Starting over is not a sign of failure! It's a sign of courage that you are not giving up! It's a willingness to give yourself some grace to try again. It gives you an opportunity to reflect on your past experiences and identify the area(s) of opportunity to do things just a little bit different this time!

My area of opportunity was learning how to manage my emotions. For most of my adult life, I was close-minded, defensive, and had a desperate need to be right. I just did not want to face my current reality of poor health, (pre-diabetic, mild depression, high risk of heart disease, and literally an extra 130 pounds weighing me down), unhealthy relationship, being uncomfortable with vulnerability, and a career that was not meaningful. I did not want to feel my feelings or face my current reality so I would turn to food to numb them thinking that everything would go away and blamed others for my life.

When I awakened, made the decision to dig deep and sit with my emotions to delay the gratification, that's when the magic happened. It fueled me to have a burning desire to grow, to take charge of my health, to be open-minded, and most importantly curious.

Your window of flexibility to whatever life throws at you can improve. It's going to require leaving your comfort zone and truly understanding your emotions and feeling your feelings. This is a big step, but discomfort is the price of creating a meaningful life.

So today ask yourself --- Are you open-minded? Curious? Have a burning desire to grow? Or, are you close-minded? Defensive? Have a desperate need to be right?

I'm so glad I choose to learn to be open and curious! How about you?

Learn more at https://mariaallshouse.com/

Two months ago, I met a young couple whose lives were in full bloom.  They were college sweethearts who became engaged this spring.  Each had landed a promising new career in the fields of their choice.  They felt only one thing was missing:  a new home.

After a few months of searching on their own, they were no closer to buying than when they started.  The homes they fell in love with were out of their price range.  Houses that were in their desired spending scope were dilapidated or far from move-in ready.  Rent wasn't giving them equity and they knew they'd pay out less every month if they had a mortgage.

A friend of theirs suggested they work with a realtor so they wouldn't have to navigate this ever-changing market alone.  After speaking with them about their home buying priorities, I suggested they look outside of Pittsburgh.  While they would need more gas for their cars, the $1000 they'd save in housing every month would certainly make up for it.  There's also more inventory 20-25 miles from the metro area.  They found the move-in ready home of their dreams and it was well below budget.  Their commute to downtown Pittsburgh was still under an hour.  They couldn't be more happy.

If you are struggling to find a home purchase, consider broadening your horizons!

With Memorial Day approaching, grilling, warm weather, and even outdoor fun is on the horizon!

Though it can sometimes be challenging to stay on track during the summer season, there are plenty of fresh, healthy choices available and by having a plan for every special occasion, you can stay focused while enjoying yourself at the same time.

Follow these tips for the holiday weekend:

• Stick with lean proteins. Stick to lean cuts of protein like sirloin tips, flank steak, skinless chicken breast, and fish. Lean cuts are high in protein but lower in fat and calories. Make sure that whatever protein you choose is not battered and fried.
• Remember to put vegetables first. When filling up your plate, think vegetables! Skip the dip and fill up on non-starchy vegetables like salad, asparagus, broccoli, celery, and cucumbers. Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories, a great source of fiber, and should be the majority of your plate, whether cooked or raw.
• Offer to bring a healthy dish if you are attending an event, picnic, etc.
• Focus on fun activities. Instead of making food the focus of the event, have fun enjoying time together with a new activity! Make memories!

Are you thinking about making that lifestyle change but you don't know where to start? I'd love to chat and learn more about what's on your heart and in your head about your health. Reach out to me directly or you can set up a free consult here: https://mariaallshouse.com/

Whether it’s work stress, bossy in-laws, a knee injury ….  complaining can be cathartic.  While blowing off some verbal steam may provide temporary relief, it does not improve or change a situation. In fact, airing your grievances and “going negative” may do more harm that good.

In addition to spreading negative energy, it can impact our outlook on life as well as our mental health. Every time we give voice to negative thoughts (and we spend more time with our own thoughts than with anything else) or listen to someone else complain, a synapse in the brain fires across to another synapse, carrying pessimism along with it.  Over time, consistent complaining can rewire the brain, making it easier for negativity to get passed around. And, as we know, complaining changes nothing.

Here are 7 strategies for breaking the complaining habit:

1) Focus on Solutions and not on Problems
It’s true that what we focus on is what we manifest. If you tell yourself that “nothing works for me; I can never lose weight,” you are right. Instead of saying “nothing works for me,” refocus the self-talk to “maybe I need to do something differently; maybe I have just not found the right solution.” Seek out recommendations for a different plan.  Work with a Health Coach.  Stop doing the same things over again. Learn to use your energy productively to improve a situation with solutions rather than just complaining.

2) Develop the Skill of Positive Self-Talk
Your mind will believe anything you tell it, so by constantly coming up with excuses and negativity, you’re only keeping yourself from progress. Positive self-talk takes practice but you can do it!  When you catch yourself “going negative,” stop.  Take a breath and refocus the talk. “Why am I going negative? How can I reverse this thought process?”

3) Set GOALS
Identify your goals. They should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART goals).  Then, develop a plan with action steps. With a clear plan, you are more likely to overcome obstacles and challenges that will arise. 

4) Embrace the Obstacle as the Way
Speaking of obstacles ….  we all like EASY, right?  However, obstacles and challenges — while not necessarily enjoyable or comfortable at the time — can be our very best learning experiences. Embrace them, learn from them and conquer them.  This is how you move forward.

5) Appreciate Every Stage of Progress
Be aware of all you are learning and are achieving along the way: perhaps it’s more energy, better sleep, learning new habits, feeling healthier.  Take it one day at a time. Give yourself grace. 

6) Practice Gratitude
Extend gratitude to all aspects of life. Something as simple as writing down three things you’re grateful for every day for 3 weeks can significantly increase your level of optimism!

7) Redirect Negative Energy into Positive Movement
When you feel the urge to complain or go negative, redirect it into a physical activity that gets you closer to your ultimate goal.  This could be a quick walk around the block, taking five deep breaths (yes, this really does work!) to compose yourself, do a short session of stretching.

Getting stuck in a cycle of complaining – either on the giving or receiving end – can derail the best of intentions.  What strategies have you found to be effective in putting a stop to negative chatter and negative self-talk?

For more healthy tips visit mariaallshouse.com or if you have health goals and would like to chat about your goals, I'd love to hear what's on your mind and in  your heart about your goals. Schedule your FREE CONSULT

here: https://calendly.com/mariasallshouse/healthassessment?month=2021-04

As we approach the Spring and Summer seasons, better hydration means better health and fitness performance. 

What you may  not realize is that we lose nearly 12 cups of water every day. Yes, it's true. The body loses water during sleep in various ways like sweating, breathing out moisture, and the processing of urine in the kidneys.

The recommended daily intake of water is approximately 64 ounces or eight, 8- ounce glasses daily. Those who are more active will have different needs based on individual level of activity.

Water has many benefits that you may or not may be aware of. Here are a few:

• It's calorie free and it helps you feel full  and satisfied.
• It's a critical component of your body, making up between 55 and 60% of your weight.
• It keeps you from overeating. Studies have shown that when we feel hungry, 30% of the time our bodies are actually  signaling for water.
• Water removes toxins such as pesticides and preservatives from our cells.
• It prevents dehydration and eliminates excess salt and water from a diet too high in processed foods.
• It minimizes fatigue, lack of energy, headaches, and brain fog.
• It helps with metabolism. A recent study showed that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased metabolic rate by 30% for 90 minutes.
• It helps your liver convert fat to energy.
• It compensates for the loss of glycogen stores if you are in a weight loss phase.

In addition, water doesn’t just come from the tap. The foods you eat can help you meet 20 percent or more of your daily hydration needs—particularly fresh fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, sweet peppers, cucumber, tomato, celery, oranges, peaches, and berries.

Now that you understand the importance of hydration, how are you doing with your intake and what healthy choices are you making to properly hydrate?

For more tips visit my blog at https://mariaallshouse.com/blog/

With many walks along the beach in 2020, I discovered that the starfish has quite a few meanings and connotations attached to it but for me, a starfish represents and symbolizes renewal and regeneration. 

Starfish can grow back limbs. When they are attacked by a predator (like a crab for example) they will detach their own arm to free themselves from the attacker. They will also sometimes just drop one of their arms to distract the predator. This gives them a better chance to escape.

Isn’t that amazing?

And if the lost arm has a piece of the starfish’s central region, that one arm can grow and become a new starfish altogether!

Don’t know about you, but I find this so fascinating and inspirational.

Many a time I have had to renew myself in my life. I did it multiple times personal and professionally. Many thought I was crazy when I decided to quit a stable, good paying job that I’ve had for years to pursue a totally different line of work. That didn’t stop me though. I am a great believer that nothing comes easy in life. Not the best things anyway. You have to work hard and bang your head against the wall many times sometimes to finally get what you want.

But if you don’t at least try, you’ll never no will you? I believe with all my heart, that we often underestimate our true potential and simply “settle” for what we have at that particular stage in our life. “Settling” though is a dangerous thing in my books. It can only lead to regret. Regret that even though you felt that you deserved more, you somehow convinced yourself to not rock the boat and settle.

So as we all venture into 2021 and reach the end of it's first quarter ask yourself, who do you want to be and what is it that you truly want?

I have had many conversations this week about emotions and how they feed us. Let’s face it, we are all emotional eaters in some way and everything we do pretty much food is in the center of it.

I am very passionate about helping others who have struggled with not only their weight but having the desire to become the best version of themselves and get to the other side. The side that I now have enjoyed for 10 years after releasing 130 pounds and never looking back. The side that has given me a life that I never thought possible and fulfilling dreams I never thought I would fulfill in my lifetime. The side that has given me an opportunity to impact hundreds of people. The side that has given me the gift of being a healthy mom, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, and now a healthy grandma-to-be in June. The side that has given me the ability to change so many lives. The side that has given me the joy to pay it forward to help those who truly desire to want to take charge of their health but have fear of trying again or don’t know where to start because you’ve tried everything!

Here is what I know…. Life is always going to be there. It truly is a journey of self-discovery and learning how to self-regulate in times of uncertainty where we want to fall back into our comfort zones. You see that is the way our brains are programmed. It’s human behavior. When our brains feel fear, pain, or distress we avoid the suffering as much as possible and regress back into our old coping mechanisms — we do more of the unwanted behavior we are trying to stop.

When we make that ONE SIMPLE DECISION to take charge of our health and wellbeing, it’s NOT ALL ABOUT THE FOOD, exercise, or losing weight. Yes, when we start to see results our fire really ignites but then the flame starts to fade. Because it’s about SO MUCH MORE. It’s truly making a DEEP CHANGE and it’s not going to be a PERFECT JOURNEY and NO ONE SAID it’s going to be easy. If we don’t work through what’s eating at us, we will continue to stay in the vicious yo-yo cycle.

DEEP CHANGE is about going deep into change that permeates all aspects of life. It encompasses physical, mental, emotional, relational, existential (purpose) and environmental. You see every dimension of deep health encompasses every area of your life and this is why it’s so much more than ABOUT THE FOOD. It’s about DEEP CHANGE. So, if you are resisting because “I don’t do well with journaling” or “I’m not a reader” or “I can’t find the time”, I encourage you to rethink your thoughts if you truly want to experience deep change because it’s part of the process and it’s part of YOU working through this change of self-realization.

I could go on and on, so I will leave you all with a few questions to ask yourself today for those of you who are feeling stuck, and it is normal to feel stuck. It’s all part of the journey.

• What things are most important to you? How does your health journey fit into your values and beliefs?
• What sorts of things would you like to accomplish in your life that you don’t feel confident doing now or have the energy to do?
• In the past, when you were successful with making the decision to take charge of your health, even just a little bit, how could you do more of that?
• What has changed that caused you to wander off the path or continue forward? What would you like to see change even more?
• If things were better with your overall health and wellbeing, what would be different?
• If you are stuck, what have you tried before? What worked/didn’t work?
• Leading from the future, imagine you reached your goal. What life are you living now?
• If you were not constrained by reality, imagine for a minute that absolutely anything is possible — what would that look like in terms of your health and wellbeing?

And lastly, think about this and DREAM BIG because anything is possible.

I wonder what it would be like if I …

In closing, I never dreamed 10 years ago that I would be transforming lives and inspiring others to be the best version of themselves. If I can do it, so can you!

I know that you have the ability to change. The question lies in WHY you want to change and what is it that you ultimately want. It truly is a journey NOT another DIET DESTINATION. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about a life-changing decision to live a healthy, vibrant, active life so you can live a quality of life with purpose, passion and intention. REMEMBER . . . IT’S NOT ABOUT FOOD!

If you are ready, BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULT today at mariaallshouse.com

With the holiday season upon us, it can be the most wonderful time of the year, or it can cause stress and anxiety.

Whether it's finding the perfect gifts, making meals for several small family dinners, or dressing up your home like a winter wonderland, the holiday season can wear you out!

However, despite the demands of the 2020 holiday season, there are several ways you can minimize stress during this festive time of the year. Consider these tips to keep holiday stressors at bay:

• Plan your shopping. Organize your shopping strategically by setting a budget, writing down your gift list, and safely shopping in stores. Keep in mind that this is a great year to begin shopping online!
• Invest in yourself. The more you have to manage on your to-do list, the more important it is to take time for self-care so you can approach your tasks with presence and positivity. Give yourself an early present by dedicating time to your favorite activity or treating yourself to an at-home spa day.
• Choose quality over quantity. Keeping up with traditions and planning safe holiday activities are fun, but can become overwhelming. We can also go overboard while trying to make everything perfect. Remember that spending quality time with loved ones is most important, so don’t stress if you don’t get around to sending out holiday cards this year.
• Know your limits. If you are overwhelmed with extra chores or tasks this holiday season, pull in others to help. Prioritize which items need your attention first and if certain tasks can wait, place them on the back burner and revisit them when the holiday hustle and bustle begins to settle.
• Take a mindful break. If you’re feeling symptoms of stress or anxiety, or if you want to set the stage for an optimal day, stop and take a quick relaxation break. Try a breathing exercise or take a quick walk to calm and center yourself.

Try the tips above - don't let the holidays overwhelm you. Instead, identify your holiday triggers and address them in advance to thrive this holiday season.

Ask me about other ways to have a stress free holiday!

The holiday season is upon us!! On average, the typical American gains 4-6 lbs over the holiday season. This is WITHOUT a global pandemic (which, by the way, 76% of American adults have already gained 16 or more pounds during the pandemic) happening that has many isolating and stuck in their homes. Below are several tips for this Thanksgiving and into the holiday season:

1) Cook at home more. Studies have found ordering meals out have us eating 250-400 more calories than if we cooked at home.

2) Increase your NEAT: "Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis." The things you do daily outside of your planned activity are what makes a difference! Take the stairs, park the car further away in the parking lot, go for walks, you get the picture.

3) Thanksgiving Day: PLAN ahead. If you are watching your weight, decide what you'd like the outcome of the day to be: one in which you feel bloated and stuffed or one in which you feel satisfied and happy with good choices. That choice alone can set the stage for the rest of the weekend in terms of eating.

It takes very little time to eat a meal. Remember a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips! Is it worth overdoing it?

4) The flavor of any food is found and most pronounced in the FIRST THREE BITES (Research Fact). Keep those desserts and heavy side dishes to three bites or a sliver.

5) Speaking of heavy side dishes: try some healthier versions of favorite dishes. Just because it's better for you does not mean it can't taste great! Start new traditions

6) Fill your plate, first, with the turkey (or whatever protein you are having), vegetables/salads. Again, give little space to those heavy side dishes. 

7) Look at your options. What is it that you only have once a year on Thanksgiving? Choose to have small bites and skip maybe some of the things you can get any time (i.e. mash potatoes, etc.)

8) Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

9) Get some accountability. If you are working on releasing weight, ask for support from family and friends.

10) Be sure to get plenty of good quality sleep. Being tired has been closely tied to weight gain (eating highly processed carbs for quick energy).

For more articles or to schedule a complimentary health assessment, visit mariaallshouse.com

Make this a happy and healthy holiday season!

Health and fitness are two of the most significant components that fuel the energy and the quality of our lives. Taking ownership of our health and fitness means we need to accept who we are, take action to reach our health goals, and celebrate our achievements. 

Designing your own health and fitness plan can help you stay on track with your healthy habits and eventually achieve optimal well-being. Here are several ways you can begin designing your health and fitness plan:

• Physically write down your goals. Write down your goals and the steps to take to reach each goal. Having written goals will make your health and fitness plan objectives clear. When faced with a decision between a healthy or unhealthy choice, remember that making the healthier decision will give you a more significant benefit and greater satisfaction.

• Determine your WHY. This is the unique aspect of your health plan. Your WHY is what inspires you to take action and sets you apart from everyone else. Determining why you want to live a healthier lifestyle is a crucial part in communicating your purpose and preparing an actionable plan.

• View challenges as opportunities. The road to success will have obstacles and challenges, but it’s the process of overcoming these that empowers you to transform- welcome challenges as opportunities to grow.

• Eat healthy. A healthy, well-balanced diet provides the energy you need to stay active throughout the day and is a critical factor for achieving a healthy weight. 

• Manage stress. Realizing you are in control of your life is the foundation for managing stress. Take charge of your thoughts and emotions by identifying the stressors in your life and utilize coping methods that are healthy and productive.

• Reach out for support. I'm here to guide and help keep you accountable. My Community of like-minded people offers valuable insight that will ignite your health journey, one healthy habit at a time.

Please feel free to reach out to me, for other tips and guidance on creating a health & fitness plan!