I'm Not Comfortable

I never knew that I could feel so freaking uncomfortable in my own skin and it made me sad because I didn’t think I had the power to change it.

But the prospect of changing things was so daunting because my days were stacked to the BRIM with stuff that needs to get done.

Want to make a change and not sure where to start?

Here’s the Top 3 Changes I Made to Get My Comfy Back:

1. I did something active every day. On the days I could workout, I definitely did, even if it was a HIIT workout that was only 10 minutes. But if a workout wouldn’t work for my day, I made a point to do something that was active. I went for a walk with the dog 🐶, I stretched 🧘‍♀️, I took the stairs instead of an elevator.

2. I drank more water 💦. It’s so easy to forget to have water when you’re running around like crazy 😝, but the benefits are beyond worth it. Pro tip: can’t remember to drink water? Set an alarm on your phone to remind you.

3. I became mindful of what I ate. I didn’t cut things out, but I made sure that healthy, whole food 🥘 made up the majority of what I was eating.

Your Reaction is Everything

You can control your reaction. 

In life for sure but also in your workout. A lot of the time what ends up happening when the workout gets hard isn’t your body giving up, but your brain telling you to quit. 

That little negative voice in your head ends up getting so big and so loud that you stop. Eventually, you continue to fall into that negative line of thought so often that you stop working out all together. 

It just seems like the easier solution because showing up and failing isn’t appealing to anyone. 

I challenge you to have power over that voice. 

It won’t happen right away, it takes time, it takes practice and even with that, the negative voice will still creep in. It’s like our natural reaction to challenge. 

I’m not saying that you need to make the negative voice go away completely, but I am saying that you need to temper your reaction to that negative voice. 

When I find that negative voice kicking in, I tell myself “I got this” on repeat. Then I try to NOT take a break. Maybe I slow down what I’m doing, get my breath back, or switch to lighter weights but I try to keep going. I know for me, if I stop, I’ll STOP. So I avoid it at all costs. I check my form, I check myself, and I keep going. 

I challenge you to do the same. Whatever it is you need to remind yourself that you can get through a 10 minute workout, that the workout won’t own you, do it. Control your reaction so you can see that you are capable and completely in control. 

Stopping the Comparison Game

Working out at home allowed me to let go of comparing myself to other people at the gym.

I know so many people thrive off of that comparison. It wakes up an innate sense of competitiveness and that drives them to pushing themselves harder in their workouts. 

That is NOT me. I think in large part it’s the knowledge that because of my injury, I move differently and have different capabilities. So comparing my performance to someone else’s is totally fruitless because we’re not even starting at the same place. But isn’t that so many of us? 

Being in a gym is intimidating AF especially when you’re not feeling yourself. Shoot even if you ARE feeling yourself.

Like how is her hair SO damn perfect and she’s not even sweating? Meanwhile I’m over here creating sweat angels 👼 on my mat because this shit is so hard. Oh and my outfit never matches. I really just grab whatever is clean. 

I feel like those ☝️ distractions will only hinder your progress. You’re either going to push your limits so hard that you get hurt or that you get discouraged and want to stop. 

I needed to create my own tunnel vision to see the results I KNEW I was capable of creating.

I would encourage you to do the same. It doesn’t mean you turn on the blinders to the point where you don’t see what other people are doing, but it does mean that you keep that comparison in check.

Know that everyone comes in with different capabilities, different goals, and at a different place on their journey. Those differences are awesome things and a place to find growth together. To encourage and support each other into better versions of ourselves. 

When you let go of those comparisons, you start finding your own intrinsic motivation to show up. Let that motivation drive you, push you, and move you forward to your goals. Regardless of where you workout. 

I'm Not Into Organized Sports

I was NOT the kid in organized sports 🏀. 

That competitive nature was never my vibe. It’s still not. Especially not during my workout 🏋️‍♀️.

Because every person comes to the workout 🏋️‍♀️ with different capabilities as well as different limitations, I know being competitive serves NO ONE. 

Here’s my Top 3 Tips to Staying Focused on Your Goals and not what the person next to you is doing during your workout 🏋️‍♀️:

1. Applaud the person next to you instead of wishing you could do what they were just doing. They’re kick ass and so are you AND you both are doing something that is good for your bodies. Celebrate that instead of being disappointed that you can’t do what they just did.

2. Remind yourself that everyone is on a different journey. Your WHY for working out is totally different from the person next to you and so is where you’re at on your individual journeys.

3. Celebrate 🎉 ALL the victories. Even the small and seemingly mundane ones. You got off your ass and did a workout on a day you literally would’ve rather been doing anything else? That’s winning girl. That’s creating all those heathy habits that will lead you to change.

Winner of the Fitness Goal Award

The only one who’s going to make sure you achieve your fitness goals is YOU.

I know the one time you’re thinking you would actually ask for help, it won’t really do a whole lot. Even when you hire a coach, the work is still ultimately up to you.

The people I train who get the transformation they’re wanting, the one they crave so much they can taste it and the one they don’t tell anyone else about, are the ones who know that whatever happens is their doing.

They know that even with the support they have, the choices they make are ultimately their own and achieving their goals is ultimately up to them.

Want to know how they do it?

They show up.

☝️ it’s that simple. 

Not every workout 🏋️‍♀️ is going to be easy, not every workout 🏋️‍♀️ will be your best, and that’s ok 👍. Because in those no so awesome moments is where you truly build your strength and where you show yourself that you are WORTH achieving your goals.

What matters more is continuing to show up and to put in the effort even when the going gets tough or things don’t go as planned. That doesn’t mean it’s always going to be pretty but it does mean that you will progress because you’ll be consistent. 

My Pro Tip for establishing those consistent habits? Make appointments with yourself in your calendar like you would for the doctor or to get your haircut. Then don’t cancel. You wouldn’t cancel those other appointments so why would you cancel on yourself? Then keep doing that until showing up becomes second nature.

Grab Your Dumbbells!

$0.00

Every Workout Has a Quitting Point

Every workout 🏋️‍♀️  has a pivot point.

It’s that point in the workout when all you want to do is stop. When it’s just so hard that the idea of continuing makes you want to hurl. Just a little.

As long as you’re continuing to challenge yourself, you’re going to have that “I wanna quit” moment. 

That moment is the moment that matters the most. Because what you tell yourself in that moment will determine how you subconsciously handle your workouts.

Be honest with yourself. When you’re in that moment, what goes through your head? What do you tell yourself?

Do you tell yourself how much the workout sucks? How much you hate whatever you’re doing? Do you tell yourself YOU suck?

Whatever that negative narrative is, it builds up over time and eventually you’ll associate your workouts with those negative vibes. Eventually that negativity will create excuses that lead you to skipping your workout and before you know it, you’re back to the starting block of achieving your fitness goals. 

Start taking notice of where your head goes when the workout starts to challenge you. Start taking notice of what you’re telling yourself when the workout gets hard.

Then work on changing that narrative. You don’t have to do anything crazy, and yes, this does take practice, but even repeating “I can do this” when it gets hard will eventually help you push through those negative moments.

Be patent with yourself. It takes time to shift that line of thinking from “ugh this is SO horrible” to “fuck ya, bring it”, but I know you can do it. Focus on how strong you are, how far you’ve come and how GOOD you feel when you’re finished.

Because that feeling…no one can take it from you.

My Supermodel Days Are Over

I’ll never look like that.

That ☝️ thought ever cross your mind? It sure has crossed mine. More times than I would care to admit. Welcome to the age of social media right? Where every mom that pops into your search feed looks perfect, put together, and like she’s never stressed. Ever. 

Like OMG how does she have 6 kids under the age of 10, 6 pack abs, AND she cooks every single freaking meal from scratch??

Ok so how do I look like that AND actually sleep through the night? Or is that just a total unicorn?

It’s not fun. Especially after you’ve had a baby, and now you’re working while trying to juggle this whole parenting thing AND have balance in your own life. Good luck. I guess those flat abs were a thing of the past?

You can go deep down a rabbit hole of despair when these thoughts begin to invade your mind. In like the worst way possible because the next thing you know, you’re depressed AF and you’re giving up on every single goal you’ve set for yourself. Because why try when you’re never going to actually get to your goal?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much power in embracing your own strength and beauty, but it takes a hot second. Arguably the hardest aspect of this journey is in embracing that your journey is yours alone and you can’t compare what you’re doing to what someone else is doing. I remind myself of this ALL THE TIME. I also remind myself that life presented on social media is often not a realistic reflection of what is happening in that person’s real life.

Here’s my Pro Tip when that negativity starts creeping in:

• Sit your ass down and write down 10 amazing things you’ve accomplished. It’s just 10 friend, and it’s not as hard as you think. If you want the help, if you’re that hung up, I’ll help you. Because I see you and I see your resiliency, your strength, and every single thing you’ve accomplished.

When you find yourself letting that negativity creep in again, because it will, remind yourself of at least one of those things. Then put your phone down and get back to work.

Give Me Your Best Excuse

Your excuses are NOT the conversation. 

Trust me, if there’s an excuse I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard you say it in passing, as much as I’ve heard you say it directly to my face. I’ve been doing this fitness thing long enough that I’ve heard it all. I’ve probably thought of it myself as well a time or two. 

Excuses are comforting though. They give us an “out” from all the things we don’t want to do, including reaching any goals about creating balance in the chaos amongst us. They act as our preverbal security blanket, keeping us in our comfort zone. 

That comfort zone is such a shitty place to be though. I mean I get it, the prospect of trying something new and epically failing is terrifying, the prospect of change in general for most people is super intimidating. Because while change itself isn’t necessarily hard, the anticipation of what waits on the other side is killer. We don’t like to live in ambiguity so we don’t, we stay securely in the place of comfort, even if it’s detrimental to our health and well being. 

Because look, you’re not an idiot. You know that you’ve hit that point where you want to change so badly, you think about it all the time but you also are low key terrified because you don’t know how that change will actually impact your life. How will eating healthier impact your family gatherings? How will making time to workout impact your relationship with your kids? Will your tribe understand WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, or is it so outside of the norm that you fear you’ll be rejected?

OR are you scared to change because you think if you do, you’ll suck at it, the change won’t hold and then all of a sudden you’ll become one of those people that everyone else says “well she tries and tries to lose weight but nothing seems to work” and that’s embarrassing AF?

The excuse is readily available to get you out of putting forth the effort though so you use it. The “oh I can’t get to the gym because of _________”; “I can’t eat healthy because __________________”.

After all, you can’t fail if you never try right?

Every time I think of an excuse, every time I hear one, I think of the alternative. For me, when excuses are being thrown around, I think about it like a crossroads, and then I think about the moment I started walking again.

Because my injury was so significant and the pain was so intense, I spent the first 6 months or so of being hurt on some hardcore pain meds. Like enough to tranquilize a horse. As a result, there’s not a lot I really remember about those first several months of my life. It’s hazy, with memories being filled in maybe by my subconscious but also by my parents.

When I got to walk again though, I distinctly remember that. I was off the pain meds by that point and I was FUCKING SCARED. I remember everything about that moment in time down to how the PT’s office SMELLED. That’s how vivid that memory is for me. And I remember thinking “meh fuck this, I’m good. I’m not strong enough and I’m going to fall and then I’ll be back in surgery” and the litany of BS continued. Then I remember my PT looking at me and saying “you can either get up and walk or not. It’s up to you but you’re not going to fall. You’re stronger than what you think”.

Obviously it all worked out but that anticipation of the unknown almost left me completely stuck in a reality where I was surviving, but not thriving.

I’ve taken that moment in time and carried it with me, compared every other tough as nails situation to it. Because if I can learn how to walk again, I can do just about freaking anything and BECAUSE I got the chance to learn to walk again, I’m going to try do just about anything. And if I fail, at least I failed trying, at least I learned and know where I need to make changes and at least I showed myself that I am stronger and more capable than I think I am.