Wednesday WOOT! Factor!!

Wow. Every time I post another WWF, I am amazed at how lucky I am to consider these people my friends. Today we have Sheila Viers from LiveWell360.com. Gorgeous, smart and sensible. LOVE HER. The more I gab with her online and the more I read, the more I like this lady. Read on and tell me if you agree. ;-)

**Also!~ Coming Soon!! I want WWF to feature MEN as well as women that define that WOOT! Factor, so I have a few in the pipeline, but feel free to to nominate anyone! If they don't blog, that's KIND of a bummer, because I like to feature people here that we can FOLLOW. But, on the other hand, if someone is throwing it down in a good way and inspiring to others, I'm down with sharing their insights and their story!!***

When did you first start working out and why?

I started working out when I was 15. I remember the first time I went to my neighborhood gym with my high school boyfriend. He lifted weights and I rode the stationary bike until my legs felt like Gumby.

That was pretty much the beginning of my negative body image feelings. I worked out because I wanted to lose weight. I wasn’t thinking about health at all, I was thinking about what I needed to do to make my thighs thinner. I also thought my face looked really round and puffy in my yearbook picture that year. I had really low self-esteem, and, like many teens, I wanted so much to fit in and for people to like me. I thought that having a ripped/skinny body like Britney Spears would obviously make that happen.

Are you at your “Happy Place” right now – meaning more of a maintenance mode, or are you still in a weight loss mode?

Today I am at a totally different place with my feelings about my body. I’m in what I guess would be maintenance mode, but I use the word “maintenance” loosely, because I don’t really think there is such a thing as maintenance mode. Once you catch the health and fitness bug, it seems like you tend to want to push yourself to the next level in one way or another, but my motives and techniques for pushing these days, are entirely different.

If you are in maintenance mode, do you feel that you work just as hard to maintain your level of fitness as you did to lose it?

Ironically I am smaller now than I was even in high school and the “work” involved in maintaining is far less than I devoted in desperation for all those years. I still set new goals for myself, but my measurement of those goals is based on things like strength, flexibility, or personal bests for time, etc. I also really like looking in the mirror and seeing a new muscle I’ve never seen popping through before. Hellooo beautiful!

I love to challenge myself, and really enjoy sweaty workouts, but one of the main differences between now and back then is that I listen to my body and am less rigid with my workout schedule. If I feel like my body needs a full rest day, I take one. If my muscles are feeling really tight from an intense strength-training workout the day prior, I’ll opt for yoga, so I can get a really good stretch.

Previously, I was super strict and would never even think of straying from my structured 3 days of strength and 3 days of cardio.

What does your current workout “routine” look like now?

I like to decide what I want to do for a workout on more of a day-to-day basis now.

Depending on what feels good, I choose from a variety of different types of workouts, like running, Action Hero Babe circuits, BodyRock.tv  circuits, yoga, HIIT, hiking, rollerblading, stair sprints, or sometimes I make up my own cardio/strength circuit combining various exercises I’ve learned from Val, the Tone It Up girls, Leigh Peele, etc.

Right now I am actually giving my foot a bit of a rest from running. I noticed some pain in the metatarsal area on the top of my left foot, so rather than pushing it and making it worse, I’ve been off high-impact exercise for the past 6 weeks. This time off from running would’ve freaked me out in the past, but I’ve been looking at it as such a positive thing, because not only did it give me an opportunity to realize how much I love to run, it also gave me a chance to focus on yoga, achieving some major improvements in strength and flexibility.

I usually workout 5-6 days a week, with 1-2 days where I either totally take the day off or have an active rest day, where I get out and walk or do something non-sweaty (meaning not intense).

What do you do for cardio? How often?

I incorporate cardio into circuit training a lot more now, however some days I will do a shorter strength training session, followed by some time on the elliptical or stationary bike. As I mentioned, I really enjoy running outside, so I usually have at least one 4 +/- mile run each week (when not in resting-foot-mode). I focus more on whether or not I sweat than I do on having a set number of cardio days.

Do you workout at home or the gym?

Depending on the workout and my schedule for the day, some circuits I will do at home, some I will do at the gym, and then sometimes I go to a yoga studio or workout outside as well.

What do you say to those that haven’t gotten fit and complain that they don’t because they “can’t get motivated”?

I say that when they are ready to make fitness and health an integral part of their life, they will feel differently about “motivation.” It’s tricky because you can read what everyone else is doing and you can try to force yourself into a plan that may not necessarily be the right thing for you, and you think – man this is just not for me.

But when you stop having self-defeating thoughts about health and fitness, and start to treat yourself with love and patience, and realize that this is a life-long thing, and you don’t have to change everything tomorrow, the whole idea of health and fitness feels totally different.

My husband also had a long road to health and fitness, losing 100 pounds by a lot of trial and error and finally finding his groove. Many people might say that his genetics were up against him, but if you asked him, he’d disagree. I think he is one of the strongest examples that if you believe strongly that you can do it, you will. The mental aspect is far more challenging than the physical, and once things click mentally the physical stuff (i.e. the weight loss) happens as a result.

What about any/all of the excuses like “No time”, “No money”, “no gym”, “no support”?

It really is tough when you feel this way, because perception truly is reality. My experience has shown me that when I changed the way I looked at fitness from something that I had to do and dreaded doing, to something that is fun to do, a lot of my excuses or limiting beliefs fell away.

We all have our own challenges, and we can look around and perceive other peoples’ situations as easier, but in the grand scheme of things, that doesn’t really help us. The best thing that anyone can do for himself or herself is to stop keeping tabs on all the things that are going wrong or the things that are hard, and instead start keeping tabs of all the things that you appreciate. It’s such an awakening, because once you get going, you realize how many blessings you have. And suddenly, the things that you thought were holding you back, don’t seem like that big of a deal anymore. You start to understand that this baby step today is enough, and then tomorrow that baby step is enough too, and then day after day, the baby steps add up, and then they become habits, which then becomes lifestyle, and then one day you look back and realize how you’ve totally changed your life in ways you never imagined possibly, simply by making those seemingly small changes consistently.

Being healthy isn’t a race, there is no finish line, so when you take the hurry out of it, it’s a lot less daunting than if you think you need to lose 10 pounds by next week.

What is your food "philosophy"?

My philosophy aligns closely with Michael Pollan’s food rules: 

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

…but with a few adjustments to fit me. I don’t like to label food as “bad” or “good” because that sets me up for feelings of guilt. Instead, I give myself permission to eat whatever I want. Period. And while I eat whatever it is, I pay attention to how I feel. By taking away this bad versus good game, I found that when I listen to my body, I naturally crave whole food type foods. And if I really want chocolate, popcorn, or whatever, I don’t eat anywhere near as much as I would when I used to eat it while thinking I was doing something “bad.”

I really think the metal games that we play with ourselves are far more damaging than the actual food. I like to think of food as my friend, whether it’s a Cheeto or a spinach leaf, the food is not the issue, it’s my relationship with the food that matters.

What changes have you made over the past several years in your diet and/or workout approach and why?

The past few years have been when I became really clear that it was time for me to take my power back and become the captain of my own health ship. No one knows what is right for me better than me, and for a long time I looked to others to give me all the answers.

A lot of the above-mentioned being nicer to myself also took root in this timeframe. It has been a process, shedding layer after layer of the self-defeating baggage I’ve accumulated, and each step of the way I’ve been able to tune in a little more and a little more to what really makes me happy, because ultimately that is what I want. It wasn’t really about skinny jeans or what the number on the scale said, it was about happiness and feeling loved. I know now that I’ll never feel satisfied with either unless I love myself first and foremost. No one could ever love me enough to make up for me not loving myself.

What is your food weakness?

I don’t have any food weaknesses really, but I know that is so boring, so for you fellow foodies out there, here are some of my favorite yummies:

Starbucks coffee… a really colorful spinach salad with beets and avocado, toasted pecans, cilantro… a super juicy peach… oatmeal with banana, sunflower butter, and other fun toppings… Greek yogurt with berries, granola, and a drizzle of agave… a warm chocolate chip cookie dipped in ice cold milk… a thick steak grilled with a salty crust… brick oven pizza with mushrooms, caramelized onion, and giant bubble in the crust… a “fried” egg sandwich with mustard and arugula on homemade bread… an heirloom tomato from the farmers market with salt and fresh-cracked pepper… homemade red pepper hummus and warm pita bread… blueberry pancakes… I could really go on all day…

What is your favorite healthy breakfast?

Oatmeal!!

When did you start blogging and why?

June 2008. I started blogging because I was beginning the massive transition period in my life, both with my self-image and with my career, and I knew that I wasn’t alone in the way I was feeling. I wanted to share my journey to health, fitness, and ultimately happiness, because I hoped that by sharing my own self-discoveries along the way I might help other people too.

As I continued on the path of self-investigation, I knew there was a creative part of me that I wasn’t fully tapping into, and a year and a half later, Live Well 360 has evolved into a fitness bag design company, producing bags for the fitness enthusiast who wants more than the average duffel bag.

Starting the business was a huge factor in restoring a healthy relationship with my body. The connection seems odd, but it was through my business that I truly embraced who I am – my talents, my strength, and my imperfections – all of me. I don’t have any kids (yet) but I imagine that this is a similar feeling to what I have heard some mothers describe when after having kids their whole self-image changes and after years and years of focusing on the negative aspects of their body, suddenly they appreciate it so much because it created this little human being.

Today, I feel so proud of who I am and what I stand for, and my head is filled with thoughts that have nothing to do with my body. It is insanely crazy and almost unbelievable to me, that I could change this much. I really do feel like a different person.

How has blogging enhanced your fitness efforts?

Blogging has given me so many blessings! I’ve met so many people in the fitness world through blogging, some of them now being a few of my closest friends. It’s also given me an outlet where I can share my thoughts and experiences, in a way that feels so good because I know that I am adding value to the world by talking to people about food and fitness, and showing them that it doesn’t have to be such a struggle.

What is your Twitter/FB?

Twitter:                http://twitter.com/LiveWell360

Facebook:            http://www.facebook.com/sheila.viers (personal)

http://www.facebook.com/livewell360 (business)

LinkedIn:             http://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaviers

What haven’t you done (fitness wise) that you’d like to try?

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a triathlon and I want to learn to surf! I’ve been in Southern California for a year and a half and still haven’t taken a lesson yet.

What motivates you to keep at it?

I feel so great after regularly working out. I love the feeling after leaving a really great yoga class, when you are loose and limber, and your clothes are soaked with sweat. I just know I am doing something fantastic for my body. It’s like such an accomplishment when I finish a really challenging workout, sweating like crazy, and muscles twitching. It makes me feel alive!

Are you a morning workout person or evening or lunchtime?

I like working out first thing in the morning because it wakes me up and makes me feel great all day, however it fits better with my schedule right now to workout mid-day. I’m enjoying this right now because it’s also really nice to wake up, do a few stretches and then eat breakfast!

As noted above, I love my oats and coffee. So, I could go either way. I do notice that I feel a little queasy if I workout late in the day, so I try to keep it before lunch, but if not, for sure before dinner.

What is YOUR biggest excuse that you find yourself battling in not wanting to workout a certain day?

Schedule or sleep would be two factors that, if I had to choose, would be ones that cause me to re-arrange when I workout. But I don’t feel like they are excuses though, because I look at fitness as more of a long-term thing, and if I am consistent over time, then taking a day off here or there, or getting in some other type of activity instead of what I had planned, isn’t that big of a deal.

Do you weigh yourself or measure yourself?

I used to be crrraaaazy with the scale and measuring tape. Now I don’t measure anymore and will weigh myself maybe once every month or two. These days, it’s more exciting for me personally to pay attention to the new muscles popping through than to put much focus on the scale or measuring tape.

***

If you really want to be healthy and fit, just take the first step. Don’t feel like you have to change everything in one day or one week. Baby step your way to a healthier lifestyle. That’s really the “secret” in making it stick. And don’t overwhelm yourself with tons of research and thinking you have to live up to a certain level of perfection. Be easy on yourself. Give yourself hugs daily. I mean it. You are doing this for you. This is the only body that you have, so be kind to it. Love yourself. Love your imperfections, they are what make you YOU!

Fill your body with foods that make you feel good. Find the activities that are fun to you and do those. Learn what your intuition feels like, and follow it. Set goals and challenge yourself, but only use those goals as inspiration, to get you to reach for more than status quo. So what if you don’t do exactly what you set out to do, you did something, and that’s what counts! Baby step it all the way to health and happiness you never would have dreamed was possible.

Website:        http://livewell360.com/

http://livewell360.com/about-sheila/ (more about Sheila)

 REMEMBER~!~ NOMINATE YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE WWF Peeps!! ;-)