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Sustainability = SUCCESS

9/26/2013

"Healthy living is a LIFESTYLE, it doesn't stop when you reach your goals."

Throughout this journey I'm constantly spending time reflecting upon how I got to where I am today from where I was less than a year ago. I've lost weight, lost inches, lost excuses, lost friends, and gained better health, more happiness, way more confidence, new friends, and a new sustainable lifestyle. I get asked "what's your secret?" a lot .....well the hard truth and the fact of the matter is that when it comes to health and fitness there IS NO SECRET and there IS NO QUICK FIX! Hard work, determination, perseverance, sweat, tears, frustration, guilt, belief, focus, healthy food choices.....you get where I'm going. THOSE are only some of the immediate words that come to mind to describe the reality of the situation. I've never been one to look into the most recent fad or quick fix, in fact I'm the last person to even know name brands or the newest fashion. I like to think I'm a low maintenance girl and while I do read up on things that interest me (though not even to great extent) I'm usually the last person to learn about or follow the latest fad. I'm that girl who was anti texting when it was super cool, who avoided skinny jeans like the plague, who wouldn't be caught dead in UGGS, and had no idea who or what Louis Vuitton was ahahahahah. Yep that's me!

The reason I mention this is because I'm asked a lot about what I think of x,y, or z diet, pill, cleanse etc. I don't know much of anything about any of it, and maybe that's because I'm closed minded to even researching them because in my heart of hearts I personally believe in the process of working out and eating healthy, well-balanced meals. In no way am I judging or condemning anyone who chooses any other way but when confronted with the "what's your secret" question I only ever have one answer. I put in the hard work and THAT's how I got to where I am today.

I believe in balance and sustainability. I'm not saying I'm perfect AT ALL, as I'm still learning to find my balance. Like life itself, balance will be ever changing, it will never be static, and if it is, then you're not changing and growing. Your balance will always shift and change when you're on this journey and that's part of the beauty of it - especially when you have so many people to share it with and learn from, like I do. When you're making a lifestyle change, which is exactly what this is for me - not a fad or a quick fix - it has to be sustainable. If you go to the extreme and don't allow for concessions, cheats, treats, missed days, weeks off, vacations, what-have-you, you're surely going to face some challenges down the road. This HAS to be sustainable. I firmly believe that sustainability = success, at least if you're planning on maintaining the changes that you're making! Finding a balance that works with your schedule, your family, your values, beliefs, and desires, is what's going to help you achieve success in this journey!

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We are ALL travelling our OWN journey at our OWN pace!

9/23/2013

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As we all continue to push forward with our respective journeys to health and wellness, I want to remind you that it's important for you to go at your OWN pace! If you're just getting back into working out, know that its totally normal to feel completely and utterly overwhelmed if you jump in with both feet and commit to 6 days a week! While for some people this is totally manageable, it's not realistic for others. BABY STEPS are still steps and they're all leading in the same direction. Remember where you were before you started this journey......many of us weren't doing ANYTHING - so instead of thinking like "I 'only' did 4 workouts this week" why not think of it as " I DID 4 workouts this week"? That's much more than you were doing before, and you should be proud of the accomplishments that you're making along the way!

I also want to remind you that those workout that you DESPISE the most right now, are the ones that are changing you the most. Those are the ones that are forcing you to step outside your comfort zone and PUSH you beyond what you thought you were capable of......AM I RIGHT?! You will come to learn that THOSE YOU DESPISE THE MOST NOW WILL EVENTUALLY BE THE ONES YOU RUN TO - KNOWING that they are the ones giving you the most bang for your buck!

Regardless of where you're at, always BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and PUSH yourself to achieve more than you imagined possible. It's when you underestimate your capabilities that YOU sell YOURSELF short! Others can and will do this for us.......DO NOT catch yourself doing the same!

You must master a new way of thinking before you can master a new way of being!

BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE! To move mountains you first have to move muscle!

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Baby Steps - grow a little more every week

9/10/2013

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"There is no one GIANT step that does it, it's a whole lot of little steps." Peter A. Cohen

I'm often asked about my diet, and I can honestly say that I'm not very good in the kitchen. I'm learning day by day and week by week. I, like many in similar situations to me, find it hard to cook for one, when the kids don't tend to eat what I'm eating. With my husband away working long hours, I tend to find myself eating a lot of salads, eggs, oatmeal, wraps, yogurt, protein pancakes, cold meals (salads, wraps, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, and the like). I've never enjoyed cooking and have often found myself overwhelmed and anxious when I do try to cook. That is slowly changing, and I've recently started hosting company for dinner :) yayyyy me :) I'm also asked about what apps I use to count calories and track my daily intake vs. output. The truth, my friends, is that I've NEVER EVER counted calories, nor have I tracked my input vs. output. I simply started exercising and changing the foods that I fuelled my body with. Over time, as I began seeing changes, I was able to gauge, based on my energy or the way my muscles were feeling, where I needed to make changes (albeit increasing protein, increasing intake, reducing sodium etc.). It's very overwhelming for some people to have to start tracking everything - and while I think these are amazing tools to help you with your success, I do not think they are absolutely crucial to success. I love hearing about them and learning about the ways that they help people, but I tend to direct the questioners to people who I know have experience with them. I don't ever like to pretend that I know about something I don't.

Undertaking a complete and utter overhaul of your diet is not easy, and is not something that is going to happen over night. BABY STEPS. The thought of cooking, alone, for some people is overwhelming, let alone having to cook from scratch with all of these new products and ingredients that you don't have the slightest clue about. I was one such person. I've come to learn that the fewer ingredients included in your meal, the better. Less is sometimes more. I believe that trying to change your whole diet in one week or even one month is simply setting yourself up for failure. That's a whole lot of habit and behaviour to change in short order, right?! Why not focus on simply changing (albeit adding, removing, or substituting) ONE thing a week! Some like to start with increasing water consumption - especially important when you first start working out. Your body needs the additional water to flush out toxins and hydrate, among many other important factors. Do not set your expectations too high. It's going to take time and both you and your family are going to need time to adjust (not to mention your body). Gradually, you will find that you're making healthier choices, which, in many cases, is coupled with changes in your body (in the form of weight loss), and when coupled with regular activity, you will find yourself wanting to make even more healthy choices. It's cyclical.

Speaking of cyclical.....it's very important while undertaking such a journey, to align yourself with like-minded individuals. People who are not on the same page as you may try to pull you down or steer you off-track (purposely or inadvertently). It's hard to go to work and have the boardroom filled with pizza, pop, and pastries, when you've been trying so hard to cut those temptations out of your diet, right?! Many people also struggle when they, lets say, go to their parents house, or a friends house for dinner. As a host, no one wants their company to NOT eat their food (what an insult right?), but when you've worked so hard to achieve your goals or stay on track, it becomes a really sticky situation. No one wants to be "the one" who no one wants to invite over because "well she won't eat anyway" or "wonder what we can cook that she will eat". No one said that change was going to be easy. There are many ways to navigate these situations in a polite and respectful way. Cheat meals are important parts of this process, so why not plan for these dinners? or eat a lot of healthy choices prior to going so that you're pretty full and only eat a small portion. Moderation goes a long way! Regardless of how you choose to approach it, having support in your corner is crucial to success. People will first ask you WHY you're doing it, and later they'll ask you HOW you did it.

Choosing a healthy and active lifestyle not only affects YOU but also those around you. People will notice you changing and they will start to slowly make their own changes (whether you know it or not). Sometimes the biggest skeptics or critics will end up being your biggest supporters. You didn't create your "old" lifestyle overnight, so don't expect to create the "new" one like that either, at least not without some bumps along the road! This journey takes time. Be patient with yourself and with your body. You will slowly begin to see changes - physically, psychologically, emotionally. This is a huge undertaking so be proud of every little step that you take to create a healthier lifestyle. Hold your head high, pull your shoulders back and thank yourself for making a choice for a more positive, healthier, happier YOU. Stay true to YOURSELF :)

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Sustainability = SUCCESS

We are ALL travelling our OWN journey at our OWN pace!

Baby Steps - grow a little more every week

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Alida Steele

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