Are You Dedicated This December?

I hear it all of the time, "I just follow the 80/20 Rule".

What does that even mean? 80% of what? How do I even measure it? 

For the longest time, my clients would struggle in December. The worst part? They became extremely discouraged in January and would want to give up after previous months of hard work. I wanted to create a simple, easy to follow program for this overwhelming month. 

Enter the 80/20 Rule. I found a way to measure this notorious weight loss rule. 

There are 10 daily, healthy rules to follow.

1 64oz of water
2 Eat a real breakfast 
3 2 fruit servings
4 2 vegetable servings 
5 Healthy protein at every meal & snack
6 Avoid eating out
7 No BAD liquid calories (Starbucks, Wine etc.)
8 No food after 8PM
9 Food Journal
10 WORKOUT! WORKOUT! MOVE! 

Your daily goal? Hit 8 out of 10.

I know what you are thinking...but what if I go to a Holiday Party where I NEED to drink a glass of wine, they order out food and it doesn't get served until 8PM? 

There are 31 days in December. I throw out Christmas entirely which makes this challenge last 30 days. 

80% of 30 days, 24 days of hitting at least 8 out of your 10 daily goals. 

This will be our third year of Dedicated December. Clients not only lose weight, but most of them continue to lose weight following this now understandable 80/20 rule. 

The best part? If you hit 80% of the days in December and lose just 1 pound, you will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE month of training with me. 

Perfect for those post Holiday blues :)

Email info@gritfitwellness.com for a print out of Dedicated December. 

Why I (maybe you too) Suck at the Holidays....

Just 90 days after giving birth to my daughter, I planned on attending my year high school reunion. With my profession, I was in a better shape in my late 20s than I could ever imagine as a high school senior.

I made a plan for those 3 months to exercise {safely of course!} and eat clean. I wanted to look and feel good when I saw my high school classmates, most of them for the first time since we graduated.

I wore a pre-baby outfit comfortably, I hit my goal. My three month postpartum self felt victorious.

Thanksgiving came and went immediately followed by Christmas and New Year's.

Well, in January my clothes felt tighter. I finally stepped on a scale and realized I weighed more on that day than the day I came home from the hospital!!

Whoops!

How did this happen? I was so strict with my plan for those 90 days. The next day on Thanksgiving I remember telling myself, I hit my goal so pass that second piece of pie which pretty much became my motto for the next 6 weeks.

The answer: I was living reactively versus intentionally.

Reactive: No intentions or plan; Determined by our surroundings

After hitting my original goal, I did not set any intentions for the holidays. I called it a "free for all" as a reward for being so disciplined for 3 months.

What's most important gets lost depending on what's literally pulling on us demanding our attention immediately. Kids want to decorate cookies. Friends want to have a few cocktails. The word "no" becomes increasingly difficult to say.

Intentional: Setting the tone; Preventing future problem

I wrote a plan and stuck by it. I scheduled my workouts. I planned out my meals.


During the Holidays, routines, scheduled workouts, and healthy eating gets thrown out the door. We react to our friends and family, their togetherness and the plethora of food that surrounds us.

I love this time of year. It's my absolute favorite so I understand the "but it's Christmas, Courtney!" The past few years, I am getting better at enjoying myself and remembering my goals and hard work from the previous 10.5 months. It's a balance all planned out ahead of time.

How many cheat meals this week?

Are you going to have dessert after every family meal?

How many times are you going to workout?

Do you have your workouts scheduled?

How many adult beverages each week?


I'm not saying the days will go perfect, because they will not, but there will be purpose behind your action. Somewhere or someone in the back of your head will be there to remind you that you really do not need that second Christmas cookie.

So what are your plans for this Holiday Season?

"There is enormous magic in the tiny word do. When we tell ourselves, "I'll do it," we unleash tremendous power. That act forges in us a chain of personal responsibility that ups our game: a desire to excel plus a sense of duty plus complete aliveness plus total dedication to getting done what has to be done. That equals commitment" - John Maxwell Intentional Living 

Need help staying on track? Email to receive a copy of our Holiday Goal Sheet. 

"But I weighed again this morning and...."

Hey you. Yes you, you know the one who steps on the scale every single day. You, the one who gets frustrated by not losing weight or seeing the results you deserve. 

What are you doing every.single.day. to hit your goals?

How many of these daily {or weekly} habits do you have?

Step on the scale

Skip a meal

Drink your coffee with creamer

Morning yogurt full of sugar

Mid afternoon pick me up of soda or more caffeine 

Something "sweet" during the day or after dinner

Nightly glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage to wind down at end of day

Think about exercising, but not actually do it

Stay up late

Stress out

Cheat weekend full of drinks & poor food choices

Versus this daily habits:

Exercise daily for 30-60 minutes

Eat 3-5 servings of vegetables or

Eat something green 

Drink at least 88oz of water

Food journal everything you eat

Take your vitamins

Sleep 6-8 hours

Meditate 

Keep a gratitude journal 

Avoid sugary, high fructose snacks

Avoid simple carbs & dairy

So are you watching the scale? Or are you watching what you do day in and day out? Those small habits will turn into something great. Trust the process and make just one small change in your daily routine today and build on that. 

What habit are you going to incorporate into your daily routine this week?

Why We Fail.

Miss our call last night? Never fear, here's what we discussed:

Does this sound like you?

Raise your hand if I hit it right on the head. 

*Courtney raises hand* 

I've been there and I am here to tell you it's ok to fail, but we need to learn from failing, fail again and hopefully fail better. 

The secret to avoid failure? Decide your goals and take those actions steps every.single.day. 

Now the million dollar question, how do you create that routine? Easy! You track it. Yes, write it down on paper or on any one of those fancy phone apps. 

Some tracking journal or app options:

Phone App: 

Evernote

Balanced Goals

Coach Me

Journal:

Passion Planner $18.61

FitBook $23.99

best Self Journal $31.99

Kikki.K Goal Journal 34.95

Daily Greatness Journal $44.95

Grit Fitness & Wellness Journal $9

After spending the last year reading, researching and listening to podcasts of successful trainers, athletes, authors, entrepreneurs, etc., I noticed 1 thing, they all had in common...tracking! They write their goals down and record those steps needed to achieve said goal. 

I am a tracker as a result from my research. I want to be successful. When I look at why I do what I do, three words come up:

Badass, Mom & Example. 

These are the things I track daily to be those 3 things:

Every Sunday, for the past 6 months, I write down 5 goals. To date, that is 120 goals. I failed to reach my goal nearly 40 times. Forty times! 

So let me be the first to tell you, its ok to fail. As long as you keep improving. Our eyes immediately go to the failing 40 times, not the fact that I hit 80 of those goals. 

I guess you can say, either way, I am better off health, fitness & business wise than 10 years ago:

Are you overwhelmed yet? Don't be! When I say the word "goal" where does your mind go? Do you want to improve the way you look? The way you feel? Your work life? 

Decide what areas you would like to track. It's all about progress, not perfection. You might fail on a few goals. Learn from it. Keep moving forward.

A few months ago, my assistant Megan and I started a workout journal. For the past 60 days, I logged my workouts. As you see below, I missed almost 13 days of working out/logging, not to mention 4 terrible workouts. You know those kind of workouts where you question why are you even doing this? Yeah, those ones.

But as I scroll to my wins, I realize why I workout. Those areas of improvement push me. Man, do they ever motivate me. If I did not track my exercises, I do not think I would see any improvement. To see it on paper, now there's the motivation. 

So now is the hard part...START!

Write 5 new goals or habits for the upcoming week. On Sunday (or Monday morning) review. 

Are you making progress? Are you spending time on the right things?

Didn't follow your diet perfectly?

...good! It means you're human.

Grit Fitness & Wellness just wrapped up their July Monthly Nutrition Challenge. For the challenge, we picked 1 diet program (Whole 30, Intermittent Fasting, 21 Days + 21 Foods Challenge) to follow.

This morning I heard a lot of "I had good intentions" or  "I did great for the first week" in response to the post challenge follow-up.

The challenge served a dual purpose for me. I love to motivate my clients, but this month in particular I need some motivation as well. At the end of the month, I needed to finally replace my 2 year + head shots for my business.

It was go time. Until it wasn't {Remember the pizza incident?}.

Every Saturday I promised myself to do better. Every Saturday I caved just a little, usually with some kind of dessert. What can I say? It's my weakness. This month proved to be a busy month full of friends and togetherness. I felt blessed to be around amazing people each weekend. I enjoyed the moment.

But I got back on track every Sunday.

My month of July fit the 80/20 rule perfectly. 25 Good Days vs 6 Bad Days.

Have a bad day.
Eat some ice cream.
Miss a workout.
Feel frustrated.

...but never give up.

And my photos?

I will take it. Sure I could have been perfect, but I did my best. More importantly I kept fighting & refused to give up.

Somebody's Gotta Case of the Mondays...

It sneaks up on you like the end of Summer or if you're like me, every year after the age of 30....Monday morning. How did we get here again? Where did the weekend go? Several months ago, I had enough. I hated Mondays and I wanted that to change. I decided to come up with a plan.

Yes, planning. We plan for amazing vacations, surprise birthday parties, or date nights without the kids. Teachers plan lessons, executives plan meetings and even trainers plan workout programs. All important things in life take some kind of preparation.

Except Monday.

For the longest time, I felt like I was "winging" my Monday and as a result, also my entire week.

I changed a few things up to make my week more productive:

1) Sunday naps and/or "but its my only day to sleep in" had to go.

I was dragging on Monday morning. I knew exactly why, I would lay wide awake at night looking at the clock. If I fall asleep now, I will get 7 hours. One hour passes, ok now I really need to fall asleep...Of course after the perfect, accidental 3 hour nap, whoops!

I love me some Sunday naps, but it was something I knew if I could give up, I would be better off in the long run.

2) Planning my week on paper.

When my alarm goes off on Sunday (yes an alarm on Sunday, gasp), the first thing I do is head to my desk and write down all I want to accomplish in the next week. The mental clarity of seeing it all, eliminates the sometimes chaotic nature of Monday mornings.

3) Lay everything out the night before.

Confession time.

I wear workout clothes every day. Yoga pants + sports bra + tank top...I am good to go. Some mornings it would take me ten minutes to get dressed. Why? Staring at my workout clothes and deciding what to wear on some mornings felt along the same lines as picking my major in college.

Clothes out the night before, boom, I just shaved 9 minutes off my morning.

Meals planned & packed/Packed backpack/Packed work bag also save an insane amount of time

4) Choosing your thoughts wisely

Monday *grumble*

We all roll our eyes, drag ourselves out of bed, and think only 5 more days until the weekend. Your thoughts are more powerful than you know.

I came across this quote:

"I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness".

It took me a few months, but I took the dread away from Monday mornings. Go ahead and kick me when I say, I actually love Mondays. Its a fresh start on your exercise program, your diet, your family time, your goals etc.

Heck, the weekend does not last forever, we all know that, but we avoid thinking and planning for the upcoming week. Planning ahead, planning my thoughts, and planning to get a good night sleep on Sunday makes "the case of the Mondays" actually a good thing.

Seasons Change

This week past week I was searching for a picture of my daughter. I cringed as I came across these pictures.

I immediately did a double take. Wait, that is me! I remember attending a conference in September of 2013, barely 8 weeks after delivering my daughter. 

I also remember that exact same morning I looked in the mirror and felt great about my post-baby body. Fast forward three years later, I laughed and reminded myself I just had a baby. The picture? My first true workout in 8 weeks. 

Everyone comes across a picture they find "cringe" worthy, especially my moms. Pregnant moms approach me all the time with questions along the lines of "How long did it take to get your body back". My honest answer? I really do not remember, I just remember embracing that specific season of my body, the season of a new mother. 

My weight and body has fluctuated plenty over the years. Yes, I have never stopped moving. However I have battled injuries, holidays, family death, and babies with the best of them. Exercise wasn't in my top 5 priorities during these times. 

You may not be where you are at or you may not look the way you did at one time in the past, but its just a season. Seasons change. 

I needed to take care of my newborn first. I was a nursing, full-time working momma. I embraced that role. 

Last June, we lost a loved one way too soon. Family and good food beat out working out most days for nearly a month. 

Earlier this year I needed to nurse a MCL injury. My pants felt a little tighter, however, I appreciated my body more than ever for "hanging in there" during my lack of exercise. 

Those all trumped looking the part of a trainer. I knew I would find my way back. I usually do. 

Trust the process. Your process.

Trust the journey. Your journey. 

Just keep moving forward. 

...I will do better tomorrow.

I hated Pre-Calculus in high school. The teacher hated me. There was no way I could get an A so I braced myself to get a C.

My feisty mother did not buy into the above comments at all. I tried to explain there was no point to her, but she gave me the same look when I would  I fall off my bike, miss a shot in basketball, or didn't get something on the first try...the "well, you should try harder" look. She made me visit this awful teacher two mornings a week for a month. Needless to say, I ended up with an A in the class, ended up loving the teacher, and once again, my mom was right [sigh]

This past week, I along with several clients in our program started our 21 Days + 21 Foods Challenge. For 21 days, I only eat the healthy 21 foods I select. Its probably the easiest and most effective diet program I have done in all my years of training.

Five days in, I ate pizza. No, no, no, I inhaled the pizza this past Saturday night. I can tell you the millions reasons why I really had no choice but to eat it. They are all excuses and the insurmountable guilt consumed me the rest of the night. I didn't have a healthy option ready for me to eat, therefore I took the easy route and ate 3 slices of pizza!

This morning when I woke up I thought about the dark chocolate chips in the pantry, I mean I already ate pizza so I guess this plan won't work for me. Then I heard it, that voice in my head yet again to try harder.  My usual 1 mile run turned into a 3 mile run this morning. I spent most of the afternoon prepping my food to make sure pizza is not my only option. I guess you can say I learned my lesson. I am ready this week.

We have all been there...the I already messed up so what's the point. Let me be the first to tell you, we all mess up, its part of the learning curve. I think its what makes us better! Michael Jordan missed big shots in his career,  Tom Brady barely got drafted out of college and I am sure somewhere in America a fitness expert might be eating some pizza.

Always ask yourself:

How bad do I want it?

What did I learn?

How am I going to make it better?

When I get to Day 21 and this pizza incident (or maybe a future dark chocolate incident) is my only slip up, I know I will be pleased with my results and the effort I made to try harder after I thought I failed the entire process.

"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried"

Case of the Mondays

Feel in the blank:

This week has been ______

The answer I have heard several times? BLAH. On a rare May week, the sun did not shine most of the week. Instead we had gloomy, rainy days.

I pride myself on being the motivator...the cheerleader...the happy go lucky trainer. Believe it or not, I struggled the beginning of this week as well. Trainers need motivation too. We need it daily.

Then I remembered to stay up to date on those things that keep me on track and that motivate me to keep moving forward, especially during those "blah" weeks. These are a few of my favorite things:

• Podcasts 

Lewis Howes "School of Greatness" is one I listen to religiously. His guests are inspiring and uplifting and even on the "blah-ess" days, I find motivation.

Go ahead and try not to be motivated by this episode: http://lewishowes.com/podcast/eric-thomas/

Ted Talk Podcast

Fear, Success, Education, Life...you name it. They talk about it. 

• Daily Motivating Emails

Monday-Friday, NY Times Bestseller, Darren Hardy sends out a 2-3 minute video + journaling exercises. It immediately starts my day off on the right foot and takes less than 5 minutes. 

http://www.darrendaily.com

• Workout

No workout is too big or too small during a "blah" week. Cannot make it to the gym. I have been there and these 3 exercises instantly get the endorphins going. 

25 Push-Ups

25 Squats

25 V-Ups

• Gratitude

Feeling blah? Take out of piece of paper (yes, now!) and write down 7 things are you thankful right now in this moment. Feel blah again tomorrow? Do the same thing. 

• Act of Kindness

Ironically, the bible verse from my devotional last night- "It is more blessed (makes one happier & more to be envied) to give than to receive"- Acts 20:35

I have now learned that we do not even know what happy is until we forget about ourselves and start focusing on others. Try a random act of kindness today....bake cookies for a neighbor, pay for the person behind you at Starbucks. 

I hope just one of the motivating items I listed above turns your not-so-great week into something better. Remember, your energy is contagious.

Insert Mommy Guilt

"Raising a child is hard work"- Said Everyone

Add chasing a toddler on top of a work-from-home/stay-at-home mom lifestyle, I crawl into bed at the end of the day exhausted.

Yesterday I finished a majority of my work and decided to squeeze in a quick workout while my daughter was at preschool. It hit me as I jumped off the treadmill...guilt. My daughter is in preschool and I am working out. On the weekends, I am not there when she wakes up, I am at the gym. When I receive a text message that she is up, I sometimes rush through so I can hurry home and be with her.

A few weeks ago I typed away at my computer finishing up my workout programming and glanced over at her, sitting on the couch with her i-pad. It hit me again...bad mom.

Mommy guilt is real, especially when it comes to working out! Some may think working out is luxury, the first thing you should cut from a list of priorities. however, I know now more than ever, its a necessity. On days I workout, I am without a doubt a more energized mother. I know she is getting the best of me. She deserves the best from me.

Michael Hyatt, a NY Times Bestseller and personal development guru mentioned in a recent School of Greatness Podcast his #2 priority behind God is himself, followed by his wife & children and then his career.

Wait a minute, he put himself before his wife & children?! My first initial thought, no way! I thought about it some more and reflected on a quote I use frequently with my clients...

"You cannot pour from an empty cup"

It's so important to take care of yourself first so when you give to your loved ones, or heck even your job for those who do not have kids, you pour from a cup full of your best effort.

After training mostly women for years, do you know the most used excuse or reason as to why they can no longer workout? The #1 reason is their children.

And in my opinion the #1 reason you should workout....your children.

I feel the mommy guilt and probably always will, I hope its what makes me a good mother, however I rather my daughter have confident, happy mom than a frumpy, tired mom.

It Takes A Village

I looked down while running a boot camp a few weeks ago & noticed these two:

I immediately snapped a picture of Tracey and a fellow boot camper's baby. 

This picture manifests everything I am about, everything my business stands for and ultimately why I love my job as much as I do. 

You see, life is hard. Everyone can agree. Relationships, careers, kids &  money. I got a little overwhelmed just typing it. And then I think about this picture.

The little baby girl in the picture is Karley. Her teeny tiny mother, Belinda, (not pictured) is a beast in my mid-morning boot camp. Her mom does not need to lose weight. Her diet is spot on and she knows how to exercise on her own. Karley is a little over a year old and suffers 8-10 seizures a day. After multiple brain surgeries, they are not sure if they can fix it. Why does Belinda work out? Well, she workouts to get away and to de-stress, but I do not think she realized she would uncover this "village" of support from her workout group. From babysitters & playdates to gifts for no reason, they have taken Karley on as their own. 

Karley started to fuss in the picture while her mom was running. Tracey stepped right in to make her smile, even during a side plank! (well done Tracey!) 

I love the unwavering amount of support in all of my classes. These individuals do an amazing job not only motivating one another, but man, they motivate me as well. I want the best for them...the best workouts, the best information, & the best support in the world.The only way to get better is to surround yourself with people who believe in you.

Working out = Not Easy

Life = Not Easy

Sometimes it takes a village of people to survive...and this is my village. 

The Most Important Exercise

The most important daily exercise? Practicing gratitude. Believe it or not, this was my favorite Christmas gift from this past year:

I didn't realize it at the time, but here I am 49 days into 2016 and incredibly thankful (get it, thankful?) for this small book. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to simply keep this on my nightstand and write in it at least 4 nights per week before I go to bed. I've missed just 3 nights. And this small book? Well it has made a world of a difference. 

We have all heard it. Give thanks...blah, blah, blah. I always considered myself a thankful individual. Heck, I am a trainer, a motivator, and even ran a life coaching program called Break Through Challenge. I believe in giving thanks and have kept a journal from time to time, but never this long. Believe it or not, my thoughts during the day can bring me down. No one is safe from these thoughts, but every night I try to think of every single thing I am thankful for on that day. I started with writing 1 or 2 things, but recently listened to an amazing, motivational speaker, Lisa Nichols, who writes SEVEN things down every morning. She suggested writing down things money cannot buy. 

It didn't occur to me right away, but those pesky negative thoughts that usually would send me into a full panic attack every night before bed...do not have the same effect on me. 

The first few weeks, I will admit, writing in it felt like a chore. Now its a habit.

The Huffington Post posted the benefits of keeping a journal:

Benefits of a Gratitude Journal

1. Lower stress levels.

2. Feel calm at night.

3. Gain a new perspective of what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life.

4. By noting what you are grateful for, you will gain clarity on what you want to have more of in your life, and what you can cut from you life.

5. Helps you focus on what really matters.

6. Keeping a gratitude journal helps you learn more about yourself and become more self-aware.

7. Your gratitude journal is a safe zone for your eyes only, so you can write anything you feel without judgment.

8. On days when you feel blue, read back through your gratitude journal to readjust your attitude and remember that you have great people and things in your life.

All I can say is yes to every single item on this list. I know many of my clients say they can't fall asleep at night. My first suggestion is always a gratitude journal. We all have too much on our mind and its a great exercise to clear your your head and focus on the good! 

New York Times Best Seller, Michael Hyatt wrote how he practices gratitude on a daily basis and challenged his readers to list 20 things right now in this present moment. Here are my 20:

1. My faith

2. Health of my family (so cliche but oh so true)

3. My family

4. A happy toddler who learns something new each day

5. Her preschool & teachers

6. Our church & pastor

7. The boot campers/clients I get to work with each day

8. Going to work everyday, doing something I am passionate about

9. Laughter

10. My assistant rocks my world

11. A growing business

12. A partner who challenges me every day

13. Those friends who love me for who I am, check in on me, believe in me

14. A great workout

15. Reading to my daughter each night

16. The Whole 30 

17. Lewis Howes Podcast

18. Dark Chocolate

19. Glass of wine I plan on having tonight! 

20. View from my backyard

What are your 20? How do you feel after writing that list?