Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

Awareness

By

Punk Rock Eating

Why is the obesity epidemic continuing to spiral out of control?

We know that being obese makes us more likely to have heart disease + high blood pressure + diabetes + sleep apnea. It raises our risk of stroke and some cancers. It puts constraints on our lives and what we’re able to do physically. 

Yet nothing has changed.

Despite all we know and all the money we’ve spent, we are getting fatter and sicker as a society.

I was listening to a podcast while hiking yesterday and something clicked.

We don’t need more awareness or more programs or more funding. We need a new normal.

The way of eating that contributes to the ever-evolving health crisis we’ve found ourselves in is NORMAL.

As human beings, we want to conform. We want to fit in. We want to be accepted and liked by the tribe. So we do what’s expected. We do what is considered normal.

  • Go to school.
  • Get a job.
  • Get married.
  • Have kids.
  • Buy a house.
  • Order pizza.
  • Eat dessert.

Living an unhealthy lifestyle has become the standard.

Look around. Walk through the grocery store. Study restaurant menus. Watch commercials. Pay attention to what other people are doing and saying.

There’s no denying that what has become normal is not what’s best for us.

Consider this. It’s entirely acceptable to ask…

  • Why aren’t you drinking?
  • Is that all you’re eating?
  • Aren’t you having dessert?
  • Do you want a cupcake?
  • Are you sure you don’t want some bread?
  • Won’t you be hungry?
  • Want to supersize that?

It’s entirely unacceptable to ask…

  • Why are you eating three slices of pizza?
  • Why are you having another glass of wine?
  • Why are you snacking?
  • Why are you going back to the buffet again?
  • Are you sure you don’t want some baby carrots?
  • Why aren’t you ordering a salad?
  • Won’t you be full?
  • Are you sure you don’t want a small?

What if the tables were turned and a healthy lifestyle was normal?

My challenge to you?

Do what is best for your body + your life + your goals.

Be a rebel. A nonconformist.

A punk rock eater.

“Punk is: the personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions; a movement that serves to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated through willful ignorance of human nature; a process of questioning and commitment to understanding that results in self-progress, and through repetition, flowers into social evolution; a belief that this world is what we make of it, truth comes from our understanding of the way things are, not from the blind adherence to prescriptions about the way things should be; the constant struggle against fear of social repercussions.”


– Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)

💙 Robyn

To learn more about Personal Health Coaching click HERE. 

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Beauty Sick Book Review

I sometimes struggle with reconciling my advocacy of body acceptance with the fact that I help women lose weight.

Can you respect your body and want to change it?

My answer is a resounding yes. More than ever.

If I didn’t believe this to be true, there is no way I could do this work with integrity.

Unwinding beauty sickness and appreciating what our bodies do FOR us is an essential component of well-being.

In her book, Beauty Sickness, Renee Englen, a professor at Northwestern University and head of the Body and Media Lab, very clearly and in a very compelling manner exposes the cultural epidemic of beauty sickness, the obsession with appearance, and how it affects or has affected most women in America.

Using scientific studies and interviews with women, young and old and from all different walks of life, she shows the disturbing scope of this problem. The stories of these women are heartbreaking and oh-so-familiar and I could see myself (particularly my younger self) in so many of them.

But Renee doesn’t just leave you with the realization of all the damage beauty sickness has wrought, she very gracefully lays out some extremely helpful and practical solutions to the problem.

1. Function over form. When we really stop to analyze how much we focus on appearance, it’s pretty astounding. Instead of focusing on what we (or others) look like, zero in on what our amazing bodies CAN DO (e.g. hug our loved ones, see a beautiful vista, sing a song, hike a trail, smell lilacs).

The way to take better care of your body is not by shaming it, it’s by being kind and practicing gratitude for all the things it does for you.

2. Love not hate. Please don’t listen to those who claim you have to hate how your body looks in order to motivate healthy behaviors. These claims ARE NOT supported by any type of scientific data.

3. Ask different questions. How do you want the world to be different when you leave it? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you want to be remembered for? Probably not great abs. Let the answers to these questions have a greater influence on how you spend your time + money + energy.

4. Media. Don’t consume media messages about the ideal body. Whether its TV shows, your Instagram feed, magazine covers, books – if it pushes the unobtainable, photoshopped ideal, don’t look at it and don’t think about it.

I recently revamped my Instagram feed to include ONLY people + businesses that promote acceptance and inclusivity. Posts that lift me up and inspire. Life changing.

Instead of fighting the poison after it’s already entered your system, change what you’re consuming.

5. Body Talk. Try not to talk negatively about your body, especially in front of children. Whenever we complain about our body we’re encouraging those around us to do the same.

“When we degrade our own bodies, we send the message to others that it’s acceptable for them to do so as well.”

6. Praise Character. When praising others, try not to focus on appearance.

This one is HARD.

We’re conditioned to praise appearance. What’s FASCINATING is the research shows that even a “positive” comment makes the recipient become more body conscious.

“That shirt looks so good on you,” reminds the wearer that her appearance is being critiqued.

Instead of praising appearance, praise character, what they’ve accomplished, who they are at the heart.

“Anything that draws a woman’s attention to the appearance of her own body or makes her feel as though her body is being evaluated can result in body shame.”

I will say, I found this book difficult to read on occasion. It challenges. It triggers. It asks you to reexamine deep-rooted beliefs and behaviors.

But – if you’re ready, it can also be a powerful catalyst for healing.

XO ~Robyn

Interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship with me? It would be an honor to work with you if and when the time feels right.

To learn more about Personal Health Coaching click HERE. 

To schedule a Discovery Session click HERE.

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What Kind of Teacher Are You?

Imagine it’s your first day of Kindergarten. You’re nervous and excited and curious and bouncing with energy.

Throughout the day, your teacher cheers you on and praises what you do well…

  • What a beautiful picture.
  • Thank you for putting the crayons away.
  • What excellent manners you have.

You’re beaming.

On the second day of school, you enthusiastically race through the doors.

Now imagine, if on that first day, your teacher cruelly pointed out everything you did WRONG…

  • You’re not very good at coloring are you? That’s terrible.
  • Why can’t you spell your name? What’s wrong with you? Are you stupid?
  • You’re not as pretty as the other girls in this class.

It’s an extreme (and improbable) example, but imagine how you would feel at the end of the day.

Would you be excited to learn and grow and improve and return on the second day? Of course not.

Yet most of us speak to ourselves like the cruel teacher (day in and day out) and wonder why we feel stuck and unmotivated.

I’ve been studying the work of B.J. Fogg recently – a Behavior Scientist and Director of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab.

The guy knows what he’s talking about when it comes to behavior change.

Here’s what he has to say (in a nutshell)…

Emotions help us engrave + deepen our behaviors. If you want a behavior to stick, celebrate it as you’re doing it – and immediately after.

It’s VERY important to celebrate your little wins, no matter how small they are.

For most of us, it’s easy to criticize ourselves and difficult to praise ourselves.

But in order for our brains to learn new behaviors, we NEED praise + celebration + recognition + positive feedback. WE NEED TO FEEL GOOD.

Always look for ways you can celebrate your new behaviors IMMEDIATELY.

Even if it’s…

Hey, I didn’t screw it up TOO badly.

Celebration + compassion + congratulations on every small victory, no matter how tiny, works WAY better than criticism!

Just ask ANY teacher.

And if you don’t believe me, try an experiment…

High-five yourself joyfully and lovingly for a few days for every miniscule achievement. Even silly stuff like, “I washed my face today,” and notice how you feel compared to when you criticize the crap out of yourself for every “failure” or “mistake”.

Be a KIND teacher to yourself – and see what happens.

XO ~Robyn

Interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship with me? It would be an honor to work with you if and when the time feels right.

To learn more about Personal Health Coaching click HERE. 

To schedule a Discovery Session click HERE.

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Decisions From Strength

Most of our regrettable choices are made when we feel rushed, overwhelmed, or under pressure…

  • The hideous $200 pair of sandals you bought (ON SALE!!!) after a particularly rough day.
  • The drive through burger + fries + shake instead of making dinner because the kids pushed you over the edge (for the FOURTH time that week).
  • The second bottle of wine because, “Come on, you only live once!”

If you know you’ll be exhausted and stressed and HANGRY at the end of the day, make the decision about what you’ll eat AHEAD OF TIME.

That may mean prepping some meals on Sunday that simply need to be heated up – or using a meal delivery service – or scoping out some healthy fast food options.

If you know you’ll be rushing out the door in the morning (AGAIN) and will inevitably grab a muffin, maybe prep a bunch of overnight oats that are grab and go.

Whenever possible, make decisions IN ADVANCE, when you’re feeling calm + strong + steady + clear.

Plan + prepare when you’re at your BEST. Then all you have to do is execute.

XO ~Robyn

Interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship with me? It would be an honor to work with you if and when the time feels right.

To learn more about Personal Health Coaching click HERE. 

To schedule a Discovery Session click HERE.