Instant Gratification vs. Delayed Gratification

Yesterday, I shared on my Facebook and Instagram (@alinamfthompson) my results for week 1 of SHIFT SHOP. They were a little less stellar than I had hoped, but I wanted to share a little more about what happened last week and the changes that have been made for this week.

For the last several months, shoot probably more like the last year, I have been on this workout/clean eating roller coaster. Every time I started a new workout program something would happen, an injury, an illness, or straight up laziness and I would quit. Every time I would plan a week of clean eating a party would be added to my calendar, a new restaurant would open, or a billion other excuses would present themselves and I would quit.

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

In the past I've also shared that I'm an all-in or all-out kind of girl. I don't understand less than 100%. But in all honesty, sometimes that is my downfall. I dump so much on my plate that it becomes overwhelming and all of a sudden I'm drowning in too many commitments and I'm all the balls I've been juggling come tumbling down right on top of me. That's just #momlife right??

This time around, I knew I needed to make a change. Instead of changing every single aspect of my life in one fell swoop, I decided to make one change. If I could make it one week and maintain that change, then the next week I would add another change. And so on and so on.

So, while week one of SHIFT SHOP meant some seriously hard workouts, I also did not dial in my nutrition...like, AT ALL! Wine? Yes! Burgers? Yes! Mac & Cheese? Of course! You get the picture. Each time, I enjoyed any of these (or so many other treats) I felt instantly happy. Ordinarily I later would have experienced a feeling of guilt that I had traded the choice to have a nutritious meal for the instant gratification of an unhealthy treat.

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Last week was a little different. Since I went into the week knowing that I had 1 goal and simply needed to make that happen, I never felt deprived and it was a lot easier to get through that first week. But as I stood on the scale yesterday, there was still that feeling of disappointment. What would that number have looked like if I had eaten clean? Would it have been a drastic difference?

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Let's take a second to be real...obviously losing 2 pounds in a week is AMAZING!! That's definitely a healthy weight loss goal and nothing to be bummed about! I think my perception of what that first week would look like were altered by seeing other fellow coaches losing crazy amounts of weight and getting super toned in only 3 weeks.

So, as I sat down to set my goals for this week I knew I would keep my workout goal and I would commit to workout every day for 7 days, with one double workout day, for a total of 9 workouts. I also planned to add a second goal and that would be focusing on my nutrition. I committed to follow the SHIFT SHOP meal plan EXACTLY. No cheats AT ALL!!

That's where I am today. The fridge is stocked and ready to go. My hubby has agreed to follow the meal plan with me and the recipes look fantastic. But even seeing how delicious everything looks, I know going a week without a burger or a glass of wine isn't going to be easy. I know there will be a day that everything will seem to go wrong, I'll be stressed to the max, and I'll either be craving some comfort food or wanting some quiet time to read with a glass of pinot grigio. This week I'm committing to not chase instant gratification. I'm looking ahead to the delayed gratification of climbing on the scale in a week knowing that I've completely eaten clean and showed up for every workout and I know those results will be there waiting for me.

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Do you struggle with fitness or is nutrition harder for you? Do you struggle to do both at the same time? You are not alone!! You can follow my SHIFT SHOP journey on Facebook and Instagram (@alinamfthompson) and please feel free to reach out to me if I can encourage you on your own journey!!

Are you ready for the SHIFT?! Check out this video to here more about the program from trainer, Chris Downing. If you're as excited about this program as I am, COMMENT and let me know!! You can find all the information to purchase the program HERE.

{Video Cred: Beachbody}

Consistency is Key

You want to know a secret? I struggle BIG TIME with consistency. That's right, I'm a fitness coach who managed to lose almost 150 pounds and keep the majority of it off. We'll call that my "claim to fame." But let's be real, that was a journey I started in 2013 and by the end of 2014, I'd hit my goal and you want to know the scariest part of the story. By the spring of 2015, I had slipped back into dangerous habits.

I was no longer working out regularly, somehow I no longer had time. Funny, since I'm pretty sure I had been operating with the same 24 hours all along. I was no longer eating like food was fuel, I went right back to emotional eating and enjoying way too many treats. I mean, let's get real, it's only a treat if it's an occasional thing. That's what makes it a TREAT! If we're enjoying a cookie every single night before bed, that's routine...not a special treat.

By the end of 2015, guess what? Those jeans I had been so excited to fit back into didn't fit. They wouldn't even button. By 2016, I was working out again, but sporadically. I'd dive full force into a workout program and go full force for a week or two, but then I was right back to zero motivation and compiling my list of epic excuses. And the pants still didn't fit.

In July of 2016, I decided becoming a Beachbody coach was the perfect solution. Encouraging other people to get healthy would be the perfect motivator for me. And initially it was. But here's the thing, motivation is fleeting and it always will be. You're never going to find one thing that motivates you from now until the end of time. I know I've said that in a million other blog posts, but even I struggle to truly accept that. I'm constantly letting lack of motivation rule my life.

So 2016 continued with moderate success.By January of 2017, I knocked 12 pounds off the scale, but after that the dang thing wouldn't move another ounce!! I would fluctuate within a pound or so and nothing more. One day it had gone down, the next day back up, and on and on.

This could have been the perfect "motivator" to launch me full force into a workout program that I already know is effective. I know it works, because I've seen it work. Do you think that's what I did? Of course not!! Common sense went out the window and self-destructive thoughts and eating habits crept right back in. How does this happen to someone in the position to help other people set and crush their own health and fitness goals?

This would generally be the part of the story where I would tell you some magical solution and eagerly share that I've lost every pound I wanted to lose...this is not that story. Instead, this story is my attempt to be as authentic and open with you as I've ever been. My hope is that authenticity will help you do some soul searching too and not be afraid to step out in the direction of your goals, no matter how scary and no matter how many times you've tried to reach them before.

So, if I'm not going to tell you a success story, what the heck am I writing for?! Well, I started 2017 by reading Chalene Johnson's book "Push." My hope was that it would be the "motivator" that I needed. You can't see me, just know that every time you see that dang word, it's complete with an over-exaggerated eye roll. Let's be clear, the book is awesome. And what should have taken me 30 days to read took closer to 75.

I still had 2 days left to finish in the book when I finally realized I was just spinning my wheels. I was reading all the awesome things she had to say, but I wasn't fully putting them into action. Knowledge without application is completely wasted!! So, in an effort to say that I wasn't a quitter, I quickly read through the last 2 days and moved my bookmark back to day 1.

This week has probably been one of my most productive all year. I've done some major soul searching to figure out why I'm struggling, what things are working and what's not, and how to change it. So, I reevaluated my 10 goals for 2017, decided which ones needed to be altered, not because they're easier to achieve (because they're definitely not), but which ones were more on target with my priorities. And then I needed to evaluate my progress so far this year...it wasn't good.

Essentially, I've been wasting my time for most of 2017 up until this week. That's a pretty crappy feeling, but an excellent wake up call. It's clear as can be now that motivation isn't my problem. My problem is consistency. I make this excellent plan to help me reach my goal and I kill it for up to 7 days and then it all falls apart. So here I am, starting a new plan...again. Have I mastered the whole consistency thing? Not yet, but I'm sharing this with you for my own accountability. In the next few posts, I'll be sharing 5 of my goals with you, my plan to reach them before the end of the year, and my progress.

I hope that my vulnerability will help you realize that you're not alone. You're not the only one struggling to drop those extra pounds but finding your hand back in the cookie jar over and over. You're not the only one wanting so badly to complete a workout program only to find yourself plopped on the couch or going for coffee with your girlfriends instead. Whatever it is, YOU'RE NOT ALONE!!

2017 Goals:

1. Lose 40 pounds

2. Be COMPLETELY debt free

3. Read 24 books (I upped it from 12!)

4. Study 4 books of the Bible

5. Complete 90 days of TurboFire

The plan for today is to set goals for the next 30 days and to focus on them one day at a time. So these goals have been set, a plan has been made, smaller weekly goals have been set to reach within those 30 days to get me closer to these BIG goals, and those weekly goals have been broken down farther into daily goals.

Will this wake up call be as successful as the one I got in 2013? Who knows, but today is a new day and I'm focusing on the 24 hours in front of me and making sure that every step is a little bit closer to crushing every single one of these goals. Here goes nothing!! I'm diving in, how about you?

Uphill Battles

Y'all I know I've been a little MIA this week. Trying to stay on top of posting here and keeping up with my Facebook page while on a busy vacation in DC proved more challenging than I expected. Not to mention, there's something about getting sick while on a vacation that requires a TON of walking, that really just saps the energy right out of you!

Since I started my second fitness journey in May, I've hit setback after setback. I've shared some of those struggles with you in an earlier post, but this week has been another one. In 2013, when I decided to lose weight, I got to work and the weight just seemed to fall off. This time, it's like fighting a constant uphill battle. Three steps forward, two steps back. I've been sick more times in the last 4 months, than in the last year! It's ridiculous!! But, just because I keep hitting these walls, doesn't mean I'm giving up!

I got the DC trip started off right with a 2 mile run our first morning while everyone else was sleeping! At 6:30 in the morning, it was already hotter than I can even describe! But I got up, covered myself in sweat, and got it done. Success!! Plus did I mention that I got up at 4am Sunday morning to get a 2 mile run in before we even left for DC?! Things were looking great!

We got started early that morning and were able to squeeze a lot into our day. I'd been battling some pretty intense headaches since we left on Sunday, but didn't think much about them. I mean when the heat index is over 100 and you're out in it all day, I think you can expect to be at least slightly uncomfortable. That first day we made it to the zoo, tackled the metro, the Natural History Museum, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and even saw the White House. We beat a huge storm back for a delicious dinner at Buca di Beppo and then took a drive (in the storm) around DC to see some of the art museums, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Building, and more! It was a busy day. And including my run that morning, my feet covered 15 miles in that awful heat!! 

By the time we got back to the apartment, got showered, and crawled in the bed, we were all wiped out. I didn't feel good when I went to bed that night, but I assumed that none of us did. It was a restless night and by the next morning, I knew I was getting sick. But I also knew, I wasn't going to be the reason we missed out on the fun stuff we had planned. I skipped my morning run for an extra 30ish minutes of rest, but once we were up, we were out the door and pounding the pavement again. That day we managed to see the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the American History Museum, National Gallery of Art, the Ford Theatre, Madame Trussard's Wax Museum, grabbed dinner at Chipotle and took the kids to their favorite ice cream shop. All that before it got dark. Then we headed back out for some more sightseeing. Our amazing host drove us out to Georgetown to see the waterfront and pointed out where JFK proposed to Jackie O. We got to see the National Cathedral, the Jefferson Memorial, Iwo Jima, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Our feet had covered 11 miles of ground by the end of the day. By the time we made it back to our beds that night, I felt like I'd been run over. It had been a memorable trip but I was ready to get home!

By the time we got up on our last day, I figured we were all ready to get home. The kids, however, had a different idea. They wanted to make it to the Air & Space Museum. So we got everything packed up and headed back to the Metro. By this point, I felt so bad I honestly did not know how I was going to make it not only to the museum, but in a car for 6 hours on the way home. But, one thing I'm not is a party pooper! I was not about to be the reason we missed out on our next adventure. So we made it to the museum and discovered that Emma is most impressed by the accomplishments of women. She couldn't get enough of Amelia Earhart. We took our final metro ride back and hit our favorite pizza place on our walk back to the apartment. 

Once we got home, I had nothing left. The last two days have been filled with as much rest as possible and while it's slowly getting better, I still don't feel like myself and I definitely haven't had the energy to get a workout in. It's so frustrating y'all. It's hard to be in a place where your motivation is at its peak and your body just won't cooperate. Please know if you're in that place, you're not alone. Every step of this fitness journey has been a fight for me, but I know that when I do reach my goals, every single one of those steps will have been worth the fight. 

So if you're in the middle of an uphill battle, many one of many uphill battles, you can't stop fighting!! Don't give up. Find the little victories. Maybe I was only able to get in one workout while I was in DC, but we walked almost 30 miles in 3 days! That in itself is a workout! You have those victories too, you just have to be willing to look for them. 

So, I know I've been MIA lately, but even though I'm not at 100% yet, I'm back. I'm here to keep pushing you and encouraging you. I hope your week has been awesome so far and I can't wait to see what we can all accomplish together next week. 

It's not too late to join my September Challenge Group!! 

Email me for more details!

Setbacks & Failure...There's A Difference

Y'all as I tried to start my fitness journey this time around, I felt like the setback queen. Initially it was so hard for me to even find the motivation to begin working out, but then once I did it seemed like things just kept happening to throw me off course. 

In April, I took a trip to Disney with my family. It was a blast and a lot of walking. Y'all, a 29-year old should be able to do that. And I was, but about a week or so after getting back, I was in pain. Enough pain, that I went to the doctor and I don't go to the doctor. Stress fracture...from walking, y'all. They put me in a boot for 4 weeks. Setback.

{Emma Boo riding the tea cups with Alice}

I couldn't wait to get the darn boot off so I could get back to work. I think it had been off for less than 48 hours when I went for my first run. So much for easing back into things. If you know me at all, you're not surprised. I started the Couch 2 5K app and I stuck with running for a solid week. Things were going really well and my motivation level was awesome! 

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

Then my husband and I decided to take a day and go hiking. We took a trail that we had never taken before which ended up being a horse & bridle trail. Just imagine a lot of poo & some giant flies. We still had a great hike and I was feeling so proud of us for spending that time together doing something active. But later that night I found several ticks and it wasn't long after that before I was sick. Sicker than I had ever been. 

{All smiles while we were hiking}

A trip to the doctor the next morning ended with me being sent to the emergency room with the fear that I had meningitis. 4 attempts at a spinal tap, lots of blood work, and a whole lot of medicine later, they sent me home. I was positive for Lyme Disease. Setback.

{Keeping spirits up at the hospital}

That first week, I honestly felt like I was dying. I've never felt pain like that or been so sick. But by week 3, I was going crazy. The meds they put me on meant staying out of the sun and I felt like a prisoner in my own house. I was worried that by the time I actually felt well enough to workout that my motivation would be gone. 

{Photo Cred: Oprah.com}

I was miserable and being trapped in the house, feeling so terrible, was making me depressed. I've battled with depression since 2006, but have found over the years that working out and quiet Bible study time can help, especially at the beginning. For me, I've got to nip it in the bud and use my medication as a last resort. Then, on top of being stuck in the house and sick as a dog, my mind starting messing with me. I couldn't remember things that there was no way I would forget...I mean I couldn't remember J.J. Redick's name (Ok, if you don't know me you're lost right now, but just know this is a huge deal) and I couldn't remember who he played for now (also a big deal!). And then, when I felt like it couldn't get worse, I couldn't read. I could see the words on the page but they didn't make any sense. It felt like everything was spiraling out of control and there was nothing I could do. That's a problem for a control freak like me.

But as time went on and I finished my medication and the next set of tests came back negative for Lyme, I finally started to feel better. And I realized that these setbacks didn't have to be the end for me. I wasn't going to stop!! So as soon as I was able, I started running again. And now you're thinking, "...and they all lived happily ever after..." but that's not what happened. 

{Photo Cred: Pinterest}

The first week I started running again, I discovered that I had plantar fasciitis. Then once I got that under control, I was dealing with dang shin splints!! Y'all the setbacks will continue to come. No matter how motivated you are or how hard you're working, you're going to have them. But how you deal with these setbacks is what will determine your success or failure.

Just because your body forces you to take a break or try a lighter activity doesn't mean you're quitting. And you only fail when you quit trying! So, if you're in the middle of a setback right now, know that you're not alone and this isn't the end of your story. Figure out what you can do while you're dealing with this setback. Don't use it as an excuse to sit around eating Cheetos. If you can't workout, you can still manage your food. There is always something you can do. Just don't quit!!

{Photo Cred: Hercampus.com}