My 3 Goals for The Rest of 2015

My 3 Goals for The Rest of 2015

“A person’s true potential is unknown (and unknowable). It’s impossible to forsee what can be accomplished with passion, toil & training” ~ Carol Dweck

Know what is totally crazy? There are only about 27 weeks until 2016. I don’t know about you, but the first half of 2015 has absolutely flown by. It has been a year of COMPLETE transition for me and there have been some big wins and also some disappointments. Since January, I have launched the Primal Potential podcast, started working with 1:1 coaching clients, developed and launched 3 e-courses and adjusted to running and building my own business. All this on the heels of totally turning my life on it’s head by quitting my job, selling my house and losing over 100 pounds. Whew!

During the initial phase of my weight loss, transforming my body got the majority of my focus. As best as I could, I put the rest of my life on auto pilot so I could tackle that major goal. Then, when I started Primal Potential, that got the lion’s share of my focus. I wasn’t as tenacious about my weight loss and physique goals and I was totally ok with that. Afterall, we have a finite amount of energy, attention and focus and I wanted to give that to building a new business.

I’m actually really proud that during a period of tremendous transition and taking on tons of new challenges I didn’t undo the healthy habits I had built during weight loss. Sure, my workouts were less intense and I was more flexible with my eating habits, but I’m so proud that I didn’t backslide. I maintained my weight within about 10 lbs even though I had a knee injury, I stopped working out with a trainer and I wasn’t as rigid about my diet.

Like I tell my clients, there are natural ebbs and flows of motivation, pursuit, maintenance and struggle. That’s normal. That’s life. It is nothing to feel guilty about. I happen to think that guilt is a waste of valuable energy.

But you know what? With just about half the year left, I am READY to go after some big goals. My body is rested, my mind is at peace and I am ready to get back on the physical grind and take my body to the next level. I am excited to be excited again, ya know? My goals are BIG. They are ambitious. But my heart is big and I am ambitious. I want to share this next phase of my pursuit and transformation with you! So here we go! This is what I’ll be tackling with full force and total effort between now and the end of the year!

  1. Lose 30 lbs
    Before I get critical comments, let me explain. Am I healthy right now? Yup. Do I feel comfortable at this weight? Yeah, I actually do. But after struggling with my weight for my entire life, I want to see just how far I can take my body. I’m not setting this goal because I’m not happy with my body. I’m setting this goal because I believe I can be anything I want and I have a desire to let my mind and my body show me how far we can go. It is not a cosmetic goal. It is a mental one. This doesn’t mean crash dieting or severe restriction. It means very clean eating and intelligent workouts. It is more about building mental and physical strength & endurance than anything else. And I am crazy excited.
  2. 10 unassisted pull-ups
    Dude, pull-ups are freaking hard and this has been a goal of mine for some time. Like my ambitious weight loss goal, to me, the ability to do 10 unassisted pull-ups is both a mental and a physical goal. I’m working with a new trainer and he knows my goals. He believes I can reach them and he pushes me HARD. I won’t lie – there’s a lot of cursing during our workouts (and it’s never from him). I’ll be doing 4 strength and metabolic conditioning workouts each week and I’ll have 3 days of just restoration activities like stretching, walking and yoga. I cannot wait to post a video of my 10 unassisted pull-ups!!
  3. Meditate daily
    My ability to reach these goals is directly correlated to my ability to be mindful and aware in every moment. If I’m busy thinking about how things went in the past or what might be ahead, I won’t be able to take advantage of every momentary opportunity to make a good choice that moves me towards my goals. I will make time for meditation every day whether it is for 1 minute or 20 minutes. I know this is essential for my success. Fortunately, I’m putting together guided meditations for those of you who are in the Overcoming Emotional Eating & Self-Limiting Behaviors seminar so I have those downloaded on my phone to practice daily.

So there you have it! These three goals will be a primary daily focus for me. They won’t be easy. They intimidate me. But I am so ready and I’m excited to challenge myself. I really want to share the process with you so let me ask you this: how would you like to hear about my progress? What do you want to know? Are you interested in seeing what I eat? Progress pictures? Frustrations and struggles? Workout videos? Or if you have no interest at all in my journey to my goals, tell me that too!

I love ALL of you for your support and I’m super excited to help you reach your goals, too! Is there anything in particular you want to achieve by the end of the year?

Q&A 16: Choosing Goals over Instant Gratification

Q&A 16: Choosing Goals over Instant Gratification

In today’s episode we’re answering a listener question about what strategies can be helpful when trying to choose your goals in the face of temptation. We are programmed to seek instant gratification over long-term progress and well being.

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Listener Question:

“Hi Elizabeth! I’m really enjoying your podcast and I’ve implemented a handful of the strategies you talk about. I’ve set some goals and identified a couple of big rocks. I’m getting more sleep and avoiding carbs in the early part of the day. Unfortunately, I’m still blowing it at night more often than I want. I remind myself of my goals, but in a moment of stress, frustration or boredom I just kinda think “oh I’ll do better tomorrow” and one little indulgence turns into 4 or 5 and then I go to bed feeling frustrated and defeated. Do you have any suggestions for how I can talk myself into being mentally tougher during this time of day?”

Discussed in the Episode:

  • How am I using my moments?
  • Did my choices today move me towards my goals or away from them?
  • Does this choice bring me lasting happiness or momentary happiness?

Emotional Eating & Self-Limiting Behavior E-course

How To Make Fat Loss Easy

How To Hack Your Habits

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Q&A 16: Choosing Goals over Instant Gratification

Episode 059: Soda And Fat Loss

In today’s episode we’re talking about soda and sugar-sweetened beverages. We talk about the composition of soda and how it is designed to make us want more and more and we talk about the impact of that much sugar on our health and fat loss.

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Soda Facts:

Serving Sizes through the years

  • 1915 6.5 oz bottle
  • 1955 10 oz bottle
  • 1960 12 oz can
  • 1992 20 oz bottle (2.5 servings)
  • Now 44 oz big gulp

The Ingredient Impact:

  • Caffeine is a stimulant and diuretic
  • Sodium makes you thirsty (this is compounded with dehydration or water loss)
  • Sugar covers the taste of sodium
  • Sugar leads to dopamine surge and energy. This dopamine surge is adaptive – you need more and more to get the buzz over time
  • Sugar also leads to leptin resistance (making us feel less and less satisfied or full even with food)
  • Phosphoric acid impairs calcium absorption and utilization

Great (long) video lecture: Sugar, The Bitter Truth

Sugary Drinks and Fat Loss Facts Sheet + Research

Related Episodes:

Artifical Sweeteners

How To Make Fat Loss Easy

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Q&A 16: Choosing Goals over Instant Gratification

Episode 058 – Understanding Fat Loss: The Insulin Effect

In today’s episode we take a closer look at the master fat loss hormone: insulin. We talk about how it turns off fat burning, how it impacts health, energy, hunger and cravings and how to know if you’ve developed insulin resistance. We’ll also talk about understanding fat loss in light of insulin resistance and what you can do to improve your body’s overall sensitivity to insulin.

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Discussed in this Episode:

  • What is insulin & how does it work
  • Evolution: we were not designed to handle high blood sugar
  • The health implications of chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin
  • How chronically elevated insulin impairs fat burning
  • Insulin resistance: how it develops and how we can reverse it
  • Carbohydrate storage
  • Carb spillover – when carbs get stored as fat
  • How chronic carb consumption impairs energy and thyroid function
  • How to know if you are insulin resistant
  • Optimal blood sugar levels

Resources:

Carbohydrate Strategies for Sustainable Fat Loss

Perfecting Paleo by Ashley Tudor

Carbohydrate Spillover

Carb Tolerance and How To Improve Yours!

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Q&A 16: Choosing Goals over Instant Gratification

Episode 057: The Wrong Approach

So many of us embrace the wrong approach to fat loss. We are enticed by detoxes, quick fixes, food lists, meals plans, etc and we don’t ever really think about our anchor – what holds us back, what weighs us down and impedes our progress. The quick fix and food-centric approach often doesn’t address the root of the problem and therefore isn’t a viable solution!

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  • Are you always enticed by fat loss food lists, detoxes, jumpstarts and meal plans?
  • Have you identified what most often holds you back or pulls you off track?
  • Do you want progress or do you want to keep trying the same ‘ol approach

Overcome Emotional Eating & Self Limiting Behaviors

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