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Stress, Mindset & Your Health

8/19/2023

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Blog Post by Coach Julie

NCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach
Specializing in Women's Health and Gut Health

A little bit of a change this week from my usual blog posts. This week I’d like to talk about stress and mindset. As I’m sure most of you know, Kayli’s dad passed away unexpectedly in July. This event just added to what would be the perfect storm for me, which ended up leaving me very sick and struggling with my mindset.

We lost Kayli’s dad on a Tuesday.  The first week, I managed well. By managed I mean, Kayli had all the support she needed and wanted and a partner that was helping her navigate all the things that needed to be addressed. I knew that she would not be able to make a lot of decisions or absorb a lot of the information she was being given, so I stepped in and up and was all of those things for her. The problem was, I put myself on the back burner. I completely neglected my own needs. I was stressed. I was grieving, but I didn’t want her to see that part of me because I felt like it would make it worse for her. I was wrong. It ended up being worse for me.

The second week, Kayli started to move through the stages of grief, but while she was starting to move forward, I was just starting to feel the sadness. Since I stifled my own grief, thinking I was helping her, I delayed my own emotions and left me sad and grieving when she was close to being done with that stage. The exact thing I hoped to avoid, happened. I didn’t want her to have to abandon herself to take care of me. Had we gone through this together and I would’ve been transparent with her about my emotions we could’ve leaned on each other rather than taking turns being each other’s leaning posts.  

Since Kayli spent the second week taking care of me, I felt really guilty that she was having to take care of me. My mindset tanked. I felt like a bad spouse. I felt weak. Things just kept spiraling.

The process of having to manage all of the final affairs for Kayli’s dad lasted two and half weeks. That period of time was persistent high stress.  Add in an insanely toxic and high stress environment at work and you have “the perfect storm.” 

I noticed on July 21st that I started having diarrhea that was difficult to control. I felt like I couldn’t control my bowels. I could, but I was not confident in that. The diarrhea, nausea, headaches and fatigue persisted. It is August 15th as I write this and I’m just now 2 days diarrhea free but not nausea free. It’s been going on that long. I’ve been to 3 doctors because I’m worried about my gut relapsing. Through the process of doctors visits, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition that causes your thyroid hormones to wax and wane. Hashimoto’s can be caused by chronic stress and leaky gut syndrome. All three doctors gave me the same unconventional response to help alleviate some of my symptoms, QUIT YOUR JOB. 

I was stuck. I couldn’t quit my job yet. Kayli and I just paid for a funeral and we have bills to pay for our home and our business. It just wasn’t feasible. I was stuck in a perpetual loop everywhere I looked. I was stressed so my gut was inflamed, but the gut inflammation and symptoms caused stress. Work stressed me out, but taking mental health days stressed me out because I knew what would be waiting on me when I got back. The cycles kept me in a doomsday mindset. I felt like nothing would get better. I felt terrible about myself. I started having OCD episodes of suicidal intrusive thoughts again. I was panicky all the time. I. COULDN’T. STOP.

Finally, I got a break. On Monday morning at 6:30am I received a job offer asking when I could start. It was the miracle I needed. I accepted the offer and told my boss first thing that morning that I would be leaving effective this week. Suddenly the gut started to feel better. It isn’t perfect yet, it’s still a work in progress, but the gut isn’t where it was. The stress associated with my job had me stuck back in a chronically ill cycle that I hadn’t been in for years. Quitting my job and spending a week being intentional about my time with Kayli and enjoying our time were the meds that I needed. 

The take home here is, you have to manage stress. Sometimes you won’t be able to. That’s where I thought I was, but because I didn’t give up and I kept persisting even when things were hard, something shook loose. Stress can absolutely create a mess of your health if you don’t check it. Stay ahead of it. Had I stayed ahead of it, I may not be in this position. Learn from my mistakes.

​
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How to Write a Mantra to Help You Establish a New Habit

5/20/2023

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Blog Post by Coach Julie

NCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach
Specializing in Women's Health and Gut Health

Creating a new habit or stopping an old habit can be a daunting task.  Studies show it takes 21 days of consistent work to break or create a habit.  Throughout those 21 days, it's very important to identify with the habit and have solid mantra to repeat to yourself to help keep you motivated and accountable.  Identifying with your new habit takes away any identity you have previous assigned yourself.  For example, if you're trying to quit smoking you need to start identifying as a non-smoker.  This is an easy example because that is a habit that often is assigned a label or an identity.  If you're trying to start working out, your new identity is someone that loves themself and takes pride in their health and appearance.  That part is decently easy.  It will take effort to believe in your new identity but the mantra aspect takes a little more effort.  You want to create a mantra that you can memorize and repeat to yourself with temptation arises.  Something you can believe it that is motivating for you to stay on track.  I've broken down the steps to creating a mantra for you below as well as an example.

Give it a try and see what you come up with.

How to Create a Mantra for Developing a New Habit


5 Rules to Writing a Mantra

  1. Take three to five of the most loaded/heartbreaking specifics of all your objection and write those down.
  2. Write the opposite of these negative beliefs, using words and phrases that have meaning and emotion.
  3. Start brainstorming new mantras, keeping your words positive.  Make every word count.  Make every word loaded with the feels.
  4. Keep your writing in the present tense.
  5. Keep your mantra short.

Example:

If you’re new habit is improving your relationship with money, your process may look like this:

Step 1
  • Objections
    • Making money isn’t in the cards for me; it’s never going to happen
    • It’s always going to be hard/fun-free for me to make money.
    • If I do somehow miraculously make money, it will be a fluke and the stream will eventually dry up.
    • It’s not safe for me to make money; I’ll lose friends and family and be heart broken
Step 2
  • Opposition to Objections Above
    • I am surrounded by money, it’s all over the place, and it flows to me effortlessly and joyfully
    • Money is easy and fun to make, I love making money, and I’m great at making money.
    • Money is my pal, it’s mean for me, it’s here for me, and it flows to me consistently.
    • I can have both money and love; my friends and family will be happy for me; money and love are meant for me.
Step 3
  • Edit down your new positive statements from Step 2 and eliminate repetition.
    • I am surrounded by money and it flows to me easily.
    • Money is easy and fun to make. I love making money.
    • Money is meant for me.
    • I can have both money and love.  I am free to make money.
Step 4
  • Identify the most charged words in step 3 and put them together in a short mantra
    • Money is fun to make. I love it and it flows to me easily.
    • I’m free to make money.  It’s easy and I’m in the flow with it.
    • I make money freely and easily.  I'm in the flow and it’s fun.
Step 5
  • Final mantra ends up
    • Money flows to me easily and freely.
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4 Ways To Improve Your Body Image & Self-Esteem

5/5/2023

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People like you who read my blogs are of a special breed. You’re likely ambitious, eager to learn, and confident⏤or else you wouldn’t be reading this. Or, anything, for that matter.

That said, even the smartest and most positive people can get down. Our view of ourselves can ebb and flow. A friend makes a comment that bites Our boss doesn’t acknowledge our extra efforts Or maybe it’s just a random Tuesday and we can’t seem to get our shit together

It happens. To be 100% honest, I don’t think we can ever prevent these uncomfortable feelings. Nor should we try. (Sometimes we need the tough love.) But I do know two things that definitely won’t help us be more confident: 1) acting as if we don’t have flaws and 2) pushing the blame onto society, instead of taking ownership.

And, look, agreeing with this does not mean society doesn’t have its problems. It absolutely does. But which do we have more control over? Changing ourselves or changing society? In fact, it’s only logical that changing ourself IS changing society. Shifting the blame to others only builds resentment, bitterness, and the victim mindset. 

Further, acting as if we have nothing wrong with us only masks our true feelings. Looking in the mirror and saying “I love myself” isn’t enough. It’s an empty promise and we know it before it ever leaves our tongue.

Changing how we view ourself is hard, but possible. It takes time and a calculated approach. Luckily, there’s a better way to do it than posting fake affirmations on social media⏤four, actually. 
​
                4 Ways To Improve Your Body Image & Self-Esteem

1. DETACH YOUR SELF-WORTH TO YOUR RESULTS (OR LACK THEREOF). 

You are much more than your weight. If you weigh more than you like, it doesn’t mean you’re lazy, undisciplined, or unworthy. You don’t diminish your commitment to your goal by letting go of the outcome. You are a process and a practice, not a goal or object. Your self-worth will increase in proportion to the promises you keep to yourself. Do what makes you proud by the end of the night. As my friend and fellow coach says, “Your weight is not always your fault, but it is your responsibility.”

2. PRACTICE BETTER SELF-TALK. 

I always say there’s two voices in my head: one more feminine, motherly voice and one more masculine, fatherly voice. Sometimes you need the comfort from the mother. Sometimes you need the aggressive push from the father. Some worrying is helpful, but after the 18th lashing against yourself, you have to ask, “is this useful?” Starting today, write down one thing you’re grateful for that has nothing to do with how you look. Are you always there for people? Are you kind to people who don’t deserve it? Have you been responsible saving for the future? Etc.

3. USE ENJOYMENT AND WELLNESS AS YOUR MOTIVATOR, INSTEAD OF AN EXTERNAL MOTIVATOR LIKE WEIGHT LOSS. 

Lift weights because it makes you feel strong and capable. Run because you want to live a long life and feel the “runner’s high” by the end. Eat a salad because it nourishes your body and leaves you feeling energized afterwards. By doing each of these, weight loss will happen as a by-product, but without the mental burden of chasing scale progress every morning.

4. USE URGES AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AS A CALL TO ACTION. 

​ When it’s late at night and you’re reaching for that tub of ice cream, what’s really going on? What’s missing in your life that that ice cream is filling? When you’re feeling anxious as your head rests on your pillow, where is the source? Use these uncomfortable feelings as signals to follow more closely. (It may hurt.) Building confidence⏤true confidence⏤is hard work. Don’t be discouraged by social media or fall prey to the victim mentality.


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If you’re anything like my 1:1 coaching client, Diana, you’ll start off small, stacking wins. Then you’ll nervously, but courageously, push past your comfort zone. You’ll succeed at something you’ve never done before. Then your trust in your abilities will increase, equipping you to overcome hard things in the future with a new sense of mental freedom.  This is how you build real self-confidence and escape the comparison trap. If this sounds like something you want professional help with, let’s work together. Whether you decide to sign up or not, with each of these four tools you should increase your chances of success going forward.

You’ve got this.  

Give ’em a try and keep me posted how it goes. Would love to hear from you. 
Chat soon, Kayli

 P.S. This was originally an email sent to my private newsletter. If you liked this post, consider joining the fun.
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The Science & Use of Cold Showers & Plunges for Health & Performance

12/31/2022

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Done correctly, deliberate cold exposure can positively affect brain and body health. Below, I detail some of those benefits and how best to access them. 

​Safety
Never get into a dangerous body of water. Also, never do deliberate hyperventilation before or during cold water (or any water!) immersion. Start slow (warmer than colder)—as cold shock is possible; just as with lifting weights or other forms of exercise, you’ll need to find the right temperature for you, yet prioritize safety.

How cold? This is the most common question I hear, and it makes sense to ask that. However, it is truly impossible to answer, as some people tolerate cold better than others. The key is to aim for a temperature that evokes the thought, “This is really cold (!), and I want to get out, BUT I can safely stay in.” For some people, that temperature might be 60°F, whereas for others, 45°F.

Here is the key: the colder the stimulus (water immersion, shower, etc.), the shorter amount of time you need to expose yourself to the cold. One study showed significant and prolonged increases in dopamine when people were in cool (60°F) water for about an hour up to their neck, with their head above water. Other studies describe significant increases in epinephrine from just 20 seconds in very cold water (~40°F). The good news is that as you do deliberate cold exposure more often, you will be more comfortable in the cold at all times and can start to use colder temperatures with more confidence, just like exercise.

Ice bath, cold shower, or cryo?Most of the studies use ice baths or cold water­­­ immersion to the neck. Those are best, but cold showers can work too (and are more accessible to most). Cryo is very expensive and harder to access and not subject to much variation in protocols, so it is not considered here.

To Increase Energy and Focus
Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities. 

Building Resilience & Grit
By forcing yourself to embrace the stress of cold exposure as a meaningful self-directed challenge (i.e., stressor), you exert what is called ‘top-down control’ over deeper brain centers that regulate reflexive states. This top-down control process involves your prefrontal cortex – an area of your brain involved in planning and suppressing impulsivity. That ‘top-down’ control is the basis of what people refer to when they talk about “resilience and grit.” Importantly, it is a skill that carries over to situations outside of the deliberate cold environment, allowing you to cope better and maintain a calm, clear mind when confronted with real-world stressors.

In other words, deliberate cold exposure is great training for the mind.


Enhancing Your Mood
While not true of every stress, cold exposure causes the prolonged release of dopamine. Dopamine is a powerful molecule capable of elevating mood, enhancing focus, attention, goal-directed behavior, etc. Even short bouts of cold exposure can cause a lasting increase in dopamine and sustained elevation of mood, energy, and focus. 
Metabolism

In the short-term, cold exposure increases metabolism as the body has to burn calories to increase core body temperature. The total calories burned from the cold exposure are not that significant. However, the conversion of white fat (energy storage) to beige or brown fat (which are highly metabolically active) can be beneficial for: 
  1. Allowing people to feel more comfortable in the cold (i.e., cold adaptation)
  2. Triggering further and more sustained increases in metabolism

Of course, calories on (consumed) versus calories out (metabolized) or “CICO” governs whether you gain, lose, or maintain weight. There is no escaping the laws of thermodynamics. 

A Solid Basic, Science-Supported Protocol
Consider doing deliberate cold exposure for 11 minutes per week TOTAL. NOT per session, but rather, 2-4 sessions lasting 1-5 mins each distributed across the week. Again, the water temperature should be uncomfortably cold yet safe to stay in for a few minutes. You can do more, but this should be the minimum to achieve the benefits of cold exposure. You can do very cold, very brief exposures for adrenaline release too, but the 11 minutes is based on a recent study that explored a range of effects and is a good solid, basic protocol for ongoing use.

The “Counting Walls” Approach
Undoubtedly, during (or before) cold exposure, you will find your mind pushing back against the challenge. Your mind will say, “I really don’t want to do this,” even before getting in, or “Get me out of here.” You can imagine those mental barriers as ‘walls.’ Those walls are, in fact, the effects of adrenaline pulses in your brain and body, which in this case is what triggers the eventual adaptive response. After all, if it were easy, then there is no stimulus for your body to change (adapt). By maintaining top-down control of your reflexive urge to exit the cold environment, you will have successfully traversed that wall. Challenge yourself by counting walls and setting a goal of “walls” to traverse (e.g., 3-5 walls) during the round of cold exposure. You can also go for time. Up to you. The advantage of the walls approach is that it carries over to other scenarios more seamlessly, as most of life’s stressors don’t lend themselves so well to merely timing the duration until it passes. It also enhances your sense of mind-body connection to do it this way.

Shivering and The Søeberg PrincipleThe Søeberg Principle based on deliberate cold researcher Dr. Susanna Søeberg is: To enhance the metabolic effects of cold, force your body to reheat on its own. Or “End With Cold.”

Also, allowing your body to shiver may enhance metabolic increases from cold. Shivering causes the release of succinate from muscles and further activates brown fat thermogenesis. 

Try this protocol to increase shivering, either during or immediately after cold exposure:

Don’t huddle or cross your arms while in the cold or after getting out. Also, don’t towel off. Let your body reheat and dry off naturally. Admittedly, this is tough. Unless doing deliberate cold exposure on a hot sunny day, admittedly, I prefer to take a hot shower and towel dry after cold exposure, but I am no doubt limiting the metabolic effect by doing that. 
Physical Recovery A meta-analysis of cold-water immersion effects on recovery found that cold exposure can be a highly effective recovery tool after high-intensity exercise or endurance training. Short interval (< 5 mins), cold water immersion demonstrated positive outcomes for muscle power, perceived recovery, and decreased muscle soreness (in part due to a reduction in circulating creatine kinases). 

The problem is that cold water immersion (but not cold showers) can limit some of the gains in hypertrophy, strength or endurance if done in the 4 hours or so after training. It’s better to wait 6 to 8 or more hours until after training, or do it before training UNLESS your goal is simply to recover without adaptation (for instance, when in a competition mode and not trying to get better, stronger, etc.) 

Day or night?
After cold exposure, your body heats up. Yes, HEATS up. Body temperature increases tend to wake us up, whereas body temperature decreases tend to shift us toward sleepy states. Thus, I suggest using deliberate cold early in the day and not too close to bedtime. Sometimes it’s better to do it late than never, but not if it perturbs your sleep. If deliberate cold affects your sleep, try doing it earlier in the day, or not at all.

Increasing the Resilience-Enhancing Effects of Deliberate Cold Exposure

Staying completely still while in cold water allows a thermal layer to surround your body, ‘insulating’ you from the cold. To be most effective as a resilience training tool, move your limbs while keeping your hands and feet in the water. That will break up the thermal layer and you will experience the water as (much) colder than if you stayed still. This is also a good way to increase the potency of a cold stimulus without having to make the water colder. This is akin to slowing down the movement of a weight lift to reduce momentum and provide more tension on the working muscles.

Thank you for your interest!
Coach Kayli

I will answer all questions! Please feel free to drop them in the comments or email me directly @ kaylimontoyafitness@gmail.com

Disclaimer: KM Fitness is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast, blog and website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.


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    Kayli is a certified personal trainer and online coach that specializes in fitness, wellness, nutrition, mindset, mobility and everything in between.

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  • Home
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