21 days in the rearview

January 7th I put a ground and said NO MORE!   I weighed in at 184.7 pounds, by far the most I had been in several months.  Let's be honest, it was a steady diet of monkey bread and Christmas cookies for about 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year's.  While tasty on the tongue, it was killing my around the gut!

So I kicked of 2013 with Les Mills Combat, Shakeology, and focusing on what I eat and as of today, I weigh 180.1.  Not the weight loss I hoped for but seeing some great results in the change in my shape.  While I do have a weight loss goal that I want to reach my focus is really beginning to shift.  I could press and workout extra, trim additional calories and get completely stringent to get to that goal.  And that would be fine.  But what I know about myself is that if I sprint to that goal, I will eventually run out of gas and while I might hit that number on the scale I know that my weight will yo-yo back up.

As with most things in life, the "tortoise" wins - slow and steady wins the race!!  My goal is to become actively healthy, not just a specific weight.

RESULTS HAPPEN HERE!

I would love to hear your comments!

Fallen and I can't get up...

The journey to health and fitness is much like a mountain climb.  You journey over difficult terrain -- over rocks, cliffs, dusty trails, rivers and gorges.  At times along that journey you slip and fall -- fall into 3 slices of deep dish pizza, you tumble over a busy week where you don't exercise, you trip over excuses that give you permission to return to old unhealthy habits.

When I was a kid there was a commercial that was as much the punchline of joke as it was a critical piece of advertising.  The commercial was a little old lady on the floor who was unable to get herself off the floor.  She pushes a button and hollers out "I've fallen and can't get up."

As we climb this mountain, there are moments where we are the little old lady on the floor.  There comes a point where we have to do one of two things -- either we A) muster the strength and courage to pick our self  back up and continue that climb.  We get back on the treadmill, push play on that program, say no to the Krispy Kreme and yes to healthy meal.  

OR B) we cry out like the little of lady "I have fallen and I can't get up".  This is where support is critical.  What I have found as a truth or axiom in my life is this scripture:  "Two are better than one, for they have a better return for their labor."  You are more likely to find success in a partnership or group.  You are more likely to get up from the side of the mountain with the help of someone else.

Reach out for that help!  If you are looking for someone to be that support, let me put you into Challenge Group to get you off that floor!

Gaining Confidence

Let's play word association.  I say workout, you might say sweat, fitness, exercise, lifting, smelly gym socks.  The word that may not come to mind is CONFIDENCE.  The origin of the word comes from the Latin word confidere which means to trust, to have faith in.  This definitely does not bring to mind images of bulking up, trimming down or getting fit. Yet, there is an interesting correlation between personal confidence and your level of fitness and health.  Self-image and self confidence are linked!

As you push the limits of your body and achieve new levels, you start create a belief in yourself of accomplishing new limits.  As your body begins to take shape from that of a pear to that of healthy and strong, you start to see yourself differently.  Every time you achieve one goal there is a drive ignited in you to push to achieve a new goal.  This attitude bleeds over into other areas of your life. In turn that affects how you present yourself to others, resulting in a greater level of confidence.

When you feel good about you, others take notice!  When you believe in you, you show it!  Run the next mile, do the next set of push ups, push play on Insanity or P90X.  Not only will you be rewarded by building a stronger, faster, learner physique, you will be rewarded with a greater sense of self-worth.  The changes you find will be more than just physical...they may just change your life!

When to give up...

The truth of the matter is your mind will quit before your body is ready to.  Let's face it none of us like pain, but pain is what is required to see change in your physical appearance.  There is that mechanism in your body that fires a signal to the brain telling it to stop whatever it is doing that is causing the pain.  This mechanism is an amazing feature when we touch a hot stove, stick your hand in snow or slam your finger in the door.  But this feature is a hindrance from success when it comes to achieving optimal results in your physical fitness.

A trick I have used to trick my brain is the "one more" approach.  When I started my weight loss journey with running, it was the one more stoplight or mailbox approach.  My brain was telling my body to stop, I had to speak louder than the voice in my head telling it "just one more...".  I would reach that mailbox or streetlight and I would have to tell my brain "just one more...".  I would do this over and over until I reached my final destination on my run.

When it comes to physical conditioning through lifting and training, I think the "one more..." approach is just as necessary.  In order to break through barriers of weight loss, training, or conditioning you have to break through the mental wall that keeps you from reaching your peak.  As an Insanity graduate, there were days I went through the motions of the workout, but I realized if I wanted peak results I had to give peak performance.  In short I had to overcome the voice in my head and push out one more push-up.  Press through the pain of 10 more seconds of high knees.

The point of giving up is the point where you can physically give no more but even then you say to yourself "just one more..."

A Fitter You!

Rinse, Lather, Repeat...

So I know the title boosts of washing your hair, but in it lies a key piece of wisdom.  As a Beachbody Coach, I realize that we offer some amazing program, but this rule applies universally beyond just the programs.  What so many find during a structured exercise and diet programs is amazing results.  What also tends to happen is the post program let down.  When the program is done, most people don't have a plan what to do after that.

So you wore out 9 weeks of Insanity or 90 days of P90X or you just finished training for the Tough Mudder - what now?  That is the huge question!  Repeat - okay, so maybe not go through the same program or same training.  But what was the why you did the initial program - weight loss, healthier lifestyle, a specific event to complete.  Repeat establishing a new why - build muscle, train for a new event, lose more weight...  By repeating the steps that drove you your why in the first place will move you towards your next why.

If you accomplished something tough like completing a program or training for an event, you have established great habits to reach that goal.  The interesting thing about good habits is that they are just as quickly broken as they were established.  If you get out of the habit of exercising, training, and eating right even for just a week - it breaks that pattern you had established is nearly as difficult as the first time you started.

So rinse, lather, repeat...find a new why.  Pick a plan to accomplish it.  Stay in the habit!

When in doubt...try!

All my life I have heard the expression "When in doubt..." then followed by some sort of lame advice.  Doubt is one of the things that creeps into our minds that can prevent our bodies from achieving maximum success.  Doubt is the thoughts that keep us from putting in the work.  Doubt is the thing that keeps us from making wise choices with our food.  Doubt can single handily set you back on progress.

If the workout looks hard, you "doubt" you can do it.  Not big on veggies, you "doubt" you can eat healthy.  Here is your homework...replace doubt with try.  If the workout looks hard give it a TRY!  Don't like broccoli, give peppers or asparagus a TRY.  Doubt will keep you from trying things.  Let me help you out, you will fail.  You may fail to complete every sit up, push up, burpee.  You will fail and munch on some high fat food.  Fail TRYING, then you are not failing at all.  You are attempting to make progress.  The greatest failure is to fail without ever trying.  So try, try, try!  And when you fail pick yourself back up and try, try, try again.