Weight loss

What's the main reason you start an exercise and healthy eating regimen? To lose weight......

If you are always on a new diet and starting to workout (again), you will stay on that same roller coaster forever. Or at least until you change your motives.

People that have gotten out of shape and have become overweight, tend to focus solely on the pounds and the quickest way to shed them. I understand why that would be the focus, and how hard it is to NOT let that be the motive. But I know that diets don't work, and weight loss should never be the motive.

When you haven't been active or eating healthy, and you start on one of your latest weight loss journeys, the sudden change in habit will have weight peeling off you for a few weeks. Once your body is able to figure out how to defend itself against the new demands, that weight loss will slow way down and leave you feeling discouraged. Eventually, most people get frustrated and give up.

Did you know that a lot of fitness professionals don't ever weigh themselves? And did you know that fit people weigh more than you would guess by looking at them? That's because the focus is on losing fat and gaining muscle. It's on being fit, feeling, and looking good. When your goal is to be fit, feel, and look good, you have to eat foods to fuel you through your workouts and promote fat loss. The goal isn't to starve your body skinny. The goal is to feed your body healthy and fit.

Your body wants to be cared for. It wants to be fueled with healthy foods that give it what it needs to perform for you. It wants to shed fat and hang onto muscle.

If you are caring for a plant, you want it to look beautiful. What makes it look beautiful is proper nutrition. What you feed it is reflected through its beauty. The care you give it is reflected through its beauty. When you want it to look better, you give it more nutrients. You don't rob it of them. You don't deprive it of what it needs to make it a healthy and beautiful plant. Your body is the same way. When you start depriving your body of the proper nutrition, you deprive it of its ability to look beautiful for you.

I understand that not everyone is a fitness junkie. I understand that not everyone wants to continue educating themselves on healthy living or workouts. I understand that some people only do it because they want the results or because the doctor told them to. I understand that we can't all be in love with the same things. But one thing we all have in common is the desire to live a quality life. And we accomplish that by taking care of ourselves. And we start that by focusing on nutrition. If you're working in the gym for an hour + each day and eating junk, you're not going to get the results you're looking for. You're not going to feel good. You're not going to be toning the way you expected. And the fat loss isn't going to be what you were hoping for. You're diet is the key to your success. "Change happens in the kitchen".

So, to wrap it up.... For successful healthy living, let's change our focus to just that. "Healthy living!" Let's focus on how to help our bodies give us the results we are looking for. Let's give it the proper tools to work for us. Let's make it beautiful on the outside by nourishing it on the inside. Let's stop obsessing over weight loss and start working on fat loss. We need that muscle to function, and we need it to burn the fat! It's time to stop getting frustrated over diet failures because the reason you fail is that your bodies aren't being given the proper tools. Nourish yourself to success. It's the only way to get to where you want to be. It's what your body wants, needs, and deserves.

Will you?

I don't know about you, but I am so over this weather. My daughter and her cousin wrote a parody to Taylor Swift's song "we are never ever getting back together" called "I will never ever understand this weather". Even our kids are sick of it. I know we have had a pretty mild winter, but it's a long one. We have gone from a drought, to this..... I just want to get outside and run! Normally, I don't let weather keep me inside. But I'm protesting. I quit. I give up. I can't take anymore. I'm ready to break out the flip flops and running shorts. I don't have a point. I'm just complaining. This is the time of year that usually gets me to take my workouts indoors. I'm not a fan of being indoors. So that's all...I'm just whining......

Enough about that. I was thinking this morning, about how much goals change our mindset. I know I've written about setting goals before. We all know how important it is to have them. We all know how they keep us going and give us something to work for. But I was thinking specifically about how our thought process changes when we have a goal.

Think about what goals you have set for yourself, and how it affects your thinking. Here's my personal experience and observation.

When I set a goal to run a marathon, my mind becomes focused on how my choices affect my goal and my training. When I'm training, I know how a glass of wine or a heavy meal will affect my long Saturday morning training run, so I opt out. I know that if I have a big piece of sugary cake or a salad, I'm going to crash on my run the next day. I also know that if I carb up properly, hydrate properly, and skip the greasy fried foods and sweets, I'm going to feel a whole lot better and enjoy training a whole lot more.

When we have a goal, we want to be able to accomplish it. We don't want fail. And most likely, you have what it takes if you do all the right things. If you want to run a 5k, you can run a 5k. Or maybe you walk it. Whatever. My point is....if you're willing to do the work, you will accomplish the goal.

So many times you hear people say they just can't lose weight. No matter what they do, they just can't lose it. I don't believe that. I do believe it is harder for some people. I do know that we are genetically different and that plays a big role in our abilities. But I also believe that when we set goals that are realistic for our own selves, that is when we succeed. But if you don't do the work it takes for you personally, then you won't ever make it to your goal. Just because its harder for you, doesn't mean it can't be done. And maybe it's not harder. Maybe you just don't want to work that hard. We are Americans. We have become a lazy nation. We are spoiled. We want what we want without having to work at it.

Sometimes we set a goal and don't do the work and find all kinds of things to blame our failure on, but we don't want to own up to the fact that we just didn't try hard enough. "Practice makes perfect". If you want to be healthy and fit, you have to live that way. You're choices have to revolve around your goal. Your mindset has to change. You can't continue doing the same old thing and expect to see change.

When we start training toward something, the first thing we need to train is our brain. If you want to be able to walk 6 miles, you have to start with your brain. Your mind will quit you long before your body ever will. You have to believe that you're capable of what you want accomplish. You have to learn to make the right choices that help you meet that goal. You have to pay attention to what works for you and what doesn't. And you have to learn from your mistakes.

It's going to take time. It won't happen today. That's what makes it so good for you. You have to stay focused and allow yourself time to get to where you want to be. Whatever you goal is, believe that you can accomplish it. It's not about "can you?" It's about "will you?"

Figuring it out

Have you ever had that unbelievable craving for something "bad" to eat, and finally you cave in and binge on it only to find that it wasn't near as amazing as you thought it was going to be? Don't you hate that?! I wish I had some wise words on how to avoid this..... Sorry. No such luck.

Here's the deal, though. I may not have words of wisdom here, but I have opinions. I'm never short on opinions! Here's your chance to choose whether you want to keep reading, or develop your own opinion on the matter. Get out while you can. Go ahead. Run!

Good! You're still here;). Ok, this is what I think.... First, let me start by saying I am guilty of over indulging. So don't let me lead you wrong by giving you the impression that I've got it all under control. That couldn't be more wrong. But! In my opinion, cheating should be enjoying something that you have given up (on a regular basis) and miss. The one thing that you wish you could have anytime you want. For you it could be McDonald's fries. For someone else it might be a loaded baked potato. For me it's anything with sugar or simple carbs. What I wish I could get a handle on, is tasting my cheat and determining if its worth it or not. Like maybe I bring home some store bought cupcakes and they're really not all that, but I eat it anyway because it's my cheat. But what if I sampled it, decided it wasn't worth it, and didn't waste those calories? What if I found an alternative option to satisfy my sweet tooth? Bare with me..... I'm headed somewhere with this.

I have come to realize, for me personally, that I do this more often than I should. I like food. I enjoy gathering around a table with the people I love and sharing a meal. I love to eat out with my husband and kids. Mealtime has always been a time of fellowship. A time to gather and enjoy each other. Food is something that can make you feel whole. It's something that is used to make someone feel loved or important. We use it to celebrate. It so easily becomes the focus on a gathering.

So what if we stopped eating foods that aren't worth it? What if we made healthier, more realistically portioned meals at our gatherings? What if we brought a fruit salad to a potluck instead of double chocolate fudge brownies with chocolate chips? And what if we only indulged on foods that actually taste as good as we imagined? What if we used food as fuel? Fuel to keep us alive. Fuel that includes the nutrients we need to prevent cancer, increase immune health, and promote healthy living. And maybe we find ways to satisfy our cheats that aren't so sinful. Like fat free frozen yogurt. Baked potatoes loaded with healthier choices. Baked fries at home. Whole wheat pasta. Popcorn topped with healthy olive oil instead of butter. A dark chocolate candy bar instead of a king size mars bar. Etc....

This is my rant for today. Something I have been thinking about lately, and need to work on myself. I don't believe that healthy living should be a sacrifice that you can't stand waking up to every day. I don't believe that it should be stressful. I don't believe we have to restrict calories and live our lives feeling deprived. I believe those are mistakes that lead to failure. I believe we need to learn how to eat at a party, holiday, vacation, restaurant, etc. We need to learn what moderation is. We need to learn to eat when we are hungry. We need to learn to stay off the scales more. We need to stop obsessing over weight loss as a model of what healthy looks like. We need to stop crash diets, or any diets. I believe we need to make healthy choices every day that make us feel satisfied, full, and motivated. Choices that promote healthy living permanently, not quick fixes that have an ending and backfire.

I can happily admit that I have gotten a handle on the day to day, for the most part. I get it right more than wrong. And that's a goal you should work toward. Healthy living is a daily learning experience. It's something you have to create based on what you want to achieve. We learn from our mistakes.

I'm not perfect, and neither are you. So don't beat yourself up when you get it wrong. Learn from it and move on. For me, I need to work on how and when I cheat. I can do better. But I do believe we need to enjoy ourselves. We do all this work and focus so much energy on getting it right. We don't want to ruin it with bad choices, but we should find ways to enjoy ourselves. When I sit down at a restaurant with my husband, my focus should not be on how many calories I'm going to eat. I'm guilty of that and it's annoying to the people you're with. Don't be that person. My focus should be on enjoying a meal with my husband. One bad meal isn't going to be the end of it all. 3 bad meals a day for 7 days is where the problem lies. A lifestyle packed full of one bad choice after the other, coupled with never ever exercising is where the problem lies.

I'd love to help you get on track and teach you how to get to this point. I'd love to train you how to enjoy life while living healthy. I'd love to show you how fun and rewarding it is to feel and look your best. My email is lacysfitnessblog@gmail.com. Email me and we will get you there together!

Solutions

We all have busy lives. Sometimes it's hard to get to the gym. And when you do make it, it seems like the whole town showed up and you can't get on a piece of equipment. That's the type of frustration that can turn into an excuse. Solution? Here's an idea... If you are only able to get to the gym during the busiest times and feel frustrated by the lack of available equipment, create your own "at home workout". Get creative. You don't need weights or bands or benches or treadmills to do this. All you need is a small amount of space and your body weight.


Example: jog in place. Do some jumping jacks. Butt kicks. High knees. Whatever you can do to warm up in a small space. Then create a circuit that takes 2-3 minutes and repeat it 3-5 times.

A circuit would look something like this: 10 push ups 10 air squats 10 crunches 10 tri dips 10 burpees 10 side lunges


We have just worked every muscle from head to toe, engaging the core the entire time. This is only an example. You need to be creative. Maybe you want to focus on your shoulders so you do some shoulder dips. Or maybe you hate crunches and prefer Russian twists. The beauty of it is that you're the boss. And the key to it is to keep moving with 30-60 second rests between each circuit. The harder you work, the more fat and calories you will burn. Always be sure to cool down with some marching in place or whatever movement you prefer. And always, ALWAYS stretch!

Here's another pointer..... It's always better to get your heart rate up during a workout, but with circuits, you're bringing your heart rate up then back down and repeating that cycle for the duration of the workout. This has been proven to keep your heart rate up for up to 48 hours following a workout. But maybe you got home late and just don't feel like doing an organized workout. Maybe you feel like watching your favorite recorded TV show but guilt is setting in and you're beating yourself up over skipping a workout. Solution? Ok! Watch your recorded show. Don't skip the commercials. Get up and do some squats, push ups, crunches, high knees, whatever you want that works those muscles and raises your heart rate for the whole commercial break without even think about it. Just move. Do what you feel like. Don't be too lazy.... Actually work at it, at least a little bit.... Do this for 30 minutes to an hour of TV watching and the guilt is gone. Added bonus-exercise replaced trips to the kitchen for junk during commercials:)!! Keep some water close by and drink while you watch your shows.

There's always a solution. Instead of excuses, we really just have different options. Instead of excuses, we really just have life. Instead of excuses, we really just have interruptions and speed bumps. A different outlook can make all the difference. You do what you can with what you have to work with. You set a goal to be healthy. Don't allow anything to ruin it. You owe it to yourself. You know you love to feel and look your best. It's not going to magically happen on it's own. You have to make it happen.

Size and shape

I read a quote somewhere that said something like this...."how many calories you eat determines your size, the kind of food you eat determines your shape". This stuck with me because I know it to be very true. I talk a lot about how we, especially us girls, desire to be a certain weight. And that no matter how hard it is for us to accept, fitness is not about a number on the scales. That number is just a sort of gauge that does not say all there is to say and doesn't define your fitness level.

I will always be hitting on this subject because it's something we all need constantly reminded of. If your goals are to be skinny, you will fail at being healthy and fit. I understand the lengths a person has to go to in order to be skinny. All skinny is saying about you is that you look good in clothes and that you restrict calories to an unhealthy level. Being skinny is not good for you if it is being forced. Being skinnier isn't making you healthier.

Every girl sees actresses in movies and feels like they want to look that way. It's how we're programmed. It's what we have been fed by the media. It's what we have been programmed to believe is pretty. So many women have a mindset of not wanting to look "bulky". Why? What part of having a low body fat percentage is such a turn off to you? What part of being healthy do you dislike? The reality is, we are women. Just like supermodels who have been air brushed and gone on starvation diets before a photo shoot, body builders go to different extremes. When you aim to and become skinny, you still don't look like the pictures you see in a magazine. The same goes for being fit. When you achieve a low body fat percentage, you don't look like the pictures you see either.

Whether you are over or under what is considered a "healthy weight" for your body type, I'd like you to look in a mirror (with little to no clothing on) and ask yourself this...."do I like what I see and how I feel? And why or why not?" Be honest. What would you change?

If you are eating junk, whether you exercise or not, you will not very likely be satisfied with what you see or how you feel no matter how much you weigh or what size pants you wear. Think about this..... Unless you're getting a new drivers license or checking in with your doctor, nobody will ever even know how much you weigh.... And who's paying attention to what size pants you're buying? Who cares? Why do you care so much about what you look like when you're covered up in clothing? Because of the media! That's why. Because you have been trained to believe what you should look like in skinny jeans by advertising agencies. That's why.

When we finally stop trying to be someone else, and embrace and enhance our own bodies, change starts to happen. When it's no longer about being skinny, weighing a certain weight, or wearing a certain size, but rather about being fit and healthy, that's when you succeed. Fitness is a realistic goal. When you eat the right foods and exercise appropriately, you become the best you that you can be. You become the healthiest you that you can be. It is important to pay attention to your weight and how many calories you consume to help guide you to your healthiest self. But if you're hungry, eat! Just make sure you're eating things that will determine your shape. Not just your size. Choose healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc. When you feel hungry, grab an apple and some string cheese. Don't go for potato chips or snack cakes, or even just nothing at all. The idea is to encourage muscle growth. Don't be afraid to be strong (girls).

I'm going to post a picture I found online that really makes my point better than any words I could type in this blog. This picture shows that the number on the scales should never scare you into starvation and that that number does NOT define your level of fitness. I hope that no matter what you weigh, you take to heart the reality of what I'm saying. You can be fat fat or skinny fat, or you can just be fit. What would you rather be?

Press on

It's been a week since I last posted. I have not had the best week, but let's keep moving forward and overcome the hard times.

I was complaining to my husband on the way to Wichita for a funeral, while eating fast food in the car, about how horrible I feel eating junk. He said to me "that's ok, just get back on it". My reply, "I'm not off it". I think he thought I was being rude, because my response was very quick and matter of fact, but he knows me well enough to know what I meant.

When you are committed to living a healthy lifestyle, you're still going to have seasons of struggle. Life will get in the way and interrupt all of your plans and you don't even care, in those moments, about your fitness. Sometimes other things just become more important than thinking about finding healthy foods quickly and getting a workout in.

When you find yourself in a rough patch, it is ok to just do what you have to do. But it's important not to use that rough patch as an excuse when it has passed. When it has passed, it's time to press on. Continue life as you knew it before you were interrupted.

In my opinion, there is a difference in being "off it" and being interrupted. Interruptions will happen. I also believe that they need to be valid interruptions to be considered interruptions. But whatever gets in your way, plow past it. Never let it get ahold of you and destroy everything you have worked so hard for.

I hope I'm making sense because I know what I'm saying.... I've heard people say so many things about why they can't get on a program. They're always real things, but not usually very valid excuses. We all have lives. We all have struggles. We all are busy. We all have the same problems, just in different forms. I can sit here and list all of mine out for you, but what good would that be?

My point is, keep working through it. Keep pressing on. Show the hard times who's boss. If you get interrupted, let it be nothing more than that. Don't let the interruptions win. It's your life and you get to choose how to respond.

Are you going to give struggles the satisfaction of getting in your way? Or are you going to stop talking about them and keep moving? Do you realize how effective negative energy can be in exercise? Do you realize how good it feels to workout stress and sadness? And how therapeutic it is? Exercise will work through those feelings faster than ANYTHING.

My advice to you today, based on my own experiences and life, is to press on. Let interruptions be nothing more than that. Take control and quit talking about your problems. You're only letting them define you. I want to be defined by the strength I have to press on. Not by my life's struggles. Nobody has a perfect situation, so stop waiting for yours. It doesn't exist. Everyone has struggles, so stop relying on yours as excuses. Press on. The choice is yours. What's it going to be?

Struggles

You know that moment when you are starving and you're plan is to eat a salad, but you walk into a restaurant and are slapped in the face by the amazing sight and smell of EVERYTHING else that you know you shouldn't have? Yea....that's fun! Haha...

So how do you handle this situation normally? Do you put your blinders on and suffer through only to find yourself totally satisfied by your salad at the end of the meal? Or do you go ahead and open the menu and fantasize about a big juicy burger and a side of fries, followed by the battle of wills that you most often lose?

I don't want to admit how this plays out for me, but I will. It honestly depends on my level of determination. And I've come to realize that my level of determination is based on wether I've allowed myself enough food and water lately. If I'm depriving myself, which is easy to do without even realizing it, my chances of failure are significantly higher. Does that mean I change my ways so that I get it right every time? Heck no! I'm human....

This can be a vicious cycle, because the more you indulge, the more you crave. And at the same time, the more you constrict your calories, the more you crave.... So how do we fix it? We eat enough of the right foods, drink plenty of water, and get passed the first few days of detox so that the cravings are gone and you're in control. Sounds easy when you say it fast, right? I know!

So here's how the conversation with yourself needs to go when you're faced with temptation. You're probably saying "but it sounds so good! I really want it!" Well of course it sounds good.... And of course you want it.... So let's not even discuss this in the middle of temptation. The question you need to ask yourself is, "what will this do for me? And how will it affect my goals?"

It's so easy to reward yourself with food. "I've been good all week. I've been to the gym everyday. I've been eating rabbit food and I deserve a treat." Wrong! You can allow yourself a "cheat", but never ever reward yourself with food. There's a difference. Rewards are justified binges. Cheats are controlled indulgences.

I am nowhere near perfect. I have a sweet tooth like no other. I love French Fries. Pasta is amazing. Carbs in general are a weakness for me. I have a tendency to not eat enough throughout the day when I'm by myself. I get busy and just don't take the time to eat properly, which leads me to that feeling of starvation by the end of the day that results in failure.

This post is more of a rant about my own frustration and struggle, but I know many can relate. I don't pretend to get it all right, but I do strive to do my best so that the good outweighs the bad. So far it's working out for me ok, but I know I can do much better. And I know you can too.

What a great question to ask yourself..."what will this do for me?" What will eating 4 cookies do for your goals? How will affect all of the hard work you have done? What if you only had 1 instead? Wouldn't that be a good compromise? Can you eat just 1 and be done? This is the conversation we need to have with ourselves in the middle of temptation. Not the conversation about how good we've been, how hard we've worked, how good it sounds, and how much we deserve it.... We need to take control of the situation. If you're hungry, eat. But eat the right things. Not eating enough will cause you to crave heavy foods. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can actually trigger hunger symptoms. Weirdly true!

So this is my blip on what frustrates me most..... Welcome to what I struggle with most. I'm sure you have related to this and maybe we all can strive to change these poor habits together. Maybe we need a "poor fitness decisions support group" haha. Hey! That actually could be a thing!

Good luck to all of us as we strive to be better! Email me if you need help, support, or just want to chat.... Lacysfitnessblog@gmail.com.

"To do" lists

If you are living a sedentary lifestyle and have fallen really far off track, you're very likely overwhelmed at the thought of the amount of work you are going to need to do to get even close to where you once were or want to be. Natural reaction to being faced with a challenge that large.

When you have a to do list that snowballs, it's hard to know where to begin. There's so much to do that you don't even want to face it. It's overwhelming. You know you can't get it all done at once though, so you tackle one item at a time. The thing about "to do" lists is that they're a lot like fitness. Your list may involve grocery shopping, paying the bills, packing the kids lunches, mowing the lawn, doing the laundry, painting the mailbox, going to the doctor, giving the dog a bath, etc, but once you have completed any one of these tasks, they're going to end up right back on the "to do" list.

If you could get your mindset on fitness to be the same as tackling your other responsibilities, you may finally get to where you want to go. Once you have arrived at the healthiest version of you, your fitness "to do" list won't be as scary as it once was. It will still exist, but it won't be nearly as intimidating as it once was because you continuously stay on top of your list and keep it under control.

You know that feeling you get when the laundry has piled up and you finally get the chance to get it caught up and it's such a feeling of relief? Just because you got it all done, doesn't mean it's gone off the list for good. There will be another full load by the end of the day, but you don't let that stop you from doing it. Why? It's on the list. You have to do it. You have no choice. And it's not going to wash itself.

What if instead of feeling totally overwhelmed by how far you have to go to get back to where you want to be health wise, you created yourself a sort of "fitness to do" list? What if you wrote down all of the things that you want to change about yourself and started tackling one or two of those things at a time, never removing anything from that list? I don't want you to put "lose X pounds" on the list. I want you to put a goal weight and or size, and more importantly a visual image of what you want to look and feel like on that list. That never comes off the list. Be specific with what you want. Write it down and start at the top. When you get the hang of one thing, move on to the next. Add just one thing at a time.

I understand how frustrating it can be when you feel like you have a long journey ahead of you, but the thing about living a healthy lifestyle is that it's never ending. We all have a long journey ahead of us. The difference between those of us that are fit and healthy, and those of us that aren't, is that those of us that are fit and healthy have chosen to take the journey. We made our "fitness to do" lists and are sticking to them.

Don't be afraid of how far you have to go. Healthy living has no finish line, so stop stressing yourself out over fad diets and calories and pounds. I'm a huge believer in eating right, working out, focusing on the things you want to improve, focusing on being healthy, and letting the rest happen naturally. When you crash diet and focus on what the scales say, you rob yourself of nutrients and muscle mass that your body needs to get you to your ideal visual image of a healthier version of you. Don't take away all of your own tools, then get angry that you failed. If you start putting water in your gas tank, your car isn't going to run better. It's going to have the opposite effect. It needs gasoline to run. It needs the proper fuel to get you from point A to point B. if you start filling it with water, you're not giving it what it needs to perform for you. Your body is the same. You need to fuel it properly to get the results you want.

Make your list today and start on it now. Why not now? What's wrong with now? Get on it. No more excuses. No more getting overwhelmed by the big picture. No more putting it off and letting it pile up like dirty laundry. First thing on the list is to get started! Today is the day to start tackling your fitness to do's. I know you can do it. And only you can do it. So make it happen.

My email is lacysfitnessblog@gmail.com. If you need help with your fitness to do list, I'd be more than glad to help. Shoot me an email and we will get started!

Untitled

I think I will skip writing about fitness today to honor the loss of a loved class mate....

I want to say that my heart is very heavy for the Brink family today and the Monett class of 1994. We lost a very special member of our class yesterday, Melody Carr Brink. We all are very glad that Mel will feel no more pain, but she will be missed dearly and the class of '94 won't be the same without her. I left Monett just before high school, but Monett has always been my home and is where I currently live. I have many memories of Melody's kind friendship, hanging out at her house, and how sweet and genuine she always was. My prayers go out to her husband and two boys, as well as her parents and the rest of her family. Melody had a place in this small town and made an impression on many, all the way down to my 5th grader who was saddened to learn about the loss of one of her favorite substitute teachers and how her fellow classmate (Karter) has lost his mom. Many hearts are heavy today. Rest in peace, Mel.

Inertia

An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force, just as an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force, according to Newton's Laws of Motion.

Guess what? You're an object! Surely you've noticed that the longer you lay on the couch, the harder it becomes to get up. And what about the opposite? I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say "once I get going, I'm good". Yes, because of physics. This isn't just YOU that feels this way. It's a law of motion.....

Here's the hard part. When it comes to physical activity, that outside force has to be YOU. It's literally up to you whether or not to stay active. You are what you do.... Laziness promotes laziness. Activeness promotes activeness. The choice is yours. This is true for you, no matter what your limitations may be. All the way down to being wheelchair bound. If you stop practicing the motion of standing, you stop being able to stand. It may become more difficult for you to perform a certain motion, but the less you do, the further you get from easily being able to perform a motion until eventually you can't even do it safely at all.

No one can keep you moving, but you. No one can keep you active, but you. No one can make you become sedentary, but you. The choice is yours. Unfortunately, doing nothing is easier than getting up and getting active. It's no easier for me than it is for you. Newton proves that! The same laws apply to everyone. We are all going to have different limitations. It's what you do with what you've got that makes a difference in how you live, act, and feel. Hang on to what you DO have. Don't let the things that ARE impossible for you to do, keep you from doing anything at all. Maybe you don't have the ability to ride a road bike, but you do have the ability to get some low intensity aerobic activity in. You do what you can with what you've got, or you do nothing at all and fall even further away from being any kind of active.

The choice is yours. It's all up to you. What are you going to do about it? Complain about it? Blame it on your age? Or a college injury? Or an old surgery? Or are you going to do what you can with what you've got to work with, so that you don't lose that too? Add life to your days. Add quality to your life. Keep yourself active, or get yourself active if you've become sedentary. Make the most of this life we have. Do what you can to be sure you enjoy it to it's fullest. No one wants to simply exist. Everyone wants to live! Make it happen. Be your own outside force. No one else can do it!

Spring cleaning

Time for some spring cleaning!


Did you make a New Years resolution to get healthy? If so, are you sticking with it? I hope so! Great job to you if you are changing yourself!

A lot of times those resolutions get interrupted because you're waiting for perfect conditions, whatever those may be for you. Today is March 1. Spring is near. Although it doesn't feel like it at the moment, it's about time to start swim suit shopping.

We are all guilty of packing on the pounds over the winter. Shorter days, cold and dreary weather, holiday feasts, Super Bowl parties, crock pots, the overwhelming desire to bake.....
Everyone struggles during the winter. I am among the guilty.

Now that we are on spring's doorstep, it's time for some spring cleaning. Time to undo the mess you made over the winter. Time to change your ways. It is no fun shopping for new swimwear when you're feeling pudgy and storing extra pounds. And it's not very exciting to think about spending time around the pool or beach when you are feeling self conscious. And you know you want to get out there and enjoy the outdoor fun in the sun.

Make a commitment to do some form of exercise, every singe day, for the whole month of March. For example, I accepted a challenge to run at least 1 mile every day for the entire month. No excuses. I also committed to do 50 squats and 50 lunges every day this month. Maybe you're thinking to yourself that you can't run, or you have a bad knee and can't do squats. Well that's no problem, because that's MY commitment:). Do what you can. Maybe you're a swimmer. Maybe you like Zumba. Maybe you prefer walking or taking a yoga class. Maybe you're challenge is to lose a certain amount of weight this month, and/or to give up your favorite bad food.

You have to pick things that work for you so that you don't fail. You can't commit to something you hate or aren't capable of doing for whatever reason, and expect to follow through with it. Give yourself the chance to succeed.

If you would like help and can't afford a trainer, I have training plans available that can help you and don't break the bank. I can design a program for you, and communicate via text or email with you for accountability and direction. My email is lacysfitnessblog@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!