Archive for the 'motivation' Category

Motivation Vs Commitment

Published on October 16, 2012 in inspiration and motivation. 6 Comments

When results slow down and the novelty of your goals start to wear off, it’s not motivation you need, but commitment.

Think of motivation as doing what success requires, but only when you feel mentally and emotionally inclined to do so. So, only when you feel like it.

Think of commitment as adopting an attitude of ‘whatever it takes’. No matter what, you won’t let anything stand in your way and if something does, you’ll find a way around it.

You need to be motivated to start a fat loss program but this is usually the easy bit. You are motivated by a health scare, an upcoming event, or because you can’t fit into your skinny jeans anymore.

These are good examples of things that motivate you to take action, but this alone will not see you succeed. What will happen when it’s raining outside, you have a social engagement or you simply don’t feel like it? Without a doubt, some days you you’ll just want to curl up on the couch and eat a bag of Twisties.

It’s okay…it’s natural. Motivation ebbs and flows.

You aren’t going to feel 100% motivated every day to eat right and exercise. Accept it – but don’t let that be an excuse to fail!

What really matters to your success is your commitment level.  When your motivation drops you need to rely on your commitment because along the way there will undoubtedly be many opportunities to quit.

Once motivation starts to slip, people generally become a little complacent. They’ll skip a workout session. They’ll eat more than they should. They’ll say ‘bugger it, I’m having dessert’. Then they’ll assume that since they’ve messed up, they’ve ruined everything – and ultimately that they might as well forget about it and go back to overeating and being lazy.

If you aren’t 100% committed to doing whatever it takes no matter how you are feeling, it will be easy to start graduating back toward your old habits. So, before you start your fitness and fat loss program be sure to write down your goals and be even surer to fully commit to them. Regularly revisit and recommit to achieving your goals. Because to experience true success, when your motivation disappears, your commitment must remain.

You have to ask yourself what are you personally committed to doing in your life today that will bring you closer to your fitness goals? How will that happen?

You can have goals, but you still need commitment to doing whatever it takes to achieve them.  Most people are fine as long as their goals are within their own comfort level.

It’s when things start to get a bit difficult and they don’t feel like doing it anymore that they give up. Commitment is what is needed to get you over the other side. Just identifying that there will be a time, or indeed many times, when you don’t feel like continuing, is a great start. You are aware. And now you can do something about that.

As an example of operating within your own comfort level, you may be perfectly comfortable giving up a certain food simply because you don’t care about it that much. You can willingly give up potato chips. But you didn’t really like them all that much to begin with – so it was a pretty comfortable sacrifice.

But what happens when it comes to avoiding ice cream or chocolate – things you know aren’t healthy but things that you like to eat on regular occasions. My bet is that you will start to look for a way to get around it.

You might promise yourself that you will only eat a small half cup of ice cream, but both you and I know that you’ll end up eating a larger portion or even the entire tub. Quite simply, if you don’t step out of your comfort zone and eliminate it completely, you aren’t going to see success and if you aren’t committed to doing so, you are wasting your time.

What we want and what we are committed to can be two completely different things. People are in love with the idea of change and the idea of getting lean and fit. But very few are actually willing to put up what’s needed in order to see awesome results.

It takes effort, discipline, sacrifice, self-control and perseverance. It’s not easy. But it is worth it, a million times over. You’re going to look and feel like a brand new person and that effect will translate to every other part of your life. You’ll wonder why you didn’t get your act together much sooner.

Look back over your list of goals and your reasons for getting in shape. Are you willing to do the work necessary to make these changes? Are you willing to honour yourself promises day in and day out in order to see success – even when you may not feel like it? If so, you’re the one that will finish up at the end of your challenge with amazing results while most others are right back to square one.

Excerpt from Motivation Magnified – Win the Mental Game of Weight Loss

 

Tell me, how do you maintain commitment? Leave me a comment!

Coping with pregnancy and motherhood – and my training

Published on June 15, 2011 in Diet, inspiration, motivation, Pregnancy and training routines. 8 Comments

I’m back! Isn’t time flying? I like to think positively, so let’s see, winter will be over in just 2.5 months! And the longest day is coming up soon, which means we’ll be over the other side of the ‘hump’!

I’m back into training and I’m feeling rather good again. I’m doing 3 x week, 2 with a training partner and I am really finding my mojo returning! Boy let me tell you, did I get sore after my first session.  I thought you might be interested in the workout I did today. Here it is:

Incline BB Bench Press 4 x 8-10

DB Bench Press 4 x 6-10

DB Fly 3 x 8

BB Curl 4 x 8-10

Single Arm DB Curl 3 x 8-10

DB Hammer Curl 3 x 8

Bodyweight Squat to Ball (warm up) 2 x 12

Kettlebell Squat to Ball 3 x 10

Box Jumps 3 x 12

BB Overhead Walking Lunge 6 x 6

Kyah is growing up so quickly! She is now 7.5 months. Hard to believe.  She’s an absolute joy now, this age is just beautiful. And she’s sleeping through the night! She’s had her fair share of chest infections, gastro and now another little cold, but this will be par for the course I imagine. We went on a trip to the Barossa Valley for 4 days over the recent long weekend. She traveled so well and was great ALMOST all the time. Apart from the night we went to a dinner party – we had just sat down to eat the main course and she started to cry. And wouldn’t stop! We ended up bundling her up in the car and going home. It’s certainly different when you have kids! Which leads me to the next part of my post. I’m often asked how I manage/managed pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood. So, I wrote a little article. I hope you enjoy it :)

How I coped with pregnancy and motherhood

Do you ever wish there were more than 24 hours in the day? Do you imagine how much you’d accomplish if you didn’t have to sleep? It sure can be a difficult thing to manage a home, a career, a relationship, be a mother, a daughter, a wife and a domestic goddess all rolled in to one. Add getting in shape to all that and things can seem pretty impossible.

As a new mum at the ripe old age of 41, this was a new challenge for me late last year. Prior to this I was an independent woman who ran my company business from home and trained and slept whenever I felt like it. I used to compete in figure competitions, so I was very busy and I worked hard, but my husband and I could pretty much do what we wanted, when we wanted. Now, we have a beautiful addition to our family and I love my 6 month old daughter with a love that I never knew existed – but that luxurious world of independence that once existed has been totally crushed!

I was prepared for it as much as I could be. I’d heard stories from other women about how they lost their pre pregnancy shape and never regained it, and that they never had a moment to themselves when the kids came along. I admit – I was a little bit scared.

I’d had my fair share of body image issues and disordered eating patterns in the past and I definitely didn’t want to revisit those topics. Funnily enough, childbirth didn’t worry me (although in hindsight it should have!), but losing ‘my life’ and my body as I knew them were my major concerns.

I actually talked to my husband at length about my concerns prior to getting pregnant. I had a career, one that paid our mortgage, so I was never going to be able to be a ‘full time mum’. Training was part of my life – it’s what I do, I don’t just talk the talk, I definitely practise what I preach and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to continue that. My husband was great, and he was adamant that he intended to share the child rearing responsibilities.

I’ve never been a great sleeper, so this was my biggest worry initially. I had no idea how I was going to be able to look after a newborn and get enough sleep to enable me to run my business – let alone get back in shape! I’d heard that if you managed to actually have a shower before lunchtime you were doing well! Crikey!

About 8 weeks before the birth, I prioritized.

My baby and my health were my number one priority. Even though I’d put on 16kg (35lb) I wasn’t too concerned about it but I knew that even if I didn’t have time for exercise yet, there was definitely something I could do to start my way back to great shape. So, this was my simple list of priorities after Kyah was born:

  1. Get enough sleep so I could cope with the new challenges that would come my way
  2. Get back to the nutrition principles that I know get me lean and keep me lean
  3. Walk outdoors with my baby, when possible

Pretty simple really!

Prior to the birth I made sure that I had delegated as much of my business tasks as possible to my wonderful Programs Manager Kristin, though being a Managing Director of your own company means you will never be able to fully delegate everything. I talked to my husband about the need for some time each week to keep up with the basics. So basically I had a plan for my business after the birth.

I also decided that exercise was not a priority at this early stage and that I wouldn’t beat myself up if I wasn’t able to exercise regularly (or at all). Consequently, I think all I managed was a couple of walks and one gym session in the first 8 weeks.

I did however concentrate on eating good food, and found that because of my previous fitness lifestyle, that the weight came off easily. Within 10 weeks I was only 2lb off my pre conception weight. I highly recommend being in shape prior to conceiving ladies!

The first 3-4 months of being a new mum was very challenging. I still had a very busy business to run, and a household to tend to, as well as a beautiful little girl who was diagnosed with reflux at 2 weeks old.  I also had to go back to hospital for surgery for retained placenta 2 weeks after Kyah’s birth – I spent 2 more nights in hospital.

My husband and I played a bit of tag which allowed us both to get enough sleep to deal with everything else we had going on. I wouldn’t have been able to manage without my husband who shared the responsibility of night feeds, bottle washing and general household duties. So, you could say we didn’t have a smooth start to parenthood.

I’m happy to say that things do settle down somewhat after that initial period that is much like a whirlwind. However, I realize it’s never going to be the same as it was without kids, and nor would I want it to be. I have discovered that success (in anything) is all about priorities, and this is a topic that you will see raised again and again in my upcoming blog posts.

A final word of advice for all mum’s – please, do not put too much pressure on yourself – keep reminding yourself you do an amazing job, every single day. It is really important you be kind to yourself!

18 days to go – nearly there!

Published on October 4, 2010 in motivation, Pregnancy, training routines and weight loss. 12 Comments

I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact I will be delivering a live (well I certainly hope so) baby in the next few weeks. My tummy is exploding in these last few weeks and I am very uncomfortable now! Bub doesn’t have a whole lot of room in there anymore.

Today I had my 37 weeks appointment which went the same as usual – feel the tummy, and pay $70. All good that there are no problems of course.  My blood pressure has remained low right through – today, 102/60. Not bad for an old broad in her first pregnancy!

Doc reckons my baby is about 7 lb – I hate to think of the size of it if I go over my due date. At this stage of the game, baby puts on 30g of fat each and every day. Above is my tummy last week – I’m sure it’s grown even more now.

Still very swollen feet and ankle bones despite putting them up as often as possible. Still numb, tingly hands though they have improved by massage. I swear by massage – I’m now having a full body massage every week. My lower back is always very tight which is not surprising in the least.  But even to date, I still have had no back pain which I put down to my fitness background, massage, chiropractic and pilates.

I’m sleeping pretty good, most nights I don’t even have to get up to go to the loo which is surprising because when I am awake I am going every 5 mins.

I’m busy trying to get everything up to speed for my new website – yes that’s correct, new website. We have a brand new range of instant programs coming out very soon and these will have their own site.  Be on the lookout for Body Blitz Blueprint for Fat Loss! I’ll be sending out an email or two when we are launching the new range. Along with that, my Motivation Magnified – Win the Mental Game of Fat Loss will also be released. I’ve had excellent feedback on it, and I believe it’s something that is severely lacking in the fitness and weight loss industry at present. So, if you are one of those people who (like most of us) struggle to finish what you start, this book is for you!

www.bodyblitzblueprint.com - Coming soon!

The last couple of days have been awesome weather wise – such a different feel when the sun is out! I hope everyone is enjoying it!

So, does anyone care to make a prediction on what gender my bub will be, based on my tummy pic? :)

My interview with fitness model, Belinda Benn

Published on August 27, 2010 in inspiration, motivation, Nutrition Articles, Transformation and weight loss. 0 Comments

It seems fitness model Belinda Benn and I have a few things
in common. We’re both in our 40′s, both Aussie, and we
both love helping others achieve their fitness and fat loss
goals.  Being 32 weeks pregnant, one thing I definitely don’t
have right now is Belinda’s abs! But they’ll come back…
 
In light of the upcoming launch of her Get Lean Program,
today I have something quite special for you. 47yo fitness
model Belinda Benn provides us with a sneak peak into her
fat loss secrets as well as some great tips on skin care.
 

 
Sue: Belinda, I’ve read your story and seen you in the magazines – how did you transform your body so dramatically later in life.  I read you never exercised before the age of 37 – is that true?!

Belinda:  Sue, yes it’s true!  I was a coffee drinking, sugar addicted executive.  I was so busy trying to be a “super women” with my career, husband and all my other responsibilities that I had stopped caring for myself – doing things “just for me”.   One day while trying bathers on in a department store dressing room I was shocked to see cellulite and saddle bags (amongst other things) and I realized the body I had in my 20’s had disappeared without me even realizing.  Soon after I set myself the goal of learning to surf and before I knew it I was eating healthily, losing weight and feeling in the best shape of my life.

Sue: I think we can all relate to the dressing room story at some stage or another – probably unbeknown to them retail stores do an amazing job drumming up business for weight loss companies!

What was the hardest aspect of your transformation?

Belinda:  The hardest part was not knowing how to eat right – for energy, longevity and fat burning.  I knew nothing about nutrition.  I started getting fitter but the big change didn’t come until I got my diet straightened out.  It took a while but once I got on track I couldn’t believe how much food I could eat and not put on weight.  I had been eating the wrong foods, at the wrong times in the wrong combination!  When I think back to what I ate in my 30’s it’s shocking – I lived on coffee, milk, sugar, Arnott’s biscuits and fatty foods!  

Sue: I know you get asked this all the time, but how on earth do you look so young? 

Belinda:  Early in my career I worked with Shiseido, the Japanese skincare company and they taught me about holistic wellness.  Which simply means, looking after the total person – inside and out.  We all know things like stress, toxins, over eating, too much alcohol, not enough sleep or a lot of sun, ages us prematurely.  I neglected myself and over indulged like a lot of people do but once I realized, I made some radical life changes – and thankfully it paid off in a big way.   I believe that doing the right things, consistently, adds up to big results over time.

Sue:  Since I am talking with an expert then, a lot of people find that their skin becomes slack after weight loss and they suffer stretch marks.  Did you have those problems? 

Belinda:  Yes I did!  When I started losing weight I began exfoliating every day.  The Japanese had taught me about this and it really works.  I also made sure I included foods in my diet that improved the elasticity of the skin.  In fact, that’s one of the reasons I wrote my Fitness Model Skincare Secrets so I could help people with concerns like that and prove that getting older doesn’t mean we have to age prematurely. 

Sue: What makes your Get Lean Program different from everything else out there?

Belinda: Sue, as you know, many diets start out super strict.  Then as our motivation wanes we go back to our old habits and the weight comes back on.  I have discovered that the easiest and most effective way to achieve a lean physique is to work with the natural harmony of our body’s physiology. From my experience, it takes roughly four weeks before our metabolism jumps to the next fat burning level.  So, the process of obtaining our ideal lean physique should be viewed as fat burning “phases” that we control through establishing new eating habits, rather than a “diet”.  For this reason the Get Lean Program is divided into three, monthly phases: Momentum, Acceleration and Peak.

The Momentum Phase begins the process of increasing your fat burning metabolism. Your body will adjust to new eating habits and these changes will enable you to maintain your diet while gradually reducing your caloric and carbohydrate intake.

The Acceleration Phase will help reduce your body fat % while maintaining the energy levels necessary to work and train hard.  Your body will adjust to producing efficient energy from fewer calories and you will see acceleration in your fat loss.

The Peak Phase will help you reach your optimum lean physique at the end of Month 3.

Many physique competitors use a similar system to prepare for competitions.  But this program takes that science and makes it doable for anyone who wants to lose weight!

Sue: I noticed that you focus a lot on the mental and emotional aspects of losing weight – why is that?

Belinda:  Often it’s not eating healthy or working out that’s our biggest challenge – is our own self-image and self-esteem.  If we allow negative thoughts from the past to contaminate our thinking then that will continually undermine our efforts for success.   Personally I have done a lot of work to change my thinking, from feeling like I am over the hill, old, not sexy anymore, it’s too late or I’ve failed in the past (add in a few of your personal favorites here) and replaced those with new thought patterns of self-confidence and a can do attitude.  We all have moments of weakness and self-doubts, that’s normal.  But there is a lot we can do to get our thinking straightened out!  For that reason I will be giving away my “Think Lean – Get Lean” audio recording with every purchase of the Get Lean Program next week.  

Sue:  Belinda, once last piece of advice for all my readers please!

Belinda:  Transforming your body can seem like an insurmountable task.  But if you take one new positive step forward every day (no matter how small) and tomorrow do it over again – your habits, body and life will progressively change.  Positive change will become a way of life and one day you will catch your reflection in the mirror and realize – there’s a new you! 

 
F.REE FAT LOSS REPORT

If you haven’t get grabbed your copy of Belinda’s free report
Eat to Get Lean – here’s the link. It’s only available until Sunday
so be quick: 

www.idealbodiesonline.com/getleanprogram

 
P.S. Next week be on the lookout for my Get Lean
Program launch emails. If you purchase the program
through one of the links in my emails I’m going to provide
you with an awesome 50% discount on our instant
training programs along with an additional 15%
off everything in our Products Store (excluding
ebooks), in conjunction with Belinda’s
launch. So don’t purchase from any other link if you want
to pick up these discounts! I’ll remind you next week.
 

What is wrong with this picture?

Published on December 5, 2009 in inspiration, motivation, photos and Transformation. 5 Comments

Welcome party Sapphire Princess

Not this one, the one below. There is NOTHING wrong with this picture!

It’s been a little while since I wrote, AGAIN! Thanks lovely people for the comments on my off season pics. Maybe I will consider pre comping soon for an early show again – it was around this time last year – well, after Christmas, that I began my last one. After our Mexico trip my state was a little worse for wear than it is currently. So, yes, this time last year Damien and I were onboard the Sapphire Princess, celebrating his birthday (pic attached for reminiscing purposes).

I’m left without a car this weekend, so was dropped at the gym this morning and walked home afterwards – which was pretty tough after a hard deadlifting session. I sumo deadlifted 75gk for sets of 5 which I thought was pretty good. Slowly building up. Deadlifting is king, I wish everyone knew how to deadlift.

I received this in my inbox the other day and just shook my head. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this picture??

thirddayfitness_02

The Club 100 winners were announced recently, and, very proud to say that the female winner was one of ours. Nicole Yardley lost 15kg in 100 days and totally transformed her body. Lucky Nicole has won a great cash prize, just for losing some extra baggage and getting healthy. Club 100 will will going again I imagine, so keep in touch about that.

Nicole Yardley - before front

Nicole Yardley - after front outdoors

Congratulations Nicole, you look amazing! Congratulations too, to all the others who entered and managed to finish the 100 day challenge – while you may not have won the competition, I’m sure you got some great results.

I’m off to enjoy some sun. Sorry about the lack of resizing of photos, I don’t have time for that :)

Introducing Karen Lewis…

Published on November 16, 2009 in inspiration, motivation and Staff. 1 Comment

Karen Lewis PSM
Hi everyone, I am Karen – a proud part of Sue’s Ideal Bodies Online team!

As well as guiding my mentor clients through the journey that is the IBO 12 week challenge, I am raising a family, working full time as an event coordinator and continue to manage my health and fitness commitments. …it’s a whirlwind lifestyle but probably not unlike most!

I absolutely love my role as an Ideal Bodies Online personal success mentor – it has enriched my life enormously. I am continually inspired and encouraged by the ambitions and achievements of the people I meet via my role as mentor.

I use the trials and tribulations of my own 12 week challenge to underpin my success as a mentor at IBO. As well as celebrating the wins, I had to manage and overcome my own fears and obstacles as well – so I fully understand the journey first hand.

Many of the hurdles my clients are faced with I have overcome myself. That’s a great source of motivation for my clients and fills me, as a mentor, with a lot of confidence knowing that I can make a positive contribution – simply by understanding.

I like to take a very realistic and positive approach with my clients – more often than not, I’m a soundboard for the fears and hiccups that only a life change can bring.

I am also a source of continual motivation and guidance. As an IBO personal success mentor, I am here to share, listen, discuss ideas and create opportunities so my clients utilize this amazing 12 weeks to their fullest potential. I derive a great source of satisfaction seeing the positive changes slowly creep into their lives…it is so inspiring!
I am forever amazed at what people can achieve and overcome with the right mindset and attitude.

MY PERSONAL CHALLENGE I HAD TO OVERCOME

I’d like to share with you one of MY personal hurdles I overcame during my 12 week journey, in a bid to inspire you further…. and help anyone who may have similar thoughts or patterns and think they are too hard to break…..

One of the issues that I overcame during my 12 week challenge was relinquishing my glass or two of wine each night after work. It was my small reward for a day at the office and most likely the thing I looked forward to the most after dieting all day. It was such a powerful prop that it single handedly inhibited most of my efforts at changing my physical being. My thinking was ‘well it’s only a drink – what harm can a drink do to my other ‘good’ nutritional efforts and a focus on physical fitness?’.

In fact, it was a lot! This little reward was undermining my efforts at consistent weight loss – not only was it calorific – but it would loosen my resolve and on the second or third glass would see me ditching all my good intentions quicker than I could say ‘triple cream brie’. Further, evidence to prove that my body harboured a preference to burn stored energy in my sav blanc before that of my glycogen and fat stores wasn’t helping! In short, I was holding up my metabolic processes as well as setting myself up for perpetual failure!

My solution

Once I committed to the IBO programme written especially for me – that meant I was committing to dropping the vino life prop. I allowed myself one glass of wine per week during my free meal and that was it!!!! so not only had I changed my head space in terms of its habitual use – I also learnt to control my intake of alcohol when I did have it. It was no mean feat! And I see many clients face the same hurdle. So how did I do it? Here are a few tips if you find it hard giving up your one or two alcoholic beverages in the name of physical transformation…

1. Swap it with something else! I tried Bundaberg Diet Ginger Beer (on Sue’s recommendation) It even comes in a bottle that looks like it came out of a wine store. I treated it just like a glass of precious vino – one or two and no more.
2. Change the routine. If you have to unwind after a hard day at work and put your feet up with a glass of wine – jump in a hot bath instead or better still, schedule your workout for that time. There’s nothing that puts you off alcohol more than a good sweat session when you’re gasping for a bottle of water!
3. Learn to say no at parties and functions. If you want to look the part though and not feel left out – ask for a mineral water in a champers glass! No one would even know you were ‘piking out’ and the benefit is you can drive yourself home without the need for taxis after an expensive night out!

At the end of the day, you’ll soon realise you’ll still be a happy, well functioning individual without those two glasses of vino each night (Surprise Surprise!!) and it certainly is something you can take with you beyond your 12 week programme (amongst other amazing changes)!

I found after a few weeks I could just say no rather than create illusionary props to trick my mind. It was a very empowering moment knowing I had control and hence free rein to garner the best body I could as a result!

So as you can see the journey is fraught with a bit of risk and a bit of moving beyond the comfort zone. But it was so worth it.

I have a saying I like to offer my clients: ‘If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got!’.

I say cheers to that! Ciao, Karen xxx