Find Ways To Measure Progress {Video}

Does this sound familiar?

You decide you want to get in better shape. 
You go for a 3-mile run every day for a week and try to eat less food than you used to. 
You step on the scale every day for a week and the numbers continuously go down. 
You go to a social event on Saturday, step on the scale on Monday, and its higher than before!
You freak out, lose your cool, and fall off the wagon.
Your discipline is shot and you eat everything in sight that you have been missing out on. 
Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is what I hear a lot. That is because we have no way to objectively measure progress. In today's video, I talked about a few ways to measure progress. There are tons of different ways to keep tabs on how things are going during your journey. The key is finding ways that work for you and your lifestyle. 

Your Willpower Isn't Enough

Your capacity for self-control is similar to the muscles in your body.   Like biceps or quads, willpower can vary in its strength. Not only from person to person, but from moment to moment.  Just as well-developed muscles sometimes get tired and feel like jello after a strenuous workout, so too does your willpower "muscle."

Even everyday actions like decision making or trying to make a good impression can sap this valuable resource. The coping with the stresses of your career and family can sap you of your energy.  When you tax it too much at once, or for too long, the well of self-control strength runs dry.  It is in these moments that the doughnut  or cake wins.

So the first thing you are going to want to do, if you are serious about resisting temptation, is make peace with the fact that your willpower is limited.  It is not an endless resource. If you've spent all your self-control handling stresses at work, you will not have much left at the end of the day for sticking to your goals. 

Check out the new video on why I believe Willpower Isn't Enough.

Small Progress Is Still Progress {Video}

Writing feels like my own personal library of information I've learned through the years. I love to share the lessons, thoughts, research, and experiences I've been through. I hope you find it useful for whatever place you're in on your own healthy lifestyle journey. I have begun to dive into recording videos so I can document some of these same principles also. There is a lot of people telling you how to get in shape in 7 days. Tons of content pointing you to a 21- day or 30-day challenges. If that is what you are looking for then it is definitely out there. A healthy lifestyle is one made up of very small daily decisions that add up over time.

You are supposed to fail sometimes.

You should be frustrated at times. 

But as long as you continue to make good decisions then small progress is still progress. 

There Are Levels To This {Video}

Your health and fitness are important. I think we can both agree on that. Improving it is a process. But in today's society I find myself scaling people back because they want to achieve it all yesterday. I love the ambition, and resilience that one must posses to want to get to work and achieve as much as they can. But there are levels to this. 

Goals are about the short-term result. Systems are about the long-term process.

In the end, process always wins. I've found that goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress. Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference. When you commit to the process there will be times of frustration but you will bounce back because you respect the process. 

I hope you enjoy the message in the video. 

Stop Chasing Dieting Extremes {Video}

Extreme measures of achieving health and fitness goals are shoved down your throats over and over again. Will it ever stop? Probably not. But you can find a good balance and stop chasing dieting extremes. 

Check out this weeks video.

Becoming The Best Version Of Yourself {Video}

While exercise will get you to your personal goal of looking better, getting ready for a vacation, or getting into those jeans you wanted to buy. Exercise also teaches some other really valuable lessons during your journey. I love health and fitness. I wake up every day excited about improving and go to bed wondering how I can progress yours. 

In today's video I dive into why I love health and fitness and the message I hope to spread to everyone who I have the opportunity to meet.