Fight Frustration With Motivation and Keep Going

We have all experienced frustration and it's actually normal during our fitness journey. Nothing goes perfectly and results can take longer than we thought. When results are slower than expected, frustration can feel overwhelming. Staying motivated can be difficult during this time. Our feelings can move past frustration straight into pissed off and angry. 

Frustration causes many of us to consider giving up. We doubt our efforts and think nothing will work. We may even return to old unhealthy habits. Before the negative mental game stops you completely, consider fighting frustration with motivation.

The truth is we're all working toward the same fitness goal but at differing rates of progress. Health is a process of small steps taken over time that provide big results. Just know each positive step to improve our health is working. Our bodies know something good is happening, even when we're unable to see it. It's during times of the unseen we must have faith in the process. Be motivated by the good being done to become a healthy person. 

Throwing in the towel and going back to old habits will create nothing but further unhappiness and frustration. It will rob us of all the effort accomplished so far. This is not the time to quit, but to stand strong and kick frustration to the curb with motivation.  

Fighting frustration with motivation will require an inner strength we all possess. It will be a choice to love ourselves at this moment no matter what the scale says. It requires daily acknowledgment of our efforts like eating healthy, completing a workout, a daily goal, or whatever has been the most difficult struggle finally accomplished that day. 

Having a positive attitude will fight off frustration one motivation at a time. Patience and a consistent habit of healthy eating and exercise will produce results. Begin to focus not so much on the goal, but what can be achieved today. This will minimize frustration and promote feeling motivated. 

The stress of trying so hard will be replaced by an inner peace of doing our best each day. When we relax about getting fit, health falls into place. Adopting that healthy lifestyle will eventually feel as natural as breathing. 

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Be well and Stay Healthy

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Slow it Down for Better Fitness Results

Rushing for any goal can create stress, frustration and missing way too much of what's important in life. I have learned to take things a little slower, practice patience, listen intently and enjoy the moment.

I have implemented this philosophy into my fitness, nutrition, work, and play. I enjoy teaching that nothing good happens fast and the process is the result. 

Take workouts for example. Slowing down to execute good form on all exercise is essential. Our focus should remain on the muscle being worked, understanding the movement and doing it right. Lifting weights is a slow and controlled process. When done correctly, we can achieve amazing results. 

When we take it slow and think before we lift, our muscles receive a greater benefit. I personally create a two-part motion to weight training. I focus my mind on the muscle being worked, contract the muscle, then execute the lift. 

Lifting with purpose creates the best environment for muscle growth and reduces the chance of injury. Nothing good happens fast and muscle growth takes time. Patience is very important and better results happen when you take it slow. 

Nutrition is another area we need to slow down and eat right. We tend to eat too fast not allowing adequate time for our brain to tell our stomach we're satisfied.  

Cooking amazing healthy food is meant to be savored and enjoyed slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes for the brain to communicate satiety to the stomach.

Sadly, we often consume larger portions eating too quickly. Habitual speed eating is one of the many causes of obesity. We tend to snack on unhealthy processed foods after the meal because we remain unsatisfied. 

Learn to slow down and savor your healthy meal. Allow 20 minutes, drink water, enjoy conversation and relax. There is no need to rush and our body will appreciate the slower pace. 

Stress can become a problem when we constantly rush here and there. Our calendars are flooded with commitments and many are unnecessary. Saying yes to everyone and everything causes us to rush without any breathing room. Our time to take care of ourselves becomes limited and excuses of being too busy take over. 

Chronic stress releases chemicals into our body hindering our ability to lose fat. Our body can only take so much before it lets you know enough is enough. We are usually hit with illness, anxiety, burn-out and just not healthy.

When life feels on fast forward, we need to take an active role in slowing it down. Do we really want to miss out on the opportunity to feel our best and live our best healthy life?  

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Be well and Stay Healthy

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FITNESS IS ABOUT TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

How many of us stand in the truth of our life or live in denial and non-acceptance of the actions that clearly rebel against a healthy lifestyle?  I wish I could see a show of hands and have a world-wide workshop to discuss this issue.  Standing in our truth has everything to do with being able to become a healthy person, and can be applied to all areas of our life: relationships, careers, fitness, and overall health which represent a moderate list that encompasses our existence as a human being.

Being honest with our self is the first step to being able to change those things that are weighing us down physically and emotionally.  If we are unable to be honest with ourselves, then being honest with others will not happen.  When lying to ourselves is at the forefront of or life, behaviors are usually exhibited through bitterness, anger, blame of others, argumentative reasoning, defensiveness, unhappiness, and a clear nonacceptance of responsibility. On the other side of that come acceptance of our truth and realizing that we can be healthier, happier people if changes are implemented each day to begin the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Our responsibility is to stand in our truth and make the choice to go one way or the other.  Do we want to be healthy or not, do we want to continue in self-destructive behaviors or not, do we want to be happy or not, do we want to be an honest person or not?  Standing in our truth opens the door to trust of self and that can eventually be shared with others as we become examples of how to live a healthy life.  We can only live in the path of not standing in our truth for so long before serious consequences begin happening in the form of illness, depression, broken relationships, loss of friends, and even disengagement of family members.  A healthy person exhibits a happy outlook on life and is willing to share their experiences freely and with an open heart to sincerely help others because they know first- hand the work it took to stand in their truth.  The person that remains in denial continues to show a negative view of life, self, and people around them, and generally repel any meaningful relationships. 

The consequences to not standing in our truth to adopt a healthy lifestyle are harsh.  Lying to self and others remain on the top of the ugly list when it comes to life in general.  Living a healthy life will take the action of standing in our truth, acceptance of that truth and the follow-through with daily choices and actions to move our bodies and minds in a healthy direction. 

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button below to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares. 

Stay Healthy ~ Darla

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PROGRESSION IS WHAT GETS YOU THERE

No one starts at the top and sometimes you can get to the top of your fitness game, and injuries or other issues occur that send you right back to the beginning step.  I speak from experience when it comes to being knocked down from an injury and although the setback was difficult, I never gave up.  When it comes to our exercise programs, we can put so much pressure on ourselves to do too much too soon, and with that come discouragement and frustration.  When we approach our fitness and nutrition programs with a progressive attitude, it is a more realistic way of adopting a healthy lifestyle.  Progressive simply means starting where you are, accepting where you are, doing what you can, mastering what you are able to do, and then moving forward to the next level of whatever type of exercise program you have enlisted yourself.  It also means forgetting any comparisons to others because they are not you, and your program is your program.  The comparison game can cause us to get off track with our progressive program and being on alert to squelch our inner competitive nature will be important, especially when we are “newbies” to fitness. 

Progression is what will get us to the next level of fitness without injury and with a healthy body and mind.  For example, you want to master a pull-up and for the very first time you try to lift yourself on the bar, you are stuck.  The pull-up is one of the hardest body weight exercises to perform and to believe your first time out you will be able to accomplish one is unrealistic.  Those who can do one or more pull-ups have been doing this exercise for years and have built the strength in their back muscle to the point of being able to perform the exercise.  A great way to start the journey of being able to perform a pull-up is to modify the movement using a leg spot, bench spot, a Gravitron, TRX straps, or having a spotter help lift a portion of your bodyweight as you pull up.  As you are consistent in your modification of the pull-up exercise over time, you will be able to “progress” to performing the exercise without assistance.  Another great example is long distance running.  I for one would not be able to bust out a marathon like I have been doing it for years without proper training and starting from the beginning.  It truly is all about persistence, patience and progress. 

Progression can also be applied to implementing healthy foods into our nutrition.  Begin slowly by eliminating one thing like soda, and replacing it with more water intake or herbal tea.  Over time and as unhealthy foods are eliminated and replaced with healthy food choices, you will be able to progress to a 80% to 20% clean eating program without feeling deprived.  Life is already hard enough without making a healthy lifestyle feel like a burden with unrealistic expectations.  Applying the “progression principle” to our workouts and daily food intake creates a positive outlook mentally and physically.  We all like to feel accomplished with our programs and to celebrate every moment we take steps that lead us closer to our goals.  The good news is that progression is what will get you there.

Stay Healthy ~ Darla 

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button below to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares. 

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