Fitness Needs to Become an Action We Put into Practice

Fitness needs to stop being a dream we think about and become an action we put into practice. There are so many factors getting in our way. Negative thoughts and self-defeat are high on the list. Using "too busy" as an excuse is another fitness barrier. Frustration with the lack of results can cause us to think it will never happen.

Fitness requires us to live beyond our dreams. We all have the potential to achieve success. Remaining positive in a negative world will be first on the agenda. No more downing yourself before even trying. "Busy" is a word used for people who really don't want it bad enough. Lastly, there is no such thing as instant results. Daily progress should become the focus.

The action needed to get fit is a daily choice. Start by making a plan and sticking to it. It will be important to schedule your workouts and spend time meal prepping. Avoid processed convenience foods and replace those with healthy nutrient dense foods. Start hanging around people who are positive of your fitness goals.

It comes down to you being responsible for your body and what it looks like. You want it?  Go get it. This is called living beyond your dreams. Nothing is going to happen until you make it happen.

Fitness is a permanent lifestyle change, not something that magically occurs. This is your journey, your body, and your fitness. You will never look like anyone except your best healthy self when it's all said and done. Are you ready to live beyond your dreams? Straight talk but all in fitness love!

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Be well and Stay Healthy

If Fitness Feels Like a Burden, You're Doing it Wrong

I was reading an article in More Magazine and came across a small piece on what motivates us to exercise. The reason I bring up the article is I happen to agree with the content. According to More, the top reasons women over 40 exercise are to lose weight and protect their health. Research indicated these women were more disenchanted with their fitness programs. Regular exercise was explained as a duty, not fun and more like taking a mouthful of bitter medicine. So, it appears gals over 40 feel exercise is more of a have to duty than having a fun time.

The lesser percentage of women surveyed stated they exercised to improve mood and reduce stress. Now, that sounds fabulous. Studies show women who exercise for stress reduction and to feel good remained true to their programs. In fact, they exercised 30% more than those seeking to lose weight and protect their health.

Now, you may think losing weight should be motivational, but let's say you're not seeing results. This creates a whole other dynamic of fitness. We may begin feeling discouraged and even want to give up on fitness. The results are typically dwindling workouts and returning to unhealthy eating habits. It's weird how all this gets turned around, but it often occurs.

Our mindset and reasons to exercise should be clear and supportive of a healthy lifestyle we enjoy. The goals need to focus on feeling better about ourselves because we are working out and eating right.

Think about the immediate benefits of exercise and how you feel after finishing a workout. Positive endorphins (happy hormones) are released during exercise creating a positive mood and reduced stress. Being able to flow through the day more at ease, feeling good, and accomplished are feelings you will want to repeat. The long term benefit will be an improvement in the quality of your life and health. Before you realize it, you will be living an adopted fitness program and lifestyle.

The takeaway from all this is to enjoy what you're doing when it comes to fitness. If it feels like a burden, you're doing it wrong. Find healthy foods you enjoy and workouts that keep you anticipating the next session. The outward appearance you're striving for will eventually happen and the best part is enjoying the process along the way.

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Be well and Stay Healthy

What Works for Me May Not Work for You

What works for me may not work for you. That's awesome! Why? Because we're all different people with differing strengths and weaknesses. Each of us should focus on the things we can do, and do our best not holding anything back.

Acceptance of who we are and celebrating our strengths is essential for health and fitness. I eliminate push-ups from my workout for example because they will aggravate my neck injury. Instead, I work hard on my chest press and it works for me.

It could be easy to sulk back into a corner and cry over my loss of certain athletic abilities, but what would that do for me?  Nothing. Life has given me a great purpose and a strong will to fight for my fitness. I have good and bad days just like you. Over several years of training, I have come to really enjoy what I can do through exercise modification and creative program development. I do what works for me and it's fabulous.

It's important to never give up hope and know you can achieve great things. Work hard to reach your goals and do whatever it takes to get there. We all have the ability to find our strong and put it to work literally. It doesn't matter how long it takes because life and fitness are all about the journey. The important thing is to put aside fear and doubt, let go of a failure attitude, and embrace who you are right now.

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I dedicate this Blog to my beautiful Australian shepherd Roxie who passed away 2 weeks ago at 3 years young. She was diagnosed with a rare, advanced heart disease (DCM) for her breed and age. I dearly miss her and she was truly my love bug companion. Always cherished and remembered my sweet girl.

I Miss My Roxie

             

Being Fit Involves How We Respond to Life

Life is not always easy. I'm no different than many of you: woman, wife, mother, daughter, a friend. I do walk the walk of fitness with my occupation as a personal trainer and writer. This doesn't change the fact I sometimes have up and down days emotionally and physically. I also experience burnout with my workouts.

One of my favorite life quotes is “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it”. I came across this quote from a school project my son made in junior high and it has really stuck with me. My son is almost 30 now. 

I have realized through my journey of life and fitness we are limited in what we can control. The only thing we can control is how we think, feel, and respond to life’s circumstances. We simply need to learn to let go of the rest. This can be a hard task but a necessary one. Also, we are definitely in control of the choices we make for ourselves to become healthy, fit people.

Getting fit and healthy involves both our physical and emotional self. Many of us struggle with self-acceptance and not feeling good enough. Fixing our mindset is so important to be able to get physically fit. There is no such thing as perfection but progressing each day as a better and healthier person.

One of my clients just shared this quote: "You do not have to get an A every day!” This was a revelation I took to heart as an overachiever. It also brings us back to life and health not being about perfect, but simply doing our best. This is important stuff when it comes to fitness.

Attitude is huge in life and really determines how we respond to our day. We can choose to be bitter or positive. We can either refuse to grow or open our door of potential to become better people from every circumstance in life. This is where life and health can feel hard. We need to be able to wake up and be happy and healthy on purpose. 

If my attitude and response were unhealthy, I would be unable to help people. I wouldn't be a good trainer choice to see for a healthy lifestyle. Would you want to entrust your health to a person who was unhealthy in any sense of the word? Sadly, many people walk around emotionally unhealthy without anyone knowing. 

Getting back to why this is important. My attitude and how I respond to life is what lifts me up, motivates me, and keeps me moving in a positive direction. It enables me to put forth my best self each day with nutrition and fitness. I choose not to give up in despair but to persevere through life. 

Life will bring challenges for all of us. I have faced many and will continue to do so. How I choose to respond will be the key to my healthy self. None of us are immune to the struggles of life, injuries, finances, illness, or family crisis. What remains important is how we respond. I can tell you this, it may be hard to get to the gym on a down day, but after I get going, it becomes easier. After a few minutes, a whole different attitude kicks in and I start using this time to think through things. I accomplish great healing during a hard sweat session. Nothing feels better than a finished workout. 

The takeaway: life is about balance. Health includes the emotional as well as the physical. When one is out of sync, the machine will not work properly. I began today on a downer and after some prayer time, writing this Blog and soon to workout, I feel energized. Nothing will ever be perfect but life and health can always be good. 

Motivation of the Day: Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it

Be well and Stay Healthy

Fitness is a Constant State of Change

Change is necessary, can be a challenge, and inevitable. Sometimes we have no control over change as with the aging process or certain illness. What we can control are changes making us healthier people. That means taking an honest look at our lifestyle. What are we eating and are we exercising? How do we implement all this change? 

Change is a big part of this journey of life. None of us are exempt from the constant changes needed to make our situation better. Did you know our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge?  

Personally, I have undergone a lot of change in this life as an athlete. My healthy lifestyle enabled me to face many physical challenges. One of the toughest physical changes was rehabilitation from injury. It required perseverance not to give up, and acceptance of not being able to perform athletically as before. 

The inevitable change often difficult for me presently are the changes occurring with the aging process. No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and other changes I have posted about going through menopause. This transition or "the change" in life is definitely proving to be a challenge.   

We are all aging each day and our bodies changing through the process. When I was younger I didn't think too much about it. Being over 50, I can get overwhelmed by the different way I feel in menopause. I am sure many of you can relate. 

Both men and women face the inevitable changes occurring with the aging process. Whether prostate issues for men or night sweats for women, it's a situation that can add frustration to life. 

I am open about everything health related. I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the taboo to be discussed in public are fair game. In fact, I hope we can all agree that sensitive subjects relating to health need to be addressed and shared. Why? Many people are searching for answers or at least support to not feel alone in their experience. If Dr. Oz can discuss the perfect poop shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it. 

All change can feel difficult, or extremely fantastic depending on the situation. Adapting a healthy lifestyle through eating nutrient dense foods and regular exercise will bring about a healthy body. Feeling and functioning better can be experienced pretty quickly with these changes. Although the process can feel like a challenge, eventually the change will provide an overall healthy state of mind and wellbeing.  

Change occurring with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning. I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, and faith first and foremost. Also, the will to want to become healthier and better no matter what that looks like. Our life may be modified but our health can still be optimal. I discovered, the only disability that exists in life is the one existing in our mind. 

The inevitable change of aging is also an area which will require patience and acceptance. We're all becoming new people every day with all this change. We don't always need to feel great about the aging process but it is a transition we need to accept. I'm not saying to celebrate hot flashes and lowered libidos because this is no fun for anyone. Our body is making hormone adjustments our thinking brain hasn't caught up to yet. It's simply our time to cut ourselves some slack and embrace the journey.

The important thing is to change those things we can control to become healthier people and let go of the rest.   

  

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Be well and Stay Healthy

                                                                            

The Grass is Greener Where You Water It

Why do we worry about what is happening on the other side of the fence? The grass isn't greener over there like we might think. 

What we really need is a change in how we are viewing the scenery. Our attention requires an about face and eyeful of what's going on in our own yard and life. Our neighbor (anyone we compare our life) isn't any better than me or you physically or even materially. True health and happiness begin when we start greening up our own grass. If our focus is always on others, how can we love who we are and make the best of what we have?

Did you know comparison is the thief of joy? We will always be at different levels of health, looks, and financial status and that's just how the world works. The important thing is to make the best out of what we have, celebrate who we are at this moment, and work on becoming a better self than we were yesterday. I refuse to waste my time worrying about someone else’s grass and let the weeds infest mine.

I don't have the fanciest house, most expensive car, straightest teeth or legs but all that doesn't matter. Am I happy with my life and health? That's the question of importance. 

Being over 50, there are many body changes occurring and I have inherited a few wrinkles. Do I think about my youth and admire others who are beautiful, of course. This doesn't mean to be unhappy with myself because I don't look the way they do. Part of greening up my own grass is continuing to take care of my health and fitness. I see life as a beautiful gift and I respect it enough to make it last as long as I can. 

I am not saying it's not OK to dream about wanting something. Goals are about wants turned into action and this is fun to think about. What robs the very life out of a person is becoming jealous and bitter because Sally Sue or Jimmy Joe seem to have the best body, clothes, home, car, spouse, and the list can continue forever. 

When the grass is greener analogy gets in the way of seeing our life in a healthy way is when disenchantment and unhappiness develop. Our constant gaze into someone else’s yard is keeping us from taking care of ourselves. We are unable to become who we're meant to be physically and emotionally. 

The comparison of another is often skewed when looking at their outward life. What you see is not always what is truly lived. The irony of this whole thing is the physical view doesn't show unhappiness, debt, stress, or depression. All the fancy flare may only be a mask to hide unhealthiness that is not seen. 

When a change in our glasses takes place, our focus becomes clearer. We not only take better care of ourselves but many times it opens our eyes to the truth. We can finally see the weeds growing in the grass of that other yard. The best part is our attention turns to greening up the areas in our life creating healthier happier people.  

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Be well and Stay Healthy

Losing the Last Ten Pounds

The last ten pounds can be a struggle. The scale stops budging and frustration has taken over. The stress of it all is putting the adrenal glands on overdrive. A cortisol rush is the last thing our body needs when trying to lose the last ten pounds. Studies show chronic stress and cortisol release hinders our ability to lose weight.

Plateaus are normal for all of us living a healthy lifestyle. Many don't realize food intake and exercise programming require constant review and change. If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal. 

Remain positive and progressive with your fitness regardless of what the scale says. Many factors are at play when the body stops showing results. Usually, a simple review and program change are all that's required to gets things moving again. 

Things to consider: 

• Are you eating enough? The body knows when it's not getting enough fuel. If we restrict too many calories, our body will refuse to give up any fat stores. The body sees stored fat as energy necessary for life and exercise.  

• Are you being true to your nutrition program? Many fall back into unhealthy eating habits and are even in denial about it. Our body knows what we're eating and will respond with weight gain.  

• Are you exercising less? Reducing exercise will significantly affect your ability to lose weight. Energy out needs to be more than energy in to experience a caloric deficit resulting in weight loss. Take time to review your priorities and determine if exercise has taken a backseat. 

• Are you burned out? This is normal and happens to most of us living a healthy lifestyle. Adding variety to workout programs and healthy foods is important to keep us motivated. 

The last ten pounds can be a challenge but also a learning opportunity. We can become frustrated and throw in the towel, or change our strategy and get back on track. It's important to take one day and one pound at a time. Feel proud of daily efforts taking you closer to your fitness goals. The last ten pounds will respond to what you're willing to do to be rid of it, or keep it. It still comes down to choices and changes.

Recharging the mental battery is a great way to stay motivated to keep going. You can do it!  

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Be well and Stay Healthy!

It is Never Too Late to Get Fit

Getting fit and healthy is not just for the twenty-somethings. It's never too late, circumstances never too bad, and we're never too old to become our best healthy self. Our minds can play negative tricks on us. We often believe our goals are unattainable. That simply isn't the truth. We need to change the thoughts about our life and body to begin the process of kicking out the mental clutter.

Beginning each day with a positive focus is essential. It will be a daily choice not to continue unhealthy patterns, believe past doubts and fears, or give in to self sabotage. This will be a time of inner strength development and purging all the crap that held you down for so long. It will be an emptying of the old self into the trash and an awakening of the new stronger you ready to make things happen.

Each day is a new opportunity to change. We possess the awesome ability to make decisions bringing us closer to our fitness goals. It's important to remain realistic and I recommend small changes to start. Examples of realistic goals would be losing 8 pounds in a month or registering to walk your first 5K.

Also helpful for fitness accountability is keeping a food journal. You will be able to honestly track your food intake and make appropriate changes to start eating healthier.

Use your journal to plan an exercise time on your calendar. You will not always feel like working out, but it will be important not to cancel on yourself. You are worthy of good health and a great life. The simple steps of eating right, exercising 3 to 4 times per week, maintaining a food journal, and keeping a positive attitude will provide the results you want.

This is not a quick fix so mentally prepare for a lifestyle change. The time will pass anyway so you might as well be working on health improvement. Fitness is also not about perfection but progress as we strive each day to be healthy.

Self pity will not be your friend nor an excuse to throw in the towel. There will be days when it feels really hard and you may even want to give up. Hold onto knowing you are stronger than any negative thoughts.


Getting fit is earned not given. Believing this goal can happen at any age or circumstance is half the battle. You're now armed with the motivation to do what it takes to achieve your goals.

Helpful Tips:

• Eat a wide variety of healthy foods that include lean proteins, good carbohydrates and healthy fats.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Get to bed at a decent hour and try for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
• Exercise 3-4 times per week to start and progress as you get stronger.
• Include weight resistance training 1-2 times per week to start.
• Keep a food journal for accountability ... be honest with yourself.
• Dump the junk food and replace with healthy food options.
• Pay attention to portion sizes and read food labels.
• Eat several small meals per day and do not allow yourself to feel hungry.
• Weigh in only one time per week, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and how you look naked. 
• Make time for prayer and positive self talk to keep up the motivation.
• Set realistic small goals to start like losing 10lbs or signing up to walk your first 5K. 
• Hire a qualified personal trainer for guidance and motivation if going it alone feels too overwhelming.

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Why Boundaries are an Important Part of Being Healthy

It took me many years to learn how to set boundaries and even what the heck that meant. Think of a boundary as a shield of protection around you providing health and happiness. Go deeper with the meaning and understand boundaries are an important part of self-love and not allowing others to treat you in an unhealthy way. 

When boundary setting is not demonstrated for us as children, it's usually a struggle to grasp as an adult. The sacrifice of self to the point of mistreatment by others can be the result if boundary setting is not put into place.  Boundaries make a clear statement of what is not acceptable or allowed in our life. When those lines are crossed, it's a painful process for the one that has been wronged.   Sometimes clear communication of the broken boundary can resolve the conflict. Other instances will require radical choices of removing ourselves from the situation altogether. The most uncomfortable part of a broken boundary is the trust once there before now replaced with doubt or fear.

I am all for doing whatever it takes to learn how to set boundaries: counseling, support groups, church guidance, etc. Once the art of boundary setting has been learned, it provides a self-confidence, strength, and overall feeling of worthiness never experienced before. It will seem as if life has begun in a truly healthy way for the first time. 

Once boundaries have been set, it's important to honor yourself by remaining true to those decisions. This means not allowing anyone or anything rob you of your shield of self-love. Even the best of boundary setter can backslide and be tempted into old patterns. This could mean trusting someone to the point of letting down a boundary. The old familiar result of anger, resentment, and hurt re-enters the picture. Along with being wronged is the personal shame felt for allowing it to happen in the first place. The feeling of failing ourselves can be overwhelming. 

Boundaries teach us how to respect ourselves enough to know how we want to be treated. It also dictates what is acceptable in our lives. Boundaries remove our doormat mentality and replace it with a security door of emotional ability to conquer any circumstance placed in its way.  

Emotional health is a large part of our physical health. Being able to set boundaries is an important part of being a healthy person. It's about setting limitations and expectations for your life. The journey of learning can be a tough one, but the positive result will be the ability to love yourself. 

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Be well and Stay Healthy

Achieving a Lean Body is Possible for Everyone

Achieving a lean and healthy body is possible for all of us. We have the ability to do what it takes to make it happen. It doesn't cost lots of money, require anything special, not even a gym membership. We can achieve a lean body naturally by choosing a healthy lifestyle. The choices we make each day determine what our body will look and feel like.

Consistency with eating right, exercise, plenty of rest, water and decreased stress will help create the body we want. It starts with our grocery lists and foods we buy to maintain our physique. If we're buying processed sugar filled food products then we will create an unhealthy body. It really is that simple but many of us refuse to change this basic part of living. The same goes for exercise. If you're not taking care of your body with a regular fitness program, it will let you know through injury or stiffness.

We can lean up naturally by purchasing healthy foods and eating at home most of the time. Our hard earned dollars will be well spent on healthy food instead of fake products. This way we know what and how much we're eating and at a cost saving. Eating healthy 80 percent of the time will result in reduced body fat and overall leaner look. Reducing alcohol consumption to no more than 1 to 2 times per week will make this happen even faster. Drinking plenty of water will also speed up the process.

No gym membership required to get up and move that body! You can even start burning extra calories by taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes several times per week. Add in a few push-ups, squats, crunches and stretching to create an at home program to build muscle. Achieving a lean body is not complicated or expensive. It's our daily choices and actions that control what we look like inside and out. We all have the ability, but the choice is always up to each of us.

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Be well and Stay Healthy