What keeps me going

Today I had another session with my client. Since he does chemo on Wednesdays and is usually still recovering by Friday, training sessions on Fridays are light. We started off with a 10 minute warm-up, then went into a 20 minute yoga session. He really enjoyed the yoga, saying that he felt very relaxed once we were done. We then did a 25 minute brisk walk, and stretched after.

While we were stretching, I asked him about his chemo sessions and how he was feeling.

To my surprise, he said he was feeling great. He said that he’s usually not feeling better until Saturday, and, despite this week being a harsher dose of chemo, he felt better by Thursday morning! Although he has only done about a week and a half of sessions, he said working with me has already had a great impact.

Needless to say, this made my day and impacts like this one is why I wanted to be a trainer in the first place.

Take the time to change your habits

The life that we lead is a result of the habits we create. Sure, environment plays a role, but if you choose to follow certain habits, environment becomes a nonfactor. For example, you could be going to the best private school in the nation, but if you don’t have good study habits, you won’t learn and succeed. The same is true for weight management, nutrition, and health!

Too many people say “I don’t have time to cook healthy” or “there are no affordable healthy options around where I live,” using these thoughts as crutches and excuses in order to continue living the way they do. The last one really gets on my nerves. Even in DC there are several weekly farmers’ markets across the city. People just choose not to find out when such markets are held and to attend them. I can’t tell you how many flyers I’ve seen for farmers’ markets. And farmers’ markets tend to be cheaper!

I digress.

If you truly want to change your life, you have to make the decision to do so first. You have to choose that you’re mad enough at your situation, whatever it may be, to change it!

One of the first habits you will have to change is your self-talk. You can’t continue telling yourself that the work towards your goal isn’t worth it, or that you’ll never reach your goal, or that there’s nothing you can do to change.

From the time you wake up, you need to have positive thoughts. Think about what you want in life, rather than what you don’t have. Once you change the habit of negative thinking, your life will change. Guaranteed.

Be disciplined enough to cook for yourself. I’m not saying go cold turkey and start cooking everything, but if you eat out many times a week, start with cooking for one night. Once you get comfortable with that, cook for two nights out of the week, and so on. Find the time to make healthy foods, even if that means spending time over the weekend to cook the week’s meals and freeze them.

If you have time to catch your favorite shows on tv every day, you have time to make a healthy meal. Make cooking a habit!

I’m sure there are other habits that need to be broken and created, but I can’t emphasize the power of positive thinking, and the amazing results that come from homemade, healthy cooking. It takes time to break bad habits, but if you tell yourself that it will be worth it, and think about how great your life will be once you reach your fitness goals. Start taking the time today.

Monday Motivation

This is a time of the year that is particularly hard for students; it’s tough to concentrate on doing well on final exams and papers when graduation and summer is literally right around the corner. This is also a time of anxiety about what the future holds (personally I’m feeling a bit anxious about getting my first clients so I can be ready to go once I graduate, but I’m not worrying about it–I’m trusting that something will pull through for me).

The same can apply to fitness. You know that you need to eat healthier, or that you want to look your best in your summer clothes, but concentrating on what you need to do can be difficult when there are a million other things going on in your life. This can lead to frustration and even quitting, perpetuating the unhealthy cycle that got you where you are today.

The following quote fits into the theme of this month for me: the law of attraction. My other two posts on this topic featured videos about this principle, but now I want to share a quote with you to think about and apply to your day.

“Your mental attitude is something you can control outright, and you must use self-discipline until you create a positive mental attitude–your mental attitude attracts to you everything that makes you what you are.” Napoleon Hill

Law of Attraction, pt. 2

Here’s a visualization tool to help you implement the law of attraction in terms of generating wealth. This is also a framework for you to use regardless of your goals; instead of focusing on money, use affirmations about health, weight loss, education, etc.

I will be using this to keep my mind on a positive track.

Law of Attraction

A positive thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative thought.

What you think is what you bring into your life, even into your health life.

When you are ready to reach your fitness goals, do not think about what you don’t want. Once you think about the things you don’t want in your life, due to the law of attraction, those exact things will come.

Watch this video (it’s a little long, but makes you think). So now I’ve changed my thoughts from worrying about getting my clients to ” I will get great clients who will get the results they want.” Whatever goal you want to reach, think about that and create your future with your positive thoughts.

The law of attraction is a gift, even Buddha knew that: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” It’s true! I am lucky to have been taught this from an early age, but I am not just beginning to understand its importance and how to use the power of my mind to change situations. Let me know what you think; I think this will spur an interesting discussion as to how this relates to fitness, health, and weight issues. Can you reach your fitness goals by changing how you think, how you approach working out and losing weight? Definitely yes.

Get it done

Enough said.  Today as you complete your workout, just get it done. Push yourself through the pain, test your limits, make yourself better today than you were yesterday. Get the job done and put in the work you know you have to complete to reach your fitness and health goals.

*this picture was taken from our brand new locker complex at UMBC, and this sign is the first thing you see as you walk into the men’s lacrosse locker room. Motivating, right? I felt instantly focused when I saw that sign

What I will do after I’m healed

So after I’m done healing, I will be doing a 40-mile bike ride in Philly to honor and remember my grandmother who died from colon cancer. The doctor said that I can start biking again either this week or next week, so I have plenty of time to train. The most I have ridden at one time is 12 miles, so I have a bit of training to do. Please support me with this goal; I’ve always wanted to do a ride like this and now that I don’t have to worry about soccer season, I am able to do this!

http://philly08.livestrong.org/jlyoung23

Thanks everyone This is certainly something to look forward to as a way to celebrate my healing, but most importantly, to celebrate my grandmother’s life and memory.

Morning Motivation

I often am asked the question “how do you keep yourself motivated to work out?” I hear various reasons from my friends as to why they don’t work out: lack of motivation, no time, it’s too hard, etc, etc. If you really want to live the healthy lifestyle, you have to exercise. No exceptions.

So how can you keep yourself motivated to go to the gym, to take a walk, to ride a bike, or do some other physical activity?

Remember, you ALWAYS FEEL BETTER after a workout than you did before. I remember days where there wasn’t organized soccer practice, and I had to drag myself out of the comfort of my bed to go work out. There are days when even elite athletes don’t feel well, or just don’t feel like working out. But, to keep myself on track, I remember how I feel after I finish my work out, how good my muscles feel, how proud of myself I am because I completed a killer workout. Don’t forget to tell yourself how great you will feel after!

Another good motivator is to write down your goals, and to tell people about them. If you write them down, you make your goals concrete, not just a thought in your head. Post your goals around areas that you see daily. Write down the steps needed in order to reach your goal; if you don’t know those steps, seek out someone who does. Tell people about your goals, because telling others makes you accountable to follow through, and it helps when friends can follow-up and track how you are doing.

If you can, find a workout partner, because they will also help you remain accountable not only to your goals, but to the workout. You will be less likely to skip out on a workout if you have someone waiting for you. If you were my workout partner and you stood me up, I would not hesitate to call you out on it!

Find out what motivates you. I have two motivational quotes that keep me on track:

“Champions aren´t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” Muhammad Ali

“A workout is 25% perspiration and 75% determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self discipline. Doing it is easy once you get started. A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday. A workout strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and toughens the spirit. When you work out regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows. A workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination. It is the badge of a winner — the mark of an organized, goal-oriented person who has taken charge of his or her destiny. A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence. It prepares you for life’s challenges and affirms your ability to do what is necessary. A workout is a key that helps unlock the doors to opportunity and success. Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force.” Bruce Lee

What motivates you?

When you have a passion for something…

I just read this post at RossTraining, and the video from Jack Lalanne was absolutely inspirational to me. When you have a passion for something, the rest will take care of itself. You should choose a career in fitness because you love it, not for the money. Securing my clients’ success, helping others become passionate about fitness, and sharing/learning new knowledge will be the most important things to me once I begin training (I have an interview this Friday to become a personal trainer–they’ll train me and help me get certified wish me luck! ) Anyway, check it out, and his other posts as well. Simple, effective workouts and a healthy living philosophy–it’s a great site. I’ll have a real article up for you tomorrow!