When I first started working out I was so disgusted with my body that I feared going into the tiny fitness center at the complex I lived in because I was afraid someone would see me from their bedroom window and think I was some fat cow. Plus, when I would do heavy cardio my face would turn as red as a beet and feel like I had flames shooting from my eyes. Not one of my best looks but I wanted a 6-pack SO bad that I fought the fear and pushed myself. Making a vision board helped me to stay focused on my goal and reminded me each morning to not turn on the TV but to go straight to the gym. Before the vision board I had every excuse in the book to not workout but with clarity in my goal I came in alignment with what I wanted and let nothing stand in my way!
I hear many of these same excuses from people resisting physical activity so I have listed some excuses here with explanations, rebuttles and basic no-nonsense hits to tackle your most challenging objections!! What you read may be harsh but if you want results you have go to stop digging yourself into a hole...
-I DON'T LIKE TO EXERCISE- okay, really?!?! How do you know? Have you tried every type of physical activity there is? If not, then it's time you tried something new!
-I DON'T LIKE TO SWEAT- sweat is a necessary part of having a human body. For many of you women who experience hormonal sweating I can imagine this to be quite uncomfortable. But, sweat releases toxins from your body that are blocked up and with out sweating your body may very well be a toxic waste dump. Is that better than sweating? I think not!
-GYM'S ARE FOR BODYBUILDERS- in this day and age people of every age and fitness level go to gyms for every type of training from weights to Zumba to swimming. There is something for everyone! Plus, when you show up consistently you begin to make friends and feel like a welcome part of the community.
-I FEEL INTIMIDATED IN A GYM- when I first started at Gold's back in 2004 I had clients who would ask me to train them ONLY in the women's gym, secluded from the big "manly" machines. Fear of judgement, failure and rejection all played a huge part in this. Two things- A-tour a few gyms before settling in on one to know how the vibe will be B-if you can not find a gym in your area consider doing a workout program from home. If you are afraid of judgement, sweating off your make-up or just looking dorky in the gym, work out at home. Explore Home Workout Programs Here
-I FEAR INJURY- well, first of all let me say, if you fear something you will make it happen by law of attraction so wipe that thought from your brain. If you are concerned about whether or not you are performing an exercise correctly then maybe it's time you seek help from a personal trainer or fitness professional. Be sure to interview them on their techniques and be confident that they truly will focus on your form. I can't begin to tell you how many trainers I've seen who can not practically apply the knowledge they learned from the books that certified them, so do your research!
-BUT MY BODY HURTS AFTER I WORK OUT- this one is tricky but here goes...when you do any sort of resistance training or weight bearing exercise, microscopic tears happen in your muscle fibers which causes slight swelling in the muscle groups you worked. In addition, as a bi-product of energy production, lactic acid develops which is the burning sensation you feel toward the end of a set. Lactic acid remains in the muscle if your diet is poor and you do not consume enough alkaline foods to neutralize those acids. The recovery period following your workout should be a min of 48 hours until the next time you work the muscle again. To stave off any additional cramping you can do a short set of cardio such as walking on the treadmill immediately after your session to promote circulation and detoxification.
-BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME- I ask you this, how much time do you spend in front of the TV, spend in a social setting or searching random Epic Meal Time videos on YouTube? Do you TIVO your favorite shows, meet friends for happy hour during the week or just waste your time away stressing about how hard your life is? Well, I'm here to tell you that you will have the time if you make the time. You know as well as I do that when you want something bad enough, you will do anything to have it. How bad do you want better health, unlimited energy or 6-pack abs? You have to want it so bad that you can see it as if it's already happened. Miraculously you will start finding time in your day. Working out at home is a simple way to make sure you fit it in before work.
-BUT I CAN'T AFFORD IT- Walking is free. Push-ups, sit-ups and squats...all free too! There is a plethora of information online about how to work out with out equipment. Check out YouTube for videos on Calisthenics, yoga, tai chi, kickboxing and more. It's a wealth of information all free to you.
-I DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY- if this is the case, a few things could be happening. You may be a caffeine freak at which case your adrenals are shot and we need to get to work asap! You may be struggling with your nutrition and not feeding your body the fuel it needs to do all you ask of it. There may be some serious stress in your life that causes you to feel overwhelmed at which case your emotional energy is what's drained. You may try using physical activity to get out your aggression or stress. Getting to the gym or pushing play on the DVD player can be half the battle. I can speak from experience in saying that I may feel horrible going into a workout, but half way through, the adrenaline kicks in and I feel like I can conquer the world.
-BUT I'VE TRIED WORKING OUT AND IT DIDN'T WORK- then you didn't do it right or the balance between diet and exercise was not right. Truth is, when you do the research to find out what works right for your body type, personality and your level of time commitment the results will come. You can not follow along with the workout program of a genetically skinny person and expect the same results if you are trying lose weight. If you are not thinking of yourself as an individual with specific needs, if you started a new program and didn't give it 110%, if you didn't take the time to understand how your body works...then you are cheating yourself.
Here's the bottom line: Respect yourself enough to do some research on what you need.
...If you don't know enough and don't plan on being a personal trainer yourself, hire one, purchase a home workout program or check out YouTube.
It's much more simple than you are making it so get over it and start somewhere! For more information on how to get started contact me at alida@bodyeverlasting.com
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Don't Just Wish For It, Be It.
The way I see it, we all have one of two options- to live or to die....You can choose to live your life with passion and pizzazz or waste each precious moment wishing and hoping that things could get better.
In all sincerity, the words live and die don't have to relate to just the literal meanings but instead I refer to them in a metaphorical way. Ever had a moment where you feel as if the world is out to get you? It's as if nothing you do can go right. Every little thing goes wrong and at the end of the day you feel stressed, frustrated and alone. I know how this feels...I have been there myself. These self-defeating thoughts can actually be making you FAT!!! Fat is our built-in human survival mechanism and our thoughts can activate their protective forces.
Did you know that diet and exercise are not the only contributing factors to weight gain/obesity? They are only secondary! I know this may come as a bit of a shock to some of you but mark my words, it's not that simple. Obese related issues for many adults come from an emotional stimulus that influences food and behavior choices. Perfect example of why diets don't work-we "feel" as though we are being deprived but in reality it actually means there is a part of our lives that is incomplete and we feel a void that must be filled. Food is the easiest way to control the completeness we seek.
Though your brain may deceive you, tell you everything is fine and that your weight is a happy place, deep in the depths of your soul, you know this is not the truth. Inside, your heart breaks every time you pass by a mirror and loath what you see looking back at you. I can laugh about it now but I remember a time when I would only look at myself from the shoulders up to refrain from seeing my quickly expanding hips. Even in my sessions with training clients I have had to turn many of them away from the mirror to deter them from focusing so intently on all the things they found wrong in their appearance.
Your body will match your thoughts, seriously. When you think a thought, your brain creates a hormone peptide to match that emotion and the more you feel it, the more your brain gets addicted to that chemical response. Eventually, you end up becoming super-glued to your thoughts. Before you know it your body creates this layer of fat to protect you from the seemingly vicious world outside. Really, we feel like a victim of society and essentially begin to feel hopeless. Our choices begin to reflect this feeling of self-doubt and lack of self worth.We lose sight of our inner beauty and become a walking example of our deepest, darkest self restricting emotions. The reality then becomes an increase in this layer of fat to protect ourselves FROM ourselves. When the war is over, you no longer need the protection of that fat suit.
Feeling like a victim, unworthy, insecure and not beautiful is easy when the world is not watching you. When we are fat, we blend in. When we are thin, trim and in great shape we get noticed. You can hide in your fat suit and no one will tell you otherwise because this is the new trend. Now you are fitting in with the norm. Yet, all the while you are envious of all those skinny bitches who you tell yourself were "born that way" and decide that you just have bad genetics.
So when does it end? When will you begin to see that you have the power to change? Will you stand up and take the first step or will you just continue to justify your toxification of mind and body? How will your life change if you choose to move forward toward a healthier new you? Can you begin to imagine the way your thoughts will change when you have the body of your dreams? How would you feel and treat this new body?
I will leave you with this thought: once you begin to change the way you see yourself as you are now, the weight will melt off. Each week try one new thing that you know can help you reach your goal. It doesn't have to be big but each step, however large, will contribute to the overall foundation of health you are building. If you chose to "die" and waste your days away doing nothing, then you have nothing to complain about. But, if you chose to live then you will be too busy enjoying your days to see anything wrong with the beautiful creature you truly are. Start living this life today and you will be amazed at how your body reflects your new found mindset!
In all sincerity, the words live and die don't have to relate to just the literal meanings but instead I refer to them in a metaphorical way. Ever had a moment where you feel as if the world is out to get you? It's as if nothing you do can go right. Every little thing goes wrong and at the end of the day you feel stressed, frustrated and alone. I know how this feels...I have been there myself. These self-defeating thoughts can actually be making you FAT!!! Fat is our built-in human survival mechanism and our thoughts can activate their protective forces.
Did you know that diet and exercise are not the only contributing factors to weight gain/obesity? They are only secondary! I know this may come as a bit of a shock to some of you but mark my words, it's not that simple. Obese related issues for many adults come from an emotional stimulus that influences food and behavior choices. Perfect example of why diets don't work-we "feel" as though we are being deprived but in reality it actually means there is a part of our lives that is incomplete and we feel a void that must be filled. Food is the easiest way to control the completeness we seek.
Though your brain may deceive you, tell you everything is fine and that your weight is a happy place, deep in the depths of your soul, you know this is not the truth. Inside, your heart breaks every time you pass by a mirror and loath what you see looking back at you. I can laugh about it now but I remember a time when I would only look at myself from the shoulders up to refrain from seeing my quickly expanding hips. Even in my sessions with training clients I have had to turn many of them away from the mirror to deter them from focusing so intently on all the things they found wrong in their appearance.
Your body will match your thoughts, seriously. When you think a thought, your brain creates a hormone peptide to match that emotion and the more you feel it, the more your brain gets addicted to that chemical response. Eventually, you end up becoming super-glued to your thoughts. Before you know it your body creates this layer of fat to protect you from the seemingly vicious world outside. Really, we feel like a victim of society and essentially begin to feel hopeless. Our choices begin to reflect this feeling of self-doubt and lack of self worth.We lose sight of our inner beauty and become a walking example of our deepest, darkest self restricting emotions. The reality then becomes an increase in this layer of fat to protect ourselves FROM ourselves. When the war is over, you no longer need the protection of that fat suit.
Feeling like a victim, unworthy, insecure and not beautiful is easy when the world is not watching you. When we are fat, we blend in. When we are thin, trim and in great shape we get noticed. You can hide in your fat suit and no one will tell you otherwise because this is the new trend. Now you are fitting in with the norm. Yet, all the while you are envious of all those skinny bitches who you tell yourself were "born that way" and decide that you just have bad genetics.
So when does it end? When will you begin to see that you have the power to change? Will you stand up and take the first step or will you just continue to justify your toxification of mind and body? How will your life change if you choose to move forward toward a healthier new you? Can you begin to imagine the way your thoughts will change when you have the body of your dreams? How would you feel and treat this new body?
I will leave you with this thought: once you begin to change the way you see yourself as you are now, the weight will melt off. Each week try one new thing that you know can help you reach your goal. It doesn't have to be big but each step, however large, will contribute to the overall foundation of health you are building. If you chose to "die" and waste your days away doing nothing, then you have nothing to complain about. But, if you chose to live then you will be too busy enjoying your days to see anything wrong with the beautiful creature you truly are. Start living this life today and you will be amazed at how your body reflects your new found mindset!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Say No to Crack!
I walk around a public place and see many women, and men, with less than perfect bumbums. Cracks are exposed more and more and at alarming rates! And not in a good way. It's the one thing that can be fixed without implants and the one muscle group that women have the most trouble with.
Are you or someone you know suffering from an overabundant, saggy, flat, indented behind or even concave behind? It's become such a problem that people are actually getting implants for it?!? Crazy!
Over the years I became known as the Goddess of Glutes because of my own badunkadunk and my ability to build them on clients of all ages, shapes and sizes. Yes, I have good genetics but there were only two times in my life when I lost my bum: Once when I was in 6th grade after I gained my weight back following a short stint with Jenny Craig and a second time when I was a size 3...
At a time when I had only been a personal trainer for 7 months, and was the thinnest I had ever been, I was approached by the guy working the front desk at my gym. He said to me "You know, I am really proud of your massive weight loss and impressed at your hard work and dedication...but you lost your ass! It was amazing!!" For a girl who has always gotten attention for my behind, that was a ginormous blow to the ego. I vowed never to lose it again!
Squats and lunges became a staples in my training and I began to understand the correlation between flexibility of the hamstrings and proper formation of gluteal muscles. In a nutshell...I had it down pat. It became clear to me that the glutes are a wonderfully easy part of the body to shape and sculpt.
Unfortunately for many women the rump is not a symmetrical balance to the rest of their body so their pants don't fit right (ie: crack attack) causing them to slide down while sitting...reminiscent of my old Ken doll who's polyester pants exposed his crack every time he sat in Barbie's Dream car...or bunch up in the wrong spots while standing/walking. We also have many who are afraid to show it off due to cellulite. So what to do?
Here are a few tips for consideration when building your luscious lady lumps:
1) stay flexible-many women who are stiff end up using their quads to perform a squat or lunge more than their glutes. When you stay flexible you are able to get a better range of motion and activate the glutes more effectively.
2) when doing cardio think stairs or incline-this movement will incorporate the use of glute muscles and help them grow, but make sure you place more of your weight in your heels rather than your toes
3) drink hot water-I know it sounds strange but cellulite is caused many toxins built up in the fat cells and lyphatic system. The easiest way to clear that out is to sip on hot water throughout the day.
Anyone is capable of having the bootie of their dreams. With the right tools, program and healthy eating habits your pants and bikinis will fit like never before!
Are you or someone you know suffering from an overabundant, saggy, flat, indented behind or even concave behind? It's become such a problem that people are actually getting implants for it?!? Crazy!
Over the years I became known as the Goddess of Glutes because of my own badunkadunk and my ability to build them on clients of all ages, shapes and sizes. Yes, I have good genetics but there were only two times in my life when I lost my bum: Once when I was in 6th grade after I gained my weight back following a short stint with Jenny Craig and a second time when I was a size 3...
At a time when I had only been a personal trainer for 7 months, and was the thinnest I had ever been, I was approached by the guy working the front desk at my gym. He said to me "You know, I am really proud of your massive weight loss and impressed at your hard work and dedication...but you lost your ass! It was amazing!!" For a girl who has always gotten attention for my behind, that was a ginormous blow to the ego. I vowed never to lose it again!
Squats and lunges became a staples in my training and I began to understand the correlation between flexibility of the hamstrings and proper formation of gluteal muscles. In a nutshell...I had it down pat. It became clear to me that the glutes are a wonderfully easy part of the body to shape and sculpt.
Unfortunately for many women the rump is not a symmetrical balance to the rest of their body so their pants don't fit right (ie: crack attack) causing them to slide down while sitting...reminiscent of my old Ken doll who's polyester pants exposed his crack every time he sat in Barbie's Dream car...or bunch up in the wrong spots while standing/walking. We also have many who are afraid to show it off due to cellulite. So what to do?
Here are a few tips for consideration when building your luscious lady lumps:
1) stay flexible-many women who are stiff end up using their quads to perform a squat or lunge more than their glutes. When you stay flexible you are able to get a better range of motion and activate the glutes more effectively.
2) when doing cardio think stairs or incline-this movement will incorporate the use of glute muscles and help them grow, but make sure you place more of your weight in your heels rather than your toes
3) drink hot water-I know it sounds strange but cellulite is caused many toxins built up in the fat cells and lyphatic system. The easiest way to clear that out is to sip on hot water throughout the day.
Anyone is capable of having the bootie of their dreams. With the right tools, program and healthy eating habits your pants and bikinis will fit like never before!
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