No doubt, I’m far from perfect. But I am leading by example with a renewed commitment to getting stronger every day.
Even though I go to my fitness program, it’s a daily struggle: Between old injuries and an impending foot surgery I don’t jump or plank or walk as well as I’d like. Yes, I got busy with work and skipped some classes. But I’m rocking it by doing the best that I can.
Motivation + perspiration + accountability = results
No, diets alone don’t work. Just hitting the gym without living a cleaner daily practice won’t help you sustain your progress. In fact, growth comes when you find your happy place that honors your body, mind and spirit.
Food fuels the body, and like a high-performance car it responds best to premium gas. So I learned to buy organic foods and make smarter choices. That is, for most of the week leading up to my one planned “cheat meal” where I can literally eat or drink whatever I crave in ONE sitting. Nutrition re-balancing focuses on what proteins and other foods will heal the body, enhance workouts, reduce bloating and keep us “regular.” It’s not about deprivation as you actually have to eat MORE than ever, not less.
Your body will enjoy more of the right nutrition. Clean foods taste amazing and feel even better.
For example, five small meals a day help you digest better than starvation followed by a huge dinner. I no longer eat most “white” foods such as bread, rice, sugar and pasta. As a former cheese lover, eliminating dairy was more of a mental struggle. I save pizza or my mom’s killer lasagna for special occasions and enjoy how it tastes (but not always how I feel after eating such heavy foods). I bought a super-powered Vitamixer and learned to love fresh green smoothies. I now crave proteins (not salty potato or tortilla chips).
When we eat out, I simply tell restaurant servers that I’m allergic to dairy so that they don’t cook my food in butter or drown it in sauces, etc. Coffee is still a vice, but I now flavor with a drop of natural stevia and quickly learned to love unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
Giving up my weekend wine was not as hard as I’d expected: Simply volunteer to be the designated driver and you won’t miss it.
Am I tired? Yes, but in a happy progress sort of way. This new routing forced me to starting winding down the day at 10pm and falling asleep by 11. Now I’m waking without an alarm and loving how much better I feel.
Admittedly, the joys of entrepreneurship allow me the luxury of a 30-minute mid-afternoon meditation or a power nap.
When you commit to a better you, there’s all kinds of ways to measure progress: how you feel physically, emotionally and gaining confidence. Mindset shifts make it easier to rock my business every day. These perks reach far beyond the more obvious wins such as losing weight, gaining muscle or noticing clothes fit better. Imagine how great my friend Pam feels in all of these areas as she dropped 3 dress sizes in just one challenge!
Honoring your “zone” means surrounding yourself with folks who raise your vibration and bring out the very best in you – body, mind and spirit. I’ve made some incredible new friends who we’ve already laughed and cried with (literally). They remind me to stop letting the frustration of what I cannot [yet] do as well as I’d like keep me from trying my best. Every week I watch the team of warriors sweat and squat lower or plank longer or run faster or jump higher. Heck, I can do lots of little things that were seemingly impossible just 10 weeks ago. Indeed, I am truly grateful.
Happiness set in when I stopped comparing my [new] beginning to everyone else’s middle.
My learning?
Find something…ANYTHING…that challenges you, makes you stronger and helps you learn to love yourself again. Surround yourself with positive people who will high-five you no matter how sweaty, slow or tired you may be. Know they’ve got your back and need you to be there to keep them accountable, too. It’s a two-way street!
You deserve to celebrate all 5 facets of a brilliant life: family, fun, fitness, better finances and a fabulous career. It’s even better when you discover groups or activities that address some or most of these attributes all at the same time.
Lookout 2020, I’m ready to kick butt (my own) and ROCK this new year.
You’re welcomed to come along for the ride if you’re up for adventure, growth and accountability. It’s motivation plus perspiration with lots of fun and great music and even greater peeps.
What new daily routines will you commit to for the next 90 days? Please share so we can cheer each other on…
We’ve got this! Happy new year and new YOU!
xoxoxo
Pat