New Year’s Note by Coach Dan Potts
Hi guys- Just a final note on the year. I’ve never been a big fan of New Years resolutions, but I do like reflecting at this time of year and having those honest conversations with ourselves. It’s our chance to begin anew and let the mistakes of the previous year fall away. Ultimately this thing called life is our chance to grow, Mentally, Physically, Spiritually. It’s the reason we exist, and part of that existence is our travel in and through our challenges, trials, pain, and conquering our fears. It’s a joyous process, but one that has a better chance of success if we indeed are aware of it. So,…
A New Year’s Note
There’s a collective energy in the air at this time of year. Wafting all around us are feelings of freshness, motivation, potential for change, new opportunities, and chances to make ourselves and our lives better, promoted and perpetuated by newspapers, magazines, books, social media, our friends and family, and of course, ourselves. I’m a sucker for it, as I think most of us are. I love starting fresh in the New Year! Usually, we fall back on New Year’s resolutions which don’t tend to lead to lasting change (to which I can definitely attest.) In fact, nine years ago in my very first column for My Edmonds News, I suggested…
Make Every Holiday Moment Count
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities If this sounds like Pandemic Holiday Season 2020 (or all of 2020,) I could not agree more! But it also reminds me so much of Husband Dying of Cancer Holiday Season 2013. As I wrote shortly after this crisis started, there are…
The Consistency Factor
I got Invisalign a couple of months ago. It’s basically a substitute for braces, a series of plastic “trays” that fit on your teeth. After a couple of weeks you switch to the next tray and your teeth move accordingly, so on and so forth until your teeth are where you want them. A client of mine also got Invisalign last year. She is still on her first tray (I’m on tray 7 of 10). We laugh hysterically about it, because she just doesn’t remember to wear it, can’t remember where she puts it until day(s) later, and she’s already lost that first tray three times! But we recently realized…
31 Days of New Year’s Fitness Inspiration
Water–an essential weight loss tool. Make it a habit, bring it with you. Hydrates, filling, ice cold burns more calories. A little goes a long way. Take the stairs, park farther away, eat a bit less each meal, skip that final drink. It adds up. I once knew someone who lost 60lbs and kept it off by eating just 50% of her meals, without fail. Smaller portions work. You will have to deny yourself something at some point. Stay focused on what you want to accomplish. Discomfort will pass. Set & focus on a specific goal. “I want to lose weight” is not as effective as “I want to fit…
Got Mindset?
There is only one thing that stands between getting fit and healthy and not getting fit and healthy: making up your mind. After fifteen years as a trainer and coach, I can assure you that I am not exaggerating the importance of your mindset. It’s the crucial foundation of every fitness-related accomplishment. Once you’ve decided—and I mean really decided—to make changes in your life, it will happen. The motivation comes from making that decision.
For Health & Fitness in the New Year Consider Lifestyle Changes, Not Resolutions
Are your New Year resolutions implemented by now? You’re feeling determined, maybe to hit the gym every day, stick to a diet, or give up alcohol, gluten, dairy, sugar or something else for a while. You’re not alone. Funny how the gym that was so empty in December is suddenly so crowded! It’s natural for so many of us who have over-indulged in food and drink during the holiday season to want to start the next year fresh, get healthier, get stronger or lose the holiday pounds (and more!) And we all should! However, well-intentioned resolutions don’t often translate into action and therefore positive results over the long term. Recently…
