Carol Whitaker is a holistic lifestyle fitness coach, motivational spaker and author of the book Ridiculously Happy! The Secret to Manifesting the Life and Body of Your Dreams. She helps clients harness their innate power within to live extraordinary lives, using her firsthand experience of how she overcame chronic ill health.
Carol shared her own routines and habits with us. And she’s offered our readers some free goodies on her web site, too!
How do you start your own day? Do you have any daily rituals or routines?
I start my day by getting my workout clothes on and drinking Go Nitrimax, an L-arginine, Branch Chain Amino Acid (BCAAs) pre-workout drink upon rising and probiotics. After I get my hubby and kids off to work and to school and feed my horses, I head down to my home gym and strength train for 45 to 60 minutes Monday through Saturday. Within an hour after my training I have my post-workout breakfast consisting of eggs, whey isolate protein, half a grapefruit and Ezekiel (bread) toast, along with vitamins and minerals.
What are your eating habits like? Do you follow any specific program of eating?
I eat a very low carb diet. My body does best and maintains my lean physique with a high protein and fat, low carbohydrate diet. I have protein, fresh veggies or salad and clean fats with each meal. I schedule my meals to eat the same time each day. I eat every three hours to keep my blood sugar level and to keep my muscles well-fueled. I have my last meal by 6 pm to ensure I go to bed on a fairly empty stomach. I have a warm bedtime drink at 9:00 pm, Go Nitirmax—to support muscle repair and fat loss while I sleep.
There’s so much research being done and advice being published, how do you tell what’s real and what’s fake? How do you decide what’s relevant and what isn’t?
I study and research the latest and greatest diet and fitness advice being published daily. To trust an article/research I do the same as I tell my clients when they’re researching diet fads and workout routines, “If it seems too good to be true good to be true, then it probably is.” There’s no such thing as a “quick-fix” for weight reduction or a gadget to get in shape fast. When I see articles that claims you can get in shape in less than 10 minutes a day or a fad diet or supplement that claims you can lose weight and get in shape without eating clean is a hoax in my eyes.
Is there any current thinking about diet and fitness that needs to be challenged?
Yes, there always is! To believe that you can get lean without lifting weights is wishful thinking, or you can get a six pack by merely using a certain machine or gizmo is unrealistic. And a diet that greatly restricts caloric intake is unhealthy and is not a solution for long-term weight reduction.
Is there anything new you’ve started doing recently, or anything you’ve quit?
Yes, I do intermittent fasting. I skip breakfast and train on an empty stomach and then eat my post-workout meal at 11 am. Doing so has been highly beneficial in aiding fat loss while maintaining my lean physique. Intermittent fasting has many health benefits in addition to weight reduction, a few of which are: it helps leptin and insulin sensitivity, improves gene repair, cardiovascular health, increases metabolism, and reduces cancer risk—all of which makes for a healthier, longer life.
How do you make adjustments to your workout? It’s hard to know what to do when you’re tired or having a bad workout.
I listen to my body and workout accordingly. When I’m too tired to train hard I’ll only do six sets instead of 10 or do abs and cardio, and then I stay active throughout the day. I also take power naps in the afternoon when needed to rejuvenate my body and mind. And then the following day a light workout I train extra hard.
Can you share some of the specific things you notice your top clients doing differently than the average client?
My successful clients follow through and live what I teach them daily. Those that aren’t as successful tend to make excuses as to “why” they didn’t have time to work out or eat clean. Living my LivFit Lifestyle takes determination, a positive mindset and dedication to living fit day in and day out, week after week. My clients who embrace it full-heartedly live highly fulfilling, happy lives.
Coach.me is a coach that goes everywhere with you, helping you achieve any goal, change any habit, or build any expertise. If you’re feeling inspired by what you’ve read, try adding these habits to your Coach.me dashboard:
- Take Probiotics: care for your digestive health with living nutrients.
- Intermittant Fasting: use periods of not eating to boost your metabolism.
- Slow Carb Diet from the 4-Hour Body: try a low-carb high-protein eat plan for losing weight and getting fit.
