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FHP429 – Oversell The NEgative

FHP429 – Oversell The NEgative

by | Jul 19, 2022 | podcast

Often when we start a new program, we tell ourselves it’s going to be THE THING. The lifestyle change we’ve been looking for.

We tell ourselves it’s going to be easy and magical (ok maybe not the magical part).

Heck maybe we’ve even been convinced of this by friends who claim it was soooo easy to do and the BEST thing they’ve ever done.

We can even manage to convince ourselves there won’t be struggles.

But this is exactly the OPPOSITE of what we should be doing.

It’s honestly what often sets us up for failure.

Because if we think or believe that a change should be easy? We’ll only end up super frustrated and overwhelmed when it isn’t.

Which 98% of the time…IT ISN’T!

Something almost always comes up.

And when it does, if we’ve told ourselves things SHOULD be easy?

We’ll feel like there is something wrong with us because it isn’t, especially if we’ve been told it was easy for someone else.

We have to realize instead that there will ALWAYS be set backs and hiccups and mistakes.

And that often when someone is LOOKING BACK and saying it was easy, even they encountered struggles when first starting out.

So instead of trying to convince yourself that the process will be easy, OVERSELL THE NEGATIVE.

That sounds…well…negative but it is the best way to set yourself up for success.

Because if you recognize that the changes WILL be hard…that there WILL be setbacks…that life WILL try to get in the way…

You’ll be ready for it when it happens.

And being prepared makes it so much easier to embrace the hard.

The more we even slightly “oversell” the negative, the more we can make the hard times even feel…well…easy because they aren’t as bad as we expected.

So as you’re starting to make changes in this program, don’t try to gloss over the challenges that will arise.

Instead prepare yourself for them admitting there will be struggles.

Oversell that negative to prepare yourself!

Take some time right now to think of a few problems you could see popping up…

If you aren’t sure of what may be the hold up or hiccup, consider what has caused you to fall off of programs in the past.

Will life try to get in the way? Will you get so busy you can’t stay consistent with your workouts?

Will you struggle to track? Will it be hard to stop snacking?

What struggles have derailed you before so you can recognize they may pop up again to try to hold you back?!

Here are 4 big points to consider and make notes on…

What’s been the biggest challenge for you in the past when it comes to being consistent with a program?

What’s been the biggest workout struggle for you? consistency or making time for it?

What’s been the biggest struggle for you in terms of adjusting your nutrition? Have you struggled to track?

What makes you the most nervous about this program? What do you think will be the hardest part?

SUMMARY:

Plan for the worst! It will help you better handle hiccups and issues when they arise.

INTERMITTENT FASTING – Yay or Nay?

INTERMITTENT FASTING – Yay or Nay?

by | Jul 17, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I actually personally don’t consider Intermittent Fasting to be a “diet.”

It’s a meal timing. One that can be used with a variety of dietary preferences and macro breakdowns.

You can be Keto and use it. Or high carb and use it.

And it’s actually personally a meal timing strategy I’ve found not only useful but freeing over the years.

But as much as I personally enjoy it and find it to be a useful learning experience for many of my clients even if they don’t stick with it long-term, I don’t believe that Intermittent Fasting is right for everyone.

That’s why I want to discuss what Intermittent Fasting is and when and who may benefit from it so you can decide if it is right for you.

Because from our meal timing to our calorie intakes to our macro breakdown, the systems all have to work together to get us results.

And we have to be willing to adjust and change as our needs and goals change over time.

You may even find that things like Intermittent Fasting work for you to reach certain goals but fight against you when your goals or lifestyle change.

And we can’t be so married to something we aren’t open to shifting!

So before I dive into whether IF is right for you, I want to give a bit of background on what it is…

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

There are a few different types of Intermittent Fasting:
– Time Restricted Eating – A daily set eating window
– The 5:2 Method – Two days of a 500 calorie cap
– 24 Hour Fasts – Once to twice a week of a full 24 hour fast.

Basically Intermittent Fasting is restricting when you eat.

While there are different length fasts you can include, a very common form of IF is the 16/8 time restricted fast.

You will fast for 16 hours and then have an 8 hour eating window.

For many, this is really just skipping breakfast.

While technically you can skip any meal, the key is that you’re keeping all your meals into a specific shortened window each and every day.

If you do one of the other set ups, you may have a calorie allotment or full day you aren’t eating over just skipping a meal.

So Why Is Intermittent Fasting So Popular? What Are The Benefits?

Intermittent Fasting has gained mainstream attention over the years as not only a great thing to do for your health but also for fat loss.

And part of the reason why it became so popular is because people claimed you didn’t have to change what you were eating at all to see results.

You just had to ONLY eat within this set window and POOF magically the weight would melt off.

And having a set eating window does to some extent often help people get started losing weight – it creates a calorie deficit for many without them having to track just like cutting out a food group can often do with other forms of dieting.

It can help cut out mindless snacking and when you are restricted to only a set amount of time, it is easier to fill up when eating your daily calorie intake in a condensed period.

Plus for many it can feel more satisfying when in a calorie deficit to have this bigger meals over more frequent snacking. You can slightly get that “eat till you’re full” feeling.

Not to mention there simply isn’t as much meal planning to do which can make it easier to stick with the healthy habits.

So many find the simple lifestyle change sustainable while leading to the habits they need to lose weight.

From a more “scientific” perspective of why some believe IF to be so helpful for weight loss….

It is argued that it can promote stronger insulin sensitivity and increased growth hormone secretion – both of which also can help with gaining muscle, which in turn leads to better fat loss results.

The more we are able to focus on muscle mass retention, the less metabolic adaptations we suffer from as we lose weight. Muscle mass is metabolically costly, meaning it needs a lot of energy to be maintained.

In a deficit, we can often end up using muscle mass for fuel, especially if the deficit is too great.

So by promoting an anabolic environment we can prevent metabolic adaptations and burn more calorie at rest by promoting better muscle mass mention and growth!

It can also lead to better fat burning results, especially when at the end of a longer fast, part of why that 12-18 hours is recommended for IF. Some even argue it is especially helpful when you have that last little bit you want to lose off of stubborn areas.

The argument for this is that the low insulin levels reached during a fast, and the more time spent in this low insulin state, equates to a great time spent where fat can be mobilized from stubborn areas. And this state is different than the one seen with a low carb diet because triglycerides inhibit HSL or hormone sensitive lipase in a similar manner to insulin. HSL is basically activated to shuttle the fat out of the cell to be burned off.

But because of this fatty acid mobilization and the fact that some studies have shown fasting to increase specifically abdominal subcutaneous blood flow, the argument has been made that IF can promote better stubborn belly fat loss as well. Which may be a reason for women especially during menopause to consider trying IF while dialing in their macros as estrogen levels decreasing during menopause can lead to more stubborn belly fat accumulating.

And while many turn to fasting for the weight loss benefits, other benefits people tout with fasting include….

* Reduces your risk for cancer.
* Decreases triglycerides and LDL as well as cholesterol and inflammation markers.
* Reduces blood pressure.
* Improves cardiovascular function.
* Improves your brain functioning and can even help prevent conditions such as Parkinson’s, Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

But as we know, nothing is a magic pill.

And part of the benefits often associated with fasting studies have shown may be achieved by simply creating a deficit and then maintaining a healthy weight overall regardless of your meal timing.

We have to remember that one size doesn’t fit all….

So….What Are The Downsides?

Now a downside is NOT that your muscle will melt off if you miss a meal.

And you do NOT need to eat every two hours and 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism humming.

And no, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day and you’re doomed if you skip it.

So in terms of huge negative consequences from fasting, I just don’t really see that there are any, especially when it comes to weight loss.

But that still does NOT mean it is a magic pill or right for you.

You can’t just eat whatever you want in whatever quantity you want just because you are only eating in a set window.

Macros and calories still matter.

If you dial those in, any meal timing that fits your lifestyle is going to work.

Forcing a meal timing that doesn’t fit your schedule or lifestyle will backfire no matter how magical it is even touted to be.

And that’s all too often the main reason why Intermittent Fasting doesn’t work for people.

They’re forcing a meal timing that isn’t realistic or sustainable for them and then they don’t know how to truly dial in their nutrition to match their needs and goals when they take out the restriction of an eating window.

If you train first thing in the morning, trying to fast until the afternoon probably won’t work out. And while you can make your eating window earlier, many don’t find that lifestyle sustainable as it means you’re eating dinner earlier than you’d like to maintain.

For others fasting ultimately results in overeating. They become so hungry they end up overeating even though it’s during a set window. And they find that their cravings increase.

So if you aren’t finding that fasting makes your life EASIER, there is no point in doing it. Especially because you can simply achieve the same benefits through a calorie deficit and by dialing in your macros.

And if fat loss isn’t your goal, fasting may NOT be the ideal meal schedule, especially if you aren’t training late enough in the day to break your fast before your workout.

While fasted training can potentially help our fat loss efforts, it may backfire when we are trying to gain muscle.

Having full glycogen stores to create that anabolic environment and help your body repair and rebuild can be key, especially if you’re a hard gainer or advanced lifter who won’t see those newbie gains. Gaining muscle is a slow process and for many of us it requires really creating the right environment and having fuel readily available.

Not to mention fasting may mean your energy levels are lower than ideal so you can’t push your training in the gym as hard as you’d like to create that progressive overload.

Now that being said, many will still love IF even while trying to build muscle.

So now the question is….

Should You Do Intermittent Fasting?

There are two main reasons I most often use it with clients:

1. To help them better understand their true hunger cues because so often we just get USED to eating at set times over really understanding what our body is telling us.
2. To work around their schedule to make hitting their macros and feeling full and satisfied easier.

If this meal timing feels right for you, great. Use it.

Everything we include in our lifestyle should be focused on our needs and goals.

And for many of us, fasting allows us to eat when we are hungry and maintain the macros and calories we need to feel fueled while seeing results.

It gives us a freedom to adjust our meals around whatever works even that day.

But whatever your fitness goal, no meal schedule is going to get you results if your calories and macros aren’t in line with your needs and goals.

You still need to focus on overall macros and calories for the day. If those aren’t in line, you’re not going to see results PERIOD.

You can still overeat eating within a small window.

So it isn’t some magic fat loss fix.

Not to mention, if your goal is gaining muscle, and you’ve found you’re really struggling, sticking with IF no matter how much you loved it for fat loss, may work against you.

Change requires change and you may find you need to adjust your meal timing to help make sure you’re creating that anabolic environment.

While this could just mean a pre-workout meal to break your fast instead of eating first thing after, you may find you do need to swap to a longer eating window and more meals.

The key is finding what works for your current needs and goals!

And ladies, you may find you respond differently to IF than you men do.

Studies have shown potentially fewer benefits from IF for women, and even more adverse effects in terms of adrenal stress and even muscle mass loss in pre-menopausal women.

So it may be good, if you aren’t naturally a meal skipper, to start with a shorter fast and only build up to a longer length if it feels right.

However, for females, because of the changes we go through in menopause, Intermittent Fasting may become a more useful tool as we get older. Because we can develop insulin resistance during menopause and lower estrogen levels can lead to more belly fat being gained, IF may be a nice complement to changes in our macros to help us avoid that dreaded menopausal weight gain.

SUMMARY:

The key with IF is to realize that our meal timing needs to match our needs and goals. Experiment to find what feels best for you. But realize results come from all systems being dialed in focused on what you need. And that meals your meal timing, calories and macros all need to work together and you need to be willing to adjust over time!

Ready to create the perfect lifestyle for YOUR needs and goals?

–> Follow These 3 Steps…

FHP 428 – 6 Things That Hold You Back From Achieving Lasting ResultS

FHP 428 – 6 Things That Hold You Back From Achieving Lasting ResultS

by | Jul 12, 2022 | podcast

Honestly the more we want overnight results, the less likely we are to truly see the results we want and deserve.

Fad diet results often not only aren’t real results, but they aren’t lasting results because we haven’t truly created sustainable habit changes.

So as much as I know we all want results yesterday, we have to get ready to make some true lifestyle changes if we want to see the amazing results we deserve.

That’s why I wanted to share 6 things that often hold us back from truly reaching our goals…

1: Trying to out exercise and out diet time.

The more we try to do more to get results faster, often the less sustainable the habits are and the quicker we burn ourselves out.

Sure we may see slightly faster results, but often we just waste a ton of effort spinning our wheels.

Because the simple fact of the matter is, we can’t out exercise or out diet time and often results need time to build.

Plus we have to go through a learning process to realize what our body truly needs.

Instead of trying to do more short term, focus on the small changes you can create to build.

Too often we simply overestimate what we can do short term, while underestimating what we can accomplish long term with consistency.

So find ways to help yourself get consistent and realize that build is truly needed.

And by doing more often we just sabotage our own consistency making ourselves run out of self control and willpower so we fall off our plan.

2: Not taking pictures and measurements and recognizing the progress along the way.

This may even mean tracking your pace for your race or anything else that is focused on your goal.

But too often we just see our end goal and we just see how far we still are from it.

If we want to make progress forward and keep ourselves focused though, we need to recognize the changes along the way AND we need to track different types of progress.

With weight loss, don’t just use the scale. Measure. Take pictures.

Even focus on performance goals along the way that you know will help you stay consistent in your training.

Find ways of measuring and showing yourself progress in ways that you can celebrate daily and even weekly.

As cliche as it is, even find ways to celebrate consistency in habits as we know those things done daily will build as unsexy as they may be!

3: Not reminding yourself of how long it took you to gain/how long you’ve been NOT at your ideal.

We often didn’t get into your current position overnight, and we won’t correct it overnight either.

I think often it is even key we recognize how long we’ve been struggling to give ourselves perspective when we wish results would happen faster.

We have to remember that the longer we’ve been away from our goal, the longer it will take to get back there as our body doesn’t like change. Our body thinks where it is at is normal and best.

So the longer we’ve been at this “normal” the more our body will fight changes, even if they are good changes.

It can even be good to set out a calendar or chart that reminds you of how short, in comparison, you’ve been working at a goal. Sometimes seeing the visual reminds us to appreciate the gains we’ve truly seen in a shorter time!

4: Trying to avoid the hard.

The more we look for a quick fix, the more we set ourselves up for a lot of wasted time and effort and huge ups and downs.

Sure you may see results initially but that Keto diet working for you that you ultimately can’t sustain is just you wasting time and effort avoiding the true learning process.

I know everyone loves to hate on macros but macros are the dieting fundamentals.

I know people want workouts of the day, but progressions show you the build so you can track what is and isn’t working.
Stop searching for the new sexy thing. Go back to basics. Seek to really learn about your lifestyle and how you mentally and physically respond to changes.

The more we can stay focused on who we are and the goals we have, the more we can make 1% improvements that truly add up.

So as hard and as sucky and as frustrating as it can be to be BAD at something new, stop trying to find a way around the hard. Embrace it and head right into it! You’ll ultimately get there faster!

5: Not tracking.

What we measure, we can manage.

When you track, you have accurate data to make changes. You don’t have to guess or wonder at what is or isn’t working.

Emotions can’t win out and make you “feel” like you aren’t making progress when changes are actually happening.
Data is objective and allows us to make changes.

That tracker isn’t telling you to feel guilty. It isn’t telling you to restrict. It’s telling you what YOU are doing so you can make changes and feel your best.

So remember data is power. It is the power to truly adjust what is going on in your life in a sustainable way vs letting feelings sabotage you or having to arbitrarily restrict.

The more data you have, the more you can learn what you need to even be able to be looser with tracking as you maintain your results.

Tracking can then be a tool we can return to whenever we need that push back toward a goal.

6: Believing results are all about discipline.

So often people will comment on my photos about my discipline. And while discipline is key to success, I think too often we try to overly rely on it and that is why we fail.

We try to out discipline life. We try to out discipline our needs. We pretend discipline is just infinite for some and it isn’t.
Self control is a gas tank that can become depleted very easily throughout the day.

And while discipline is having the habits a bit more ingrained so we replicate them at times when we don’t even want to, too often we try to force so many habits we can’t create that discipline with them before motivation fades.

Instead of trying to create all of these restrictions and massive changes, make small improvements.

Focus on who you truly are. The more you know yourself, the more you can work with your personal freakdom and lifestyle to make the healthiest version of your personal lifestyle.

The more you can base changes off of your current lifestyle, the less discipline you’ll need to use to replicate them and the more you’ll truly be able to build that new lifestyle that you need.

Because we do have to create changes that last to maintain our results. We have to realize we can’t go back to what we were doing BUT also that maintaining often doesn’t just mean doing what we did to get to a goal.
So focus on learning. Focus on improving daily. Focus on small habits. Those will allow you to build momentum and ingrain them so you don’t have to feel like you’re out disciplining life and what you want to do in life to ENJOY it.

SUMMARY:

Remember changes will not happen overnight. And the more we focus on who we are and what we need and make those 1% improvements the better our long-term results will be.
We all want results yesterday, but we need to take ownership of our journey and embrace TIME if we truly want to succeed!

8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

by | Jul 10, 2022 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

The secret to results is to be goldilocks and look for the thing that is “just right.”

And the best way to get that “just right” plan for ourselves, is to create it. We need to find that combination of what is RIGHT and what we can do CONSISTENTLY.

That sweet spot is where the magic happens.

Because what is “right” won’t pay off if we can’t repeat those habits consistently. Just like doing the wrong things consistently will only lead to trouble.

But to find what is right for us, we need to step away from seeking some perfect plan or getting caught up in some ideals of perfection when it comes to our training and nutrition.

It’s why I wanted to share 8 tips I’ve discovered really make the difference in creating that just right plan for you…tips that many people won’t like because they don’t promote clean eating ideals or even the no pain no gain mentality that is so popular!

Tip 1: Sometimes it’s better to just give into the cravings over fighting them.

We often waste a ton of effort fighting what we want. And while achieving results DOES mean some sacrifice, too often we just deplete our self control by constantly restricting.

Sometimes it is better to just give in, satisfy a craving and move forward. Often we feel better with our overall plan and less restricted and more willing to stick with things when we also get to include foods we really love and crave.

Sometimes indulging is what we need to be able to stay consistent, strike a lifestyle balance and stay on track.

Too often in our attempt to avoid the thing we want we end up eating more in the end or we end up eating things that honestly are just as bad. And on top of that we ultimately only eventually give in, which because we’ve felt so restricted, can lead to overeating the thing we initially wanted anyway.

Sometimes just preemptively having that thing can help us find a better balance and avoid that binge cycle!

Tip 2: Drink your diet drink.

Fake sweeteners have become super demonized. And while the data really doesn’t support that demonization, I’m not going to tell you that diet drinks are healthy.

However, I do feel like they can also be key to us creating something sustainable that we ENJOY.

Honestly, sometimes when you want something sweet or you want something to satisfy a craving, swapping in that diet drink can help us strike a balance. Having that diet soda may actually help you stay more consistent and be healthier overall. Too often we get caught up in the “one bad thing” instead of seeing the overall healthier balance it can help us create.

It may help you avoid other unhealthy foods and “cost” you less overall.

It may be the way you start to even transition yourself off of sugar filled drinks.

It’s all about small improvements and finding our balance.

So don’t fear sometimes swapping one not so ideal thing for something that makes an improvement in your life even if it isn’t yet “perfect.”

Also we have to find our balance. If a diet soda keeps you overall consistent, that vice may be what you need to actually hit that 80/20 balance not just for a few days or months but for YEARS…

Tip 3: Plan in meals out.

Often when we start a new diet we avoid going out because it isn’t as easy to stay on track.

But this can also backfire and make us always feel like that person on a diet. It’s what can lead to us becoming even burnt out with the changes.

If you enjoy meals out, plan them in. If you need the break with cooking, plan in your favorite restaurant meals.

Find ways to work in things you love, even planning in those meals out first to adjust the rest of your day around.

And then just log the best you can. Sure it may not be perfect, but logging as consistently as you can is key. And then watch how that meal impacts you. If you’re not seeing results, you can always adjust. You can always make swaps to dishes to more easily hit your macros.

Or you can even find new restaurants that list out nutritional info to make grabbing lunch on the go easier.

But don’t avoid habits and routines you love. Find ways to work them in.

Because completely cutting out habits and routines we enjoy ultimately derails us just to try to be perfect short term. But we need to be careful with that all or nothing attitude.

We need to remember that long-term consistency is key!

Tip 4: Want fast results? Be ready to sacrifice.

We all want to hear it will be easy to see results. And while we can definitely see results by making fewer changes to start, the faster we want to see results, the more we have to embrace some sacrifice and focus more on perfection in those new habits.

Basically the faster we want results, the more dedicated to the changes and the harder we have to be willing to push, especially to start.

And too often I think we gloss over this fact. We try to make things sound as easy for ourselves as possible, but I think this sets us up for failure because we then aren’t prepared for the challenges that pop up.

It does take more perfection short term and more sacrifice short term, the quicker we want to see dramatic changes and the further we are from our goal. Also the longer we’ve been in our current situation and the more we have working against us, the more we have to OVERCORRECT to start.

But we have to remember we have to base these changes on a solid foundation of those basics so that we can steer back to sustainable as we reach our goals.

It’s why macros and designing clear workout progressions are key. These fundamentals allow us to create sustainable habits even if we do more of a cut to start or shift into more of a muscle gaining phase. These fundamentals don’t change even as we transition into maintenance even if their exact implementation adjusts with time.

We have to remember that what it takes to reach a goal will NOT be the same thing we have to do to maintain it!

Tip 5: The longer you’ve struggled, the longer you’ll struggle….sorry this is just a reality.

If you just gained the weight recently and haven’t had it on for long, if you’ve done a diet or workout plan before and see results, you’re going to see faster results this time through. You know the pain, your body also isn’t content where it is, and so your body will respond quicker.

It’s why it isn’t really fair to compare your results to someone who just gained a few pounds over the holidays if you’ve been up in weight for years. It’s why you can’t base your results on that of a trainer or bodybuilder who gains and loses weight all of the time.

The longer you’ve had the weight on, the less you’re familiar with what you need to do, the HARDER it will be to really get the ball rolling.

So if you’re struggling with taking on a new challenge, if you’ve struggled with hormonal changes and with weight that has been on a very long time, get ready to really grind it out without seeing the progress you so desperately crave to start.

Realize it WILL be harder for you.

So set habit goals to give yourself daily things to focus on. It’s key to really create those changes that build toward the long-term results we want. And track those habits as you implement to celebrate those as wins because you have to find a way to embrace the process.

Tip 6: Stop feeling guilty.

I mean this in so many ways, but we’ve got to stop the guilt if we want to truly change our lifestyle. We are human. We’re never going to be perfect.

Don’t feel guilty if you want to fit something into your macros that isn’t healthy. Don’t feel guilty for a skipped workout. Don’t feel guilty for a day not going as planned or eating out of stress.

Often these things don’t derail us, it’s the guilt that changes our habits and mindsets for days after that adds up.

So focus on what you can always do to move forward. Focus on meeting yourself where you are at. Focus on 1% improvements and seeing everything as a learning process!

But stop sabotaging yourself by making yourself feel guilty for being HUMAN.

Tip 7: Stop trying to just exercise for longer.

Focusing on making your workouts longer is a waste of time. Period.

The only reason your workout should get longer is because you’re training for a specific competition or your rest times have to be ridiculously long for max attempt lifts.

Honestly, too often we make our workouts longer and just waste a lot of time and effort. It often also leads to us being extra tired and burnt out and hungry which ultimately leads to hormonal issues, metabolic adaptations and cravings that backfire and sabotage us.

So often us trying to train more as we eat less is what sabotages our weight loss efforts and makes us feel like we just don’t have self control.

It’s also what leads to more metabolic adaptations so we can feel like we aren’t losing while starving ourselves. Our body fights against what it sees as starvation.

So stop just trying to do MORE.

Use your training to build muscle and move well. Focus on using the time you realistically have to train wisely!

Tip 8: Don’t turn strength workouts just into cardio.

Too often we seek just to feel worked from our workouts. To be tired and burn a ton of calories.

But this is why we can feel our programs are unsustainable and we get skinny without looking leaner. It’s what can hold us back from actually seeing the body recomp we want, and getting the lean arms or toned abs we desire.

Because cardio doesn’t build muscle and can even be catabolic to it. It can ultimately make us look softer especially if we are in that calorie deficit to lose weight.

So when you do strength work, don’t fear rest. Don’t feel like you have to be destroyed and out of breath every single workout. Track your numbers and focus on progressive overload! Focus on lifting more and really challenging those muscles so they are forced to repair and rebuild stronger!

SUMMARY:

As tempting as it is to do more, to strive for perfection in our diet and workouts, results really come from 1% improvements and meeting ourselves where we are at!

You need to find the “right things” that you can truly be consistent with long term!

Set yourself up for success. Get the coaching and support you need to learn how to rock those results no matter your age…

–> Learn more about Redefining Strength’s coaching program!

 

FHP 427 – We Make Things IMPOSSIBLE

FHP 427 – We Make Things IMPOSSIBLE

by | Jul 4, 2022 | podcast

Yup you heard that right. We make things impossible because we tell ourselves they aren’t possible.

And guess what?

Sure…everything isn’t possible…nor we will achieve that goal in the same way someone else has even if we get there.

Getting abs for you may be different than for me.

We of course all have genetic limitations and pre-dispositions.

But to just say you can’t get abs…well why not still strive for YOUR version of your leanest physique?

Why just say you can’t have that exact thing and give up?

Seriously then what is the option?!

So often if we believe we can’t have something we just don’t even try!

But we’ve got to stop telling ourselves we can’t if we want to move forward.

Life is about constantly growing and improving. That is the fun in it.

And I do truly believe that too often we write ourselves off.

I didn’t think I could get abs!

I didn’t think I could deadlift 310 pounds.

I didn’t think I could get a tennis scholarship to a Division I team and play.

I didn’t think I could start a business and go out on my own.

Heck I didn’t think I could be that person in front of the camera!

But I also didn’t not try.

There will always be a DOUBT that you can’t do something, but while I didn’t necessarily know it was possible until it was, I believed in the opportunity.

I believed that there was no point not to try.

And I think that’s the key, realizing the alternative.

Which the alternative is to just give up, never move forward, never improve.

Is that really what we want?

Any time I’m presented with these situations I like to reflect on what I do, what I’ve seen successful clients do, to share tips…and here are 3 mindset shifts I think are key to putting ourselves out there and seeing what is possible.

#1: So What If It Isn’t The Same?

If you have loose skin, your abs may not look like that Inspo picture you have.

But guess what? Almost no ones abs look exactly like someone else’s.

Our lifestyle and previous habits and scars are all there.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have YOUR best looking abs.

We need to shift our mindset to saying we want this as it pertains to OUR best selves in that area.

Whether it is an aesthetic goal or performance goal we need to see that “ideal” as us achieving it in our own version.

This drives us forward.

Maybe you’ll never deadlift 400lbs. Maybe you’ll never be an elite marathoner.

But why not say you want to reach the elite level that YOU can?

We can always be our healthiest, fittest, happiest selves. But we need to remember that our journey and our ultimate win WILL look different than someone else.

#2: Possible ALWAYS Seems Impossible…Until You Get There

If you’ve never achieved something before, you don’t know how to get there.

It’s also why I hate those fit to fat to fit again things…so difference when you know how to do something or your body even wants to get back to that point.

But honestly, over your entire journey to results, you don’t fully know if you’ll get there until you do.

It’s why celebrating the habits, remembering why we started and then recognizing the wins along the way are key.

It’s why you also have to see everything as an EXPERIENCE.

Life is meant to be LIVED. What experiences do you want out of it?

What ways would you like to improve?

Because even if you don’t “get there” isn’t it fabulous to see the growth? To know you moved forward? To know you’ve learned?

Heck to even know you tried?!

I never want a regret because I didn’t at least TRY at something.

So just remember it will be impossible till you prove it is possible!

#3: What’s The Alternative?

This might sound weird, but when I doubt myself, when I consider not doing something, I always think…

“What’s the alternative?”

And often I realize the alternative is keeping myself stuck. Keeping myself in a situation I do NOT like.

Not seeing what I CAN actually achieve.

Really if we aren’t choosing to try for a goal, often we aren’t allowing ourselves to grow.

And who doesn’t want to learn and improve and grow?

Who keeps wanting to be frustrated feeling like they’re stuck?

So if you’re scared to get started, if your scared of failing…which there is always a chance you will, think about the alternative of never trying.

There is the saying, you never regret the workout you did…Well I honestly think that applies to most goals we work toward even if we “failed.”

Most of the time we don’t regret TRYING. We feel good for it.

Strength comes from overcoming things. Growth comes from stepping outside our comfort zone.

Don’t fear failure.

Realize it is a part of success.

And realize honestly that the alternative of not at least TRYING to reach something we think MAY be impossible is staying stuck and believing it will never be possible.

I don’t know about you, but that gives me FOMO!