cardio, Insane Weights, Ripsanity, Speed 4.0 and Dig Deep, I survived each workout!  What’s most important is that none of these workouts were perfect.  I know I pressed pause at least once each day.  I definitely used modified exercises some of the time.  

BUT this week, imperfections and all, has changed me.  Working out, struggling, sweating, breathing hard, muscles burning, mind focused.  All with Shaun T motivating, encouraging, pushing and yelling in my ear.  

It’s a perfect storm for life changing, mindset shifting, body changing, confidence boosting, strength building, plateau busting and no-nonsense action taking.  

Each workout finished this week helped me dig deeper, feel stronger, more focused, more challenged, more tested, more capable and more confident.
  
Exercise changed my life years ago.  Exercise continues to change me every single day.  

Shaun WEEK, the entire 7 day event, can change you!
You have the opportunity to complete the entire 7 days of Shaun WEEK for FREE!  As well as access to every single Beachbody Workout Program during a 14 day free trial!  

Click the picture below (OR CLICK HERE) to sign up for the 14 DAY FREE TRIAL!

** Follow directions on the screen once you've clicked the link above, then choose the option on bottom right for free 14 day trial.  OR you can GO ALL IN WITH ME and purchase the Beachbody On Demand Challenge Pack on the top left!

If you have any questions at all, please email me at kristinratliffhealth@gmail.com


** This offer is available to those not already working with a Beachbody Coach.  If you’re working with a Beachbody Coach, please contact them for help.

Stop Storing FAT 5 Day FREE Challenge

You know those feelings that rush over you when you are able to pinch more skin on your body than before?

You know those feelings when you start to have love handles that you’ve not seen in a while?

You know those feelings of failure, frustration and doubt when the nutrition plan that you were once successful with is no longer working?

You know those feelings of defeat when you’re working out harder than ever before but not seeing the results that you want to see?

How amazing would it feel to NOT be able to pinch an inch?

How amazing would it feel if your thighs didn’t jiggle so much?

How amazing would it feel to have more energy?

I knew when I could pinch more skin on my waist than usual that something had to change.  I’ve usually been able to keep my waist and stomach fairly slim, but lately it’s been much more difficult, and isn’t really working out well for me.  I’ve always struggled with holding weight in my thighs – you know those thunder thighs that some of us have.  Well, lately my thighs have not been fitting into my jeans as well as they once were!  My whole midsection has been changing as I’m enjoying my mid-30’s!

All of these reasons above are EXACTLY why I’ve been experimenting a little with my own nutrition and learning about fat storage, our metabolism and how we can begin to make changes happen. 

Because of all the experimenting and learning, I’ve realized that I HAVE to share this information with you!  

It IS possible for us to STOP STORING FAT!

During the STOP STORING FAT 5 DAY FREE CHALLENGE, I will share with you:

- How nutrition, fat intake and the types of food we eat effects our body’s ability to burn fat.

- How exercise and the different types of exercise effect our metabolism and fat burning potential.

- How our daily eating patterns and how often we eat will change our body’s ability to burn fat.

- How our gut health effects our fat storage and metabolism.

- How support and accountability will impact our success.

ALL of THIS will be happening online in my Empowered Intentionally Facebook Community beginning Monday June 12th!

Here’s what you need to do to JOIN the STOP STORING FAT 5 DAY FREE CHALLENGE: 

1. Complete this form by clicking HERE (I will email you during the challenge)

2. JOIN the Empowered Intentionally Facebook Community!  This is where all of the content and daily videos will be posted.  Click  HERE to join.

3. Invite your friends by sharing this blog post!