What can you do in 90 days?

Yesterday while talking to a good friend, I mentioned that I couldn't believe that I only have roughly 90 (give or take a few) days left in the Suwanee Magazine Get Fit Challenge.  I was sharing with her that I was a little disappointed in my progress thus far.  I had hoped at this point I would at least be 30 pounds down with another 10 to 20 left to go.  But that isn't the case.  As of today I stand at a firm 15 pound weight loss since the start of the challenge back in March.  Now some may see that as a success however I don't.  Going into the challenge I set very high expectations of myself and to have not lived up to those expectations...well it's just NOT acceptable in my book.  Sure I could sit here and run down a list of "why" I haven't lost more but truthfully I have no excuse.  I simply didn't put in all the work, all the time to be where I had hoped I would be.  So after beating myself up to my friend for what felt like hours, she politely interrupted me and simply stated that a lot can happen in just 90 days.   I just had to dig deep, really commit myself to the goal and focus.

She is right, a lot can be accomplished in just 90 days.  However in order to be successful it's going to take a LOT of hard work, dedication and lots and lots of focus.  Last night, as I reflected on the past 7 months of the challenge, I was able to identify all of the things that I have been doing right and those areas that need improvement.  I took the time to re-write out my goals for the next 90 days and also identified the steps needed in order to succeed.  The plan is in place...the only thing left was to put it in action.

This morning, after dropping off my high schooler at 6:30 am, I headed off to Fit Forward for what turned out to be a tough but rewarding workout.

• Step #1 - Get Out of Bed and Workout --> COMPLETE!

Now I just have 89 more days to go!  

Get Fit | Learning the importance of taking a rest

                                                                          Source: fitsugar.com via Erika on Pinterest

Since the end of July I have been putting in the work to lose the weight.  Working out every day and sometimes twice a day has been my primary focus for the past few weeks.  I was committed, focused in shape, for myself, my family and the staff at Suwanee Magazine.  I was doing great, moving at full speed ahead and then one day it all came to a halting stop.  My body crashed.  I was tired…both mentally and physically.  My body was telling me that I needed to rest, to take some time off to simply recover.  You see I was all go, go, go all the time that I never really allowed my body the down time it so desperately needed.  I wasn’t allowing my boy the time it needed to recharge before the next exercise and as a result I was running on empty.

So I took a few weeks off to allow myself to recover.  Now when I say I took some time off, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t work out at all.  It just means that I spaced out my workouts enough to give my body time to repair and recover.  I also decreased the frequency of my workouts as well as the intensity.  Instead of running 3 miles, I would walk for 1 ½ at a moderate pace.  I also spent the “down time” to focus on my eating and correcting some bad habits (like not eating frequently) and also spent some time doing lots and lots of stretches.  The time off was just what I needed, it has allowed me to recover, regroup and refocus on the task at hand and that is getting fit and healthy. 

I learned a valuable lesson in all of this and that is resting is just as important as working out and healthy eating.  Resting allows the body to repair and ready itself for the next workout.  So for the last part of the challenge, I will make a point to incorporate more rest in my routine so that I am able to reach my weight loss goal.

Get Fit | Adopting the mindset of an athlete to accomplish my goals

Source: weheartit.com via Erika on Pinterest

As I had mentioned in my previous post, last Saturday I along with the other Get Fitters had the pleasure of meeting the Fastest Woman in the World, Dawn Tillman.  One of the takeaways from our meeting with her (and there were many) was a great handout listing 13 mindsets of an athlete that we can adopt to help us reach our weight-loss goals.  So today I thought I would share with you just a few that I am working on incorporating right now.  Remember with anything (weight included) it’s a process and change takes time.  As much as I would like to incorporate all 13 things at once, trying to do so will only result in complete failure.  I find taking a slow and steady approach to everything (weight loss included) is the best approach to take especially if I want the results to be long lasting.  So here are the few that I will be focusing on for the remainder of September.

1.       Preparation - View yourself as a lifelong athlete.  Take responsibility for your overall health and well-being.  Be teachable, trainable and start adopting a winning attitude.  Take some time to study yourself, learn about what drives and motivates you.

2.       Correct Self Dialogue – Learn how to self soothe, become your own coach, cheerleader and change the channel when negative thoughts arise.  Success is not an option for you it is a given!

3.       Dedication – Stay committed to a healthy holistic lifestyle.  Be single minded and do not allow yourself to get distracted.  Be willing to go through the rigors and sacrifices to reach your goals.

4.       Discouragement – Expect it.  Know that it will pass; it’s normal, and when it happens just remember to “keep it moving”.

5.       Faith – Believe in you!  You can reach; even surpass whatever goals that you have set for yourself.  We are all usually stronger that we think.

6.       Visualize – Mentally write your history in advance.  See yourself how you want to be!

With only a few months left in the challenge, it’s time to adjust my mindset to that of an athlete and end this challenge with a BANG!  By adopting these 6 mindsets, I am pretty sure that not only will I meet but I will surpass my weight loss goals.

Get Fit | Meeting with Dawn Tillman

This past Saturday I along with the other Get Fitters had the opportunity to sit down and speak with athlete and author, Dawn Tillman.  Down Tillman earned the title of the Fastest Woman in the World in 1989 where she set an American record for the 60 meter dash and where she established the NCAA records in the 100 and 200 meter sprints while at LSU.  Both which are still standing today.  As an elite athlete, Dawn understands the importance of taking care of the body.  She also believes that many physical threats and certain behaviors are directly connected with to our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, and that there are easy and simple things that we can do today to make sure that they are in alignment and functioning harmoniously.

Dawn is also the author of the soon to be released book, Elevate: Detoxify Yourself to Physical, mental and Spiritual Health which is a whole body wellness guide.   So to say that I was a little excited to meet Dawn would be a complete understatement.  I am completely facilitated by athletes…their drive...determination and especially their commitment to being excellent in their given sport is most fascinating.  So I was eager to hear what she had to say and to learn as much from her as I could.

During our meeting with Dawn she spoke about the importance of making sure that the physical, mental and spiritual elements are in alignment for total health and well-being.  She also provided us with a handout that listed 13 mindsets of an athlete that we could use to help us achieve our weight-loss goals.

Dawn’s personality was warm and welcoming and very bubbly and she is everything and more that I had hoped she would be.  It was a pleasure being able to share the same space with her and I am eagerly awaiting her book as I know it will help many others like me and my fellow Get Fitters get on the road to better health and overall well-being.

Get Fit | Climbing Stone Mountain

This morning me and three of the other Get Fitters met up at Stone Mountain Park; the goal, to climb the mountain.  In the 8 years that I have lived in Georgia, I have never hiked Stone Mountain let alone any mountain, so I was a bit nervous.  I wasn't sure what to expect or if I could even do it but I was at least determined to give it a try.   Boy, oh boy have I been missing out on a GREAT workout.  We arrived there about 9am and started our hike.  The 1 mile hike (one way) was absolutely amazing…so nice…peaceful…and exactly what I needed to get my head back in the game. 

During the hike, we talked about our progress or lack thereof with the challenge and we shared our plans for getting back on track.  We discussed that although having the support of our family is critical to our success, also having the support of the other contestants was equally important and we agreed to be there for one another…to hold the other accountable…and to encourage each other during those moments of weakness. 

The hike itself was amazing.  It was good to see people young and old, hiking and running up and down the mountain.  Many of those who were heading down encouraged those of us going up, letting us know that we were almost there…or saying “you can do it”.  It was good to see all those people out, moving, and being active.  I felt alive and a part of a community.  It was more than what I had expected and everything that I had hoped for.

It felt good to get out and move, to be one with nature and with God, to clear my head and set a new path, and to bond with the others as we take this journey together.

Here’s to better health!

Erika

Get Fit | Recommitting to the challenge

It’s funny how fast time goes.  It seems like just the other day that I received an email from Angela at Suwanee Magazine telling me that I was a finalist and now we’re at the half way mark.  Yes, we are now six months into the challenge…where did the time go?  Today, we all met at the Suwanee Magazine office to find out about the new point system and all of the amazing prizes that we can win (more about that in a later post).  Talk about excited, I mean who doesn’t like winning prizes?!?!?!  It was also good to see and connect with the other contestants; to hear about their successes and learn of their struggles.  Listening to their stories reminded me that I am not alone in this journey. 

At this point in the challenge, I find that I am at a standstill.  I am having a hard time getting out of “vacation mode” and getting back into my normal workout schedule.  Oh and let’s not talk about my eating.  Not that I have been eating badly, it’s just that I have been eating all the things that I gave up previously (gluten, sugar, corn, etc.) and I can feel it; I feel sluggish, bloated and just yuck.  I don’t like this feeling, I loathe this feeling, yet I continue to do nothing about it.  Why?

Today during our meeting, Angela suggested that we read our entry emails to remind ourselves of the “why” we wanted to be a part of the challenge and to recommit ourselves to getting fit and healthy.  Since I submitted a video, I immediately pulled it up when I got home.  Watching it was just what I needed.  I was reminded that my reasons for wanting to be a contestant in the challenge were quite simple – to get healthy for once and for all for not only myself but also for my family.  I want to be around to see my children graduate high school, college, watch them get married and start their own family and I want to be around for my grandchildren. 

So today, I am recommitting myself to the challenge and more importantly committing to myself that I will get back on track and accomplish my goal of living an active and healthy life.

Here’s to better health!

Erika