Time for New Goals

In all my fitness and nutrition classes one thing that is repeated is without a specific goal it's going to be difficult to achieve anything.  It's true I mean what would you be working towards? It would be like running down the street blindfolded you're probably not going to make it far before hurting yourself or worse being hit.  

How can you change your lifestyle without a goal?  How can you continue being healthy without goals? Yes I reached the healthy life I wanted to achieve and for me it's little things I want to do.  I would like to get over my fear of bicycling and do a triathlon.  I would like to learn and master Olympic Lifts. I would really like to compete in a CrossFit competition.  I like setting new goals but I also understand I need to focus on one at a time. 

This is true when you begin a weight loss journey or try to improve your health.  I have clients that want to eliminate their type 2 diabetes because they know it can be reversed.  What action plans should you take?  Well the hardest part for people to understand is diet and other poor choices like smoking and alcohol can be huge factors.  Only beginning an exercise program isn't going to give you the results you're looking for so you need a plan for eating. 

I hate the word diet! I didn't diet instead I set a goal to eliminate my sweet tea addiction.  I went from two or three a day to one a week and eventually none.  I implemented a no fast food policy which meant fast food would be eliminated to once a week but only specific restaurants.  I added drinking a gallon of water a day and carried a one gallon jug so that I could actually see my results of reaching that goal.  As I got more confident and was able to successfully achieve these goals I began to add more. You don't want to put all these rules and make changing your life miserable because you won't want to continue.  

Once you follow these small but possible goals you will begin to see the difference as well as feel more energy.  Then you will feel like tackling an exercise program or just becoming physically active.  My advice for this is find something you have wanted to do but was too fearful.  Mine was kickboxing, I always wanted to do kickboxing and not the cardio kickboxing class but actual Muay Thai Kickboxing like MMA fighters do. I went and tried it and fell in love.  I learned self-discipline and increased my confidence as well as shedding another 35 pounds! 

Just remember when you're talking to someone that you feel is fit and you think it's absolutely ridiculous they may have more goals or that they still control their eating; understand it's because they want to continue being healthy.  By continuing to eat right and exercise I'm increasing the longevity of my life and the possibility of enjoying and being active with my grandchildren.  Don't dismiss these people.  Also some people require exercise to control anxiety and depression so it may also be their medication.  

Good luck and set short term and specific goals to get started.  

Organizing Life to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Summer is almost over and school has begun.  Yuck!  If you’re like me life is back in the fast lane and you’re watching the clock nonstop.  Don’t get me wrong I love getting into a routine again BUT I do get burned out when it comes to homework, bedtimes, and no longer having the freedom to do what we want. 

What do you do to stay organized and try to avoid eating fast food throughout the school year? How do you continue or begin a routine that can help you stay/get into a healthy lifestyle?

 I am a morning person but five years ago I thought it was impossible for me to get up at 4:30 a.m.  Well fast forward and five days a week I’m up at 4:30 a.m. and into the gym by 5:00 a.m. Saturday’s I am up by 5:30a.m.  Now granted three days a week I do teach my own boot camp but the other three days I’m in the gym doing my training.  I can tell you there are a lot of people willing to get up that early and I have several awesome ladies that do for my boot camp.  It took me four months to get into the habit of rising early but what I figured out, I was more productive throughout my day.  I didn’t exercise in the evening because I had mommy guilt if I left my house.  I felt because my kids were at school all day and I was at work that I was taking time from them.  If you don’t have mommy guilt and you’re able to go to the gym in the evening go for it.  I also found in the evening something always came up and I would make an excuse to avoid going to the gym.   

Everyone is different when it comes to their schedule and what works best with their family life.  I know being organized is the KEY to being successful and accomplishing a lot of stuff in one day.  I am a big list maker I have a list for errands I need to run, items I need to purchase, people I need to call or email and items I need to complete at home.  I always carry a small notebook with me so that I can write things down during the day.  I keep a calendar book with me at all times as well as making notes in my phones calendar.  I have four children and if it isn’t written down I’m going to forget.  Another thing I have is a dry erase calendar and pocket folder organizers that hang on the refrigerator I purchased from Target.  I use these for the kids and everyone in the house so they’re aware of upcoming events. 

 

How do I stay organized enough to avoid fast food, this is very difficult for everyone including me.  I usually write down what my thoughts are on dinners for the week.  I cannot make a strict menu schedule because as every mother knows crap happens.  I do however make sure that whatever the meals are they are simple.  I’m not going to try to make a crazy new recipe during the week especially when I’m hunting kids down to complete their homework.  Save new recipes for the weekend and make friends with your crockpot!   I use a lot of simple recipes I find from Facebook pages that I’ve liked and one of my favorite pages is Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  Try to keep life simple so you don’t feel like you need to go to the fast food restaurants.  Using the crockpot is a great way to avoid any fuss at night.  I also use simple things like steamer vegetables in the frozen food section and meat or large salads and grilled meat.  Fortunately for me the kids love vegetables and salad and they want simple foods too because they are starving once they return from school.  Just remember less is more when it comes to evening meals.  Always give your kids a large breakfast and send them to school with a healthy snack or when you pick them up provide a snack for the car ride home. 

Organization takes some time to learn but make a mindful choice to begin writing things down and you’ll soon find out how productive you can become. 

 

Good Luck!