Have you ever FIZZLED???

Have you ever hit a fitness lull?  Have you ever started (and hopefully completed) a fitness program only to fizzle out when it was over?

The rhetorical answer is "yes".  Trust me, I already know...and you are in good company.

Did you know that roughly 20% of gym memberships go unused?  We have good intentions when we sign up, pay each month and stock up on workout clothes, supplements and protein shakes.  So, how do all these good intentions get replaced by movies on the couch, happy hours with friends, pizza dinners and stretchy jeans?

Enter the {FIZZLE}. 

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fiz·zle  1. Informal To fail or end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning.

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The Fizzle happens when we put the needs of our spouses/kids/friends/pets ahead of our own.  "I can't go to the gym because I have to:

Attend a work dinner"
Take the dog to the vet"
Take my kids to practice"
Pick up my husband's Suit at the dry cleaner"
Visit with the In-Laws"
Plan my friend's baby shower"

And the list goes on.......

This list is called LIFE and it will always be there.  And if we're not careful, our flabby bodies and more importantly declining cardiovascular systems will also be there.  It's our job to find that ONE HOUR a day to detach from all the people who demand so much from us.  It's not being selfish, it's taking care of yourself.

Before you were a:

Husband/Wife/Mom/Dad/Coach/CEO/PetOwner/RaceCarDriver/Whatever/Whatever

you were your own priority.  And it's okay to find time to be your own priority again.

I have taken 5 weeks off from my typical 5 day a week workout regime.  I have been working like crazy (feeling lucky to have a growing business), skipped workouts, hit happy hour, tried new restaurants and succumbed to the cozy movies on the couch more often than necessary.  It was fun.....

And I feel lethargic.

So, I decided to put myself first again.  Everyone in my life is happier when I'm not a insomniac stress case anyway.  I am going to hike weekly, lift 4 times a week, attend a run group once a week and plan my meals.  And I have chosen a race to train for with a few friends.  Peer Pressure can be a good thing. :-)

If these things are in place, the happy hours, road trips and movie nights will have a significantly lower impact on my overall fitness.  It's all about BALANCE.  New outfits for happy hour are more fun when they show off the guns anyway.  Am I right?

I prefer to feel strong, see my muscles and enjoy my workouts.  Struggling through an hour of lifting with relatively low weights is not how I want to spend my mornings.  I would rather feel healthy and motivated (and slightly ripped, let's be honest) and that's exactly where I plan to be in the coming weeks.

So....today is Day1.  We can always start over.

Who is with me????

After the "After"

Embark on a new fitness regime.  I dare you.  If you have support, dedication and put yourself (body, mind, soul) ahead of anyone else, you will reach your goals.

IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

But, you have to let it.  You have to allow this journey to challenge everything you have ever read, thought and felt about what you are capable of.  You are always going to be capable of far more than you think.  That is a fact.

I eat real food.  Sometimes this real food includes Pizza, Cheeseburgers and Tacos.  I don't deprive myself when I'm not training for an event, and it makes me happy.  It makes me happy to join friends for happy hour and load up on greasy, carb-loaded food just to go home and sit on the couch for a movie.  Why?  It's an emotional reaction to a real-life experience.  Fun days include Ice Cream, not protein shakes.  Memories are made at Pizza parties and cake-infused birthday get togethers.  Right??

The answer, unfortunately, is yes.  But that doesn't mean it has to ruin all of your hard work.  

I call this transition from a 3-Month training program back into real life "After the After".  Training is over, my abs are poppin, my body fat is super low, my body is clean and the After pics are done.  Those images are a culmination of a 3-month hibernation from the real world.  Those images are a testament to every movie I went to with protein shakes and chicken breast in my purse, to every happy hour I politely declined and to every road trip that included a HUGE cooler filled with carefully planned, weighed and packed meals.  Definitely an extreme way to exist, but it accomplished the desired end-result.

AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

I learned how to say no to alcohol for months at a time and I learned how this minor tweak reduces bloating and creates a lean, defined physique.  I learned how to build muscle (with food and weight training only), how to properly hydrate and how to like my weekly gym routine.  I was being good to my body and in turn, my emotional self was also healthier.  I slept well, avoided 3AM trips to Taco Bell and felt good about my life AND accomplished goals I had set for myself professionally and personally.

So what happens after???

It's an ongoing journey and one that will always require check-ins.  We need variety.  We need to be excited and to feel challenged.  Once those After pics are taken, DON'T GIVE UP!  Explore activities that make you happy.  Run a 5K, hike once a week, join a new run group or just walk the dog 5 miles a week.  Mix it up and KEEP GOING! 

The After images should not be the end of a fitness journey, but rather a reminder of what you are capable of.  Compare yourself to the best YOU, not those around you.  It's easy to let fitness slip and to long for days when you were thinner/fitter/happier.  So, take that image of you at your very best and stick it on the fridge.  Let people see it and vow to always be striving to be the best you.

LET THIS JOURNEY CHANGE YOUR LIFE.