Mean People

They're everywhere. People that are critical; think that they know it all and always think that your way isn't the right way. That they have a better way. They always feel the need to let you know in some form or another that you just don't measure up.

In my opinion they are down and want to bring someone else down with them. Don't let them sink you. Stay afloat by limiting contact with those that are only negative.


Here's 10 strategies on how to deal with negative people


I am so incredibly grateful for the encouraging friends and clients that surround me. These people are the reason my days are filled with joy.

P Squared

Perseverance

Patience

Finish strong the race you've started. There are no tricks or short cuts to winning the race. Life is not easy. It provides many twists, bumps, dead ends and potholes to every contestant.

The ONLY control we have is our response. That's what we can control, respond well to the crappy stuff life throws. I know it's hard, it's hard for us all.

It's hard for us all.

Slow Down

The pace of life is fast and it seems to always be getting faster. Multi-tasking and filling up the calendar happens on a daily basis. We are stressed out and over-scheduled. Why do we feel the need to always stay busy?

While I may not understand the answer to that question, there's some reality to the effects of a hurried lifestyle.
1. We feel more stress
2. We lose our joy
3. We are less productive-People who are in a hurry make mistakes
4. We lose focus of what's really important in life

I know there are days, weeks and sadly sometimes months where my calendar dictates my life and there never seems to be any time to recover.

How to S.L.O.W the Pace
S=Slow the constant push for more. Why are we never satisfied? Why is there always a need for more? To have more things, a bigger house, nicer car or flashy clothes...will they make us happier or better people? We all know the answer to the question yet will soak ourselves in misery trying to attain something that really doesn't matter.
L=Learn to say no. I had a good laugh about this one with my friend, Mendy, the other day. We always talk about how we need to say no more often. Unfortunately for me I normally start trimming my schedule after it gets too unbearably busy.
O=Omit activity one day per week. Take one day where nothing is planned, nothing has to be done but just live and be around people you love.
W=We make our life what it is. What about your life, schedule or priorities is out of whack? Make the change and take charge to fix it. There's no reason to spend too many days unhappy, get up and slow things down yourself. I often ask myself what my purpose is for my life. When I answer the question it's easier to shift my life where it needs to go and take out the unnecessary.

Lifetime Rules

The game changes when weight manangement is the goal. Now we’re doing one of two things:

1) working to not gain anymore weight-we don’t want to be where we were and start the whole process over again
2) we view each year as a chance to get a little bit better…a little bit stronger, a little bit less body fat, a little bit better range of motion

This way we’re reversing the age process and no longer giving in to time but instead making the most of the time we've been given. I always think, I’m going to be in so much better shape by the time I hit 50. I’m going to be able to do more push ups and be much more flexible by that time because I’ll have had so many good years under my belt by then. So based on those 2 options you set your “Rules.” They are rules you can easily live with…maybe they aren’t rules but just boundaries so you don’t ever go overboard for a long extended amount of time…because, hey, there will be some days or weeks where we go overboard. We know that now so it’s easier to live with when it happens.

Today, create some lifetime rules.

Things Done Right

I find it very easy to get down on myself on a regular basis for things I haven't done a great job at accomplishing. I'm a perfectionist. So that means I believe I should be perfect, my husband should be perfect and if that happens I would achieve some sort of unequivocal picture of happiness that I have always thought I deserve. Wrong. Ha!

Well in the spirit of being positive about the things I have done right...even though they've all been things I've worked on for at least 6 months (mostly longer), I'm going to celebrate by acknowledging them.

1. Surviving with 1 sweet (most) weeks. That's a far cry from where I came from. Indulging in some sort of simple sugar treat daily.
2. Running 6 miles (in one setting) once per week. 18 months ago I had never attempted this long of a run.
3. Living without swiss cake rolls (since October 2008). Used to down these babies they like were nothing. A box would be gone in less than 24 hours.
4. Participating in regular strength training. I used to be a cardio junkie but never really saw any results. Duh! I wasn't changing the shape of my body, just killing myself on the elliptical and trying to undo the damage of everything I had eaten that day.
5. Food Journaling most every single day since April.

While I am still a perfectionist and believe that I need to improve many other areas of my life, I know I will get there and quite often remind myself to practice patience.

Get a Deal, Get a Trainer and Get Fit!

Alrighty...sometimes I use this blog as a place to plug my own programs...here it goes!

Last chance to get in on fall training at Pinnacle (no membership needed) for the Group Training for Women classes that start next week.

I’ve added a special deal for those who want it—pay less and get more! Invest in yourself this fall…look better and experience how empowering a stronger body feels.


Here’s what you’ll get by signing up for these typically sold-out classes:

-weekly or bi-weekly training sessions

-exercises to better your posture, whittle your mid-section, firm your whole body and aid in weight loss

-weekly accountability through emails and weekly training sessions

-a focus and direction for your weight, mental state and attitude

-pre and post test to measure your progress throughout the session

-nutrition coaching to facilitate better eating habits that will ultimately help you look and feel the way you’ve always wanted

-someone that’s going to PUSH you to the next level…if you’re ready we want you!

Classes Available:

Session Date: September 15-November 17 10 weeks—10 classes

-Tuesday 5:40am- 2 spots

-Tuesday 6:45pm-2 spots

-Thursday 6:45pm-2 spots


Class Packages for 10 Week Session

1 class/week = $165 (payment to Mandy by September 10th-THIS Thursday), $175 (after September 10th)

2 classes/week = $275 (payment to Mandy by September 11th-THIS Friday), $300 (after September 11th)

*If you’ve already signed up for once per week and want to train 2 times per week this offer is also for you! Pay only $110 (instead of $165) for the second class.



Email me ASAP if you’re interested. These spots won’t last long as this type of a deal NEVER happens and might not again. Here’s your open door if you’ve been pondering the thought of taking the next step with a trainer.

My Timeline

I'm completely imperfect. Yes, I'm a trainer but I'm also addicted to sugar, homemade veggie pizza, any type of carb, and I overeat often. It's something that I'll spend the rest of my life battling (a battle that I'm willing to fight). My food intake is and will always be a "work in progress. Of course sometimes there will be days (or weeks) where I'm not getting any better but in the long haul (i.e. my life), I will be better. This is what I know.

I envision for each year that goes by I will become a little bit stronger, a little bit more flexible, a little bit faster at running, a little bit better at making the right food choices and a little bit better of a person all-around. I don't feel rushed or pressured to get these tasks done in any short stint of time. I'm using my whole life as a timeline to gradually becoming a "better version of Mandy" than I am right now.

What I call a FUN race

There are different, fun races popping up all over the US. They aren't your traditional run a 5K, 10K, marathon or triathalon. No, they are much more interesting than that! It might cause some traveling but I can almost guarantee it would be a blast. Check 'em out!

Muddy Buddy
Urbanathlon
Great Urban Race---gonna try and do this one!
Warrior Dash

Post a comment if you know more "fun races" coming up than what I have listed.

Expansion?

Is their room in your life for more? Do you freely allow new thoughts, concepts, people, or activities into your life on a regular basis? Or do you hold on tight to what you know? I mean, where the shoes fit really well type of thing?

It's very easy to get sucked into comfy living. Where it's just easier to give into the craving because our body wants the donut we've been feeding it at 9pm every night for the past 3 years. It's just easy and comforting because the strawberry jelly filling is a constant. Oh how our body wants what we regularly feed it. Go out on a limb, muster up some confidence (because you CAN do anything you really want to do) and do something crazy...like give up your version of the 9pm donut. That would be really living on the edge.

It would be like this killer class (in a good way) I attended tonight. The instructor kept telling us to allow ourselves to go to the edge and stay there. Goodness it wasn't comfortable at all. I mean, holding a plank for a couple of minutes then with no break switching to a side plank, holding that for what seemed like forever, going back to the plank and then to the other side for a plank hold. This instructor pushes me to new levels, places I haven't been before. Maybe I haven't ever thought about going, or was too afraid, or just didn't know how to get there on my own. Who knows. But it was fun and sucked all at the same time. It's definitely empowering to do something that's uncomfortable (even if I did put my knee down for a split second to rest).

Taking an extremely uncomfortable exercise and thinking through the, "why am I doing this to myself" question that pops into my mind every once in awhile allows me to refocus. Refocusing is good because I often lose sight of what I was after from the very beginning. And hopefully it will help me keep things that are uncomfortable in my life around long enough so that eventually they'll become comfortable.