The Power of Meditation for Your Well-being

This month in my Transform® group, we are having a mediation series hosted by Dr. Ellen Cooke, a radiation oncologist and owner of Circle of Hope. She is a gifted meditation leader and you can check out her work HERE.

If meditation isn’t part of your current practice, not to worry. Often we aren’t clear on the amazing benefits of meditation, so I wanted to share a little bit more today. It is when I realized its power to help me lead with more clarity and calmness, that I became consistent.

Meditation is much more than a simple stress-reliever; it's an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and cultivate inner peace. Regular practice can help increase focus, boost mood, and improve overall health.

Through mindfulness meditation, we learn to live in the present, reducing worries about the past or future. This can lead to improved mental clarity and emotional stability. Physically, meditation can enhance the immune system, lower blood pressure, and even alter brain structure to encourage positive traits like empathy and resilience.

Incorporating meditation into your daily routine doesn't require a major time commitment. Even a quick five-minute session can make a substantial difference in your day. There are numerous guided meditation apps and websites available, making it easy to get started.

I truly believe that meditation has something to offer everyone. I wanted to share just a few of the benefits that meditation is well known for.

Lower Stress Hormones

Research consistently shows that regular meditation can indeed decrease cortisol levels, the stress hormone. High cortisol levels can lead to a variety of health issues including anxiety, depression, headaches, and insomnia. By reducing cortisol, meditation not only promotes relaxation but can also improve sleep quality, boost mood, and enhance overall well-being. Hence, meditation's role in maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle goes beyond mental benefits, having a profound impact on physical health as well.

Fostering Self-Love

Indeed, meditation can significantly aid in fostering self-love, a crucial aspect of well-being that often gets overlooked. The practice of meditation allows for a deeper connection with oneself, promoting self-awareness and self-acceptance. It encourages us to step back and observe our thoughts non-judgmentally, helping to cultivate a kinder, more compassionate attitude toward ourselves. Furthermore, it enables us to embrace our imperfections and forgive our mistakes, vital steps in nurturing self-love. In this way, meditation can be a potent tool in the journey toward self-love, enhancing our inner strength and empowering us to lead more fulfilling, contented lives.

Struggling with Thought Spirals?

One of the most powerful benefits of meditation is its ability to slow down our thought spirals. In our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, it's easy to find ourselves caught in a whirlwind of thoughts and worries. This incessant mind chatter can lead to anxiety, stress, and even depression. Meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, teaches us to slow down and observe our thoughts without judgment. By creating a space between ourselves and our thoughts, we can gain perspective and prevent ourselves from being swept away by negative thought spirals. Over time, this practice can lead to a calmer and more focused mind, improved emotional regulation, and a greater sense of inner peace.

What About Optimal Weight Loss?

While meditation might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about weight loss, it can indeed play a supportive role in this journey. Meditation can help manage stress, which is often a major factor in weight gain. When we're stressed, our bodies release the hormone cortisol which can trigger cravings for high-calorie foods. By reducing stress levels, meditation can help curb these cravings.

Mindfulness meditation can foster a heightened awareness of our bodies and eating habits. This can lead to more conscious food choices, helping us avoid mindless eating and emotional overeating. It can also aid in recognizing fullness cues, which can prevent overeating. So, while meditation doesn't directly cause weight loss, it cultivates a mindset that supports healthier eating habits and a more balanced lifestyle. Therefore, incorporating meditation into a weight loss plan alongside a nutritious diet and regular physical activity could potentially enhance results.

Well, there you have it. I recommend checking out Dr. Ellen Cooke’s work; this is exactly where I began my practice.

Enjoy and talk soon!

Xoxo-
Ali

Unleashing the Power of the Law of Attraction

I don’t know about you, but I firmly believe what we put out, we attract back - the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction is a simple yet profound principle that suggests that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life. It's about focusing on the positive, visualizing your goals, and attracting them into your reality.

But how exactly do we implement this law in our daily lives? We can start today!

It's this positive energy that will attract things that will serve you. Being aware of what we are putting out there becomes easier when we take note of what is coming back to us.

I wanted to share some of my own practices to help you better understand and leverage the Law of Attraction. 

Tips for Attracting Positive Energy 

1. Maintain Thoughts that Serve You: Growth Mindset thinking is the cornerstone of the Law of Attraction. By maintaining a growth mindset, you're more likely to attract positive experiences into your life.

2. Visualize Success: Spend a few minutes each day visualizing your goals as if they're already achieved. This will align your energy with your goals, attracting them into your reality. Don’t skip this step!!

3. Practice Gratitude: Cultivate a gratitude practice to keep your energy positive. Appreciate the things you have and express your gratitude regularly. This can be to yourself and others.

4. Surround Yourself with Positivity: Your environment significantly influences your energy. Surround yourself with positive people who inspire you and reinforce your positive thinking. Don’t continue to hang out in spaces that don't serve this for you.

5. Affirmations: Use powerful affirmations consistently. Repeating positive phrases like "I am love" or "I attract positivity" can effectively change your energy and attract positive life events.

Remember, the Law of Attraction works best when you believe in it and practice it consistently. Even if you just become more aware of what energy you are putting into the world, you are well on your way to attracting all the amazing things that you desire.

Xoxo
Ali

Embracing Positivity: Letting Go of Negative Energy!

I want to address an important topic that I believe resonates with all of us at some point in our lives – letting go of negative energy.

Life can sometimes throw curveballs our way, challenging our peace of mind and overall well-being. However, I firmly believe that by embracing positivity and consciously releasing negativity, we can elevate our energy significantly.

Here is how I approach letting go:

1. Acknowledge and accept: The first step toward releasing negative energy is acknowledging it. Recognize the emotions, thoughts, or situations that bring you down and accept that they exist. By acknowledging them, you allow yourself to work on finding ways to let go.
   

2. Surround yourself with positivity: Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can have a tremendous impact on our mindset. Seek out people, books, music, or even online communities that uplift and inspire you. Together, we can create an environment that fosters growth and happiness.
   

3. Practice self-care: Taking care of ourselves is essential in maintaining a positive mindset. Engage in activities that bring you joy, whether it's exercising, meditating, painting, or simply spending quality time with loved ones. Remember, self-care is not selfish; it's a vital part of nurturing our mental and emotional well-being.
   

4. Focus on gratitude: Gratitude has transformative power. By shifting our attention to the things we are grateful for, we can redirect our energy toward positivity. Take a moment each day to reflect on the blessings in your life, big or small. It's incredible how this simple practice can change our perspective.
   

5. Let go of what no longer serves you: Negative energy can sometimes stem from holding onto past experiences or relationships that no longer serve us. Learning to let go, forgive, and move forward is crucial for our personal growth. Remember, forgiveness is about freeing ourselves from the burden of negativity.

One of my all time favorite messages is: it’s not what happens, it’s how we handle it. When we all commit to releasing the negative and embracing the positive, we can inspire and uplift each other, creating a ripple effect of love and light in the world.

With love and gratitude,

Xoxo
Ali

Finding Yourself? Be Gentle.

Over the past year, I have dedicated time to digging deeper into my own life. Getting clear on my core desires; what I want more of and what I want less of.

I thought this would be a freeing, uplifting experience. Ha. Ha. Ha. Let me just say this, I have pushed and tested myself more than I ever have, which brought on massive discomfort. I have also disappointed people.

What I have found… is that discomfort and disappointment are all part of the process. And, please hear this: You will disappoint other people, and other people will disappoint you. It is when you are no longer willing to disappoint yourself when you will find and accept the most authentic version of yourself.

So, what is the process?? This is the beauty. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to understanding and honoring who you truly are. What I do know to be true is that I have identified 3 strategies that will help you on your way to self discovery.

Here they are:

1. Create massive space for yourself. This means you have to create space for your thoughts, feelings, and even actions. In this space, the practice of awareness and non-judgment will allow you to keep going deeper. 

2. Create massive space for others. During this time where you have the potential to be quite vulnerable, practicing compassion toward others will allow you to extend the safe circle you are creating for yourself.

3. Lean into the spaces where your energy takes you. If you lean into what your intuitive side knows to be true, you will be able to surround yourself with the tools that will have your back. This could be reading thought-provoking books, working with a therapist, working with a coach. You don’t have to do this alone.

I am continuing to honor the space I have created for myself, the space I have created for others, and also asking for more help from those who are massively supporting my journey. I am telling you this because the discomfort that has come up has allowed me to have more growth than I ever thought possible.

I have started to accept and honor my needs, which has created tension in some relationships. And, now I have massive clarity, compassion, and forgiveness within them. I have a clearer vision on how I will structure my time based on my core desires and my WHY.

I have chosen to put myself out there and be the most vulnerable version of myself.

I have chosen to sit with the urge to fix things. 

I have chosen to sit with the urge to take on old codependent behaviors.

I have chosen to say YES to things that really scare me but I know are right.

And why?

I believe that we are all created so uniquely amazing, AND, it is our birthright to know who we are authentically - and then to show up for ourselves authentically. Our intuitive sense will guide us, and our intuitive sense can be the clearest when we release fear, blame, shame, and grief.

We can release the emotions that need releasing when we are willing to feel them. And, when we do, we open up a whole new world of self-discovery. So, be gentle. Create space for you and them. Lean in. Ask yourself what it is that you need… and do that.

Trust the process. If it feels like you want to puke, you are doing it right.

All my love.

Xoxo-
Ali

Trying To Control Everything??

One of the things that comes up often in my groups is the idea that we can control things we really can’t.

When we try to do this, it is a total energy drain. And it is a path that leads nowhere.

We will spend our time getting frustrated when we can’t control situations, people, outcomes, results… you name it.

So, why do we do this? Why do we take on the impossible task of trying to control things we have no business taking ownership of?

Think about it this way… if something isn’t ours to fix, what do we do? We make it ours!!! If we make some other problem our problem, then we may have the ability to fix it. We take ownership of the problem so we can take things into our own hands and just fix it. We then start to say things like, “I am the only one who can do this,” and, “I do everything!” 

This is bad news for us because we are volunteering to take on more stress, responsibility, conflict, disappointment, and so many other things that were not meant for us. 

This comes up so often in relationships.

Let’s say that your partner gets upset with something that you do. Maybe you decided to go out with a bunch of friends instead of going to a concert with them. In the past, maybe you did it anyway but felt guilt and worry when your partner gave you the silent treatment.

What is happening is that you are taking responsibility for your partner. You are taking the problem on as your own. And, it’s not yours.

Often we find ourselves a scapegoat in situations where we happily take on the disappointment of others. Over time, this is a classic way for us to find ourselves in codependent relationships.

What would happen if we stood up for ourselves and stopped doing this? We worry about the difficult conversation, the conflict, and perhaps the end of a relationship. And, what if standing up for ourselves actually strengthened the relationship?

What if we stopped trying to control the outcome of the relationship?

What if we stopped trying to control the way the dishes got done? Or the way the clothes were folded?

What if we stopped doing “everything” because we are certain that it wouldn’t get done otherwise? And, so what if it didn’t get done?

Taking on what is not ours with our loved ones is a great set-up for learned helplessness. Perhaps our need to control is doing way more harm than good. 

What if today, you just allowed instead of controlled?

What if you owned what is yours and did not take on what is not?

In the end, we just want to help. Maybe we can spend some extra time helping ourselves just a bit more.

Sending you all my love,
Ali

Lessons on The Hell’s Revenge Tour

What a week so far.

We are currently on our family trip, and it has been amazing. We met up with my baby brother and his family in Denver. We then scooted over to Moab to do some serious glamping (pic below). We will be hitting the Grand Canyon, Sedona, St. George (Bryce and Zion), followed by a stop in LA.

Mark and I identify ourselves as great travel parents. We love to travel with the girls and share new experiences. It makes up for the times when we struggle with being fully present in every moment. And we are working on this, too.

This trip, we wanted to create some adventure, so Mark found a great whitewater rafting trip as well as a sunset ATV tour. He assured us that he signed up for the tour with a driver. The whitewater trip was a blast, and the ATV tour was certainly an experience. I should have been clued in when the title of the tour was Hell’s Revenge.

When we arrived at the meeting point for Hell’s Revenge, we discovered that our “Guided Tour” meant we would be driving with 5 other ATVs and our “Guide” would be leading us. Note to self, guide is not the same thing as a driver on ATV tours. In typical Mark and Ali fashion, we went with it. The girls were a bit nervous, but they dove in, too.

The guide assured us that in 400 tours, there has never been an accident on his watch. So, we trusted and proceeded. Once we arrived at the trail, my heart sank. We would be driving 400 feet from ground level on a trail that only had an 18-inch buffer on each side. Our youngest instantly lost her cool. 

Mark put on his psychiatrist hat and immediately went into a quick cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT session). He said, “What is the evidence that supports we will be fine?” Our super smart girl replied, “That there have been 400 trips with no accidents, no car issues, nothing that would support us being scared.” Mark said, “Exactly. There is no evidence to support that we are in danger.”

Well, we navigated across the narrow path with the 18-inch buffer, and I held a death grip the entire way. We made it. And we could feel ourselves relax into the challenge a bit more. For the next hour, we were going up and down steep hills and seeing some of the most incredible views.

And then, it was engine stall number 1. Seemed odd. We restarted the car with no issue, so we kept on moving. The guide announced that we would be going up the steepest hill of the night. And it was a big one. We were the last car in the line which in retrospect was a blessing.

Things were going fine until halfway up, when our engine stalled. Time froze. We threw the emergency brake on because we started to roll backwards. Thankfully, this stopped us. We had nothing to do but focus on what we could control, despite our girls crying in the back.

We turned on the engine, put the car in reverse, prayed… and proceeded to back down this huge hill. Our guide eventually saw us and drove down to help.

So many reflections here. The first being, if nothing like this happened in 400 rides, how did we get so lucky? The next several being super positive. That during a serious situation, we kept calm and responded with what we could control. And that was enough. 

Major lesson. Focus on what you can control; it is the best thing to do - always. If we tried to control anything more than we could, we would have been in trouble because we would have lost our focus. Same goes for life. If you are trying to control all the things… stop. Focus on what is most important and put your efforts here. You will remain calm in the storm and calm in your everyday.

Now… other reflection. Mark’s CBT session still holds up, but it must be addended. He will now have to say, in 400 trips if only 1 mishap has been reported, then the odds are in our favor. Further, the odds of us getting stuck on a steep mountain in an ATV because of an engine stall are probably even more in our favor. Life is sweet. Things are good.

The bumps, the near misses, the worries… all the things are part of the journey. Let’s embrace it. It’s all we can do.

Sending you love and a PSA to get your cars in for oil changes. Turns out, the stall was due to an oil leak.

Xoxoxo,
Ali

ULUM Resorts - Moab, UT

A Different Spin on Goal Setting

Over the past year, I have become fascinated with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT Principles). While the discipline is derived from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), there is an empowering spin on working with our emotions.

DBT involves: Emotional Regulation, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Communication. 

The principles of DBT have allowed me to further embrace my highly emotional self. In the past, I thought that being “too sensitive” or “highly emotional” was a problem. Was I ever wrong.

I now know this part of me is my superpower. Once I embraced my gift and gained tools to further develop and nurture my emotional health, thousands of pounds lifted off my chest (or so it felt).

My new awareness prompted me to evaluate how I was setting goals for myself and how I could potentially help my clients do the same. What if we shifted our focus from setting tangible goals to emotional goals?

Let’s use an example.

Piper is a 45-year-old female who has been trying to “lose weight” her entire life without having any long-term success. While she has tried many different diets, they were all rooted in achieving the results of weighing less on the scale. And most of the strategies involved eating less and exercising more. The effort seemed so much greater than the return on investment, so Piper often found herself discouraged and disappointed. Ultimately, Piper would give up on her goal of “losing weight.”

A few years go by, and Piper wants to make a change, but she is not willing to do it the way she has tried in the past. She started to learn about her genetics, hormones, and body type, and became well-versed in the science of body composition change. She starts to regain hope. She’s having trouble knowing what her actual goal is because she has always tried to lose weight, however, muscle gain with some fat loss to follow seems like a much better alternative.

This is massive growth for Piper.

Piper decides to work with me. We begin the process, and she tells me right away that she doesn’t know which goal to pick. So, I asked her… What is your core desire? How do you want to feel in your life? 

She took a deep sigh and said, “Peace. I want to feel at peace in my life.”

We explore this. If Piper’s goal is Peace, then how will she create more of this? I have her define what peace feels like. She says “slow.” I ask her if she typically moves “slow” in her life. She laughs, “Um. No.”

How do we create a slower pace?

We must believe that slowing things down so that we can be intentional with our desires is worth it. Then we use peace as the guiding force to achieve optimal health. Every decision we make with nutrition, exercise, thoughts we choose to think, and who we hang out with must facilitate peace.

So, we do a check in. As we start to make decisions about our health, we ask… Does this decision align with my core desire? In Piper’s case, Peace.

1. Will drinking a bottle of bourbon bring me sustainable Peace?

2. Will over exercising bring me sustainable Peace?

3. Will over scrolling instead of going to bed bring me sustainable Peace?

4. Will under exercising bring me sustainable Peace?

5. Will lack of self-compassion bring me sustainable Peace?

6. Will surrounding myself with those who take and take from me bring sustainable Peace?

7. Will trying to control things I can’t bring me sustainable Peace?

8. Will not trusting myself bring me Peace?

9. Will overeating bring me Peace?

10. Will undereating bring me Peace?

The above are all the things that tend to come up when we set unrealistic high expectations for ourselves, and when we don’t meet them, we feel as though we failed. So, we take on many behaviors that will send us in the total opposite direction of Peace. 

I then asked myself: What will help me to achieve my goal of Peace?

1. Connecting with my husband

2. Watching my daughters enjoy new experiences

3. Speaking my truth

4. Trusting myself

5. Exiting out of relationships that don’t serve me

6. Exercising in a way that makes me feel powerful

7. Eating in a non-restrictive way that allows me to nourish my body

8. Allowing people to be wrong about me

9. Creating time and space in my day

10. Being in Nature

11. Meditating in my own thoughts to become inspired

 Imagine what setting a goal based on core desire may unleash for you. Trust Yourself.

Wishing you all peace and love and connection with what you truly desire.

Xoxox
Ali

Stop Trying to Fit

Have you had the experience of not meeting the expectations that you have for yourself?

Have you had the experience of not meeting other people’s expectations for you?

Have you tried to fit into a space that feels cramped?

Are you curious about who you really are?

Are you telling yourself that you should be a certain type of mom, partner, friend, daughter?

Are you still convinced that your hips should be smaller and your thighs thinner?

Are you avoiding certain interactions because you fear judgment?

Does this all sound OVERWHELMINGLY NOISY?

It is. 

And, there is a solution.

It is not the easy one, though. 

You will have to overcome many limiting beliefs.

You will have to have your own back.

You will have to say No to them and Yes to you.

You will have to be willing to stop trying to FIT into a space that you don’t belong to and curate the space that you actually FIT in.

Designing and bringing to life what you were destined for.

There are no rules where you are going.

Today, I want you to realize that you are uniquely amazing AND you deserve to discover what it is that you are looking for. Connection? Freedom? Adventure? Peace?

And… once you decide on ONE core desire, a feeling you are craving more of. What is one thing you can do to honor this more? For example, if I want to feel more connection, I would evaluate what is holding me back from feeling more connected.

HOLDING ME BACK: Indulging in restlessness that is preventing me from slowing down and cherishing the amazing connection that I have with Mark and the girls AND choosing to foster more.

Action plan. Slowing Down. More Connection. When society tells me to speed up and be more productive... I can’t fit in that space anymore. I am just not willing to.

I am sharing this with you all because this is my own personal work right now. I am creating my own custom space, and I invite you to join me.

Wishing you an amazing week filled with many amazing reflections.

Xoxoxo
Ali

Work Out With Me!

Many of us get discouraged when it comes to achieving our health goals, because we don’t know where to get started.

There are tons of health goals, and a very common one is weight loss. Optimal weight loss is maintaining lean muscle mass and losing body fat only. Traditional weight loss does not account for this.

Muscle maintenance and gain is the new “Weight Loss” for women. It is not about the weight, it is about the body composition.

We know that proper nutrition combined with strength training is going to have the greatest impact on our muscle mass. But, here is the thing… So many of us don’t have equipment, we don’t have much time, we don’t have guidance, and we are intimidated because we don’t have experience. 

So, I decided that I was going to offer you, my loyal crew, something special! I am in the middle of recording all new workouts for Transform® 6.0, and I decided to take some time to create a special workout just for you. 

All you have to do is click play.

You don’t need special clothes or shoes; do it in your pajamas.
You don’t need equipment; this is a bodyweight routine.
You don’t need extra time; this is a 30-minute, full body workout.
You don’t need to have experience; I will guide you through the whole thing.

So, what are you waiting for!!

You can access your 30-minute full body workout HERE.

We cannot wait to see how you love your routine!

Xoxo
Ali

Can You Gain Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?

Many of you have heard me say that when picking a body composition goal, typically we have to choose between:

1. Maintaining muscle and losing fat
   or

2. Gaining muscle (and potentially gaining a bit of fat while doing so)

So… why do we have to prepare to possibly gain fat while we are building muscle mass? The answer is that we need to be in a calorie surplus to make new muscle. We must support our body at the basal metabolic level AND give it building blocks to gain.

We typically call it a “lean bulk” when we gain muscle and gain minimal body fat. This is what most individuals aim for, particularly if they have a naturally thin body type.

But, what about gaining muscle and losing fat in the same time period? Well, if what I told you is true, that you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle, then is it possible to lose body fat in a surplus also?

The answer is maybe. However, there are 3 things that have to happen.

1. You have to have a high percentage of mesomorph in your makeup

2. You have to eat a proper balance of macronutrients

3. You have to stimulate your muscles to break down and then rebuild, just enough but not too much

If these things are happening, then yes, it is possible.

I will share my own personal case study with you. 3 months ago I took an InBody test where I documented my muscle mass and my fat mass. Then, for the next 3 months, I implemented our Transform® 6.0 programming (30 minutes max, 3 days per week) with a core and pelvic floor routine once per week. I got 10,000 steps per day on average. I followed my Mindful Macros®. I decreased my sugar. I still enjoyed my bourbon. I should mention that I did this all while traveling!

Today (3-months) later, I re-checked my InBody. I got on the scale and right away saw that I gained 4 lbs. At first, the old limiting beliefs came rushing in that led me to believe I must have really gone wrong, because this had to be body fat. However, once the body composition measures came back, I learned the following.

4 lbs gained

2 lbs gained in dry skeletal muscle!!!

2 lbs gained in water

1 lb lost in body fat 

Oh My Goodness. I lost body fat and gained muscle in the same time period while traveling. My body fat percent was 1.5% lower at a 4lb higher weight. I could not wait to tell you all because this is what you need to know.

1. If you are only weighing yourself with a scale, it is not enough data.

2. Know your body type so you can develop a strategy to hit your goals - all of us are different.

3. You don’t need equipment to gain muscle; I barely used any.

4. You don’t need to count macros to hit big goals; I didn’t at all.

5. You can eat in restaurants and optimize your body composition.

6. You can eat your favorite foods and still drink alcohol when losing body fat.

7. Consistency over time is where the magic is.

8. Find a community to support you.

9. Don’t skimp on sleep or stress management, your cortisol will rebel against you.

10. Find the beauty in your strength… take up space… build muscle… be authentically you.

I am so thankful that I have found a space that supports women who are going all-in on optimizing their strength. 

We are currently going through some big growth in our programs as we have launched our Men’s Program, and our Women’s Program - where we will serve beyond doctors - is coming this summer-fall).

Our Transform® program, which is our fitness program for women physicians that offers 72-CME, credits begins June 5th. On the fence? Want to learn more? Not sure what you need? Book a call with us. We combine our expertise with years of experience and oodles of support to help you reach your goals.

You can book your call HERE.

Talk soon!
Ali

The Statistics Are Not In Our Favor

As Mark and I have been hard at work behind the scenes to curate programs for families, we pulled quite a bit of data to review.

Our health impacts those we care about the most. In other words, the decisions I make for myself are way beyond me. That can be a lot to swallow, but there is power in this.

If I prioritize my health and make a lot of ‘next best decisions,’ then I am setting us all up for success as a family. This means I never have to feel guilty about the time and/or money that I spend toward my health, because it is for more than just me.

It’s kind of like clothes. My older daughter and I can share clothes, so when I buy for me, I buy for us. And then the better quality will last so eventually my younger daughter can wear the items.

Investing in our health starts with doing the little things.

Tired and don’t feel like cooking? This was me a lot this year. So - we would go out and order all the things and not watch portions. Now, we made a simple switch of taking 15 minutes to make the most amazing salmon (recipe at the bottom) and pair with a ceasar salad, veggies, and berries for dessert.

My oldest now asks for salmon every day.

I was holding my family back because I was thinking it was just easier to eat out. And, it isn’t. In addition, it was delaying our bedtime, which was also impacting our health.

We don’t have to make all the changes all at once. Start with just one thing.

As a family, we are staying more accountable to our food choices by using my latest food tracking creation. It is so effective that my younger daughter has now added this process to her nightly routine.

Mark and I now have programs for men and women. And, we have more coming. If you have been following along and you are not a woman physician… we see you. You are going to want to stay tuned for an announcement coming in late summer!!!

Alright… be sure to check out my latest series on how to optimize your body composition. You can access HERE.

Talk soon!
Ali

Reflections From Aruba

This past week, I had the pleasure of leading the morning Mind-Body Workouts at the Women Physician Wellness Conference in Aruba.

This is one of my most favorite stages to “speak.” It was a special week of connection, adventure, good friends, and food!

Each time I have a special experience such as this, I love reflecting on what I get to learn about myself. And, I wanted to share one of the things that I KNEW, but got to revisit.

I had a good friend at the conference ask if I was ever able to rest. From her perspective it seemed as though I was “ON” much of the time. And by “ON,” she meant always upbeat, positive, and in helper mode. She wanted to know when I rest.

I thought about this deeply because we all need to rest, and I had to make sure that I was doing this, too. After a few days, I had my answer.

Each day I am committed to creating impact AND connecting with my most important people. I get to do this every single day. When Mark and I met 20 years ago, we said that we wanted to work together and focus on childhood obesity. And now 20 years later, we are doing a version of this. We are creating this. 

If we give ourselves the freedom to create a life driven by our passion, then that will look like upbeat positivity for me. This is not 100% of the time… but it is frequent.

This realization allowed me to see that the lines of “work” and “play” and all the in between may not be super clear and delineated for me. I teach what I live and I live what I teach. And, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Now, I haven’t mastered the ability of taking my maximum time for rest… AND, I am working on this.

So today, I want to remind you that you are exactly where you are meant to be. You are a masterpiece AND a work in progress.

Wishing you an amazing week! Be sure to check out Transform® 6.0 as we are including our Fit Dad Program as a bonus you can give to one man in your life. Learn More Here.

Talk soon!
Ali

How I Am Talking To My Daughters About Health

One of the areas where I am extremely deliberate is when I am talking about anything health-related with my daughters.

I want my daughters to love who they are. I want them to embrace their bodies and have a healthy relationship with food. I want them to eat cake and ice cream AND I want them to notice how they feel when they eat certain foods. I also want to give them tools to be prepared to commit to their health in the face of often challenging circumstances to stay healthy.

So, how am I talking to my daughters?

I tell them that they are unique and beautiful…

Health comes in all shapes and sizes…

That they are strong and capable…

They can do anything they want, and I will always have their back…

People can be wrong about us… and they will be wrong about us…

It’s ok to be bored and sad and mad and also happy and excited and curious…

It is a privilege that we get to move our bodies…

Getting our steps in is a great way to connect as a family and will also improve longevity…

Focus on what we can eat to help us maintain our health…

3 servings of protein every day is a great habit to start…

Eat your fruits and vegetables to your heart's content…

Eat a low sugar, high protein yogurt for a snack for a great calcium boost…

Starchy carbs are amazing and knowing what a serving size looks like is empowering…

Make new friends… and nurture your old ones…

Take chances, I trust you, AND you are safe…

Travel and expose yourself to new surroundings…

Don’t stop dreaming…

As you can see, my language around health, food, and even our bodies is intertwined with all the positive messaging of what they can do. This is the basis for how I am going to help our family pursue even better health.

I will use this positive messaging as a jumping off point to TRY to prevent future diet mentality, and at the same time - I will slowly teach them the science of how to stay healthy.

Also, it is super important that our daughters see both Mark and myself walking the walk. We cannot expect them to take on new healthy habits if we do not do them ourselves. It is a family affair. It has to be.

Stay tuned… we have a pretty cool and unique strategy we are testing with the girls, one that is filled with compassion and also health benefits. If it goes well, I will share it with you all.

Talk soon!

Ali

5 Pearls From The Obesity Medicine Conference

I had the pleasure of attending the Obesity Medicine Conference 2023 in NYC this past weekend.

The thing that I loved the most is that as a group, we accept that obesity is a disease complicated by many factors. There is a multilevel approach to teach obesity, and these principles also apply to preventing obesity. Most of us are at risk.

Here are the pearls that I want to share with you. 

1. It’s not about our weight, it’s about our health. Discussing weight has to be handled very carefully. And, weight is just a number… a measure of gravitational pull on the earth. We have HEALTH, not WEIGHT. In other words, we may be living at a BMI that is considered elevated by standard charts, however, we can still uplevel our health by adopting healthy lifestyle interventions. These interventions include things like: limiting sugar, getting our steps, strength training, and surrounding ourselves with others who desire the same.
   

2. Exercise is incredibly powerful to decrease the risk of MANY chronic illnesses. And, exercise is available without even having a formal routine. Exercise, particularly HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the most powerful tool to decrease visceral fat. HIIT doesn’t mean you have to join a Crossfit gym. HIIT can be 10 seconds of moving your walk to a power walk. Little interventions are what will carry us long term.
   

3. Sleep is extremely important for our glucose control. Getting less than 6 hours of sleep consistently can take us from a normal glycemic range to a high glycemic range. This means that even with doing everything else right, we could develop impaired glucose metabolism just by not sleeping enough. Our sleep is non negotiable.
   

4. At the age of 30, we start losing muscle mass just by being a human. This is going to lower our basal metabolic rate significantly. There are simple ways to prevent this. Getting adequate protein and strength training are going to be two of our most powerful factors. Strength training does not have to be complicated, either. Start low and go slow.
   

5. Weight regain is inevitable, even if we are doing everything right. In fact, gaining up to 20% of lost weight back is the standard. We can do things to mitigate this, but what we know is that a nutrition plan with high protein and low glycemic load will be most helpful to prevent weight regain.
   

In my upcoming series which begins this Monday, 5-Strategies to Optimize Body Composition, I will be diving into the science of how to do this. Replays are available. You can join HERE.

Have a great week and remember… just make the next best decision.

Talk soon!
Ali

Leveling the Playing Field

As humans, one of the things that we often find ourselves struggling with are relationships.

Often, it is the people closest to us that we can feel the “farthest” away from emotionally. We often use the phrase, “we have grown apart.” 

The truth is that if we allow ourselves to grow, we will. And, if we are not communicating our growth with the closest people to us, then it will feel as though we are disconnected. So, the answer… is to communicate the work you are doing on your growth journey.

In my programs, I hear women say, “If my partner only had the tools that I do...” Additionally, when my clients are making huge health improvements and their partners aren’t, sometimes they can feel left out, or maybe inspired that they want to do the same. Plus, studies show (and we know) it is easier to adopt healthy lifestyle habits with support and accountability.

Leveling the playing field is when both partners have the same tools so each person can take ownership of them.

For example, if Shawn knows that blaming is not effective, and Ryan continues to use blame, then the problem becomes even more loaded because Shawn feels bad they were blamed, and is also annoyed that Ryan is “ignorant” that blaming is harmful. This is a perfect scenario for uneven tool distribution.

Recently I sat down to think about how I can help my others to experience more growth. The answer was clear. I had to give myself an opportunity to allow others to gain tools. I just didn’t know where to start until I started receiving messages from many clients asking for a referral to a men’s program just like mine. I looked. And looked. And realized that a program for men (exactly like mine) did not exist.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many amazing things out there for men, but my clients were asking for replication of my programming.

I put the requests on the back burner for a while, and then I just couldn’t anymore. With careful consideration, I brought on a team to run the male version of Transform®. It will be called Fit Dad Collective™ (FDC). The name represents the team of men running the program, because you don’t have to be a doctor, dad, or fit to join.

FDC is designed to help men optimize mental, emotional, and physical health. Dr. Mark Novitsky along with Dr. Alex Stewart and Dr. Pri Chakkavarathi will be helping men to uplevel their fitness, nutrition, and mindset in a fun and supportive community.

This work is important AND this work matters because our health gets better with accountability and support. We are committed to help level the playing field to build deeper connections as we grow.

FDC will be delivering its 6-month pilot program June through November. If you have been on the fence learning about our Transform® 6.0 program, this may be a fantastic time to come on a call with us. This is an offer that we won’t have again, and we would love for you to take advantage of it. Details on the men’s program to be released next week.

Transform® 6.0

Fit Dad Collective (FDC)

Book a Call with Us

Talk soon!
Ali

Your Happy Place? It Changes Sometimes.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate today. This time of year, spring, has always lifted my spirits.

As a young kid, my softball season started in the spring and ended in late summer. For years, softball was no longer part of my life. Partly on purpose, I became very burned out from the sport and had a less than optimal experience as a college softball player.

In fact, anytime someone would mention softball, I would find a way to excuse myself from the conversation. Everyone would ask if my two daughters had started softball yet. The answer was a quick “no.” It’s not that I wouldn’t support their involvement, but I was not going to push them into playing softball.

This year, my younger daughter, Charlotte, asked to play. So… I signed her up and started some light practicing. As we began our practice outside our house, my older daughter, Betsy, decided that she might like it, too. So… we signed her up.

Next thing I knew, we were in it. We had the equipment and some basic skills and we were ready to go.

I was nervous for them both. I know how long it takes to develop your skills in this sport, and as a perfectionist myself, I wanted to be sure that my girls did this for fun, not anything else. I was worried that they would be bored and then I would have to motivate them to show up. To my surprise, this was not the case.

Betsy, the artist, became obsessed with hitting. She is now constantly asking for me to pitch to her. Charlotte still wants to go to practice which is a big deal.

This past week, I was having a rough day. I could not get out of my head. I could not be in the moment. It was almost as if I had no tools to help myself. Betsy had practice, so we headed out. I had offered my help to the coaches earlier in the season and thankfully they took me up on it. From the moment I stepped on the field that day to help the girls, I found my way again. In fact, when the practice was over I realized that I hadn’t thought about my troubles - not once.

I had found my happy place. On the softball field. A place that I chose to avoid for years. I was grateful. I was surprised, too. I had been given a gift. In fact, softball has always been my gift. I just chose not to see that for a bit. 

And, there is more. That evening when I went home, a huge wave of compassion for myself and those who I blamed for my negative college softball experience was present. And, it hasn’t left me yet.

This message is to say, you may find your happy place somewhere unexpected. And, I urge you to find it. Go to the place where you are out of your head and into your body. Make this a practice. You will be so glad you did.

XO-
Ali

Do You See Yourself?

I wanted to share a reflection I have had over the past couple of months, which really allowed me to take some steps forward on my own self-development path.

There are times that we have faced difficult situations, and we may have had the thought, “It was hard, but it made me stronger.” I have to be honest, I struggled with this a lot. And, here is why.

I didn’t want to be compassionate toward the “thing” that gave me a hard time. I didn’t want to be thankful to the “circumstance” for the pain I felt. I didn’t want to believe that I needed to feel pain, to become who I am.

I spent some time on this, and I came up with a belief that serves me so much better.

It wasn’t the difficult circumstance that actually made me who I am. It was the circumstance that allowed me to see who I am. It didn’t make me… It allowed me to see myself. I was always going to be who I am; I just see me so clearly now.

When I had that revelation, everything felt lighter. Circumstances that pushed me to fight were no longer difficult to feel compassionate toward. 

By seeing myself, I have become more compassionate to myself and my circumstances.

Now, I am on a mission, a journey, to see myself fully. This means I don’t shy away from pain. I don’t choose pain later. I bring myself to the present. I get to know myself more and more with each bit of present moment living I engage in.

It feels good to be seen… by me. When we can see ourselves, we are more willing to be seen by others. We stop holding back. We aren’t afraid of disappointing others. We are ok with no longer subscribing to all the people-pleasing. We stop trying to fix everything and everyone. We stop carrying the heavy burden that was never ours to carry.

What would it take for you to see - you?

Look how far you have come. Look at all you have done. Every possibility that you have ever thought of, and even ones that have not yet been discovered, are available to you.

I see you… more clearly than ever… because I see myself now, too.

Sending you love!

Xo Ali

Do GLP-1 Medications Have To Be Continued Indefinitely?

Several months back, an article came out discussing how GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications are more likely to cause muscle loss. More recently in the media, there is much discussion on what happens after coming off of a GLP-1 if it is used for weight loss. 

The GLP-1 medications, Saxenda® and Wegovy™, are FDA-approved for weight loss. GLP-1 medications stimulate the secretion of insulin and slow the release of glucagon in your body, influencing blood sugar control. They also slow gastric emptying and are powerful appetite suppressants. With this being said, there are potential side effects, and these medications are not magic bullets. What I mean by this is that anyone on a GLP-1 has to combine it with lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, mindset, stress management work, and sleep) to allow it to be most effective.

For example, if someone was on a GLP-1 and did not make any lifestyle changes, the medication may provide a weight loss result, but it would be suboptimal and there is a high probability that some of the weight loss would include lean muscle mass.

Before I continue, I want to be clear that I use my knowledge as an obesity medicine board certified physician in my coaching practice, but I do not prescribe medications to my clients. With that being said, I do have many clients on GLP-1 medications that they have prescribed through their physician, and they utilize my health programming to optimize the effect of their medication.

I also want to be clear that we MUST remove the stigma of the use of GLP-1 medications. They can be life-changing for some, and anyone who is getting optimal weight loss results on GLP-1 medications is working for it. The medication is often just leveling the playing field to allow their results to happen.

Optimal weight loss is muscle maintenance with fat loss. So, I loop back around to my original point regarding GLP-1 medications and muscle loss. You see, it is not the medication that causes the muscle loss. It is the decrease in appetite that makes many not want to eat AND if they are not aware of their proper nutrition needs (especially protein), then yes - they will lose muscle mass. To top it off, if individuals on GLP-1 medications are not strength training, they will also be more predisposed to lose muscle mass. Without adequate protein and strength training, for every pound on the scale lost, we could lose up to 25% lean mass.

To answer the question.

GLP-1s do not directly cause muscle loss, but they do indirectly because of the lack of appetite that they bring about. And, if individuals on GLP-1s are not being guided in their nutrition, then this is going to put them more at risk for muscle loss.

All of this information, I give to discuss the next question, which I get all the time. If I start a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, will I have to continue it forever? The answer is maybe. And here is the reason.

First, if an individual is already prediabetic or diabetic, then using a GLP-1 will benefit them for the control of their diabetes and also their weight. There is a good chance that this medication will be needed indefinitely, especially if it is tolerated well. The recommendation for optimal health will have to include nutrition and exercise principles.

Let’s discuss if a GLP-1 is used outside of the diabetic individual.

If individuals on a GLP-1 (not prediabetic or diabetic) lose weight without optimizing nutrition or exercise, then they will lose muscle mass. If they stop the medication and their appetite comes back even slightly, they now have a lower basal metabolic rate and could regain weight, even with only consuming a few extra calories. So, if lifestyle changes such as nutrition and exercise are not willing to be made, then most likely this individual will need a GLP-1 long term.

NOW - I HAVE GREAT NEWS, TOO!!!!

Individuals who use GLP-1 medication and implement proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and mindset changes can lose weight without sacrificing ANY muscle mass. My clients who use GLP-1 medications DO NOT LOSE MUSCLE MASS.

Keep in mind, It is not a requirement that my clients disclose GLP-1 use, but if they share this information with me, then we prioritize monitoring their InBody scans.

When individuals optimize their body composition by maintaining lean mass and losing just body fat, then their basal metabolic rate stays consistent and there is a possibility that they can come off of the GLP-1 and maintain their fat loss simply by continuing their lifestyle modifications.

In our programming, we offer strategies to make sure you are keeping your lean mass, preserving your basal metabolic rate, and if you are losing anything, it is body fat.

Enrollment for Jump Start™ and Transform® opens on Friday, March 31st, AND we are having an amazing MERCH MADNESS swag-a-thon. To earn all of the gear, you will want to enroll by April 2nd!!

Join the Transform® Interest List HERE.

All You Can Eat?????

We had the wonderful pleasure of cruising on the Disney Fantasy this last week. We enjoyed amazing food and drink and unforgettable family connections.

We saved a few days to then enjoy some time at Disney World. One of our favorite restaurants, Mia’s, is always a must-eat while we are visiting. Mia’s is an Italian restaurant with an All-You-Can-Eat Saturday and Sunday brunch.

It gave me some time to think about the message behind All-You-Can-Eat. Think about the phrase; what message is it giving you?

To me, it says: eat all that you can at a bargain price. What a deal! It does not tell me to be in tune with my hunger cues and eat the amount that feels right for my body in that moment. 

So - I played with the words. When I rephrased it, I decided on: All-You-Care-To-Enjoy. A simple tweak in the words changed everything. It puts me in control - it’s all that I care to enjoy. So, I have to be in tune with my hunger and intuition on what will satisfy me.

In a sea of amazing options on Mia’s menu, I decided that I would work the menu, not have the menu work me over. I thought about what my body was asking for despite all of the one of a kind offerings. Here is what my body said: Americano with milk. Italian Egg Scramble, Sunday Salad, Avocado and Tomato Salad. It was delicious. Perfect really. I left feeling satisfied and also energetic.

It was All-I-Cared-To-Enjoy. 

And guess what? When I am hungry again later today, I will eat all that I care to enjoy, too.

Long term sustainable change is about taking control and rewriting the script. It is possible for us all. It is not a quick fix strategy, but it is a worthwhile investment.

Friends, you are precious cargo. Don’t you forget it. 

We have so much happening at LCWP. In the coming year, it is our goal to share our principles we have been using in the physician community with upcoming programs that are being created as we speak. Let’s just say that we have been dreaming about this for some time - and the time is now! 

If you are a woman physician, I invite you to learn more about our 2 programs that are opening for enrollment in less than 2 weeks. 

Jump Start™ 5.0 begins May 1st. Transform® 6.0 begins June 5th. When you enroll in Transform® 6.0, we are including Jump Start™ 5.0 in your investment if you enroll by the program start date (May 1st).

So much value. All of our programming is new, with the addition of 24-weeks of  fitness programming with our new app, as well as the addition of our Core and Floor™ program with our highly specialized physical therapy team.

This spring we will be offering our most effective program to date.

Next Steps:

Join the Jump Start™ Interest List

Join the Transform® Interest List

Not sure which program is right for you? Schedule a free consultation with us!

Jump Start™ has plenty of space, but we do cap Transform®. If you want to be sure you are confirmed for the spring, we do offer early enrollment by consultation only.

Have a wonderful week, and talk to you soon!!!

Xoxo
Ali

Dream With Me…

I am blessed to have the most amazing coaches who serve our clients at LCWP.

As I start to dream up other opportunities to further my mission of health optimization, I asked one of my coaches what her dream job would look like. Becca Failla, a coach for nutrition, fitness, and mindset, shared her dream.

Her response was so beautiful and put fire in my belly! It gave me hope and belief in what is possible for our mission.

She wrote, “My dream job is to help women become free from diet culture and become confident, strong powerhouses physically, mentally, and emotionally.

My dream job is to help individuals be the best versions of themselves so they can change the world.

A job that allows me to financially help support my family and give my daughter, Violet, opportunities to grow and develop into what I described above.

My dream job allows me to spend time with my family and not working necessarily full time traditional hours.

That looks like training women physically through programming and coaching.

I want to educate about nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset.

I don’t want to drive the ship but help power the ship and move it to where it’s going.

Specifics are hard. It’s more about the life a job can give then the tasks.

I’ll keep dreaming but it’s a good start.”

Chills all around. I build my company with coaches who share my mission.

We have so much coming …  when I say something for everyone…  that is what we are creating.

Join us now while we are currently existing in this phase of palpable energy. The energy is undeniable. It is transferable. 

We have brought our best to our upcoming Jump Start™ and Transform® program!! Interest list open, reveal call 3/31, and enrollment officially opens 4/1. Get on the interest list.

Coach Becca is taking on a lead role in Jump Start™, 5.0. The topics are amazing! Learn about all of them HERE. Plus, in Jump Start™ 5.0, you can expect a daily workout ranging from floor and core to strength.

We have a large number of spots available for Jump Start™, but we do cap Transform®. If you absolutely want to secure your spot in Transform® 6.0, we are offering super early sign up by consult only. Take advantage of a free consult.

We can’t wait!!! See you there!

Xo,
Ali