It’s week two …
Doing this week one day at a time has been something that has helped me get through what feels like a mammoth task. Trying to accomplish the few things I’ve put down on an accountability list seems like a huge mountain to climb, but having the “just for today” attitude has helped me get through until one day, I tried and sat staring at myself, trying to get my mind and body to move, coordinate and listen to the brain. Neither was interested.
What do you do then?
Throw in the towel and give up?
Absolutely not!
I took a step back and acknowledged that I needed to reevaluate what I was doing and how I was doing it. Hugging myself, I told myself it was okay. I decided to look at the list and do what I could. Finally, after much deliberation with myself, I decided to take the day off and do one of those things on the list that the body and mind don’t mind doing. It came down to something surprising … reading. So that is what I did … rest and that one thing.
People think that rest is a cop-out on the health and fitness journey, but it really isn’t. It’s all part of it. The “experts” in the field say that you should rest only one out of seven days in the week, but that may not be for everyone. If you’re starting out on a journey to get ripped and develop stamina that rivals a marathon runner, resting one day out of seven may not be enough for you. Who knows better than you what your body needs to accomplish the end goal? You may need to rest a little more often. Many people follow a weekly workout routine, using 7 days, but how about putting the month’s dates on a spreadsheet and marking a rest day every three or four days, regardless of the actual calendar day?
Yes, you need to build discipline and routine but don’t make the mistake of building around something generic or one-size-fits-all. There is a routine that will suit you and help you, so try everything before you settle on anything. You’ll know the moment when everything clicks, and you have the positive sensation of “this will work for me”. Start with what you can manage and build that routine and discipline before moving to the next level.
How long will that take?
Heaven knows, but you’ll know when you find yourself working out or, going on an extra-long walk, or doing more online workouts or longer workouts, all because you need that extra stretch. The surprise will come when you mark it off as complete, only to find it was supposed to be a rest day. After doing that at least three times, don’t stop … that is a natural step up. Instead, change the schedule. Take a rest day, add that workout day, and keep building until you’re comfortable. This may look different from the rest of the pack. That is okay. Different is how it is meant to be, not a cliched, uniform way of getting there. Everyone’s road is different, and each person’s journey presents varied challenges. But you don’t all get to the destination the same way at the same time doing the same thing.
Once you have your routine locked in and are building that discipline, remember that life loves throwing things at you – stress, out-of-the-blue emergencies – I’m sure you can add a lot more to the list. The best thing to do when that happens is not succumb to those challenges and circumstances. The best thing to do is – something – a five-minute walk around the block or a quick ten-minute online workout, whatever it is … do something to keep that momentum going and the discipline in place.
What are you eating?
Are you mindlessly shoving food in your mouth?
Are you allowing peer pressure to dictate what you consume?
Are you even aware that you’re eating?
Food is an essential part of what happens to our bodies. If we do not have the correct fuel in the engine, the motor won’t run. So, what is the fuel you’re putting in your body?
How processed is it?
Do the supposed experts tell you this is what you need to eat to be “healthy”?
Are you really healthy?
How many pills are the medical profession telling you to take to “get better”?
Here’s a thought: start with what you’re allowing to go into your mouth.
What isn’t whole? Make a list of everything in your pantry, freezer and fridge. If it had to be mixed with something, it would be processed. Get rid of it, and don’t purchase it again.
What isn’t grown? Anything that is marked healthy but comes in a wrapper … get rid of it, that falls into the “processed non-healthy” section. Look for things that are straight from the farm. That is what you aim to have in your pantry and fridge.
What oils are you using? Seed oils are processed at such high temperatures they are toxic to the body, so don’t use them in the food that you eat. Natural oils, which are naturally designed to withstand high heat, are what you need: coconut oil, olive oil, and butter/ghee, yes, butter. Despite how the medical profession advises against it, butter is better than most oils out there.
Want to fry something? Use coconut oil.
Want some flavour in your food? Use butter
Want an aromatic salad dressing? Make your base out of olive oil.
Make a list of everything you put in your mouth, and then go from there. Start regaining your health by going back to what was created at the beginning of time for us to eat. Know your food and the process of how it gets to you.
Start looking for what you can make at home. It’s beneficial in so many ways. Firstly, you know what you’re eating, and secondly, you decide what you use to make it. Plus, your body will love you for it.
To make the journey, your mind has to be on board. The battle really starts there; your thoughts determine your actions and attitude.
What are you thinking?
You may ask, thinking about what? But that’s just it; it really covers everything.
What do you think about yourself, and how do you see yourself?
What do you think about what happens around you?
How do you allow what happens around you to determine what you think about yourself and your journey?
Are you going to accept everything you hear, see and feel as the absolute about yourself?
Do you know who you are?
“What a man thinks so is he…” is a quote that many people throughout the world repeat. It’s an absolute truth that you need to acknowledge and capture on paper to truly understand how much you don’t know is going on in your own mind.
Journal what you think and feel about things that happen in your day and find out the trend of your own mind. This is a good starting point that may come as a surprise. Are you truly that positive person you think you are, or do negative thoughts pop up when someone teases you or tells you you haven’t accomplished something to a specific standard?
Change what you say about yourself. Instead of calling yourself derogatory names, start with something positive, kind, and uplifting.
If you’re struggling to accomplish something, don’t say you can’t do it; change it to say … today I’m going to be one step closer to being amazingly good at doing this.
Encourage yourself to think well of yourself. Find things that you love about yourself and get to know the amazing person you are, not what society has branded you as, but who you were created to be, the way you are and learn what your passions, skills and talents are.
Through all of this, know one thing … every one of us is created to accomplish different things and be different from everyone else. It’s the way we were designed, and by allowing ourselves to be conformed to a mass production of flesh to be handled, manipulated and extorted, we are allowing ourselves to diminish the fantastic things we were called to accomplish and do. We have been designed as a beautiful jigsaw puzzle to uplift and love one another… when one of us doesn’t do what we are called to do, everyone feels it.
Value yourself!
Take that step today to discover your path to physical wholeness and fitness. Step out of the industrial line and know yourself from the core out, learn who you are and what you’re capable of and determine today to be that amazing person you’re designed to be.