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Monthly Archives: April 2012

Lost Motivation?

27 Apr

At some point, you’ll lose motivation. At least I did. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t any less committed. I came to a place where I was firmly entrenched in the grind of losing weight. There’s not a lot to losing weight It’s doing the small mundane things over and over again. It became routine. However, that can cause you to get bored and lose motivation. Lost motivation isn’t a good thing. Motivation is what drives you to keep going.

So how did I get past that? How did I keep motivation to wake up at 4:00 or 4:30 and go to the gym? I set goals. Nothing big. Just small goals that are just out of reach but attainable with great effort and a trip out of my comfort zone.

One of the things that worked for me was setting a goal of going to the gym every morning during the work week. To keep me focused on it, I bought a shirt I knew was a size too small and hung it on the closet door. I saw it every morning.

Setting goals really helps. It gives you something to fight for. It gives you something to work for. It gets you mentally engaged. It provides a purpose and reason for doing what you’re doing.

Goals won’t work if you don’t have an emotional tie to it. Make sure you reward yourself once you accomplish the goal. And you will accomplish the goal.

I have a shirt I’m waiting to wear as we speak type. What’s your next goal? I’d love to hear about it.

 
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Posted by on 04/27/2012 in Weight Loss

 

Effort Is Required

25 Apr

There’s no easy way to say it. There’s no way around it. There’s no sugar-coating it. Losing weight takes work. It requires effort. The great thing about effort is that the amount you give is completely up to you. The bad thing about effort is that the amount you give is completely up to you. See effort is between you and you. No one else. (Heard that in a Ray Lewis speech)

Depending on the level of effort you put forth, you can reach your goals quicker. If you learn to give as much effort as you can, I promise you won’t believe how quickly you’ll see results. I’m not saying you’ll see results overnight. However, if you give great effort for a very short period of time, you’ll look up in a few days and be amazed at how far you’ve come. I know I did.

So ask yourself. How much effort are you really giving? If the answer is not a lot, then I’m almost certain you’ll be asking yourself why this isn’t working really soon. I’ve been there. (a few times) More times than not, the answer was because I wasn’t giving great effort. Good but not great.

So two questions I ask myself daily and I’ll ask them to you.
1) How much effort are you really giving?
2) How much time are you wasting by not giving great effort?

 
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Posted by on 04/25/2012 in Inspirational

 

It’s Not About How I Feel

23 Apr

What’s up!! Just a quick note. This morning I did NOT want to get up and go to the gym. When that alarm went off at 4:30, I thought it was a cruel joke. I had two options – Go back to bed & sleep for two more hours or get up and go to the gym. Guess which one I did?

I didn’t feel like going at all. Then I thought about it. The great thing about this journey is I don’t have to feel like doing it. I just have to do it. At some point, it becomes less about your feelings and more about just getting the job done. That’s what I did this morning.

Cool thing is. I felt way better about myself leaving them gym than I would have had I stayed in the bed… There’s nothing like earning your respect.

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and Happy Monday!

 
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Posted by on 04/23/2012 in Inspirational

 

I Talk To Myself (And I Answer)

20 Apr

I laughed at myself this morning. I joke that you’re not crazy if you talk to yourself. Now if you answer, then yeah you might be cause for concern. Well, this morning I had a full-fledged 35 minute discussion with myself during cardio. I went back and forth with myself about how crazy it was I was in the gym at 4:30,drenched in sweat and eyes that were burning from sweat and sleepiness.

The conversation turned to whether I should finish my cardio. I talked myself in and out quitting at least 5 times. Not only did I converse with myself, I switched between conversations and answered myself verbally! When I realized I was doing all that, I couldn’t do anything but laugh. It also got me thinking.

What are you saying when you talk to yourself? I know I’m not the only one that talks to themselves. What are you saying to yourself? Hopefully it’s more positive than negative. More encouraging than discouraging. You have to be a cheerleader for you. Sounds corny but it works. I cheered for myself (Verbally no less) while on the elliptical machine. So much so verbally that the guy next to me thought I was encouraging him to finish and did an extra 10 minutes he said. He had no clue I was talking to me!!

I know I’m not the only one who talks(and answers) Who else has conversations with themselves?

 
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Posted by on 04/20/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

You Have to Lose This To Lose Weight

18 Apr

I unknowingly sabotaged my previous weight loss efforts. How you may ask? Was I eating right? More times than not. Was I exercising? I was doing an okay job of that. As a matter of fact, I had cut down on all the right things. Sugar consumption? Down. Junk food? Down. Where is the sabotage in that? See, I cut down on everything that was detrimental to losing weight except one thing. I had one remaining vice. I know what you’re thinking. If it wasn’t sugar, soda, or junk food then what in the world was it? Well, I’m glad you asked. The one thing that I had yet to give up was the one thing that was guaranteed to derail my weight loss success. That thing, that vice was excuses

No time, too busy, high gas prices,don’t like going to the gym, don’t have money for a gym membership, eating healthy cost more, etc.

All those are valid excuses. I absolutely get it. I’ve used them all at one point. (If not more)

  • No time – We all have 24 hours in a day. No one I know has 23 or 25 hours in a day.
  • Too busy – Spend more time on productive things than busy things.
  • Gas prices – Jog, walk, ride your bike in your neighborhood. Requires no gas.
  • Don’t like going to the gym – workout at home. You can get an effective workout at home without equipment.( p90x, insanity, zumba, wii fit, aerobic tapes – do they still make tapes?)
  • No money for gym – 1) I like the gym but it’s not a requirement to lose weight. 2) See previous line
  • Healthy food too expensive – Incorporate less expensive ideas. Frozen veggies, take the skin off the chicken before eating, eat smaller portions

All I’m saying is we all have excuses we can use. Choose not to use them. Choose to figure out how to take steps daily to get closer to your weight loss goals. Can you do that for me?

 
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Posted by on 04/18/2012 in Weight Loss

 

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I Found The Secret

13 Apr

I’m so excited! I found the secret to weight loss success. It’s not a pill that melts belly fat or makes your legs smaller. It’s not a specially formulated juice. Nope it’s not even sold for $19.99. So you don’t have to act now or hurry before the offer expires.

As a matter of fact, the secret to weight loss is not found in stores. Nor a pill bottle, nor a beverage bottle. I didn’t find it in the health food store. Nor did I stumble across it in a special extract from some exotic flower.

This secret to weight loss is extremely powerful! Drastically altering the lives of those who have it. It allows you to overcome all obstacles that stand in your way. When properly used, the secret to weight loss can lead to success in other areas of life. The best part about the secret? No list of things that could go wrong if you take it. You know, “Warning this may cause drowsiness,diarrhea, vomiting, night time sickness, day time sickness…. blah blah blah” It’s 100% fail proof!!!! I’m so confident in the miraculous powers of this secret to weight loss, that I’ll personally give you your money back if you’re not satisfied with the results!!!!!

By now you shouldn’t be wondering how much it cost? Or how much is shipping? Hopefully you’re so anxious to know what is that you’re about to go crazy because I’m dragging this out. Okay Okay… For those who want to know the secret, I’ll tell you and I’ll even tell you where to get it.

If you’re sitting down, I need you to get up. If you’re standing, I need you to make your way to the nearest mirror. Close your eyes. Open them. Look deeply in the mirror. Take a deep breath and realize that what you see in the mirror is the secret to weight loss.

BOOM! There it is! Right in front of you. The secret is YOU!!

You have everything already in you to be successful. You just need to discover it inside you. There are no gimmicks. No shortcuts. All you have is you. Your will, your drive, your passion, your commitment to you. You know what? That’s the real secret key to your success. It’s completely up to you.

Take full advantage of the secret. I know I am….

 
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Posted by on 04/13/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

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Postcard From The Lake….

11 Apr

I love this time of year. Flowers blooming, mild days and cool nights. It’s like the unofficial New Years holiday. This spring in particular is already the best one I’ve had in a long time. For no other reason than I feel great! I’m finally taking some time to appreciate how far I’ve come, to celebrate some of the things I’ve accomplished so far and other moments of serendipity.

It’s like I pushed off the shore in a row boat a few months ago. My destination? A wonderful island just across the lake. From the shore, I could tell it was a good distance away but I didn’t think it was too far away. Along the way, I encountered all types of weather. (Emotions) Rowing was easy and progress was made during the sunny days. (enthusiastic and motivated). Then there were days I had to row in storms (feelings of doubt, frustration, can I really do this) The rowing was very difficult in the storms. Ironically, it was during the storm that I made the most progress. Yes, the winds, rain, and rough waters – by themselves each are very devastating – converged on me simultaneously causing a good bit of resistance, pushing me off course. The frequency of the rowing decreased during the storm.

As quickly as the storm came, it passed. (Storms are temporary) Wouldn’t you know I was now closer to the island! So here I am over half way across the lake. The view from here is incredible. Looking back at the shore, I’m amazed at how far away the shore is(progress) Looking forward, I can see the outline of the island.

During the storm, I learned how to keep my eyes on the lighthouse (my goals) no matter what. Doing so, helped me to never permanently lose track of where I was going. Were there times I rowed and actually lost ground? Yes. However, with the lighthouse in sight, I was able to quickly recognize I was off track and correct it.

Well, I’ve rested long enough. I lost a little ground sitting here enjoying the view. (You’re never really standing still… Either you’re moving closer or further away from your goals) But I’ve put my oars in the water….. Rowing towards the island with my eyes fixed on the lighthouse.

 
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Posted by on 04/11/2012 in Inspirational

 

Try….Fail….Adjust…..

06 Apr

This is kind of a piggy back of the blog entry If It Can Be Measured, It Can Be Fixed. In that post, I talked about documenting food choices and workout routines. Well as fate would have it, I have a chance to give you part two of that. What do you do with that information? Well, last week I gained 0.8 lbs. So I have two options I can pout or I can look at the journals and look for places to tweak. Guess which choice I made. Wasn’t even a hard decision.

Having the food and exercise journals makes all the difference. The information contained within them is invaluable to losing weight. The ability to review what you’ve done (and the results it created) makes adjustments more efficient and decreases the time it takes to get back on track.

What you’ll find on the road to success is three stages… Try, Fail, and Adjust. What I did for a while was Try, Fail, Get Frustrated and Quit. The adjustment part was nearly impossible because I didn’t have good information to base my adjustments.

Well at this point of the “fail” stage, I have weeks and months of information I can review. (Failure isn’t a bad thing by the way. As long as your failure isn’t final, you’re fine.) This week I’ll be doing just that. I’m going to adjust and try. And if that doesn’t work. I’ll Try, Fail and Adjust again.

That’s what it’s all about with success in any endeavor really. Try it. If you fail, adjust. Following that cycle will eventually get you to where you want to be.

 
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Posted by on 04/06/2012 in Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

The Trusted Few

02 Apr

How do I continue to stay motivated?” “How do I keep going day after day when I change seems small?” I was asked those two questions recently. My answer was I don’t stay motivated really. After a while it gets pretty routine. What keeps me going though is I’ve told just enough people my goals. I’ve given my word to them that I will accomplish this. Without knowing it, I entered into an accountability agreement with them.

It’s not many people. I don’t go around proclaiming to the world my plans. However, my accountability partners are people that I respect and love. To the point that not following through on something I’ve told them would hurt just as much as something being done to me. The key with accountability partners (for me at least) is that in some way I want to earn their respect. That goes a long way. They’re also close enough to me that they can call me out when they see behavior detrimental to my goals and offer words of encourgament that catapult me towards my goals.

Accountability is very necessary in this process. It helps you workout when you don’t want to. It helps make a healthy food choice when you could just as easily make a not so healthy food choice and NOBODY would know any different. I’ve found that being accountable has helped me tremendously. Try it might just help you too.

So to answer the questions… “How do I continue to stay motivated?” “How do I keep going day after day when I change seems small?” Easily.. I hold myself accountable. More importantly I allow others to hold me accountable to my goals.

 
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Posted by on 04/02/2012 in Uncategorized

 
 
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