Bring It On Life!

I absolutely LOVE this!  Seriously - bring it on life - what do you have next for me?!  I'm ready ~ I'm here ~ I can handle whatever you throw at me.  Now, don't get me wrong, I may not always LIKE what life throws my direction but I believe that HOW we react and WHAT we do in a situation truly defines who we are and what will happen next.  Life has thrown some serious curve balls my way but I'm still here and so much stronger then I was should those things never had happened.  I'm not entirely sure I'd want any of those curve balls to never have been thrown.  Oh sure, I would rather have had more successes then failures, less crying and more smiling, less stress and more passion but in the end, all of these things taught me how to cope and be strong.  Those decisions defined me and my character and has brought me where I am today.  It's a road that has NEVER once been boring or mundane but filled with lessons, laughter and joy. 

So, where am I going with all of this you say?  Well, I had a request for tips on staying motivated to stay on track with lifestyle changes.  So I was thinking, what's the best way to help someone stay positive and motivated to stay on track and I came across this picture.  WOW!  What great advice!  Life is going to throw curve balls at you no matter what.  If you are trying to change a eating pattern or fit a workout into your schedule but one day it just doesn't happen, then it's okay.  Pick yourself up, dust off and get right back on the wagon the next day.  Changes take time.  Changes will kick you in the butt.  Change is inevitable but it's how you deal with those changes that will keep you moving forward.  

I am always so happy to hear when a client or friend has told me that they started to eat better and move more.  They recognized that a change needed to be made but one of the biggest mistakes people will make is doing TOO much all at once.  Friends....when you eliminate everything you love to eat or do out of your life, you will fail and find your face in bag of chips in front of the TV watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory for hours and hours before you know it!  So here is a list of my best "keeping you on track to reach your goals" advice:

1. WRITE down your goals:  short and long term.  Short term goals can be a daily, weekly or monthly goal.  Long term would be 3, 6 to 12 months.  "I want to lose 20 lbs in 10 days" is NOT a short term attainable goal.  Chose something like, "I will workout a minimum of 3 times a week for 2 weeks"  Then WRITE it down somewhere that you will SEE it every day.  Put it in YOUR FACE so you don't forget.  Schedule it.  Put it in your calendar.  Put it on your vision board.  Just put it somewhere that you will be REMINDED that this is what you want to accomplish.
2. REWARD yourself:  now, I'm not talking about a reward that consists of half a cheese cake or no workouts for a week - I'm talking about treating yourself to a new pair of shoes or buying that book you've been wanting to read.  Give yourself something to look forward to so when you reach that goal - and you will - you are giving yourself a nice pat on the back for getting there and sticking to your plan.
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE:  listen, life is hard, life is busy, life is crazy sometimes.  Keep your menus simple if you are busy and don't have time to cook.  Find the best time during the day to schedule your workout and stick to it. Prepare in advance so you can grab it out of the fridge on the go.  Pick a day during the week to prepare your foods in advance so it's in the fridge or pantry when you don't have time to prepare a big meal.  Life is already busy, don't complicate your nutrition by trying to cook fancy healthy meals, you won't stick to it.  It's a process friends.  Keeping it simple will make it less complicated and easier for you to stay on track. 
4. PREPARATION is key:  as mentioned above - prepare your food in advance.  Wash your veggies and have them ready to grab in the fridge when you need to run out the door.  Make extra on days you do have time to cook so you have leftovers for the next day or so.  We cook extra protein on Sunday's so during the week I've got chicken, steak, hamburger, fish or whatever we grilled that weekend in the fridge to create whatever I want with during the week.  I cannot stress enough, that being prepared will keep you on track more then any other tip I will share with you. 
5. ENJOY LIFE:  if you do all of the above and you are "keeping it clean" 80-90% of the time and working out (in whatever manner you choose) 4-6 times a week you are doing pretty darn good.  You have made the right changes and as you keep doing it, it will get easier.  You WILL incorporate those changes in your life and the best part of all of this, is you gave yourself 10% of that time to do enjoy your vices (in moderation of course :) Because life is about LIVING and enjoying every last minute of it!

Keep it clean, my friends.  Reward yourself for good behavior.  Simplify your life. Prepare in advance. 

And ENJOY!

I challenge you all today to write down your goals, short and long term.  Share them with me here.  Make them real by putting them on paper and sending them to someone for accountability.  I'm anxious to hear what goals you all have for 2014!  Please share!

Keep it Real ~ Stay Strong ~ Never, Never, Never Give Up
~Stacey xxoo