Karen Stoychoff

Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Road Rules for Crafting a High-Octane Action Statement.

​“If you can’t fit it on this, you’ll never win,” shouted my college social science professor as he furiously waved a bumper sticker clenched in one hand and pounded the podium with the other. ​​His pronouncement targeted political campaign slogans, but I’ve applied the advice to a variety of situations over the years, including when I help clients write an Action Statement as they embark on the road to lifestyle change...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

The Moments That Matter.

My heart sank as I heard my name called. My aim was an undetected in & out trip to the local store to grab a few items to help me weather what I hoped were the final days of a head cold that had sidelined me to my sofa. ​ I questioned if ​the trek was the right thing, but I never had a fever and it had been almost a week since I set foot outside my house. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to feel as awful as I did, but bare pantry shelves and growling stomach won the debate...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Dream Big. Plan Bigger.

“This area features our elliptical machines, treadmills, stationary bikes and stair climbers,” said the young man as he led two couples on a tour of the gym. “Over here you’ll find the free weights and machines ...” One of the prospective members interrupted him. “Whatever,” she said dismissively. “Where’s the spot that will help me lose 20 pounds in four weeks? I want to look good in the bathing suit I bought for Spring Break.” Loading up with too many lifestyle changes at once...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Green Is The Color Of Change.

The man paused at the intersection and stared ahead, never flinching, seemingly immune to the chaos around him. A concrete mixer churning its load, vehicle exhaust thick and smoldering, the Mom who clipped his calf with a stroller and the toddler perched inside reaching for the dangling strap of his attaché, the teen chattering loudly on her cellphone; nothing broke his gaze. The crosswalk signal changed from red to green. His head swiveled right, left, forward. He lunged off the curb and ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Focus on the Whys Behind Your 2020 Resolutions Take a Pass On Ditch Your Resolution Day

From early cave drawings to forms of sign language and pantomime to the written word, humans have always used storytelling to explain, entertain and persuade. According to Dr. Edward D. Miller Jr., former Dean of the Medical Faculty at Johns Hopkins University and Chief Executive Officer of Johns Hopkins, “stories are our primary tools of learning and teaching, the repositories of our lore and legends. They bring order into our confusing world.” One of the reasons storytelling is so powerful...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Replace All-Or-Nothing Thinking with Shades of Gray.

“The week started out great. I was definitely ​on," a prospective client emailed. “It was like everything fell into place; it clicked. Then we went to our neighbor’s house to watch the game and I pretty much undid everything I accomplished during the week. I went so off I decided I may as well blow out the rest of the week and start over on Monday.” Research conducted at Cornell University shows 46 percent of people launch a weight-loss plan on Monday morning …
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Focus on the Whys Behind Your 2020 Resolutions Take a Pass On Ditch Your Resolution Day

“Look in the mirror. Those look great on you. You should see yourself,” the man prompted his female companion who was trying on sunglasses from the rack adjacent to the department store checkout. “I can’t buy anything unless I keep my New Year’s Resolutions to exercise more and eat better,” she sighed. “You better put them back then,” he chided. “Those are the same resolutions you have every year.” Almost two-thirds of respondents to a YouGov survey conducted in December ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Subtraction and Deprivation Don’t Add Up to Sustainable Lifestyle Change

“This is going to be the year,” she proclaimed to her friend as they awaited their carry out order. Then with a hint of resignation she bemoaned, “I’ve given up absolutely everything I love, so how could I not lose the weight?” Far too often people equate weight loss with deprivation, subtracting food, social events and satisfaction in the hope it adds up to a lower number on the scale and a smaller clothing size. Eating behaviors are deeply entrenched, and among the most complex ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

It’s Not About Willpower. How to Set and Achieve 2020 Resolutions.

“I’m pretty sure I already failed at my 2020 Resolutions,” he said with a sly smile, a hint of snark, and weeks yet to go in 2019. He was joking, of course. Or, was he? People who make New Year’s Resolutions are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than people who don’t. Yet 75 percent of resolution setters abandon their goals within just seven days. The reasons are as varied and unique as the people who resolve to change, yet the feelings of disappointment are universal...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

The Human Knot of Lifestyle Change.

The 12 executives formed a circle; arms outstretched, clasping hands of the person in front of them, right hand to right hand, left hand to left hand. ​I asked the group to unwind from this tangled human knot without losing physical contact. The men and women contorted, squirmed, and squished to uncouple from the hopeless tangle of limbs. The activity was part of a corporate-wide initiative, and I was one of 25 or so facilitators charged with putting execs in challenging, and frequently ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

The Only Game Changer You’ll Ever Need.

Elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner James Wilks chronicles his global quest to uncover the optimal diet for human performance in “The Game Changers”; he concludes that diet is Whole Foods Plant Based. Backed by celebs including James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jackie Chan, the film features “elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons, and everyday heroes,” plenty of cited research, and a few on-screen experiments ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Be the Stone and Other Holiday Success Tips.

​Weight shifting, foot tapping,she complained she was already behind, and that once again planning, shopping, cleaning, and cooking is solely her domain. “I hate putting my life on hold for the holidays. Goodbye routine, hello stress,” she decried as she hunched over her cart and pushed down the aisle. Is it Festivus, or the annual Airing of Grievances, already? Research by OnePoll cites that 88 percent of survey respondents feel stressed when celebrating the holidays ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Serving Up Your Perfect Diet.

A bartender says, “We don’t serve time travelers in here.” A time traveler walks into a bar. Ba-dum-dump. That two-liner comes to mind when people tell me about the latest, greatest, most fabulous-ever diet their friend raves about. Said friend lost 10 pounds and fits in to the dress of her dreams. Or, said friend moves better on the court than in his 20s since dropping 20 pounds. “How long has your friend kept off the weight?” I ask. I’m not prescient ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Ghost Holiday Weight Gain Before It Creeps Up on You.

The 2019 Holiday Season kicks off October 31, bringing with it tradition, treats, temptation and the annual tipping of the scale. The nearly 2,000 additional calories the average adult consumes in chocolate, chewies and other Halloween candy – kids chow down nearly double that amount – begins a ten-week out-of-the-norm eating pattern that contributes to weight gain for many adults and children; weight that most won’t shed for five months or more...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

Yagottawanna Start the Change Process.

It was a particularly tense team meeting, with much back and forth on which direction to take. Charged with creating a corporate-wide change initiative, the team vigorously debated multiple, equally viable paths. One of my co-workers suddenly stood up, slammed his fist on the table and blurted, “Yagottawanna! None of it matters unless yagottawanna.” I was still learning the rhythm, flow and jargon of the group having just moved to the project. I had no idea what my colleague declared ...
Lean In Health & Fitness Coaching •

It’s Time to Get Bowelled Over By Fiber.

Do you score as Kingpin or Washout on your daily Fiber intake? Read on to learn more. Then check out the Recipes section for a tasty, five ingredient Fiber-rich breakfast option, and the Lean In to a Better Plate section for suggestions for how to lean in to a Fiber-filled plate. “How are your bowels?,” My Dedo would pry in his thick Mediterranean accent. “Did you move your bowels today?” I would dutifully (doo-doo-fully?) answer, restraining a giggle ...
Load More Articles