October has me thinking about pumpkins, warm apple cider, cinnamon, and of course Honey crisp apples. I love all things fall.
I especially love this month because my only daughter was born this month and next year she’s getting married in this month. Can you say, excited!!
This time of year makes me a bit reflective. I reevaluate my life, my relationships, my business and of course my fitness regimens.
For the sake of this blog post being ridiculously long, I will focus only one area for evaluation. You guessed it, fitness and wellness.
As I am in the throes of midlife, I realize that to remain strong, injury free, vibrant and energetic, I must consistently reevaluate my diet, my workouts, and my mindset. My fitness regimen has been great, and for the most part working for me until now. I realize how everyday I must either add some form of strength training or cardio so I can kick it up a notch and achieve my desired results.
Midlife has its share of mixups, but isn’t that life? I remind myself of those that don’t get to choose or reevaluate. This reminds me how fragile life is and that thought alone strengthens my commitment to myself.
This is one of the ways I strengthen my mindset muscle. #mindsetandmuscle
With that being said, I have hired a trainer for this month. I am determined to continue losing weight (I hit a plateau) so that when I reflect on New Year’s Eve (hubby and I have this NYE tradition before we party) I will not have to say I will do it next year! Although I am a trainer being accountable to someone else keeps me honest.
I look at at it this way, if I know what to do and yet I still haven’t achieved the results I want, its time for accountability partner. It’s a lot like having a life coach, just this is specific to a desired outcome.
As for my diet, I work with an RD to keep me accountable. We reevaluate my diet weekly. Of course I eat clean, but I also love my wine. I also crave something sweet after a good meal. I know these are my pitfalls. I limit my wine to 3-4 glasses a week and if I should be enjoying a glass of vino, no other treats on that same day. Treats include: a non dairy yogurt with some fresh fruit, or a piece of dark chocolate, or a RxBar. I didn’t think they would count as a treat, I mean they are for the most part healthy right? WRONG ugh!
The most interesting thing to re-evaluate is my mindset muscle. If I had the wrong mindset while I am re-evaluating any of these above areas, I would be left feeling like a failure, defeated. I would believe the idea that midlife brings weight gain, loss of energy, and I would lose muscle. Yes, studies do show the decline of energy, muscle and bone loss. These are the facts. However, it doesn’t mean I need to remind myself of these facts daily. I am NOT ignoring the facts, I just get to choose how I want to view them and what I can do to lessen the effects.
Glass half full theory? Positive phycology?
Not quite! Mindset is something you CAN control. It’s probably the only thing in life you can really control. Think about it?
Why do so many people want to control outcomes, relationships, their kids lives etc.?
Yet, the one thing they can control (their own mindset) they can’t seem to get a grip on?
Having the right mindset facilitates my successes. In life, and as it pertains to my fitness and wellness regimen, mindset is everything. I will continue to look for new ways to adjust my workouts and how I eat. I will continue to explore new workouts and new recipes to keep it fresh. I consistently think of how I want to feel and where I want to be. My mindset is a muscle that needs to be trained too.
My hope is that while you are savoring this fall season and all its crispness, you begin to re-evaluate your mindset. Make any adjustments you may need and feel free to reach out to me if I can be of any assistance.
I leave you with this one thought and one question.
” Your thoughts create your reality, create the life you want, starting with training your mindset”
Q-What one thing can you do today to improve your mindset muscle?
In health and happiness
Maria