Denice Murray Health Coaching

I was listening to a health coaching podcast and it was an interview between two coaches discussing their coaching practices – what was working, what wasn’t, what their clients are looking for, etc. Being the HUGE nerd that I am, I was fascinated by this conversation. I always want to gain insights into anything that will help clients, make me a better coach, and help busy moms feel BETTER . Coach 1 mentioned their practice and the focus of a new program being on preventative coaching. Coach 2 instantly jumped in with, “Yeah, that’s probably not going to work very well.” Coach 1: “Why?” Coach 2: “Well, preventative health and wellness isn’t ‘sexy’ enough . You’ll never get people to buy into it.” Both coaches laughed about the ‘sexy’ description, and continued their conversation, but I paused the podcast for a minute. I was definitely surprised by this answer. Like, don’t you WANT to prevent illness, disease, or chronic health issues? I would rather prevent them! It’s one of th...

This is a problem I have struggled with for a LONG time. I would eat pretty well during the week with maybe the occasional slip-up, and head into the weekend feeling good.  So good, in fact, that I would sabotage all my efforts from the week by thinking, “I ate so well with my fruits and veggies, and kept a very close eye on my calorie intake, that it should be NO PROBLEM if I go ahead and eat half a large pizza while out with my family” – on Friday evening. Then Saturday would bring another day of, “Man, I’m SERIOUSLY craving something sweet – like a pan of brownies – but I’ll only have a small portion,” and next thing I know half the pan is gone from walking back and forth through the kitchen and grabbing a chunk here and there.   Sunday would bring more food, with the PROMISE to myself that I would get back on track Monday, and I would but the damage from a weekend of overindulging was already done. I had stalled my progress for that week, and it’s a cycle that I h...

REAL TALK…. So, today is Mini-Me’s 16 th Birthday! My sons came home from college for part of the weekend, but are going back to school today. I ended up with a migraine to begin the weekend and it’s been trying to creep back in. Yesterday Mini-Me ran in a cross-country meet (extreme heat and humidity) and almost passed out at the end of the race. Thank goodness “Mr. T” was there and caught her as she fell. And she is completely recovered, just so you know. 😊 I have been having an EMOTIONAL few days!!! Then, to top it all off, I was looking through Facebook pictures and saw a picture of myself that was NOT very flattering. Like, AT ALL ! And I dang near lost it. I wanted to cry my eyes out. I’ve been working really hard for months on my health and wellness journey. I’ve had major accomplishments, and I’ve also had frustrating setbacks. I’ve seen some pictures that I thought, “wow, I can really tell I’m getting in better shape” . I can feel it in how my clothes are fit...

WHAT NUTRITION COACHING IS   Nutrition Coaching is a partnership between the coach and the client to examine the client’s eating patterns, the reasons behind their food choices, and to determine what steps can be taken to improve their overall eating habits and reach their nutrition goals. Yeah…. So, what does all that mean? First, why do you need/want to work with a nutrition coach?  Well, a few reasons.  Each person is unique – and by unique, I mean we all have different things that influence our eating habits. I didn’t try LASAGNA until I was an adult. Why? Because I grew up in a rural farm community, both of my parents did the same, as did THEIR parents, and even though there was limited access to grocery stores, my family for several generations ate off the land, so to speak. Beef, pork, and chicken was butchered from their farms. Eggs gathered every morning. Vegetables grown in the garden. There was not a lot of cultural diversity in the area, either. So…...

I’ve been harping on CONSISTENCY for the last few days when it comes to changing your health and wellness and meeting your goals. But. I would like to address another aspect of creating healthy habits, reaching goals, and changing your health. And that is Starting Small . What?? Yep, that’s right. Starting Small . I’m going to hop up on my soap box for a minute and give a little rant, so just bear with me. It gets a lot more attention when you have a headline like, “Learn the Super Secrets of Changing Your Life, Losing the Weight for Good, and Becoming a Vixen Your Husband Can’t Resist.” You want to read that article or watch that video.  Even I want to read that! And then it tells you to workout for 75 minutes, 3 times per day at high intensity, while drinking aloe juice mixed with exotic spices from the highest mountain tops of the Andes 5 times per day. Eat only organic seaweed, sea bass, and a special blend of crushed herbs from the jungles of Burma, and bathe in...

“Have Six-Pack Abs in 10 Days!” “Lose 33 Pounds in 15 Days!” “Get The Body Of Your Dreams In 6 Weeks!” Any of this sound familiar? Those are just some of the headlines I’ve seen in magazines or on websites over the years. Heck, probably just in the last month! And while there is nothing wrong with wanting six-pack abs, to lose 33 pounds, or to have a dream beach body, the TRUE cost of getting those things is a lot greater than you think. There are definite benefits to striving for such a goal, but there are also many trade-offs as well. It’s also important to understand that there are also many different levels of fitness, not just Overweight & Pudgy to Totally Ripped . Several key factors when it comes to getting ripped include nutrition, activity level, sleep, stress, work, personal time, and your social life. If you work 12-hour shifts (work), have children who rely on you (personal time), volunteer in your community or church (social life), have a sick family memb...

How many times as a busy mom/spouse have you heard that one? I know. This article is probably going to get me booed by all the busy moms out there (myself included) who are struggling to juggle all the things (kids, job, house, spouse, activities, etc.). I know I could write a book on all the things moms have to take care of on a daily basis. And popping off with “Hey! You should add more stress to your life by cooking more,” is probably the last thing you want to hear. But! If you are truly looking for a way to lose weight, improve your overall health, actually save time , save money, and help prevent chronic diseases, then cooking at home more often is a strategy you should be considering. In fact, according to Harvard Health: “ We already know that the more people cook at home, the healthier their diet, the fewer calories they consume, and the less likely they are to be obese or develop type 2 diabetes. A growing body of scientific evidence supports teaching patients how...

"Title said in my best annoyed teenager voice" When it comes to weight loss, Consistency is BORING . But it’s true , it’s necessary , and it’s the best way to improve your health, lose weight, and get LASTING results. There is always “another” diet. South Beach. Atkins. Keto. Paleo. I’m old enough to remember the Grapefruit Diet! There’s always “another” fitness craze. CrossFit. P90X. V-Shred. TaeBo. I’m also old enough to remember Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda’s workout videos! There are always weight loss programs. Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. Noom. Nutri-System. But. The only way these things work is if you do them CONSISTENTLY. If you don’t stick with it, not only will you stop losing weight, but most likely you will gain it back. This is why it’s MORE important to develop Healthy HABITS than to jump on another diet, fitness, or weight loss program .  I said what I said. One of the reasons that health coaching is not only growing in popularity, but also...

Had lunch today with some friends after Mini-Me’s cross-country meet. We arrived a little late and we were all joking with each other. “Mr. T” laughed and said, “Yeah, now that the health coach is here, we’re all going to have to eat healthy.” And I just smiled and laughed because I thought it was funny. It sparked a short conversation about following the 80/20 rule – which is to try to eat healthy 80% of the time and give yourself the freedom to enjoy “junk food” 20% of the time. We also talked about moderation and not going to extremes with your food choices. Overall, it was a great lunch and great conversations and we had a great time. The “weird” thing to me is that after I had joked about eating what I wanted because today was part of my 20%, when it came time to order, I didn’t go CRAZY and eat a bunch of junk. I had grilled chicken, baked beans, fried okra, and Texas toast.  I only ate until 80% full. I left food on my plate and didn’t feel “guilty” f...

This is my current phase of Mom Life: The Teenager and College Phase .  It’s very different.  I’ve seen many of the moms whose children are the same age as my oldest boys (twins), and they look….different. They are “Empty Nesters” with their kiddos off to college. They look GOOD (not that they didn’t before), but also an odd combination of happy and sad. There’s a happiness there because they have something they haven’t had in a couple of decades – FREE TIME! No more rushing to this event or that event. No more scrambling to make sure everyone is on time, that ALL the “things” are done. There is a relaxed air about these moms that is beautiful to behold. They have TIME to get ready for their jobs with no teenagers to herd. They can eat what they want. They can spend their free time how they want! But there’s a sadness as well. Usually, if I see them in passing, it’s at an event where they no longer have children participating. They are there to support the school, th...

Why is it so hard to improve our healthy habits? To make better choices? To take the necessary steps to live healthier, happier lives? Maybe it's because you don't know what to do. You've never been taught the true fundamentals of nutrition and physical activity. There's a TON of information out there - some of it accurate and some of it not so much. Maybe you're confused. With the plethora of diets and fitness programs out there, maybe you don't even know where to begin. Is Keto right for you? What about Weight Watchers? Fitness class, yoga, or just walking in your neighborhood? Strength training, or no? If so, how much should you be lifting? Most of us have at least an IDEA of what we should be doing. We know we probably eat too much processed food, too much sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. We know we're not getting enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein with each meal. We also know we're not moving our bodies enough - we are more sed...

It’s happened to all of us. We start a new exercise routine. We start making changes to our eating habits. We might even be going to a coach or trainer, joined an exercise group, or signed up for a weight loss program. And then LIFE happens. Work becomes more demanding. The kids’ schedules go into over-drive. Someone in your household gets sick. STRESS. It comes at you like a freight train and knocks you on your butt. When you once had time to plan meals, go shopping and do meal prep, take regular walks and do strength training exercises – you’re now having to run to a fast-food place on your way to a ball game because it’s all you have time for. And forget about walking because you’re not getting home until it’s the kids’ bedtime. Your time and energy are being sucked away by other issues, and your health journey has gone off the rails. BUT! There are ways to get your wellness back on track! The first way to help yourself is to: Identify the Stress Early . When you becom...