Greeting Fitness Friends,
People are always looking for a diet or exercise program to be the next big thing that will change their body. What if I told you that it’s not about your food and it’s not about your workout routine? Yep! I actually want you to know success in permanently changing your body has to do more with your approach than your food and exercise.
This theme keeps coming up with my clientele, so I think it’s good for all of us to hear. I know this concept doesn’t appeal to sexy marketing or sound AMAZING; but before you stop reading, keep in mind I’ve had over 18 years of experience watching and helping people change. Experience doesn’t lie and the element which is MOST important to success is your MIND.
Your mind is so powerful that most people stop and get derailed because of how they think.
You can relate to this… We’ve all started on our “new” program or had a renewed dedication to a goal, then the first time we miss a workout or eat something not on our plan we stop. We throw in the towel, we judge, criticize, berate and punish ourselves. Our approach to how we respond is the actual thing that takes us off track, not the mess up.
We think that there is only one way to reach a goal and if you deviate from that specific “plan” or way, all is lost. There are so many ways for you to reach your goal. It starts with trust and flexibility. Set your goal and you can have that be the constant. Allow yourself to have several options to reach it. Take out the ALL or NOTHING approach that if one thing is not perfect you won’t succeed.
Getting to success can be full of trial and errors; it can be surprising as long as you’re constantly moving towards your end goal. KNOW and trust that you’re your best personal trainer. Help yourself find options and strategies rather than judge how you’re doing. When someone comes in not being 100% perfect I don’t drop them as a client. I help them find strategies to get their positive momentum going again. Do this with yourself. By the way, not one of my clients and not one personal trainer is perfect in their plan! Are most of them successful---YES!!!!!
Today set up how you can be more supportive in your goals. If you’re rebelling against your “diet”, maybe it’s too strict and not serving you in some way. Maybe you’re following your friend’s way and that might not be the best way for you. Maybe you don’t think you can do it because you failed so many times in the past.
Rather than using labels of judgment, think of fitness as an experiment. You’re the scientist and all those things you’ve done in the past aren’t failures—they’ve been experiments that haven’t worked so you won’t repeat them. Keep experimenting and know that the formula will always be changing even when you’re experiencing results. That’s just the nature of the body. It’s a dynamic changing being so we have to treat it that way!
Trust that you can change and try things that sound peaceful or settling to your soul and body, even if they aren’t extreme or if they go against the plan you’re trying to follow now. If you trust your body, it will repay you in results!
Give yourself a realistic expectation.
In boot camp we wrote down how we will have a healthier October than the typical sugar filled month. Did any of us say we won’t have one piece of candy or sugar? No! We wrote how we would mindfully choose when and what we will eat so our hard work won’t go in the trash along side of all those wrappers to the candy that usually isn’t bite-worthy. We committed to get in exercise 5 days a week and as long as we get it in, we can do it how and when we need to. We’ve set up our environment to not have foods in the house or at our desks that we have a hard time resisting. We’re making it as supportive as possible for us to reach our goal!
Perfection is unrealistic and isn’t necessary for change. PROGRESSION is necessary. Be flexible and have trade offs and options for yourself. This way you never have to throw in the towel or start over another Monday. Life is unpredictable so allow yourself to manage your food and exercise around it or with it.
Set yourself up for success. You can begin creating success today by putting a pen to paper or using your computer and writing down 3 things you will follow this May so you can be proud of yourself come Memorial Day. Comment back to this FaceBook message and tell us your goals and how you will continue to keep moving forward because you’re focused on improving and experimenting, not on being perfect.
Have a fit and fabulous day!