If you search #fitspo (fit inspiration) on social media you will find millions of beautiful bodies all selling different diets, drops, pills, powders, teas, and techniques. Each one promising you the body that is perfectly filtered, face tuned, photo shopped, and angled in just the right way. It’s a sales pitch, not a success plan. The beauty and fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that banks on you failing. If you were to succeed (feel confident, strong, and healthy) you wouldn’t buy the next product they’re selling. So instead they market to your weakness, your insecurities, and your fears and sell you whatever product they happen to be slinging.
I’m here to remind you the value of being basic! The goal you’re after, the answers you’re seeking, the body you crave is all within your reach with some really basic steps.
Discipline is continuing to show up when motivation fades
Here are my top tips that I live by, day in and day out. No secrets, no tricks, no fads. Real talk, real science-backed info, and REAL (unfiltered) results!
- Drink water! Drink a lot of water! Add lemon to your water first thing in the morning. If you’ve researched wellness approaches and want to incorporate them into your day, do it with your lemon water when you first wake up. I start every morning with a huge mason jar of alkaline water, 1/2 a lemon, and trace minerals. As needed, I’ll add a shot of apple cider vinegar too. Rain or shine, sickness or health… Every single day, the first thing that hits my digestive track is lemon water. By doing this I am hydrating my system, alkalizing with the lemon, and I’m jump starting my digestive track. The bonus is that I’m also sending the signal to my body that I’m taking care of it, honoring it, and grateful for it!
- Make sure breakfast includes protein. Protein stabilizes your blood sugar and that is always important but especially important with your first meal. Different types of protein work for each of us and the different seasons we’re in but here are some ideas:
- Greek Yogurt
- Protein Powder (plant based is my fav these days)
- Eggs
- Collagen (you all know how much I adore my collagen coffee)
- Turkey Breakfast Sausage
- Almond or Peanut Butter
- Eat every 3-4 hours. This helps keep your blood sugar stable. I preach blood sugar balance all. the. time. because blood sugar directly affects our adrenals, hormones, thyroid, hormonal processes like menstrual cycles, mood, fat storage, muscle gains, and so much more! I know we’re all busy but taking a moment to fuel is the ultimate self care; again sending your body the signal that you care about it, you are grateful for it, and you honor your health.
- Eat your dang vegetables! All too often I hear grown adults telling me they don’t like vegetables. I don’t think anyone really does cartwheels for carrots but the people that choose to eat their veggies know the value of vegetables. Vegetables provide the vitamins and minerals our body needs, they give us fiber to move our bowels along and help detoxify the body, they are alkaline which boosts immune system function and decrease the risk of many cancers, they make our skin glow, improve heart health, and give us brain power. Now that you know the value, just do it! The example I often give is that I don’t always feel like putting my seat belt on or brushing my teeth, but I do it because I know the value. When you know better you do better so do it!!
- Move your body. There are hundreds of ways to work out. If you don’t like to work out it’s because you haven’t found the right method for you yet. The reason we need to workout is because we are such a sedentary society and our bodies are incredibly adaptive. If you drive a bunch, sit on the couch, get stressed and clench your jaw, and go to bed anxious; your body will adapt to that by turning muscle to squish and using the energy to store fat and get real unflexible real fast. Back in the day, doing laundry on a washboard was literally a work out, as was picking vegetables (there they are again) from a field, or tacking up our horse to the buggy. Workouts have become increasingly important as our society has become increasingly sedentary and reliant on screens, technology, and anything that helps us to not move. This process cues the aches, pains, bad mood, lack of confidence, migraines, tension headaches, back pain and pretty much every symptom clients tell me they want to get rid of. Move your body and so many of your “issues” will go away!
- Tap into that mind+body connection. It’s no secret I’m utterly obsessed with the power of Pilates. I was a trainer for 9 years before I personally discovered Pilates and I’m been transformed from the inside out ever since. That’s why I created the Pilates Body Makeover. I’ve been studying, practicing, and continuing my education in Pilates for more than a decade and the reason is because of the mind+body connection. It’s this simple…our breath reflects how our nervous system feels. Ever been so nervous that your heart is racing and you can’t see straight? Me too! Now imagine using a reverse method to send a signal to your nervous system that all is well, you are enough, you are safe, you are strong, you are capable, you are beautiful, and everything will be okay. With every Pilates movement you are connecting to a balanced and purposeful breath pattern. You will walk away from my Pilates classes feeling invigorated, energized, balanced, stretched, peaceful, glowing, and all those little muscles that create the most beautifully strong bodies will be burning in the best way possible! Other mind+body work includes yoga, meditation, breath work, some martial arts, and even some dancing and swimming modalities. Even once a week is beneficial.
- Accept yourself for who you are! This is hard, I know. We are surrounded by seemingly impossible standards thanks to social media, marketing, and the magic of photo shop + filters. Nothing good comes from negative self talk so you might as well learn to like yourself. Fall in love with your strong qualities, laugh at your weaknesses, know you are enough; even on your worst days you are enough. I’ve had two babies via c-section, I’ve had an umbilical hernia that I waited years to fix, I’ve struggled with Eczema, acne, and Hashimotos disease. I grew up dancing and my naturally curvy and short stature wasn’t ideal for that world. I’ve had my share of negative thought patterns and struggles with my body going in directions I wasn’t feeling. The path to that dream body, that glow from the inside out kind of confidence, the walk into a room and be a magnet full of joy comes from loving yo’ self! So do it. Fake it until you make it and just do it. Wake up every day with a mantra like “I am strong and healthy and beautiful and full of joy”. Repeat it until you believe it!
Our body is a reflection of how we are treating it.
Show yourself some love and understanding. Don’t hate on your body. Instead look at those annoying symptoms (fatigue, weight gain, acne, bloating, etc) and interpret what you’re body is trying to tell you “I’m worn down, I’m tired, that food bothers my system, I’m missing certain vitamins, I need more rest, I need more play, I need more water, I need more vegetables”. Exercise and Nutrition (not a diet) is the most effective way to improve your body forever. Commit to consistency. Show up and keep showing up. Before you know it you will be rocking that goal body of your’s and it will feel effortless!
