How do you keep going when the going is tough?

Has this ever happened in your life?  I know it has in mine!

The scale doesn't cooperate...
The co workers want to eat out and you can't say no because the boss is going...
One beer turns into one beer too many...
The 24 hours that were there turned into not so many...
It's just a tough day, week, month...

So the going is getting tough.  Remember not to focus too much on the past.  The past is behind us.  We are looking forward.

Here are 10 tips I focus on when I'm trying to regain my focus:

1.  Focus on today!  Focus on what you can control right now.  I don't know about you, but I can only handle focusing on what is happening right now.  Even focusing on the whole day seems like a lot.  So take a moment and focus on just what is happening right in this instance.

2.  Try to release the stress and tension.  This isn't helping you focus.  Take a brisk walk.  Exercise.  Go hit a few tennis balls.  Get a massage. 

3.  Reach out for support.  Beachbody coaches provide FREE personal support to help you get back on track.  This type of support is invaluable for me.  My Beachbody coach is amazing and I could not do this without her.  It's one of the reasons I became a Beachbody coach.  So I could help others struggling through the same things I am.  If you are not ready to connect with a Beachbody coach, connect with a friend.  Surround yourself with positive people who are there to support you.

4.  Hold on to hope and gratitude.  Be hopeful that you will pull through this challenging time.  Be grateful for the victories you have already achieved.

5.  Comfort and care for yourself.  Take the time to take care of you!  If you need 15 minutes away from everybody, take that time.  Read a book, close your eyes, take a nap, grab a cup of coffee.  Whatever you need to do to comfort yourself.  Do it!  (But don't use FOOD!)

6.  Know that this struggle is temporary.  No matter what the struggle is, it will hellp you grow and learn.  It is also just temporary.

7.  Let go of what you cannot control.  Just like #1 says to focus on what you can control, do the opposite with the things you cannot control.  You probably cannot control where a group of co workers go for dinner.  You express an opinion, but you don't have the ultimate say so.   BUT you can control what goes in your mouth!  Drink one beer if you must.  Drink only water!  Don't touch the chips at a Mexican restaraunt.  But let go of the things out of your control. 

8.  Commit to a goal.  What do you want to achieve today?  Tomorrow?  This week?  This month?  This year?  Think of what you want to achieve and then commit to it!  It won't happen if you don't commit.

9.  Lean on faith.  God has given you a beautiful body and He wants you to take care of it.  BUT He loves  you no matter what.  Even if you trip up for a night and gobble down a whole tub of ice cream.  He still loves you but lean on the fact that He wants you to take care of your body. 

10.  Allow yourself to dream.  This is my favorite one.  My husband and I settled on the dates for our Hawaiian vacation today.  We leave July 18.  I am dreaming of a sexy me lounging on the beach with a 90 lb weight loss under my belt.  Guess what?  It's not only a dream but a goal!  I can most definitely do it.  It will take a LOT of hard work, but the dream is taking shape. 

Take each of these and ponder what they mean to you during the tough times.  You can do this!  Make a goal, lean on people for support, dream!  You are a beautiful person!

Setbacks in Success

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about measuring success.  It's not always based on the scale and you should see victories in other places. 

Today I want to talk about what happens when you don't succeed, miss out on some goals, and you have setbacks in success. 

Here are some of my thoughts.  I encourage you to post in a comment below some additional thoughts you may have as well.

1.  FORGET THE PAST. 

You cannot change what you did a year ago; you cannot change what you did five minutes ago.  The choices you made then are GONE and done with.

2.  You have the power to make sure the mistakes of yesterday are not repeated in the actions of today.  You have the power of choice.  Choose the strawberry over the licorice.  I promise you will start to see great results when you CHOOSE to make the right decisions. 

3.  The future is in your hands.  When you choose to forgo the huge dish of ice cream and instead choose cut up fruit with Greek yogurt, you are defining your future self. 

And your future self thank you. 



4.  One of the biggest ways to overcome a setback is to determine why the setback happened in the first place so you can make sure it doesn't happen again!!

5.  The last thing I want you to remember is that the setbacks you experience have the power to push you forward if you choose to learn from them.  

My biggest setback occured about four years ago.  I lost 30 pounds with the help of a friend.  For about four weeks, I did not see the scale move at all.  It was frustrating and discouraging.  And I gave up.  Not my finest moment.  Then I fell into a cycle of "I don't care what I eat."  And I gained back the 30 pounds....  PLUS an additional 10.  That is a HUGE setback and one I am not proud of at all.   BUT, I learned from that.  I learned that sometimes the scale does not move but there are other things to be proud of.  I also learned that how I felt then is NOT something I ever want to experience again.  The despair was a horrible feeling.  I felt lost and then when I saw the scale at my heaviest back in February, it clicked.  I needed to try again.  And this time, I am not giving up.  I've since lost 22 1/2 pounds.  I have 17 1/2 more pounds to go before I lose what I gained back.  But it's my setback weight I'm losing.  After that, I'm going to start fresh and really push those eating habits and push my limits with working out. 

As usual, I am ending my post with a CHALLENGE!!!!!  This one might be easy for some but difficult for others. 

Don't purposely suffer through setbacks.  But understand them and use them as a learning experience!!

DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!! 

After 90 days...

I started a fitness/ food challenge on April 4, 2012, 90 days ago roughly.  I started out 20 pounds heavier and several inches thicker.  As of today, I can say I've lost those said 20 pounds and have lost an average of about 2 inches around my waist and hips.  I've lost about an inch around my biceps, calves, thighes and bust.  I could have lost more, but honestly, I had a lazy final 3 weeks.

But...  aside from the weight and inches lost, I am a completely different person than what I was 90 days ago.    I know how to read labels now, I know foods that will give me energy and I even pay attention to the crap that goes into my body now.  Whenever I have a craving, I work VERY hard to find something that will satisfy the craving but not ruin all the work from that day or week.

I have also been drinking Shakeology for 120 days (a little over four months).  I know that has helped me as well.  Knowing the types of food that is Shakeology has definitely helped me make better decisions.  I am eating super foods from the Shakeology and I don't want to interfere with what they are doing for my body.  I have more energy, more desire to push play on my DVD player, and I am STRONGER!!!!  I have muscles I have not seen in several years.

What is the biggest change?  I think the biggest change is my DESIRE to just eat healthier.  I DESIRE to lose the weight.  I DESIRE to have more energy day to day, and I DESIRE the will to keep going.  My biggest change is that I know DESIRE and CRAVE to be healthy, fit, and energetic.

How do you see success?

I've been on this weight loss journey for several months now.  I've seen the scale move down quickly at times, but other times, it's been a VERY slow progress.  There are weeks where I do not see the scale move at all.  It can be upsetting, but then I remember I am seeing OTHER changes occurring.  I have to see the victories OFF the scale in order to keep myself motivated sometimes.

Here are some changes I see:

I'm down two sizes in bathing suits from last year.  That's incredible for me!!  I felt sexy in a bathing suit the last time at the pool several weeks ago and that hasn't happened in...  well, EVER.  I felt amazing.  That's a HUGE victory.

I'm also seeing my clothes fit much, much looser.  My nice dresses I have for those special times when Mike wants to take me out do not fit and I had to get them altered to be SMALLER!!!

I'm also making healthier choices.  Last night Mike and I went to Smokey Bones for dinner.  I LOVE that place.  I got the pulled pork with roasted corn and mashed potatoes.  I only ate half my dinner and brought the other half home for Mike to enjoy for lunch today.  It's not just eating smaller portions though.  I'm choosing a salad with some Balsamic dressing over the loads of Ranch dressing I just love.  I haven't had soda in...  oh, I'd say about 4 months.  Fast Food is out of the picture.  I feel amazing!!!!

Here's the biggest change:

I have ENERGY that I never had before.  I can go up and down the stairs in my new house and yes, I still have a long way to go, but I do not feel like I'm winded just by walking up 20 steps.  I can walk quickly through the airport (as quickly as my luggage allows) and feel amazing.  I am building muscles and really learning that being healthy is not an obsession, it's not a fad, it's not a temporary fix.  It's a LIFESTYLE change that I plan on continuing to make.

So, if you're not seeing the scale move like you want it to, remember there are other victories to celebrate.  Find them!!!  Share them with others!!!  And CELEBRATE the fact that you are on the road to ending the trend of obesity in America!!!