Want To Lose Weight? Start Paying Attention To Yourself.

March 25, 2013 By

SelfIf I told you that taking time for yourself would lead to weight loss, a better body and improved self-image, would you do it?  Many of my clients are super busy in both their personal and their professional lives.  However, when I work with them, they come to realize when they put themselves first they start to lose weight, feel great and look great.  They didn’t think they had time to do something for themselves, but once they saw that they did and what it did for them, they soon changed their tune.

Taking time for yourself gives you that pause.  In yoga we talk about the pause between the inhale and exhale, and wow, it is luxurious—you only need to experience it once to know how absolutely amazing it is.  In life we talk about that pause as peace of mind.  When you rush from one thing to the other, things get overlooked and you get overlooked.  In our quest for doing more, getting more done, and pleasing others we leave a lot of stuff out or just plain forget.

To demonstrate my point, have any of these happened to you?

  • You get out the door and realize you don’t have your car keys.
  • You realize that you forgot to brush your teeth as you drop your kids off at school.
  • You left the dog outside (that’s my personal opps) and he’s a barker.
  • You race to pick up the kids and they say “We thought you forgot us.”
  • You glance at yourself in the mirror and see that you look like a madwoman because you haven’t had your hair cut in oh-you-can’t-even-remember- when.
  • You forgot the presentation… or worse, you forgot you had a presentation.
  • You notice you have on one black shoe and one blue shoe.  (No lie; my female executives have this happen all the time)
  • Or again, worse, you realize you forgot your shoes and only have flip flops on with that beautiful business suit (which happens to be wrinkled) on the day of your important presentation.

Yes, many of my clients have had those things happen.  You didn’t think I made them all up did you?

However, many of these same clients have gone on to create their ideal image of themselves and their lives… and now live those ideals!  You can be exactly who you want to be, feeling great and looking great.

I know you are wondering how my clients have created—and now live—their ideal life.  Here are the three most important principles they followed.

  1. They created a vision of their ideal life.  They took the time to write out what they ideally wanted to have in their life.  Spend sometime this week and write out what you want from your life and in your life.  Write how you want to be, what you want to do and how it will look and feel when you have it.  Then keep it close and look at it regularly.
  2. They changed how they talked to themselves.  When we are unhappy about ourselves, it usually means there is a lot of negative self-talk going on.  “You are so stupid, how could you forget that presentation?”  “Oh sure, there you go again, eating all of the chips/cookies/candy, you’ll never lose that weight.”  Stop berating yourself for careless mistakes and remember you are human.  Change how you talk to yourself and about yourself and watch that bad body image and unwanted weight disappear.  And in its place you’ll find a new, beautiful you!
  3. They BOTHERED.  When you don’t have a clear vision of what you want your life to be like and look like and you engage in negative self talk, you are usually in a place of “why bother?”  You feel that nothing is going to change anyway, so…why bother.  People who are successful in their weight loss (or anything for that matter), do bother.  They take the time to make plans and then they carry them out.  To be successful you have to bother, you have to take action and you have to follow through.

I have so many clients who have bothered.  They bothered to take the time for themselves to make themselves look and feel better.  Take the time to bother with yourself.  Take the time to go to the hair and nail salon or the gym.  Hire a personal trainer or a coach.  Take your suits to the dry cleaners or get the iron out and do it yourself.  Organize your closet so the blue shoes are with the blues and the black shoes with the blacks!  Begin to eat better and look at yourself in a whole new light.

You’ll find that the self talk becomes more positive – and the results are amazing all because you bothered.  Weight loss, stress reduction, happiness and so much more will follow!  Watch it all work out in such remarkable ways!

So tell me, are you going to stay in that bad body image and negative self talk, being overweight, in ill health and ‘why bother’ state… or are you going to shed it all and shine?

Now if you pardon me it’s time for my manicure.  See, I practice what I preach.  It is important for me to take good care of myself.  I know it is such a big factor in my success both to my personal and professional life, so I’m off!

I would love to have you share what you do to take care of yourself!

 

Filed Under: Personal Development, Weight loss Tagged With: , , , , ,

Three Steps to Success

March 11, 2013 By

goals listIt’s a small, four-letter word and it isn’t even a bad one, though most of us shy away from it!  When we do, sadly we also fail to reach our goals.  I know you are eager to know what that word is.  It is PLAN.  It also means: map, chart, diagram, sketch, and arrangement.  Simple enough, right?  Well then why do people not plan for their success?

This is a subject that constantly comes up.  We all have heard the quote “when you fail to plan you plan to fail.”  And it means that when you don’t set goals, wants, or intentions (or whatever you like to call them) you have no way of getting what you want!

With my coaching clients, we set specific plans together.  They know exactly what they are going to do, when and how.  When I work with my in-person fitness groups, they also set a plan for how they are going to reach their goals while they are in my program.

Let’s take weight loss… or even eating better.  You might not need to lose weight but I can almost bet at one point or another in your life you have said “I would like to eat better” or a variation of that.  (However, if you haven’t, please reach out to me.  I’d love to hear how you eat healthy on a regular basis; you are an inspiration!)  Most people say “I need to lose weight, I want to lose 10 lbs, I want to eat better, I need to eat better…” you get the idea.  And then that’s all they do.  That is as far as they get and then wonder why nothing happens.  Oh sure, they may go to the gym, walk, or cut back on certain foods, but there’s a missing piece.  There is no target, no date for when they will do this, and there is definitely no action plan.

Let’s see if I can’t help you move forward.  Here are three steps (I’m keeping it simple) for you to use to make your plan, follow through and experience the results of your plan.  By the way, this can be used for anything that you want to get or have in your life.  My big AHA was when I realized that I can use planning to get anything I want in my life – eating better, exercising more, and planning for a trip or an event.  Anything!

Step 1 – State what it is you want.  This is your goal, intention, target, purpose, and aim.  Get out some paper, a notebook, or your laptop and write this down.  This is your starting point.  Be as descriptive as possible.  “I will lose 10 lbs by eating healthy and exercising.”  State your end date, and make sure you give yourself ample time but not too much time.  You want it to be do-able but not so far into the future that you forget or don’t have anything to push you.

Step 2 – Create your roadmap.  This is where you write down all that you will do to reach your goals.  Using the goal above, here is an example:  “I will lose 10 lbs by eating healthy and exercising.  I will do this by going to the gym 2x a week and taking a cycling class and a muscle conditioning class.  I will plan out my meals and snacks for the week so that I know what I am eating and can shop for healthy ingredients.  I will drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.  I will keep track of my actions on my log sheet that I will create to hold myself accountable.  I will check in with my accountability partner weekly (or daily if I feel I need more support).  I am successful and I am already feeling great.  I am happy with my results.”  Make sure you end your plan with how you want to feel by using an “I am” statement.  It will help you stay on target to reach your goals!

Step 3 – Be accountable.  Another word for accountable is responsible.  Be in charge of your results and your destiny.  If you can’t trust yourself to do this, then you need to have a trusted friend or hire a coach.  This is the part where the rubber meets the road.  If you aren’t taking your steps, why?  When we tell others our goals, we almost always follow through.  It’s key to not try this on your own.  I recommend getting a notebook for you to track your actions and the results.  If you say you are going to drink 6 glasses of water a day (remember to be specific), how do you know that you did it?  Write it down; record it in a log sheet.  Keep yourself on target with useful tools like logs, plus they make it fun to report to your accountability partner.

That’s it!  The best part is that by keeping track of your goals, you see the results even if the scale didn’t budge.  You can see you are working at your goal and that by itself is such a great feeling!  It is all there and you can course-correct and make changes when you see something not working and do more of what is working.  That’s a beautiful thing!

I would love to hear how you do with following my three steps.  It doesn’t just have to be related to health, I’d love to hear how you have used them—or any tips—to be successful! Please share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Personal Development, Reaching Goals, Weight loss Tagged With: , , ,

How do you see stress?

February 25, 2013 By

stress ballDo you see stress as a bad thing?  Most of us do.  Guess what?  It doesn’t have to always be bad.  You can use stress to get things done, motivate yourself and feel good about reaching your goals.

I’m sure you are saying to yourself, “Hold on here, I am trying to get rid of stress, not take any more on!”  While that is true of the bad stress, also known as distress, what you may need more of is the good stress, eustress.  Eustress is stress that is deemed healthful or giving the feeling of fulfillment.  It helps us meet our goals, take action and eliminate the bad stress.  Physical exercise is a form of good stress–it is the action of working out that places some degree of stress on the body that ultimately develops and improves our lungs, heart and muscles.  It releases endorphins that help elevate our moods and protect from depression.

Ok, so aside from physical exercise being eustress, watching a scary movie, riding a roller coaster, and feeling excitement at the top of a ski slope are some other examples of eustress.  Athletes feel eustress prior to taking the field and speakers feel it before to giving their talk.  It often helps fuel us to keep moving forward, doing just a little bit more and more until we have met our objectives.

On the flip side, most of us know and understand the negative impacts in our lives from too much bad stress such as, but not limited to:

  • High blood pressure
  • High Cholesterol
  • Heart Disease
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Short Temper
  • Coping Challenges

Recognizing where you now, as a result of destructive stress, gives you the opportunity to change what is going on in your life whether it be poor health or poor relationships.

Here are a few suggestions to try as you change how you look at the stress to reduce and eliminate the bad stress:

  1. Stop looking at everything as negative.  It is natural to always say “I knew that was going to happen” or “Nothing works out the way it should.”  Instead, think along the lines of “Everything happens for a reason, and that wasn’t meant to be right now” or “Next time it’ll work out better.”  Look at what is going on in your life with a positive spin so that you can let go of negative feelings.
  2. Determine who is putting the bad stress on you.  Often it is you who puts the stress on you!  Sometimes, it is an outside force.  What matters is that you see where it is coming from and then take steps to change how you are reacting so that you respond in a way that is not stressful.
  3. Turn your attention to the outcome.  Make a plan and put deadlines on it so that you finish what you want to accomplish in a reasonable timeframe.  This puts the emphasis on the outcome and the deadline is the eustress.  Use the feelings of accomplishment as something that will motivate you.
  4. Remove the obstacles.  Do you have time stress, too much to do stress, or guilt stress?  Identify the obstacles and letting go or re-working them releases you to be stress-free.

Once you look at your stress differently, it’s time to put some eustress tactics into action.

  1. Challenge yourself daily.  If you work out, try a new exercise or add weight to your routine.  If you like to exercise outdoors, try a different route.  If you are afraid to speak up to someone, challenge yourself to speak up for yourself.
  2. Stop being afraid of trying something for the first time.  Afraid to ski?  Find the smallest hill and stand at the top, go down it and feel the excitement—that’s good stress!  Afraid to speak in front of people? Know that the feeling you will get when you’re done will be amazing and make it all worthwhile.  Again, the eustress will lift and carry you forward!
  3. Don’t mistake your stress.  Often something that feels scary really is good stress.  It’s easier to just say “I’m so stressed” no matter what the circumstances because it is a habit and it feels comfortable.  That stress may be what you need to accelerate your life!
  4. Obstacles can move you forward.  Are you avoiding doing something or constantly doing something that causes you anxiety?  It could be that you once you tackle and accomplish them, you can lay that pressure aside or discover that you just took one giant leap ahead.

Remember, stress does not have to be bad—as you can see, it can be good.  The trick is to adopt the attitude to have more eustress and less distress.  That is where the freedom lies, where the accomplishment lies and where the joy lies.

Now that you see stress differently, how will your life be better?  How will you be better?  Feel free to share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: , ,

Do you like to be challenged?

February 11, 2013 By

Female boxerWhen it comes to exercise, most of us do not like to be challenged.  We are happy that we just made it to the gym, never mind exert extra energy!  Heck, we might even hurt ourselves and we wouldn’t want to do that.

Exercise brings up a lot of negative feelings for some people.  I have worked with women who can barely get to the gym.  And one of my clients tells me that she hates to exercise, but then in the same breath says “But I love the feeling afterward.”  So every week she comes to class and when I ask her to amp it up, she does.

Some people have very positive feelings around exercise.  Another client has experimented with a number of different classes and programs because she enjoys moving her body and loves the idea of going and doing new things.  I’m proud of both of them!

There are many reasons why people exercise.  Some want to:

  • Lose weight
  • Increase energy
  • Look good
  • Fit into their clothes
  • Increase self-esteem and confidence
  • Reduce cholesterol
  • Reduce high blood pressure
  • Reduce stress
  • To interact socially

Not many realize that by exercising you can change your physical body and health as well as stretch and challenge your mind too.  You can change your outlook on life, your viewpoint on a certain situation, and even have a brainstorm about an issue you have been facing.

When we challenge our body, we also challenge our mind.  It’s being open and receptive to new things, fresh exercises, pushing ourselves to lift more and move faster, or do the same exercise perhaps in a new way that allows both our body and mind to grow and improve.

When you do the same routine day after day, month after month, you get the same results.  Many of my clients tell me “I need to do something different.  I need to change something.  I need to be pushed.”  This is because they want to grow, they want to experience something new, and they want to be challenged.  And yes, there are some that don’t want to grow or change but that’s another article for another day.  I’m guessing that you are in it for the change and that you want to be challenged – even if you are saying you don’t – because you want to improve, to feel great and to look fantastic.

Here are four tips to challenge you to exercise differently:

  1. Workout in a group.  If you are used to working out on your own, try a group class.  There is a lot to be said about working out with others; you naturally will push yourself just a little bit farther.
  2. Hire a Personal Trainer.  If you are someone who needs that extra push, find a trainer that you connect with.  Tell them your goals and have them support you with them; often being directed is easier than trying to figure out what to do alone.
  3. Take a new class.  If you always take the same class (spin, Zumba, kickboxing), try a class with a different instructor.  You will not only learn new moves, you will hear different cues that will keep your attention focused on what might come next.
  4. Go to a new environment.  If you have been going to the same gym for a long time, check out another gym even if you just go for a trial or single workout.  You will be exposed to a new atmosphere which will get your brain to function differently and you’ll look at things with a fresh perspective.  They also may have innovative equipment that you have never seen or used before.

What is important is that you challenge yourself to not only work your body in a different manner but to think differently to expand your world.  There is such value in that – you never know, you may meet your future spouse, business partner or new best friend.  When you challenge yourself to step it up, the world opens up to you!

I would love to hear any experiences you have had or will have as you step forward into a whole new world!  Also, feel free to share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

 

Filed Under: Reaching Goals, Self Worth, Weight loss Tagged With: , , , ,

Do you gain when you lose?

January 21, 2013 By

turn gain into lossWhat happens when you lose?  Lose weight that is.  When you lose weight, you gain so much more in your life!  It sounds too good to be true, right?  But it is true.

Admittedly, when you are constantly struggling to lose weight, you feel stressed, lose time, often have low self-esteem from feeling like you failed again, wondering why oh why the weight won’t come off and if it does, why doesn’t it stay off.  All of that and the negative feelings that surround your circumstance really can drag you down and keep you from living life like you want.

Yet when you do lose the weight and keep it off, you gain so much!  You gain the good stuff such as (and of course this is not an all-inclusive list):

  • Fitting into your favorite clothes with ease
  • Having a flatter stomach and smaller butt
  • Getting rid of those love handles, saddle bags, sandbags and not to mention that ugly back fat
  • Feeling really good about yourself
  • Enjoying the reflection of yourself and looking the way you want
  • Having stronger muscles
  • Experiencing more energy
  • Breathing easier
  • Moving freer and easier
  • Having more fun in your life
  • Gaining confidence and increased self esteem
  • Feeling happiness and peace of mind
  • Being able to get down on the floor and play with your kids or grandkids
  • Eliminating the need for medications
  • Having fewer doctor appointments

As you can see, losing really means gaining!  And what you gain is completely up to you.  You get to decide what it is you want to gain in your life.  Which of these do you want to have?

When I work with my clients, we begin by determining what they will gain in their lives.  It serves as motivation—their Big Why—and ultimately is the driving focus behind their weight loss success.  This ensures that success lasts longer than a day, a week or a month.  The results are long-term because they finally address the real issues as to why they did not have success in the past.

It is one thing to say “I want to lose weight” but entirely another thing to actually do what it takes to follow through on that desire.  The follow-through comes on the heels of the Big Why.  The Big Why keeps you from eating four slices of double cheese and pepperoni pizza or a bucket of wings all at once.  Of course, I am not saying this is easy.  Nothing worthwhile is.  Yet it also does not have to be as hard as you might often make it out to be.

I’m sure you are thinking “Okay, so why then does it seem so hard?”  It’s because as humans we like instant satisfaction rather than satisfaction over time.  We don’t want to wait to lose weight, we want it gone now.  Yet just as it did not take mere moments to put on, it does not take moments to take it off.  Eating that juicy cheeseburger or chocolate cake now is way more satisfying, but only for the moment!

So then which would you rather have, that moment of instant gratification by eating the junk food or the new gratifying lifestyle of when you finally reach your goal-weight and maintain it?

Once you discover your Big Why, your mindset will become clear and losing weight will actually become easy.  What will you gain when you make up your mind to finally lose the weight that has been holding you back in your life?

Please share your thoughts, insights and revelations on below!

Filed Under: Self Worth, Weight loss Tagged With: , , ,

Are you here again?

January 8, 2013 By

Here we are, it’s January, a whole new year.  How exciting!  Or is it?  Are you one of the millions of people who make resolutions around your health?  And are you one of those millions who year after year make the same resolutions?  It’s exciting and satisfying when you reach your goals and downright depressing when you don’t.  There is a better way.  And it’s even easier than you might think.  Your year can be different: you can reach your weight loss goals!

I want to share with you a step-by-step plan to implement into your life.  The beauty of this strategy is that it works for everything–not just your health.

  • First, change your wording.  Use the word ‘goals’ instead of ‘resolutions’.  ‘Resolution’ to me immediately invokes thoughts of failure.  Goals = aim, end, purpose, and aspiration.  These words sound a whole lot better than resolution, don’t they?  So the word ‘goal’ should automatically put you in a better frame of mind and not make everything seem so daunting.  Also, stop saying “I have to” or “I should” and change it to something more uplifting like “I choose.”   I choose to lose 10 pounds this year.
  • Second, state your goal and then put an end time on it.  This makes your goal definitive and gives you ‘finish line’.  You will know exactly the timeline in which you have to accomplish it.  Get out your calendar and put your start and end dates in it as well as milestones along the way.   I will lose 10 pounds by March 31.
  • Third, determine what you will do to reach your end result.  When it comes to weight loss, there are many places to start and two really good ones are watching what you eat and exercising.  In order to lose 10 pounds, I will figure out how many calories I currently eat and then determine what healthy calories and foods I need to eat.  I will find an exercise that I enjoy and know I will do.
  • Fourth, make a plan.  Take what you learned and determined in step three and create a plan for the next several months. Remember that it will take time to reach your goal, whatever it is, so you need to road map to follow.  I will eat 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables during the week and I will go to exercise class 1-2 times per week.
  • Fifth, find a support system.  Enlist a buddy, family member or coach that you trust and ask them to hold you accountable.  Share with them your goals and steps you are planning to take to move you to your end result.  You might think this is unnecessary but it’s actually quite important!  It’s too easy to fall back on old habits and procrastinate if you don’t have someone checking in with you to make sure you’ve done your homework. Jane, I choose to lose 10 pounds by March 31st and I need your help to make sure that I eat 3-5 servings of fruit and veggies each week and also exercise 1-2 times per week. Will you check in with me periodically to make sure I’m sticking to my plan?
  • Sixth, be flexible with your plan and with yourself.  As you work on your plan know that obstacles will show up.  There will be times when you will eat something that you think you shouldn’t or you won’t make it to your exercise class.  This does not mean you have fallen off the wagon; you merely hit a bump in the road.  It is how you deal with the bumps that count.  I wish I didn’t eat that piece of cake but I did. It doesn’t mean that I failed; it only means that I am human. Tomorrow I choose to do better.

These steps will help you get on track and stay on track for you to reach your weight loss goals.  Remember to set small, attainable goals and keep the timeframe in the short-term because when you have all the time in the world, it takes all the time in the world to complete a goal.  A shorter timeframe keeps you honest, on target and constantly seeing results.

Reaching your weight loss goals takes thought and planning.  It takes motivation, focus and determination.  It also takes a personal awareness and a knowing why you want that end result.  Do you want to lose weight to improve your health or maybe get off medications?  Do you want to fit into your clothes better?  Do you want to feel good about yourself?  All are valid.  What are your reasons?  What is holding you back?  How can you reach your weight loss goals this year?

Feel free to share your success, thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Reaching Goals, Weight loss Tagged With: , ,

Too much to do? How to not go crazy!

December 26, 2012 By

It never fails; you have a lot to do.  You have a lot you want to do.  You even go so far as to choose exactly what it is you are going to do by creating a to-do list.  Yet somehow you always feel stressed out, overwhelmed and pulled in several directions.  Why does that always happen?

There are many reasons, but more often than not it has to do with unrealistic expectations.  I see it time and again with my clients… and I’ve done it myself.  You put 20 things on your to-do list and then you get mad when you don’t get 20 completed.  Heck, you didn’t even get 10 done and feel lucky you managed to check off just a few!  Sure it’s about the planning—and I talk a lot about planning—but it’s more than that. It’s really about reasonable planning.  If you had a reasonable plan set with realistic expectations, you would have better results.

I work with a system called AIM Smart.  We aim for the middle—not perfection and not the least acceptable, but somewhere in between.  Think of it this way; by aiming for and hitting the middle, you’re hitting the bulls-eye!  I’m happy to say this system hasn’t failed me or my clients yet.  In fact, it is a really great and comfortable place to be.

“Wonderful,” you say, “but how do I know what the middle is?”  I’m glad you asked.  The middle is where you know you can, without a doubt, accomplish a task.  When you think realistically about a task or event, you determine what you can reasonably get done.  Unfortunately, what usually happens is you trick yourself into thinking you can do way more than that.  “Come on,” you say to yourself, “I can do better than that. There’s no reason I can’t accomplish more if I don’t have any interruptions or if I just buckle-down and do it.”  And so you push yourself and things don’t go the way you want them to or thought they would.  What results is often frustration, overwhelm, exhaustion, and disappointment.  Alternatively, aiming for the middle—the realistic—keeps us on an even keel to success and eliminates a lot of the stresses we put on ourselves.

Since I just celebrated Christmas, and for the first time ever had a really great time and did not over-exhaust myself, I’ll use it as an example to help you aim in middle so that you don’t go crazy with too much to do.

  • Know what your final outcome is.  Enjoy the month of December, preparing for Christmas with joy and ease and feeling good, energized and happy.  Spend time with family and friends.
  • Make a master list of all that you want you to do for your outcome.  1) Host Christmas Brunch, 2) Have gifts wrapped with fun holiday paper, 3) Get together with friends.
  • From the master list, plan what you will do to accomplish your goal(s) (do this for as many tasks as you have).  Host Christmas Brunch – know who to invite, select a time, plan menu, extend invitations, and shop for food.
  • Stop doing things more than once.  Plan the time and menu first, then invite the guests—not the other way around—so all questions can be answered the first time around no need for “I’ll get back to you.”  Plan the menu, double-check you what’s needed, and shop only once.
  • Keep yourself honest.  Ask yourself what is realistic that you can get done and then do that.  If you find you have additional time, consult your list and to do another task that you have time for – again asking what is realistic in the time you have available.
  • Keep your final outcome in mind.  By knowing what it is you want to have (i.e. calm, happy, enjoyable holiday season), it is easier to stay on target and reach your goals.

Old habits are hard to break, that I know!  I also know that new habits are easy to make, all you need is a plan to be in the middle!

Feel free to use these tips as you head into the exciting and fresh New Year.  You can do things differently and you can make lasting positive changes.  You can have what you want.  You only need to have realistic expectations.  What are your realistic expectations?  Please share!

Filed Under: Personal Development, Reaching Goals Tagged With: , , ,

Stop Sabotaging Your Success

December 10, 2012 By

You just returned from a conference or workshop or just completed some on-line training and you are excited!  You now have a ton of new ideas and can’t wait to get started on them… but wait, you have something to finish first.  Or maybe lots of somethings to finish first before you can implement all this great new stuff.  Well, no problem, you will just do it later.

The trouble is that later never comes and you end up with these great ideas just sitting on the shelf or in your head.  After a while you forget what that great idea was or you think to yourself “Yeah, well, it wasn’t that great an idea anyway” and talk yourself out of what could have been a really amazing idea that lead to a lot of success.  Or you might remember that you shelved your notes, manual or other information and all you need to do it get it out…but where oh where did you put it.  Oh well.

I see this all the time with weight loss and trying to eat healthier.  Clients say they have tried everything from Weight Watchers to personal training and other various self-help programs.  The information sounds great and gets you excited but when left to your own devices it just never seems to get implemented.  You start to feel like you never see results, so why bother in the first place.

What I have discovered is that those who tell me they have tried everything are really sabotaging themselves.  There is often no follow-through with the information or direction they received.  In reality they just don’t put forth enough effort yet they believe they tried everything and again nothing has worked.

Truth be told, it can be daunting and confusing to know what to do with all the information acquired.  The best option is to put your ideas into a plan so that they become actionable and lead you to your success.  My tips below will help you do this.

  1. Know what your end result(s) is/are.  Begin by looking at what you want to accomplish.  Example:  I want to lose 10 pounds in three months.  Once you have a starting point, you can decide how you will go about losing those 10 pounds. Now you are ready for the next step, putting those ideas into a plan.
  2. Write it down.  The saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is very true here.  By writing down what you are going to do, you can hold yourself accountable.  You know exactly what your steps are so you don’t have to guess–or worse, forget!  You have a blueprint; a plan to follow and all you need to do is follow it.  A great tool here is a timeline and/or a tracker sheet.  Decide which step you will take first and so on.  This way you will always know where you stand at a quick glance and can course-correct.
  3. Get an accountability partner or coach.  Find someone you trust or hire a coach to hold you accountable to what you say you want to do.  Make sure this person will be completely objective.  A coach who specializes in what your goals are will be able to not only hold you accountable but also hold your hand and answer any questions that come up.

These tips are universal!  They help with everything whether you want to lose weight, eat healthy, increase your income, build a business or have better relationships.  Knowing what your end results will be, having a plan, and being held accountable are all key to reach success.

When I work with my private clients, we follow this same process and they get better results more easily without a lot of stress and aggravation.  They know they are setting themselves up for success and that the failure and frustration they knew in the past is long gone.  They report having peace of mind, joy and lots of fun living their lives…on top of great success for themselves and their goals.

What about you?  How will you feel once you pull a project off the shelf and take action on it now? Feel free to share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Reaching Goals Tagged With: , , ,

Are You Zoning Out?

November 26, 2012 By

If you haven’t reached your goals yet—for this year or for your life—it could be because you are zoning out, living in your comfort zone. 

I’m the first to admit that I thought my comfort zone was very good to me for much of my life.  But truth be told, I didn’t have much of a life!  Ironic, eh?  It was when I decided to step—no, jump out of my comfort zone that the most extraordinary things began to happen.  I met the man of my dreams, got married, left an unsatisfying job and started my own business.  I have been living happily and fulfilled in my life for a little over two years now and I wouldn’t go back!  Oh sure my comfort zone shows up every now and again, more than I would like, but it’s all good because it shows me that it’s time to stretch myself to the next level.

Does the following description sound like you?  You live your life in fear: fear of looking like a fool, fear of appearing stupid, fear of what other people might say, or fear of not knowing what or how to do something.  That’s how my life looked.  I never set foot outside my comfort zone and therefore missed so many wonderful experiences and opportunities.

It is now my quest to help others break free of their comfort zone so that they can have their best life ever.  My clients take great strides forward.  Sure, sure, initially they are hesitant but they called me in to help them…and help them I do, and for the most part painlessly too.  Look, change isn’t easy but it is very much worth it.  You can either stay in your comfort zone or stretch out of it for the most unbelievably satisfying life!

Here is a step-by-step exercise to move you out of your comfort zone. Grab a piece of paper and write down the answers to these questions (I even provided some examples to help get you started).  Oh, not to worry, these can be baby steps.  If you want to run, you first need to feel good about walking.  These will do that!

  1. What is one thing that you really want to try but are afraid? I want to try a new exercise class.
  2. What makes you scared and/or nervous about it?  I’m scared that I won’t know what to do and will feel stupid.
  3. Why do you feel this way?  I feel nervous because I’ve tried other exercise classes before and I didn’t know what to do and felt awkward.  I don’t like to be the new person.  I don’t want to be the one who doesn’t know everything.
  4. Why do you want to do this one thing; what are the results you are looking for?  I know I need to find an exercise I enjoy doing, and will look forward to, so that I can manage my weight.
  5. How will you feel once you do this one thing?  Elated, excited, proud and energized.
  6. What are things you can do (no matter how small) to help you step outside your comfort zone so that you can experience those feelings?  Find exercise classes in my area that I am interested in.  Go and meet the instructors.  Ask if I can observe a class or try it as a guest. 
  7. What timeline are you willing to assign to each of those steps in order to reach your goal?  I will research exercise classes tomorrow, meet two instructors over the weekend, and observe or try out one class by this time next week.
  8. How do you feel now, knowing you have a plan?  I feel relieved and encouraged because now it doesn’t seem so scary.
  9. Who will you share this information with that will hold you accountable to your schedule?  One of my best friends who loves to exercise but lives too far away for us to be exercise-buddies would be excited for me to do this. Or my husband because he can help me with chores and errands to allow me the time to make this happen.
  10. What’s stopping you now?  Nothing!

Being afraid to try something new certainly shows up in many areas of our lives, not just exercise. I used this example of an exercise class because I am a fitness instructor and coach, and I come across this scenario all the time.  Let me say that good instructors welcome “newbies” to the class.  And if they know you’re new, they’ll usually give extra instruction so that you can follow along. There’s no reason to be intimidated!

Staying in our comfort zone does not do us any good mentally or physically.  We need to stretch our mind and body in order to stay alert, active and healthy.  As you may have figured out, a lot of what keeps us in our comfort zone is in our heads.

This week, take one action step toward reaching one of your goals that you have been afraid to try or to go after.  When you do, write and let me know how it turned out for you.  I’d love to hear about how you felt before you took the step that started you moving out of your comfort zone…and then how you felt after!  Also, feel free to share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Reaching Goals, Wellness Tagged With: , , , , ,

You Are What You Eat

November 12, 2012 By

In case you didn’t know this about me, I also teach group exercise.  As is usually the case, one of my current group participants recently asked how could she lose weight.  I already know she works out optimally and amps up her time when she is in the gym, so I told her she had to eat.  She said “That’s what everyone has been telling me, I know I don’t eat enough.”

How did I know this right off the bat without having to ask her any questions?  I’ve seen this same scenario occur way more times than I can count, not only with my own clients but with strangers, too.  What holds people back from reaching their weight loss goals is that they think less is better.  They believe less food will mean less weight gain.  Now true, less of the wrong foods would be better but isn’t the right answer either. When it comes to healthy foods and eating properly, don’t fool yourself, less is not better.  More of the right kind of foods in a regular serving size is what it takes to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

What do I mean about the right kind of foods?  Lean proteins such as beans (which contain as much protein as an ounce of broiled steak) and white meat of poultry; whole grains (the less processed, the better) for carbohydrates; and foods high in good fats like nuts, seeds, and fish, all work in combination to fuel your body.  Most of us are busy; we have things to do, places to go and fun to be had…so we should want our body to run optimally. When we eat the most advantageous foods, our body can run optimally allowing our life to run smoothly.

If you don’t believe me, give it a test.  Wait until you are hungry…then don’t eat.  Pay attention to how happy you feel and see how much patience you have.  I had a client who would say “Ok, I’m coming up to the ugly stage.  If I don’t eat something soon things are going to get ugly around here quick.”  It was true.  She would be cranky, did not have any patience and the smallest thing seemed huge to her.  Being hungry and not eating has failure written all over it!

Eating the right kind of foods, tailored to your likes, gives you the building blocks for a healthy life.  My mother just had her very first operation and has been eating healthy and exercising all her life.  She looks about 65 and has the energy level of a 35 year old.  She is 90.  I kid you not.  When the medical staff asked her for her date of birth and she said 1922, their eyeballs popped out.  Many of the nurses, both male and female, asked what her secret is.  If that isn’t evidence of how taking care of your body makes a difference, I don’t know what is.

And let’s not forget serving sizes!  It doesn’t matter how healthy a food is, too much is too much.  Here are some ideal serving/portion sizes:

  • Meat or other protein-based part of your meal should be around the size of a deck of cards.
  • The starchy part of your meal–for example the rice, potatoes, bread or grains–should roughly be the size of one tennis ball or your balled fist.
  • Fruits and vegetables should fill approximately half of your plate.
  • Fats and oils should be kept to a minimum, say, less than one tablespoon.

Before we go, I want to make one thing perfectly clear.  Just because a diet claims you will lose weight in 3 days–and that may be the case–when have you heard the statement “and the weight will stay off?”  I thought so, me either.  They never say that because it doesn’t.  It is a quick fix that doesn’t solve the ultimate problem.  The only sure-fire way I know to lose weight and keep it off is to create a healthier lifestyle where over time you make better choices and keep making those better choices.  Eventually it becomes your routine, the way you eat, and your way of life.

I hope some of my tips this week help you change not only how you choose to eat but also who you choose to be when you eat—a healthier, happier you!  I’m up for any success stories.  If you were able to break the rollercoaster of weight loss, write below to encourage others.  On the flip side, email me if you need help breaking the cycle.  I can promise you I will not tell you to stop eating your favorite foods!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Wellness Tagged With: , , ,
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