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