A Fresh Start
Spring is here, the nice weather is just around the corner and I must tell you, I couldn’t be happier. It seemed like a very looong winter. But, as we all wake up from our long winter’s sleep, our minds are starting to feel energized, refreshed and ready to go. Does your body feel the same way?
If you haven’t been working consistently on your fitness and health this winter, your body may be struggling to keep up with your mind. It’s hard to make a new start when you feel sluggish and discouraged.
If you have tried and failed at fitness or health goals in the past, then you likely feel too disheartened to even try again. Forget about the past—it’s done so let’s leave it there. It’s time to focus on the present and what you can do right now to make the changes you want.
A Quick Look Back
You are going to focus mainly on what is ahead for you; the past is the past and it is best to leave it there. However, if you want to start off on the right foot, you need to look at what may have sabotaged you’re your efforts in the past.
• Impatience. Because we live in a society that is used to instant gratification, it can come as quite a shock to find that fitness doesn’t happen quickly. It doesn’t matter how many infomercials you watch that promise you a 6 pack in 6 weeks, it is not going to happen. There is no short cut to fitness. If you grew frustrated in the past because results didn’t happen as fast as you would like, prepare your mind now for a different attitude. Set realistic expectations in your head, celebrate the tiny victories along the way and be patient as your transformation happens.
• Lack of planning. The biggest mistake in any fitness plan is lack of planning. If you have tried fitness and failed, it is almost certain that you came up short in the area of planning. This time, you will plan before you start. Ask yourself: What are my fitness goals? What type of exercise routine do I need to accomplish that goal? How do I need to adjust my schedule to fit in fitness time? Do I need workout attire or a gym membership? How will I realistically adjust my eating patterns? The point is, take time to plan and don’t just jump into the deep waters on the first day.
• Support. If you have attempted to get fit with little support, you are not alone. Many people try to change their lifestyle on their own. This time tell your friends what you are trying to accomplish. Perhaps they will even be encouraged by your efforts and want to join in with you. Find an online support group with like-minded people with similar goals. Get the support where you can but don’t try to do it alone. The more support and encouragement you have, the greater your chances of being successful.
Forward From Here
Today you start fresh and leave the past behind. Yes, you may have quit during your previous attempts to be healthy. That doesn’t matter now. What matters is what you do today, tomorrow and next week.
These tips will help you make a strong start and make this time different
1. Do not be afraid of the journey between your starting point and your dream This is where patience
comes in. What is your dream or your goal? Do you want to lose 20 pounds? Do you want to run a mile? Do you want to eat a diet that energizes you? Maybe you want to exercise for 4 days a week or simply want to be able to move and feel better while keeping up with your kids or grandkids.
Do not let the road you have to travel cause you to give up before you even begin. Recognize that this—your DREAM--will take some time. Every single fit person you know started somewhere short of
where they are now. How did they get to their present condition? By taking it one day at a time, celebrating every victory and getting up when they fall. You can do the same.
2. Plan Plan Plan!
Have you ever heard of “Don’t sweat the small stuff---and it’s all small stuff”? I like to put a twist on it and say: “Don’t sweat the big stuff---because it all turns out to be big stuff”. What that means is that if you don’t have a plan, the matter that seems to be the most urgent (the “biggest stuff”) at the time will get all the attention, at the exclusion of everything else. Without a plan, your own health will always take a backseat to what seems to be the most important thing at that moment—and that could be as simple as a television show that you want to watch! Having a plan will keep less important things from creeping in and sabotaging your health.
Count on this truism:
If you do not plan for fitness and health, it simply will not happen.
Before you even start your new healthy lifestyle, decide:
• When and how you will get your exercise (bootcamp? running in the mornings? treadmill at the gym after work?)
• What foods you will eat and how you will ensure that you have access to those foods (do you have a small cooler that you can take along with you? What will your breakfasts consist of? How much caffeine or soda will you allow yourself?)
• How you will arrange your schedule so that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night (do you need to get the kids in bed sooner or prepare your lunches on the weekends to save time in the morning?
Without a strategy, you set yourself up for failure. Plan on succeeding! Take some time right now to jot down some ideas to overcome the obstacles that you know will arise. Be prepared for them, and you will breeze through them.
3. Don’t Do It Alone
A big predictor of whether a person succeeds in their fitness and weight loss efforts is whether they have support and accountability. Remember this: getting fit is not easy. If it were easy, more people would be doing it! In order to make sure you succeed this time, get some support. That support could come from a few friends who are making a new beginning with you, a personal trainer or an online group of people just like you---people ready to make a change! You can make it work this time.
The people in your support system will be genuinely interested in how you are doing. They will encourage you when you lose your motivation. They will cheer when you get up early to exercise. They will talk you out of eating those brownies. They will expect you to tell them how you are doing. And they will not let you fade out of the program: they will come after you if you start slacking.
Are you ready for your New Beginning?
I now offer online training. Training that is delivered to you via an app and it’s so convenient. Workout from home or take your workout with you to the gym.
*Open the app—check the workout in your calendar—do the workout—achieve your goals! Be a part of our exclusive workout group to receive support and encouragement and with weekly check-ins with your own personal trainer!
Still not sure how online training works. Try a 21-day free trial to test it out. Just contact me at darcyfit1@gmail.com for more details