Fit is Freedom with Kelly Howard

Clarity is a Superpower

Unfortunately, life has done its thing and gotten in the way of Kelly’s “Superpower” month. So fittingly, we’re going to revisit an older episode where we discussed how to clear your head and maintain your drive even when life has tried to derail you. To keep ourselves on track and accountable when we really just aren't feeling it on an off day, it helps to have a solid plan to provide motivation and structure.
In this episode, Kelly discusses the dangers of overwork, how to formulate a plan that keeps you active yet not worn out, and some key techniques for becoming your own best coach.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Kelly relates her own difficulties working through fatigue and discomfort.
The importance of finding a friend you can be accountable with.
How essential it is to follow through on the promises you've made for yourself.
Turning your wishlist into a workable schedule.
Download Kelly's 12-step plan to get back on your feet, and find a partner to keep you accountable at AngelTigerFit.com!
Register for our latest Fit & Fun Challenge at the Angel Tiger Fit homepage.
Quotes:
“Sometimes we can't always keep ourselves on track and motivated. Sometimes we need the power of friends and a good plan to get ourselves back on track.”
“I think this is where most of us fall off, when we have a wishlist instead of a schedule.”
Links:
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
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Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Sleep is a Superpower

It’s a brand new year, and Kelly is kicking things off with a “superpower” month, focusing on how managing different aspects of our life can vastly improve our day-to-day enjoyment. While we will examine friends, habits and weights in the near future, this week we’re going to focus on something that can take up approximately a third of each day: sleep!In this first episode of 2019, Kelly lists her 10 top tips for not only falling asleep but staying asleep, ensuring you reach that much-needed REM state and feeling refreshed the next day.The Finer Details of This Episode:Tip 1: don’t use an alarm clock unless you really have to.Tip 2: make your bedroom as dark as possible.Tip 3: use earplugs or a white/pink noise machine to muffle any unwanted background noise.Tip 4: keep your room cool at night.Tip 5: consider a night guard to prevent grinding your teeth.Tip 6: minimize caffeine, especially later in the day.Tip 7: don’t drink alcohol, at least for a month or two at a time.Tip 8: use herbal remedies to improve sleep quality.Tip 9: turn off your screens well before bed.Tip 10: turn your mind off using “throw-down” books and red light.Quotes:“Getting a good start on the day is one of the best things you can do to make your day and your life shine.”“A lot of what I do at night is designed to slow my mind down.”“I know with a pretty good amount of sleep at night I have a really clear brain the next day.”Subscribe & Review in iTunes:Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Revamp Your Habits = Revitalize Your Health - Interview with Jim Fortin

For this special New Year’s edition of Your Body Mind Fit Connection, we interview professional and personal coach Jim Fortin. Jim is a certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming as well as a certified Master Hypnotist. When it comes to nutrition, fitness and personal growth in general, he believes that the key to creating actual, lifelong change is not barreling through with willpower but instead using mental development to reshape your habits, attitudes, and even your very identity.
In this episode, Jim discusses how we become the stories we tell ourselves, why grabbing an extra sweet doesn’t mean we’ve failed our resolutions, and the pitfalls of relying solely on willpower when it comes to getting in shape.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Breaking down our relationship with our habits.
Why people who make fitness-based New Year’s resolutions give up on them so quickly.
Taking a closer look at the mental associations that create bad eating habits.
How little solutions lead to bigger outcomes more effectively than large-scale solutions.
Why people see innocent slip-ups as reasons they’ve “failed” their resolutions.
Jim’s encounter with pharmaceutical sales representative and how it taught him that our fitness is product of how we think of our “story.”
Understanding and working with the body’s natural healing capacity, including the surprising benefits of self-hypnosis.
The downsides of relying solely on willpower for achieving your fitness and nutrition goals.
COMING SOON: a new Fit & Fun challenge!
Quotes:
"95% of what we do, day in, day out, is habit."
“If you trip along the way, it doesn’t mean anything other than that you tripped.”
“What you want to start doing is reprogramming your subconscious mind for the outcomes you want.”
“You have to be the outcome in your mind first.”
"Whatever you are in your mind, you will be in your external world."
Links:
Jim’s homepage - https://www.jimfortin.com/
It Works: The Famous Little Red Book That Makes Your Dreams Come True - https://www.amazon.com/Works-Famous-Little-Makes-Dreams/dp/0875163238
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Podigy - https://podigy.co/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes:
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Forging Fitness One Step at a Time, Interview with Joe Jacobi

Joe Jacobi is an Olympic gold medallist in slalom canoeing (Barcelona, 1992), a high performance coach, and the man behind the Sunday Morning Joe inspirational newsletter. When he was the CEO of US Canoe/Kayak, Joe realized that his health was starting to suffer and that he was putting everybody else’s needs before his own, reinforcing his belief that fitness is a constant practice and that even Olympic athletes can have their own ups and downs. Joe’s expertise lies in incremental actions, helping many people—Kelly included—bind together their comprehensive life and health routines to make them workable.
In this episode, Joe discusses his love of Spain, why he takes a small steps, incremental approach to fitness coaching, and how it’s what we do during the evening rather than during the day that impacts our fitness the most.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Kelly recounts the strangely “snowy” day she and Joe connected.
Joe explains why he and his family moved to Spain and his personal history with the Andorra region.
How paddling white water rivers forced Joe to think of improvement in incremental terms, and why he feels canoeing and kayaking symbolize life in general.
Joe’s method for working with clients and why he has them focus on training in the here and now rather than for specific fitness goals.
Why sleep habits are the very first things Joe focuses on in his Start Line e-course.
Debunking the myth that Olympic athletes have always been in great shape, including Joe’s own health issues as a former CEO.
Why evening can be the riskiest part of the day for those trying to stay in shape.
Quotes:
"I wanted to wake up like I belonged here."
"I think when we're on the river, we have choices, and we can either just sort of tuck and let the water kind of push us around at its will, or we can learn to navigate it."
"It just doesn't serve the very best athletes in the world any good at all to put any thought into what color medal they're going to win."
"Nobody needs to repeat to themselves that they wanna be world champion—it's inside of them."
Links:
Joe’s homepage - https://joejacobi.com/
Sunday Morning Joe newsletter - https://joejacobi.com/sign-up-for-sunday-morning-joe/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes:
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Sugar and Stress: a Hormonal Mess!

Michele Drielick (see her earlier episode) returns to break down all things stressful. In case you missed her earlier appearance, Michele is the CEO of DestinyWell, a private laboratory that specializes in providing “at-home” medical tests for health-conscious individuals, as well as health coaching. She aims to keep patients on top of their health outside of their annual or semiannual checkups and identify which conditions your body may be susceptible to before they fully develop and become real problems.
In this episode, Michele discusses stress, the wide-ranging impact it has on your body, and how you can tame stress and make it work to your advantage.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
The interaction between stress and sleep, and why it’s a mistake to think of it as purely psychological.
How stress can deeply impact fertility hormones.
Why we need to take a combined mind-body approach to combating stress.
The benefits of reframing the things you “have” to do as the things you “get” to do.
The surprisingly quick way your body can turn itself around when you want it to.
The relationship between sugars and stress and how the latter can affect your nutrition.
Michele’s positive experience using the Oura Ring health tracking device.
Stress, sleep, and Kelly’s experience with sea monsters.
Why you should be saving hormone treatments for last.
Quotes:
“When we think negative things, our body interprets that as stress.”
"Your body is creating a physical environment based on what you perceive to be an emotional environment, and it's not, 'cause they're chemicals.."
"You just need to give your body the chance to heal itself."
Links:
DestinyWell homepage - https://www.destinywell.com/
DestinyWell Ultra Profile - https://www.destinywell.com/product/the-destinywell-ultra-profile/
DestinyWell Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/DestinyWellUS/
Oura Ring - https://ouraring.com/
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Podigy - https://podigy.co/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes:
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Toning Up with Tabatas, Interview with Sarah Thomas

Sarah Thomas is a personal trainer who runs Refined Life Fitness, which offers a variety of programs and online bootcamps that aim to get you into your ideal shape within a reasonable time frame. With a focus on high intensity training and tabatas exercises, you can perform Refined Life Fitness’ training regimens at your local gym or even at home.
In this episode, Sarah discusses the benefits of higher intensity workouts, why weight training may be even more important than cardio routines as you age, and why she developed a program aimed at getting kids in shape.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
What tabatas exercises are and how they compare and contrast with high-intensity interval training.
What pushed Sarah to develop her Burn Fat & Feast program.
Why we're more prone to injury as we age, and how muscle training can prevent that.
Carb cycling and why Sarah's program places such focus on macronutrients.
How Sarah's Funky FitKids Program came to be.
Quotes:
"If you only have 4-10 minutes to work out, you can do tabatas and move on with your day."
"You literally can transform your body by dong any sort of strength training at all."
"It's not about the number on the scale, it's more about how your clothes fit and how you feel and the toneness of your body."
"Nutrition is key to any successful wellness plan."
Links:
Refined Life Fitness homepage - https://refinedlifefitness.com/
Burn Fat & Feast 101 Program - https://refinedlifefitness.com/burn-fat-and-feast-101/
Funky FitKids Program - https://refinedlifefitness.com/funky-fitkids-program/
Sarah on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/refinedlifefitness
Sarah on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/refinedlifefitness/
Sarah on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/sarahbthomas1
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Podigy - https://podigy.co/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

8 Steps to an Easy New Year

The winter holidays can be a perilous time when you're trying to maintain a workout routine—even more if you plan on starting one, as is the case with many New Year's resolutions. Between the food and festivity (and depending on where you live, the weather), you might not feel like going out for a daily jog or even have the time to fit one in.
So for those worried about keeping up or starting a routine during Yuletide, Kelly lists her 8 steps working out consistently over the holidays while still taking time to enjoy yourself.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
A shout-out to Jamie for her review of last week's episode!
How to easily transition from outdoor spring/summer exercise to indoor fall/winter workouts.
Why the usual approach to New Year's fitness resolutions so often fails.
Kelly's comprehensive tips for making “sticky” resolutions.
If you need a workout partner to keep you in check over the holidays, find one on the Angel Tiger Fit homepage!
Quotes:
"Fitness isn't this week; it's forever!”
“Take care of your schedule before you do anything else.”
"So often the knee-jerk desire is 'lose weight,' when in fact, what you really might want is that feeling you get when you're super healthy."
"Start small, start doable."
Links:
Fit & Fun Challenge - https://kellyhoward.lpages.co/atf-30-days-challenge-opt-in-website/
The Angel Tiger Fit Scheduler – https://kellyhoward.lpages.co/atf-download-get-fit-website/
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage – https://angeltigerfit.com/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes:
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Walk Like a Tiger

We're told that sitting up straight, walking with purpose and flashing a smile are reliable ways to make good first impressions, but when you're feeling down, or even just tired, it can be difficult to conjure up the spirit to even just smirk. Yet you may find that putting in that little bit of effort is enough to boost your mood. By changing up our body language—posture, expression, etc.—we can not only project who we want to be to others but start to feel that way about ourselves as well.
In this episode, Kelly discusses the evidence linking body language to mood, a very unusual study, and how even altering her posture has changed the way people look at her.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
A shout-out to Kimberly Eifrid, who wrote in about our recent interview with Lisa Hisscock.
The studies suggesting outward appearance affects our attitude.
Boosting your mood by changing up your posture.
How "walking like a tiger" wowed a cashier and boosted Kelly's mood
Coming in December: interviews with a gold medalist and a modern day shaman!
Quotes:
"Just smile and wiggle your butt—it works with most things in life."
"Our movements and our physical action affects our minds and our emotions."
"You can literally change your hormones by the way you change your body language."
"Change your body, change your mind."
Links:
Amy Cuddy, "Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are" - https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
Lumo Lift Posture Coach & Activity Tracker - https://www.lumobodytech.com/lumo-lift-posture-corrector/
More Than a Body homepage – http://www.morethanabody.com/
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage – https://angeltigerfit.com/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes:
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Healthier Habits for a Fitter Future, Interview with Lisa Hisscock

Lisa Hisscock is a certified health and fitness coach specializing in behavioral change, working closely with her clients to foster new and healthy habits to keep them in shape on a day-to-day basis. Through her coaching business More Than a Body, she takes a full lifestyle approach to health and fitness. With her routine and enough time, the exercises and chores you always end up putting off until later will become second-nature.
In this conversation, Lisa lays out her “four non-negotiables” for changing behaviour, explains why we overestimate the importance of willpower in fitness, and delves into why your happy hour routine may have to change with your fitness routine.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Lisa explains why “empty nesters” make up the bulk of her clientele.
The different exercise habits Lisa noticed among her early clients and why this observation pushed her toward behavioral coaching.
Lisa lays out her four-factor process for enabling long-term behavioral changes in her clients.
A few easy tips for fighting off insomnia.
Minimizing cortisol, the stress hormone.
Why changing your habits can mean changing your hangouts.
Quotes:
“I envision this world, Kelly, where we don’t have any bathroom scales anymore.”
“I really wanted to help people in AND out of the gym.”
“You have to take action, and if not you just have a journal of things that you’d like to do.”
“When biology and willpower go to war, biology wins 100% of the time.”
“It is very important to me that I set up my environment to be the healthiest version of me.”
Links:
More Than a Body homepage - http://www.morethanabody.com/
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!

Surviving the Social Side of Food, interview with Ricki Heller

Ricki Heller is an educator, author and anti-candida nutritionist. As part of her Sweet Life program, Ricki advocates for a diet free of high-glycemic sweeteners, refined sugars, caffeine, and many other food types to ensure long-lasting and vibrant health. She also argues for the widespread normalization of vegan and gluten-free dishes, rather than them being the exception to the rule on restaurant menus and the potluck table.
In this episode, Ricki explains why we need to overhaul our diets, dissects how staples like sugars can negatively impact our systems, and suggests some handy tips for making “non-traditional” meals the norm at parties and gatherings.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
How her mother’s health issues radically changed Ricki’s approach to nutrition.
Tips for healthy eating over the holiday season.
Her surprise approach to making vegan and gluten-free foods more inviting.
Breaking down how cutting out sugars and other sweeteners positively affects your body.
Quotes:
“You don’t have to give up your favorite foods to be healthy… but you do need to find more healthful alternatives.”
“I think, as a society, we have just grown accustomed to always feeling less than well.”
“My feeling is, don’t tell them, just serve it to them, and if it really is good they won’t know the difference!”
Links:
Ricki Heller’s homepage - https://www.rickiheller.com/
Ricki’s recipes - https://www.rickiheller.com/recipes/
The Sweet Life Health Club - https://www.rickiheller.com/work-with-me/sweet-life/
Food Freedom Program - https://www.rickiheller.com/work-with-me/food-freedom/
Candida Kick-Start Program - https://rickiheller.lpages.co/candida-kick-start-reg/
Ricki’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/RickiHellerpage/
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Subscribe & Review in iTunes
Have you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do so and not miss an episode. You’ll be the first to know when bonus episodes are added and if you’re not subscribed, you could miss out :). Click here to subscribe in iTunes!
Also, I would be truly grateful if you left me a review on iTunes. It makes my day to read them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what you love and what you want to hear more of. Thank you!