Today I was asked what I would eliminate from a habitual morning breakfast. The options were a) maple syrup b) fresh berries or c) butter. To most people’s surprise I answered, “I’d keep the butter for sure!” Of course in my mind I’m thinking of the highest quality butter, that’s from grass fed happy cows! Think it over! Saturated fats in moderation are not the villains they once were. And for the record I’d skip the maple syrup.
If most of us went on an organic diet we’d save money in the long run and probably lose body fat! Hear me out….by paying a little more for your food you’d place more value on it and not waste it. Chances are you’d eat a little less meat and sub in more beans and vegetables as organic meats tend to be a bit pricier. Your medical bills over time would be reduced because we know that excess body fat is linked to a number of self inflicted maladies. Finally, with large consumer demand the prices of organics would decrease. It seems like a winning strategy for us and the earth!
My goal is to help you work around these legitimate reasons for skipping your self care until we figure out a way to work through it! Let’s keep it reasonable and guilt free!
Common theory states that it takes a person twenty-one days to create a new habit or replace a bad one. What if it takes you twenty-two days? Does that mean there’s something wrong with you or it didn’t work? No. It means nothing. Your goals are your goals. And setting yourself up to fail with rigid but popular time limits doesn’t get you there faster. You may be the person who needs to stop and start, or you might complete it in less time. It really doesn’t matter! Eventually you will step in to your power and own it!
Pretty regularly I’ll run across a bit of social media lambasting the type of woman that would dare wear makeup to the gym. It’ll usually play out with the tweeter/facebooker/poster making a comment like, “I only come here to sweat…blah, blah, blah!” Here’s why they couldn’t be more wrong!
First off, those floor to ceiling mirrors in the gym, contrary to popular belief, are NOT for daily selfies. Those big, gorgeous mirrors are provided to ensure proper form and execution of an exercise. If you are a novice you need to see yourself in the mirror. Mirrors also provide an aid to making the mind-body connection when doing an exercise. It sounds lofty but it really works. Don’t phone in your workouts. Concentrate even if for no other reason it gets your mind off of the challenges of your day!
Women need Men. The gym is filled with them. A revelation, I know. Seriously though if you work 9 to 5 and you aren’t making the time to do online dating or getting regularly set up by your friends with eligible bachelors then this is a normal place to look. The bonus being that you two already have one thing in common.
Lastly, and one of the most important reasons to get “dolled up” for the gym is the idea that when you look good you feel good. As a long time fitness enthusiast and personal trainer the way you see yourself is tied to your performance in a given task. It is my experience that when women don’t like what they see in the mirror they tend to avoid the mirror. Some clients have gone so far as to tell me that they hate the way they look. It’s no surprise to me that their hair isn’t done, maybe their outfit doesn’t match, they didn’t sleep well etc.
Trus me when I tell you that I look like this in the morning and the only way you will see me looking like this is if you snap my picture at 5am on the days I do fasted cardio.
My point is this, I know it’s a battle just to get to the gym on a regular basis. So once there give it all you’ve got, make it count and don’t let it be a wasted effort. Over time the positive changes will come. I’m no makeup expert but curled lashes, a rosy cheek and a nice gloss go a long way in making you ready to crush your next workout in the gym!
If you read that headline and thought, “that’s me please give me some tips!” You might want to head back to Yahoo’s Shine for 1001 tips on how to make over your life. I’ve got one tip and it works in every area of your life. Okay, I have two but let’s start with just one. Commit. Commit. Commit. It’s not sexy, glamorous or mind blowing. It’s the simplest thing you can do right now. Today. This minute.
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Your excuses of not having enough time don’t stand up to commit.
Your choices don’t stand up to commit.
Your spouse doesn’t stand up to commit.
Your job doesn’t stand up to commit.
Your children, your cat, your education, your parents don’t stand up to commit.
You get the idea.
If you commit, you win. If you commit, you succeed. If you commit you will know resolve. If you commit you will win friends. If you commit you will lose friends. If you commit you will learn more about yourself and others.
If you commit you will no longer need another tip to living your best life. Commit! And once you do commit prepare to have that commitment tested. When you commit leave a comment below!
In my blog I hope to compel you to lead Your Vibrant Life! It will be my version of what I know so far about health, fitness, and nutrition. There might be an occasional off topic rant…. I’m human after all. We only have this one life so I will try to separate fact from fiction, hype from truth, and what’s reasonable as you navigate your health and fitness life!
The truth is, the more muscle you have means the more fat you burn at rest! In order to build muscle you are going to need to move around, pick heavy things up and put them back down again. Get moving!
We’ve got a lot of people eating food- like products and not enough real food! It’s no secret that the typical diet is full of sugar, empty calories and lacks portion control. It’s time we return to real food for our health’s sake!
Exhale and let go of the iffy, the bad, and the ugly! We hold on to things that serve no purpose, that don’t promote our health or wellness, and that literally drag us down. Why? Exhale and let it go!
