Are you on track to have that summer body you’ve been working on since January? No? Then read on…
A life lesson I’m trying to teach my teenagers is, don’t complain about something if you’re not going to come up with some ideas to fix it. It’s a great lesson for us adults too! I’ve had to remind myself of this on a daily basis. Why am I telling you this? Because I hear too many women complaining about their health but not taking any steps to change it. Stop complaining about not having the body and the health that you want, unless you are willing to do something about. No really, I mean work hard at it, make it a priority, create a fitness routine and be consistent. In this post, we’ll explore some common mistakes people make while wondering why they haven’t achieved their fitness goals. Don’t let another summer go by without having your summer body. Let’s do this!
Get Your Summer Body Back on Track By Being Consistent.
Girl, if you’re not consistently moving your body 3-5 times a week, stop complaining about not having the body that you want! Your body craves movement. Why do you think our bodies release feel good hormones when we’re working out? Because your body wants to you do it more. It’s your body’s way of telling you, “yes I need this and here’s a reminder…endorphins!”
In order to be consistent, you must stop with these excuses…
I don’t know what to do…Depending on your fitness goals, whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle, the type of movement that’s best to reach your goal will vary. Hire a personal trainer or health coach to help you with this. Or join a gym with group classes. That way all you have to do is show up and your coach will tell you exactly what to do. If you want to try the gym route, check out the guys with Mind Pump at https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/. They are experienced trainers and have tons of free workouts plus some great plans that you can purchase. Listen to their podcast “Mind Pump” because often they’ll offer 50% off their programs. If you want to workout at home check out my Pinterest Board “Strength Training for Women: At Home Workouts” for some ideas to get started.
Another excuse I hear too often, “I don’t have the time or money.” I grouped these together because they are the same issue. It’s not about lack of resources, it’s about lack of importance. If you are reading this on your iPhone or computer with internet service, then you have the money and you certainly have the time. It’s that you’re not making it a priority. If your health and body are important enough to you and if your “why” is strong enough, then you’ll make movement a priority and you’ll rearrange your resources to reflect that. Here are a few tips to get over this excuse.
If it’s a priority, you’ll make the time. Put it in your calendar as an appointment, not to be missed. Put it in your family calendar so everyone knows it’s a priority. Remove anything from your calendar that’s not serving you anymore. Check out Mel Robbins 5 Second Rule Ted Talk and Rachel Hollis’ book, “Girl, Wash Your Face,” if you struggle with making yourself a priority or need motivation to get off the couch!
If it’s a priority, you’ll find the money. Take a detailed look at your bank account. Are there any bills you can remove or adjust? Take an inventory of your home. Is there anything you can sell that’s not serving you anymore?
I’m sure by now you’ve heard of Marie Konda. I love her message of holding on to things that spark joy and letting go of things that don’t. Use this concept for your calendar, bank account, and home.
Get Your Summer Body Back on Track by Mastering these Four Health Habits.
If you don’t have the energy, you won’t have the ability to stay consistent. So how do you ensure that you have enough energy? What I call the four foundational health habits can double your energy… hydration, nutrition, sleep and movement.
Hydrate with water. This is a very small step that can have HUGE benefits. First of all let’s talk about how much water you should actually be drinking. Take your body weight, cut it in half and that’s how many ounces the average person should be drinking each day. For example, if you weigh 150lbs then you should be drinking about 75oz of water.
When should you drink water? Through the day of course, but especially in the morning. Drink 20 oz (1-2 glasses) of water first thing in the morning. You’ve been asleep for 6 to 10 hours, so it’s time to hydrate! This can even replace morning coffee, as re-hydrating the body and brain will lead to clearer thinking and more energy.
Keep a pitcher of filtered water in your fridge at home or near your work space with the amount of water you want to drink each day. This makes it easy to remember to drink water and to track your intake. If you have digestive challenges, drink most of your water between meals. If you struggle with drinking water, check out my blog post here. It gives you more tips and trips to stay hydrated.
Food is fuel. What kind of fuel are your putting in your body? Is it fuel that will sustain your throughout the day and help you reach your fitness goals, or are you consuming food that drains your energy and lacks nutritional value? Let me give a scenario that helped me realize the importance of food. Imagine that you are a billionaire and you own a private jet. You’re taking a trip from Tennessee down to the Florida for a little vacation. Your pilot says to you says, “We’re ready to go! We have enough fuel to get from here to Atlanta, then we’re just going to coast the rest of the way to Florida, it’ll be fine.” You’d be crazy to get on that plane, but that’s what you do when you don’t give your body the fuel that it needs to function. Why do you feel so tired and sluggish around 10am and 3pm? Because you’re coasting on no fuel or fuel with no nutritional value.
Health Coach Tip: Keep a food journal for a few weeks. Track your energy level right after you eat and a few hours after you eat. Find out which foods give you energy and which foods drain your energy.
Increase your veggies. We can all use this step. Try to have vegetables at every meal and eat them before anything else. Make them easily accessible to grab and go. This requires a little bit of preparation but the way they make you feel is worth it. For more information about how food can be fuel check out Mark Hyman at https://drhyman.com/. He explains the ins and outs of healthy food choices in a way that’s easy to understand.
Sleep. Set yourself up for success everyday by getting 7-8 hours of sleep. Our body needs this time to reset and repair itself. Just like water, it’s a very simple step that a lot of people struggle with. Our society is not set up for us to rest our bodies or our brains. It takes intention to get the rest you need by creating an evening routine that allows you to prepare for sleep. Check out my blog post here where I give you 10 tips to Get More Sleep and Wake Up Feeling Relaxed.
I won’t dive to too deep into movement since we already talked about it, but know that this is just as important as the other three, and its overlooked too often. A study came out recently that said, a sedentary lifestyle is worse for your health than smoking. Just let that sink in for a minute. Not moving is worse than smoking! Taking even 5 minutes a day to move your body can move the needle in the right direction.
Now let’s move on.
Get Your Summer Body Back on Track By Having a Healthy Mindset.
This one is the KEY. Mastering your mindset. At some point along the way you were told a lie. It might’ve sounded something like this, “you’re not good enough,” “you’ll never lose that baby fat,” “you’re just big boned,” “it won’t work this time, just like it didn’t work last time.” These statements could’ve came from your own mind or someone else’s and you might not even be aware of them. Next time you “don’t feel like going to workout” take a moment to pause and try to recognize any negative thoughts you had before that feeling. Pay attention to these thoughts throughout the day. The first step to stopping your negative thoughts is to be aware of them. Once you recognize them, then ask yourself if that thought is true and if it’s serving you in this moment. Replace it with a thought that will serve you by getting you closer to your fitness goals.
“Progress, not perfection.”
“Consistency is key.”
“I’m doing my best in this moment.”
Going through this mindset practice will take work. Those thoughts have created a rut in your mind like a bowling ball going through the gutter. It’ll take some mindset work and time to create new thoughts and a new path, but each time you choose a new thought, it’ll become easier. Remember our thoughts create our feelings, which drive our actions, which get us results (good or bad).
To Your Health,
Coach Leslie J.
