It seems like the summer weather is finally here to stay in DC.  We are on our 3rd day  of 90+ weather and the humidity is back with a vengeance.  Aaaahh… summer in DC!  I decided this week that it was finally time for me to reorganize my closet and get those summer outfits back in rotation.

My favorite part of the process is always the unexpected discovery of some really cute dress or bathing suit that I forgot I owned.  Aside from the obvious joy of finding something great to wear in this heat, finding an old favorite always brings back the fun memories of the summer I last wore it- the parties, the family BBQs, even the clients I used to see all come back. It’s great to be nostalgic.

My closet isn’t the only thing that I’ve been working on.  As you may have noticed I have been doing some reorganizing on our website too.  And much like my closet, I came across some old favorites on the blog.

So as a salute to the joy of finding that favorite sundress that I totally forgot existed, we will be having Flashback Fridays on the blog all summer long.  Each Friday I will feature an oldie but goodie from the early days on our blog.  These are posts that still resonate with our clients and me too.

To kick things off we will start with a great post on the real secret to getting the body you really want… considering the number of bathing suits I just found I think this is a very good time to revisit the keys to a great body image and sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

Want to change your body?  Start by changing your mind.

Did you know that 8 out of 10 Americans over the age of 25 are overweight?  Or how about that nearly 78% of us are not meeting the basic activity recommendations {that’s 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity or 30 min/5 days a week}?  The weight loss and fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar money maker and yet it seems that most of us are struggling to get fit, stay fit, and live the healthy lifestyles that we keep saying we want.

So what’s the problem?  Are we all lazy or stubborn?  Do we like to feel stuck or fail at our attempts to live healthy, active lifestyles?  I doubt it.  I know that’s not the case for me and I suspect it’s not the case for you either.  The issue is for most of us, is that our healthy fitness goals start and stop with physical fitness, but working on your outside isn’t enough – you’ve got to change the story inside too.   {if you didn’t catch Tony Robbins talking about this on Oprah’s Life Class– check out the video at the end of this post, it’s good stuff!}  

Ask any athlete and they’ll tell you that success comes when you figure out how to train your body and mind for excellence.  Understanding the obstacles that happen mentally and emotionally is just as important to creating a successful wellness plan in your life as working with a personal trainer or nutritionist.  You have to tackle the concrete challenges, like figuring out how to manage a busy schedule, dealing with family and friends who don’t like the time your fitness plan takes from them, or even picky kids who don’t want to get on board the healthy eating train.  These “minor” blocks to your goal can easily be enough to derail you from training harder for that marathon or keep you from cutting the fast food out of your diet.  But there are also more complicated obstacles.  They are the emotional stories we tell ourselves and use to escape from fully committing to the goals we have set.

Maybe you’re a caregiver by nature and so deep inside you tell yourself that you have to take care of everyone else’s needs before making time to take care of you.  Or maybe you blame yourself for gaining weight and allow that guilt to convince you that you don’t deserve to be healthy because you made bad choices.  The list of negative messages and internal conflicts is endless but when we address these unspoken messages head on we can breakthrough and find a healthier way to live.  I know what you’re thinking… “easier said than done!”  And you’re right.  It’s easy to tell you to just face the negative self talk and ambivalent feelings that may be keeping you stuck but actually doing it  can be hard.  I know this from personal and professional experience; but like so many other things in life if you ask for help the process gets easier.

Whether you seek the support of family and friends or call our office to find out more about Wellness Coaching- there are people out there ready to help you face all the obstacles to fitness success and overcome them.   For some people a session or two with one of our Wellness Coaches is all they need to understand why they are stuck and move on; for others a wellness coach can become their ongoing cheerleader and guide on the road to a healthy lifestyle or athletic success.  Either way, don’t you think it’s time to start creating your fitness plan from the inside out?

 

Check out Tony Robbins on Oprah’s Life Class talking about how to create success by changing your internal story

Tony Robbins’ 3 Ways to Effect Success

Want to learn more about changing your thoughts in order to really change your body & your life?  Check out our Women’s Class and Custom Coaching Packages!