Sunday, March 3, 2013

Mind set to start a weight loss program


For most people who come to me looking for help losing weight or getting in shape the thought of exercise does not sound fun. They may know that they will have to do it, but no one is over joyed about it. It’s the same with food in the beginning, everyone knows they are going to have to give up some of the things they don’t want to, but they are not overjoyed about it. The common response is “this is going to be hard”, “Yes it is, but you can do it….. it’s all a mindset” I say.

Your mindset and the way that you think about exercise and nutrition plays a huge part in having long term successful weight loss and health.  In the beginning, it is very hard and the voices in your head will be telling you all kinds of lies. Reality is that it's really all about your own internal voice and what it is saying to you. Is it saying you can’t do something? Is it telling you that you are inadequate? Or those really bad foods are your friends or worse have control over you?

It’s funny how the mind plays tricks on us. Our minds can override our bodies, hearts, and our instincts. It can make us do things we know we shouldn’t and sometimes our minds turn on us too….Guilt and Shame. We allow our minds to have us believing we are weak. Too weak to lift heavy weights, too weak to push hard and too weak to not eat that cookie, soda, chips, or ice cream. Most of my clients have had children and they look at me and say “but I couldn’t stop or say no”. Really? You birthed a child and now you want me to believe that a cookie is holding you hostage? Take your power back people. It’s your life, you can decide what is best for you, not the food.

Today I was stopped at the gym and asked “what are you training for”? Life... I’m a personal trainer and I want my own results. “Wow you really work hard, I mean really hard” he said. That is because I know what it takes to get what I want. I know I must work hard, I must push myself, and I must be conscious of my thoughts at all times and not allow anything other than positive self-talk to creep into my head.

The same is true for starting a weight loss program, you have to replace the insecurities and feelings of fear with positive up lifting talk. I’m an excellent pep talker to my clients and to myself. I have little “one on one pep talks” with myself at the gym all the time. Telling myself I am strong, I am confident, I don’t care what anyone else is doing or saying, I am here because I am important, I want to feel and look good, and most of all yes I can do this! I got this all day and all night too :)

I’ll end this with my own personal crawling moment story… A few months ago I was working out like crazy trying to get back in shape and drop the weight. I was working out twice a day and one night I went to a kickboxing class taught by a fellow trainer. I was tired when I walked into the door and lets just say she kicked my ever loving ass up and down…At one point I was crawling around on the floor because that was all I could do to stay moving. Luckily there was another guy down there with me just crawling around, he looked at me and smiled and said "at least I'm not alone" and I said “And I’m a personal trainer over here”.  I have crawled just like you, just change your thinking if you want to change your life. Make the decision to just go do it -Carey

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