Posts Tagged ‘Insecurity

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22
Aug
12

When The Obstacle is The Mind

By garagegym107 7 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was having a conversation with a coworker this morning.  This girl has done an amazing job of losing about 40# over the last 4 months.  Ironically, she says to me this morning “I’d be happy if I never lost another pound”.  Maybe. 

Here is the question I ponder though…  why set self-imposed limits? It’s not about losing pounds, it is about losing insecurity and realizing just what you are capable of.  It’s about getting fit.

I’ve been there, I’ve been to the point of saying “I’d be happy if I never lost another pound” but then I found fitness. 

Fitness truly begins when scale watching ends.

Feeling healthy and strong far surpasses what it feels like to diet down to “thin”.  

My message is this, when weight loss begins you will inevitably put self-imposed mental limits on what you can accomplish. 

Mainly because you will fail to believe in all that you are capable of.  Set those thoughts behind and set measurable, obtainable goals. 

It may take you a lot longer than you initially think it will, but let me tell you this…the journey is so much more adventurous than you can imagine when you begin. 

Get out of your own way and get busy doing things you never dreamed you could.  The only obstacle is your mind.  

Who would have ever thought that this:

 

Could transform in to this:

And the beauty of this is that I’m just getting started on learning how to stop letting my mind become the obstacle. 

BELIEVE…

 

 

13
Aug
12

The Only Constant is Change

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve found over the course of my fitness journey that the only constant is change.  How we deal with that change makes all of the difference.

We can get all jammed up, or torn up, or even give up, but change will keep coming.  

I used to wallow in change.  It gave me the excuse to eat what I wanted, skip workouts, feel sorry for myself.   Ha…those were the days of backsliding down the slippery slope to set-back!

Learning to keep it together when we want to fall apart is just as important as work-outs and nutrition.

And learning not just to keep it together but how to adapt so that future change doesn’t hit us like a sledge-hammer. 

I’ve learned to separate my emotions from the facts.  Instantly I feel more capable of adapting.  List the facts in black and white and tackle them one by one.

Sure feelings get hurt or ego gets bruised, but change is still coming.  So taking the emotion out and dealing with the remnants makes change a bit easier to swallow.

One of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou:

“If you don’t like something change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

 

 

 

 

01
Aug
12

It Is Not About Them

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the world of weight-loss it’s easy to play the victim.  Blame all of our shortcomings and lack of results on our upbringing, our past relationships, our lack of relationships, our jobs, our family time, our lack of money, and the list could go on for a full paragragh.  In all honesty, it is not about them, it is about you.

You can make valiant attempts to make lasting change, but until you realize that you are ulitmately responsible for your food intake and moving your butt, you are playing victim.  Sure life will give us lemons on occasion and we’ve got two choices, sit and sour along with the juice or make some lemonade.

Today I was heading outside to work-out with a coworker.  As I turned the corner to go down to the locker room I glanced to the left and saw two gentlemen coming into the facility to enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. 

One was suffering from health related issues, I have no idea what, but he struggled to walk slowly with his friend supporting his arm on one side and walking with a cane in the other hand. 

I smiled and nodded as I usually do and as I continued on to the locker room I was overcome with gratitude.  Gratitude that the man had a friend to lean on and walk with and emmense gratitude that I am now healthy.

When I weighed 328# I used to see the obstacle of weight-loss as  chore.  I used to pout when I would have to eat a salad and someone around me would be eating crap, that whole “why me” thing. 

Over time (not overnight) I realized that I was starting to feel better, my clothes fit better and then it got easier.  My mind shifted from this is a chore to this is a choice.  That one little switch changed everything.  The sooner you acknowledge that you are willing to do whatever is takes willingly to succeed the easier this path will become.

Hat Tip: Elements of Your Life

 

25
Jul
12

Leaning on Accountability

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some of us require accountability.  Not someone to police us, but instead a person that knows our intent and that will call us out when we are not holding ourselves to the standard of which will take us closer to our goals.

I have a couple of these accountability buddies.  They know who they are.  

Recently I talked about a goal I had and made the comment to my friend “What if such and such is still there?”.   It took her all of 3.2 seconds to send me a response that simply said “Oh, I didn’t realize we were living in the world of “what if.”

I love her for it.  It was an eye opener of the underlying lack of belief I still carry in some areas.  That just means there is more work to be done on my personal belief system. 

I have another accountability buddy that shares daily meal structure along with pictures of her meals.   We strive for small balanced meals every 3 hours.   I’ve begun to do the same with her.  It keeps my meal plans fresh because I know she will call me out for not having a variety of fresh veggies. 

I also have hard-core friends that never ever need anyone to hold them accountable, they don’t judge me just as I don’t judge anyone else.  It’s not my place.  Weight loss and fitness are a process, that process is different for everyone.

I like having someone to lean on from time to time.  It makes leaning solely on myself much more doable. 

Want to eat cleaner and work harder?  Find someone that will call you out, even if it stings a little.  You’ll be better for it!

24
Jul
12

Community

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love it when I meet new people who are struggling.  This morning I saw a woman walk by my door and as I glanced up I noticed what a pretty dress she had on. 

A little later my boss pushes open my office door and there stands the woman in the pretty dress and she was saying “I knew she was the one!”   Hmmm…

Well, needless to say she wanted to talk workouts.  I love that.  I work for a company with over 1600 people.  When someone says “I knew she was the one” man that’ll make your day. 

Anyway, she was telling me about a recent weight gain, low iron and the fact that she’d been put on medication for it.  She is struggling with her mojo for sure.  Lack of energy, poor diet, etc.

As we talked, she mentioned knowing all about meal-timing etc., and that she wanted to get back in to shape.

My first comment was simply “get back to basics”.  You know about meal timing and working out so the only thing I see missing is community.  I asked her when the last time she hung out with like-minded people? 

It doesn’t matter what you do, whether it’s Zumba, Body Pump, Jazzercise, CrossFit or Running, remember to find like-minded people to do it with. 

Everyone struggles, everyone has an “off” day or even an off week.   Food may be spot on but workouts stink or just the opposite, workouts are great but food stinks. 

In a community though there will be days you will push, pull or drag each other along but that’s the point. 

Do it. 

It’s not always about YOU.  You soon realize that the greatest part of community is what you can offer to another person in the way of support. 

 

10
Jul
12

Trust The Process

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was having lunch with some friends today.  I love our lunches.  We are all fitness junkies and we all care about what we eat.  Most of the time that is.  I say that because as a collective group we are at different points in our fitness and nutritional journey.

Interestingly enough there is never, ever a case of “you know you should be doing better”.   There is talk.

Inquisitive questions that help each person think through why they are willing to give up weeks and weeks of good clean eating or consistent training for food culprits, ie. sugars, or processed food.

Ironically most of the time it usually comes back to not progressing as quickly as one would like.

I used to get so jammed up that I wasn’t progressing fast enough, getting stronger fast enough, getting faster fast enough.  All of these thoughts started hindering my ability to progress at all.

I finally came to the realization that trusting in the process is just as important as eating clean, working out and getting enough rest.  

A friend asked just yesterday:  “On a scale of 1-10 where are you in your fitness?”  I can soundly say I’m sitting at 7, I’m above average in both my clean eating and nutritional disciplines.  The interesting thing was the acknowledgement that I have no idea was levels 8, 9 and 10 are for me.  Not what someone else thinks my levels should be or are, but instead how do I define them.

Love that thought-provoking question and I’m working on identifying those levels.  Identifying them results in action.  Leaving them blank and unanswered leaves me right smack dab  where I am today. 

28
Jun
12

Motivation

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve said it a few times and I’m going to say it again.  Motivation is not a constant.  It comes and goes and often times there are things going on in our lives that add to the loss of motivation.  I’m a firm believer in staying with my workouts (even if it’s 10 minutes of air squats in your office) and keeping my food at minimum 80% clean always.  

Doing some type of work-out even when you don’t feel like it add positive motivation to your mojo bank.  Doing nothing is just that…a big blank of nothing.  If you are serious about getting fit you should figure this one out fast.

Secondly, work-out your mind!  Positive thoughts, visualization and gratitude are three of the most powerful work-outs you have access too.

Positive thoughts include being kind to yourself instead of being critical of all of your perceived flaws.

Visualize yourself exactly where you want to be.

Make a list everyday of the top three things you are grateful for.  Challenge yourself not to duplicate them for 5 days.

A huge thank you to my friend Leah VanHoose for allowing me to use this positively beautiful photo today!!

Sunflower by Leah Vanhoose

 

26
Jun
12

Helpful Hints

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I have some friends that never seem to have slip ups or slumps in motivation.  I’m not one of those people.  Although I’ve learned how to keep myself on task simply by adhering to my own set of rules.

When you fall off the wagon and eat or drink excessively, admit it and stop it.

Stop it you say?  That’s hard.  Yes it is.  But what’s harder is breaking yourself from the eat bad, feel bad cycle that can go on indefinitely if you don’t stop it.

Do it by committing to yourself that the next meal will be clean.  Once you start consuming clean food and WATER, yes a lot of water you flush out all of the nastiness you’ve consumed and you give your internal organs a nice clean shower.  Not to mention you mentally feel better for making good choices.

Another rule I have is no more than 3 days of wallowing.  Everybody has a woe as me time at some point.  Yes, me too. 

Share your concerns with a friend.  If they are truly your friend they will smack you right in the mindset with the excuses and what-if’s come back.  So you had better be tough enough to take tough love from your fitness friends, that’s what they are there for. 

What happens at the end of 3 days?  Get moving.  No matter what, set your clock, do your workout, pack your meals for the whole day and get on with acting your way to better thinking. 

Lastly, quit comparing yourself to other people.  It’s not about them, it’s about YOU getting better.

***Edited to add:  I realized after I posted this that the 3 day rule is incomplete.  That’s 3 days in a row ONCE every 4 months.  Not every week or even every month.  To take that 3 day rule more often means you need to dig a little deeper and figure out why you would sabotage your own efforts that often.

25
Jun
12

Just Get Busy Doing

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve been in the habit of resting on the weekends for quite sometime.  In fact I believe that I’ve developed a rather naughty habit of literally become lazy in the name of rest. 

This past week I decided to try something a little different.  I rested on Friday.  Friday is usually my favorite workout day of the week because everyone tends to be a little less serious about it and there is a good chance that you’ll hear lyrics such as “apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur” or “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard”.  Just fun dance type music that creates a much lighter air.  So giving up my Friday workout was a mind game for me but I did it.

On to Saturday.  I was thinking of all the workouts my friends over at Cultfit publish everyday and decided to keep it fairly simple.  I managed a short 16 ish minute workout of KB snatches, pull-ups and push-ups.  That and the only activity related to fitness that I can coax the spousal unit into a 2.3 mile hilly walk.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  I felt great all day and didn’t veg in front of the tv set on HGTV.

Sunday was another scorcher, we’re seeing upper 90’s in the temps so I took my stand-up paddle board down to the water and decided that I would see if I could paddle board as far as I normally kayak.   I managed it.  I loved it.  Being out there in the early morning just me, the water and nature.  Talk about soothing to the soul. 

I didn’t have a plan of what I was going to do regarding workouts, I just got busy doing.  Some days that’s all it takes.  There doesn’t have to be a grand well written plan.  Just a willingness to do.

22
Jun
12

Mirror Mirror

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This morning I stood in front of the mirror criticizing my perceived flaws.  As I realized what I was doing I stepped back and thought “hold on now, lets take a look at what we really have here”. 

I have a healthy body that allows me to trash it working out 5-6 days a week.  It doesn’t give up, it doesn’t quit.  It just keeps responding to the physical challenges I dish out everyday.  

Did I get there overnight?  Absolutely not.

What’s even more important than what I see staring back at me in the mirror is what I’ve built up on the inside. 

My mind, confidence, willingness to succeed, discipline and consistent dedication to living a healthy lifestyle.   Being able to stop myself from comparing my physique to that of another is invaluable.  I am me for a reason.  Why would I change that?   

You want instant gratification?  Get yourself moving.  There is nothing more gratifying than taking that 30 or so minutes a day to work on your goal of getting fit. 

Want more instant gratification?  There is a tremendous feeling of empowerment that comes from making healthy food choices every day. 

Need more instant gratification?  Stop comparing yourself to other people and focus on becoming the very best you that you can become.

Sooner or later your instant gratification vault will be running over with results.

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