Of all knowledge, the wise and good seek most to know themselves.
What does this mean for motivation?
In order for me to meet my fitness goals I have to “know myself”. I need to know what I will struggle with, what will help me get through my struggles, what areas I can improve on, what my goals are, and I need to know what foods and exercises work for me!
MANY people start a fitness program. I’d say almost every single person I know has at one time or another started some kind of exercise or diet program.
The difference between success and failure is knowing oneself. It’s knowing when times get tough we know what to do to push through, we know what we should eat to lose weight, we know what exercises will change our bodies and we know what motivates us to keep us going – PERSISTENCE!
If you are having trouble losing weight, here are some simple steps to ensure you reach success:
- Keep a Food Log – this is one of the most effective strategies to weight loss success. Whenever I am getting ready for a photo shoot, I rely HEAVILY on my food journal. At the end of every week I see if I have lost any weight and then look back to see what was working and what wasn’t working and make the needed changes.
- Measure Each Week – this means taking a tape measure and taking thigh, chest, arm, waist and hip measurements. Just because the scale doesn’t move, doesn’t mean you aren’t losing fat. Here you want to use the same time, same day, same measurement tool and track your results along with the food journal. From here you can see if you are moving closer to your goal or further away.
- Track your workouts – here you need to write down how much weight you used, how many reps, how long it took you opposed to last week and how much rest you took. You should me increasing intensity or weights each week OR minimizing rest periods. You should be getting stronger and recovering quicker post-workout set.
These three steps are vital to success. How many times are we discouraged because we aren’t losing the weight we want? Do you have these tools listed above to go back and see why you aren’t losing weight? Chances are you are skipping a workout, or not using enough intensity OR you aren’t meeting your diet requirements.
You will easily and quickly be able to see where you can improve and where you fell short on your program.
YOUR WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS IS UP TO YOU – YOU HAVE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS BUT YOU MUST EXECUTE
Remember, you can always have a better day today. If you messed up, no worries, move on. Your next meal still counts so make it a great decision.
What has helped you succeed?
On an informational video of yours I recall you stating that to avoid building bulkiness to the side do not use a weight that is heavy when holding it and bending over to the side. My trainer disagrees and I assured him that you know what you are talking about. I now hold a 10 lb instead of a 25. Am I correct? You did state this didnt you?
Paula Pogue
Hi Paula,
Yes she did, I think this is the article your referring to: https://flaviliciousfitness.com/2012/08/14/fitness-tip-tuesday-ab-toning-exercises/
Yes I did state this and it make sense. If you are trying to lean out your midsection, you want to avoid building muscle on the external obliques, the same way we avoid exercises such as shoulder shrugs, we don’t want our upper traps building.
This is an awesome post Flavia! I totally agree, knowing yourself is one of the keys to success in fitness! I remember about 2 years I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted and didn’t know what foods to eat to make it happen and I would get so frustrated and upset!
Now that I know what type foods I should eat and what meal plan works best for me I am happy and on my way to success!
Congratulations to your sister-in-law! Thanks again for all you have taught me 🙂
Thankss for New info ..