What's Most Important to You?

Crap, I’m running late!  ... I don’t have time to workout ... I forgot my lunch, guess I’ll go find a drive-through! ... I’m too tired to go to the gym ...

Does this sound like you?  If so, you might want to re-evaluate your big rocks.  You know, those priorities you have in life that take up all your time. 

Here’s a little story to explain what I mean:

Everyone has the same 24 hours a day, same 365 days a year, same 12 months.  Imagine your time as a jar.  You fill it with all of your big and tiny rocks every day.  Your big rocks are things that take up most of your time and that are most important to you – like family, spouse, God, friends, work, school, sleep, etc.  Your little rocks are things that make life spicy and fun – like shopping, Facebook, watching tv, eating out, etc. 

Lots of times, we tend to put those tiny rocks in our jar first – and guess what?  Our big rocks won’t fit, and we run out of time for the things that mean the most to us.  Check out the pic below (in this case, the sand represents the tiny rocks):

See how none of the big rocks will fit in there?  This person put all of their tiny rocks in first, and now there’s no time left for the big ones.

Let’s start the day over now.  Instead of getting up and watching a movie, then getting on Facebook for hours, then going shopping, THEN wondering where the time went – put all your big rocks in first, then make time for the tiny rocks along the way.

See the difference?  They all FIT now!  Pretty cool huh?

I have learned that my health and fitness is a big rock in my life now.  If I don’t make it a priority, I don’t make time for it, and I don’t make any progress.  This getting healthy and in shape stuff isn’t just a flighty wish for me anymore, it’s the real deal.  I have passed the point where I sit around and daydream about being that healthy girl (while on the couch stuffing my face with junk food), now I just get up and do what I need to do to get there.  Every single day.  I have a routine, a schedule, a meal plan, a designated food prep time, and a huge thing called DETERMINATION!  I have stopped worrying about pleasing everyone else and putting myself last, and I have started making ME a priority.  When I’m not working on me, I feel really bad about myself, and it affects everything around me – hubby, work, friends, family, etc.  If I’m not happy with me, how can anyone else be happy with me? 

I know that eating healthy and working out can seem overwhelming, difficult, and like a real pain in the butt to those who don’t really want to change – but it IS possible to live a healthy life, get in shape, make time for all of your priorities, AND have fun!  I know because I am doing it! 

If you are reading this, and you really want to make a change in your life – turn it into a big rock and start making time for it.  Don’t let all the little stuff get in your way and waste your time anymore.  Your health and happiness will shine through all areas of your life, and when you make the time to take care of YOU, everything else will fall into place.  

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I Quit My Job Today

...my people pleasing job! :)

Do you ever catch yourself making decisions based off of other people’s happiness instead of your own?  Do you do things that may hinder your journey just to make others happy?  Do you do things because YOU want to or because someone else wants you to?

I seriously struggle with people pleasing, always have.  I care about how people feel, and I never want to upset anyone because I hate confrontation.  I’ve come to realize that when it comes to getting healthy and in shape, it’s kind of hard to be a people pleaser.  I have some serious goals set for myself and for the person I want to be.  This getting healthy and in shape stuff is not always easy, and if you don’t have a strong motivation to hold on to – it makes it even more difficult.  Everyone has an opinion of what they think you should do or not do, and it’s not always going to line up with your goals.  

The first time around that I decided I wanted to get healthy, I did great!  I made tons of progress and conquered many fears.  Yes it was hard, yes I struggled, yes I wanted to quit...and I did.  Looking back, I realize that maybe the reason I quit was because I was doing it for the wrong reason – for everyone else but me.  I wanted to show people that I could do it and wasn’t crazy, I wanted to prove people wrong, I wanted get other people’s approval.   

Well things are different this time.  I’m doing this for ME now.  No more working as a people pleaser for this girl!!!  Now don’t get me wrong, it would be nice if I could still make people happy – but I’m not letting it hinder me or affect my decisions anymore.  When it comes to getting healthy and in shape, I am either all in or all out.  This time – I am all in.  I’m not doing this to please others or get anyone’s approval, I’m doing this because I want to feel better about myself.  I want to be confident, strong, in shape, healthy, and happy.  

I mean think about it...nobody but you is going to know how hard you worked out, how much you didn't want to go but went anyway, how hard that one last rep was, how hard it was to breathe on just one more lap.  YOU are the only one that is going to know how that feels and YOU are the only one who is going to remember that when you are faced with food obstacles.  Since you are the only one who is going to remember all that, other people may not always understand your decisions...and guess what?  IT'S OKAY!!!

Quitting my job as a people pleaser means that taking care of myself is now a priority, and I'm cool with that!  That means saying NO to foods that I don’t need or want.  That means saying NO to activities sometimes that will keep me from working out or prepping meals.   Most of all, that means saying YES to ME.  You only get one life...why spend it trying to please everyone else?  I choose to take care of me, care about my health, to get in shape, and to be an example that it CAN be done. 

Reach your goals for the only opinion that matters...YOURS!!!

The Dreaded Drive Through

As I was out running errands around town today, I passed by lots of my favorite fast food places.  Except things were different this time...my mouth didn’t water, and I didn’t even feel the urge to stop.  It got me thinking, and now I feel like I need to share my thoughts and what I’ve learned about fast food!  To make it short and sweet: STAY AWAY!  If you want to know why, continue on...

I have always had a toxic relationship with fast food.  When I need something to eat and don’t have any food with me, when I need an afternoon pick-me-up, when I’m having a bad day, when I’m bored, when I need an escape...those drive-through windows never fail!  I love me some Sonic cheese sticks, Arby’s curly fries, Taco Bell crunchy tacos, KFC mashed potato bowls – I could go on and on...  

The point is – fast food is HORRIBLE for you!  Yes, it is very convenient and makes eating on the go much easier, but fast food is one of the biggest contributors to me getting fluffy.  At the time it’s so tasty, but afterwards...you feel like crap.  Have you ever noticed that when you eat fast food, you are sluggish, have no energy, and feel a little sad?  That’s because fast food is packed full of preservatives, highly processed, and lacks any real nutritional value.  Here’s a list of reasons you should stay away from those dreaded drive-throughs:

·         Calorie Overload!  Did you know that a Whopper Sandwich Meal from Burger King contains at least 1510 calories?  I mean, that’s almost your whole day of calories in one meal...not good! 

·         Too much FAT!  You know that Whopper Meal...it has 57 grams of fat.  It’s not called a “99 cent heart attack” for no reason.  All that fried junk will clog your arteries.

·        It can make you get Addicted and Depressed!  Seriously yall...according to research, people who eat fast food regularly are 51% more likely to develop depression.

Do yourself a favor - stay away from fast food!!  Your body will thank you, and you will feel much better about yourself for being strong enough to make a better option.  Plan ahead, be prepared, and stay strong!  I hope the next time you see those golden arches you will think twice!

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."