Be The Star In Your Own Life

Are you the star of your life?

Or do you find yourself doing, giving, caring to other people first and neglecting your own needs?

As adults we often feel bad for behavior we term "selfish" and while this may have been true when we were children, I don't know many people with adult responsibilities (children, bills, work and family commitments) who really are selfish with their time & energy.

I do know a lot of adults who feel bad, guilty, anxious, ashamed to take any time just purely for themselves, and are constantly busy "taking care of" other people, things and chores, as though if they stop for a moment, their whole world will collapse.

This is clearly not true.

Putting yourself first does not mean ignoring your responsibilities, nor neglecting the needs of people in your life; it does mean making sure you are operating at your best to take on all that life brings.

Think of the instructions you are given by air hostesses when you fly: fit your own oxygen mask before assisting children or others. If you pass out from lack of oxygen, who will be able to help the others?

Your health is the same, if you don't eat fresh food that nourishes you, don't get enough sleep, neglect your physical body, and experience the poor health results that follow, who will be around to care for the people you love?

Living well isn't a chore a burden or a luxury, it is a gift you can give yourself every single day.

You DO deserve it!

Every Little Bit Counts

If one of your main training goals is fat/weight loss, you may have found the Easter break and its accompanying chocolate gifting quite a challenge; I know I did, I gained almost 2kgs in 2 weeks! Yikes!!

If you don't know, I put on almost 40kgs when pregnant with my son, most of it in a six month period!
It took me three years to lose it.

I'm back on track post-Easter, with healthy eating and regular workouts, as I hope you are, and should knock those extra kilos off within a few weeks.

If you're in the same situation, don't despair & don't give up; those "little bits" of "occasional" chocolate do add up to a consequence, just as those "little bits" of "regular exercise" will contribute to our health & well-being in the long-term.

In the meantime, I came across some great info from a fellow Melbourne trainer Craig Harper, that I felt was worth sharing with you.

Below are excerpts from a Renovating Your Body workshop he ran recently in Queensland, and they certainly resonated with me as I hope they do with you...

"Knowing isn’t doing. Smart people do stupid things. Often. Especially when it comes to their body. Ever met a doctor who smokes? Me too. Transformation ain’t about the information, it’s about the application. Far too many informed, educated and intelligent people simply don’t apply what they know. Or if they do, it’s often short-lived.

Change works from the inside out. And it’s not always quick, easy, convenient or painless. And that’s okay.

Producing exceptional results is more about decisions, behaviours and resilience than it is potential, talent or genetics. Which has always been good news for me!

What’s written on the front of food packaging is called marketing, not nutritional information. Don’t get me started on those sneaky food marketing people.

Hard or easy is about the person, not the task. It’s true that many people have a PhD. in difficult. They can turn the most straight forward process into a major theatrical production complete with pouting, foot-stamping, complaining and attention seeking.

People don’t accidentally get fat. No, it takes work. We choose what goes in our mouth don’t we? Last time I checked nobody accidentally eats junk food or excessive calories every day. No, it’s a choice. And I’m pretty sure people don’t accidentally avoid exercise either. No, I think that’s a decision too.

Motivation is handy but discipline is essential. Discipline is what keeps us doing what we need to when the (feeling of) motivation ain’t there. "

Keep up your program, make healthy food choices and watch the changes happen.

Happy training!