fitnessrevolution

 Are there things about yourself that you’d like to change?

Your weight, your habits, and maybe even your outlook on life?

We are trained to think that change is hard, that it takes time. But it really doesn’t have to be.

I’m here to argue that lasting change happens in an instant.

I understand that this goes against mainstream belief. Most people believe that change has to be a struggle. We expect to try and fail numerous times before ultimately giving up or succeeding.

Think about this – how many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to happen.

What is it in your life that you want to change? Do you have inches to lose? Do you have preventable diabetes? Do you have a pair of skinny jeans that you want to fit into?

What is keeping you from making this change in your life?

According to professional speaker and author, Tony Robbins, it’s the preparation for change that takes times. In the end there’s a single instant when the change occurs.

Here are the 3 steps to instantly create a lasting change and a new you.

Step #1: Believe that something must change.
Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound good, or is living another day in your current body simply unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must believe wholeheartedly that things must change.

Step #2: Believe that you must change it.
It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change rather than assigning responsibility elsewhere. Sure, others may help you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this change enough to make it your personal mission – no one else can do it for you. 

Step #3: Believe that you can change it.
Don’t let past failures get you down. The truth is that you are capable of amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are able to lose weight or to make any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make change stick? They rely on willpower. This works for a while, but you’ll soon revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution?

Change what you are comfortable with.

People are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

If you don’t feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage. Read the following 20 Mindset Tips and prepare your mind for success.

1. Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2. Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3. Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4. Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5. Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6. Give up the idea that things won’t go right unless you worry about them.
7. If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you’ll soon be living in it.
8. Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9. You become what you think about most.
10. The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11. Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12. Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13. Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14. Know your big reason why.
15. Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16. Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17. If you think you’re a fat person, then you’ll stay fat. If you think you’re fit, then you soon will be.
18. Once you’ve set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19. If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20. You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can’t.

1) Eat a Smart Breakfast.
Most people load up on carbohydrates and simple sugars for breakfast. Cereal, pastries, smoothies and juice are all poor choices when it comes to starting your day off right. Center your breakfast around protein and healthy fat, and you’ll have energy for hours. Try a protein shake, eggs, lean breakfast meat, or a handful of nuts.

2) Get More Sleep.
If you’re not getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night then you could use more sleep. This is especially true if you’ve reached a plateau with weight loss. Give your body the 8 hours of sleep each night and make weight loss easier.

3) Just Do It.
If you’re really ready to achieve your best body ever, then dig down deep and commit. As Woody Allen famously said, “80% of success is showing up.” This is absolutely true when it comes to fitness. Show up to your workout. Even if you’re tired. Even if you’d rather be doing something else. Just do it.

4) Plan Ahead.
Take one day each week to plan your healthy meals for the following week. You don’t have to do all the shopping and cooking on that day, simply jot down what you plan to eat. This small act of planning ahead will keep you on track with healthy meals even when the week gets crazy busy.

5) Cut Out Gluten.
Many people don’t realize that they have a certain level of sensitivity to gluten, which causes intestinal inflammation and bloating. Also, gluten-filled foods are typically high in carbohydrates, which contribute to weight gain. When you cut gluten-filled items from your diet don’t fall into the trap of simply replacing those items with other high-carb items. Choose non-packaged, whole foods instead.

6) Believe In Yourself.
Do you believe that you have what it takes to transform your body? If you want to succeed in weight loss then you have to believe that it’s possible. Give yourself a pep talk and dig down deep for the courage and discipline to apply these healthy changes to your life.

7) Eat Less Dairy.
Dairy products like cheese or cream add extra fat and calories to your meals. Pass on the dairy and you’ll eliminate unnecessary calories, making weight loss quicker.

8) Sleep and Wake at the Same Time.
This tip sounds so simple, and yet it’s a powerful way to increase your daily energy. Get your body on a schedule and watch how much more productive and energetic you become.

9) Include Veggies at Every Meal.
Most people aren’t too crazy about vegetables, and probably eat less than they should. Make it a point to include a vegetable with each of your meals – even breakfast. The increase in fiber and other nutrients will give your body that extra boost that you’re looking for.

10) Drink More Water.
Being hydrated is key when it comes to creating your best body. Drink water throughout your day and limit caffeinated beverages to once daily.

1) Eat More Protein
A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are getting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein. Plan breakfast around eggs, lunch and dinner around baked chicken breast, and make snacks hard boiled eggs or baked meatballs. Try the recipe below for a protein-packed, sugar-busting snack.

2) Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that calorie-free, artificially sweetened beverages don’t impact your fat loss results. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that the diet soda you’re sipping is making it harder for you to reach your goal weight. While the diet soda itself doesn’t contain calories, it has been proven to cause cravings for sugary foods. Put down the diet soda and instead pick up a refreshing bottle of spring water.

3) Steer Clear Of Saboteurs
The sad truth is that people in your life will try to sabotage your low sugar diet. You’ll run into that pushy person at the office who insists that you eat a donut, the well-meaning family member who dishes you up a bowl of ice cream, and the friend who comes over with a plate of her home-baked cookies. The best avoidance strategy is to sincerely thank the sugar-pusher for their gift, tell them you wish you could eat it, and then blame me – your trainer – as the bad guy who says that you need to cut back on sugar.

4) Try Dark Chocolate
For those moments when your sweet tooth is relentlessly badgering you for something sweet, ditch the super-sugary candies and stick with a small square of very dark chocolate. Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa content should be the only sweet that you keep on hand. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.

5) Stick With Fruit
What’s sweet, colorful and comes in hundreds of flavors? Organic, seasonal, fresh fruit, of course! As you remove refined sugar from your life, feel free to add in some natural sugar by way of fresh, local fruit. It’s amazing how satisfyingly sweet fruit is – it’s truly nature’s candy.

6) Change Your Palate
As you begin to limit your intake of refined sugars, you’ll find that your tolerance for sugar decreases. This means that something that didn’t taste sweet before – say a green apple – now has uncanny depths of sweetness. What’s happening is that your sweet receptors are becoming more finely tuned, now that you’re not overwhelming your palate with sickly-sweet refined sugar.

7) Workout Like You Mean It
A regular, challenging exercise routine will not only get you into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods.

Look, I get it. It’s cold, you’re busy and you don’t feel like exercising.

Not today. Not on a Monday in December.

So I’m here to remind you of just how important exercise is and how great it makes you feel. Even on a Monday in December. Especially on a Monday in December!

These 5 Reasons to Motivate You will help you to stick with your exercise routine so that you’ll enter the New Year feeling energized and excited.

Motivator #1: Health
Have you looked at the long list of health benefits that exercise delivers? Pretty impressive. Not only does exercise help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, it also helps lower bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, while improving the amount of good cholesterol in your body.

Additionally, exercise strengthens your bones and muscles, lowers your risk of cancer, decreases stress, helps you battle depression, and even improves your sex life.

Motivator #2: Enjoyment
If exercise hasn’t been enjoyable for you, it’s time to find a way to make it fun. Everyone likes doing things they enjoy. You might hate running but enjoy swimming or riding a bike. Perhaps you don’t like being alone and would rather be social. So join a team! Or maybe you don’t like the idea of driving all the way to the gym, changing out, and exercising with a crowd. Find out when your local gym is least populated, and hit the weights then. Do what’s most fun for you and you’ll be less likely to stop.

Motivator #3: Increased Confidence
If you’re out of shape or overweight, it can take a lot of courage to start an exercise routine. Remember to be confident in who you are, no matter what size or shape. Don’t compare yourself to the skinny, toned figure strutting her stuff through the gym. Keep your eyes on your goal and don’t expect perfection after just a week of exercise. Strive to have your best body—not someone else’s.

Motivator #4: Goal Achievement
If you’re just getting started in the world of exercise, or if you’ve simply gotten stale, a good place to start is by setting goals. How much weight would you like to lose? How far would you like to run? Working towards a goal is a great motivator. However, don’t set up for failure by striving after unrealistic goals. Do this and you’ll soon feel overwhelmed and give up altogether. To avoid this, set realistic milestones. When you reach them, enjoy your accomplishment and then set new goals to take your good health even further.

Motivator #5: Rewards
Rewards are a great motivator. In fact, much of what you do in life is motivated by a reward of some kind, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. When it comes to exercise, a good reward probably shouldn’t be an ice cream sundae, but it may be that new pair of jeans you’ve been eyeing, or perhaps a night out with friends. Maybe for you, weight loss and lowered blood pressure are reward enough. Just know that your hard work is paying off and deserves to be rewarded.