Will You Be Successful?

I can tell right off the bat if someone will be successful in their fitness journey. Crazy huh? But really I can tell. Want to know how I can tell?

“Maybe you don’t know how to get there, maybe you’re intimidated to take the first step, maybe the prospect of change is scary but you know it’s needed.”

You want it so badly you can TASTE it. You want it so badly that nothing else in the world matters. You want it more than anything else.

At the end of the day, that’s what makes the biggest difference. I can’t want this for you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do want this for you, but you have to want it more. You have to want it arguably more than you want air. 

Here’s the thing: I also know that by the time you actually stop lurking on my IG, stop clicking the coaching link, STOP FREAKING TOE DIPPING and do the damn thing, you do want it more than air. By that point, you’re so sick and tired (ready for my cliche?) of being sick and tired, that you don’t give af about anything else. You’re in it to win it because you know how much the alternative SUCKS and you’re over the alternative. You’ve lived the alternative long enough and it’s past time for a change.

Maybe you don’t know how to get there, maybe you’re intimidated to take the first step, maybe the prospect of change is scary but you know it’s needed. Change goes from being a pipe dream to a necessity and when you hit that point, that’s when you find me.

Once you reach that point, anything I tell you need to do, any change I suggest you make, won’t feel like a sacrifice. You won’t feel like I’m inconveniencing you to incorporate healthy habits into your life. The excuses you once gave without a second thought will fall away.

Then all of those healthy habits won’t seem so extreme, they’ll be easy and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

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.

You Know EXACTLY What To Do

Girl, I do NOT need to tell you what to do when it comes to being a healthy mama. 

I’ve been training people for a long time and in that time I’ve seen two commonalities amongst every single person I’ve trained: I’m not dealing with weak people and I’m sure AF not dealing with dumb people. 

You’re smart Boo and you know exactly what you need to do in order to get your body back to a point where you’re happy to see yourself naked in a mirror. 

Move your body and eat well. 

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. 

So if it’s that easy, how come we’re not all doing it? Because you have to get to the point in your life where you either get so frustrated with your status quo that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to change it, and you also have to know that you’re deserving of that change. In accordance with those feelings, you also have to know that the world isn’t going to fall apart because you take an hour to workout. 

The goals you’ve set for yourself matter and more importantly, all that shit that was on your plate before the workout will be there for you AFTER the workout. I guarantee it. So give yourself the endorphin rush to have the energy to handle the never ending To Do List. 

Then fuel your body with high quality, GOOD food most of the time. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your glass of wine but it does mean that the majority of the time, you’re giving your body good, not processed, fresh af food. 

Maybe that means meal prepping, snack prepping, getting a meal delivery service, busting out the crockpot, or whatever works the best for your family. For all of us, the strategies that are effective are different but the intention has to be the same. 

When all else fails, get the support you need to remind you that you matter, your goals matter and you have help to grant there. 

You're Great

Fall in love with the process of becoming great. 

Being healthy and living a healthy life is a journey, not a destination. I know we’ve sent certain goals for ourselves, and those goals for sure feel like destinations. Like when that 15 extra pounds are actually OFF. There’s your destination. I know you want to be at the end of your journey. 

You want to be wearing those jeans that taunted you from the bottom of your drawer for FOREVER with confidence and sass. 

And you will. 

But once you reach that destination what do you do? Because I know the last thing you would want to have happen after you lose the 15 pounds is to put it back on and then some. Or feel like you hit a plateau on your workout and not know how to push through it.

It’s a process and hopefully one you’ll learn to relish and enjoy. You’re building a foundation of health for yourself, you’re setting an example for your kiddos, and most importantly you’re taking care of yourself. It’s a beautiful thing to become great, to discover your strength and step into your power.

Maybe you know how to get that weight off, maybe you know what to do to make sure you’re eating healthy, maybe you’re already doing it.

If you are, that’s awesome. But it won’t do any good if you don’t know how to maintain it, and trust me, it’s only going to lead to frustration if you slide backwards.

Schedule your 15 minute free consultation via the link below to make sure you have the right foundation for success.

I Know You're Busy

I know you don’t have all the time in the world.

That’s why now that post baby weight you’ve been aiming to lose since you had your baby is now just extra weight because your baby is 10 years old.

It’s not because you didn’t want to lose weight or be able to get those skinny jeans on without laying on your bed to zip them up, it’s just because life got crazy and you didn’t know how to fit all those things to get yourself healthy into your day. You juggle so many things, you do so many things for so many people and you also need to sleep at some point so aspects of your own journey get put on the back burner.

Given that you don’t have endless amounts of time, you have to figure out how to maximize what little time you have to workout, meal prep, have balance and all the things. 

Everyone’s day and everyone’s schedule, as well as the demands that are placed on them look completely different, so how can you do this for yourself?

1. Pre-plan your workouts. If you have to wing your workouts, you’re going to waste what little time you have TO workout. Sit down with your schedule once a week, and plan your workouts into your week.

2. Keep the workouts short. If you know you’re not going to have 2 hours to spend on a workout, be realistic with the length of workout that fits into your day. Save the longer workouts for the days you know you’ll have more time. Ultimately you shouldn’t be stressed that the workout will take too long and will mess up your schedule for the rest of the day.

3. Factor in your shower/get ready time. When I break down my day and figure out when I’m going to workout, I also take into account that I’m going to need to shower after my workout. If I know I’m only going to have an hour to workout but I’ll also need 30 minutes to get myself presentable afterwards, I do a 30 minute workout (or maybe even 15 minutes of HIIT) so I have time to get ready without feeling like I’m being rushed.

Need more tips? Click the link below for an individualized scheduling call!

Sustainable Change

I want your life to have balance and the changes you make to be sustainable. Have you thought about that? WTF is all of this for if the changes you make are not sustainable?

Are you so focused on the journey that lies ahead of you and what that end goal looks like, that you’re not thinking past the end goal?

There is no point to A N Y of the work that you’re doing if it’s not going to create a healthy lifestyle for you. Not a temporary change, but a permanent one. Don’t get me wrong, I get wanting that goal of fitting into your favorite pre-baby skinny jeans without having to hold your breath or lay on your back to zip them so badly that you can taste it. I get it because I was there too.

You can hold onto that goal with both hands and all your might. Let it give you determination and let it give you the will power to reach it.

While you do that, I’m going to hold onto the goal that the determination you feel and the goals that you hit will give you the tools you need to make that goal your new reality.

That way you have the tools you need not just to have sustainable change but also to make sure that the goal you’ve worked your ass off for doesn’t slip out of your hands once you get it.

You Can't Expect Me to Remember a Workout When I'm This Tired

I’ve never been as tired as when I first became a mom. This is coming from someone who was training to be in the military, and those training experiences look like child’s play in comparison to the fourth trimester. Like seriously, I remember being up for DAYS on Army training exercises, but giving birth and then the first few months that followed sucked WAY more. That kind of exhaustion is completely indescribable unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Even then it’s that nod of acknowledgement because I still can’t find the words. 

I remember turning around and going back home one day because I forgot to brush my teeth. That kind of tired. 

So I don’t even know how you can live in that space of exhaustion and be expected to remember a workout, much less be motivated to workout in the first place. Hard pass. 

But yet, if you want that baby weight to come off you have to do more than just breastfeed. You have to eat well and you have to move your body. It doesn’t have to be crazy, it doesn’t have to be aggressive, no one’s going to give you a medal for going bat shit crazy on the workouts but you have to do something. 

My 3 Tips for Post Baby Workout Plans:

1. I wrote down my workouts. Like in my planner every single week down to the hour I could work out. And then I scheduled a back up time with a potential back up workout in case my first plan fell through. Writing it down meant I knew what I was supposed to do and it wouldn’t get lost in my mom brain fog.

2. I walked Sully. He hated it, it’s not my favorite thing BUT it meant I was getting fresh air, moving my body and doing something in case #1 didn’t work out. And it was the easiest thing to do that included Grace. Plus the low impact aspect of walking meant I could do it after I got cleared to workout by my doctor but while I was still building up my strength.

3. I asked for help so I could workout. I asked people to come over and watch Grace so I could get a workout in. Granted this wasn’t a regular request, but it was a nice option to have every once in awhile so I could get my workout done and have a second to myself.

Who Doesn't Love Waffles?

I love waffles. That’s like my favorite breakfast food. I attribute it to staying at my grandparents house and my grandma making these amazing Belgian waffles that you would smell when you woke up in the morning. All crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, covered in syrup or strawberries and whipped cream. Well shit now I’m hungry. 

Seriously my obsession with waffles is crazy. To the point where my next dog will probably be named Waffles (I mean a corgi named Waffles? Like COME ON).

Alas I’m outnumbered in my house on the waffle front for breakfast. Lame. My people are more the savory sort who love anything that involves bacon. I know what you’re thinking. Why not just have a side of bacon WITH your waffles? I KNOW. Me too. But they’re not here for it. 

So I’ve had to get creative on my breakfast front so I can feed the masses and be excited about what I’m eating as well. 

My compromise is linked below!

Feeling uncomfortable when I worked out used to make me want to quit.

Like running for the hills quit. Like I would get 10 seconds out from being done with the interval and just be like whatever, fuck it, interval done.

Because that burning feeling in my chest, that feeling like my lungs were going to explode and that my muscles were going to rip SUCKED.

Like I would rather be doing anything else, including my taxes as opposed to having that feeling. I can totally understand why, because of that feeling, people either quit working out all together or don’t push themselves during a workout. The immediate feeling of pain isn’t worth the long term goal you’ve set for yourself.

And this my friends is a mental block. Not a strength issue. Go figure huh? Because your body is strong AF and your muscles have a tremendous capacity to push through pain. You know what doesn’t though? Your brain. That little negative voice in your head that totally encourages you to quit while you’re ahead. The one that’s like nah girl you don’t have to do all the reps, you’ve done enough. 

But damn the transformation that waits on the other side if you can get through that mental block. If you can remind yourself of the goals you’ve set during those moments you want to quit. If you can repeatedly tell yourself you can do it (that’s my go to) when 15 seconds all of a sudden feels like 20 hours. 

Change the narrative. Focus on the goals you’ve set, tell yourself one positive thing on repeat and keep doing those things during those moments you want to quit. Shoot, focus on breathing as a distraction. Whatever works and it’s different for everyone but what matters is that you find what works for you.

Then after awhile, after you establish that habit, what you’re going to find is that when the work sucks, which it will, the faster you can bring mind back to a state of calm, the easier it will be to push through.

Because all you’re really doing is finding a state of serenity under conditions of duress.