FMJ24

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! This week I have so much to be thankful for... one of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that I have developed a routine of going to the gym and exercising almost daily! Truth be told, I usually don't stick to anything for this long... diets, exercise, relationships etc. But this time it's REAL!  I truly look forward to getting in the gym or going to the track or getting with a group of friends and really sweating! What made it different for me this time? I think Reality settled in, I was Pre-diabetic and diagnosed with hypertension and I wasn't even 35 years old. I was terrified, what would my children do without me? What quality of life could I look forward to if I continued down this road? I can tell you, a life with no energy, poor sleep, poor concentration, poor self-esteem and poor self-confidence... I don't know about you, but even without weight loss the benefits out weigh the alternative. Start your journey, add so...

There is no day of the week better than a Monday to decide on a goal and align your schedule to meet those goals. There's something special about having a naturally occurring starting place. Today is that day for us! Go ahead and grab a notebook or journal because our journey is beginning. Motivation Monday Question #1 - what is my overall health goal? This can be determined by asking yourself how life would be different if you were living in optimal health. What activities would you participate in, what things would you no longer have to do anymore, how would you dress and how would you feel each day? Make a list of differences you would experience. Next, look at your list and pick one area that you have identified and lay out 2 actions you can take this week to move you closer to experiencing  change. Example... If I have a goal of staying hydrated, I need to 1. find out the recommended amount of water each day for my height and weight and 2. divide my waking ours by ounces n...

By no means have I reached my ideal weight nor do I believe that my journey is near completion. At this point I've come to realize that this health journey will be a life long commitment, but is one that I'm excited and ready for! While I've been on this journey and beginning to see visible results one of the most frequently asked questions has been " how do you stay motivated, how do you continue to go to the gym every week?" After giving it some thought I'm realizing that for me it's a two part answer 1. In the beginning it was by will power alone. I Decided that I wasn't going to allow myself to create another excuse for me not to get it done. I knew I had to continue forcing myself to go until it became a habit or just part of my daily routine. I gave myself weekly goals example : I'm going to workout 3 times this week or I'm going to drink a gallon of water a day. 2. I also changed my mindset, I stopped looking at exercise as an optional. ...