Yes You CAN.

I just saw this on Pinterest today and had to post it. This is such a great summary of what I've learned and what I have to keep re-learning, in order to move forward. There is no "one fit", in fitness. There is no "One Size Fits All" way to eat or "diet" and there isn't only one way to workout to get lean. 

Believe it or not, this simple concept is something that I failed to acknowledge for the better part of my Bracket Years. I kept stopping and starting either my "diet plan" or my workout routine because:

• I would read a book or an article in a fitness magazine or a blog post by someone that contradicted what I was doing. I would immediately interpret my efforts as a failure and as "wasted time" and I'd throw it all away and start a totally new approach.
• Someone- a trainer, a blogger, a nutritionist, whoever- would tell me that the reason I hadn't lost X pounds yet was because of something like, "Oh you are eating sweet potatoes past 4pm! That's why!!" or, "Oh, I didn't know you were doing DELI meat! That has sodium fillers in it so of course you are retaining water!!"-- and then I'd throw all my offensive foods away and go to Borders and buy some NEW book make NEW lists for the grocery and go START OVER AGAIN.

Now-- I do not share this to blame those people or the books I read....not at all. It was ME in my overly-panicked state of mind the past couple of years that CRAVED finding a quick fix. As much as I "preached" here about losing weight the right way and being sensible and healthy, deep down, I wanted simply to know I could do something in X timetable and KNOW without a doubt I'd be in a size 6 again with 2 snaps. 

I just wanted to KNOW. As if I couldn't tell myself!!! WTH!!! I felt that I needed someone to tell me or show me the secret solution that was evading me on how to get back in optimal shape-- because there was no way that I could do that on my own......

I'd given up believing that I could do it. I'd given up believing that I was capable. 

Well thank GOD that my new Kelly brain WOKE UP finally and snapped out it- or started to snap out of it. I'm a perpetual work in progress, but I've come SO SO far -- mentally--- in shedding the inhibiting behaviors of my past. 

Getting fit, or more fit, is pretty simple. It's not a complex scientific solution that only the very wise and studied people can figure out. Sure, we might tweak things along the way, but we need to MOVE MORE and EAT LESS. We need to find a way to eat so that WHAT WE EAT IS NOT THE #1 FOCUS OF OUR BRAIN ALL DAY LONG. We shouldn't be dreaming about cookies all day because we've designed a diet of fish and broccoli ONLY with NOTHING ELSE. And we shouldn't be obsessively worried about not getting our protein FEEDING in by 11am instead of 11:30am. for optimal meal spacing. 

This quote is SO true. When you are ready for success, you will know it more on the inside than you can probably put into words. I certainly feel that way now. Today, I was at the Indy 500. I wore SHORTS. I haven't worn shorts in 2 summers! WTH!! Why? Because I've been caught up in how gross I felt I looked and I didn't want to wear shorts until I wore my size 6 shorts and they were baggy. For me, going out and about in my shorts NOW before I've reached my goal-- that's a big deal. It's a big deal because it means I'm finally really starting to trust myself. To take a deep breath and enjoy the ride along the way.....and to KNOW, to finally KNOW that I will get there, in my own time. 

I have some GREAT new workouts at home that I cannot wait to dive into-- the RushFit ones- OMG peeps-- I will do some detailed reviews of all 6 DVDS but the first one-I previewed and it is VERY VERY thorough on the instruction. And the actual workout looks TOUGH-- totally different moves and  mixes of moves.

I really need him to be my Thursday boyfriend. Maybe even Thursday-Friday. I like boyfriends that can kick the living crap out of anyone. Don't judge me, I like the bada** ok? It works for me. Probably also explains why I have no boyfriend at the moment. 

Another mantastic DVD set is the RKS Kettlebell program-- another VERY VERY THOROUGH instructional portion which is pretty awesome. Doesn't hurt that the manjoyment factor is high. 

ALSO PEEPS== many of you have been asking when TRX will go on sale again--- it is on sale this weekend for $30 off...!! CLICK HERE TO ORDER! 

So, clearly, with TRX, my UGIFit Ball and workouts, my RKS Kettlebell DVDs, Rush Fit, Jillian DVDs, new CATHE DVDS, the future looks pretty FUN!! I'm excited!! OMG hello and Brazil Butt Lift and Insanity Asylum!! Good Heavens!

And wow-- it has been an exciting week at FitFluential!!! DANG-- some of you, well heck, all of you are WOWING us with your FitFluential Ambassador applications and blog posts and videos!! We are still watching them and -- wow, it's just reminding me why I founded this company--to highlight amazing inspiring people with amazing motivating fitness stories. WOOT!! And-- yes, there is still time to get in your Ambassador application--- we are closing up Phase One on June 1st-- so start by CLICKING HERE.

Not sure about being an "Ambassador" but still want to be a part of FitFluential, and be IN on all the exclusive deals, discounts, giveaways, conference announcements and regional events in your area? Want to read other bloggers and LEARN about the latest and greatest in fitness plus get recipes and all kinds of ideas on how to lead a fit and fun lifestyle? Then you MUST join the FitFluential FAMILY-- VERY SIMPLE-- start by CLICKING HERE.

If you have any questions about FitFluential-- you can always email me at kelly at FitFluential.com. ;-) 

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is your favorite cookout food? Mine is by far, potato salad!!

Enjoy the Ride.

I saw this photo while I was being sucked in perusing Pinterest and it seemed to represent in a visual way, part of today's blog theme....which is the idea of slowing down to enjoy the ride, or stopping to smell the roses. 

I've been sharing with you many of the epiphanies I've had recently about my LIFE. These began to happen earlier this year, and some maybe just toward the end of December of 2010. There were a series of moments that simply jolted me into seeing my life with such clarity-- what was wrong, what was right, and what was missing. It was as if I could see what my life had become, like in 3rd person. 

One major theme that came up for me was that I'd spent the better part of (what I'm now calling) "The Bracket Years" in this frenzied rushed state....trying in a perpetual panic mode to work harder, better, faster, longer, travel more, further, do more, be more, workout more- do EVERYTHING MORE and do it ALL NOW NOW NOW. And as I looked back at these recent years, I realized that doing all of that, had gotten me nowhere. I still felt so 'far behind' in everything, and yet on top of that, I had missed out on LIFE along the way. I said no to EVERYTHING, partially because I put work first above everything and partially because I've been so hard on myself and that I'm not back in my size 6 jeans yet, that I didn't think anyone should SEE me, socially. You might laugh but these literally were the thought processes in my mind. I didn't want to go out because I've been so horrified by how I look--- whether it was my weight or my skin infection back then...it was always something.

I share this with you NOT because I'm saying this is a good place to be. IT IS RIDICULOUS. But I only have understood this recently. This is NOT how to LIVE. 

I missed times like the girl up top, who has her hair in rollers and probably a great cup of tea or coffee. It makes me think she's walking around her fabulous apartment, leisurely getting ready to go out, maybe watching the TV while she reads the paper......I used to have a ritual every Saturday morning...that was when I cleaned my house, did laundry and watched Food Network. I like to clean. I actually clean my house before my cleaning lady comes over- how weird is that? 

I missed out on a lot of this:

Lunch with my girlfriends! 

Just reading a good book! I'd see Kelly's Blog and her amazing book reviews and I'd say, "Oh I wish I had the time to read....". Silly! I was the one not allowing myself to slow down and read a book!

And my workouts! Oh boy. Y'all- I LOVE to workout. I enjoy the actual working out TIME. But the past two year, I was always rushing my workouts-- either going crazy with 2 hour sweatfests where I was so exhausted afterward I could barely move (and then so hungry later that I ate too much) or giving up before I started and NOT working out- because I thought I "didn't have time"-- why? Work! Or my health, or both, or just being too worn out.

VICIOUS CYCLE. 

I'm working on two big things in my life, among many others. But the two main "themes" in my life are:

• Slow Down, Enjoy the Ride. 
• Be Kind to ME. 

More time with friends. More time not rushing through life. More time without deadlines. Taking each day, one day at a time, instead of putting EVERYTHING off until I am unttainably...perfect. 

This is me, a work in progress, and one that will never be completed, but, I've stopped rushing through it. And...it's starting to feel wonderful. 

So, here is the vlog I shot after doing Insanity yesterday-- a different Insanity workout DVD-- and you'll see, I'm taking time to go through all the great different workout DVDS I have and I'll review them with you. But I don't need to RUSH and do Insanity Asylum all NOW or all the RUSH FIT workouts right now or  the new Jillian or Cathe workouts....I can take my time and do a new one each day.

Figuring out these attitudes is helping me with food--- (and the great books I'm reading too)--- because this whole "RUSH" mentality can happen when you obsessively diet and then give yourself ONE cheat day or cheat meal. You mentally feel like you have to RUSH and eat as much "bad/forbidden" food as possible HURRY HURRY in that one time slot because then at midnight, it's back to prison. And when you are in prison, you are rushing through each day to get to that cheat day or cheat meal. What if you had a totally calmed down approach to food where NOTHING was every off limits. You could always choose ANYTHING in the world that you wanted to eat?? You'd become FAR LESS enthralled with the forbidden fruit....the more I CALM DOWN AND SLOW DOWN and pay attention to my thoughts, the more I can catch myself in a potentially "eating for the wrong reasons" moment, and I figure out what's REALLY going on in my head and I move on. If I really REALLY want a cappuccino at 8pm, but I'm at my 1500 calorie limit, and I'm calm, cool and collected and I really just want a cup-- not because I'm mad or discouraged-- I'm gonna have it. If I have 1/10th of a cup, so be it....the more I fill up my house with NORMAL food again and stop caging in little "bad food windows" of time, I'm becoming less and less focused on "what am I gonna eat next" and more focused on LIFE.

I love that woman. And I love her cooking-- and guess what? I love pasta. There- I said it!! I'm a fitness blogger who loves carbs....and I used to think, NO WAY, there is no way I could cook rich Italian dishes like Giada does every day and not be 200lbs. And when she'd say how she eats whatever she wants but smaller portions-- I was always thinking "NO way. There is no way!!!" But--- guess what? She doesn't only cook egg whites all day long and then on Friday, every Friday, she makes truffles and cookies and lasagna--- she's around pasta and rich sauces all day every day.....the forbidden fruit becomes a lot less forbidden. It's value goes way down. 

I used to work in a lot of Italian restaurants and I served about 200,000 pieces of Tiramisu. I never order it. Why? So sick of seeing it, smelling it, watching people go nuts over it. I could have an entire pan of it in front of me and not touch it. But-- talk about Krispy Kremes being in front of me and I'd say, "How do you eat just one????" -- you know why my brain still thinks that way? Because I've conditioned my mind to think I can't control my own body. I've made Krispy Kremes this overwhelmingly forbidden fruit that must be eaten in private and NO ONE should know!!! It's bad!! And because it's soooo forbidden.....it becomes THAT much more mentally delicious. I bet if I had a cabinet full of donuts like that at all times, I'd rarely eat them eventually. 

I am NOT suggesting that you or I actually do this- fill our fridges and pantries with food-- it's more about this concept....getting our minds around --- treating food like a normal, small part of life, not THE SOLE FOCUS OF OUR THOUGHTS....no more "How can I keep my calories low, how can I not eat between meals, how can I make sure I have enough protein, how can I not have carbs after 4pm??" and a bit more, "Oh wow, my stomach is churning....I think I'll have a turkey sandwich on my deck and chill out for 20 minutes...."

And maybe...

Nom. Nom. 

Life is getting happier every day. How about you??