...don't you love that word? it has so much lift and potential when you say it.....
Jump UP!
Jump IN!
Jump on board....
The word just makes me happy...
and if there was one word that described me, it would be jump (or jumper, if you'd prefer)
I have a tendency to be an impulsive girl.... I listen to my heart and I trust my gut.
I sense when things are right and I instinctively know when someone is being truthful to me....
Good, bad or otherwise, I have been known to JUMP!
Several years ago I jumped into a fitness program, sort of out of the blue. I felt fat, dumpy and completely out of control of my life. I'm not (and never will be) a runner and fitness videos just provided nice back drop music while I was folding clothes or baking something for dinner.
I knew I wasn't ever climbing out of my rut alone, so I joined a group fitness challenge.
It was an impulsive decision.... I had quit smoking 6 months earlier and had finally reached normal breathing capacity again... I had fresh tears streaming down my face as I drove out of the mall parking lot and I heard an ad on the radio..... I jumped.
Move forward 2 years... I was feeling good about myself, coaching and teaching and living the life as a stay at home mom. I had been bitten by the "need to do more" bug. I had climbed as high as I could climb at the gym I was working at and decided I wanted to do things my way..... flash forward a couple of months and several conversations and ....I jumped.
As a new business owner- the first franchisee of Goals in Motion Fitness Studio, I was on top of the world. I was convinced (and still am) I have the best job ever. People, who dislike themselves, come in to see me, sign up and make amazing transformations in a short period of time. All we have to do is share good nutrition, hard sweaty workouts, a little love and a crack of the whip once in a while and our challengers do the rest. CrAzY things can happen in 9 weeks when you're focused!!
Move along steadily for a couple of years....build amazing friendships, help people cure their own bodies with good nutrition and exercise, change locations and I jumped! right into a new phase.......
where did I land this time??? smack dab in the middle of a crazy exciting time in the history of nutrition.....
I am about to begin coaching a dozen people in the midst of a 3000+ people run with Venice Nutrition, to prove to the world that blood sugar stabilization and movement is really all it takes to live your best life.
I've jumped on the band wagon and drank the Kool-Aid, because I believe in what we do....
There's no need to give up food groups... no need to exercise 3 hours a day.... no need to be hungry.
Eat in 3's, every 3-4 hours, move some every day, drink some water and get a little sleep....
It's that simple friends....
you should jump too.
Showing posts with label Goals in Motion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goals in Motion. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2014
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Jump....
The New Year always seems to bring new plans, new ideas and new promises....
Here we are, in week 4 and I wonder how many resolutions are still intact.
How many people have walked away from promises they made to themselves or to other accountability partners? How many are still rockin it??
Living an active life with exercise and clean eating takes some serious planning, even if you were raised that way. It's really quite unrealistic to think "Tomorrow is a new day. I'll give up ________ for the rest of my life". And yet MILLIONS of people try to do it every year. Why is January 1 so special??
Wouldn't it be nice if once a month (or once a week) we had "jump day"? A day where publicly we had a chance to say "I'm finally ready to make a change...cheer for me, support me and hold me accountable!"
A problem I see frequently, in my job, is that people feel they've failed when their
resolution changes or when they detour off the planned route. Often they "jump" before they really think about the potential outcomes of their new way of life and the impact it will have on those around them. They try to completely renovate their way of life, without fully thinking through the process.
It takes a great deal of knowledge gathering and planning to make life-altering changes and to be successful at doing it long term. Frankly, you have to be ready if you want it to stick long term.
You also have to surround yourself with a support system and be willing to walk away from people or places that pull you back in to old habits.
In an interview this morning, I was asked why group fitness seems to work well for so many people.
I explained that we offer a great exercise program with an emphasis on clean eating, but that it's the people who make a difference at Goals. It's the coaches and instructors.... the maintenance members and challengers who make it a great place to be.
Someone is watching for you...... someone who cares.
Someone's waiting.....
Pick YOUR day~ all you have to do is jump.
Spring or stumble, we'll be there.....
Here we are, in week 4 and I wonder how many resolutions are still intact.
How many people have walked away from promises they made to themselves or to other accountability partners? How many are still rockin it??
Living an active life with exercise and clean eating takes some serious planning, even if you were raised that way. It's really quite unrealistic to think "Tomorrow is a new day. I'll give up ________ for the rest of my life". And yet MILLIONS of people try to do it every year. Why is January 1 so special??
Wouldn't it be nice if once a month (or once a week) we had "jump day"? A day where publicly we had a chance to say "I'm finally ready to make a change...cheer for me, support me and hold me accountable!"
A problem I see frequently, in my job, is that people feel they've failed when their
resolution changes or when they detour off the planned route. Often they "jump" before they really think about the potential outcomes of their new way of life and the impact it will have on those around them. They try to completely renovate their way of life, without fully thinking through the process.
It takes a great deal of knowledge gathering and planning to make life-altering changes and to be successful at doing it long term. Frankly, you have to be ready if you want it to stick long term.
You also have to surround yourself with a support system and be willing to walk away from people or places that pull you back in to old habits.
In an interview this morning, I was asked why group fitness seems to work well for so many people.
I explained that we offer a great exercise program with an emphasis on clean eating, but that it's the people who make a difference at Goals. It's the coaches and instructors.... the maintenance members and challengers who make it a great place to be.
Someone is watching for you...... someone who cares.
Someone's waiting.....
Pick YOUR day~ all you have to do is jump.
Spring or stumble, we'll be there.....
Monday, December 31, 2012
Magic moments.....
I resolve to not make unrealistic promises to myself this year.....
I've always been big into starting over. In fact I've made it into my life's work.
At Goals in Motion we're all about starting over. Men and women walk through the door, unhappy with their body (and sometimes their lives) and want help "fixing" it.
The problem is that we really can't be fixed. We can be helped, but only if we've reached that moment in life where we're open to change. Sometimes that means you've reached a place where the only light is at the end of a really long tunnel of hard work and sacrifice.
Please, don't get me wrong....I'm in favor of setting goals and I'm in favor of making promises to ourselves, but you often have to reach that magic moment when you're really ready.
I haven't been sleeping well for the last few weeks and I've been trying to figure out what I'm doing to aggrevate the situation. I've changed my eating and drinking patterns. I've exercised at night and during the day. I've abandoned the computer at night in favor of time with the guys and even added a little TV time. Nothing helps, except I eventually reach a point of complete sleep deprevation and my mind allows little cat naps in the chair while stupid tv shows keep my family entertained.
Around 2:25 this morning, my internal alarm went off. My brain kicked into gear and my day began, again.... But today I decided to lay there in the darkness and think about my year. People all around my are talking about changes and starting over.
"I'm going to lose weight!"
"I'm going to get a promotion!"
"I'm going to meet the person of my dreams!"
We're even putting a new year long maintenance challenge in place at Goals for those who want to make 2013 THEIR YEAR. People love a fresh start!
So why can't I get excited? What's wrong with me (besides the fact that I'm living on less than 4 hours of sleep a night?).
After about 30 minutes of forced calm/guided thinking, it hit..... I'm not finished with this year. I didn't accomplish what I set out to do in 2012. I had big goals for myself, my family and my business in 2012 and honestly, very few of them came to fruition.
I'm a disorganized person and I need help. (There! I've said it! Those of you who spend any length of time with me already know this but you obviously know by now that YOU knowing it is not going to "fix" ME!!). I have a hundred projects in the works and a million more ideas running through my head and it has always been my intention to accomplish all of them alone. I have never allowed myself to consider that I am not Wonder Woman, but the lack of progress this year has really sort of slapped me in the face. So...... I've made the initial contacts and asked for help. I'm not going to start another project without help or at least an accountability partner!
So..... this year, I resolve to not make unrealistic promises to myself.....
One month at a time...
January is for finishing what I've started..... my house and my office will be put in order- everything in it's place. I've even established a plan with an organizational guru (you know who you are-xoxo) to get me started
February is for purging.... this is going to mean some serious tossing. If any of you are dumpster divers and can brave the cold, there might be some sweet deals to be had!
March is for establishing systems..... if it can't be maintained without me, it's really not going to work in my life. Systems for EVERYTHING.
April is for adding in...some of those things that I've wanted but not had time for. An hour a day to read or meditate or study.... 2 yoga classes each week~ Yoga sculpt at Goals and one hot class away from the studio to focus on myself...also a lazy day one Sunday.
May is for adjustment.... a time to tweak the last 4 months. All systems go before the school year ends.
June is for family..... we haven't escaped Ames as a family for a long time and have never really established a vacation habit. During the early years, Jeff's work consumed him and now mine seems to do the same. Zach's entering a new phase in his life with work and commitment and Sam has just two years left at home. It's time to create a family tradition of reconnecting once a year. This year we're heading to the quiet waters of Minnesota for days of fishing, reading and sun and nights of food and gin rummy.
And so, that's where I'm going to end my goal/resolution setting for today. My hope is that as my organizational life falls into place, all of the other good things I've been waiting for will find a home in my head and my heart. I'll be sharing along the way~ I hope to see you soon.
May you find joy, peace and a smidge of what you've been searching for in 2013.....
Happy New Year
I've always been big into starting over. In fact I've made it into my life's work.
At Goals in Motion we're all about starting over. Men and women walk through the door, unhappy with their body (and sometimes their lives) and want help "fixing" it.
The problem is that we really can't be fixed. We can be helped, but only if we've reached that moment in life where we're open to change. Sometimes that means you've reached a place where the only light is at the end of a really long tunnel of hard work and sacrifice.
Please, don't get me wrong....I'm in favor of setting goals and I'm in favor of making promises to ourselves, but you often have to reach that magic moment when you're really ready.
I haven't been sleeping well for the last few weeks and I've been trying to figure out what I'm doing to aggrevate the situation. I've changed my eating and drinking patterns. I've exercised at night and during the day. I've abandoned the computer at night in favor of time with the guys and even added a little TV time. Nothing helps, except I eventually reach a point of complete sleep deprevation and my mind allows little cat naps in the chair while stupid tv shows keep my family entertained.
Around 2:25 this morning, my internal alarm went off. My brain kicked into gear and my day began, again.... But today I decided to lay there in the darkness and think about my year. People all around my are talking about changes and starting over.
"I'm going to lose weight!"
"I'm going to get a promotion!"
"I'm going to meet the person of my dreams!"
We're even putting a new year long maintenance challenge in place at Goals for those who want to make 2013 THEIR YEAR. People love a fresh start!
So why can't I get excited? What's wrong with me (besides the fact that I'm living on less than 4 hours of sleep a night?).
After about 30 minutes of forced calm/guided thinking, it hit..... I'm not finished with this year. I didn't accomplish what I set out to do in 2012. I had big goals for myself, my family and my business in 2012 and honestly, very few of them came to fruition.
I'm a disorganized person and I need help. (There! I've said it! Those of you who spend any length of time with me already know this but you obviously know by now that YOU knowing it is not going to "fix" ME!!). I have a hundred projects in the works and a million more ideas running through my head and it has always been my intention to accomplish all of them alone. I have never allowed myself to consider that I am not Wonder Woman, but the lack of progress this year has really sort of slapped me in the face. So...... I've made the initial contacts and asked for help. I'm not going to start another project without help or at least an accountability partner!
So..... this year, I resolve to not make unrealistic promises to myself.....
One month at a time...
January is for finishing what I've started..... my house and my office will be put in order- everything in it's place. I've even established a plan with an organizational guru (you know who you are-xoxo) to get me started
February is for purging.... this is going to mean some serious tossing. If any of you are dumpster divers and can brave the cold, there might be some sweet deals to be had!
March is for establishing systems..... if it can't be maintained without me, it's really not going to work in my life. Systems for EVERYTHING.
April is for adding in...some of those things that I've wanted but not had time for. An hour a day to read or meditate or study.... 2 yoga classes each week~ Yoga sculpt at Goals and one hot class away from the studio to focus on myself...also a lazy day one Sunday.
May is for adjustment.... a time to tweak the last 4 months. All systems go before the school year ends.
June is for family..... we haven't escaped Ames as a family for a long time and have never really established a vacation habit. During the early years, Jeff's work consumed him and now mine seems to do the same. Zach's entering a new phase in his life with work and commitment and Sam has just two years left at home. It's time to create a family tradition of reconnecting once a year. This year we're heading to the quiet waters of Minnesota for days of fishing, reading and sun and nights of food and gin rummy.
And so, that's where I'm going to end my goal/resolution setting for today. My hope is that as my organizational life falls into place, all of the other good things I've been waiting for will find a home in my head and my heart. I'll be sharing along the way~ I hope to see you soon.
May you find joy, peace and a smidge of what you've been searching for in 2013.....
Happy New Year
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
dreams......
...change over time don't they? Both the daydreams we create in our minds and also the ones that creep into our subconscious as we drift off to sleep. It seems the outside world has more to do with them than we might think.
When I was younger and an athlete, all I could dream about was being the best. It's all I worked for and all I thought about. I surrounded myself with people who could make it happen and every night competition seemed to seep into my sleep.
I don't recall having many sleeping dreams as a teenager.... I worked too much and played too hard- once my head hit the pillow, my brain must have needed to shut down and take a break from me!!
I did however have daydreams about my future and how certain people would play a part in my life.
Once I became a young mother, all of my dreams, sleeping and otherwise, were focused on the health and well being of the boys. I remember watching them play and wondering who they would become.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night, from vivid dreams of the boys, in panic....why haven't they woken up? why are they awake? why didn't I hear them come home?
Eventually, I reached the dangerous "all about me stage of my life". I'm sure many of you can relate...
it's that time when you decide, I'm tired of being fat and tired and responsible for everyone and everything in my life. My daydreams turned to making myself healthy and beautiful (and sometimes to finding someone to kidnap me and take me to a magic kingdom where I wouldn't have to work or think if I didn't want to!!). My night dreams disappeared again, because I was running at 100 mph and trying to get in all the life I had missed for so many years.
So that brings me to now... I've been worried over the last few months about Goals. Don't misunderstand, everything is fine at the studio, but I always worry about being enough in an saturated industry. I've met with some of my coaches and instructors to brainstorm ways to be even better than we already are.... my daydreams are filled with possibilities and my sleep is filled with "what ifs"
Yesterday, however, was a great day. I woke up early and felt well rested. I taught a kickboxing class the night before, in my dreams (scary huh?) and one of the sets stuck in my head- it worked like a charm. My 4:55am class was awesome. The room was full and they stepped up and worked out hard like they always do! I came home after class to eat and get some work done. When I was on Facebook posting some pictures from our Holiday 5K a friend, who is a Goals member, popped into my chat with a link about a young girl who had lost an incredible amount of weight. The story was amazing and reinforced my belief that we need more programs for kids and families who struggle with exercise and healthy eating. Suddenly my brain darted off in a different direction. My day was filled with ideas and planning. I got to workout with a new member- a fit teenager, who ROCKED the bag!! As I showed her each new punch, I thought about how awesome it would be to have more teens and families with smaller kiddos at Goals. Dinner prep involved dreams of GIM family potlucks and my sleep involved an indoor game of Hoover Ball in the kickboxing studio.
Today will be incredibly busy. I have several meetings to attend. I get to tour the new high school with my fellow school board members and the builders and I get to teach a couple of classes. I'll wrap up the night meeting with State Legislators about educational priorities before they go into session.
If you see me today and I look distracted, don't worry... in the midst of my busy day, it's just the dream wheels turning
When I was younger and an athlete, all I could dream about was being the best. It's all I worked for and all I thought about. I surrounded myself with people who could make it happen and every night competition seemed to seep into my sleep.
I don't recall having many sleeping dreams as a teenager.... I worked too much and played too hard- once my head hit the pillow, my brain must have needed to shut down and take a break from me!!
I did however have daydreams about my future and how certain people would play a part in my life.
Once I became a young mother, all of my dreams, sleeping and otherwise, were focused on the health and well being of the boys. I remember watching them play and wondering who they would become.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night, from vivid dreams of the boys, in panic....why haven't they woken up? why are they awake? why didn't I hear them come home?
Eventually, I reached the dangerous "all about me stage of my life". I'm sure many of you can relate...
it's that time when you decide, I'm tired of being fat and tired and responsible for everyone and everything in my life. My daydreams turned to making myself healthy and beautiful (and sometimes to finding someone to kidnap me and take me to a magic kingdom where I wouldn't have to work or think if I didn't want to!!). My night dreams disappeared again, because I was running at 100 mph and trying to get in all the life I had missed for so many years.
So that brings me to now... I've been worried over the last few months about Goals. Don't misunderstand, everything is fine at the studio, but I always worry about being enough in an saturated industry. I've met with some of my coaches and instructors to brainstorm ways to be even better than we already are.... my daydreams are filled with possibilities and my sleep is filled with "what ifs"
Yesterday, however, was a great day. I woke up early and felt well rested. I taught a kickboxing class the night before, in my dreams (scary huh?) and one of the sets stuck in my head- it worked like a charm. My 4:55am class was awesome. The room was full and they stepped up and worked out hard like they always do! I came home after class to eat and get some work done. When I was on Facebook posting some pictures from our Holiday 5K a friend, who is a Goals member, popped into my chat with a link about a young girl who had lost an incredible amount of weight. The story was amazing and reinforced my belief that we need more programs for kids and families who struggle with exercise and healthy eating. Suddenly my brain darted off in a different direction. My day was filled with ideas and planning. I got to workout with a new member- a fit teenager, who ROCKED the bag!! As I showed her each new punch, I thought about how awesome it would be to have more teens and families with smaller kiddos at Goals. Dinner prep involved dreams of GIM family potlucks and my sleep involved an indoor game of Hoover Ball in the kickboxing studio.
Today will be incredibly busy. I have several meetings to attend. I get to tour the new high school with my fellow school board members and the builders and I get to teach a couple of classes. I'll wrap up the night meeting with State Legislators about educational priorities before they go into session.
If you see me today and I look distracted, don't worry... in the midst of my busy day, it's just the dream wheels turning
Monday, December 3, 2012
Old habits....
...die hard, don't they?
Over the last 7 weeks I've struggled to establish some habits in my life.
Habits I hoped to make a permanent part of my day (in no particular order of importance)...
~ Sleep in
~ Exercise Daily
~ Drink more water
~ Organize my home and office
~ Journal Daily
~ Read
~ Establish a regular bedtime
Great goals, right? The progress report follows.....
~ I still wake up at 4:09am EVERY day.
~ If you count teaching class, then yes.
~ YES! I've learned that I can avoid my coffee cravings by drinking warm water throughout the day. I'm actually enjoying this (but I still have a daily glass of wine)
~ Fail.... I've rearranged my schedule so I have office hours and still struggle to keep up with paperwork. I find it's created time for cleaning and MORE meetings, but has had little impact on my organization.
~ Blogging was my tool initially and I thought it was going well. But then I allowed myself to worry about being "good enough" to publish it daily. I missed one day, then 2 and then another and it seemed that the late night "mind-writing" disappeared. I tried to keep a journal at home where I could get things down on paper first..... that lasted about 3 minutes until I fell asleep with a pen in my hand
~ Occasionally. I'm a power reader. If I open the book today, I'll finish by tomorrow, which doesn't lend itself to sleep or enjoyment most of the time.
~ Bedtime is better, but as with everything else, if something better comes along, my schedule doesn't matter.
So as I laid in bed, wide awake at 4:09 this morning, contemplating life, I was thinking about the habits I have successfully walked away from.....
I quit smoking in March, 2007. I started smoking when I was young. STUPID! I quit a couple dozen times over the 20 years that I smoked, twice for over 2 years (once for each baby). But, it wasn't until I was faced with a 9 hour plane ride with 20 of my son's classmates, that I decided I was done for good. Commit lozenges, a good case of jet lag and fear of discovery was all it took for me to give it up for good.
I've quit eating processed foods. My shopping cart used to be full of "just add water and a half a stick of butter" products. Creamy, tasty and easy, right? Fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, right? Good for my family, right? Even after I started down my weight loss path, I'd buy an occasional box or bag to make dinner easier. Not any more...if it gets sauced or spiced in my house, it comes from the fridge or corner spice rack. And convenient means reheating something that was cooked the day before.
I have successfully broken habits that are bad for me, so why can't I permanently create habits that are good for me? Obviously it falls into the all or nothing category. I have discovered that when it comes to permanent change I have to do more than just want it and plan it, I have to DO IT (Like the water thing).
So, instead of trying to revamp my entire life and reaching this point of re-evaluation every 9 weeks, I'm going to focus on the most important ones today and tomorrow and the next day until they become who I am again......
~ Exercise. I will move every day, in some way, starting today. 10,000 steps is the minimum but certainly not the ideal and sweat is required for it to be called exercise!!
~ Journal. When I take the time to write down my food and my thoughts, I am infinitely more successful. I will be writing here every day for a while. You'll get my food, my exercise and my thoughts all in the same place. Accountability, right?
As soon as these two fit into my life, I'll go back and get some more.....
Over the last 7 weeks I've struggled to establish some habits in my life.
Habits I hoped to make a permanent part of my day (in no particular order of importance)...
~ Sleep in
~ Exercise Daily
~ Drink more water
~ Organize my home and office
~ Journal Daily
~ Read
~ Establish a regular bedtime
Great goals, right? The progress report follows.....
~ I still wake up at 4:09am EVERY day.
~ If you count teaching class, then yes.
~ YES! I've learned that I can avoid my coffee cravings by drinking warm water throughout the day. I'm actually enjoying this (but I still have a daily glass of wine)
~ Fail.... I've rearranged my schedule so I have office hours and still struggle to keep up with paperwork. I find it's created time for cleaning and MORE meetings, but has had little impact on my organization.
~ Blogging was my tool initially and I thought it was going well. But then I allowed myself to worry about being "good enough" to publish it daily. I missed one day, then 2 and then another and it seemed that the late night "mind-writing" disappeared. I tried to keep a journal at home where I could get things down on paper first..... that lasted about 3 minutes until I fell asleep with a pen in my hand
~ Occasionally. I'm a power reader. If I open the book today, I'll finish by tomorrow, which doesn't lend itself to sleep or enjoyment most of the time.
~ Bedtime is better, but as with everything else, if something better comes along, my schedule doesn't matter.
So as I laid in bed, wide awake at 4:09 this morning, contemplating life, I was thinking about the habits I have successfully walked away from.....
I quit smoking in March, 2007. I started smoking when I was young. STUPID! I quit a couple dozen times over the 20 years that I smoked, twice for over 2 years (once for each baby). But, it wasn't until I was faced with a 9 hour plane ride with 20 of my son's classmates, that I decided I was done for good. Commit lozenges, a good case of jet lag and fear of discovery was all it took for me to give it up for good.
I've quit eating processed foods. My shopping cart used to be full of "just add water and a half a stick of butter" products. Creamy, tasty and easy, right? Fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, right? Good for my family, right? Even after I started down my weight loss path, I'd buy an occasional box or bag to make dinner easier. Not any more...if it gets sauced or spiced in my house, it comes from the fridge or corner spice rack. And convenient means reheating something that was cooked the day before.
I have successfully broken habits that are bad for me, so why can't I permanently create habits that are good for me? Obviously it falls into the all or nothing category. I have discovered that when it comes to permanent change I have to do more than just want it and plan it, I have to DO IT (Like the water thing).
So, instead of trying to revamp my entire life and reaching this point of re-evaluation every 9 weeks, I'm going to focus on the most important ones today and tomorrow and the next day until they become who I am again......
~ Exercise. I will move every day, in some way, starting today. 10,000 steps is the minimum but certainly not the ideal and sweat is required for it to be called exercise!!
~ Journal. When I take the time to write down my food and my thoughts, I am infinitely more successful. I will be writing here every day for a while. You'll get my food, my exercise and my thoughts all in the same place. Accountability, right?
As soon as these two fit into my life, I'll go back and get some more.....
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Today.....
I'm a facebook fan.
I love "watching" the activity in my friends lives and I love the opportunity to
connect with like minded people through different business and blog pages.
There is a page I like a lot because the people writing and researching the posts think
like I do.... They are matter-of-fact, scientifically based, no BS kinds of people. The page is Metabolic Effect and a recent post caught my eye and I "clicked to read more".....
"If you don't get results following a "program" whose fault do you think that is? Is it the fault of the program or is it your issue? The answer to this question tells you almost everything you need to know about yourself and the chances of success at body change....." ~ME
Initially, it irritated me. Why would someone say that to a client? Why would you encourage them to move on???
I spend hours every week helping people change not only their bodies but also the way they live. I know that anyone can lose weight, become more physically fit and improve their overall health if they are willing to exercise and eat healthy. I also spend hours wondering how many people will stay committed to the Goals program and how many will sign up for the next 9 week Challenge. I meet with Mardi and Sandy and some of my coaches to talk about ways we can be "more".
But as I re-read the ME post a few things became clearer to me...
I know...
~ It's simply not possible to begin an exercise/eat clean program and not lose weight
~ It is possible for ANYONE to participate in the programs we offer at GIM
~ It has to "fit" in your life
~ You have to be ready to change
I also know....
that includes me.
I jumped on the Challenge bandwagon with the rest of the group 4 weeks ago. While I was away on a mini vacation this weekend, my fellow challengers went through mid-point testing. They "checked in" with the scale and body comp machine and they timed their push-ups and sit-ups. Several had some great results! Some had decent results and some are kind of where they started.
Where am I?? In the middle group. I'm down 10 pounds from my start, but I know it could be more.
I know better than to blame the program, but like so many others I continue to fall into an "all-or-nothing" rut. Week one, I worked out 7 times and walked- and hurt my back. So, week 2, I took it easy and week 3 easier and week 4 went on vacation........
I've eaten as I always do (clean) but, without the discipline of workouts and a "wine free social calendar", I haven't had the results I'd like.
So.... do I change my goals? Do I make a stupid and drastic move & cut nutrient groups out of my diet? Do I go crazy on a treadmill?
NO!!!
Back to the basics for me. Today is my Monday. All day long.... and so is tomorrow and the day after that....
"Not getting results? Then change. Confused? Then figure it out. Don't blame the program, blame yourself. If you are blindly following a program without adjusting to your needs along the way, then it's not the program's fault, it's your own. Go ahead and follow another program if you wish, but chances are until you learn this lesson it too will fail you." ~ME
I've written my grocery list, planned meals in my head and my workouts on my calendar.
So, how is this different than it was before? How do I know it will work this time??
I put a backup plan in place in case I decide to sleep in or a meeting runs longer than it should.....
I have two workouts scheduled- EVERY DAY
I want this, I need this.....
Today is my Monday, how about you?
I love "watching" the activity in my friends lives and I love the opportunity to
connect with like minded people through different business and blog pages.
There is a page I like a lot because the people writing and researching the posts think
like I do.... They are matter-of-fact, scientifically based, no BS kinds of people. The page is Metabolic Effect and a recent post caught my eye and I "clicked to read more".....
"If you don't get results following a "program" whose fault do you think that is? Is it the fault of the program or is it your issue? The answer to this question tells you almost everything you need to know about yourself and the chances of success at body change....." ~ME
Initially, it irritated me. Why would someone say that to a client? Why would you encourage them to move on???
I spend hours every week helping people change not only their bodies but also the way they live. I know that anyone can lose weight, become more physically fit and improve their overall health if they are willing to exercise and eat healthy. I also spend hours wondering how many people will stay committed to the Goals program and how many will sign up for the next 9 week Challenge. I meet with Mardi and Sandy and some of my coaches to talk about ways we can be "more".
But as I re-read the ME post a few things became clearer to me...
I know...
~ It's simply not possible to begin an exercise/eat clean program and not lose weight
~ It is possible for ANYONE to participate in the programs we offer at GIM
~ It has to "fit" in your life
~ You have to be ready to change
I also know....
that includes me.
I jumped on the Challenge bandwagon with the rest of the group 4 weeks ago. While I was away on a mini vacation this weekend, my fellow challengers went through mid-point testing. They "checked in" with the scale and body comp machine and they timed their push-ups and sit-ups. Several had some great results! Some had decent results and some are kind of where they started.
Where am I?? In the middle group. I'm down 10 pounds from my start, but I know it could be more.
I know better than to blame the program, but like so many others I continue to fall into an "all-or-nothing" rut. Week one, I worked out 7 times and walked- and hurt my back. So, week 2, I took it easy and week 3 easier and week 4 went on vacation........
I've eaten as I always do (clean) but, without the discipline of workouts and a "wine free social calendar", I haven't had the results I'd like.
So.... do I change my goals? Do I make a stupid and drastic move & cut nutrient groups out of my diet? Do I go crazy on a treadmill?
NO!!!
Back to the basics for me. Today is my Monday. All day long.... and so is tomorrow and the day after that....
"Not getting results? Then change. Confused? Then figure it out. Don't blame the program, blame yourself. If you are blindly following a program without adjusting to your needs along the way, then it's not the program's fault, it's your own. Go ahead and follow another program if you wish, but chances are until you learn this lesson it too will fail you." ~ME
I've written my grocery list, planned meals in my head and my workouts on my calendar.
So, how is this different than it was before? How do I know it will work this time??
I put a backup plan in place in case I decide to sleep in or a meeting runs longer than it should.....
I have two workouts scheduled- EVERY DAY
I want this, I need this.....
Today is my Monday, how about you?
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Bitten....
I love working in the health and fitness industry.
All kinds of people walk through the doors at Goals in Motion. We have people who have never worked out, people seeking cross training,
people who are overweight or underweight, and people who don’t know where to start…….
I love that anyone can benefit from exercise and healthy
eating and I love it even more when people catch the bug and become health
addicts! It’s our goals to help people make long lasting lifestyle changes.
Yesterday I experienced a whole new kind of health addiction.
I attended the USA Super Pro Qualifier and Bluffs Classic Body Natural
Bodybuilding Show to watch my friend Kylee compete in her first figure
competition.
Kylee joined Goals in Motion midway through her senior year
at Iowa State. She works for my good friend Anne who owns Dogtown University in
Ames. Kylee was a design student who spent some time in the gym, but had really
abandoned cardio since she left high school sports. Ky was unsure of her career
path and was considering the fitness industry. Anne convinced her to come to
Goals to get a taste of group fitness.
 |
| Kylee Initial Picture |
 |
| Kylee End of 9 Week Challenge |
Kylee was on my team. From day one I knew she’d do well. I’ve
been teaching a long time and I know the “give-up look”…she had it more than
once that day but she refused to quit. She pushed through kickboxing and
resistance classes day after day until it became a way of life. She quickly
became hooked on the Goals way, eating right, working hard and making friends.
She is perhaps the most disciplined eater I’ve ever coached. She had some great
changes during her nine weeks and shortly after joined my team of instructors.
Kylee was bitten by the body building bug a while back ~ she’s
been a fan of several professionals for a long time. Shortly after her
challenge, she started sending me training videos from figure competitors such
as Dana Linn Bailey, Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern. I could see the hunger in
her eyes and hear the excitement in her voice…. She was ready to take the next
step in her fitness journey.
I didn’t know anything about training bodybuilders and knew
at one point I’d have to let her go to another coach, but I was determined to
help as long as I could. If anything, I could push hard enough for her to
figure out if this is what she really wanted. The next few months were crazy.
We read everything we could on nutrition and workouts. She spent more time in a
traditional gym, lifting to enhance her Goals workouts. She made some great progress.
In May the unthinkable happened~ Kylee was in a horrible motorcycle
accident. She was weeks from her first planned show. Her bike was destroyed and
her body was bruised but her spirit as never broken. It took several strong
willed men and women to hold her down long enough to let her body heal. One of
the hardest days in my coaching career came at that moment when we decided she
couldn’t compete in the show she had trained so hard for.
 |
| Kylee April 2012 |
Over time, she fought through the aches and pains and made
her way back to the gym. She set her sights on a new show in November. She went
back to the original workouts and meal plans for a while, but eventually it
became obvious that I couldn’t help her. I know how to teach people to eat
healthy and reshape their body through fat loss and muscle gains, but I have little
knowledge of how to sculpt a body the way she wanted to be sculpted.
She sought out the wisdom of those who had competed before
and spent less time with us at Goals and more time in the gym, lifting heavy
and perfecting her craft. She teaches two classes a week and still popped in
for occasional cardio. Her smile and her excitement is captivating. Each time
she left the studio she had a new fan!
I’m not sure of all of the details of her transformation. I
had a hard time watching her dive into a sport that scares me. I have a great
appreciation for beautiful, healthy bodies and I’ll believe until the day I die
that bodybuilders could create themselves without omitting nutrients, if the industry
encouraged it. I don’t feel comfortable with the rapid change in weight and
body fat. I couldn’t bring myself to hear about the deprivation or the
countless hours in the gym. I live in a world of long term life style changes.
I’ve seen too many people deprive themselves for a short time to reach a
desired outcome and then realize they are miserable. And ultimately, it came
down to the fact that I love her like a daughter and I worry about her long term
health. But, like my own children, I had to come to terms that she has to
follow the path that makes her happy. And like my own children, she set out to
prove me wrong…. She can be strong and healthy and achieve a goal that is
important to her. I found myself watching from the outside and admiring the
work she was willing to do.
So….. that’s the history.
 |
| Kylee November 2012 |
Today, I’m pleased to share that she successfully completed
her first show last night and I was there to watch. She competed in four events
and placed in 3~ winning the novice division and taking 5th in open figure and
beginning figure. I found myself analyzing the competitors’ walks and critiquing
their bodies. Then she walked on stage…. She was beaming, she was beautiful. She
was mistake free- working the floor like she was meant to be there. I had
little to do with her reaching this goal, but I am pleased to say I was there
when she caught the bug…..
 |
| 1st Place Novice Figure |
Tonight we will be celebrating the end of another challenge at Goals in Motion.
The men and women I’ve worked with have been inspiring. Just like Kylee, many
of them have been bitten…. they have decided to continue with maintenance at
Goals. They have decided to keep fitness in their lives. How far they will go
is yet to be seen but I’m excited to be a part of it.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Food trials.....
I love food.....which means I love this time of year.....
The house frequently full of delicious smells wafting from the oven or crock pot.
My mom is a good cook and taught me the basics a long time ago. The struggle for me over the last 5 years has been how to maintain the flavor of the things I love with less of the "bad stuff". In an attempt to please the troops, I've learned to sear and braise and roast differently than I was taught. I've learned which herbs replicate the flavors of the sodium-heavy seasoning packets I used to use. I make my own pasta sauces and treats are made from scratch, rather than boxes. I always cook extra to get us through the week.
Sounds great right? Right....
Apparently not to everyone in my house.
This week has been really busy and I planned for it on Sunday. I have all of the typical pre-cooked staples in the fridge, so I can whip up dinner in 10-15 minutes.
This is what I came up with on Monday. Started with fresh onion, pepper and mushrooms...added frozen broccoli and finally leftover pork loin.
Tuesday, when I walked in after being beaten up by Kate at kickboxing, the last thing I wanted to do was cook! Jeff took over. He poured me a glass of wine (oh, no. He's trying to soften me up....), looked in the fridge for a minute or two, surveyed his options and quietly closed the door. He headed out to the garage, where the chest freezer lives. Honestly, I thought he was going to come back with one of the frozen pizzas he and Sam "hide" out there for emergencies. But he walked back in with a big old sirloin. I sat at the counter working and trying not to advise..... those of you who know me, know that's no easy feat, especially in the kitchen. He cut up onions and garlic and then went for the potatoes.... Yep, this is where I screwed up.
"I'm not eating those, you know..."
"yes, I know- but I don't really care. You cook what you like, I'm going to do the same...."
I could end this entry right here, because I think we all know how it went. Dinner was finished in silence. I'm sure he cooked thinking I was ungrateful and I'm positive he knew what I was thinking....
And so.... I'll move to last night. I pulled in to the driveway and he was already home!! I opened the door and guess what??? I smell onions and garlic. My heart sunk... He's cooking again.
I know, I know..... Most of you are now thinking I'm terrible! I should be happy he wants to cook! It's just that I have these goals, you know?? I have weight to lose and a dress to wear and I can't do it the way he cooks! Jeff is a good cook, but likes eggs, and oil and butter and bacon and bread. Yes bread! Most things he cooks end up in the form of a toasted sandwich. Delicious, but soooooooo bad.
Last night he made omelets and fried potatoes. I had left over chicken and homemade mushroom soup. Sam ate everything!!
So, how does a food lover, with health and fitness goals, live peacefully in a house with those who love the "old way"?
I've been thinking about it all night..... I'm going to add to the Sunday cooking list. I'll roast potatoes and onions and garlic for them. Maybe make a meatloaf and lasagna. They'll like it, it will be ready to reheat, so we can all eat at the same time.
I'm going to make it more about the company rather than the food we're eating.....
I'll let you know how it goes.....
I'd love to hear your ideas!
The house frequently full of delicious smells wafting from the oven or crock pot.
My mom is a good cook and taught me the basics a long time ago. The struggle for me over the last 5 years has been how to maintain the flavor of the things I love with less of the "bad stuff". In an attempt to please the troops, I've learned to sear and braise and roast differently than I was taught. I've learned which herbs replicate the flavors of the sodium-heavy seasoning packets I used to use. I make my own pasta sauces and treats are made from scratch, rather than boxes. I always cook extra to get us through the week.
Sounds great right? Right....
Apparently not to everyone in my house.
This week has been really busy and I planned for it on Sunday. I have all of the typical pre-cooked staples in the fridge, so I can whip up dinner in 10-15 minutes.
This is what I came up with on Monday. Started with fresh onion, pepper and mushrooms...added frozen broccoli and finally leftover pork loin.
Tuesday, when I walked in after being beaten up by Kate at kickboxing, the last thing I wanted to do was cook! Jeff took over. He poured me a glass of wine (oh, no. He's trying to soften me up....), looked in the fridge for a minute or two, surveyed his options and quietly closed the door. He headed out to the garage, where the chest freezer lives. Honestly, I thought he was going to come back with one of the frozen pizzas he and Sam "hide" out there for emergencies. But he walked back in with a big old sirloin. I sat at the counter working and trying not to advise..... those of you who know me, know that's no easy feat, especially in the kitchen. He cut up onions and garlic and then went for the potatoes.... Yep, this is where I screwed up.
"I'm not eating those, you know..."
"yes, I know- but I don't really care. You cook what you like, I'm going to do the same...."
I could end this entry right here, because I think we all know how it went. Dinner was finished in silence. I'm sure he cooked thinking I was ungrateful and I'm positive he knew what I was thinking....
And so.... I'll move to last night. I pulled in to the driveway and he was already home!! I opened the door and guess what??? I smell onions and garlic. My heart sunk... He's cooking again.
I know, I know..... Most of you are now thinking I'm terrible! I should be happy he wants to cook! It's just that I have these goals, you know?? I have weight to lose and a dress to wear and I can't do it the way he cooks! Jeff is a good cook, but likes eggs, and oil and butter and bacon and bread. Yes bread! Most things he cooks end up in the form of a toasted sandwich. Delicious, but soooooooo bad.
Last night he made omelets and fried potatoes. I had left over chicken and homemade mushroom soup. Sam ate everything!!
So, how does a food lover, with health and fitness goals, live peacefully in a house with those who love the "old way"?
I've been thinking about it all night..... I'm going to add to the Sunday cooking list. I'll roast potatoes and onions and garlic for them. Maybe make a meatloaf and lasagna. They'll like it, it will be ready to reheat, so we can all eat at the same time.
I'm going to make it more about the company rather than the food we're eating.....
I'll let you know how it goes.....
I'd love to hear your ideas!
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