Honestly, sometimes you do feel paralyzed. Something needs to happen. You need to take that next step, but you're not sure what to do. You're scared. Maybe you're afraid of failure. And that's normal. We are all a little afraid. But nothing happens... if nothing happens.
So, my assignment for you today is this:
Think of something in your life that you want to change.
Take one step towards changing that today.
It's easy to talk all day about the great things you will do, and that's important, too. We want to have the vision in our mind all the time. But there comes a time when the talk has to stop and the action needs to happen.
Have you recently committed to a new goal? Maybe it's a weight loss goal. Maybe it's training a physical accomplishment, like an endurance race. I want to let you know something now.
You will be challenged.
Life will happen.
Don't worry, though. These challenges give you a chance to decide: Are you interested, or are you COMMITTED?
"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~ Ken Blanchard
Let's face it- bad days are going to happen. I'm not being a pessimist, it's just true. But they don't have to derail you. They don't have to define you.
What you need to do is plan. What will you do in the event that something happens? Will you give in to temptation because you had a bad day? Or will you remember your commitment?
Plan in advance by setting clear goals, and be ready. Keep these thoughts in mind:
1. Define your "why": What was the reason you started this? Did you see a "fat" picture of yourself, draw a line in the sand, and say, "enough!"? Did you get winded climbing a flight of stairs? Did you get a wake-up call from the doctor? Keep that feeling fresh in your mind for the times when you just don't feel like working out, or you feel a binge coming on. If your "why" is clear, you'll be able to hold onto it easier when temptation strikes.
2. Avoid "I deserve it." This is so dangerous. I want you to think about exactly what you deserve. After a long day, I know I find myself thinking, "I deserve that piece of pie." But, you know, what do you *really* deserve? Try replacing that thought with "I deserve to be proud of the way I look in my bikini. I deserve to feel great. I deserve to succeed."
3. Get a support group. Find at least one other person who shares your goal. Either online, or a friend you see every day. But you need a place to go for support, and it helps if there are folks with the same goals. (Shameless plug: You can find lots of fitness minded folks at Sarah Fitness :-))
So, be prepared for challenges by being committed. It's a daily choice!
Building on last week's workouts. I pretty much did what I had planned. But, this week, I wanted to add some Hip Hop Hustle practice (another format I'm going to start teaching soon, along with Turbo). I also decided I only want to run 2 times this week. The focus will be on heavy lifting, 5 days a week, and I have those laid out below.
And there's a little pic at the bottom.
Monday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Back
Tuesday:
AM: Hip Hop Hustle
PM: Lower- Heavy quads
Wednesday:
AM: Hustle
PM: Shoulders/Run
Thursday:
AM: Turbo
PM: Hamstrings, glutes
Friday:
AM: Hip Hop Hustle
PM: Chest, bi, tri
Saturday: Run 2 (or maybe 3 if I'm feeling crazy).
I'm SOOOO glad it's Friday. So so glad. I love Friday. Have I mentioned I'm really happy it's Friday?
When people ask me what "plans" I have for the weekend, I realize what I tell them may be a bit disappointing.... but it's exactly what I want to be doing:
- Cleaning and organizing around the house
- Reading a new book I just got
- Having movie night with my husband (the closest thing to a date night we get these days)
- Working out
- Doing my meal prep for next week
- Taking one, maybe two, naps
- Probably doing some parenting in there as well.
What are you up to this weekend? Hope it's something fun. Yes, naps are considered fun in my opinion!
Oh, and any ideas for movie night? We'll be Redboxing it.. but I don't even know what's out right now.
Yesterday, I decided the theme of the day over at Sarah Fitness was "No Excuses!" Every quote I posted had to do with not having excuses. I wrote a blog post about it.
However, the universe decided to test me on my commitment to the "No Excuses!" plan.
First, the job got demanding!
(Yes, that's a 2 liter bottle of Publix sparkly water.)
When I finally got the time to go change for the gym, I opened my gym bag, and the clothes were wet:
Well, rather than make an excuse, I put on a wet sports bra, the shirt I was wearing at work, and pants that (luckily) weren't too wet.
(And then I took my picture in the bathroom)
I ran for 5 minutes, then worked the heck out of my shoulders (I switched dates, I think it was supposed to be chest but I was in a shoulder mood).
Just want to show that, if you're committed to something, there is NOTHING that can stop you!
Is there something you don't like about your life right now? It could be your weight, your house, your job, your financial situation... whatever it is, I have great new. Are you ready?
"I'm ready!"
You can change it!
Wow. Did you hear that? Let me say it again:
You can change it!
It just takes a series of choices, one after another.
Today I want you to make a list. I want you to list 5 things that you want to be different in your life.
Then, I want you to list possible solutions. Be careful (and aware) of any excuses that pop into your brain:
"That's too expensive."
"I'm too old."
"I don't have enough time."
Those "excuses"? Don't write them down. Focus on SOLUTIONS. Yes, you may in a situation where you can't change things right now. Your job, your financial situation, and other things may take time to change. But they *can* change?
And you can take steps toward change today. They can be small, but a step of any size is still a step, and it will get you closer to your goal.
If you'd like to share your list below, you can. Or you can keep it to yourself. But do me (and yourself) a favor, and make that list. Make a difference in your life, and take those steps TODAY!
I have a lot of conflicting thoughts on the TV show, "The Biggest Loser." I didn't even watch the last two seasons, mainly because my TV time is limited, and it wasn't a priority. But, there have been 2 episodes so far of this new season (Season 5000, I think... At least it seems like that ) and I'm having all kinds of thoughts I want to share.
I should add that I very rarely watch it live. I just can't stand to watch all the challenges, so I fast forward through them most of the time.
As I watched the first workout session of this season, I got angrier and angrier. They went on and on about how hard this workout was. Contestants were passing out, throwing up, and the trainers are saying things like "This is what it takes to be healthy."
It really worries me that people who are overweight look at this and think, "Well, if that's what it takes to be healthy, I don't think I want to try it." And then, they don't.
What I want people to know is that you don't have to throw up to start a workout program and be healthy. The two basic components of weight loss are "Eat less, move more".
Now, I'm all for hardcore workouts. I love them. But for someone who is just starting out, I think it's really important to start slow. You risk injury if you don't, plus if you hate something.. you tend to not want to do it.
Another issue I have with this show is that it creates unrealistic expectations for weight loss. At the weigh-ins, contestants are pulling 8 -10 pounds in a week, and if they lose less than 5 pounds, they're disappointed.
I saw a Facebook friend complain this week that she *only* lost 2.6 pounds. In the real world, that is an impressive amount, and just what you should aim for. Lasting, safe weight loss happens at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week. So, rather than being proud of her accomplishment, this girl was beating herself up.
I realize that there has to be a certain amount of drama for a TV show to retain interest. No one is going to tune into a show to watch people lose 1-2 pounds a week, and walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes, 3 times a week. But I just want to make sure that anyone out there who needs to start a fitness or weight loss program knows that this show is *not* real life.
So, keep watching the Biggest Loser. I will stay involved this season (even if I do fast forward through a lot of it). I do enjoy seeing people get smaller each week. And, if this show inspires someone to get fit at all, even with unrealistic expectations, I guess it's doing some good. But, please, watch it with these things in mind. Be happy with steady, consistent weight loss, and enjoy exercise. It's about being healthy, after all.
