MOVEMENT IS NOT ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

October 8, 2007

Start slowly. It’s a progression.

Unless you’re incredibly motivated, or can hire a trainer, starting full out on a new diet and exercise program will wear you down physically and emotionally. Does anybody really do 3 Week Makeovers and The 6 Weeks to Bikini Season Diet? Nobody I know. We read the pages in the magazine, maybe see an interesting move to try in the gym, seldom read a diet tip we don’t already know. It’s just too overwhelming to think about making room for all those changes in our day at once. I suppose some women try these out, and maybe stay with it, or make a few permanent changes – good on them; they incorporate change and challenge easily.
You want to make the weight loss permanent and the exercise plan too. If I were to quit smoking, I’d have to do it in steps, a little less each day. For some, that wouldn’t work at all. It has to be black or white, they smoke or they don’t, otherwise it’s too vague, too easy to cheat. You have to do what works for you.

Set yourself up to succeed

Like most learning of new things, exercise and food (I’m not using the word ‘diet’ because it is loaded with negative mindset vibes) can wear you down before they build you back up. If you’re looking for loose jeans after 4 days, it won’t happen. Decide to look for other things. Set different goals. Or just don’t set goals. Goal-setting is an excellent way of keeping us on track, but if you’re not used to doing it, or you start with too big a goal, you set yourself up for disappointment. Exercise is a guaranteed never-fail proposition. It can’t not work. Losing 10 lbs by Christmas is the wrong type of goal. Even if you accomplish it, will you really keep it off till Easter?

It’s for your brain, not your body

What is movement for if not looking good? For me, it’s about knowing that my brain cannot work the way I want it to unless it spends some time in that place it goes to when I exercise. Since I’m into Energy and Intention, I take it a step further. Exercise allows my brain to vibrate at the best frequency when it gets exercise – I can put the highest form of energy available to me into my thoughts.
Listen. It took me 8 years to get there. I didn’t figure out the brain thing till a year ago. It started as a few situps because my back hurt all the time after having 3 kids. And I was not one of those women who lost weight breastfeeding. Your story will be different. You will have different motivations and will experience your own set of rewards, and these aspects of your workout will change with time.

Get out of your own way

Your mind will come up with the strongest opposition to your new plan just at the moment that you’re about to take the leap and move towards the first step. It will try to block change and maintain the status quo. Don’t worry about. It gets boring after a while and you’ll learn to ignore it. Llike anything you get good at, it takes a little practice. So you have to put yourself out there every day and play the game of ignoring the resistance, which wants to keep you on the couch. You’ll be able to see it coming. Plan for it and how you’re going to handle it when it shows up. Be too busy thinking about other things to have time for it .right now. Let it be something your brain is chewing on that has nothing to do with you.

Ignore the conflict in your head

I think the best reason for getting exercise into your life is because it gives you a chance to meet a challenge and overcome it every single time. You get to practice beating down that stupid voice in your head that comes up with every reason to keep clear of new things because they seem scary. As always, the more you do something, the better you get, guaranteed. You’ll never need to use the warranty because the contract says no-fail and it does not lie. After a while, you hear the stupid voice but because you saw it coming, you were ready for it, and you know that you had to ignore it to get to a better place. You’ll also recognize the voice in other aspects of your life, every time something new comes along, but you’ll have practice shutting it down. You’ll know from your own experience that the voice is always wrong. It is never right. You will never feel so good about yourself as when you BECOME DETERMINED to let the voice get as loud as it wants, you closed your ears to it and did what YOU set out to do. The voice does not own you, guide you, protect you. Nothing. It only holds you back.

Hold on to your positive intentions

Think of good reasons to start exercising. It is not about how fat you think you are. ONLY hold in your head the good reasons. You are taking a step towards becoming who YOU want to be and look forward to feeling power in your mind and strength in your body. Don’t get too specific about the rewards. Just expect them; they’ll happen whether you dwell on them or not. Let them take care of themselves. They’ve always been there for everyone else and they’ll be there for you, and they will be special and excellent.