Starting Over

This year has been a whirlwind for me and my family.

I went from teaching and training 6 hours a day 5 days a week, to scrubbing floors and showers to prepare our house for showings. Then came the decluttering, packing and finally the move. The new house brought about more scrubbing and cleaning and of course the unpacking and decorating. By the time the house was organized, school was close to letting out and once again my schedule was going to be flipped upside down.

Summer always brings about chaos and non-stop activity. Between the afternoons at the pool, the BBQs and vacations it’s next to impossible to stay on a schedule. I am the type of person who needs a schedule, without it I’m lazy and inefficient.

You know the saying, “If you need something done ask a busy person.” Well I’m that person. But when left to no schedule the laundry piles up and the gym shoes get looked over for flip flops.

I know – GASP – a trainer who takes 3 months off from hard core workouts. It’s unthinkable. In reality, I think it’s what makes me human and it’s what makes me the type of trainer that can understand my clients.

I know what it’s like to choose a BBQ and beers with friends over a 6 mile run.

I know what it’s like to choose an afternoon at the pool with my children over a group fitness class.

I know what it’s like to realize you’re totally ill prepared for a half marathon that’s in a month.

I have passion for fitness and for helping people achieve their goals. I didn’t realize how much I would truly miss teaching and training until it just became one of those things I ‘used’ to do.

So after dropping my two youngest off at school I ran to the gym and put in a solid 2 hour workout. I was drenched in sweat and boy did it feel good. 

Like many of my previous clients I know what it’s like to get off track, to lose the progress you had worked so hard to attain. But I also know how good it feels to recommit. Tomorrow my sore muscles are going to be the best reminder me to keep at it.

So I’m starting over. What’s stopping you?

Overcoming Setbacks

We are already half-way through February and I suspect that if you set some New Years Resolutions about health and fitness you may have experienced a setback or two.

Setbacks are very common and happen to everyone at some point. What sets those who ultimately succeed apart from those who continue to struggle is what you do with your setback experience.

Do you allow your setbacks to define you or do you look at it as just a bump in the path to better health?

Life happens. Somewhere in your journey you will have unexpected situations that throw your workout routine off and disrupt your plans for healthy eating.

The first thing you need to examine is your schedule. Are you giving yourself enough time to exercise? If not, add an appointment with yourself on your calendar to create time for your workout. With all the demands that others have on you it’s important you take time to take care of yourself.

The next thing you need to do is look in the refrigerator. Do you have plenty of healthy choices that are easy to pull together for meals and snacks? We often find ourselves eating junk because it’s convenient. Take a little bit of time to make the healthy foods easy choices by cleaning your fruits and vegetables before you put them in the refrigerator. Prepare extra lean meats when you have time to cook so you can quickly grab them as a leftover when you’re running low on time.

The most important thing is to identify what is distracting you from your goals and plans. You have an opportunity to take those setbacks and turn them into growth opportunities.

If it’s a problem with…

• scheduling: change your workout schedule
• meal prep: cook on the weekends so all you have to do is warm your meals
• eating out: get online and find the healthiest option before you get there so you’re not as tempted by the bad choices or confused by what to order
• motivation: find a new activity or something to work towards

The better you are at identifying the reason for your setback, the more equipped you are to avoid that pitfall in the future.

Let’s be honest, victories certainly aren’t as sweet if we haven’t experienced the bitterness of defeat somewhere along the way. Put those setbacks behind you and make a commitment to get back on track TODAY!