Feelings aren’t data. 

How we “feel” about what we are doing often isn’t the same as the actual data showing what we are doing.

And data doesn’t lie. 

It’s why it’s so key we track our macros and our workouts so we have that impartial data to use to help us tweak and adjust.

Because often when we don’t have that data? It’s easy to lie to ourselves about how things are going.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients say to me, “This ratio doesn’t work.” when they haven’t actually hit the ratio for more than a day in that week.

Are they trying to lie to themselves? 

NOPE!

I know because I’ve done it myself.

I’ve seen it happen personally around the holidays where I even get LAZY with tracking because, subconsciously, I want to excuse or ignore the “deviations.”

I want to lie to myself even though it isn’t consciously what I’m doing.

But if we want results?

We have to stop going by how we’re feeling. We have to stop ignoring the data.

We’ve got to take time to step back each week and honestly review our CONSISTENCY.

Because consistency over the weeks, months and years adds up.

And if we don’t implement a program? We can’t know if it works.

So don’t “blame” your workouts or your macros before you truly give them a chance.

This week if you’ve been frustrated by your lack of results? Step back and take an honest look at what you’ve been doing.

You may just find your “feelings” about how hard you’ve been working aren’t the same as your actual implementation.

We can’t confuse EFFORT with RESULTS!

I often get asked, “How long did it take you to get to (insert the result I’ve achieved that they want here)?”

My answer is, “My entire life.”

This isn’t meant to be flippant.

But it’s the honest answer.

Sure maybe I “cut” for 6 weeks to get leaner. Or maybe I did a workout progression that built my pull ups over the last 4 weeks….

But these things are still based off a foundation that, in a way, I’ve been creating my entire life.

Even if you are the same weight or have the same “strength” as someone else, you can’t compare your journey to theirs.

There is just so much more to it than just that starting “number” or spot.

Because it’s even our experiences that make the difference.

Someone who’s “cut” before knows what it entails, even if they have the same weight to lose as you who has never done it.

And maybe they just recently gained the weight while you’ve had it on for years, putting them in a very different position for results.

The point is…each of our journeys will be unique.

We have to focus on what WE need to get results.

We have to make changes and adjustments and tweaks based on our progress over basing what we do on what someone else has done.

What worked for someone else, even if they seem like they’re starting from the same spot, may not work for you.

So remember our “history” factors in.

Focus on what you’re doing and track your changes to make adjustments and tweaks over time. Remember each thing you do is a piece of your journey that can build toward results!

It’s easy to start a new program and get overwhelmed by all of the changes you feel you have to make.

And so..well…we freak out and never end up moving forward.

But before you let your brain go into freak out mode…start by focusing on small tweaks!

Or as I’ve liked saying “Tweak before you freak!”

Because small changes add up. And they help us create something actually sustainable.

Too often we feel like we have to overhaul everything, when really those small changes are what add up and allow us to be consistent.

They allow us to create new habits we can maintain after that initial motivation fades.

So focus on small habit adjustments based on your current routine.

What are just 3 small things you can focus on this week?

Is it drinking more water? Doing a 5 minute workout when you’re short on time? Simply tracking your food?

List out 3 habit changes to start implementing and mark them off each day.

Even make them so ridiculously easy you feel silly listing them.

This helps you build that momentum and see lasting changes!

I think often in our workouts in an attempt to do more or that harder variation and last the entire interval of work, we CHEAT ourselves out of the full benefit of moves.

We don’t try to work muscles as hard as we can. We actually just try to survive the time we are “supposed” to work in the follow along.

And this leads to us CHEATING on moves.

Letting our hands shift out in front of us as we do mountain climbers. Letting our butt go up in the air as we hold a plank.

Not sinking as low or jumping as high in that squat jump.

We are focused on doing more over maximizing the movement.

And that can even lead to us thinking we’ve earned harder variations than we have because we can seemingly “do” them, but it can also lead to us thinking things are easier than they are.

But we are never above the basics. And often if you think something is too easy?

You really need to assess how well you’re doing it!

Here are some things I think it is really key we do at times to assess if we are really maximizing our results from each training session.

1. Focus on what you feel working.
2. Take ego out of it and at times, go lighter. Do an easier move. Optimize your form.
3. Shorten intervals of work or add in rest and see if you can get better quality.
4. Stop focusing on just doing more for results. Wasted volume honestly is not only wasted time but hampering your results

I refused to demo the moves and made friends or co-workers do it.

I was comfortable sharing my knowledge behind the scenes.

But I also really really really (did I say REALLY!?) wanted to share my passion and knowledge and help others.

So Ryan kind of gave me an ultimatum…

Ryan basically told me at one point, “If you really want to do this thing, you need to suck it up and get over it and be in the photos.”

(I would say he said it nicer than that as I can’t remember his exact phrasing since it feels like it was almost a decade ago, BUT he probably didn’t as Ryan has never been afraid to be 100% blunt with me when I needed it. It’s why I love to hate him at times and need him around all the more. Love you butthead! Anyway…)

I’m telling you all of this because I think we believe there are parts of ourselves we can’t change.

I know I NEVER ever thought I’d be a person in front of the camera.

But really it isn’t that we CAN’T change them…it’s that we don’t “want” to.

It’s really often just an excuse we give ourselves to stay within our comfort zone.

And maybe that’s fine. We don’t have to.

Maybe changing that aspect of ourselves to reach a specific goal isn’t “worth” it to us ultimately.

But then we also have to realize that we are setting a limit to what we can achieve.

Achieving “greatness,” something we feel is beyond our reach, does mean embracing a part of ourselves that may not even yet exist.

It can mean, to some extent, recreating how we see ourselves.

I mean geez…had you asked me if I’d be doing live videos each week and taking half-nakey photos with make up on, I’d laugh at you as I put on my big t-shirt and pulled back my hair I hadn’t brushed in a week. (Ok I still do the last part just also the other!)

The point is, we can choose to be who we want to be. It just requires us acting AS IF we are the thing we want to be.

It will be extremely uncomfortable to start. You will be implementing habits that often go against what you want to “naturally” do.

But it’s remembering that what has become natural isn’t always best. It was often just easier to fall back into.

However, with the repetition and embracing the new habits, it’s why I say ACT AS IF over fake it till you make it, you will ultimately become truly who you want to be.

Because when we ACT AS IF, we aren’t faking it. We are just acting as if we are the person we want to be, implementing the habits needed to create the new lifestyle.

As scary as that change was, as much as I felt like I was oddly leaving the Cori I’d always been behind…

I wouldn’t go back for a second.

I became truly the person I wanted to be and am now able to do what I truly love and share my passion.

For me the “risk” associated with the change? The uncomfortableness I had to go through?

IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.

And I think it’s sometimes reminding ourselves that change, while hard, truly is worth it if our goal means that much to us.

So if you’re feeling really uncomfortable now with ACTING AS IF you are the person you ultimately want to be, remember it does get easier.

It goes back to that super annoying saying – change requires change.

Embrace those new habits this week. Give yourself a pat on the back for being willing to make yourself uncomfortable.

Change is not for the weak 

And KEEP GOING!