How many times have you tried to build your dream body and failed miserably!?
. . .Our endless search for an elixir that fulfills our fitness goals seems more elusive, and complex as time goes on. Before we blink, we have become a yoyo laboratory, testing every new diet fad, protein supplement, and exercise program we can get our hands on… But nothing works.
Ohh… KUMBAYA
Defeated, overwhelmed, and exhausted we start to give up, doubt sets in, and our self-limiting beliefs start to take hold.
We’ve all experienced short-lived motivation, and know how annoying it is to slowly watch our dreams decay into the sands of time.
Read on to learn…
9 KEYS YOU NEED TO
BUILD A FIT BODY
So… How do we WIN this year?
How do we take our dreams and breathe them into reality?
What do we need to do in order to achieve our desired fitness level?
Answer: Build a Strong and Open Mindset
5 STEPS
- Re-design your Relationship with yourself: Our mental and emotional habits, routines, and behaviours dictate our reality.
- Improve your Relationship with your Body: Our vessel requires us to ‘listen intrinsically’ to what it needs versus ‘thinking’ about what it wants/needs. Building our mind-body connection through awareness, breathing, movement, and mindfulness is so important in order for the mind, body, and spirit to synchronize harmoniously.
- Build a Positive Relationship with Food: Stress, anxiety, worry, and negative emotions can trigger food indulgences. Our emotions train us. I repeat… Emotions train our mind, and physiology. We form mood and food associations, which is the crux of our cravings, and our healthy eating regimens. For example, when we eat comfort foods during stressful times we ‘teach’ our body to satisfy our pain/anxiety with pleasure, whether it serves us in the long run or not. This is how poor eating habits are formed.
- Put Plans in place to create mental, physical, and emotional stability/consistency.
- Execute: Take massive mental, physical, and emotional action.
Q: We live in the 21th century, and we expect everything RIGHT NOW. Is there a faster way to lose weight, tone up or build muscle?
A: Put it this way…
Effort, consistency, nutritional habits, mood, sleep, and our level of exertion are some of the major factors that predict the amount of progress we gain in a given time frame.
Strategically, there are fundamental principles for weight-loss, hypertrophy, and strength that can be manipulated to maximize performance- Absolutely. But, there are millions of programs out there today that can get our bodies the results we want- I believe the biggest (root) reason we fail, is not because of poor programs or lack there of but rather our failure to follow through. Our mentality depicts our outcome 100%.
Q: Why are some people successful at achieving their fitness goals while others are not?
A: People who want to turn their dreams into reality make it a priority not a convenience.
When we make our goals a convenience we allow our emotions, our day, and circumstances stand in the way of what we really want. People who make a declaration to their goals hold themselves accountable, and prioritize their health as a value (Psychological Shift). There is a physical change that occurs in our behaviours when the mental shift takes place- consistent action.
Q: SO… How do we make a Positive Mental shift?
A: Your goal has to MEAN something to you on an emotional level, and your Why has to go deeper than wanting a ‘Hot’ body that you or others admire. It has to go beyond the lens of vanity, and around other peoples expectations or demands- It has to be for you, and only YOU.
“Barriers, negative beliefs, and self-sabotage stems from the mind not the body. ”
HERE ARE THE KEYS
#1 Positive State of Mind/Positive Attitude
Accepting where we are, and enjoying the journey is #1. If we can’t find joy, and appreciation in who we are today we will be unable to enjoy, and appreciate who we become. When we place unrealistic expectations on ourselves we get frustrated, stressed, overwhelmed, and negative towards ourselves. This alone produces higher cortisol release, stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, which creates a poor environment for muscle growth, and weight-loss to occur. I believe that when we recognize our growth, and acknowledge our successes, and failures without punishment, we create a positive connection with ourselves. This allows us to continue our journey from a place of internal motivation (intrinsic). When we overwhelm ourselves with guilt, get caught up in wanting results now, and having unrealistic expectations we stunt our ability to learn, grow, and succeed long-term.
#2 Answer the following questions in great detail to create clarity around what you want, and what you are willing to shift right NOW in order to build momentum around the lifestyle you want to live:
*READ YOUR ANSWERS OUT LOUD EVERYDAY:
1) What do I want? (GET CLEAR and SPECIFIC with your fitness goals)
2) Why do I want to achieve my fitness goals/adopt a new lifestyle? (What does your fitness goal mean to you?)
3) What are the consequences if I don’t achieve the fit body I desire? How will I feel mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually if I do not meet my goal?
4) What am I getting by not having this goal in my life? (What are you currently enjoying about the way you are living without your goal being realized? (There is something that is benefiting you in someway, that is currently stronger than your desires to change.)
#3 Build Consistency
Our habits and behaviours always yield results that hold the truth. Creating an action plan for your mental, physical, and emotional fitness is foundational to your success. Acknowledging your progress, and setbacks is essential in order to stay on track and remain motivated.
#4 Accountability
Implement a plan to hold yourself accountable to your workouts and scheduled meal prep days.
- Sign up for classes ahead of time
- Get a Gym Buddy
- Hire a trainer
- Proactively set time aside for meal prep each week /Or
- Hire a service to prepare, and drop of your meals
*These are all great resources that will support you on your journey!
#5 GET RID OF YOUR NEGATIVE STORY / STORIES
You know the one’s I’m talking about. They go something like this:
“I can’t.”
“I don’t have time.”
“I’ve tried everything, nothing works!”
“This week I’m too busy but next week i’ll start.”
The Laundry List of Excuses Continues…
STOP. Please put all of this garbage in the trash, and for the sake of your future take full responsibility for your goals and dreams. Whatever your goal is YOU DESERVE IT, and you are capable of re-writing the narrative of your own life. It is time to PUT YOUR GAME FACE ON AND FACE THE TRUTH about the way you have been living, where you have been compromising or complacent. As Tony Robbins says “Divorce your story and adopt the truth.” #toughlove
#6 Prioritize
No different than your budget, your job, or important aspects of your life. Working out, eating well, and nourishing your mind, body, and spirit are necessary in order to create results. These faculties are interlinked so intimately that when one of these areas starts to slip the other two follow. We must have a plan in place in order to develop new habits, behaviours, and strategies that work for us versus against us. Fostering new behaviours is the only way to make long-term change… you’re building a LIFESTYLE- you have to master the processes, and behaviours that match the results you want to create.
#7 Circle of Influence
This is crucial. We adopt habits, beliefs, and behaviours similar to those we surround ourselves with. If you have negative people in your life, it is time to let them go. Why? People influence us consciously, and subconsciously, and it is the latter of the two that is the danger zone. Now, this doesn’t mean this person or these people are bad people (IT’S NOT PERSONAL). What this means is that when we are stepping forward to make transitions in our life we are vulnerable… in the sense that we can fall back into old patterns very quickly. That is why creating a positive environment, and surrounding yourself with supportive individuals is necessary. Too often, we hold on to people in our lives because they are familiar not because they advocate our support and growth. It is critical that we acknowledge that we are responsible for our decisions, choices, and actions. We have to take responsibility for the decisions, and choices we make independent of the results we create. You will change your life the day you take full responsibility, and own who you are wholeheartedly.
#8 Model Behaviour
Form new friendships with people that have created the results you want to create for yourself. Implement their strategies, behaviours, and habits.
GO FOR IT!
YOU are creating a new relationship with yourself, food, and exercise. It’s like any relationship, it takes time, energy, and love to build a strong bond. Accept that life is full of challenges, and setbacks along the way. However, our history does not have to dictate our present moment nor our future. We have the ability to re-define ourselves, and make powerful choices that serve the goals we want to fulfill. Training our brain, and physiology through thoughts, feelings and actions is what allows us to re-shape our mental, physical and emotional muscles. Developing a great level of ‘fitness’ in these three faculties will yield the results you want to obtain this year!
Dreams take time, patience, and persistence.
I’m rooting for you…
#9 Never Ever Give Up!
-S xo
