Personal Archives - Page 16 of 24

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification Review (PS…I Passed!)

July 6, 2015 by Tamara 1 Comment

I did it! I passed the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification! If you are unfamiliar with this certification it is an in-depth scientific based course on nutrition and how to successfully coach clients to achieve the results they desire. The course is self study and you can take the test whenever you feel ready.

Twice a year the course opens for enrollment. The cost of the certification isn’t cheap and is an investment at $800. In my opinion it is well worth the money. Several years ago I took NASMs Fitness Nutrition Specialization (FNS), this course is $499, and was disappointed with the content.

If you are debating between the two go with Precision Nutrition. I really dislike writing anything negative about NASM because I do believe they have an awesome CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) program. The PN1 course provides 1.9 out of your 2 CEUs needed if you are certified via NASM. That with your CPR/AED training provide all the CEUs needed to keep your certification current.

From the time I enrolled in the course, September 2013, to passing, July 2015 it took a several solid months of studying before I felt prepared to take the exam. So you may be wondering why did it take me so long to take the test? Initially my plan had been to study and take the exam before Maisie was born. That obviously didn’t happen. I severely underestimated my energy level and had no idea how sick I would be while I was pregnant. After she was born I battled postpartum depression and it wasn’t until recently that I pulled back out the books.

To study I read the book, listened to the lecture, and followed up with the workbook study guide. After I completed everything I spent several hours reviewing the workbook. This was very helpful because the test is open book.

Unit 1 covers all the Nutritional Science information.

Chapter 1: Cell structure and function
Chapter 2: Food intake, digestions, and absorption
Chapter 3: Energy transformation and metabolism
Chapter 4: Energy balance in the body
Chapter 5: Aerobic and anaerobic metaboolism
Chapter 6: Macronutrients
Chapter 7: Micronutrients
Chapter 8: Water and fluid balance
Chapter 9: Special Needs

Unit 2 covers Nutritional Practice.

Chapter 10: Preparing for your client
Chapter 11: Collecting preliminary client information
Chapter 12: Interpreting client information
Chapter 13: Providing a nutrition plan
Chapter 14: Nutritional supplementation
Chapter 15: Setting behavior goals and monitoring
Chapter 16: Making nutritional adjustments
Chapter 17: Providing continuing education and support

Unit 1 contains so much information and took me twice as long to study. The time spent was well worth it because I was able to comprehend and understand the concepts as opposed to just reading the words and answering the questions in the workbook. Unit 2 was really enjoyable to read and contains great information on making behavior and lifestyle changes.

The test contains 50 questions from Unit 1 and 50 questions from Unit 2. You are given 2 hours to take the exam and have two attempts to pass. If you try to take the test without reading or doing the workbook thinking you can just use the glossary to look up answers I am not sure how you would pass. I needed the full 2 hours and the test timed out on me with several questions left to answer. I was so excited to pass the test on my first attempt especially with the test timing out.

If you’re reading this as a personal trainer and have yet to further educate yourself with a formal nutrition course I highly recommend Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. If you’re reading this as an athlete or a client who is working with a personal trainer check to see what qualifications your current coach has in regards to nutrition. While program design of a training plan is important it is only partially effective unless paired with an intelligent nutrition program.

Here are just a few of the topics I found especially helpful in the course:

Detect hormal imbalances based on skin fold measurements
Supplementation guide – which are effective vs. not effective
Detect overtraining and how to fix it and prevent it from happening
Providing a nutrition plan
Vitamin and mineral deficiency symptoms

I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be able to say that I passed and to know I accomplished this goal that has been hanging over me for so long. I am very excited to put this new knowledge to use and I would love to work with you and help you achieve your goals!

What can you expect from me as your nutrition coach?

No diets. That’s right, no diets. Diets aren’t the answer. You will have guidance from someone who will help you figure out what to do, when to do it, and be there to support you.
No fads. The nutrition coaching that I offer is personal and tailored for you.
No Templates. I will listen to you, pay attention, ask you questions, and be part of your team to ensure you are on track. This is what a great coach does.

How does it work?

90 day packages available that include initial consultation and also bi-monthly follows up to monitor your progress.
Meet me via Skype, Google Chat, FaceTime, or phone to discuss your goals, progress, and questions.
Receive intake forms before initial consult and take your measurements bi-monthly.
This is a process. Each week you will be given a healthy habit to incorporate into your life to bring you another step closer to reaching your goal.

If you are interested in learning more about nutrition coaching or in setting up a consultation, please request information below.

[ninja_forms id=1]

Filed Under: Health, Nutrition, Personal Tagged With: CEUs, NASM, Nutrition Coaching, Precision Nutrition

Body After Baby: 9 Months Postpartum

March 26, 2015 by Tamara 8 Comments

I don’t use extreme measures, deprive myself, or sacrifice my sleep in order to obtain results. I was active during both of my pregnancies and I fully believe that staying active has helped my body recover. I have found that being patient, consistent, and determined are the greatest ways to regain strength and stability in my body. I am a mama to two, and a wife to a firefighter. I don’t have a chef, housekeeper, or nanny. I am real person and I am inviting you to come on my postpartum journey with me. If you are recovering from childbirth please listen to your own body and know that each woman’s pregnancy, labor, and delivery is unique.

To read Maisie’s birth story click HERE. You may also be interested in reading my 1 Month Postpartum Update and 4 Month Postpartum Update.

PRE-PREGNANCY STATS

Waist 27″ | Hips 37″ | Weight 130 lb.

39 WEEK PREGNANCY STATS

Waist 38″ | Hips 39″ | Weight 154 lb.

9 MONTH POST BABY STATS

Waist 31″ | Hips 37″ | Weight 133 lb.

This is me right now. No makeup and still slightly sweaty from a workout.

It has been 5 months since my last update and there has not been any significant change in my body measurements but there has been a huge change in how I am feeling.

My struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety left me feeling like a shell of my former self. Being brave, talking with my doctor, getting a prescription for Zoloft, meeting with a christian counselor for treatment, and making time with God a priority has allowed me to become engaged in my life again.

Back in December I was suffering from horrible lower back. I had never experienced pain like I was feeling which led me to physical therapy. My hips and hamstrings were so imbalanced and sadly my range of motion in my body was drastically reduced. I have spent the last several months focusing on correcting my muscular imbalances with stabilization and strengthen exercises.

In April I am going to be eliminating caffeine, sugar, gluten, diary, and alcohol (this one isn’t a big deal for me because I hardly ever drink) for 21 days. Bread is my favorite thing ever and so are cookies. Each time I have done an elimination diet or a juice cleanse I feel so much better. My cravings are drastically reduce, eczema improves, and I sleep better. I will post more details soon in case anyone else would be interested in learning more about why this is beneficial for your body.

I realize that my last several posts have not made motherhood sound very pleasant. As miserable as I was feeling a few months ago my husband and our babies are the best thing that has happened to me. I am trying to keep this blog real and honest. As a christian it can sometimes be easier to pretend everything is fine because you don’t want others to be turned off by your vulnerability and rawness. Life is wonderful but it can be hard sometimes.

To the moms reading this who have not experienced anything that I have written about. I totally get it. I was right there with you my first pregnancy. I had no idea what postpartum depression felt like or even how consuming dealing with its aftermath could be.

To the moms reading this who have experienced anxiety and depression my heart hurts for you. You are not alone in your suffering. I promise. There are so many of us who suffer in silence. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk with your doctor.

When we judge each other we are forgetting that every person has a unique story. Everyone of us has experienced something that has changed us. Be authentically you. God created each of us for a purpose and a calling. It would be a boring world if we all experienced the same struggles and triumphs.

Thank you for your love, kind words, and support over the last several weeks!

Filed Under: Personal, Postpartum Tagged With: Body After Baby, Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

March 10, 2015 by Tamara 22 Comments

Hi readers. It has been awhile for numerous reasons but the main one being I didn’t really know what to share or even how to share it. The past several months have been challenging. I had to go back and reread my last postpartum update, which was 5 months ago, because I had forgotten exactly what I had shared.

My hope when I created this little space for myself was to be authentic and real. Can I just tell you for a moment how hard that can be sometimes. When I began blogging it was super easy to write and share because I didn’t think anyone I actually knew in real life was going to read it. I am not saying this to say I am a different person than I portray on the internet. Trust me. I am exactly the same. But thinking that people I actually know might visit my blog has at times left me feeling apprehensive to post.

It is so easy to get caught up in yourself and the day to day tasks in life. Sometimes it can all seem never-ending. The piles of clothes waiting to be cleaned or put away, dirty dishes from the meal you just made, cluttered countertops with bills awaiting to be paid, and the stuff that has accumulated in your house that needs to be maintained can almost feel suffocating at times.

After Maisie was born I was feeling so awesome. I was happy to have our little girl home, my body was recovering great from pregnancy, Caden was transitioning nicely into his role of big brother, and Josh was able to take a few shifts off from the fire station. Overall life was feeling really great.

I can’t even really pinpoint to you when I started to notice the anxiety creeping into my days.

Maybe that is the point.

I can’t pinpoint when it started because it had been there all along. Hovering in the background waiting to creep into every fiber of my being.

Not really a problem or even anything noticeable to anyone else but more of an internal battle I was struggling with everyday.

Thoughts of death, dying, sickness, and disease began to overtake my life. I worried about absolutely everything. Anything horrible that I read about or heard about that was happening to someone else would immediately send my mind racing with the possibility that those horrible things were going to happen to me and my family.

It was awful.

If you have never struggled with anxiety be so thankful. It is debilitating and robs you of so much joy.

I would be feeding my beautiful newborn baby, listening to my husband and son play together in the other room and be terrified that something awful was going to happen to one of us that would break apart our family.

When your thoughts are constantly focused on the negative the world starts to look a little less brighter. These untrue negative thoughts were slowly becoming my new truth. My mind was beginning to believe what I was thinking was actually going to happen.

All of this came to an abrupt boil 8 weeks after Maisie was born. I started having panic attacks that were triggered from several medical issues that I was dealing with at the time. I was worried, frustrated, and frankly annoyed that I couldn’t get a better handle on my emotional state. My thoughts were spiraling out of control and I could not for the life of me reign them back in.

Josh was on shift (his shifts are 24 hours) and I called him crying. I felt like I was going to pass out because I couldn’t breathe. My heart was beating so fast and everything I could think of to calm myself down was not working. Thankfully he was able to come home and my parents came over to the house to watch the kids. We then proceeded to drive back to the fire station so he could hook me up to the monitors and see what was going on. Of course by the time we got to the fire station my heart rate had returned to normal and I felt like a crazy person for even calling my husband to come home.

The single best thing that happened from this event was talking on the phone later that night to the wife of Josh’s friend/firefighter co-worker. Thank you, Sara, so much for taking the time to talk to me! Sara is a Labor and Delivery nurse and it was this conversation that led me to my doctor to talk about getting treatment for postpartum depression and anxiety.

Until this moment I didn’t really think that I was dealing with anything postpartum related. Everything came on so gradually. Sometimes it takes a person from the outside looking in to be able to give you the encouragement you need at just the right moment.

If you are struggling with depression or anxiety please know you are not alone. Check back Thursday. I will be sharing the details on my treatment and how I am currently doing.

Thank you for taking the time to read and feel free to share this post.

xoxo, Tamara

UPDATE: Thank you so much for your support, comments, and shares! Be sure to read my follow up post on how I am doing now and details on my treatment.

Filed Under: Personal, Postpartum Tagged With: Anxiety, Depression