Everything else comes first - exercise last. We say that the other activities must be completed - we owe that time to someone or something else - and exercise is - well - hard. This is me for sure! So many irons in the fire, so much other responsibility. However, I am trying diligently to change my mindset. To realize that exercise is hard, but it is worth the difficulty. This is the only body I will ever have, and it is my responsibility to take care of it or face the consequences - and those consequences are not pretty - and dealing with them will be a whole other kind of hard.
Yet knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are much different. So I had to find a way to make it work for me. Some people just go for it. Some people even enjoy the exercise (I do once it is done - and not because it is over, but because I feel so good). But I tend to put it off to another time, then another, then another - eating as well - oh, I don't put off eating - I put off eating meals that will fuel my body with needed nutrients. If bread and chocolate had all of our daily vitamins - I would be Hercules - well maybe Xena.
My dilemma, then, became how to motivate myself to act in a manner that would build me up both physically and mentally - that would keep me on track - not perfectly - but heading daily in the right direction. Challenge groups and coaching groups! For me, the answer.
I began with the challenge groups - and even then I struggled - but I trudged on. I finally realized that is isn't about not struggling, it is about perseverance - not giving up. That every step I took in the right direction would eventually lead me to a healthier and happier place. The real beauty of these groups (which is the main reason I became a coach - lifetime accountability) is that my struggle affirms someone else's struggle and together with many others we journey, building one another up with encouragement and understanding along the way. We stumble - we fall - one challenger put it well when when she commented about not only falling off the horse, but tumblig down the hill as well.
We are better together - and I am better because I am not only looking out for myself but others. And if we stroll together day by day and pound by pound - we will eventually find ourselves running and wondering at which point the actual change took place.
In his book
The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy states, "The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. What's most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don't feel significant....What most people don't realize is that these small seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference."
It is the small steps, the consistent steps, the turtle steps that will eventually allow for finishing the race. And those of us working together may not all cross the finish line at the same time, but we will cross, while continuing to cheer one another on along the way.
I already love Beachbody, but I am still amazed at how well this program is organized and developed! Not only are all of the supplements included but there is a program and nutrition guide as well as dvd's that cover the program AND a how-to for the daily menus. The chef is wonderful; she takes the viewer through tools needed in the kitchen, to an explanation of everything from grains, fruits, vegetables etc. My favorite part is the ability to pull all of this information up on my phone or ipad. The website theultimatereset.com has info for those who are interested but also a private log in for those who are using the program. Not only can I pull up a grocery list, but I can play a video on how to make EACH meal right on my phone and ipad as well.
I also love the little extra touches - a natural fiber bracelet to wear as a reminder for the 21 days and a small pouch to carry the supplements.
Today's shopping took a while as I covered the staples for the 21 days and the food for the first week (Phase 1). But the lists are separated by fruits/veggies, condiments, herbs etc. and then in alphabetical order. I am really learning a lot about food.
Once the shopping was complete, my wonderful husband and I took some time to CLEAN and clean out both the pantry and the fridge! What a great feeling.
So for 21 days, beginning with the arrival of my package of supplements and recipes (DVD's), I will be blogging about the benefits, struggles, and daily activities associated with my Ultimate Reset - mind and body. Feel free to follow my journey, ask questions, see results, and learn how a once anti-veggie/fruit individual overcomes for greater health, strength of body, and clarity of mind.
Building toward my first Challenge Group on July 7. What amazes and excites me the most is the opportunity to virtually work out with people that I am no longer able to see on a daily basis. Some of the challengers live more than 500 miles away, but I now have the opportunity to share, inspire them, as well as my being inspired by them each day. And it doesn't end here. Through other challenge groups and my Beachbody coach team, I am able to meet new and interesting people that I would never have met otherwise. What a marvelous way to stay connected, helping one another achieve our goals - a healthier lifestyle, a more life.
I've done it. I've taken the plunge and become a Beachbody coach. Why? This is the question that my coach asked me. Why? Because I have tried so many other ways to lose weight and found that there is no EASY way and no MAGIC pill. They just don't exist - not to lose weight and be healthy for a lifetime. And that is exactly what I want to be: healthy for life. Beachbody's motto is to help others - really - I'm not kidding - even before selling a product. They advocate relationships and truly having a desire to help others along the way to succeed on their health/weight loss journey. Their products are solid, promoting good nutrition, exercise, and just as important accountability.
Accountability - this is what I need. And my being a coach gives me that while allowing me to share my discoveries with others. My coach and my team will keep me accountable and assist me in learning more about myself, nutrition, and exercise. There are some who can manage this journey on their own, and I applaud their will power and stamina. For me, I have a tendency to put exercise off and eat foods I shouldn't - knowing that I need to live the program I have committed to share keeps me on the straight and narrow - and ultimately keeps me healthy everyday, every month, every year, for a lifetime. No more losing weight and putting it back on months later (ever notice how much easier it is to find it than to lose it?). No more maybe I'll exercise for a few weeks then forget about it. No more feeling sluggish and tired. No more harming my body - the only vessel I have to wander this world. No more.
me up,encouraging me, and keeping me moving forward. What an awesome opportunity.
