 Getting in shape can be overwhelming. You see where you are and how far you need to go to get to where you want to be. Don’t let your eyes look too far ahead. Don’t hold yourself up to a standard you have yet to experience. Just take one step at a time. Even if you are afraid or insecure take a step. It does not matter how you feel as long as you don’t let your feelings keep you from moving forward. Just take one step at a time.
One meal adjustment at a time. One cardio workout at a time. One lap around the track at a time. Every step you take is one step closer to your goals. You may want to do 3 workouts in a day to speed up your progress but you can’t do them at the same time you have to do one before you can do three. Some times we can be so ambitious that it distracts from taking simple actions towards our goals. Your dream house is not built in a day. It takes many actions before a house can be completed. Even when it is built there requires maintenance to sustain it. Meaning when you reach your goals you don’t stop you create new ones. If we take one action at a time we can focus all our energy on it and we will feel more motivated to take the next step. Today take one step towards your fitness goals and share your step with someone else. You never know how it may motivate them to take a step as well.  Whatever you are doing is working. Really it is. Many times when we are on our fitness journey we get discouraged by the lack of results. We have changed our diets. We have started exercising and we feel good about the work we put in. Though we have made changes we don't see changes to our body. It sucks to put so much time and energy into your new lifestyle and have meager results. But the truth is whatever you are doing is working. The key is to stop looking for immediate results. Stop measuring yourself to an image of perfection. Where you are now is all that matters. The 5 push-ups you can do now is just as effective as the 50 push-ups you will be able to do in the future. You are on a journey, not a destination. Meaning you are not meant to stay where you are. Measuring every good and bad thing you do only prevent you from moving forward. Whatever the numbers are, they are. The numbers don't define you or the work you have put in. Don't be motivated by the scale when the scale only works when you are on it. Meaning it is only valuable when you use it. You make things valuable. You make things important. So every action you take is working because of you.
The other day I planted seeds in my garden and I could not wait for the plants to grow. When I read the label it said the plant would not reach maturity for 200 days. I am not very patient I don't want to wait 200 days to appreciate the plants. But that is what I have to do if I want them to grow to maturity. My job is not to wait for them to grow my job is to water the soil and give the seeds what they need as they grow through the process. Today some of the plants have broken through the ground, while others still have not. I am happy for the growth but I am also not discouraged by the seeds that have not. The point is what I am doing is working. Regardless if I see it or not my work is not in vain. Keep working on your mind and body. You may be sore. You may be tired. You may feel insecure. But know that your effort today is not in vain. You are the person you long to be. A seed is already the plant in seed form. You are already the person you want to be you are just changing forms. Your workouts, your dietary choices are all working to shed the person you have been and reveal the person you are. Keep doing what you are doing. It's working.  The Gift of Perspective You just had a tough week of workouts. You feel like you are making progress then you step on the weight scale and look down and see a number that does not reflect the work you put in or how you feel. All the sacrifices you made seemingly are for nothing.
It is discouraging to put your heart into something and not see the results you desire. But like a person walking a tightrope to the other side, you can’t look down. You have to keep walking with your eyes focused on what is before not what is beneath you. When you look down you will lose balance and fall. How many times have you fallen off the tightrope of healthy living? How many times have you turned back from where you want to be to return back to where you have been? The life you desire is in front of you. It is where you are now. Each step, each workout, each meal all work together to give you your desired outcome. If your perspective is off you will only see your mistakes. You will see your flaws and ignore your inner strength. No matter if you miss a workout, eat something you didn’t intend to eat, it is okay just keep walking. Don’t look down. Don’t lose focus on where you want to be. Embrace the learning process. Let your mistakes teach you, not discourage you. Don’t torment yourself with trying to be perfect. Perfection is overrated. Loving who you are is more important. Love will allow you to enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Love frees you to simply be with no strings attached. When your perspective is filled with love you give yourself the grace to learn and discover who you truly are. Don’t look down; keep looking forward to living the best life in front of you.  When you want something new you have to go after it. A lot times people talk about changing their lives but can’t seem to change anything because old habits are hard to break. You are just one choice of away from taking back your power.
If you have a new car you don’t allow anyone to ride that has dirty feet or clothes. You love your new car so much you don’t want anything to tarnish its beauty. Today your body and mind is new. You look and feel great. Ask yourself: What do you want to put in your body and mind today? What will keep you at your highest level? Do you really want to be weighed down by negative thoughts and foods that drain your energy? You are the owner of your body. It is your choice what rides with you and what fuel you put in the tank. When you change your outlook each day, each moment is new, you can then cherish your life and decisions before you. Enjoy the ride! You are worth it.  The past 3 weeks, I have been training my best friend, my wife. The challenge has been making sure that the workouts are hard but not discouraging. So far she has been great but does not like me much because she is sore. I love the opportunity to be about to help people get in shape, because I know how good it feels to be active.
My wife is not like me, I can put a workout dvd in and be committed to the program until it is done. She like variety. She does not want to do the same things all the time. Having this knowledge, I have created a plan that fits her. The workouts are no more than 15 minutes, but in those 15 minutes she is pushed to her limit. This week to go along with the workouts we are getting outside for walks. It is only the beginning, but I can see that she is committed to reaching her goals. I am inspired by her courage and she told me today that “she will be in better shape than me by the end of the summer.” I better step my game up because she already looks amazing. My goal is not to have her dependent on me to train her but I want to empower her to unleash the athlete within her. She will then be able to create her own workouts and I will be the one doing them. lol. What I am learning is to have fun in all that I do. No matter if I am doing my own workout or if I am training her, I want to enjoy the ride. Below is an example of what we are doing. Try it out and let us know what you think. Monday: 10 minute Tabata Workout 20 seconds on/ 10 seconds off Warm-up Run in Place (30 seconds) Jumping Jacks (30 seconds) Workout 2 sets Jump Rope 2 sets Mountain Climbers 2 sets High Knees 2 sets Push-ups 2 sets Squat Jacks 2 sets Plank Jacks 2 sets Burpees 2 sets Bicycle Crunches Cool-Down 1 minute stretch/water break Tuesday: 15 minute G Butt & Gut Workout 1 minute on/ 15 seconds off Warm-up Jump Rope (1 minute) Leg stretch (1 minute) Workout Bowler Lunges (Alternate) Squats with Side Leg Raise (30 seconds each leg) Plank Leg Raise (30 seconds each leg) Squat Pulses (30 seconds) Sumo Squats Crunch Toe Touch Weighted Russian Twist Scissor Kicks PilatesShoulderBridge (30 seconds each leg) Jack Knife Plank Hold Cool-Down 1 minute stretch/water break  Beauty awaits you at the top of your mountain of “better health”. No matter how long it takes, how hard the journey is; good things lie ahead. The key is to keep moving forward. You may slip on a “rock” once and awhile or maybe everyday but just keep moving forward. Your journey is yours to experience and enjoy. You determine your pace. Don’t be so eager to get to the top of the mountain that you don’t learn the lessons on the way that will sustain you in your new life. Don’t worry too much about results or devalue your progress because you see someone ahead of you. Your journey can not be compared to anyone else. You have things that you have to work out and some things you have to let go of before you reach the “better” you.
So have fun! Enjoy yourself. Ask yourself what can I can I try new today to challenge myself? One thing you will realize on your journey is that the beauty at the top of your mountain can compare to the beauty you already possess in you. :) Everytime you get a little frustrated about your progress (weight loss, mental burdens, self confidence, you can fill in the blank__________) tell yourself: I am worth it. I won’t give up. I am moving forward. I am changing. Don’t allow what you hear behind keeping you from moving towards what’s ahead of you. Until next time. Keep climbing, you are getting closer  photo by: Matthew Wiebe Don't let the unpredictability of life discourage you from reaching your goals.
Having six kids I know a thing about things happening when you least expect it. You can have a plan of action but things don't go as you envision them. You see, I sacrifice my time and agenda for my kids. I put my plans to the side to help them. The problem is when the situation is resolved, I don't pick up my plans, I just wing it. I try to make up for lost time not realizing that there is no lost time. There is no deadline except for the one I created. If I created it, I can adjust it. I can form it into what can realistically benefit me now. When we create plans, we create them unrealistically. We say we are going to work out everyday for an hour when we have not worked out for months. We going to eat certain things but we never tasted them before. The plan motivates us to start our journey but it can't keep us on it we don't allow our experiences to customize it to our fitting. We are all different. We can do the same workout plan and we will get different results. If we are all different than we have different goals and aims in life. It is important that we make goals but as we live adjust them as we discover who we are. Embrace adjustments because that is what makes you special. Here are 4 tips to help you reach your goals in life.
 So... I started working out this week - yay!
I convinced my husband (who, as an ex-football player, has a ton of experience with working out) to come up with a plan for me to easily fall back in to a routine. I can honestly admit that I'm not the "work out" type, so keeping it under 10 minutes was essential. He gave me a plan that did just that and I thought, "Ha! This is gonna be a breeze..." To my surprise, every workout so far has been under five minutes but it pushes me for every single minute! I love it! (I'll share what I've done so far at the end of this blog). The plan is challenging enough that I don't feel like I'm wasting my time, yet, simple enough that I'm committed to keeping it up. I feel like it's a great option for someone like me who is ready to get fit and needs a starter plan that can fit easily into an already busy life! At the end of each day, whether I've done my workout in the morning or right before I go to sleep, I feel accomplished and ready to move on to the next day. There is also a Beginner to Buff 30-Day Challenge found on AbbaFit's website (sign up for the newsletter to get emails when new challenges are posted) that uses simple moves with your own weight/resistance to get a more toned body. Another great solution for anyone looking to add a second workout to their day or a primary workout for someone just getting started! Take a look at the plan below that I've been following so far and try it out! Tell me what you think! Like I said, it may not look like it but I got a GREAT workout each day in under five minutes! Monday: WARMUP: Jumping Jacks for 60 seconds WORKOUT: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest --> Push-ups, Floor Sprints, Plank Dips Tuesday: WARMUP: Jog for 60 seconds WORKOUT: 20 seconds on, 10 second rest --> 10# Bicep Curls, Squat Pulses, Crunches Wednesday (Rest Day) Thusday: WARMUP: High Knees for 60 seconds WORKOUT: 15 Tricep Dips, 15 Burpees, 15 Bicycle Crunches Let's get fit together, -MR  What is keeping you from the lifestyle you desire? It is not your children or your spouse. It is not your parents or co-workers. It is not your culture or job. It is you. You determine your lifestyle. The power is in your hands. This is where your journey starts; with you.
You have the power to change. It is not about creating some workout plan that adds more stress to your already stressful life. It is about asking yourself. What do I really want? What will make me happy? What can I do right now? Life is a journey and on the journey we pick up habits and routines that make us comfortable and keep us from living the life we want to live. We forget how fun it is to discover new things! Whatever you have done in the past does not have to determine what you can do now. Changing your lifestyle can be uncomfortable and painful but it is also rewarding and exciting. It is not about anyone giving you a plan to follow. You carry your plan in your heart. Be empowered to follow your heart. For true health starts inside of you. The best way to good health is your way. Until next time.... E.G. |
AbbaFit BlogThe AbbaFit blog is devised of AbbaFit community members who want to share their personal fitness journeys. It is a non-shaming, non-judging environment where we all can gain support and encouragement to a live to a better physical and mental life. Wanna join our blog team? Contact us today! Archives
February 2018
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