Thursday's Thought:  Do you have discipline?

What term comes to mind when you think about why you don't treat yourself better? Why you don't make time for the gym? Why don't you just put the "fa(s)t food" down and eat a healthier option?  Don't be too hard on yourself... I hear this from my clients on a weekly basis as they tell me "I just lack the motivation" or "I have no accountability."   Do you ever ask yourself WHY this is? Where is the motivation or accountability? How about that dreaded word....DISCIPLINE? Ooooh yes it is a dirty little word... and we use every day. We discipline our children and our pets.   We discipline our husbands by making the sleep on the couch after an argument. So... how do we discipline ourselves? Don't think of it as a punishment, which is how most of us think of working out. "UGH - I ate 4 Cadbury Eggs this last weekend (which I stole from my kids Easter Basket).... Now I have to go "punish" myself by going to gym and doing 500 minutes of cardio"..... Discipline is training. Its repeatedly doing something for reward, or to avoid punishment. So, what is the reward if you discipline yourself to workout? To eat better? What is the punshiment? You need to ask yourself what it is you want (remember - its not about the number on the scale), and then WHY you want it.... and whats the reward versus the punishment? Let's start with the punishments: -self-doubt -self-loathing -self-pity -feeling of being undesirable -feeling fat, bloated, [insert self-deprecating adjective here] -sadness .....just to list a few of the comments I hear. But, WOW, what a punishment and guilttrip we put ourselves through when we lack discipline to do what we know we WANT to do, and need to do. Let's focus instead on the rewards: -clothes fit better -reduced weight-related health issues -lose weight -run a 5K faster -build self-confidence -have more energy -just feel better in general -look better naked (there's that naked thing again!) Bottom line, you may think you lack motivation or accountability, but truth is, you have both right in front of you - your kids should be motivating you, your tight clothes should motivate you, your desire to walk the beach without a moo-moo on should motivate you....and you ARE accountable to yourself and your family. You owe it to them, but most importantly yourself, to be the best version of YOU possible.... and if you need further accountability, contact me. BUT the discipline - that has to come from you. Seek the rewards; don't avoid the punishments.

Wednesday’s Wisdom: Stop looking at that scale!

How do we measure success?

·         Pounds lost or gained

·         Body fat percentages

·         The number on the label of your jeans

·         The number on the scale

·         The number of calories burned versus consumed…

·         And so on…

Did you know?

The other day I was talking with one of my clients about how we measure success. The number of times that just MY personal clients weigh themselves on a daily basis is TWO times a day and that’s just an average.

Many times they get frustrated when the numbers don't match or they see weight gain of 1-2 pounds.  They ask themselves..."is the scale broken? Furthermore, I read in a fellow fitness guru’s email yesterday that 63% of women measure exercise or diet effectiveness by the scale alone. Wow, really? That’s a high number…

QUESTION – how many of you weigh yourself after you tinkle in the AM, and then again later in the afternoon, only to feel frustrated and guilty if the scale in the afternoon shows 1-2 lbs (or more) heavier than it was in the AM?  It’s OK, you can raise your hand – I can’t see it.

Even though most of my clients weigh themselves 1-2 times a day, only ONE has an actual real weight loss goal? Most women, like you, come to me wanting to do the following.  Can you relate?  

• Fit back into their Little Black Dress or Skinny Jeans in the back of the closet
• Lose the baby weight so they don't have to buy new "fat" clothes
• Rock their Wedding Dress and the bikini on their honeymoon
• Feel SEXY NAKED in front of their mate- this is a big one!

So if it's never about the weight, why do we obsess over the number on the scale and let it define or measure our success? 

STOP stressing about the number on the scale... It does not define you... It's never just about the weight.

Life is NOT about the number on the scale. Focusing on the scale, fat loss and calorie counting will make you feel frustrated and anxious. So forget the scale! Focus on other things you can measure - walking or running at a faster pace, increasing weight during squats, adding height to the box jump. Focusing on goals that leave you feeling elated and accomplished will only catapult your inner desires and you will feel your strength and determination more so then checking the scale after you tinkle in the morning.    

So THINK FIT, not Skinny.

Stop looking at the charts and what your ideal weight "should be". What matters is you feel sexy naked, you can fit into your skinny jeans or that little black dress... you can now run that 5K when before you couldn't event walk out of the house.  

Remember, you can be "skinny" and unhealthy and unfit. So THINK FIT, have fun with it, and PLEASE try to limit your scale checks to once a week.