Checking In

It's that time again, and as we approach the end of the first quarter of the year, I want to check in with you. As a trainer and life coach, I've learned that sometimes it takes hearing things in different ways for it to really sink in. That's why we have articles, announcements, challenges, and now quotes on the walls - all tools to help reinforce and inspire those "aha" moments. We’re setting you up for success by doing everything we can for you to have your click moment.

Let's remember that the InBody assessment is not meant to be a torture tool or punishment. It's simply a way to track data and identify areas where we can make improvements. It helps us see if we're on track to achieve our goals.

Many of you have big goals in mind, and that's fantastic. But it's important to celebrate the smaller wins along the way. Sometimes we get so focused on the end goal that we forget to acknowledge the progress we've made. Maybe you can do more reps and lift more weight than before, or perhaps you're experiencing less pain in your body. These are all small victories that deserve recognition. Shift your focus from "I'm not there yet" to appreciating the progress you've made.

Sometimes we fall into a negative mindset and convince ourselves that we're doing everything, but not seeing any changes. However, if we honestly assess what "everything" really means, we often find areas that while we are working harder than we ever have, there’s still pieces of the puzzle missing. This is where the InBody assessment can be helpful. It provides us with objective data, unlike the stories we tell ourselves.

To better understand this, let's use the analogy of a staircase. Your ultimate goal is at the top of a 12-step staircase. You can't jump from the first step to the twelfth; there are eleven other steps in between. If you've been working towards your goal for over a year, doing the same thing you did when you started won't get you the results you desire. You need to gradually increase the volume or intensity of your workouts, known as progressive overload. This could involve adding weight, reps, sets, or workout days to move to the next step. And this is a continual thing, not a one-time thing. We have to continually be in progressive overload. Today can’t be the same as two months ago.

If your InBody results have stayed the same, and you haven't increased weight, reps, sets, or workout days, you may have hit a plateau, and it’s time to adjust and add more to what you’re doing. Remember that for fat loss, lifting is just one aspect, and cardio is another crucial step towards our goals. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of cardio per week for maintaining your health. That’s 5 days a week for 30 minutes and that is to MAINTAIN. To achieve fat loss, you must do more than the minimum. You may see me adding cardio intervals to your session and that can be beneficial, especially if you're not getting any cardio outside your training sessions. My goal with this is to get you used to doing cardio, so you can then add more to get you to the requirement outside of FT to move the needle forward.

Being mindful of how you use your time and finding opportunities to add more cardio is important. This doesn't mean you need to jump into six hours of cardio a week if you're not currently doing any. That's why we had the step challenge - to gradually increase your steps by 10% weekly and build a solid habit. We'll continue to build on that with new challenges, such as focusing on sleep. The point of the challenges is to use them as a tool to create habits. Because many of the habits we are wanting you to incorporate are the ones that need to be incorporated to see change on your inbody. In our weekly meetings, us trainers try to come up with creative ways where we can invite you into building the next habit that’s crucial for your health. Then, each month, stack a new habit on the one that has now become innate. By doing so, by the end of this year, you can see BIG changes if you are CONSISTENT.

If you haven't reached your cardio goal yet, that's alright. Start now and add 10% each week. Every little bit counts, so take advantage of opportunities to walk, even if it's just for 10 minutes. I like to do ten to fifteen minute bouts throughout the day. Can you do one in the morning? Come early before your session? Stay after your session? One at lunch? Where in your day can you sneak in some steps?

You have to be willing to do more today than you did last month. Otherwise, you are looping insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You have to look at all the ingredients that are required to create results. Imagine, metaphorically speaking, that your results are a baked cake. And a baked cake takes many ingredients. It's not created from one ingredient. There's eggs, oil, water, flour, sugar, etc. All of those ingredients go into the recipe to create your final product. Your results on your InBody come from doing various things. It's not just coming into FT. That's only 1 ingredient. If you have been coming for a long time, there's no way you can see the change you want by doing 1 thing. That doesn't mean that you aren't making progress. That doesn't mean there aren't small wins to celebrate. There are many. But a lot of you do not acknowledging your small wins, because you're focused on the top step, the fully baked cake, and then you're mad that you aren't there.

The final step is reached when all components are successfully integrated. Many clients with a goal of fat loss often claim they are doing "everything." However, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of what "EVERYTHING" truly encompasses. Therefore, I have prepared two checklists for you: one is a checklist of what "EVERYTHING" actually entails, and the other is a checklist of small wins to consider when you find yourself focusing on the wrong things.

What everything is:

• Lifting 2–3 times a week with continual progressive overload because gains don't just happen by sitting on the couch and wishing for bigger muscles.
• Working up to 7k-10k steps per day consistently, because a sedentary lifestyle is so last season.
• Getting 7–9 hours of sleep per night, because your body needs that beauty rest to function at its best.
• Drinking 8 glasses of water per day, because hydration is key, and your skin will thank you.
• Fueling properly (80% of results right here), because you can't out-train a bad diet.
• MINDSET MINDSET MINDSET (I cannot stress this one enough), because a positive attitude can work wonders.

ARE YOU DOING EVERYTHING AND CONSISTENTLY? This is where you really have to be honest with yourself.

Small wins checklist (Celebrating micro goals):

• I no longer have pain in my body or have way less than I used to, because feeling like a creaky door was so last year.
• I can exercise for longer durations without as many breaks as I used to take, because endurance is sexy.
• I could handle walking on my vacay longer than I ever have, because who needs a taxi when you have strong legs?
• I’m moving my body more than I ever have, because sitting is the new smoking.
• I’m becoming more aware of my posture, because slouching is so 2010.
• I’m taking more breaks from sitting so long at work, because your chair shouldn't be your best friend.
• Noticing clothes fit better, because who needs a scale when your jeans are looser?
• Completing a week of consistent workouts (this could be celebrating your win by increasing cardio by 10%), because consistency is key.
• Increasing number of push-ups or squats you can do, because gains, baby.
• Walking or running a mile without stopping (keep adding on), because cardio is life.
• Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, because colors on your plate equal nutrients in your body.
• Completing a full month of workouts without missing one, because commitment looks good to you.
• Noticing increased energy levels throughout the day, because no more 3pm slump.
• Completing a fitness challenge (habit stacking), because challenges are meant to be crushed.
• Taking more active breaks throughout your day, because sitting is the new smoking, remember?

Want to do more of everything on the list? Start focusing on your small wins and ask yourself, “What can I do today?”

Small wins, gradually increasing, consistently overtime=BIG WIN.