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Good morning Summer Glow Boot Campers! Can you believe it is already Week 3 of the SGBC? As you may have seen on the calendar, this week’s topic is all about ‘Getting Over The Hump’…aka motivation issues and how we can triumph over them!
This morning, we have a post on motivation put together by the fitness diva herself- Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point. When I emailed Caitlin, I knew that she was my go-to girl whenever I think about motivation to keep on top of my fitness. Whether she is running a 15-mile trail race or biking 60-miles, she never fails to inspire and renew my love for an active lifestyle!
Take it away, Caitlin! :)
Staying Motivated When The Going Gets Tough
You decide to eat healthier or exercise more, and although you tackle your goal head on for the first few weeks, soon you’re ready to throw in the towel. And even though you really, really want to stay on track, you find yourself sabotaging your goals – sleeping in needlessly on the weekends when you could be outside or ordering a large ice cream instead of a small. You wish you could bottle up some will power and take a small dose everyday! Sound familiar?
De-motivation is a normal part of the New Habit Journey.
The New Habit Journey is not a linear path – in fact, it has twists and turns, sudden halts, and sometimes it even goes backwards. Achieving any lifestyle change includes five components:
- Inspiration Moment: The inspiration moment can be one watershed instance, or it can be a slow build. But suddenly, for whatever reason, you want to CHANGE! Maybe you stepped on the scale at the doctor’s office and saw a scary high number. Maybe you’re trying to get pregnant. Or maybe you’re motivated to finally run a 5K race. When you experience an Inspiration Moment, it is important to SIEZE on this positive energy! Don’t wait until the next week to “start” running, eating better, quitting smoking… do it right now! Yes, right now. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.
- The Gun-Ho Period: Most people will experience a gun-ho period that lasts approximately two weeks to a month when trying to make a lifestyle change. At first, your change is exciting and interesting. You’re still riding high on your Inspiration Moment. As you did for your Inspiration Moment, appreciate and embrace this zest for your New Habit! But, you want to be careful not to get overly enthusiastic. It’s easier to adopt a habit for the long-term if you slow integrate it into your life, figuring out how to make the change work for you and not against you. Make your initial goals small and manageable. By vowing to work out three times a week instead of six, you’re building in room for error as you adopt to a lifestyle change. Many people feel discouraged if they cannot be “perfect,” so don’t ask yourself to be!
- De-motivation: Despite your best intentions, most people will be hit by de-motivation several weeks into their New Habit Journey. Let’s face it – making lifestyle changes are hard, and temptations to slack of are everywhere. De-motivation can just occur over time, or it can be caused by a break from your normal schedule. Holidays, special events, and vacations force you to deviate from your new routine. Anticipate these De-Motivation hotspots by coming up with a "healthy game plan" ahead of time. If you fall “off the wagon,” don’t throw in the towel! Remember that something is always better than nothing. If you don’t want to go to the gym, try going for a walk, doing sit-ups in front of the TV, or dancing around your living room. If you’re on vacation and want to enjoy the local food, splurge at dinner and maintain your diet for breakfast and lunch. The worst thing you can do is give up just because you can’t be at the top of your game.
- Re-coop: Not everyone reaches the point of Re-Coop. Many people enter De-Motivation and never come out. But, if you want to make a lifestyle change, you must emerge from de-motivation stronger and more intent on your goal. Re-coop involves bouncing back from minor setbacks and reminding yourself that it’s your OVERALL progress that matters. If you’re in De-Motivation and want to get back on the wagon, write down a list of why you want to change. Tape the list to your bathroom mirror and read it whenever you need some motivation. Also, talk to a close friend or your significant other about your De-Motivation and ask for support. It’s easier to stick to new habits if you’re not the only one in the boat.
- Healthy Tipping Point: The most glorious part of the New Habit Journey is the Healthy Tipping Point. A Tipping Point refers to a sociological event during which a previously rare phenomenon becomes rapidly and dramatically more common. Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called The Tipping Point, and he describes the Tipping Point as "the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable."
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Thank you Caitlin!
Even though I didn’t realize it for many years, I now know that consistency is key to long-term change. It can be frustrating when we don’t see change as quickly as we would hope. The most important thing I have learned is that if I am consistent with my exercise, I will eventually see pay-offs, even if they do not come as fast as I want them to.
For example, I used to be able to run for only 1 minute before stopping and walking. One minute. I hated running for this reason. I hated it with a passion. It wasn’t fun or enjoyable when I was gasping for breath all the time. In the past, I didn’t treat my body right and I didn’t treat my overall health properly. In fact, I ignored it. It seems funny to me now that I ever expected my body to give back to me when I didn’t give it what it needed to succeed- proper fuel, nutrition, rest, and love!
But eventually, I started to treat myself better. I became more patient and kind to my body and in return my body responded better than I could ever have dreamed it would. Before I knew it, I was running 5 minutes at a time, and then 1 mile at a time, and now I can run for over 1 hour without stopping to walk. Because of our busy lives, sometimes we forget to pay attention to small changes that are occurring! It didn’t even click with me until recently how little endurance I had when I used to run and how much I have changed. I was so busy focusing on improving my pace or my goals, that I forgot to appreciate the journey.
I think if we all stopped to write down a couple things that we appreciate about our own progress we wouldn’t feel that twinge of de-motivation as severely. We could simply consult the things we have accomplished and recognize that change is happening, even if it is small. Because when you think of it, a handful of small changes lead to one BIG change and before we know it we have reached our goal.
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The wonderful Amazing Grass is at it again! Today marks the first of three Amazing Grass giveaways for Summer Glow Boot Camp. You can read about the other two giveaways here…you won’t believe what the 2nd and grand prize draws are for- nothing short of AMAZING!!!
Up for grabs today:
- Sample of the Amazing Grass packets,
- Amazing Grass T-shirt, and
- A shaker (my all time favourite Green Monster container!)
How to enter: You must leave a comment on this post telling us two positive changes you have made to your health and/or fitness in the past month or two. We need to start appreciating the journey and stop being so hard on ourselves all the time! If you hit a hump or ‘De-motivation’ refer back to your changes to renew your faith in your goals. Contest open to US and Canadian residents only. Contest closes Tuesday July 14, 2009 at 11pm EST. One entry per person.
Want a second entry? Simply link back to this giveaway on your blog or email someone about the Amazing Grass contest making sure to copy me on the email ([email protected]).
Even though I can’t participate, I will still answer the question:
1) I have drastically improved my side planks! I can now do advanced side planks without so much as the blink of an eye, whereas before I couldn’t even hold myself up at all! It is fun to feel strong.
2) I ran my first 10 race ever mid-June 2009 and I am running in my second race- a 10-miler– this Sunday!
Goodluck to all participants! :) See you this afternoon for some exciting news!
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I’d love amazing grass!
1. I stopped pushing myself while and let my body fully recooperate — and because of that I’m finally able to run again pain free after 4.5 months of being injured!!!! (hip pain/strained groin..you know how awful that is!)
2. I also have been doing more strength moves and can see some definition in my arms now. love it.
plus it’s my birthday today so this would be an awesome birthday present :D
Two VERY positive changes in my life recently:
1) I live in Chicago and take public transit to my school 5 days a week. While I would prefer to walk there, it’s just too far from my apartment. So, to get a little extra walking time in, I get off and on the bus a few stops before my “normal” stops and walk the rest of the way!
2)I have drastically improved my endurance when working out. Before, 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the elliptical would wear me out. Now, a typical workout for me is 10 minutes of circuit weight training (arms, abs, legs) 20 minutes on the stairmaster, 20 minutes on the elliptical, and 20 minutes on either the treadmill or bike. By the end, I feel more energized than tired!
I also linked the giveaway here: http://hollyontherun.blogspot.com/2009/07/two-giveaways.html
The 2 positive changes I have made are that i have increased my jogging, and also have had the courage to jog with a good friend who is a really good runner. It was challenging for me to think of running with her, but I am glad I did, and hope to again.
Aimee S- 2nd entry
1. Inspired by your blog, I have started drinking green monster’s everyday & experimenting with new ingredients to make them with.
2. After losing my exercise & healthy eating motivation for a short while, I picked myself up, dusted myself off & got back on the proverbial healthy eating/exercise wagon.
Thank you for all the hard work you put into your blog. You are truly inspirational :)
1. I stopped eating sugar. I have a stomach disorder and this was definitly the right choice for me. Sugar is so addictive.
2. I’ve incorporating more greens and veggies into my diet. In eliminating alot of things from my diet I have also majorly upped my veggie intake. It feels so good to eat a load of veggies covered in almond butter!!
Hmm good question!
Two positive changes I have made:
1) I work out about 5 days a week, but I have started taking walks during my lunch break. Wokring a desk job I find it really helps get some extra activity in!
2) Enter the Green Monster! I never would have tried this wonderful creation before your blog, but I am seriously a convert. I can’t get enough! Today I even linked your Green Monster movement page today.
I will add a link to the giveaway now :)
1) I have eliminated artificial sweeteners from my diet. I can’t believe that I used to live off these things. After giving it up, I feel so much healthier already.
2) I have started boxing. I’ve always been a runner, but wanted to try something new to challenge me. I took up boxing with a friend, and we’ve been in love with it ever since.
Dustie- 2nd entry
thankyou thankyou for this opportunity! i have been running on the treadmill 2-3 miles almost everyday and have been going to my kickboxing workouts that always intimidate me! =D
1. I have started drinking 500 ml water before breakfast and another 500 ml with each of my meals.
2. I have signed up for (and have started training) for the Scotiabank Waterfront 1/2 marathon in Toronto this September.
1) I’ve increased the number of days I exercise as well as the intensity of those exercises.
2) I started boot camp last week which is something I never thought I’d try in a million years. I like the variety in activities and it keeps my body guessing.
Jessica (Buffmuffy) 2nd entry
Two changes I have made in the past two months:
1) Increased my intake of leafy greens.
2) Stopped running (!) and started again. I had a foot injury and it wasn’t bad enough to make me stop running, but I knew that running on it would just take me down a more serious injury lane. It was hard to stop and let my body heal, but I did it.
Changes I have made:
1. Starting my day with a green monster instead of coffee. In fact, I have cut out coffee all together!
2. Cut out red meats and am having very few meats all together!
I have started doing more strength training and I have been really focusing on intuitive eating.
I really would like to try this!
I have:
1. Incorporated more greens
2. Quit weighing daily
Two positive changes I have made to your health and/or fitness in the past month or two are:
1. I have recently started to eat more ‘real’ foods. I am trying to eliminate processed/garbage food in my life and eat more healthy, unprocessed food. I feel ‘cleaner’ already!
2. I have made a commitment to be active on a daily basis. I take the stairs, park further away from my ‘destination’, go for walk&talks with my friends and generally take better care of myself. Being active doesn’t mean going to the gym everyday… just moving more!
Thanks again for the motivation and inspiration! You’re AMAZING :)
It’s funny that the question today is about positive changes. I woke up this morning in such a positive mood because of all the changes I have been making in the last month. I recently had a baby and I have been in a slump when it came to healthy eating and exercise. So my two positive changes would be 1)cutting out processed foods and replacing with fruits and veggies and 2)starting a running program – I will become a runner!