I hope you guys have had a GREAT Christmas break! It’s unbelievable to me that 2019 is tomorrow. I have procrastinated writing this blog because I hate the repetitiveness of what I say every.single.year. The PHIT Challenges are great ideas (in my opinion), and are meant to encourage discipline and self control as you start your new year. But over the years of doing this it seems like it may (?) have become a bit of white noise and blah, blah, blah… even to me. Yes, I do the challenges along with y’all. And, I do believe whole-heartedly in New Year’s Resolutions. But, some of this jargon has changed for me over the past year. SO!! There may be a few little ‘challenges’ thrown in, but we are taking the 12 week challenge off the table this year! Fingers crossed that you’ll agree to something new…
A bit on the personal side… my fitness philosophy has kinda changed this year. My Type A has loosened and I am currently enjoying my different, softer approach to my food, my fitness, and myself. Some of you have always gotten this and shown yourselves grace all along, but for me this is new. It’s more relaxed. As for food, I’ve started eating the things I like (except for sugar). It’s a quasi-Mediterranean, Paleo, and sometimes Keto approach. I love cheese, olives, avocados, fish, and even, red meat. These combos keep me full, inflammation low, and the energy high. That’s what works for me. You may enjoy a different combination and that would probably work for you. There are so many ‘programs’ and food philosophies, but the bottom line truth is if you’re eating too much, you’re weighing too much. If you eat food you enjoy (showing yourself that grace), you will most likely not overeat.
As for my fitness, I have also relaxed a bit. Not so much with WHAT I am doing, but more with HOW I think about it. There are certainly days where it feels like it’s a push to do anything at all, but more often than not, I am enjoying it more. The perspective that I’ve adopted is so much less stressful - before, I felt like I needed to accomplish a goal or do the thing that I hate the most, because, well… isn’t that what works best? Maybe that sounds as dumb to you as it does to me today, but the realization that food and fitness are meant to accentuate and improve life rather than complicate it or feel like drudgery, are new personal perspectives for me. This, coming from the trainer, is interesting, right? The pressure we all put on ourselves and the goals we want to accomplish, but constantly feel like we are failing at, are part of the negativity that encourages that drudgery. I propose, if you’re like me, you start again this year by changing your perspective rather than your plan. Choose to be motivated by food and fitness ideals that ENHANCE your life, rather than complicate the life you’re living.
Back to trainer-mode, and In order to give you a little 1, 2, 3, here goes your new, softer, but also improved 2019 PHIT Challenge:
1 - WATER! Gotta have it, no way around it, it’s got to be tracked, measured and all drunk up! HALF YOUR WEIGHT IN OUNCES, y’all! (No news here, right?)
2 - MOVE! This is also obvious, but a friendly reminder, that your body works efficiently when the blood is pumping through it… so move every day! If you need a goal, set one. If you need an accountability person, get one. If you need a plan, I’ll give you one! But, for the rest of you, lace up your shoes and get going!
3 - EAT! Eat, within reason, what your body is craving. The only thing that you can NOT have is excessive sugar. Sugar has NO nutritional value - at all. Just leave it out completely if you can. If you need starches, eat them - sparingly. I avoid them - they do not positively contribute to the way I feel once they have left my taste buds. With so many other options that TASTE good and make you FEEL good, why waste calories on something that is going to create inflammation, hunger, mood swings, etc.? If you need specific guidance here, let me know - I love helping!
I am looking forward to this new year with all of you! Cheers!
XO,
Meg