Your 2014 Resolutions: Don't Defeat Yourself

If this isn't your first rodeo, then you understand the frenzy that is right around the corner (less than 2 days to be exact). If you're on any social media, then you've surely seen the commitments (via status updates) to get healthier. If you're a gym-goer, then you are probably planning your workouts around the rush hour for the newbies. While this all my sound overwhelming, it saddens me that everyone doesn't keep their focus and commitment. Usually within a few weeks, the excitement begins to taper-off. Of course I can't speak for each person, but I think the decline happens for several reasons.

1. Being ill-equipped with the head knowledge for the tasks at hand 

This is mostly for proper form and use of equipment and with exercises. Many people get frustrated, get hurt, and give up. Make sure you are using the right equipment to meet your goals. Make sure you are using the equipment properly, to prevent injury. I've had my fair share of injuries since embracing fitness, some just happened and others due to my own lack of knowledge. But over the years I've learned so much because I sought out advice. I got ticked, but I did not give up! 

• Jan 21, 2012 I set-out for a 7 mile run on my 14th week of training for the Little Rock Half-Marathon. I ended up limping, walking, and crying home. During my run I got a stress fracture. During my recovery time, I swapped running and high-impact exercises for yoga, the stationary bike, and elliptical. 

• About a month ago I sprained my ankle during a workout. I took a few days to rest, then I was back in a routine. If my ankle hurt, then I stopped. I primarily focused on my upper body and other workouts that would not worsen my injury.

The point is, you simply do what you can do. Do your best and forget the rest. If you have questions, ask a friend, seek out a trainer, or contact me. People care about your success.

2. Expectations 

Slow and steady wins the race, don't bite off more than you can chew, etc. etc. (that's for you, Erik) The fact is that you didn't get out of shape over night, and you won't be in shape overnight either. You're body is like a building, with everything you feed yourself and each workout being a part of the brickwork. Renovations can take time and effort. Just be patient with yourself and don't give up.

3. Time

I know, I know. You are busy. But guess what? So am I, so is my neighbor, etc. We all have 24 hours in a day, it just depends on how we budget said time and our commitment level. If your health is a priority, then make your workouts a priority! Remember to pencil it in and find  routine that works for you. I'm a morning person, so a 4:30 AM works for me, but my gym isn't open at that time and my child is sleeping. I could NOT reasonably get in my fitness time without Beach Body. I've been using these programs for several years now and can't say enough about them. I can avoid the gym craziness, waiting for "my machine" to be free and workout when it suits me in my own living room. It's fun, a time-saver, and I feel like Wonder Woman after.

4. Nutrition 

Unfortunately, many people get it in their heads that exercise = eat whatever you want. Meh! Wrong! Depending on your fitness goals and fitness routine you can consume more calories, but that does not give you a pass to head to McDonald's! You can look at my progress pictures above for proof of the difference nutrition makes. In the "before" picture, I had actually been running for about 6 months. My diet (meaning the types of food I eat in general) did not change. The "after" picture from this past summer is after I realized the correlation between nutrition and fitness. Remember your brickwork here! Now let me pop a quiz on you - I am a teacher and all.

Which do you think will help with your muscle building and recover better:

A.) 10 piece Chicken Nuggets, with fries and a Diet Coke (because you have to cut calories somewhere, right? Yeah, I know. I've been there.) 

B.) 3oz of a boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast, steam green beans with slivered almonds, and a 1/2 of a sweet potato?

C.) Shakeology

B or C are acceptable are good answers. 3 oz of chicken (or any other lean protein) is the ideal amount for a meal. Of course, this can vary depending on your size. I have a food scale, but you can also measure this against the palm of your hand. Usually keep your lean proteins in between 3-4 oz. Also, the beans and sweet potato add a TON of fiber to fill you up. The almonds add some extra fat - good fat. (Please don't let that word scare you! I may have to do a FAT post. That will be amusing. :) )

Shakeology is AMAZING for refueling your body. Check out my post on what makes this stuff so amazingly kick-awesome!  Sometimes I don't want to mess with cooking, or I want something easy and that's when I reach for my Shakeo. Other times I want food to chew, and that's when I go for "B." I love the Chocolate version when I'm craving something sweet and well, chocolaty. That brings me to number 5.

5. Attitude

Attitude is basically all-encompassing here. This can be your attitude towards yourself, food, goals, nutrition, exercises, and more. I can think of a thousand sayings for this, but remember you are the ONLY one who can DO for you. Your friends and family can love and support you, but in the end you can only rely on yourself. This may include a lot of willpower, and yes that's hard. I KNOW! But please do not give-up on your goals because you defeated yourself. You can be totally in this and STILL have a treat on your birthday, a night out, or a movie night at home. If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know my 80/20 rule. I always say, eat clean 80% of the time. This can be applied to a healthy lifestyle in general, too. Eat healthy, live healthy, and be mindful of your exercise 80% of the time. You might be asking, "Why not 100% of the time, if you want committment?" My answer is, "because it's not realistic." We are not perfect and we don't live in a perfect world, so why should you expect to be perfect?  Expecting 100% perfection will set your for failure. The fact is, there are holidays, celebrations, and other things that will cause you to face that cupcake square in the eye. Eat the darn cupcake! Just remember to keep the cupcakes to 20% of the time! If you want a healthy treat, check out the Gooey Shakeology Protein Bars.