2012 may have been a
fabulous year for you. Maybe you’re well
into your fitness journey and happy with your progress. For some, maybe you are at a standstill and
ready for change. Or maybe you’re
saying, “What fitness, what plan….progress?”
No matter the case, most of us desire improvement for the months and
year to come. The best thing you can do for
yourself is to reflect, redirect and aim high.
If you get stuck on how it always was, you’ll be where you always
were. It’s time to make changes and move
forward!
I asked several of our Fit
Gals and Guys to tell me what challenged them for 2012 and what they were
hoping to change for the New Year. They
responded and I give my input and tips, sharing what’s worked for me and
hopefully what can work for you! I won’t
sugar coat anything, just tell you what you want to hear, or be gentle. I’m a tell-it-like-it-is kind of gal and only
want the best (and to be honest) for your journey!
Question and Struggle:
Gal says, “I struggle with
snacking on too many BLT’s (bites, licks, and tastes) from my kids’ plates.”
Fit Gal and Guy Action Plan:
Focus on your daily
diet. If you’re still really hungry
after you’ve eaten or while prepping the kids’ food, then you might not be
eating enough. Time to eat….the right
foods! Much like when you prep to go grocery
shopping, you eat before you go so the wrong and tempting foods don’t make
their way into the cart. The same goes
for when you’re around others’ tempting foods.
If you find yourself in the habit of snacking often, then make sure your
plan is balanced and you’re giving yourself enough cheat meals and treats to
stay content. Otherwise, bad habits
arise and before you know it, you’ve ventured way off plan and a simple slip
has turned into a slide!
Question and Stuggle:
Gal says, “How do I find motivation
after an injury? I make the decision to
get in shape, I come out of the gate strong, work out way too hard, giving 110%
each time and then I get injured and my plan falls apart. How do I pull back the reins and stay
motivated?”
Fit Gal and Guy Action Plan:
I see two different areas
to tackle here. If you see this as your ongoing
pattern, then you have to go back and identify the problem and set yourself up
for success.
-First issue: giving 110%
at each workout is awesome and a wonderful plan. But if your plan is to lift and do cardio too
often, then you’ll find injury waiting around the corner. You’re not getting injured because you’re
giving 110%, you’re getting injured because you may not be listening to your
body and giving it what it needs.
If you
want to set up a proper plan for the long haul, then what are
your goals? If it’s to do more workouts in
order to get faster results, it won’t happen and yes, injury will derail
you. If you’re coming back into the
fitness scene fast and furious to make up for lost time from your injury and
time on the sidelines, then you’ll end up right back where you left off. This time, make a plan to quit starting over,
set yourself up properly, and let the past be the past. Be realistic in your plans. If you’re lifting, lift different body parts
3 to 5 days a week. If you’re doing
cardio, do it after you lift OR on non-lifting days and only for 20 to 30
minutes max. Some group exercise classes
go longer, so if that’s your choice, only do up to 3 of those 45 to 60-minute
classes weekly. Then, give yourself a
REST DAY, water up, and get good sleep. Still give
110% when you show up, just make sure to show up when your body says its ready!
-Second issue: Staying
motivated! It sounds like this scenario
is maybe one expecting fast results.
Time to change the mindset. Fast
results do not really exist, without injury, frustration, and lack of
motivation. Most people quit way too
soon because they aren’t getting where they want to be quickly. What needs to happen is for people to realize
that slow progress IS progress. So just
keep going! Work your plan, listen to
your body, and expect the best, not what’s happened in the past!
Question and Struggle
Gal says, “I want to change
it up and lift heavier.”
Fit Gal and Guy Action Plan
Ok. So go for it!
It’s all about baby steps, though.
It’s you against you in this race and doesn’t matter what the gal or guy
next to you is lifting. The best way to
lift heavier is to have a plan and keep record of what you lifted last
time. Get a journal and write it all
down. Make note of how it felt, focus on
your form, and always try to improve and go up in weight the next time you
tackle that exercise.
If you're lifting heavy and your goal is to grow muscle, you'll do higher weights and lower reps. I usually do 3 to 4 sets of a 10-12 rep exercise and if it's a REALLY heavy weight (like on leg day) my sets may only have 6 reps. If you're making a change, it's best to consult someone at your gym for a coaching session or consider a trainer for a time and learn proper form and strategy. That's what I did and it was one of the best investments (in me) I've ever done!
The formula for growing the
muscle is making sure you have proper rest between sets and enough hydration
during your lifting AND making sure that muscle group is well rested before
working it out again on another day.
Also, pay attention to your pre and post workout nutrition making sure
to have complex carbs and protein before lifting and a quick carb and protein
post lifting. Steer clear of all fats
and high fiber foods for 90 minutes after lifting so the quick carbs and proteins are absorbed
first to replenish the muscle. In due time, and with proper timing and nutrition, you'll see the ability to lift heavy(er) and go for the look you desire. Keep a
plan, keep record, set your goals and go for it!
Question and Struggle
Gal says, “How do I find
time to work out with kids and no childcare?”
Fit Gal and Guy Action Plan
We will never find enough
time to fit it all in. However, we do make time for what’s important to us. I
coach people to use a daily to-do list based off their priorities. The things that are a priority to you go on
the calendar and on to the broken down tasks on the to-do list. If your health and wellness is a priority and
getting a workout in is a priority, you’ll find a way. Put less on the to-do list, get to bed
sooner, get up earlier, and get it in at some point in your day.
I prefer to get into the
gym to get my fitness on or workout outside on a nice day, but sometimes we can’t
always make that happen for any given reason.
There are TONS of at-home videos, online free workouts, You Tube, and
workout how-to’s online using weights, bands and your own body weight. If the family’s around and you can’t get a
workout in, then it’s all about scheduling and having a heart-to-heart with the
little ones about what you’re trying to do.
Get up early to get it in or do it after they’re in bed. If it’s a daytime event, find a way for them
to workout alongside you or give them the video camera to record you (and be
distracted) while you’re working out!
The biggest concept to
grasp is that is must become part of your daily rhythm and not a hope or wish
to be squeezed in if you have time left in the day. Most of us try to fit 30 hours worth of work
into a 24-hour day (guilty here!), so finding “extra time” is honestly never going to happen. Set a goal, set a plan and agenda for the
week, treat your fitness like a job, and get it done!
Question and Struggle
Gal says, “I get in a rut
of not working out and then I eat poorly.
I eat poorly because I’m not working out. It’s a vicious, consistent cycle and I’m
ready for change.”
Fit Guy and Gal Action Plan
Question and Struggle
Gal says, “I need
motivation to stay on track with diet while battling an injury. I struggle with correct portion sizes while
being sedentary.”
Fit Guy and Gal Action Plan
Battling an injury is never
easy. However, if you’re used to eating
based off your activity level maybe what you’ve been eating even when you were
active was not just about portion size but more about content? On times of low to no activity, I knew I had
to “tighten up the diet”. I wasn’t as
focused on correct portion size as I was on making sure to choose the healthiest options possible. 2500 calories of junk is not the same as 2500
calories of clean food choices and my body is the first to reveal the
results of my choices. In reality, you can actually eat bigger portion sizes of cleaner food and feel more full and content had you chosen something of lower quality. In order to make sure you stay in correct portion control, injured or not, you should make sure to know the foods you’re eating. Always track what you eat and be educated to what’s in the ingredients. My tips and what works for me: measure your foods, focus on staying in your daily caloric amount, eat 6 small meals daily (even dividing your total day's calories over the course of 6 meals helps), and make choices of lean meats and proteins, low sugar vegetables, healthy fats, and minimal grains and fruits. Use sweets and treats sparingly, but give yourself a cheat meal or treat here and there to trick the body. If you adopt this style of eating for all time, when injury occurs, you’ll be more likely to stay on track!
Question and Struggle
Gal says, “I need help with
time management skills to work out and track what I eat.”
Fit Guy and Gal Action Plan
It starts with setting your
priorities and then booking your time and building your day’s events around
your goals and priorities. Use a daily
to-do list app and literally put the words “track your food” or “Workout at 8AM”
in the line up. There’s something
powerful to getting through a list and checking things off after you’ve completed
them. More importantly, you’re setting
up new habits for the long haul. Don’t
focus on trying to fit it in your schedule, focus on making it a part of your
rhythm….so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor! Thanks Fit Gals for sharing your questions with me and for allowing me to give my opinions and answers. Don't let the past determine your future. Choose to be different this time....you've got this!
Got a question or struggle
you’re dealing with from this year?
Email me at mindy@fitgalclub.com
or post it on my Facebook wall HERE!
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