A New Chapter.....

Four Months! Four Months!  Are you kidding me?!??!?!?!  Where did it go?  Let me see if I can recap.....work, teach Group Fitness (GF), sleep, work, teach GF, sleep, teach GF, teach GF, work, sleep, and did I mention TEACH GF.  Ok, so you get my point.  All of a sudden four months has flown away, and I didn't even see the direction it headed.

On a side note, please note that in my todo list above there was no mention of personal workouts or food prep.  My point....not a lot of personal workouts and food prep has been consistently occurring.  The result...my training has suffered, my diet has suffered, and my overall physical condition has suffered. 

All of a sudden, it started to get worse.  Crohn's/Colitis flare up.....CHECK!  Injury (mysterious ankle sprain that I don't remember injuring with swelling that will not go down).....CHECK!  And before it could get any worse I called TIMEOUT!  My body is trying to tell me something.  If I don't listen to it now, it is just a slippery slope down hill until I hit rock bottom.  

So what were my options?

Option 1:  Keep going at the rate I am going.  Change nothing.

Potential Result:  Risk permanent physical injury and major internal inflammation that could turn into something far more serious, perhaps even permanent, if ignored.

Option 2:  Something has to give, so.....OMG!  Dare I say it....Give up teaching group fitness classes for a while

Potential Result:  Take the time to refocus, establish goals, get healthy, and come back strong.  

How did this happen?  How could I let it get so bad?  I could ask these questions until I am blue in the face.  The answer is simply this....I lost my focus on my health and I lost balance.  It is time to stop asking those questions and take control.  Like so many, I am human and not perfect, but I do have the power to change.   

After many tears and CostCo sized boxes of kleenex, I reluctantly decided to put teaching classes (my passion) aside.....at least for now.  In my mind, to get back to where I want to be, option 2 is the ONLY option.  I want to regain my balance, I want to establish some new goals, I want to be strong, I want to be comfortable in my skin again,  and most of all I want to regain my health.  

So here we go.....Let the "New Chapter" begin.  
Join me as this new chapter in my journey unfolds will you?   Am I excited?  Yes!  
Am I nervous? Definitely!  
Am I going to move forward?  Oh yeah! You Betcha!

   

The Beast Hath Been Slain!

Who finally did it?!?!?!!  Who finally stared down the Fear Beast and kicked it’s A$$????  Oh Yeah....I DID!  OK, OK, Here is the story.  A few months ago….okay maybe more than a few (November 2011) I humbly confessed that my biggest fear at the time was to take the leap and actually get in front of a class to teach Spin.  If you missed the blog it is a must read for all the background information:

Fear! An Equal Opportunity Tormentor!

I made a promise at that time and to you all and myself that I would do it and right away.  And guess what…..I put it off.  Then I said I was going to make it my 2012 New Year’s resolution to teach a Spin class before I left on our cruise April 6^th.  And guess what……it didn’t happen.

Now, I could rattle off a whole slew of reasons why it was put off, but they would serve as nothing better than a bunch of excuses. (BLECH, Hate that word!)  When it really came right down to it I was afraid of not being very good, failing, and I was letting that fear get the best of me.  This is something that I am not proud of, but hey, I am a work in progress.

Well last week (Monday) I found out that they were looking for a permanent instructor for a Spin class Tuesday evenings at 6:00pm  at the gym where I am on staff.  And here is how the internal monologue went….

Positive brain:  “You can do this”

Negative brain:  “No I can’t”

Positive brain:  “Shut up, YES you can! You can get everything you need together and practice for a couple of weeks and you will be ready to rock!”

Positive brain (I think the positive side got ticked and duct taped up the mouth on the negative side):   “Ok I will I do it, I will give it my all and it will be great”

I called my boss to let her know I would love to give it a shot.  After we chit chatted for about 15 minues, I asked in a very breezy tone, “So when is my first class?”  

To which she answered, “May 1^st, next Tuesday.”  I about dropped the phone.  I had ONE WEEK!

Negative side of the brain: “Oooooops…..What the heck did you just do?!?!?!?!?!   

That was not at ALL how the plan was supposed to go! I wanted to hang up the phone and RUN! There was no way I was going to be ready (even though I have had a class plan ready to go since December).  However, instead of running I mustered enough breath to say in a now muffled tone, “Sounds great, I’ll talk to you later.”  I hung up the phone, and then….PANIC!  You name it… shakes, nerves, tears, hyperventilation, worry, doubt, stage fright…. I panicked for an entire week!   Boy did Chelle and Mike (my husband) hear it…….ALL……WEEK…….LONG (Thank you to you both for not killing me). 

What I did not do though, was run.  With their encouragement, I made the decision that ready or not, now was the time to conquer this goal.  Once I make those kinds of decisions I will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  I studied my notes, fine tuned my plan, visualized my class, and listened to my playlist (over and over and over again)  In that weeks’ time I did everything I possibly could to feel prepared and then Tuesday came and……Yep you guessed it!  I PANICKED some more.  But I knew what I had to do.  I should tell you that when I walk in to a room to teach it’s game time!  My students don’t care if I am scared, nauseous, or have stage fright.  The only thing they care about is getting a fun, and challenging work out and thus I will do everything in my power to make that happen for them.  I did what I had to do as I tried to check all my negative energy and emotion at door and then…… IT WAS ON!  I don’t mess around when it comes to teaching classes.  Just ask anyone who has been in my classes over the years.  Class started promptly at 6:00pm and I had two of my favorite familiar faces there to get their butts kicked and offer their support in person (Thank you Chelle AND Bill)!!!   I pushed, I pedaled, I coached, I missed cues, I almost puked, but I gave it my all!  And 5 minutes AFTER class ended…..I FELT BETTER! Then I realized....

I DID IT!  No, it wasn’t perfect and yes, I need some work, but I CONQUERED IT! I followed through, I finished, I was alive, and I felt great! VICTORY WAS MINE!   It was fun (at least for me!) and most importantly….I would do it again! Oh wait, I do have to do it again, in ONE WEEK!  YIKES!  That being said, I have to go now and work on my class plan for next Tuesday.  While I go do that, I challenge you all to work this week on one thing you have been putting off forever in the shadow of fear. 

What’s it gonna be?  What Beast are you going to SLAY?

The Moment You've Been Waiting For!!!

Group 2 Final Reveal....

These ladies worked it, worked it, and worked it until they KILLED IT! 

They have persevered through the real life adversity of getting started, 24x7 detailed planning and scheduling work outs, following through with their plans, and sharing their progress with all of us.  In addition, it was all done for 12 weeks with challenges at work, with family, with injuries, and let's not forget with ALL THE HOLIDAYS in their paths!!!!

Even with all of that, GROUP2 has said
Bye-Bye to 36.4 lbs!!!
and 41.25 inches!!!
(Seriously!?!?!?!?!  Yes...Seriously!)

They have sculpted, transformed and they invite you to review their entire journey and see their final results! 
www.recipforfitness.com/transformation.html

Their stories of strength and courage are true inspirations for lifetime transformation!

OUTSTANDING JOB LADIES!

HIGH FIVE!!!!! 

oh heck... Let's make it a high SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, AND TEN TOO! 

Is This You???

HAPPY
NEW YEAR EVRYONE!!!!!
2012!

I received an e-mail today that I wanted to share with all of you.  Of course, the names have been changed to protect the innocent ;)  I know that many of you may have asked yourselves these same questions.  I have asked them myself in the past.  So, for my first post of 2012, I wanted to share my response.  This is for everyone that has in the past or maybe is currently in the present doubting the path of their journey towards a healthier, better person.  Have you ever asked yourself whether it is all worth it, and how to keep going when the road gets bumpy?  If so then, please, read-on... 

E-mail the we received today.....

Dear Tabitha and Chelle,

I don’t want to be a bother however you have both probably been here and conquered this so I just wonder how you made it through the rough spots.  The diet and workouts are going fine, it’s the mindset.

I honestly have never made it as far as I have and now I can see why, I get so particular and hard on myself for not seeing better results and start to question:  "Am I working hard enough and am I being careful with my diet?"  This time I know I am because I have the journals to prove it to myself."

I know all the right things to tell myself “It took years to put it on.  Give it a few weeks to take it off”, but, I hate this beating yourself up feeling.  Then the comparisons start, with other success stories, really? Why do we do this to ourselves?  Just suck it up, get over it and move on? Will it go away on its own?

I really had to laugh yesterday when I went to a decorating website and the quote about the towel was front and centre.

“You going to throw in the towel, or use it to wipe the sweat off your face?”
– a decorating website!

LOL, made me laugh.  Definitely using the towel however how have you made it over those times?

Any advice is appreciated.

My Response:

Welcome to the mind game that is getting healthy.  First, let me tell you that what you are feeling is completely normal.  Everyone that has a health goal that would take a long time to get to goes through the same thing that you are going through right now.  How you respond to these feelings, however, is what is going to separate you from the rest. 

The way that I see it is that you can look at it in two ways.   First, you can say “well…..it seems that what I am doing is no good, I may as well give up, this is not going to work, what’s the point”.  This is what you seem to have done in the past.   I have one question for you though…..Has this gotten you to your goal yet?......NO!  So why walk that same road?  Why not say this to yourself…..

“I am seeing a little bit of progress.  Even through the holidays, when I have tended to gain more weight in the past, I was able to maintain.  Wait??  Does that mean that I am learning to change my lifestyle to something that is more maintainable?  YES!  Hey, this is progress!  Ok, now what do I need to do to get the rest of my goals?”

Let me answer this last question for you….YOU KEEP GOING!

Weight loss and the science behind weight loss is a specific equation for each and every person.  Don’t get me wrong, the basic principles are the same, but the combination of them is going to vary between people because every “body” is different.   Your body is fighting change, therefore you have to stand strong and dictate to your body what is going to happen.  You are the boss not your body, not the other way around.  It may be time to kick it up a gear and push yourself  even more outside your comfort zone…..heavier weights, more intensity with the cardio, following your food plan to a “T”.  Have the courage to challenge yourself beyond your limits.  Do not underestimate your physical strength and stamina.   The one word that you HAVE to focus on now is CONSISTENCY.  Consistency in conjunction with the TOTAL PACKAGE (food, fitness, and positive thinking) is the ONLY way to get you past this rough spot.  It is not always fun and it is a challenge (otherwise everyone would be doing it), but it is what HAS TO HAPPEN.  Remember, going in the other direction has not gotten you to where you wanted to go in the past, so why take the same road?

You are correct, getting to where you are now did not happen overnight.  Getting to where you want to be will also not happen overnight.  No one said it was easy……neither physically OR mentally.  How do we get past the rough patches?

Well, I will tell you…..FOCUS ON SUCCESS.  This is why Chelle and I make a big deal about focusing on and acknowledging the successes, not matter how small they may be.  Focus on learning new exercises, eating new clean foods that are tasty, your clothes fitting better, cardio getting easier, not gaining weight over the holidays, working out consistently for as long as you have so far, and most importantly.....all the INCHES LOST!  These are ALL successes!  These are all successes that a stupid scale is not going to show you or acknowledge on its teensie, tiny, screen. 

Let them motivate you to WANT more, BE more, ACHIEVE more.  Then you take it one day at a time, one hour at a time if necessary.  If you find that you are consciously making the same decision over and over to eat right, workout, and stay consistent YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT!  You will be making that decision over and over for a long time......most likely forever!  The more often you make it, the easier it will get.  Pretty soon BAM!!!!!  You are going to visually notice amazing changes.  It takes a long time for the “visual” changes to be seen, but that does not mean that things are not changing.  There is A LOT going on inside that you cannot see.   Don’t give up on those changes before you have the chance to see them on the outside.  Your new mantra for 2012 is this……..

Consistency = Success

(C = S)

Every time you start comparing or doubting yourself repeat that mantra…….and then do one more rep, take one more clean bite, or walk one more step on the treadmill.  ;)

....And anytime you need a reminder of any of this or how far you have come, let me know.  I am happy to virtually slap you upside the head and bring you back to your reality.  The reality is that you are doing it, you are making changes, and you are succeeding!

Keep up the good work!

Tabitha

Twas the Week Before Christmas........

Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the gym,

The instructors were teaching, class numbers were slim.

The schedules were hung, by the classrooms with care,

In hopes that more people, soon would be there.

Some people on treadmills,

Some snug in their threads,

While visions of protein shakes, Danced in their heads.

Myself in my Reeboks,

And Papa in his cap,

Had just settled into,
 The giant squat rack.

When out on the floor, there was such a clatter,

We racked our weights fast, to see what was the matter.

Across the gym floor our eyes flew like a flash,

With my mouth gaping open, I let out a gasp.

The floor on the breast of the new fallen sweat,

Gave the lustre of workouts, still happening yet.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a man with a client, getting kicked in the rear.

The man was a mountain, so lively and fit,

I knew in a moment, it was Trainer Nick.

Trainer Nick was dressed sporty, from his head to his feet,

His body was lean, from clean food he would eat.

Bundles of resistance bands, hung down his back,

He was always prepared, no client would slack.

More rapid than eagles, his orders they came.

He yelled out the next one, each task had a name:

“Now Bench Press! Now Squat Jumps!

Now Lunges and Curls!

Do Crunches! Do Dips!

No, you’re not gonna hurl!

To the top of the bench!

Get your butt on the ball!

Now burn away, burn away,

Calories all!”

The client looked up,
 At her trainer and sighed,

The obstacles faced seemed to mount to the sky.

With a shake of Nick’s head,

The client, she knew,

She had to keep going,

It was what she must do.

They worked every muscle, until they all failed.

And that’s when Nick really, started to wail.

“You can do it! Believe It! Achieve it!” Nick said.

“That which will not kill us, will build strength instead!”

Nick spoke many words, cheered on the hard work.

His client relieved, at hour’s end she did perk.

“I did it! I made it! I’m alive and feel good!”

“Thanks for making me do, the best that I could!”

As Nick put his hand on her shoulder he said,

“Great job, the goal’s closer. You’ve nothing to dread!”

And I heard Nick exclaim as he walked out of sight,

“Stay true to your goals! Don’t give up the fight!”

--Tabitha Citro

The "Get in the Game" Arsenal

It all begins one day with a VISION.  After being slapped by inspiration, motivation, or the unfortunate desperation, you determine what it is you want, where you would like to be, how you would like to look, or how you can make things better.  A very vivid big picture has been formulated in your head.  Then all of a sudden the “Evil Thought and Fear” monster rears their ugly heads in your mind:

"HOLY COW what are you thinking?!?!  I could never reach this; I am too far gone.  Maybe I am just meant to be this way.  How would I start?  What if I fail?  I can’t do that, don’t ask me to commit to something I can’t do.  Maybe my vision is worthless.  Oh, well this is hopeless.” 

The big picture becomes insurmountable and scary and it is easier to run and hide than to dismiss the apprehension and face the fear to get what we want.   How do we mentally get our heads on board????  Realize the arsenal of weapons at our disposal and taking full advantage of them. 

Weapon 1…CONTROL:   You have the control to change your situation.   You have the control to design a plan, to get the proper help and support, to carry out a plan, and to even adjust a plan when necessary.  Take charge and accept the control to get your mind in the game and keep it there until you have finished what you started.  Change the negative thoughts of “I can’t” and “I’ll try” into “I can” and “I will”!  I know that this is not easy and I assure you this task will forever be unending, but I can assure you that when you truly control the mind you assume the advantage and there are no limits to what you can achieve.

Weapon 2…BREAKING IT DOWN:  (No….I did not say Breaking Dawn! However, Go Team Edward! But I digress)   It is very difficult to jump from the beginning to end to immediately get what you want.  As a result, it becomes necessary to break the big picture down in to smaller manageable pieces for you conquer one by one.  Each piece is a smaller step or milestone that on its own may not seem like a big deal, but when added together with all the others lay the path to your final VISION.   It is equally important to treat the achievement of each milestones as a VICTORY (imagine big band fan fare here!).  Make sure you acknowledge and reward these victories to stay motivated and moving forward.  Reward ideas may include:  shopping, a trip to the spa, new book, new music for your workouts (PLEASE NOTE:  I did NOT list food as a reward)

Weapon 3….SUPPORT SYSTEM:  Surround yourself with the help, love, and positive influence of a team that will encourage you along the way.  This team should be comprised of family, friends, support groups, church, or even people with the similar visions for themselves.  Tell them your plan, what you want, why you want it, how you plan to get there, why you need their support, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, how they can help.  No one should ever walk the path to their goals alone.   Have the courage and strength to take others on the journey with you.  Take comfort in knowing that you can draw strength and energy from them when the road seems to gets harder, longer, and seemingly more treacherous.  Do this an increase your chances exponentially for success! 

Weapon 4…..VISUALIZATION:  Picture in your mind achieving your ultimate vision.  Picture yourself completing each and every small step and task along the way; no matter how hard it may be.  Walk vicariously down the paths of other people that have walked similar paths to yours and reached similar goals.  Visualize their stories by talking to them, reading their blogs, looking at their photos, and learning about their successes and failures.  Let the images of other peoples stories motivate and inspire.  Taking advantage of visualization exercises such as these help to gain, re-gain, and maintain control of the mind and focus on the finish line.

In an attempt to save the empathy for the chat room, I am telling you right now to GET GOING!  (Yes YOU! and Yes, that is me yelling) ATTENTION:  This is your kick in the A$$!  You are fully armed with the above weapons to start attacking what you want NOW.  I repeat..... Put them to work NOW!  DON’T wait until next Monday, after the holidays, or when the next vacation is suddenly upon you. I am formally empowering you with the permission you need to get on the road and start walking towards a better you.  Dreams, visions, and goals must be earned and that takes hard work.   If the journey was easy, the goal and the vision wouldn’t be worth it.  From hard work sprouts appreciation and respect for ourselves, for what we have achieved, and what we are to become.

So……WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!?!?!?! 

Step 1….TAKE CONTROL! 

Step 2….GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!

Uh oh! You said the "C" words...

So I have decided that I need a team of clones to get everything I need to get done in a day.  As you have read in Chelle’s blog the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for us.  We are talking crazy hectic schedules.  From Halloween to business to program to case study to butt kicking class (yes…..mine is sore today too) planning and execution, to say we are going a million miles an hour does not even begin to cover it. Oh, and just a side note,  did I mention that I am also currently learning how to play the piano on top of it all?  I actually just started not too long ago.  It is something that I have ALWAYS wanted to do and just recently decided to pursue it.  (Let it be known, that my goal is to be able to play the entire Billy Joel anthology) 

But, with all of the craziness, I have to say………Chelle and I are LOVING it!!!  I had no idea that in January of 2007, walking into the trainer’s office at Bally’s and meeting my new client, that I was meeting the person with which I would build a business, share my passion for health to others, and oh yeah….and also share my brain.   We are so grateful and appreciative of your support and input, without you all, we wouldn't be able to do what we do.  We are here for you and though it might be challenging, we are finding that it is the challenge that we thrive on to make us better.  We know that if we consistently push past the boundaries of our comfort zone we will adapt to the new boundaries of that zone getting us to where we want to ultimately be. 

CHALLENGE AND CONSISTENCY…These are great words aren’t they???  And they can be applied to so many different aspects in our lives.  In my mind they are two big keys to success in getting to a goal…especially a fitness goal.  First, you focus creating a realistic physical challenge for yourself as a step towards the overall goal….something that is going to force you a bit outside of what you are comfortable doing.  Our bodies, being extremely adaptable machines, are going to adjust to changes and challenges that we place on them.   Some examples of challenges we may set could include…..choosing different exercises for a workout, increasing the intensity of a workout, or increasing the duration of a workout.  By forcing the body to face a new challenge, you are going to invoke change! 

Consistency becomes important when you set out to conquer the challenge.  The nature of any challenge is, of course, meant to be hard at first.  It would not be called a challenge if it wasn’t.  Also, keep in mind that any new challenges presented in your program are inherently going to invoke change from the inside out.  You may not see immediate differences, but that does not mean that something is not working.  You have to stay consistent on your path for the adaptation process to happen.  The more consistent you are with the challenges you are trying to conquer the quicker you are to see the progress you desire.   Sometimes it takes time to see the changes you want. 

If you don’t stay consistent with working towards conquering your challenge, you run the risk of pacing back and forth on the same path without ever truly moving forward.  Don’t let this be the ingredient that allows you to deviate off of your path or stop you from moving completely.   Pay attention to the not so obvious signs that things are working…… These things may include feeling better, having more energy, lifting more weight, doing more pushups, and noticing that your clothes may be looser.  Acknowledge these signs as victories and allow them to further feed your drive to stay motivated and to continue to be even more consistent.   Eventually, without even blinking an eye, the challenge that was sooooooo hard before will be conquered.   Finally, and most importantly…..when you have conquered a challenge you have set for yourself….GET STARTED ON A NEW ONE!  HA!  Consistently set enough of these challenges and eventually it will only add up to one thing…….YOUR GOAL!

HOMEWORK.....Set up a new challenge for yourself today and let us know what it is!!!!!

Have a Great Thursday everyone!

Goal Setting: The Art of Being S.M.A.R.T

Yayyyy Monday! It’s a new week with new challenges, and maybe even some new GOALS!  How many of you have ever experienced this scenario?  It is Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and you say to yourself…..

“I will start my new path to fitness this Monday!”  Or…

“This Monday is my day to start my new goals:  I am going eating totally clean, I am going to go to the gym, and I am going to lose weight”

The week kicks off and you are Gung Ho charging forward with your new “GOALS”.  However, about half through the week you notice that your enthusiasm and interest starts to taper.  It could be that you got very busy at work, at home, or with the family.  It could be that you got tired from getting up early to go to the gym and you really wanted extra sleep (gotta LOVE the snooze button).  It could be that the food that you prepped for yourself no longer sounds good and you are talking yourself out of eating it while turning back to your “normal” unclean eating patterns.  Whatever has happened you have now turned your back on your supposed “goals” and by Friday you are right back where you started…. ready to set the same “empty goals” for the following Monday.   Yes, that is right….EMPTY GOALS!   95% of the time when I ask someone what their goals are I get the following types of answers:

“I want to lose weight”

“I want to feel better in my clothes”

“I want to get stronger”

To these statements I say…….NOT GOOD ENOUGH!  While these are all ok answers, on the grand scale of setting goals, they are only the beginning.  In response to all of the statements above I ask two questions….First, “You say you want to or you will?”  Second,”How and when will you know IF you have achieved this?”  The answers I get to both of my questions usually sound something like this……”uhhhhhhhhhhh, I’m not sure.”    Again I say……NOT GOOD ENOUGH!  By not defining our goals appropriately and not being sure that you WILL achieve them, we run the risk of making them too general, losing the motivation to finish them, and never really knowing what they were in the first place.   By clearly defining the specifics of a goal, we can help ourselves stay focused and on track. Thus we increase the chances of achieving exactly what we want…. when we want.

So what makes a well defined goal?  All you have to do is remember one word….”S.M.A.R.T.”!  When you set out to WRITE DOWN (Yes, you should absolutely do this) your goals they should contain the following building blocks:

·         S - They should be SPECIFIC. 

Make them detailed and unambiguous so that you know exactly what you are trying to achieve.

·         M – They should be MEASURABLE. 

There needs to be a means in which you can measure progress and know that you have achieved your goal.

·         A – They should be ATTAINABLE. 

A goal needs to be something that you know that you can achieve.  You definitely don’t want it to be too easy, but you also don’t want it to be out of your reach.

·         R – Goals need to be REALISTIC. 

Make sure that you give yourself enough time to achieve the goal and that it suits your interests, needs, and abilities. 

·         T – Make sure a goal is bound by TIME. 

Set deadlines & timelines for goals to help keep you on track & focused towards the finish line.

Now, when we revisit the above our goals and make them "S.M.A.R.T." they start to look a little bit different:

“I want to lose weight” becomes:   

“I will lose 10 pounds in 3 months by my birthday on December 31^st, 2011.”

“I want to feel better in my clothes” becomes:   

“I will drop 2 dress sizes in 8 weeks before my wedding on April 4^th, 2012”

“I want to get stronger” becomes:   

“I will be able to do 50 push-ups without rest by February 28^th, 2012, after training for 8 weeks”

See the difference???? Now….here is your homework ;)  Review the latest goals you have set and see if you can plug them into this formula.  (RE)WRITE THEM down if you have not already done so and post them somewhere so you can be easily and constantly reminded of them.  When you start to lose your drive and focus, take a look at them to remind yourself of where you are going, what you want, and why you want to get there.  Then make no excuses and take the next step closer to GET IT DONE!

Have a great Monday and a great week!!!