Sweating for the Soul: Losing More Than Just Weight

Seriously....why is it so hard to lose weight and keep the weight off? Why does our weight have to go to the places we would much rather sculpt and tone? Do you notice your weight tends to accumulate around your butt, your thighs, even your abs? For me I can say yes, yes and YES! Literally, the only way I used to get results was killing myself at the gym and skipping meals. But....it was hard and I could never stick to the plan. The reality here is that eating healthy is hard, finding the time to consistently work out is even harder but the hardest part you'll face is when you start to see results and the inevitable plateau occurs. No matter what you do or try...you just cannot get to your goal weight.

So what....do we just say to hell with it and go about our days unhappy with the way we look, complaining about being tired and stressed all of the time? You could. You'd be taking the easy way if we are being blunt and honest. Or you can do what I am doing, facing the challenges I have experienced with my health and fitness and taking it head on.

Instead of waiting until Monday, I started on Friday, after experiencing the prior week complete nutritional failure due to treats at work. I took charge this week and started off simplifying my nutrition and then listening to my body...waiting for it to tell me what it needed. Instead of blaming it on my injury, the stress of grief and the reality of trying to find my way in life, the choices I have made are mine alone. For me, my body was craving a program, a simple system to follow but time is limited. In this moment, I knew that meant, the 21 Day Fix was calling my name. The program that started it all for me...it was time to become friends again.

But...it's not that easy. You know that because you've been there. You cannot just chose a program and the pounds magically come off. It's going to take some more effort than that. So how do you do this, how do you make positive changes when everyone around you chooses a different lifestyle?  

You choose what YOU want and make it NON-NEGOTIABLE.

#1 Visualize- For me I am visual, I need to see what I want and envision myself accomplishing it. So I took the time to look up some of my favorite trainers and saved their pictures to a folder on my computer to remind myself of what I am fighting for.

#2 Set Goals-BE REALISTIC- you cannot achieve all of your goals over night, even in a week or for some in a month. You have to realize that it took time to get to where you are at and it's going to take time to correct your habits. There will be pizza, if you're like me...ice cream, there will be family dinners and illnesses. No matter what, you give your best each day and at the end of your program you can say you gave it your all. That has to be enough in life.

#3 Meal Plan- Yes, I said those words. You have to commit to your nutrition. This is where you are going to have the MOST success in losing weight and achieving your goals. You can workout as much as you want but you will remain stagnant if you do not focus on your nutrition. I teach my clients to go through the food lists we provide and circle the things they like or would be willing to try. Then we formulate a meal plan together from it. The last and most important step is that they shop from their meal plan only that way there is less temptation and honestly it will save you time and money.

#4 Push Play- Those workouts are pointless if you let them collect dust, so it's time to get to work. Set a time in your day, everyday, to do your workout. It has to be as important, so you must schedule it so that yo don't miss a opportunity to make positive changes to your body. If you're saying, "I'm busy, I don't have time"...you do. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier, sleep in your workout clothes and make it non-negotiable. Remember, "I don't have time" is the adult equivalent of "the dog ate my homework."

#5 Remember people are watching, whether it's your significant other, family, friends or co-workers you are inspiring someone else who needs to make a positive change in their health. Never give up, you are a priority and you deserve to be happy from the inside out.

So...what's the soul part?

If I have learned anything over these two years of being a challenger first and then a coach, life is going to get in your way. It's going to attempt to bring you down, there will be people who tell you you're wasting your time, just eat the cookie. But it's your mindset that needs to be strong. You can do the work, plan, but if your mind isn't right you'll plateau.

This month, we are "Sweating for the Soul," which means we will be following a nutritional plan, doing our workout and participating in our online health and fitness accountability group BUT we are throwing in a twist. Each week is going to be themed for the things people need most: healthy tips on controlling stress, time management tips and throwing in a free bonus yoga retreat. Instead of just losing weight, we are going to lose the negative thoughts and together, we are going to focus on a healthy mindset to enable us to achieve our goals. 

Are you sitting there thinking....maybe it's time? That sounds like something I would benefit from? Well now here is your chance to take action! This week I am going through new client applications and launching our Sweating for the Soul Online Accountability Group on October 17th. Why wait another minute to not feel your best? Fill out the application below!

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Mantra Monday: What To Do When You Realize You Didn't Believe In Yourself

Are you someone with that voice in your head...


You know the one that tells you can't do something... The one that says you're not good enough... The one that continually tells you that you're going to fail.

This voice never leaves you, it taunts you and makes you question your actions and worth on a daily basis.  It criticizes your judgment, it makes simple decision making difficult. It breaks you down when you think you can't break any more. It's full of endless negative commentary.

Self-doubt can be your biggest set back when you strive to achieve the greater desires in life. There are times when you can block it out but more often than not if you are like me there are more times that it consumes your being and establishes a barrier to your goals.

Self-doubt isn't kind and it steals your joy. It can devour your happiness and strip you of every ounce of confidence you once built. It can take your logical reasoning skills and establish craziness. Yet, instead of building you up, it leaves you empty full of fear and insecurity.

You try to do the right thing. You read the right books. You go to church. You pray. You celebrate other's success. You set out every day to be a good person. You force yourself into thinking positively when underneath the surface you hate yourself.

This voice is strong, it's resilient and it will fight back. It has the deepest knowledge of your true desires and it's fueled by your fear.

For years, I spent my life giving my all but falling short, or so I thought. I have never been the overly popular one, the pretty one, or the smartest one. I came from a world that until I openly shared about it, made me feel like I was an outcast and alone. For the majority of my life, I compared myself to others, wanted what others had and tried to be something I am not. For years, I stopped myself before I even got started because I never thought I was good enough.

I am the product of a world full of negativity, I grew up in a different world and I have the long term memory loss that forever leaves me feeling afraid to share the truth. I have been afraid all of my life about what other's think, when people whisper by me I wonder if they are judging me. I was afraid to share my artwork, my love of fitness, my desire to do more with my life through charity work and honestly my desire to not be alone.

Fear is like self-doubt, it grabs you, it's cold hand wraps around your throat and makes it impossible for you to speak the truth you want to express. It takes the things you love and diminishes them to the lowest levels making you feel unworthy. This infectious hold can consume you to the point you unconsciously question your daily actions, intelligence and abilities. If you're like me, you strive for the strength to release the grasp to breathe again.

One day, life took everything that brought me stability and forced me to establish a footing to stand on that only I could define. This road was broken, it had many dead ends and was dark but there was a small light...it was dim but it was there.

If I wanted to reach it, I had to believe in myself. I needed to crush my self-doubt, build my strength to not only speak from the heart but speak with the passion that I so desperately knew I had in me. It was time that I pushed past all of my fears, all of the ridicule to thrive in my own light.

Fast forward to now. Gina post Summit. What's different?

I now understand that it was my lack of belief in myself that's prevented me from truly succeeding in the world I desire to thrive in. I now realize that being critical is a beautiful thing because it makes me strive to present to the best of my abilities. Most importantly I realize that my self-doubt is my soul crying out for help.

I've accepted doubt as part of the human system. It's a regular emotion just like happiness, love and anger. Instead of trying to define it and then defy it, I have accepted it so that I can understand it. Thus enabling me to improve myself and realize you cannot fight with fear instead you must establish a strength that in times of criticism can openly view all sides without bias.

No longer will I allow myself to be limited by the fear of others thoughts, no longer will I allow myself to be limited by my own self-doubt. Now I will pay attention to the voice that initially starts with a whisper before it eventually begins to yell. Each day I choose to set out to be my best, with my blinders on, not comparing myself to those around me.

Perfection is not my sole goal anymore. Instead I strive to achieve my personal goals in life, love and business to live a more fulfilled life. I will do this by checking off my boxes daily on what's important to me, I will trust and love myself, I will stop listening to those who are toxic and tell me I cannot do something I love and I will identify self doubt in a way to establish success.

If you're like me, give yourself permission to fail. But fail forward.
If you're like me, give yourself permission to share your passion daily.
If you're like me, give yourself permission to rest when you are weary.
If you're like me, give yourself permission to go after your dreams.
If you're like me, give yourself permission to breathe.
If you're like me, give yourself permission to try...and try again.