One Year

I've been in business as a personal trainer for just over a year now!  It is a role that includes never-ending learning and I strive to educate myself constantly to stay fresh and current with the industry.  I'd like to share some things that I've learned not only as a trainer in my first year, but as a small business owner.

I've learned-

1) That we all forget to take care of ourselves.  It's very easy to put ourselves last.

2) That people REALLY want to stay in the "safe" zone and that it can be hard to try new things.

3) People may have different lifestyles and personalities, but have the same basic needs.

4) To listen closer.

5) To step out of my own comfort zone and take more risks.

6) More about nutrition and how many fad "diets" really have the same underlying concepts.

7) That starting a business from scratch is difficult, yet rewarding.  I like being my own boss.

8) That fitness is a tool to find inner strength, confidence, and is life changing, not just health changing.

9) To show people that they are stronger than they think they are.

10) That I get to be play a part in changing other people's lives for the better.

11) That if I do my best and help my clients to do their best and see results, my business will grow.

I'm sure that I could think of a hundred more things to add to this list, but those are some big ones.  Here's to many more life-changing years ahead!

Gym environment

Picture yourself walking into the gym and thinking, "I'm SO glad to be here, I love it here!  This is like my home away from home."  Now snap yourself back into the present moment and tell me, is this how you feel about your current gym environment?  If you don't belong to a gym, wouldn't you like it to feel like this?  Maybe you don't care.... (but for most people, environment in the gym IS important).

If it matters, what would it take to make that perfect gym or exercise environment?  

I know several people that feel like they have to already be in shape BEFORE joining a gym or at least regularly go to the gym that they already belong to.  It seems backwards to me, but I guess I do see their side.  Bottom line-- nobody wants to feel judged for what they look like, what they are doing, or what they aren't doing at the gym.  I felt a little of that when I first joined the Y, but got over it when I realized, other gym-goers aren't really paying that close of attention to me, unless I'm doing something to draw attention.

Overall, I like my gym.  I'm confident there, the people are friendly, the staff is friendly, and I have friends there.  Good equipment is important to me, as is a good amount to space to work out in, but it's the sense of community that I like.

If you are one of those people that I mentioned above, what specifically is keeping you from the gym?  Did you have a bad experience?  Is it all in your head?  Do you just prefer to work out alone?  

Figure it out and find what you want.  Don't wait to be "in shape" or you may be waiting for a very long time.

Comparisons

"I'm the fattest one here."  I remember thinking that as I looked around the room at my first parent meeting of the year for my son's preschool class.  This was five years ago.  I had been so down on myself for the shape I was in.....not huge, but average sized with a large ratio of fat vs. muscle on my body.  I felt like a blob and couldn't wait to hide in baggy pants and big sweaters all winter.  I looked around the room and couldn't understand why these other mothers could look so good-- four of them had just had babies and were skinnier than I was.  It was NOT a good day for me.

Months later, my family decided to join the Y and it changed my life.  I really didn't know what to do when we first joined, so I took water classes and walked endlessly on the treadmill.  Even there, I compared myself to others.  Luckily, I saw people of all shapes and sizes and didn't feel like the person that needed the most help.  In the pool, I was the youngest person by about 30 years.  So, eventually, I camped out in the fitness center, searching for the workout that would move me in the right direction.  

I found myself watching a woman that was routinely at the gym-- she was ripped.  I wasn't really intimidated as much as intrigued.  I wanted to see what she was doing to get that body.  She lifted weights, primarily, in the free weight area.  I remember thinking, "I want to look like THAT!"  I didn't see anyone on the treadmills or ellipticals that had the body type that I was seeking.   (It would indeed become apparent that if I wanted to change my body, I would need to lift weights.) 

I think we all compare ourselves to those around us.  It can be motivating or intimidating and disheartening.  Remember, we don't all have the same body type and you may not be physically capable of looking like the person working out next to you.  Looking back, I know that I used my comparisons in different ways-- from "I'm the fattest one here" to "I want to look like that!"  Instead of being down on myself all the time, I formed a picture in my head of my ideal body and used the latter comparison as fuel to propel me forward.  I knew that I didn't want to feel like the biggest one in the room anymore.  I've pulled myself along with that mental picture in my head of my best body.  Am I there yet?  Almost.  Can I relate to the people that aren't even close to where they want to be?  Yes.

Next time you find yourself doing the comparison thing, use that feeling to make some positive changes in your life.  Some day, someone may look at you and think, "I want to look like THAT!"

I'm never going back...

Have you ever been in a place where you've said, "I'm never going back THERE again!"  I have-- my old body.  Lately, I've been reflecting about all of the bad experiences and feelings that I used to have in my former, fatter self and I know that I will never go back there again!  I will never look, feel, or think like that again!

I will NEVER again:

- Stand in the store holding a size 18 shorts with elastic waist and wonder if these will fit or if I will have to go to the Plus department.

- Cry in the dressing room.

- Hate the way my clothes fit every time I put something on and then proceed to hide in something baggy.

- Chortle in disgust at the sight of my saddle bags in certain pants.  (Pants were always my arch nemesis when I was heavier!!!)

- Let food control me or pretend that food will make my day better.

- Be intimidated by the weight room or gym in general.

- Beat myself up about my body.

- Put my health last or feel guilty for taking time to work out.

- Tell myself that because I've had kids (3 of them!), I can't have a nice body.

- Say, "I can't...." without trying it first.

- Dislike the way my body looks in pictures.

- Hide from my true self just because I'm unsure about where I'm headed.

I will ALWAYS:

- believe in myself and my abilities

- push myself to reach new goals

- inspire those around me to live healthy lives

- take care of myself and in turn, my family

- live up to my potential and help others do the same

Make a contract with yourself.....what do you want to put behind you forever and what do you want to reach for in the future?  Once you pour your hard work into reaching your health and fitness goals, you will never go back!

Get FIT. Be FIT. Stay FIT.

Change of Seasons

Labor Day weekend is here, which marks the end of summer.  If you are like me, things change around our house when seasons change.  I change the way I cook, the clothes I wear, our schedule changes with the kids going back to school.  Soon, as the weather gets colder, we'll change how much we can be outside versus inside for activity and fitness.

The end of the summer is also a time to look at your summer health and fitness goals and re-assess.  First, did you set some summer goals?  I hope so-- and if you did, ask yourself these questions:

"Did I reach my goals?"  If yes, "What is my new goal?"

"Did I at least get closer?"

"Do I need to change my goals?"

Re-assess and set your sights on the end of the year.  What will you work on from now until December 31?  I follow a company called Precision Nutrition and love their fat loss and life philosophy of "change ONE habit at a time."  Pick one habit and work on it for 2 weeks.  Then, it should be automatic in your life and you can move onto a new habit.  Small changes lead to big results over time!  What you choose to change must be something you are confident in.....it must seem almost easy.  Think of a goal and say, "I CAN DO THAT!"  Confidence = success.

For example, my current habit change is replacing greens for grains.  I've slipped back into having more grains/starches in my day that I really need.  So, I'm going to back it off.  Something I really, really need to work on is not eating after a certain time at night.  That is a struggle for me.  But, do you know what?  I'm not feeling confident that I can do that right now, so I'm going to choose something else to work on that I know I can be successful at and work on the other habit when I'm ready.  If you are ready, you will do it and you will feel successful.

So, where do you want to be by December 31?  Write it down, start working on it, and you'll be there before you know it!

Mental Coach

I ran a 5k today with my girls, who are ages 7 and 11.  It was something we'd been training for the latter part of the summer, as it was my 11 year old's summer goal to complete a 5k.  I honestly wondered how my younger daughter would do....it seemed like a pretty far distance for her.

During our time running those 3.2 miles, it became pretty clear that she needed some "mental coaching" from mom.  She needed me to tell her to keep going...to ignore that inner voice that tells you to stop when you are tired, versus pushing through.  I told my girls that we always have more energy, we just have to dig it up!  It's interesting that it's not just adults that have to be mentally tough during a physical challenge-- it's kids too.

We chose points along the course where she could speed walk for a few paces, then pick up the jog again.  Sometimes, we held hands and she paced with me.  It was a lot of, "Come on, you can do it!" from me.  My oldest daughter just ran quietly, not a word of complaint.....maybe just the fact that she's a bit older has given her that mental grit.  That, and she's just a natural born runner who genuinely enjoys that sport.

Next time you do something hard and your mind says, "QUIT,"  push that thought away and remind yourself to KEEP GOING.  One more step, one more rep, one more minute, whatever.  If you don't have someone beside you telling you to keep going, you have to be your own mental coach.

We all completed the 5k without a problem.  It made me so proud!  Oh, and my 7 year old-- well, she was the one that sprinted ahead of us at the end across the finish line.  (I knew she had the energy in there somewhere.)

Back to the Future

We all have things in the past that we wish we could have done differently.  We all look forward to the future and wonder what our lives will be like.  You can't control the past now, but you can learn from it.   For the purpose of FIT, what would you change about your past exercise/nutrition habits?  What advice would you give your past self now?

Switching to the future, what would you tell your future self about your fitness journey now?  Where do you want to be in your journey one year from now?  How about 5 or 10 years from now?  Hopefully, you'd want to be closer to your goals and not stuck or in reverse.

For me, I would tell my former self of even 4-5 years ago that it's okay to take time for myself....that it's not selfish.  That I would be a better mom and a better person if I took an hour or so to take care of myself mentally and physically and had a stress drain.  I would tell myself that I'm stronger than I think I am.  Lastly, I would say that I can have my best body and be in the best shape of my life at any age, even after having kids!

To my future self, I would advise to stay the course-- find time for my workouts, keep pushing the limits, and find innovative ways to work out so I don't get bored and keep seeing results.  I'd tell myself to eat the best food possible to ensure the best health that I can control.  I'd also remind myself to give myself a break when I'm not perfect.  Future self, you still need to know that you are stronger than you think you are!

Think about it.  What's your dialogue?