Summer Challenge Wrap-Up

Meet Yvonne and Christie.  Have you ever seen two, such fine lookin’ grandmas?  These ladies were the winners of my Summer Challenge!

This week my Disciplined Life clients and CHANGE clients wrapped up our Summer Challenge.  The challenge was six weeks long and focused on setting six, small, weekly goals; goals that could be accomplished within just seven days.  The first week we focused on making over our breakfasts by adding a vegetable serving, limiting the standard cereals and breads, and even bumping up the calories.  The following week we got into the habit of planning out a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  Each week’s mini goal built upon the previous week’s goal.  Points were earned for exercising at home, sharing recipes and pictures of our healthy meals, and even food prepping for the week.  We kept a private Facebook group page where we could check in with each other for daily accountability.

Although the Summer Challenge was more of a self-challenge rather than a competition amongst each other, these ladies, Yvonne and Christie won Dick’s Sporting Good gift cards by losing the most body fat and earning the most points during the challenge.

Yvonne said of the challenge:  “…I have found that it [overall general health] boils down to a day-to-day decision with every day not being perfect.  But activity, exercise and managing your food is something I have to do every day….I love the Facebook page, the check-ins and the accountability…”

Christie said of the challenge:  “…The accountability was good for me.  I also liked the weekly challenges.  It gave me something to focus on weekly.  All of them were small steps in being a healthier me….It [the Facebook group page] was motivating to see where everyone was and a great way to encourage each other when [we are] not together….”

I love holding these challenges for my clients as a way to get everyone involved and motivated, to break out of a workout “slump.”  These challenges have a way of getting clients to re-think of where they are, where they want to be, and how they’re going to get to get there, just one step at a time.

Where do you want to be?  How can you be healthier in just seven days?  Should you add an extra workout to your week?  Get more sleep?  Eat more fruits and vegetables?  Write out a six-week plan for yourself.  Set some goals, and demolish them!

Meet Teresa

Teresa is one of my C.H.A.N.G.E.* small group personal training clients.  In the last three months I have seen her gain some serious strength, balance, endurance, coordination, confidence...ok, ok...I let HER tell you her own story. Meet Teresa....

What is it about the C.H.A.N.G.E.* small group training that has made you stick with it longer than any other exercise or fitness program?

The small size of the group allows Mandi to provide a lot of relevant, individualized, immediate feedback when we work out and our group is very supportive and encouraging of one another which helps to hold us accountable. In addition, the focus is continually on our personal improvement whether it is gaining strength or more endurance, eating healthier, better posture or more self-confidence. I feel I can have success with this program because I can continually improve. If the whole focus was only on weight loss or fitting into a specific size of clothing in 8 weeks…I would feel like a failed…again. The best thing Mandi has taught me is that “every-body” is different and I shouldn’t expect my journey to be exactly like anyone else’s journey.

What kind of changes have you made since starting the C.H.A.N.G.E.* small group training?

I have made a lot of changes! I am eating healthier foods. I track what I eat. I have set goals for sleep, activity, meal planning and exercise. I think one of the best changes I’ve made is constantly being aware of the choices I have for a healthier me. I’m learning that a lot of small, good choices can have a big impact on a healthier life for me.  

What kind of changes do you see and feel in your health and body compared to when you first started?

I feel healthier, stronger, and more self-confident. I just got back from a short vacation where the benefits of my C.H.A.N.G.E.* training were really highlighted for me. I had more stamina for walking around sight-seeing. One day, we started walking a trail and ended up in the downtown district – seven miles away! And, the best part was that I loved every minute of the trek! I felt so much more self-confident, too. I even “hammed” it up for the camera in Metropolis, IL where I compared myself to Superman.

What words of encouragement would you give to others?

You will never know what your body can achieve or how much healthier you can be if you never venture outside of your comfort zone to give C.H.A.N.G.E.* a try.  I highly recommend small group classes with an instructor, like Mandi, that provides such a great balance of support, as in “YOU CAN!” and challenge, as in “DO THIS!” that creates the perfect environment to believe in your own heart, “YOU CAN DO THIS!”

 

*C.H.A.N.G.E. is a small group personal training program specifically for those with a significant amount of weight to lose and/or those with limited mobility to joint or back pain.

 Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...

 

The Fall of New Year's Resolutions

“Once the month of March rolls around, the first signs of New Year’s resolutions fall away for over 25% of new exercisers.  That is often because people fail to form SMART goals: goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.”  I just read this quote in my Mar/Apr 2014 issue of American Fitness magazine.

This quote triggered a memory of a blurb I posted on Facebook back on January 8:

I had to circle the parking lot 2 times to find a spot at the gym tonight. Happy New Year! Too bad gyms aren't that busy year-round. I see a lot of new faces and my hope is that they see they are worth more than just a month's worth of workouts and diet attempts. I hope they see they are worth more than just a "New Year Resolution." Weight loss, weight maintenance, even just finding the right workout is a matter of experimentation. Don't give up so quickly, people! You're worth 365 days of exercise each year and you're worth a whole new LIFE resolution, not just one little ol' year that dwindles down to 6 weeks! Find something you like and never let it go!

So here we are in March, or maybe by the time you read this it will be April.  Maybe you’ll read this in the month of November!  My point being, don’t wait for a new year or a new month, a new week or even a new day to eat better and start exercising.  Start today!  Start at your next meal, even if it is dinner at 6pm.  Start your workout tonight, even if it is just 10 minutes.  Set a SMART goal today!

You are worth more than 60 days into a new year.  You are worth a whole 365 days of exercise, and you are worth 365 days of trying harder, being better, and eating healthier, each and every year of your life, inside and outside of the gym.

“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?  Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission.  Every hair on your head has been counted.  Don’t be afraid!  You are worth more than many sparrows.”  Matt 10:29-31 GW