Motivation
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We spent the last few weeks talking about food. Remember, eat as many whole, natural foods as possible, right? Lean meat, lowfat dairy, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, healthy fats, and coffee, tea, water. Everything else is probably processed in some way (which in my mind means stuff has been added which adds calories), and we need to watch how much of that we allow into our daily nutrition because those calories tend to add up much faster.
Eat healthy foods, be aware of your portion sizes, get your exercise in, drink lots of water, get good sleep, and find healthy ways to deal with your stress. We can dig into each of these, but my belief is that we know what to do.
The problem occurs when we know what to do, but don't do it. Why is it so hard to decide to exercise and then stick with it? Or to decide to eat clean and stay committed to it? Wouldn't all this be so much easier if we just did what we asked ourselves to do?
I spent many years thinking a lot about dieting and exercise. I was convinced that I would be happy as soon as I got to my goal weight. At the same time, I was quite good at thinking about exercise while I sat on the couch, or thinking about eating healthy while pounding down some junk food.
There is a very good reason it took me over 7 years to lose 45 pounds. It's because I was changing. I had to allow this process of change to happen in my life if I was ever going to stop overeating and start exercising consistently. The reason I could not lose the weight without changing on the inside is because I was using food to feel better.
There were times in my life that I felt very lost and in a lot of pain. When I look back, the lonely times were the worst. Like the year I lived in Detroit with very few friends, away from family, new job, own apartment. Pizza, nacho chips with queso dip, White Castles and ice cream are what got me through a lot of lonely evenings. Or the year leading up to my divorce, when I felt isolated and disconnected at home. Several evenings a week I would go to Panera alone and sit there filling up on bread and cookies.
I didn't realize there were healthier ways of filling myself. Now if I feel lonely, I call a friend and we go for a walk at Highbanks or go to the coffee shop (for a skinny latte, of course). When I feel unmotivated to exercise, I take a class or work out with a friend. It's a much better experience.
We are not meant to take this journey alone. Nearly every woman I work with has some struggle she is working through. We all are. It's really one of the amazing things that connects us all. One of the reasons I share some of the emails I receive from clients is to remind all of us that we are not alone. If you feel stuck, remember there are people around you. Grab the hand of someone, squeeze it, and ask them to do this with you.
Now get moving!
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New class sessions begin the week of April 5th. If you have been thinking about adding a workout to your fitness program, here are some options:
