From Divorce to Deadlifts: How Kristina Ganow Transformed Her Life Through Fitness

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Welcome listeners.

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I'm really excited to have you here

today, and it's a little selfish

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because I love fitness and I want

to get into that a little bit.

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I've got Christina Gao here

and she is a health coach.

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Um, and I, I wanna talk to her

about that and she kind of, she's

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gonna share her story a little bit,

Christina, if you don't mind, about

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what led you down this journey.

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But she's kind of a fitness gal and

I can't wait to really dive in deep

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with her because I think what led me

to Christina and Christina, I don't

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know exactly the exact thing that

you said, but you posted something on

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Instagram about like getting in shape.

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And it wasn't about how it's shifted and,

and I'm like, oh my gosh, I totally agree.

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I lift weights so that I can carry around

two grandchildren, one in each arm.

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I, I am a completely, I lift weights

so that I feel stronger, better.

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And so your life changed after a divorce.

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And that could be, you know,

people maybe needing a little help.

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So what I wanna do is I wanna

talk about that transition.

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To kind of give people hope.

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And then I also want to.

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Give people little tools, a

little something that they

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can do to change their life.

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If they wanna change the tra, you

know, change the direction of it.

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Mm-hmm.

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Even if they're going through

something hard, sometimes just

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those little changes can spur us

and can get the momentum going.

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So, Christina, you look so young

to me, and I think you said you,

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you help women 35 and older.

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Is that true?

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Yes.

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Yes.

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So you've gotta be older than 35, right?

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Yes, I'm 44 actually.

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You look amazing.

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Well, thank you.

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So Christina, would you mind sharing

your story and what led you to

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take this journey and to help?

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Absolutely.

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Okay.

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Speaker 2: So you mentioned, you know,

after divorce, which I was divorced

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over 10 years ago, um, so kind of became

a single mom, um, had my goals of I.

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Was working as a, um, social worker

at, at a local community health center.

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And that wasn't really enough.

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Well, and I'd actually just taken

a job as a para, um, outta school.

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And so it wasn't really enough to

live off of, to support my boys.

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Um, at that point I started

working lots of jobs.

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Um, and I went back and got my master's.

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So when you're taking care

of the boys, I have two boys.

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Well, I have four boys now.

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Um, at the time I had two.

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Hmm.

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Um.

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I was so busy taking care of everybody

else that I wasn't taking care of me.

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Um, so fast forward lots of years.

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Um, I met a man and we blended

families, which is how I have four now.

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Um, so I have ages.

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Let's see.

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We've, the youngest is

11, the oldest is 21.

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So we woo encompassed the entire gamut.

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Um, in fact, the 21-year-old gets married

here in a couple weeks, and then the

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youngest is gonna go into middle school.

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Um, so I stayed pretty busy with the boys

and all their sports and their activities.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, so I was pouring into

others and I wasn't, I kind of

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lost myself with around that.

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So at about 40, I think I was exactly 40.

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Well, yeah.

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'cause I've been coaching

for almost four years.

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Um, I had kind of found

myself after COVID.

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I was a teacher by this point.

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I had finished my master's.

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I was teaching special ed.

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Um, and as we all know that during COVID

you had to pivot or you had to mm-hmm.

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Adapt at moments notice, you know,

working at home or working wherever.

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So I wasn't taking care of myself,

not fitness wise, um, not, I was

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work, I worked out before in like

: 2018

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And when I was in that car

accident, I kind of lost sight

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of that and then, um, started.

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I mean, really my eating

nutrition had gone downhill.

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So I had gained quite a bit of weight.

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Um, I was at my all time

heaviest, I would say.

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And so at that point, a friend of mine

from high school's wife had actually

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made a post on social media that

she and I started talking and she,

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you know, raved about this program.

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Of course, she had 20 pounds to lose

and I had way more than 20 to lose.

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Um, and so I started this program

that at that point shifted.

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My entire life because at that

point I became, I lost, I lost 70

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pounds within about eight months.

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And, but I became a better mom.

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I became a better wife.

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I became better at everything in life.

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And it wasn't until about a year later

when I started kind of getting into

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fitness, um, so about a year and a half

later and I was working out and trying

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to, 'cause when you lose 70 pounds.

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You're still not happy with

yourself because body dysphoria

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or dysmorphia is a real thing.

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Like I still looked in the mirror

and saw that 215 pound woman.

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Um, I didn't see the 150 pound

woman that stood in front of me.

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And so I started working out to

kind of tone certain spots or

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tone the areas that I didn't like.

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And that's kind of how it began.

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But then I decided I was going to join a

powerlifting group, which wild, um mm-hmm.

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It's a lot harder than

anybody could ever imagine.

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Um, my fabulous trainer, Maddie, she

took me in and she taught me the ropes

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and I was starting from the bottom.

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Literally.

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Well, about three months in, I

decided I was going to sign up

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for a competition because why not?

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I was, you know, 42 and.

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40?

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No, I was 42.

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And I mean, why not?

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And I had no idea what

that was going to entail.

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So, um, at that point I did a

real deep dive into fitness.

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Um, and I, I competed, I did,

as well as I didn't have any

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expectations going on to the platform.

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So I mastered all of them because I

lifted more than I thought I could.

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And I, you know, beat the barriers that

had held against me the entire time.

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But I'll tell you, after that,

I realized how important it

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really was just for health.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, as a mom of four, I am climbing

bleachers all the time, but that was hard.

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There wasn't a thing that

I did that wasn't hard.

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I couldn't run, you know,

running after the boys.

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I tried as much as I could,

but it was still hard.

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You don't realize how much that muscle.

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It just, it, I mean, it changes

everything for you and how you function.

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And so in about January and

February, my goal really with

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lifting became whole body health.

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And it became really just focusing on

what it was going to look like as I aged.

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Mm-hmm.

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You know, my grandma, who is 92 years

old, she I'll, I'll go over my workout

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clothes and she'll be like, I just

don't get why you do those things.

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And I'm like, well, so I

can get outta my chair.

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As I'm helping her out of her chair.

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Mm-hmm.

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You know, and so I, I do all these

things and I think the post you're

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referring to was something about,

um, you know, I lift so that when

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I'm 80 I can get off the toilet.

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Because the reality is, we as adults,

we lose three to 8% of muscle.

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After the age of 30.

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You learn, you lose three

to 8% of your muscle.

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Every year.

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Year.

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So if you're not actively doing

something to build it or maintain

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it, you're not, I mean, we, we, as

women, we weigh under eat protein.

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Speaker: Oh, that's another thing

that I have really started doing.

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Speaker 2: And we don't realize that.

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And that's the other, you know,

when they say, oh, well you're

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supposed to have, you know, 0.8

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to one gram per pound of body weight,

and people are like, oh, I do that.

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Do you 'cause, have you tracked it?

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Because I promise you are.

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We just don't.

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We are in a society who puts things

out in the market that says high

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protein, eight grams of protein.

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That's not high, you know?

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But then with the protein

comes the calories.

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And so people think they're

doing right by their bodies.

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And they're doing, you know,

their body a huge disservice.

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Speaker: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: So that's kind of like

how I got going and that's my

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trajectory of how I got to where I

am and why I very much focus now on

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coaching women towards longevity.

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And I don't just coach women.

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Um, I just feel like because I am a

woman, that's obviously my specialty.

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Speaker: Mm-hmm.

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Yep.

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Yep.

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But anyone, anyone's welcome, right?

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Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely.

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Yes.

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Yes.

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Well, they, I mean, that's the, it's

about helping someone find hope.

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Yeah.

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Someone who, you know, feels hopeless

or they feel like, you know, their life

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can't change, but they don't realize.

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One of my clients, uh, she has

ms and she reached out to me.

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I went to high school with her.

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And she is doing things now that

she never would've dreamed up at.

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She did her first workout this week and

she's like, oh my gosh, this was fabulous.

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Now I created that workout for her

and I'm no, you know, I'm no like

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personal trainer or anything like

that, but I do know enough that I can

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do something that's not gonna drain

her because with MS comes fatigue.

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Mm-hmm.

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But now that she's encompassed the

nutrition and she's down almost 50 pounds.

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Wow.

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Um, and she had her dad pass away in

November, so she's had really hard

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things happen in this journey, but

she's rocking it and she's doing

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fabulous, and that's where I just

hope to create that hope for people.

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Speaker: Mm-hmm.

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Speaker 2: So that they can have that life

that they didn't know that they deserved.

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Speaker: Yeah, and I love, I mean,

that is one of the treasures of this

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podcast is I get to have amazing people

who have gone through something and

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then they're sharing how to help.

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I mean, we all are gonna suffer, right?

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But this can help us

suffer less and Absolutely.

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And I have learned in my life that.

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It isn't just one thing, right?

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It is.

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It's how you eat and, and you

know, I used to be a white

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knuckler, like marathon runner.

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And, and then, and then I got

into fasting and it was like,

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let's see how long I can fast.

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And then, you know, and it's interesting.

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None of that really worked for

me until recently when I just

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kinda let go of making it so hard.

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And just kind of giving my body

a break from eating between seven

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at night and 10 30 in the morning.

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Mm-hmm.

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Increasing that pro, I mean, I am a

healthy eater, increasing my protein.

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I guess the only thing I eat dark

chocolate, but I think that's

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kind of good for you, isn't it?

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I don't know.

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Speaker 2: There's, there's quite

a, there's a lot of studies.

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I mean, you know, obviously it

depends on what phase you're in.

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If you're in a weight loss phase.

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No dark chocolate's, not ideal, but

if you're in a maintenance phase,

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there's a lot of nutrients in dark

chocolate that we as women need.

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And that's the other thing is as we age,

we don't realize how many nutrients our

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body just doesn't really have anymore.

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So if we're not getting it from diet

and our nutrition, things start to fail.

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Speaker: Right, right.

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And we don't.

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And you know, that's the thing.

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Like we wanna live long

lives, but we wanna live.

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Long, healthy lives, you know?

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Correct.

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Do you wanna be healthy?

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Right.

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You

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Speaker 2: don't wanna be

Yeah, I wanna be able to keep,

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Speaker: yeah.

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I don't wanna be sitting in a chair.

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I wanna be out moving.

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Speaker 2: Exactly.

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Speaker: So, okay.

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And for me, I lot

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Speaker 2: the boys to keep up with.

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Speaker: Yes, you do.

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And what you're gonna find is so fun.

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You're kind of like me.

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I had a really big spread like that too.

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And so I always have a baby in my life.

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I and I knew I would 'cause our baby we

adopted eight years after our youngest,

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and so then the older one started

getting married and having babies.

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So I got grand babies.

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I've got one in college, and so

I'm just gonna spread it all out

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so I can have babies forever.

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Yeah.

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Because they're so, they make me so happy,

but I just have to, I wanna pick apart

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a little bit because we hear so many

things about what works, what doesn't.

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And Christina, what I have learned

is you really do, there are some

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pieces like eat your protein.

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Um.

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I think lifting weights too,

I'm gonna say, because I used

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to be, I think lifting weight.

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So I think there are some key things,

but then after that, I've really

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found that you have to kind of

investigate and see what, get curious

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and see what works for you because

what works for all these ladies?

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This fasting thing, I went

through this and I wasn't, I was

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like, gonna lose five pounds.

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Well, I think I gained five and

I was like doing 72 hour fast.

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Not ideal for this chick, it just

wasn't working with my hormones.

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Um, probably put more stress on

my body than I really should have.

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Absolutely.

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But tell me about what was the aha?

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Because yours started with your

eating and it's, a lot of times

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people don't go in gangbusters.

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Sometimes they do, sometimes

they do everything at once, but

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sometimes they take baby steps.

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So you started with the food piece.

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Tell me like, can you give us a.

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A few tips.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely.

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Well, and I'll tell you, I, I say it

was the food piece, but it was also,

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you know, because, you know, I'm

an opt to be a coach, they really,

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really focus on the habits of health.

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And, you know, Dr.

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A, who is the creator of the program

and he wrote the book Habits of Health.

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That's really what it is.

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It's all the habits.

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'cause yeah, eating is important.

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It's, you know, stabilizing

your blood sugar.

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It's, but it's also your surroundings.

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If you have bowls of candy sitting on

your counter, you're gonna grab it.

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That's just human nature, you know?

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It's they, he goes so far as, you

know, teaching you about where to

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store things in your refrigerator.

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If you store the unhealthy things at

eyesight, that's what you're gonna grab.

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Whereas if you store your veggies

and your proteins and you know

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all that in your eyesight,

that's what you're going to grab.

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Mm-hmm.

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And healthy movement.

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He, it's, you know, it's

important healthy sleep.

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If we're not getting seven to

eight hours of sleep every night

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Speaker: mm-hmm.

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Speaker 2: You can eat really good.

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You can do all the things, then yeah,

it's gonna work, but not as well

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as if you're getting the full sleep

and stress management, you know?

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Mm-hmm.

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If you're not managing your stress as

you age, your body is creating cortisol.

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Yeah.

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Which is what gets you that

kind of midsection, you know?

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Fluff, I guess.

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Um, and so, you know, for eating

with this program that, you know, I

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coach, it's simple in the beginning

because it told me exactly what to eat.

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I ordered, we call them fuelings

because they were just like the

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small, you know, little sections

or I guess what you like brownies.

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Honestly, brownies were my favorite.

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I ate like three of 'em a day, but

they were already macro balanced,

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so I didn't have to count calories,

I didn't have to do anything.

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I just had to count to

five, which I could do.

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Then at night, because I was so

busy teaching and as a mom, I would

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create Alina Green that they gave me.

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They told me how much to eat of

whatever I, so if I made chicken

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and broccoli, which I don't care

for chicken, so I don't eat a lot

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of chicken, I ate a lot of shrimp.

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Um, and so I would have the shrimp

and I would, you know, eat the

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cauliflower rice and I'd throw some.

320

: 00:15:40

Buffalo sauce on it or whatever,

or there were days, I, I didn't

321

: 00:15:44

eat all of salads either.

322

: 00:15:46

I tell my clients all the time, if you

eat salads every day, you are gonna be

323

: 00:15:49

so sick of it before you even start.

324

: 00:15:52

So I, I mean, I ate good meals.

325

: 00:15:53

I ate, you know, taco Bake.

326

: 00:15:56

I ate tacos and lettuce, but making

sure that I had my seven ounces,

327

: 00:16:01

depending on which, you know, cut of.

328

: 00:16:04

Meat you had, or protein, depending on

how many ounces you have, because it ba

329

: 00:16:08

you balance your healthy fats, you balance

your protein, and you balance your carbs.

330

: 00:16:12

And you don't cut the carbs out

completely, but they're good carbs.

331

: 00:16:16

Speaker: Okay.

332

: 00:16:16

Speaker 2: Um, and they're not the carbs

that process in your body as sugars.

333

: 00:16:21

Speaker: Okay.

334

: 00:16:21

So, which is to

335

: 00:16:22

Speaker 2: keep the insulin balance.

336

: 00:16:25

Speaker: And it's interesting because

I've just made this so simple for myself.

337

: 00:16:29

I, um.

338

: 00:16:31

I just, I don't measure anything.

339

: 00:16:34

'cause it's just, I mean, and maybe

that's bad, but I'm just in this

340

: 00:16:37

maintenance and I work out a lot.

341

: 00:16:40

But I do, I don't measure anything

342

: 00:16:41

Speaker 2: anymore, so.

343

: 00:16:42

Speaker: Okay, that's good to know.

344

: 00:16:43

So I just, what I found too is when I

kind of took my foot off the gas pedal

345

: 00:16:49

and just chilled and just really thought

about making sure that I'm getting

346

: 00:16:56

my protein, so that means, mm-hmm.

347

: 00:16:57

I usually start with an egg or two.

348

: 00:17:00

Right.

349

: 00:17:01

So that, that's how I start.

350

: 00:17:03

Um, and then sometimes

that mixes into lunch.

351

: 00:17:09

So, you know, sometimes it's

lunch, sometimes it's not.

352

: 00:17:11

I usually, I like veggies.

353

: 00:17:13

I love veggies, so I could

eat a salad every day.

354

: 00:17:15

I'm one of those weirdos.

355

: 00:17:17

And then I just use like oil and vinegar.

356

: 00:17:20

And then I always do

like a, I like red meat.

357

: 00:17:26

You know, I do a protein source at

night, um, probably more veggies.

358

: 00:17:31

And if I, I know the snacks,

like I, there's these, um, SSTA

359

: 00:17:36

chips, I think they're called.

360

: 00:17:38

They, they're made out of avocado

oil and like almond flour.

361

: 00:17:42

I can eat those with salsa.

362

: 00:17:44

I mean, I don't feel like I'm

missing anything and I'm not,

363

: 00:17:47

and I feel like I'm eating really

healthy and it just feels easy.

364

: 00:17:51

And another thing was.

365

: 00:17:53

You know, no more a glass of

wine every night at dinner.

366

: 00:17:56

I think that was a, that

was a huge switch for me.

367

: 00:18:00

And I had, that was a hard one.

368

: 00:18:02

That was a

369

: 00:18:02

Speaker 2: hard switch,

Christina, because I agree.

370

: 00:18:05

'cause I gave up my wine too, and

I'll tell you, it's actually hard for

371

: 00:18:08

me if I'm given the option of wine.

372

: 00:18:11

Or a vodka soda.

373

: 00:18:12

I will not ever choose the wine because

I don't like to drink my calories.

374

: 00:18:16

Speaker: Oh.

375

: 00:18:16

And I don't even really think about that.

376

: 00:18:18

I mean, now, I mean, I just, once

in a while, if I go out with friends

377

: 00:18:21

and we have a meal together, or if we

have steaks, sometimes I have a glass

378

: 00:18:25

of red wine, but not like I used to.

379

: 00:18:28

I think that made all the difference.

380

: 00:18:29

I think I had like a big puffy face

from all the, you know, and you

381

: 00:18:34

don't, and not like I was, I was just

having a glass or two, but it really.

382

: 00:18:39

Was not good for me, but

it was a nice way to relax.

383

: 00:18:44

And so it was a hard

habit to, to get out of.

384

: 00:18:47

I mean, I think it took me a

good three months to be like,

385

: 00:18:50

oh, I don't really need that.

386

: 00:18:52

But it's so beautiful once you

start eating that way and you

387

: 00:18:58

know the alcohol and you feel

so much better that you Oh, yes.

388

: 00:19:05

Really don't wanna go back.

389

: 00:19:08

Speaker 2: No, for sure.

390

: 00:19:09

And like I said, I like, I have

gone to wineries or whatever.

391

: 00:19:12

I just don't desire it like I used to.

392

: 00:19:14

I mean, I used to just

393

: 00:19:15

Speaker: very different wine

394

: 00:19:17

Speaker 2: and, and I don't enjoy it.

395

: 00:19:18

So it's like, well, it's fine.

396

: 00:19:21

Speaker: Yeah.

397

: 00:19:21

Speaker 2: It's just not my, and

that's, and that's where I think Lear

398

: 00:19:24

leaning in on the actual habits that

create health is where it comes from.

399

: 00:19:29

There's so many pieces to the puzzle.

400

: 00:19:31

Nutrition is about 80% of it

Uhhuh, but there's other pieces

401

: 00:19:36

that also have to do with it,

402

: 00:19:38

Speaker: and I can, yep.

403

: 00:19:39

And I love the ones that you

talked about, healthy movement.

404

: 00:19:43

Yep.

405

: 00:19:43

And I don't have to like kill

myself, but I need to lift.

406

: 00:19:47

Mm-hmm.

407

: 00:19:48

Okay.

408

: 00:19:48

So I do have some questions for you

because there's differing opinions on.

409

: 00:19:53

Heavy weights or just

like lifting weights.

410

: 00:19:57

'cause I don't, sometimes when

I go heavy I might get a sore

411

: 00:20:00

neck or, you know what I mean?

412

: 00:20:02

Like sometimes they say it's best to do

like something that you can do five to

413

: 00:20:08

seven reps of something really heavy.

414

: 00:20:10

And then, but I generally like

to do about, uh, 12 something

415

: 00:20:15

I can do about 12 reps.

416

: 00:20:17

Speaker 2: Yeah, I would agree with that.

417

: 00:20:18

Okay.

418

: 00:20:19

And see, um.

419

: 00:20:20

My trainer, because it is

more of the power lifting.

420

: 00:20:23

She really encourages the compound

movements because you're working so

421

: 00:20:27

many muscles in a compound movement.

422

: 00:20:29

But something that I learned

pretty early on is if your form

423

: 00:20:32

is not correct, you will hurt.

424

: 00:20:35

Yeah.

425

: 00:20:35

And if you don't have someone who

is trained to teach you the form,

426

: 00:20:39

I don't recommend just going into a

gym and deciding to squat because.

427

: 00:20:44

If you're not doing a compound

movement with the correct

428

: 00:20:47

form, you will have injury.

429

: 00:20:49

Speaker: I, I can't, this is really a, a

dumb question, but I'm being real here.

430

: 00:20:53

What's a compound movement?

431

: 00:20:54

What do you mean?

432

: 00:20:55

Speaker 2: That's like your squats,

your deadlifts, your bench press,

433

: 00:20:58

the ones that work so many muscles

in your body at the same time.

434

: 00:21:01

Okay.

435

: 00:21:01

Speaker: That's what I thought you meant,

but I didn't know if you meant like doing

436

: 00:21:04

a lunge and a curl at the same time or.

437

: 00:21:08

Speaker 2: I mean, I suppose that would

still be, you know, somewhat compound,

438

: 00:21:11

but it's your, it's your deadlift,

your, you know, and I, some people

439

: 00:21:15

talk about cleans, but that's more of a

sports thing, you know, not necessarily

440

: 00:21:20

something you're gonna have in a comp

in, well, if you do CrossFit, I guess

441

: 00:21:23

Speaker: I did, I do have a class

that that has, there's one class

442

: 00:21:27

that I take that does have that.

443

: 00:21:29

I just try to be mindful

and careful in it.

444

: 00:21:32

You know, it's a big class, so, all right.

445

: 00:21:34

So I'm glad, I'm glad to hear that.

446

: 00:21:36

And then I think I'm finding too,

that adding some, um, hip workouts

447

: 00:21:41

are gonna be beneficial to my,

448

: 00:21:44

Speaker 2: I've started doing seven

way hip stretches, um, as my up

449

: 00:21:48

exercise for any of my movements.

450

: 00:21:50

And so she has me doing 'em daily and

I, that was something I really noticed

451

: 00:21:55

was how weak my hip flexors are.

452

: 00:21:57

And you don't.

453

: 00:21:58

Realize how much you use your hip

flexors in, like everything you do.

454

: 00:22:04

Yeah.

455

: 00:22:04

Um, and apparently that I and

glutes, you also don't realize

456

: 00:22:10

how much you use your glutes.

457

: 00:22:10

Mm-hmm.

458

: 00:22:11

And those were my weakest

areas because I loved doing arm

459

: 00:22:15

movements and legs, not so much.

460

: 00:22:17

So I am working on that.

461

: 00:22:20

I'm forcing myself,

462

: 00:22:22

so I'm forcing myself to

do the hard things, but.

463

: 00:22:26

The seven way hip stretch is great

for working so many parts of your hips

464

: 00:22:31

because you lose mobility as you age.

465

: 00:22:34

Speaker: I don't even know

what, I don't know what that is.

466

: 00:22:37

Speaker 2: Mobility is just how you move.

467

: 00:22:39

Speaker: Seven.

468

: 00:22:39

No, seven way stretch is

469

: 00:22:41

Speaker 2: like, like the hip seven.

470

: 00:22:43

The seven way hip stretch is

like you move your legs like this

471

: 00:22:47

and then this, and then this.

472

: 00:22:50

And then like circles, and then you

flip and you do it with the other side.

473

: 00:22:53

So there's like seven stretches

within the same thing.

474

: 00:22:57

Gotcha.

475

: 00:22:57

Yeah.

476

: 00:22:59

And so it works.

477

: 00:23:00

All of those, it kind of increases

the mobility in your hips.

478

: 00:23:05

Well,

479

: 00:23:06

Speaker: and one thing thing that,

480

: 00:23:07

Speaker 2: that's my favorite one.

481

: 00:23:08

Speaker: Yeah.

482

: 00:23:08

All right.

483

: 00:23:08

That's good to know.

484

: 00:23:09

I'm gonna have to try that.

485

: 00:23:10

And I think what I, I'm like pretty

much basically sore every day because I

486

: 00:23:15

just do like a whole bunch of different

stuff and it just works for me.

487

: 00:23:20

So I have, there's a yoga studio that

has a lot of lifting sculpt classes.

488

: 00:23:26

Some of them are like Pilates and some

of 'em are like, and I just do a whole

489

: 00:23:29

bunch of different stuff and I walk, I

find I love running, but I seem to get

490

: 00:23:35

a sore knee now, so I'm kind of, um.

491

: 00:23:39

Taking a step back from that and trying

to do a little bit of hit, which is oddly

492

: 00:23:44

the thing that's the hardest for me to do.

493

: 00:23:45

It's the quick, it's a quick and easy

hit, and it's supposed to be really good

494

: 00:23:49

for your cardiovascular health, but that

is one that is hard for me to get in.

495

: 00:23:54

I mean, just to like go down

and do jumping jacks, you know,

496

: 00:23:57

a minute on, a minute off.

497

: 00:24:00

Es a minute on a, you

know, whatever it is.

498

: 00:24:02

It's not complicated.

499

: 00:24:03

You can do like four of them.

500

: 00:24:04

You get about 20 minutes

in and you're done.

501

: 00:24:07

But for some reason, that's

the one I dislike the most.

502

: 00:24:09

'cause it kind of makes your

lungs burn and it hurts.

503

: 00:24:13

Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't

care for those either.

504

: 00:24:15

I actually will, um, have added walking

with a weighted vest to my routine, and

505

: 00:24:20

I would much rather do that for a form of

cardio than any burpees, jumping jacks.

506

: 00:24:26

Mm-hmm.

507

: 00:24:26

They're just not my jam.

508

: 00:24:27

Like, I don't,

509

: 00:24:28

Speaker: yeah.

510

: 00:24:29

Speaker 2: Cardio is

not my jam in general.

511

: 00:24:31

Um, which is why I like lifting.

512

: 00:24:33

But the reality is we do need

a little bit of cardio mm-hmm.

513

: 00:24:35

To, um, keep our heart pumping

and keep it healthy too.

514

: 00:24:40

Yep.

515

: 00:24:40

So.

516

: 00:24:41

And that's where the

weighted vest has helped.

517

: 00:24:43

But it's, it's crazy to me.

518

: 00:24:45

It's funny 'cause we have a hill, you

know, near here and I was like, oh,

519

: 00:24:48

I'm gonna walk up backwards 'cause this

is gonna really, no, I thought I was

520

: 00:24:52

gonna fall and I was like, just kidding.

521

: 00:24:54

And I like, I work out every day and I

was like, okay, so we're not there yet.

522

: 00:24:58

Yes.

523

: 00:24:58

We're just gonna,

524

: 00:25:00

Speaker: yeah,

525

: 00:25:00

Speaker 2: because you don't realize,

and you know, and I only did 15 pounds

526

: 00:25:03

and I got the vest that's like 11 to 20

because I wanted one that I could pull

527

: 00:25:09

weight out of or put weight in and.

528

: 00:25:11

Depending on how I Oh,

529

: 00:25:12

Speaker: that's nice.

530

: 00:25:12

I, I actually have one of those

too, and I just have a 12 pounder.

531

: 00:25:19

Speaker 2: Hey, 12 pounds

is better than no pounds,

532

: 00:25:21

Speaker: and you can feel it.

533

: 00:25:22

Yes.

534

: 00:25:23

You.

535

: 00:25:23

I don't even, I don't use it all the time.

536

: 00:25:25

I don't always, 'cause I love to walk

and I sometimes I'm like, yeah, no.

537

: 00:25:28

Most of the time I don't use it.

538

: 00:25:30

Right.

539

: 00:25:30

But if I need that little

extra, then I've got it.

540

: 00:25:34

Okay.

541

: 00:25:34

So we're talking and I just think like

moving your body, like when I have

542

: 00:25:37

a day, when I'm working on the farm.

543

: 00:25:39

You know, and I, I get like

23,000 steps some of those days.

544

: 00:25:44

That's awesome.

545

: 00:25:44

And I haven't even taken a walk 'cause

I'm running around to gardens and horses

546

: 00:25:48

and I love that more than anything.

547

: 00:25:51

That's like my favorite day.

548

: 00:25:53

Um, but then you talk about sleep too.

549

: 00:25:55

And sleep is, is tricky because.

550

: 00:25:59

I have never been a great sleeper.

551

: 00:26:01

My mind, um, can, can go and I just

really have made it a priority and a

552

: 00:26:08

big part of that is me getting to bed.

553

: 00:26:10

Early and boy I get, I get

a little bit of crap for it.

554

: 00:26:16

Speaker 2: Same.

555

: 00:26:16

Yeah, same.

556

: 00:26:17

I know I have, my husband says

all the time, I don't know

557

: 00:26:20

how you go to bed so early.

558

: 00:26:21

I'm like, if I don't go to bed

this early, then I'm not asleep by

559

: 00:26:24

the time I want to be asleep by.

560

: 00:26:25

Yep.

561

: 00:26:25

And then when I wake up, I'm not

gotten my seven, eight hours.

562

: 00:26:28

Speaker: Yes.

563

: 00:26:29

Speaker 2: Like, it's best for

all if I get my sleep, I promise.

564

: 00:26:32

Amen.

565

: 00:26:33

Speaker: If mama ain't

happy, nobody's happy.

566

: 00:26:36

Right?

567

: 00:26:36

Speaker 2: Well, and I've started

drinking Moon Brew at night and

568

: 00:26:39

it's, I don know what that is.

569

: 00:26:41

Well, I guess it's not, it's,

I guess it's a supplement.

570

: 00:26:43

I don't know.

571

: 00:26:44

Somebody, I, one of my fellow

coaches suggested it and she was

572

: 00:26:47

like, it makes me nine, nine, boy.

573

: 00:26:49

It sure does.

574

: 00:26:50

It's got a bunch of AP adaptogens,

um, and it's got magnesium in

575

: 00:26:55

it, and so it's like hot cocoa.

576

: 00:26:56

I just drink it at night.

577

: 00:26:57

It's called, it relaxes me.

578

: 00:27:00

It's called Moon Brew.

579

: 00:27:02

I've got the link, um, on my profile

in my thing just because I'm a huge

580

: 00:27:07

fan, but, so I drink a little bit

of hot co cocoa before I go to bed.

581

: 00:27:11

And who doesn't love a little

chocolate before you go to bed?

582

: 00:27:14

Right.

583

: 00:27:14

And I sleep really,

really good with it, so.

584

: 00:27:18

Speaker: Okay, that's good

585

: 00:27:18

Speaker 2: to know.

586

: 00:27:19

I'm just gonna have to be careful.

587

: 00:27:20

It just little things.

588

: 00:27:20

Speaker: Yes.

589

: 00:27:22

I do take magnesium, so I just wanna make

sure I'm not gonna get too much magnesium

590

: 00:27:26

then if I'm adding the moon brew.

591

: 00:27:28

But yeah, you just, you

gotta do what you have to do.

592

: 00:27:31

But what I have found is that I

just need to get the time in bed.

593

: 00:27:35

And then if I wake up, I don't freak

out, I just listen to something.

594

: 00:27:39

Or you know, I don't usually turn

lights on and read, but I will listen

595

: 00:27:43

to things that I can fall asleep to

and just being in bed for a longer

596

: 00:27:48

period of time, I've got a better shot

of getting those seven to eight hours.

597

: 00:27:53

So that's kind of how I've worked it out.

598

: 00:27:55

One thing that, and the stress

management, I'm horrible, just

599

: 00:27:59

have never been good at, and so.

600

: 00:28:03

Working, working on that through

like self coaching through, and

601

: 00:28:07

I think all the things that we

talked about before that help.

602

: 00:28:11

Absolutely.

603

: 00:28:12

The only thing that that I would add

to that that's not on your list is that

604

: 00:28:18

I didn't do BEF until just recently is

being in community with other women.

605

: 00:28:24

Speaker 2: Yes.

606

: 00:28:24

And I actually mention that.

607

: 00:28:26

Yeah.

608

: 00:28:26

Yes.

609

: 00:28:27

I didn't forgot about that one.

610

: 00:28:28

That's another thing that.

611

: 00:28:29

We have a very large community

in our group and we, we have

612

: 00:28:32

a community for clients.

613

: 00:28:33

We have a community for coaches.

614

: 00:28:34

And I'll tell you, it's,

it is a huge piece.

615

: 00:28:40

I have one of my best friends who

lives in New Jersey and we talk

616

: 00:28:43

almost daily, and I would've never

met her if it weren't for this.

617

: 00:28:47

And that's kind of how we bonded

was through the losing weight.

618

: 00:28:51

And that's, I mean, she's.

619

: 00:28:54

A little older than me, so it's,

you know, but we talk every day.

620

: 00:28:59

And so it is a huge thing to

have community because if you

621

: 00:29:02

have accountability and you have

other people to bounce ideas

622

: 00:29:05

off, you're not alone in it.

623

: 00:29:07

And you should never be alone

in any type of habit changing.

624

: 00:29:10

Speaker: Yep.

625

: 00:29:11

Okay.

626

: 00:29:11

So I'm So with you there, and I just

mean in general, in life for happiness.

627

: 00:29:16

Oh, yes.

628

: 00:29:16

You know what I mean?

629

: 00:29:17

Like just like.

630

: 00:29:18

Being around other people, and I

did not give myself enough of that.

631

: 00:29:24

Yeah.

632

: 00:29:24

So, yeah, in your case, if you go

through coaching, you can kill, you

633

: 00:29:28

know, so many birds with one stone.

634

: 00:29:30

Mm-hmm.

635

: 00:29:30

You can, you're gonna cover,

you're gonna encompass all of that.

636

: 00:29:34

So tell me Absolute.

637

: 00:29:35

Um, so if our listeners are going

through a horrible divorce right now.

638

: 00:29:43

Or a huge life transition.

639

: 00:29:45

And they're feeling, yeah, about

themselves and what are some little

640

: 00:29:52

things that they can do that aren't

going to overwhelm them, but they're

641

: 00:29:58

gonna help them take care of themselves.

642

: 00:30:00

Do you have any little tips?

643

: 00:30:02

Speaker 2: I think journaling is huge.

644

: 00:30:04

I know when I was going

through my divorce.

645

: 00:30:06

Putting stuff, thoughts on paper

and sometimes it's, I use my phone

646

: 00:30:09

sometimes as a journal because

the iPhone has a journal app.

647

: 00:30:12

Sometimes I use my notes and I

just get the thoughts outta my head

648

: 00:30:16

because intrusive thoughts, especially

during a divorce, and even worse

649

: 00:30:19

when you're navigating like a custody

battle or, yeah, something like that.

650

: 00:30:23

The intrusive thoughts can tear

you up because you are living your

651

: 00:30:27

life on the He said, she said,

and this person said this, and.

652

: 00:30:32

You can get lost with that.

653

: 00:30:34

So I think journalize journaling or just

taking something, uh, my therapist, 'cause

654

: 00:30:39

I really struggled, like meditating and

his suggestion was to just play a song.

655

: 00:30:45

Any song, like just hit a

playlist, sit, listen to it.

656

: 00:30:49

So two minutes, two to three minutes,

and then whatever I felt during that

657

: 00:30:53

song, I was just to put on paper and that

made a huge difference in getting me.

658

: 00:31:00

To get in that mindset because I

think sometimes just slowing your

659

: 00:31:03

brain down enough to calm down.

660

: 00:31:06

I mean, I would laugh

at 'em like me meditate.

661

: 00:31:08

Are you kidding me?

662

: 00:31:09

Like I'm A DHD.

663

: 00:31:10

No, no.

664

: 00:31:11

But it did help just slow my brain

down, um, and allow me to do that.

665

: 00:31:15

So that's huge.

666

: 00:31:17

Um, and I think, you know, as far,

when it comes to nutrition, just

667

: 00:31:20

pick one habit that you wanna change.

668

: 00:31:23

Change it for two to three

weeks and then add another.

669

: 00:31:26

Speaker: Yeah.

670

: 00:31:26

You know, if

671

: 00:31:26

Speaker 2: you wanna

focus on your nutrition.

672

: 00:31:28

You know, focus on that

for two to three weeks.

673

: 00:31:31

But if you try to do it all at once,

especially when you're going through

674

: 00:31:34

a challenging time, then you fail and

then you end up right back where you

675

: 00:31:37

started feeling worse because you failed

at yet again something else, right?

676

: 00:31:42

Speaker: Right.

677

: 00:31:43

And so, and I think that's another

kind of, we're, we're going over

678

: 00:31:46

a little bit, but kind of to leave

people, I just always want people

679

: 00:31:51

to not be so hard on themselves.

680

: 00:31:53

Have some empathy.

681

: 00:31:55

Talk to yourself like you would

your best friend or someone that you

682

: 00:31:58

really love, because don't we forget

that, you know, we beat ourselves up.

683

: 00:32:02

But you know what, if you mess

up and eat a whole cake, you just

684

: 00:32:06

love yourself, baby, because.

685

: 00:32:11

Speaker 2: And you know what the

next decision, just try to make it.

686

: 00:32:13

'cause it'll all balance

out and it's okay.

687

: 00:32:16

Speaker: Yep.

688

: 00:32:16

Speaker 2: Give yourself grace,

especially in the hard times.

689

: 00:32:19

Speaker: Yes.

690

: 00:32:19

Yes.

691

: 00:32:20

All right.

692

: 00:32:20

Well, Christina, it was such

a pleasure to get to know you.

693

: 00:32:24

Speaker 2: Thank you

so much for having me.

694

: 00:32:25

Speaker: Yeah.

695

: 00:32:25

I'm so glad.

696

: 00:32:26

I'm so glad that I saw your post,

and I so appreciate you being here.

697

: 00:32:31

Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely.

698

: 00:32:32

Okay.

699

: 00:32:33

Nice meeting you.

700

: 00:32:34

Speaker: Tell me if people want to do

your coaching program, where do they go?

701

: 00:32:39

And I can have something in my

show notes, but I know you've got a

702

: 00:32:43

quite a big following on Instagram.

703

: 00:32:45

Where else can they find you?

704

: 00:32:46

Speaker 2: They can also

find me on Facebook.

705

: 00:32:48

Christina Gau.

706

: 00:32:49

Um, I have a TikTok,

but I'm not very active.

707

: 00:32:52

I, I'm too old for that, I think.

708

: 00:32:54

Me too.

709

: 00:32:55

I try, but I'm like Instagram

I know a little better.

710

: 00:32:58

Um, so Instagram.

711

: 00:33:00

Is the best place because

everything's housed all in one and

712

: 00:33:04

I've got a link in my bio to be

able to schedule calls with me.

713

: 00:33:09

Um, you can also go to my Facebook,

um, which is also public, uh,

714

: 00:33:13

Christina Gainau, and also can access

all of that from there as well.

715

: 00:33:18

Um, and then my email, they can also

always email me, which is just my

716

: 00:33:22

name, Christina gainau@gmail.com.

717

: 00:33:26

Speaker: Perfect.

718

: 00:33:26

All right.

719

: 00:33:27

Listeners find, Christina, if you're

needing a little coaching through

720

: 00:33:30

something hard, I've, I've done it.

721

: 00:33:32

I believe in it and I think

it can help all of us.

722

: 00:33:35

So Christina, thanks

so much for being here.

723

: 00:33:38

Speaker 2: All right, thanks, Lisa.