By Jaime Brenkus, L.E.A.N. Living
Here are steps to move you past the obsession with the scale, and on towards finding success to your ultimate body and health.
- Find your hero – The number-one thing you can do to ensure your success is to find your hero. The great thing is that hero is already inside of you. You and you only can make the changes necessary to rise up and earn the transformation you desire. Once you decide you are going to be that for yourself, I mean TRULY be that for yourself, you are ready to move onto the next step.
- Know your why – You’ve made the decision that it’s ONLY you that can make the changes you want. Now you have to decide why. It’s a why that will be exactly what pushes you the moment you debate on whether or not to get your workout in that day. It’s a why that makes you become stronger, stronger in choosing the most nutrient-dense foods, as opposed to that slice of pizza that LOOKS good. You’ll want to find a deep inner reason as to why you want this transformation. Once you find that why, you will become unstoppable!
- Develop your vision – Now you know why you want to transform, so where is that going to take you? You must know your destination. The absolute best thing you can do for yourself in this step is to create a vision board for yourself. Get pictures that match how you envision yourself at the end of your goal date. Place that vision board somewhere that you’ll see it daily, and even numerous times a day. This is your reminder and your daily encouragement that will guide you to exactly where you want to be.
- Seek a professional – Look for a fitness and nutrition professional who:
- Has a proven record of getting the kind of results you desire
- Can come up with a plan that is realistic for you to follow with your life—one that challenges you, but it is realistic as well
- Knows how to motivate
- Believes in a healthy balance
You must feel some connection with your trainer, because that will help you stay consistent and push through from beginning to end
- Develop a daily checklist and routine – You will have a checklist of the foods you are eating daily, and what times to eat each meal. You can also develop your routine. This will have to be a time that is set aside for you and your workout only! Nothing can touch this time, because it is your special appointment with yourself. Each night your head hits your pillow, you will want to know that you completed your nutrition checklist, and fulfilled your daily routine.
- Tell those in your universe about your vision – Many people like to wait until they start seeing results before they let people know what they’re doing. In my opinion, this is very “non-committal.” Take a risk, be vulnerable, and dive in and tell your universe that you are committed and this is what you’re doing. This will help you create a support system of others that will cheer you on along the way. That in itself can become fuel to stay your course.
- Schedule a photo shoot about 12 weeks out – Forget the scale! The ultimate goal is to look and feel better, right? So work hard for 12 weeks, and get yourself ready to show your stuff in a scheduled photo shoot! This is a great way to reveal your transformation to yourself and others, as well as inspire and see the new-found confidence in your smile! As it gets closer to your photo shoot, select some of your favorite outfits and have fun!
- Stick to your plan 80/20% – Now you have everything all lined up for success. NOW is when you must stick to your plan 80/20%. Make sure part of your plan includes rest days, and a meal of your choice once a week (I have never like the word cheat meal). If you don’t hit a hundred percent every week, does that mean give up? No! You don’t fail until you quit. So you may stumble here and there. Go easy on yourself, get back up and get going! Just get in the mindset that this is your new lifestyle, and you are going to stick to it, because this is who you are now.
