11 Mental Rules Of A Fit Woman. [+ tips]

Bye bye frozen yogurt... You will be missed. For the week or so that is... However I will be back. Reason being; Raul and I are going 100 percent into the fitness life together. Meaning no fast food or even eating out [minus our two year anniversary in August! Which is the 5th if you are reading this Raul.] We also agreed that if there is not food, we will go to the grocery store and buy it; no longer picking it up from the nearest fast food place. [Yeah I know that means I will be cooking more if needed be.] We are also aiming to drink the recommended water a day and not missing the gym [minus maybe our one rest day]  So on and so forth. With this all becomes more mental planning than anything physical. It is easier to just walk into a gym then it is at times to motivate you to take those steps to make it to the gym. Now if you were to ask Raul the mental planning he does for fitness, he will say zero. He does not need to. Me on the other hand, I have to!

Which I do not consider a bad thing. [neither is the way Raul does it. Hey if it works for him, I am more than happy it does.] I am just a detailed / planning type of person. With all the many things that run in my head starting and even during my journey, I was able to narrow them down into 11 simple categories!

1. Maximize your inner motivation! You have to know your 'why'. What drives you? Do not let it be an outside feature. ex. I want hard rock washboard abs. Don't do this/ motivation based on a physical feature does not last. Mine is to feel better. Not just about myself but to truly feel better. When Raul and I go hiking, I don't want to be the one needing to stop after only a mile. I don't want to miss out on helping someone out because I cannot life whatever it is. So know your 'why' and believe it whole heartedly.
2. Believe and become it! As Buddha said, 'The mind is everything. What you think, you become.'  And this is the truth. Believe you can become what it is you want to become and you will. You must wire your thinking into positive thinking. Believing you can accomplish all things.
3. Set specific goals and strategies. This is a huge one for me. I have to know what I am doing. Setting 'smart' goes Is what works best for me and I have clients do also. [Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.] I tend to get greater success and also motivation when I set SMART goals. Another is strategies. ex. If I get hungry during the day outside of my meals, I will eat fruit instead of bread or sweets. If I do not have food at home I will go to the deli instead of cici's.
4. Picture Success. Picture what you want. Head from toe. Know the body you want and then go buy clothes that fit that body. It is a great motivation tool and to visually see where you will be; is even better!
5. Cultivate Grit! [Grit: courage and resolve. A strength of character.] You need to commit no matter what! Focus on your thoughts. Thoughts that inspire and drive you.
6. Plan your meals and eliminate your choices. Grilled chicken or chicken quesadillas? Waking up every day and deciding what to make really will ware you out and want you to just say, I don't know.... What about this [something now healthy] or I have nothing planned so why not go out? Planning will really help cancel any grey areas.
7. Make no outs!!! Meaning, do not procrastinate or get caught up in deviation. This will bump you off course big time. Just stick to it and do not give yourself any outs. ex. It is okay for me to miss morning cardio, I can just do it tonight when I go to lift.
8. Shut out the noise! Do not have negative thoughts. For most people including myself, this is the biggest obstacle. Out of everything I had just mentioned, this plays the biggest role. 'I just cannot do it. I wont make it to that point.' A huge one for me is getting back to where I was is struggling with the weight I use to warm up with. It plays a huge mental role in my journey.
9. Enjoy your milestones!! Seriously celebrate them! Even if they are small things. I did my happy dance once I moved from 10 pounds to 25 pound plate raises. Why? Because this was a accomplishment. I was improving. This was something to celebrate.
10. Take everything one day at a time. I could not tell you how many times I would be working out, check in the mirror the next day as see little to no visible improvements. Knowing I would see them soon as I continued to work and on the inside after every workout I was improving; reminding myself one day at a time was one of the most important things.
11. It is okay to give in sometimes. I am not talking about I am craving something sweet and there is a cookie. I am talking about something like this; Raul and I are doing cardio in the morning and weights at night, eating clean, drinking water, etc. However our anniversary is coming up and we want to celebrate. Do I say no thanks babe, I want this same chicken and rice we have been eating for weeks. I want that Texas Roadhouse up the street! So pick your choices wisely!

Any of these sound familiar that you think about and come across. Some you may even have trouble with? Don't worry I do also at times. Take some of the small advice I have learned with dealing with the same issues!

Maybe even try out these few tips;
-Drink a cold bottle of water before every meal.
-Have a protein, complex carb and veggie for every meal!
-Kick the sugar to the curb.
-get plenty of sleep at night.
-eat six small meals every day.
-Eat breakfast within a hour of waking up.
-ENJOY THE PROCESS!

You can also find more tips and advice on weight loss here;