I’m excited to say that I recently completed my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer course and passed the accompanying exam. Though I learned a tremendous amount about CrossFit, fitness, movement and my body, I also learned a lot that applies to life & general goal achievement. In today’s podcast, I’m going to resist the urge to dive deep into fitness, movement, body mechanics and CrossFit & am instead going to share with you about 8 different lessons that I feel apply brilliantly to life, fat loss, finances and relationships. I’d love to know which of these concepts resonates most with you!
Resources:
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Today we’re exploring the importance of a creating a great mind so that you can create (and maintain) a great body. However, this isn’t just about physique. Great relationships, great careers and great families also require that you develop a strong, healthy mind!
We’re so quick to focus on the steps we need to take to create a great body or a strong financial portfolio, but the disciplined pursuit of a great mind doesn’t rank as high on the priority list.
It’s time to change that! Don’t miss today’s episode!
In today’s episode I talked about my new love of hemp hearts! As I explained in episode 504, I have to avoid most nuts right now, so hemp hearts are a great alternative because of their nutty flavor! I put them on top of salads and yogurt – they’re so good!
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
My goal is to see just how amazing I can feel if I do everything as close to “best for me” as possible.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here. Otherwise, keep reading below.
You guys. Please listen carefully.
Progress is not linear. There WILL be ups and downs. But I need you to embrace this one idea.
Do not quit.
The last 18 months (for me) have been both wonderful, exciting and incredibly hard. After months of weird symptoms (including losing feeling in both my legs for months), I was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis. At the same time, I was informed that there was some unexplained swelling around my brain. I had moved back to New England after 16 years in North Carolina and I was starting over. Completely over.
My marriage ended. My social circle evaporated. I was building a business own my own while dealing simultaneously with heartbreak and health challenges.
I wanted to stop trying. Many times, I wanted to give up myself and my health. The temptation was higher than ever to turn to food for comfort.
I refused.
Despite thinking, “What’s the point? My body is broken! Who cares? What does it matter?” I refused to stop taking care of myself. I refused to lie and say I don’t care about my body, because I do.
I reminded myself daily that I don’t take care of myself to see the scale go down, I take care of myself because that’s who and howI want to be.
As I started to get a handle on my Hashimotos and reduce inflammation, I made the choice to go through the process of freezing my eggs. (In hindsight, it was absolutely terrible timing.)
My body, likely more sensitive due to the Hashimotos recovery, reacted harshly to the drug therapies. For months, I didn’t feel like myself. I was sad, tired and hormonally off kilter.
No matter how clean I ate or how much I worked out, my body wasn’t responding. There was much more happening in my life that compounded these stressors, but I’m not here to whine. The point is:
Yes, I was frustrated. However…
I reminded myself that self-care is not optional. It’s not something I do only when my body responds how I desire it to. It’s something I do no matter what.
I embraced maintenance and I embraced struggle.
I did the work. I stayed consistent. I studied my body.
Six months ago, I started to make some lifestyle changes. I started Transcendental Meditation. I got increasingly serious about removing toxic influences – toxic influences from food, from my environment, and even from people around me.
I stayed the course even when the results were more internal than external.
I take great care of myself because it’s the right choice. It’s not something I do only when it goes right. It’s not something I do only when it meets my expectations.
It’s simply what I do.
I listened to my body and I leaned in instead of pulling away. I kept trying. I kept experimenting.
I modified my workouts. I doubled down on my mindset. I asked for accountability from people around me.
This morning, I went to the gym and my trainer took my measurements. We were comparing my body now to my body just 4 weeks ago.
My hips are smaller. My waist is smaller. My arms and my legs and my bust line are all smaller.
I was pleased that my body is responding. I was proud of the progress.
However, what I am most proud of is that I didn’t quit.
I will never quit. I love life too much to ever quit.
Do the work. Stop making excuses. Stop making it optional. Stop making it contingent on some external factor.
Never, ever stop trying. Not today, not tomorrow, not a month from now.
Okay. Enough of that. Onto today.
I was up later than normal last night. It was probably 11pm before I fell asleep but when my alarm went off at 4:45am, my feet hit the floor with a smile. Another day to take great care of myself!
5 – 6:15am: Dove right into work!
I don’t usually jump right into work first thing except on days when I workout early. Today was one of those days. I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish before heading to the gym.
6:15 – 8:15am: Workout (includes drive time)
Warm-up and stretching
21-15-9
calorie row
calorie assault bike
100m farmers carry after each round
Forearm smash (ouch!)
8:15 – 10am: Work!
10 – 11am: Food prep for weekend away
I’m attending a training all weekend and in order to participate in the training AND get my work done in the mornings & evenings, it’ll be easier for me to bring most of my food. The time that would otherwise be spent walking to a restaurant, waiting & eating is better spent staying on top of work. I love doing trainings and going to events, but it’s always a challenge to make sure I stay on top of my work.
I cooked up a bunch of cauliflower rice, some broccoli rabe, ground pork and salmon filets that I’ve packed and will bring in a cooler. I’m also bringing a case of water.
11 – 12pm: Packing for weekend & lunch
Leftover lobster
Brussels sprouts (cold)
12 – 1pm: Work!
1 – 2:30pm: Drive time for weekend away
2:30 – 3:30pm: Walk around the seaport
3:30 – 6:30pm: Work! (I’m super fascinating, aren’t I?)
6:30 – 7:30pm: Dinner in the hotel room
Salmon
Broccoli rabe
Cauliflower rice
7:30 – 8:30pm: Walk around the seaport
8:30 – 9:30pm: Reading and researching for upcoming Masters Club webinar
10:00pm: Bed!
Are you taking on the challenge of seeing how amazing you can feel each day? If you are, tag me in your Instagram stories!
Hi! Guess what? Today I’m kicking off a new series on the blog called, “How Amazing”.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
This idea came to me about an hour ago while I was warming up for my workout. Per usual, I got to the gym about 20 minutes before my workout so I could do some mobility & stretching. As I finished up my workout I thought, I wonder just how amazing I could feel if I did absolutely everything right.
How amazing could I feel if I did everything right with my training?
How amazing could I feel if I did everything right with my hydration?
How amazing could I feel if I did everything right with my nutrition?
Mindset? Sleep? Meditation? Journaling?
While I know perfection isn’t possible, there’s certainly a lot of room between perfection and where I am now that I can explore.
Just how amazing could I feel? How much happier would I be? How much better would I sleep? How much less stress or negativity would I have in my life?
Why not try?
So, I am. I don’t know if this will be a week long blog series or a month, but I know I’m starting today and I’ll post daily.
I intend to share when I wake up, how I spend my time, when I stretch, meditate and workout, what I eat, and surely much more.
The goal here isn’t to suggest that my way is the right way. It’s certainly not the only way. And how I structure my days certainly would only work for me. But I think this is something we can all benefit from pursuing.
I wanted to share with you a short message my sister sent me the other day that resonates with me on every level.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play below. Otherwise, just keep on reading!
The message from my sister said:
Of course I struggle. I just don’t quit.
I like it so much I made it the background of my phone.
Sometimes we think that people who reach their goals or create success simply struggle less than we do. We tell ourselves that they have it easier, in some way.
That’s usually not true. They struggle. I struggle in big ways and small ways. But, I refuse to quit.
I get tired. I get sad. I feel stressed, overwhelmed and pressured. My motivation fades. I make choices I don’t feel proud of.
But I refuse to quit.
I won’t turn back. I won’t give up. I simply refuse to quit.
Every day I wake up and ask myself, “What will I do to make today amazing? What will I do to make myself proud?”
Then, I get to work making those things happen.
Stop making your goals optional. Stop re-negotiating what you’ll do and not do each day.
Set your eyes on where you want to go and put one foot in front of the other. Get to work.
Here’s to showing up for yourself. Here’s to not quitting. Here’s to trying. Here’s to doing your best.
