It is so important to find a workout that you love and enjoy in order to have long-term success in health and fitness.
If you are trying to make yourself do a program that you hate, it is going to be very difficult to complete it and to be successful in the long run.
I tried quite a few programs before I found one that I truly LOVE that gives me a full body workout, nice muscle tone and that I feel I can really connect with. This MMA style fighting program is right up my alley and makes me happy, smiling, sweaty and feeling killer awesome every single time!! It’s not easy, but it comes with a simple nutrition plan, I love the challenge and it keeps me moving forward with great motivation!?
Check out my MMA Power from this morning! 🙂
If I think over the last 3 years and the vast number of programs I bought in order to find “the one”, it is crazy how much money I spent.
What is an easier answer to this?
Guess what? There is no need to buy a bunch of programs any more!! There is a new option available where there is ONE fee per year that includes every single program in the system! This will allow you to pick the one you love without having to buy each individual one to test them out! What a great concept! See more info below on this!
Enjoy your Monday and work at finding a fitness program you LOVE! It is so worth it, it will change your life and help you to achieve your fitness and weight loss goals much faster!
I am feeling accomplished this morning! Day 15 out of 30 of my MMA challenge is complete! ?
The beauty of an all-access system is that it includes EVERY program through digital streaming that has ever been created from Tai Cheng to Yoga, to Insanity and P90x and also includes the newest programs such as Hammer and Chisel as well as Core de Force (my favorite!).
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! Have a good one!! 🙂
To become part of the Athletic Grandma Community, be sure to enter your name and email address HERE and get a free download of the 7 ways to improve your self-discipline!
Ever started on the path to fitness and then gave up?
We all have.
As a Nurse Practitioner and health coach, I see it happen all the time.
Most of the time, it has everything to do with a person’s mindset.
Our limiting beliefs about ourselves are, well, limiting. Even if we decide to get fit and pursue health, we will fail if deep down we don’t really believe we could be fit or strong. Despite our determination, our negative beliefs will undermine our efforts, and we’ll sabotage our own efforts.
Good news though! What we believe about ourselves can be changed. Our brains are capable of creating new neural pathways and changing not only our beliefs but also behavioral patterns. It just takes work.
We have it backwards. The path to fitness doesn’t start with a strategy of when and where and how to work out. It doesn’t even start with a nutrition plan. It starts with a correct mindset – one that believes we can accomplish the health and fitness we desire.
Only once we believe we are capable of change, is it sensible to work toward that goal.
How to Change Your Mindset
First, don’t expect instant results. This thing takes time. In order to develop a fitness mindset one of the first things we have to understand is that whatever physical shape we are in today, it is the result of hundreds of small habitual actions performed throughout our life.
And we have to understand that just as we don’t get out ofshape and overweight overnight, we won’t get in shape overnight either. We need to truly understand that “instant gratification” is not possible.
Most importantly, we have to understand that a fitness mindset sees life as a journey rather than a destination.
That means every failure and setback is an opportunity for growth – focus on that. We are not eating salad to fill a quota. We are not even working out to build muscles. At least, those aren’t the thing to focus on. Think of them as a byproduct of your patience, consistency, and resilience. And those qualities are grown in the face of difficulty. Embrace that, and the tough days – when you’re physically spent or emotionally worn, or all your drive and desire has dissipated like a mist – those days will seem less like drudgery and more like opportunity.
Practically, changing your mindset is the training of your thoughts every day. Sometimes, especially at the beginning, it’s a minute-by-minute work.
Steps to Changing Your Mindset
Identify the Thought You Want to Change
We can’t change something we don’t know about. Be honest with yourself about what you really believe. Do you really, deep down, believe you can eat clean as a lifestyle for the rest of your life? Do you really, deep down, believe you can one day become consistent at working out? What do you believe about yourself? Do you feel that you are worth it?
Recognize When You’re Thinking the Thought
This is where you spy on your own brain, catching it red handed as it lies to you. Listen closely for that negative self talk. When you’re vacuuming and your mind wanders, do you hear those negative thoughts? For example, if you don’t believe that you can ever stop snacking on sweets in the evenings, you might catch yourself thinking, “I’m an emotional eater.” The more you think these thoughts, the more they become true. Catch them in the act.
Replace the Thought
Once you catch the negative self-talk in the act, stop. Stop yourself from thinking it. Refuse to indulge that lie one more time. That’s what it is – it’s a lie. Replace it with a truth – even if it’s not necessarily true right now, make your mind identify it as a truth. It is possible, to some degree, to speak things into being. If you tell your brain something over and over, it will begin to believe you. Once you believe it, your behaviour will follow. Because we act on our beliefs. We can’t help it. Putting pen to paper and writing these beliefs and belief replacements down has been proven to be most effective.
Positive Replacement Thoughts
There are loads of ideas of positive replacement thoughts, or mantras as some call them. Here’s a list to kick-start your brainstorming.
My most recent ones are, “I am a gladiator!” or “I am a chiseled badass granny!” The more I say it, the more I believe it. And the more I believe it, the more I act like it. It’s the coolest thing to be able to train our brain.
What limiting thoughts are keeping you from growing in health and fitness?
What positive declaration can you replace it with? (Share in the comments so I can cheer you on!)
Join the athletic grandma community and receive a free download about how to improve your self-discipline!
Good advice for myself this morning. This advice applies to so many areas of life since our fears and choices set the direction of our life! How many times have I chosen NOT to do something because I was afraid to look foolish! How many times have I avoided doing something that I knew darn well would be good for me, but I was too afraid! Countless times! I shudder to think about it!
This morning, I was afraid to put myself into one arm burpies…afraid of failing, falling or hurting myself. I gritted my teeth and just told myself I could do it! I in fact did them and now that I have made myself do it, it has reinforced the positive belief I have in myself that I totally CAN and I will not be afraid the next time! ?? A torn ligament in one hand will not stop me!
If you believe you can do it, you can!
Think about this today! What is it that you want to do or accomplish where fear is holding you back? Take the leap of faith, do it anyway and you will be surprised at how you feel!
Perfect time for an icy shake…post-workout while red-faced and sweaty! yumm 🙂
I call this stuff my youth and energy potion. ? Seriously though, over two years of drinking this superfood every single day has changed my life!! Cripe, it even has me bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 5 am in the morning!!
The things superfood has done for me is hard to fully describe, but I will do my best to give you a good idea of what it could do for you by giving you details of my experience 🙂
1. My energy is so amazing despite sleep deprivation and working full time (and raising baby grandson)
2. An indescribable level of well-being which then gives me a high level of positivity and has improved all of my relationships.
3. Has given me incredible mental clarity...feels great to be sharp, clearer thinking, and to be on my toes!
4. Has made it MUCH easier to maintain a long term clean eating lifestyle by cutting cravings (and with good energy, you don’t feel as hungry!!)…and it is so delicious, I feel like I am getting a treat every day!
5. My hair, skin and nails are more soft, supple and younger looking and with a healthy glow! (Youth!)
6. The combination of phytonutrients, cellular nutrition, and antioxidants is giving my body the high level of nutrition it needs to fight illness and prevent disease! It makes me feel good to know that I am doing the best I can to prevent disease connected to oxidative stress such as cancer! …not to mention preventative power against obesity & nutrition-related disease like gallbladder and liver disease, heart attack and strokes and more!
I can tell you with absolute certainty that I will NOT be without my daily superfood…EVER!
To get more detailed information on what superfood will do for you, please comment below or send me a message
Learning to love yourself isnt easy, but it is worth it!
After so many years of not knowing why I was so irritable, impatient, always in a hurry, overwhelmed, and grouchy, I have recently made some discoveries! I would often say to myself “I cannot even stand myself like this”….and it wouldn’t be just be during PMS either! 🙂
As I move through my emotional healing journey some major issues are being uncovered. From years of trauma and abuse and packing all those negative feelings away in the back of my mind so I could just survive, subconsciously I did not have positive feelings about myself at all! I didn’t even realize this since I was too busy responding to life challenges and in survival mode all day to even realize! Aha! No wonder I was so cranky!
After developing beliefs as a child that you are no good for anything, not worthy of love, useless and never good enough, subconsciously, those beliefs remain with you and affect your future beliefs in yourself as well as your emotional responses to the world around you (especially in your closest intimate relationships). It’s scary just how much this affects us as an adult!
It has taken me tremendous work, research, digging deep, determination and sharing my experiences with others to truly begin to love myself. I have learned so much on this journey that I would be honored to have the opportunity to help you to learn to love yourself too!! A few things I have learned so far are to; give myself permission to put myself first, say “no” to unloving acts towards me (out of self-love, remove myself from hurtful situations or people), forgive myself for mistakes I have made, celebrate myself when I achieve something (even if it is small), and learn that I am deserving of love and other good things.
Now that I have these self-realizations, am I an expert or am I perfect?
NO! I do still have much more work to do on myself, and I consider myself a work in progress, but I have made huge strides already and have learned so much about how to take steps in the right direction. Sometimes, sharing your struggles with someone who is going through it to, or is just a few steps ahead of where you are, can be the most effective way to make progress and feel genuinely supported and understood too!
We are all human, and we ALL deserve love. Today, do yourself a favor and start with yourself. You’ll thank yourself later! And so will everyone who can feel the beautiful, loving energy developing in you.
…and yes, that is me in the image above… Today, I decided to give myself a hug after finishing my workout this morning and, yes, I truly felt I deserved it! ?
I have an upcoming private group coming up in February called the Love-Yourself Challenge. Click on the image below and complete the form if you are interested in joining the group and I will get back to you privately by email within 24 hours to give you the details… Make yourself a priority….this will be the first step! 🙂
Be sure to join the upcoming challenge! Change your life forever!
The New Year is here (can you believe it is 2017… wow!) and Summer is right around the corner, seriously, it is! That is how fast time flies. But the good news is… you are in the drivers seat of your life! There is no time better than right now to start your journey. But in order to tackle these crazy tough Beachbody workout routines, you need to arm yourself with the right tools to guarantee your success. Not going to lie to you, whatever program you are attempting, the work is hard and the commitment is relentless but the rewards that follow are so amazing, so grand, so epic! The time to start is now and I am here to help you achieve that success you desire and those results you absolutely deserve!
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY JOURNEY
My name is Diane Gudmundson and I am a Team Beachbody Coach. My journey started two years back when I was 45 years old. I had just topped the scale at 196 lbs. for my 5’8″ frame. Being out of shape was only the tip of the iceberg. I was unhealthy and was on medications for anxiety, body pain and sleeping issues. My hair was falling out, my skin was dry and flaky, and my nails were cracking and peeling. My gut was not functioning properly, I was having pain when trying to use the bathroom with bleeding and even was having difficulty peeing! I was a mess!
My doctor gave me a good physical examination, arranged numerous blood tests and a colonoscopy. It was found that my blood results were normal, the colon was 100% normal The worst part, through all of this, was that I had lost all my self-esteem and confidence. All this at 45 years of age! So, if all my tests and examinations were normal, what did this mean?
This definitely was an aha moment!
The first step of my journey was to find a nutrition plan (not a diet) that was going to work for me and work for the rest of my life. I love to eat all kinds of food, and I was not going to deny myself one of life’s most pleasurable experiences. Avoidance was not an option, limitation and moderation was how I would succeed. I studied clean eating and portion control and with a simple weekly plan implemented clean eating into my life.
I also knew I needed to incorporate an exercise routine. I choose P90x as my first program. Now let me just reiterate how out of shape I was. I couldn’t even go up a flight of stairs without getting winded, I could only do a couple pushups on my knees (barely) and could not last more than a few minutes when trying to do jumping jacks! I had aches and pains constantly, back and knee pain, and really was poorly motivated to do any physical activity. When I went horseback riding, my back pain got even worse, so I lost my motivation to go riding as as result!
I was not going to give up hope!
When I popped in that first workout DVD in on Day 1, I barely was able to do any of it. But I knew if I just made tiny improvements each day, just little baby steps, I was putting myself on the right path towards success.
I could sit here and tell you that it was easy, and that all it takes is a bit of willpower and go for it. Well, it doesn’t work that way and it has absolutely nothing to do with willpower. Changing your lifestyle, changing your body, changing your mind and the way you think, changing almost everything about yourself (including limiting beliefs and emotional issues) in order to reach your goals is going to be the toughest thing you will ever attempt in your life. I struggled, I failed, I hit obstacles, but these difficulties are all required, this is what makes it the greatest journey in the world. If a path is easy, it does not build our strength and capacity!
Support and Accountability works!
I could not have done it alone though and needed all the support that I could find. I found a Beachbody Coach and then participated in an online Accountability Group. I can honestly say that if I hadn’t done this important step, I would never have succeeded! Since completing that first then second round of p90x, I went on to complete Focus T25, 21 Day Fix and 21 DF Extreme, PiYo, Insanity Max 30, Body Beast, P90, 22 min hard corps, and Core de Force! I am loving this because I never get bored and, by switching up my fitness programs regularly, I am getting optimal results! Currently I am doing a mix of Core De Force and The Master’s Hammer and Chisel which has now become my all-time favorite program combination!
Much Happier and now 42 pounds less!!
Currently I am 154 lbs. and I am now in the best shape of my life! Even though I love looking toned and muscular, the way I feel emotionally and physically and my ultimate health is what is most important! I am healthier now at 47 then when I was 25! Oh, and I am happier now than I have ever been in my entire life too! (I am one happy Granny! LOL)
Healthy, Happy and energized for life are three ways to explain how I now live. Now, I want to give back, pay it forward, and share that experience with you and share all that I have learned.
Are you ready to make a change?
If you are ready, ready to make that change, ready to learn, ready to arm yourself for battle, ready to be motivated, ready to be inspired, ready to be accountable, ready to own it and earn it, then I will do everything in my power to ensure you cross that finish line and find success in all your goals.
Take a minute to consider BOTH of these options!
To join an online accountability group with me as your coach, please take a few minutes to fill out the application here.
2. To receive a free PDF download about how to get started with a clean eating lifestyle, CLICK HERE
After 3 nights in a row without proper sleep, I am beginning to wonder how I am going to function if this continues.
Not sure why my brain doesn’t seem to want to go to sleep, perhaps it is part of my abuse recovery… I am on what I am calling my “emotional fitness journey” especially intensive over the last month. It has been a challenging path to take and honestly, some days, I feel like quitting the journey and just going back to my “tough” self that never had any problems.
Sleep is one of those things that is important for brain function and we don’t realize just how much. Yesterday, at clinic, by half way through the shift, my thinking felt slowed, cloudy, eyes were burning, ears were ringing and felt some serious fatigue. Ate a few mint chocolate squares to liven me up, which seemed to work for a few minutes, then subsequently I felt worse instead of better. Challenging to get through the last part of the shift this way!
I did some research on sleep recently and founds some interesting facts about what the brain does while we are sleeping! There were 5 that I found most interesting!
Firstly, while we are sleeping, our brain helps to process complex data, to aid with decision making when we are awake! Its amazing how much our brain processes while unconscious!
Secondly, While we are sleeping, the brain creates and consolidates memories. For this reason, sleep is VERY important for learning and retaining information. Also, having good sleep PRIOR to learning, prepares the brain better for initial formation of memory. Hmm, maybe pulling those all-nighters to study for exams and write papers were not such a good idea!
Thirdly, sleep helps to boost our ability to have creative connections. In an unconcious state, the mind can make surprising creative connections that it won’t make while awake! Have you ever waken up in the morning after a good sleep with new “aha” moments?
Fourthly, a very important function of sleep is for the brain to do a little housekeeping. This process allows the brain to flush out toxic materials that build up while we are awake! Apparently, without enough sleep, these toxins can build up and lead to cognitive diseases.
Fifth, while sleeping, our brain learns and remembers the process of how to perform physical tasks. These things could include dance moves, new golf swing techniques, running form, etc. During REM sleep, our body transfers these to a longer term memory area, so that they become more permanent in our minds.
Given the significant processes that occur during sleep, its no wonder my brain didn’t want to work properly after no sleep. I have learned that no amount of caffeine, chocolate or sugar in the day will fix that! In fact, having these substances, can affect the quality of your sleep the upcoming night again!
With all of the research, and looking at just how important sleep is, I have come up with 5 ways to improve my sleep:
Minimize caffeine intake (chocolate, coffee, iced tea, other drinks and more). Caffeine can take up to 18 hours to completely clear from the body, so even the morning coffee can interfere with sleep quality! (this issue can get worse at we get older too!)
Avoid bright screens/computer for at least an hour prior to sleep. Bright light can interfere with our natural melatonin and sleep cycles! Also, what we are reading on those screens may be too stimulating instead of relaxing!
Meditate or think deeply about things that are stressing me or bothering me prior to going to bed and write them down on a piece of paper beside the bed and give myself permission “not to worry about them until tomorrow”.
Have no screens or TV in bedroom. Bedroom to be used ONLY for sleep.
What other suggestions do you have for me about how to improve sleep? Have you had issues sleeping and found a solution that works for you? Please share your suggestions in the comment box below!
There I was in front of the opened fridge, searching for peace.
It had been the kind of long, frustrating day no commute could erase. Maybe it was the two patients I’d seen whose troubling stories broke my heart. Maybe their struggles with depression and emotional trauma had hit a little too close to home. Now, an unstoppable string of painful memories threaded its way through my mind.
“I thought I dealt with this already. Why am I rehashing this again?” I sighed and closed the fridge.
Nothing in there would fix this ache in my heart. And it certainly wouldn’t stop the rerun of disturbing images through my mind. I’d have to deal another way. Without snapping at people. Without rolling my eyes and sighing at them. Without withdrawing or stuffing my face.
It’s crazy, isn’t it, how things that happened decades ago can trigger negative behavior in the present. Even stuff we’ve dealt with. Forgiven. Accepted and learned from. Or thought we had.
Many coaches say that forgiveness (and, I’d add, dealing with trauma) is like peeling an onion: it has a lot of layers, and each one makes you cry. I’ve certainly found this to be true as I worked through each painful layer of my past.
The weird thing was that I couldn’t force it. I couldn’t hurry up and heal, or race to the next level. Each layer of healing seemed to come when I was ready, and it would always surprise me when it came.
Like this week. I never saw it coming. But suddenly something like a patient’s suffering can stir up a mess of memories I didn’t realize I still needed healing from.
When that happens, my behavior can get weird. I can suddenly find myself in the fridge, or any other number of bad habits I once had, to help me deal with the pain. Overeating (some kind of carb with peanut butter and jam), staring at TV, grumping at my family, and ignoring my friends.
Has that ever happened to you? Has something triggered old painful memories and sent you headlong back into rotten old habits you thought you’d kicked?
It’s not a bad thing.
I mean, we definitely need to find a way to avoid those negative behaviours. But here’s the thing. Once we become aware of what is triggering our behaviour – once we realize the connection between our past experiences and our current behaviour – we can short-circuit the effects of those old wounds.
We don’t have to continue to be hurt by our past.
We don’t have to let past pain hurt our present.
Practically, what this looks like for me (once I recognize what’s triggering my behaviour) is to close that fridge door and walk in the opposite direction of that loaf of bread. I’ll try to find a quiet place to sit down and let the memories come. I will, once again, (again!!) decide to forgive and let it go, just as I had before. Then I’ll fix my mind back on the present – on my current goals – and choose a behaviour that fits with that.
Instead of going to the fridge to feed my feelings, I resolutely choose to engage with my daughter and grandson. We’ll play a game, talk, go outside for a walk, read a book or sit and play with toys – whatever it takes to engage in healthy activities.
We can break free from our past, from hurt. But it takes some self-awareness and the willingness to choose a new path, one scary, difficult layer at a time.
How to you shake free from past hurts when they come knocking?
I adore watching him plod through tall grass. It’s up to his knees in places and he pushes through every step to get where he wants to go. If there’s a mud puddle in his way, he marches right through it. Thick mud tries to hold him fast, but he tugs and yanks without stopping, until his feet are finally free, and continues right on wherever he was determined to go.
Watching him made me think of all the times I’ve had to plod through tall grass in my life – abuse, divorce, relentless weight gain, rejection, working out at 4:00am – sometimes I pushed through, and sometimes I gave up, turned around, and went back the way I came.
Toddlers, I discovered, know the secret to health, fitness, and falling off the wagon.
They don’t hold themselves up to impossible standards like we do. To them, life is one big experiment. Some things they try work, and other times they fall down and get a big ugly bump on their face. They don’t seem embarrassed by it though, and it doesn’t keep them from trying again.
I love that. We can definitely learn from their example.
Time and again, clients will start a fitness program or a clean-eating plan, and within a few weeks, they’ll stop. Give up. Quit. The reasons are many – scheduling issues, the cost, or a lack of planning or time.
Then they beat themselves up for failing, and feel even worse than when they began.
But toddlers know something we need to know. Life is not perfect, and neither are we.
The bumps, bruises, and hang-ups they constantly, continuously, endlessly encounter do not beat them.
To them, life is an experiment. Some things will work, some won’t.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
This is the lesson we need to learn.
Progress requires experimentation, and experimentation will result in fails.
We need to allow ourselves to fail.
Maybe the Plyo workout isn’t for you. Maybe it’s too intense or your wrists can’t handle it. Don’t give up, just try something else. There are loads of choices. Maybe weights, kickboxing or jogging. Try swimming or sports. Just don’t stop!
If counting calories stresses you out, don’t stop managing your diet, just try another method. Try portion control. Or introduce shakes. Or focus on making one small, positive change and holding to it every day. There are lots of ways to make progress.
Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection.
The amazing thing about allowing yourself to fail is that your expectations change.
Now you’re not holding yourself up to some impossible standard. Suddenly it becomes about one thing – the smoothie. Didn’t work? Try different recipes, different times of day, or have juice or a salad instead. It’s okay. We’re experimenting to see what sticks and what doesn’t. The great thing about fitness is that there’s no one way to health.
Progress, not perfection.
Sometimes we need to just take a cue from the inspiring little people around us.
They’re smarter than we think.
What is one thing you do to get back on the wagon after a fail?
“I’m so sick of this.” Her eyes moistened, and she lowered her head and raised a tissue to her face.
“I hate feeling so fat and tired all the time.”
At only forty-one, she was exhausted daily, experiencing regular weight gain, and it was dragging her down. Now she’d come to the medical clinic hoping I could fix it.
It was a common complaint, but my heart still hurt for her.
But would she be the kind to take the advice I was about to give?
Time would tell.
“I’m sorry. That’s hard.” I said, offering her another tissue. “Thankfully, this is totally fixable.”
She looked up at me with a mix of curiosity and doubt. “How?”
This is where I wonder what they’re hoping for. A pill? Homework? A promise that the problem would fix itself?
“Your body is not made for exhaustion. It’s a finely tuned machine, capable of running excellently even into your eighties. It’s just… well, it’s kind of like a car. If you put the right fuel in the tank, you can expect it to work. If you pour cat food or dish soap in the tank, you’re going to have big problems.”
She snickered, then sighed, realizing I would not prescribe a magic pill.
I took the time at that point to stop and educate her about clean nutrition principles.. “It will blow your mind how clean eating will change your life.”
She absorbed the information and dabbed her eyes with a tissue again.
“Did you know the processed or chemical-laden foods we eat actually can lead to adrenal fatigue, diabetes, increased fat deposits? It’s because they affect our hormones, which affect metabolism, thyroid, and other hormonal functions.”
She nodded. I guessed she’d heard it before.
“Did you know poor hydration can raise blood pressure?”
“Really. Huh…”
I couldn’t tell if she was overwhelmed, disappointed, or just plain tired.
“Seriously, clean nutrition habits will change your life.”
She left my office with an exhausted, half-hearted, “We’ll see. I guess I could try it.”
I thought for sure she’d be among the majority who change nothing and return again and again with worsened symptoms. To my surprise, she jumped in with both feet and started using the clean eating principles I had so carefully explained.
To her surprise, she experienced exactly the results I talked about.
Her blood pressure decreased, emotions stabilized, and her energy sky-rocketed! She didn’t need naps every day anymore. After a few weeks, she even lost a few inches from her waistline.
Our expectation for a quick fix is only making us sicker.
The truth is, our bodies need maintenance.
Just like a car.
Sure, you can ignore it for a while, and even treat it like junk. But after a while, the bolts will loosen, the hinges will stiffen, and rust will start to eat holes in the body.
Prevention isn’t just about avoiding a wheelchair when you’re eighty.
It’s about feeling awesome and energetic on your way to eighty.
If you’re like many of the patients I meet in my job as a Nurse Practitioner, and you’re sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, trust me – clean eating and increased physical activity will be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Try it. The simplicity and results will blow your mind. (and change your life)
