This list IS long, its packed with action steps to take, but we all know that action steps don't work until you take ACTION.
I met a woman at a business seminar once, I'll call her Kayla, after learning what kind of company I owned, she told me "I've done 25 or more programs like yours, they don't work." She was POSITIVE it was the program not working... and I will say, not every program will work for every person.
I knew she was feeling pretty defensive, but the fact that she kept trying different ones without realizing that she wasn't really doing the work that needed to be done told me all I needed to know. When I asked if she stuck with them till the end, she admitted that she did not, because she already knew "they were going to FAIL."
If that doesn't tell you all your need to know about mindset, I'm not sure what will? Mindset determines what you believe in, and what you've already decided won't work. If you don't truly believe its possible for you to have what you want, you won't ever get it.
Someone could have told you something when you were a child that you don't even remember now, such as "Our family is all overweight" or referenced skinny women as easy or implied something else about their character. You may have memories that are mental blocks, keeping you from achieving, but you CAN overcome them! I've seen it done lots of times, and I KNOW you can do it, too.
If you do these steps, you will change your life and you will see results, its not easy, but it can be done. Please write me and let me know when you make your breakthrough, because I'M ROOTING FOR YOU TO WIN BIG!
I will be creating a follow up to this mindset list that is more about the practical steps you need to take as well, but for any program to make changes, you need to first make sure your mindset is right.
1. Make Time & Systems
2. be real about finding support
3. journal and notice how you feel after you eat
4. 80/20 rule, put effort where its most effective
5. Take full responsibility for your results
6. Find your reason WHY.
1. Prioritize YOU. First of all, if you don't make time for this process, you will fail. Most people fail because they don't find their WHY and they don't set aside TIME. As you go through this process, make sure you add up the time you will need to do the tasks and put them in your planner or on your calendar or in your phone.
Action step: Brainstorm a list NOW of the things you will do each day, called your master task list, that will help you achieve the body of your dreams (I would bet you know what you're doing that's helping and what's hurting already), beside it write how much time it will take and where you think it will go into your schedule and where you will do it. Example:
Make a water chart on my wall to keep track of my daily water intake, 20 minutes, I'll do it Sunday Sept 27 at 3pm in my room
You will also have a greater chance of success if you also find weekly "System" tasks that work for you and turn them into tasks on your master task list. Examples:
Go to class early on Tuesdays and Thursdays and log food journal at a table out front at 9am, 30 minutes
Have tea at cafe with Lisa on Mondays and write out our goals and work outs for the week 10am, 1 hour
Have mom babysit every Friday so I can each prep our meals for the week from 10am-2pm
Find your recurring systems, places and times that make it EASY to have success achieving your daily tasks, write them down and, if you can, include a friend in this process. These are psychological anchors that become habits after you do them repeatedly and enjoy them. So now you have a master list of all the things you need to do, some are one time events and some are weekly recurring events, write them in your planner NOW.
Respect your style: It may be a possibility that you are a leader, and you can create a community around getting fit or eating healthier, it may be that this is something you have to do completely on your own.
2. Even though this is your journey, and you need to take full responsibility for your results, having a friend or trusted family member there for you when things get tough does drastically increase your chance at success. Maybe I didn't state that loudly enough, if you MAKE definite plans that have a time and place leading to a specific goal and tell people about them your chance of success goes from under 40% to over 90%!!! So just taking these first two steps is an incredible start.
Make sure you share your goals only with people you know who will support you, unless you need to tell someone to stop pestering you about going out for pizza and beer, keep things to yourself around people who don't seem to understand your new lifestyle habits. If you see someone who looks fit and healthy, ask for tips or maybe even ask if they can show you how to use the weights.
Action Step: Identify who is safe and who is unsafe to share this journey with now, write why you believe someone is unsafe in your journal.
3. Journaling each day about your feelings and what you eat is a critical step, because your FEELINGS will either get shared or get stuffed down, and many people stuff their feelings down with food or alcohol. Even being honest with yourself about your feelings (missing home, hating your roommate or wondering if you even want to be at college) can really help get them out of your mind so you stop worrying about them.
Many people want to skip this step: DON'T!!!! Just start with your food journal and then writing about how the food made you feel each day is a huge step in the right direction. You can use MyFitnessPal to record this info on your phone and it will calculate your calories each day and you can keep track of your goals easily. But don't discount the effect how you are feeling has on your body weight. It's a MASSIVE game changer when you start getting in touch with your feelings.
Action Step: Get a journal or notebook to write in daily
Each meal write something like:
Breakfast: Oatmeal & Juice at 8am
I felt hungry by 10am and then cranky and snapped at friends because I wanted to eat candy. I am really upset still about argument I had last night with my boyfriend.
4. The 80/20 rule states that you will get 80% of your results from 20% of your actions, so that means that 80% of what you are doing to reach this goal is only giving you 20% of your results. If you can identify the 20% of your effort that will give you massive results, you can really hone in on it and magnify it and ensure that you will succeed.
Example: If you know that when you go out to dinner with your friends you eat way too much plus have a drink or two, and when you cook at home you stick to your plan almost all the time, figure out a way to make sure that you stick to eating at home. Offer to teach your friends to cook healthy, or make them dinner while you study or make dinner to take it out for a picnic. There is a solution to your issue, I guarantee it, your commitment to yourself will make you find it.
Action Step: Write down the steps you're taking you know will get you results, how can you guarantee that you will stick to them? Schedule them now.
5. There is only one way to actually achieve your goal, and that is to take full responsibility for your life, your health and your body. Sometimes things are tough to get used to, sometimes you need to sacrifice fun to experience amazing health and looking absolutely stunning, I want to say this so you will hear it, you DO NOT EVER NEED TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS, you need to own the fact that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and you WANT to show your true beauty to the WORLD and YOURSELF. You get to choose everyday what your priority is, you must now find YOUR WHY.
Deep down inside you know what is holding you back- fear, anger, insecurity, self worth issues that stem from things that were said or done to you YEARS ago, you are still allowing them to control you.
Action Step: Write it down NOW.
One of the greatest things I've heard in the past few years is "You do not have to agree with other's opinions about you." I know I personally was shamed for my body when I was young, and it took decades to get over that, I still have moments of struggle with it. When I think of the sadness I have brought on to myself and the happiness I have kept from myself by agreeing with those words that were said to me, it makes me want to help other women who need to embrace their own beauty.
Just because you're not a size 2 does not mean you're unworthy of love, that is not what this is about. I am telling you, if you want to feel stunningly beautiful, you must choose to embrace and unleash your beauty, and that means honoring yourself ABOVE ALL ELSE.
Action step: Write down HOW you want to feel in your body, as exact as you can, how you want other people to treat you as well. If you don't know, then start with what you DON'T want and flip it around. THIS STEP IS VITAL, the more time you spend writing about this, the easier everything else will be.
If you need more help with this step, please research books by Geneen Roth on Amazon, she's an amazing resource to help with emotional eating stemming from past trauma in your life. You may also need to speak with a counselor, therapist, pastor or join a group to deal with deep seated pain. This is not weakness, it is strength that allows you to face your issues!
6. KNOW YOUR WHY, after step 5 you should have a good idea about your WHY. This is the reason to prioritize yourself over others, its what you NEVER want to feel again (shame, degradation, unloved, disgusting) and what you want to feel ALWAYS (beautiful, light, free, thin, attractive, pride, to live a full life). They are unique to everyone, so don't let my words dictate what you want in your life, those are just examples.
THIS STEP REQUIRES BRUTAL HONESTY! But once you feel these feelings and get in touch with them, you will never be the same. I know its scary, but the TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
Action Step: Find Your WHY, the more you embrace this, the bigger your boundaries will be and the less trouble you will have saying no to people or things that don't support you and your goals.
I hope this mental check list has helped you get your mindset clear and start making your exact list of tasks you need to take, you will need to research diet and exercise plans as well, but that is really secondary to getting your mind in the right place. We offer a digital down load of a meal plan and weekly exercise outline here: NST Bikini Body Plan ebook and also in this package The Hot N Lazy Girl's Package that comes with tea as well.
I hope you will consider doing the October Tea Challenge with us as well, I would LOVE to see your AFTER pictures in that Sexy Halloween Costume!!
Jennifer XOXO
PS. Remember that this email cannot take the place of medical care and is not intended to diagnose or treat you for any disease, you must be responsible for your health and seek the care you need.