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All Or Nothing?

10/30/2023

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As we head into the holiday season it’s easy to fall into the “all or nothing” trap when it comes to your fitness habits.

Life can get busy with special events, gift shopping, special celebrations. You might be thrown off your routine and think, “if I can’t be “perfect” why bother? I’ll start over in January!”


I’m here to encourage you to take a breath and to realize that the middle ground between enjoying the season and taking care of yourself deserves your attention.

When we take the power away from weight loss goals we make room for other ways to feel good. Setting fitness goals without resorting to dieting can be empowering and sustainable.

Now doesn’t that sound like a nice way to end out 2023?
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Here are three effective ways to establish such goals:
  1. Focus on Performance and Strength: Instead of fixating on weight loss, set goals related to improved performance and strength. For example, aim to increase the weight you can lift, run a certain distance in a specific time, or complete a challenging yoga pose. By concentrating on what your body can achieve, you'll naturally begin to make different choices that are aligned to what your body needs to feel good.

  2. Prioritize Wellness Metrics: Shift your focus to holistic wellness metrics, such as improved energy levels, better sleep, reduced stress, and enhanced mood. Tracking these non-scale victories can motivate you to maintain a consistent exercise routine and make food choices based on how they make you feel.

  3. Establish Habit-Based Goals: Set fitness goals centered around building positive habits. For instance, commit to a certain number of workouts per week or prioritize consuming foods you enjoy and that make you feel grounded in your body. These habit-based goals promote a sustainable lifestyle change, emphasizing long-term well-being over short-term weight loss.

By adopting these approaches, you can promote a healthier, more balanced relationship with fitness and nourishment without resorting to restrictive diets. And that’s worth celebrating!


How are you feeling as we close out 2023?
Are you looking for guidance or feeling confident in your path forward?


Looking for Diet-Free Guidance?

​Check Out My E-Book Library!

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Lily Fontas, Ed.M is a diet-free fitness coach & helps busy people get strong and kick dieting to the curb. 

Lily has been featured as a wellness coach for Athleta, Title Nine Activewear, and works with clients worldwide. She is based in the Bay Area of California and lives there with her husband and two children. 
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10 Tips to keep moving during the holidays!

12/9/2022

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3 minute read
The holidays can be fabulous- but they can be stressful too! When it comes to stress management exercise and body movement can be a great way to regulate how you feel. 


Not to mention- exercise can help you... sleep better, increase self-confidence, improve your mood, aid relaxation, and lessen symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. 

Are you ready for my top 10 Tips to Keep it Moving during the holidays? Let's do this! 

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4 Tips for a Diet-Free Holiday Season

12/13/2021

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4 minute read
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☃️’TIS THE SEASON…⁣

⁣Are you ready to have less stress around dieting this holiday season? Let's do this! 

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Mental Health Support

2/16/2021

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While Health & Fitness can involve discussions of mental health, working with a licensed mental health practitioner is essential for fitness & wellness practitioners to stay in their scope of practice. 

Looking for online support? Here is a list of resources to explore! 

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Holiday Self-Care: 2020 Edition

12/3/2020

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The holidays can be challenging even in the best of times- & this year? We are all dealing with a whole new reality!

As a health coach I always encourage my clients to have a "tool kit" that they can access before they enter "crisis mode". Identifying when you are beginning to struggle or when you foresee bumps in the road is a crucial skill, one that can take time to become proficient at. 

This year I encourage you to activate your "tool kit" of self-care earlier rather than later. Why? Once we are in "crisis mode" it's harder to make rational decisions and often times we will need more time to recover. This doesn't mean it's impossible to make a change at any time, but I am a fan of giving yourself a moment of peace now to help ensure wellness later on.

Read on for my top tips to do just that...


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3 "Diet-Free" Fitness Tips

10/26/2020

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Ever wonder what your workout "sweet spot" is?

​You know- the point where you are...
  • gaining strength
  • not too sore
  • able to have a flexible schedule
  • improving energy & well being
  • enjoying yourself

This can be a difficult task when many of us swing between too much ("Let's do the 5000 burpee challenge this month!") to no activity at all (your sneakers & weights have cobwebs on them)...

Have no fear...I'm here to help. Let's breakdown what you can do to find your perfect fitness fit!

Read on for my 3 "Get Started" Tips...

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​1. Performance/"How I Feel" Goals- Reflect on how you want to feel and how you'd like your body to function. Remember that we are not "in control" of our bodies but we can create patterns of behavior that can improve strength, flexibility, & energy. Avoid weight or sized based goals because diets don't work and being smaller doesn't necessarily mean you're healthier or happier. Learn more here

2. Be Honest- Are you working 12 hours a day? Staying up at night with a teething toddler? Focusing on growing your business? In school? It's best to be HONEST with yourself about your schedule as you plan your workout routine. Over shooting ("I'll wake-up at 4am and exercise 6 days a week before my kids get up!") is a recipe for burnout & overwhelm. Start small, even if it's 5 minutes. It's much better to be realistic and get it done. From there you can build as you go! If you over do it you're more likely to get frustrated, injured and disappointed which leads to the all or nothing "I Quit!" mentality. 

3. Be Joyful- I recommend strength training because it can help improve how you feel, your mood and the function of your body. HOWEVER I know there are many preferences when it comes to movement. Movement should be things YOU ENJOY! Yes, you heard me...you should like what you are planning. This way you'll actually look forward to it. This can help build positive feelings which will lead to ongoing habits. Don't forget weight lifting isn't *just* bodybuilding style in a gym. You can do bodyweight moves, TRX, resistance bands, dumbbells at home...If you're not there yet try a dance party with your favorite playlist, stretch, or take a walk outside.

How are you feeling about your goals right now?
Do you need a boost & support or are you rocking it?

Learn More: Diet-Free Coaching
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Goal Setting...Without Weight Loss

5/2/2020

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If you want to focus on feeling better in your body but you don’t want to focus on weight loss...where should you start?

This can be a tricky question, especially if you have been a dieter in the past. Since you won’t be tracking calories, macros or following rigid “health rules” it is easy to feel like you are adrift. 
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image via The Wellfull
The reality is that you don’t need to follow those old routines in order to improve your health and well being! There are lots of different metrics when it comes to improving your relationship with yourself, your body, food, exercise and yes- even your definition of health. 

The following simple steps are a great place to start! I’ve also included resources below to help you continue your journey. 

...Remember- this is a process that will have many layers and can take time. Take a deep breath, recognize yourself for getting started and enjoy the ride!

Before we begin...What is Diet Culture? Diet Culture affirms the belief that smaller is better, you need to look a certain way to be healthy or fit, and that large bodies can’t be healthy or acceptable. Diet Culture also encourages the idea that dieting/deprivation/restriction/food rules is a valid way to lose weight.  (Want to dig into this subject more? Check out my
“Diet Data” page here)



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✨Good Tidings (& self-care)✨

12/24/2019

4 Comments

 

Season's Greetings
(& self-care ideas...)

The holiday season is often a roller coaster of highs and lows. Here are some ideas to take care of you this time of year:
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Artist Credit:
Check-out Healing Crayons on Instagram

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Holiday Newsletter

12/18/2019

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I've heard that over 90% of dieters fail and that resolutions don't work. I want to start the New Year on a good note- what should I do instead?"
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It's true...most (around 80%) of New Years Resolutions fail by February 1.

Yikes! I know!

After many years in the health & fitness industry I know pretty much every reason why this occurs. Let's break it down...
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Healthy Kids, No Dieting Required!

9/8/2019

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Weight Watchers aka "WW" made headlines for their acquisition of Kurbo Health a weight-loss app for children. The truth is that intentional weight loss is ineffective for over 90% of dieters, and the earlier that kids start to diet the more likely they are to develop disordered eating behaviors. 

I'm anti-diet for kids & adults so here are my 3 tips for what to do instead of putting your child on a diet.

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    About the Author

    Lily lives in the Bay Area of California with her husband.  She loves to lift heavy, watch vintage movies and cheer on her fellow warrior queens!

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