The Quarantine Fifteen (or Twenty) Has Got to Go!
Superstar of the Month: Russell Rhodes, FOX13 Good Morning Tampa Bay
I asked one of my favorite people, Mr. "Awesome" Russell Rhodes from Fox13 Good Morning Tampa Bay, to write a guest blog, sharing his story and the simple changes he’s made to lose the Quarantine 15 weight, and remind us all that the struggle is real. We are not alone when it comes to soothing and/or entertaining ourselves with our favorite foods during lockdown.
I hope this inspires you to focus on creating some new, healthier habits to make it easier to break the bad ones.
For the last 30 years that I've been helping others overcome the obstacles that prevent them from reaching their health and fitness goals, I've found that focusing on developing good habits leaves less room for the bad ones. It's the simple changes that deliver the best results, and what's even better is they are more sustainable.
You'll not only lose the weight, but you'll keep it off too. IT IS possible to lose weight without starving yourself, and you CAN still enjoy some of your favorite foods by finding a healthier alternative that IS good for weight loss!
Here is Russell’s lean-out during lockdown story and how he tried some new ways to stay fit (without leaving his house) that are now his new ways to stay fit and reduce stress.
Let me know how you stayed fit without the gym, and don't forget to share your metabolic boosting recipes. Sharing our stories is the best way to stay strong together!
Enjoy and LOVE YA! ♥️
Lisa
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In a year where nothing has been as expected, most of us have been left to our own devices to do what we can to try and stay sane and healthy. So, when Lisa Lynn reached out to me to guest blog to help inspire others about what I have been doing to get through this, I had to give it some thought.
First, please understand that I haven’t been perfect. Still not. I’m trying just like everybody else is to make sense of the world.
Now that this COVID thing may be ending, I’m going to share a few things I’m doing to get myself back into shape. I mean, people are starting to see me in person again. My quarantine fifteen or twenty has got to go!
- Diet. When the pandemic first started, I treated it like a hurricane. First on my grocery list... Oreos. I realized this was going to be a very long hurricane, so I stopped that after about a month. I have done what I can to eat healthier. Intermittent fasting seems to work for me UNLESS I take it too far and fast for more than 13–14 hours. My schedule is weird. I wake up at 2:30 every morning. Not eating during my morning show is pretty easy. It’s what to eat when the fast is done that’s hard for me. Lisa turned me on to her Metabolic Boosting vanilla Creme protein with plain iced coffee. It seems to be a healthier Delicious way to break the fast and replaces the not so healthy stuff I used to put into my much needed coffee. Eating well the rest of my feeding window isn’t always easy, but I’m trying. I just turned 62. Losing weight isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be.
- Exercise. When the pandemic first started, I realized pretty quickly that going to the gym and working out with a trainer wasn’t going to be happening for awhile. I invested in a TRX system. I love the thing. The best piece of fitness equipment I ever purchased worth every penny. When this is over, I will still use the TRX as its helped me be more consistent. For Christmas, my husband gave me the Fitness Mirror. It’s amazing. My favorite thing is Tai chi. It’s so peaceful. So graceful. So focused. Every morning at 2:30, I do a fifteen minute Mirror Tai chi class with Lance Parker. It’s been life changing and great way to reduce stress.
- Self care. I can’t stress how important it has been in helping me get through this past year. Just taking care of myself. I’m meditating twice a day. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do. Emily Fletcher’s book, “Stress Less, Accomplish More,” is a great place to start. I journal. I write. My blog, russellrhodesblog.com, has been a great creative outlet. My two French bulldogs, Coco and Josephine, keep me happy. My husband, Enrique Crespo, continues to inspire me and make me better.
These are a few of the things I have been doing over this past year to get through. I’m lucky. I’m happy. I’m healthy. I’m employed. I have great people to inspire me too. The lady that owns this blog is one of them. I think you already know that. Love you Lisa. Thanks for letting me do this.
Best of health,
Russell Rhodes