Denice Murray Health Coaching

While it might seem like just a matter of “willpower” or “motivation” stopping you from reaching your health and wellness goals – or even getting started – there are actually SEVERAL more factors involved than you might think. The three biggest categories that could be affecting your healthy actions each week are: BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL; and SOCIOLOGICAL. So, let's break it down a little more. Biological – How Does YOUR Body Work? These factors vary GREATLY from person to person. Metabolism; Age; Immunity; Male or Female; Recovery; Genetics; Hormones; Pathogens; Exercise; Digestion. All of these biological factors have an impact on your health.  And did I mention they vary a LOT from person to person? Yeah. That's why your spouse can decide they want to lose weight, stop putting an extra sugar in their morning coffee and lose 10 pounds in a week, while you can eat veggies all day, every day and still only lose half a pound. Psychological – What’s Your Mindset? You...

Okay, so I think it’s been pretty well established that I’m a HUGE nerd! If I find something fascinating, I will research it to death! You can ask my husband or my daughter (or my sons when they’re visiting from college) that I basically study ALL THE TIME . So when I got on this idea of a capsule wardrobe, I have been studying the heck out of the concept. It is very safe to say that fashion is NOT my forte. At all. I suck. But I still LOVE this concept. I’ve been discussing it with friends (shout out to my friend Annie for listening to me and giving some solid advice!), and spending FAR too much time on Pinterest and YouTube checking out options.  I've been posting about it on social media .  And I’m not going to lie – with the plethora of information out there, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. That’s a lot of information to take in about a subject that, frankly, I find rather intimidating. But I love it so much for a few reasons. The first one being – I ...

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...

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...

For anyone trying to live a healthier lifestyle or lose weight, there’s no denying that exercise is considered a KEY step in that process. In fact, some may argue it’s THE most important step to getting healthy and staying fit. But for some, like ME, I’m not into exercise. I may go for walks. I may stretch when I’m sore and tight. I might even bike or swim when it’s for fun. But I have to FORCE myself to get in any movement that is considered exercise (any movement outside of pleasure, fun, or relaxation). There are tons of reasons people don’t actually like exercising – bad experiences in the past (body shaming), pain (injuries or illness), discomfort (difficulty breathing or getting sweaty), exercise feels like a chore or punishment, or you just don’t identify as an exercise-type. And although exercise is great for your body, not everyone gets the “rush” from exercising like some people do. I can personally say that I have NEVER had the “runner’s high” – the rush of endorphins...