Fit is Freedom with Kelly Howard

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
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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!

Changing Your Lifestyle is Medicine with Michele Drielick, CEO of DestinyWell

Michele Drielick 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. With DestinyWell, 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 conversation, Michele discusses how DestinyWell operates within the medical industry, what aspects of our healthy are frequently overlooked, and the importance of taking control of your health destiny.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Why Michele and her partners founded DestinyWell, and how its primary focus is personal responsibility.
How DestinyWell is built around the vast array of information available to patients today.
What health markers are Michele and her team looking out for.
Breaking down the concept of living “optimally well.”
Bone health, the vital importance of Vitamin D, and the dangers of calcium misuse.
Figuring out what treatments and regimens work best for you and your lifestyle.
How semi-annual checkups can put us off from seeking the treatment we need.
Next week: another special guest!
Quotes:
“I think what we fail to realize as individuals is our own responsibility.”
“Your path is not just predicted by your genes… you own your own health outcome.”
“With the availability of information today, a lot of people feel like they’re smarter than their doctor on a lot of things.”
“Optimal living is finding that place where you’re living congruently about what it is you know about health and about yourself.”
“Changing your lifestyle is medicine.”
“There’s so much to know. It’s evolving all the time and we’re just getting smarter and smarter about it.”
Links:
DestinyWell homepage - https://www.destinywell.com/
DestinyWell quiz - https://www.destinywell.com/quiz/
DestinyWell Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/DestinyWellUS/
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!

Exiting the Pity Party

Whether it’s from a bad day, an honest mistake you made, or events beyond your control, at some point down the line you’ll probably trip and fall into a deep pit of self-pity—“Woe is me,” I can’t believe I messed up like that,” “Can’t I do anything right?”, etc. Those moments leave us feeling weak and hopeless, but if you stay down in that hole for too long then self-pity risks becoming comforting and validating. So when you are down, it’s good to have the tools to dig yourself out.
In this episode, Kelly relates her friends’ personal experiences with self-pity, breaks down how self-pity gets us trapped in our own heads, and provides some helpful tips to get yourself back on your feet and moving again if life gives you a wallop.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
How pity parties quickly build up and override our thoughts.
Why it’s okay to wallow a little.
Figuring out which friends will simply comfort you vs. which friends will offer the constructive advice you need.
Why your significant other may not be the best person to turn to when you’re feeling down.
What’s your Kryptonite? Which stimuli negative affect your mood? What positive activities and pastimes can you bring into your life?
The importance of identifying what you can and cannot control.
How decent food and sleep will help you climb out of your pity hole.
Quotes:
“What we’re talking about today is the emotional body slam that happens most likely to all of us at some time in our life.”
“If something knocked you down, kicked your feet out from underneath you, then just acknowledge it!”
“Call a friend who’s not going to give you the pat on the back. Call a friend who’s gonna give you the tough love.”
“I just immersed myself in things that changed my mindset, that made me a little happier, that made me laugh. Look for the positive out there.”
“When we start focusing on something outside of ourselves, it is so easy to forget about our problems and help someone else.”
Links:
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Egoscue Institute Massage Therapy & Postural Therapy - https://www.egoscue.com/campaigns/landingpage/index.html
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!

Saying ’No’ or ’Hell Yes’

If your calendar doesn't have a lot of white spaces, chances are you're the kind of person who likes to keep busy and lend a hand when asked. But while saying "yes" to every request or opportunity may feel like the right thing to do, who does it benefit if you end up feeling too burnt out to help out or even just enjoy yourself? No one, least of all yourself! To be your best self, you will need to be choosey and prioritize the work that means the most to you and your time.
In this episode, Kelly discusses the risks of saying "yes" to every opportunity, why you need to save some time for yourself, and how the more opportunities you take advantage of means the more you have to decline.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
The pitfalls of being a "Yes-a-holic."
How it's possible to wear yourself out on behalf of others.
A "Joyful Yes" vs. a "Guilty Yes."
Why giving something up can mean giving someone else a good opportunity.
Kelly's cathartic and silly method for recognizing the time available to her.
Quotes:
"There are all of these unlimited opportunities in our lives and it's really up to us to pick and choose the things that really matter and just let the rest go."
"When it feels like too much, it's OK to say no."
"A yes given grudgingly, or a guilty no, do not have the same energy as 'Hell Yes'."
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!

On Achieving the Vision of Ourselves We Want

Anyone who regularly steps on the bathroom scale knows the power—and intimidation—of numbers when getting physically fit. But the black-and-white reality of numbers are beneficial to achieving the vision of ourselves we want. Just by tracking what you eat and how you exercise, you’ll find yourself on a more concrete path to becoming the You to want to be.
In this episode, Kelly discusses using your idealized vision to design a personalized schedule that will allow you to meet the numbers you need to succeed.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
-Vision: what are the specific goals you want to accomplish, e.g. physical appearance and fitness, activities you want to participate in, etc.?
-Taking advantage of mental encoding.
-How scheduling lets us turn our abstract goals into concrete reality.
-Kelly provides an example of her typical schedule for reference.
-The “boring” but important process of tracking your food intake and exercise habits.
-Water: easy to overlook but so very necessary to staying fit and healthy.
-Why you shouldn’t solely rely on BMI (Body Mass Index) and give Dexa bone density scans a shot.
Quotes:
“You need to know your vision, you need to have a schedule, and you need to know your numbers—but those numbers do not always come from the bathroom scale.”
“Being able to feel it, see it in your mind, and know what it is you want is a super quick shortcut to getting what it is that you want.”
“There is magic in [putting] pen to paper and then having your schedule somewhere you can see it.”
“The bottom line is: you do need to know, at least in broad strokes, what you’re consuming.”
Links:
The Angel Tiger Fit homepage - https://angeltigerfit.com/
Angel Tiger Fit Action Plan - https://kellyhoward.lpages.co/atf-download-get-fit-website/
Camelbak Water Calculator - https://www.camelbak.com/en/hydrated/hydration-calculator\
Dexa Scan - https://www.osteopenia3.com/dexa-scans.html
BMI Calculator - https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
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!

On Progress

Remember the old saying about “the best laid plans of mice and men”? It’s important to keep in mind because life often has a way of intruding on our carefully crafted work schedules and workout routines. While it’s easy to feel down ourselves in these situations for not accomplishing everything we hope to, it’s important to take a gradual approach to personal progress that allows us to feel good by taking small but important steps.
In this episode, Kelly discusses how to pick yourself up after stumbling, find solace in the little steps you take, and why you should take a hard look at the reasons you’ve set certain goals.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
-Dispelling the illusion of “perfection,” and finding an alternative.
-The benefits of loosely focused rather than laser-focused action.
-Kelly’s kayaking experience and taking it one step at a time.
-Considering what you really, truly want out of your goals.
-Plan little celebrations for each successful step you take!
Quotes:
“Occasionally we get exactly perfectly what it is we set out to accomplish, but mostly life’s a little messy.”
“Progress means you’re moving forward, even if you’re not moving forward at superhuman speed.”
“Perfectionism sets an improbable and unsustainable standard.”
“Remember to look back and be gentle with yourself when you don’t hit your goals.”
“Look forward at what you want, look back at what you accomplished.”
Links:
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!