In the time I've been maintaining this site, I have gotten so many requests for advice on fitness and nutrition. Most who read the site notice that I mention being a personal trainer and have so many things to ask me. I know this site is intended to inform others spiritually and magickally, but just as my friend, Jimmy, mentioned to me recently....... physical health is important to maintaining your spiritual and magickal health. If you are not physically healthy, can you truly be spiritually healthy? And what about magickally? People all over the world struggle with health issues- from disease to obesity to lack of energy. Here on this page, I want to give you some help with everyday, over-all health- beginning with diet and exercise. Often, when I begin working with a new client and start helping them plan a diet and exercise program, I hear, "My other diets didn't work," or, "My old workouts just didn't get me anywhere," or, "That diet and exercise plan failed." Ummmm, I'm sorry but it's physically impossible for diet and exercise to fail you. If you are looking to improve health, keeping with a balanced diet and exercising regularly CANNOT fail you. If you are honestly working at these two important issues in your life, then you will not fail to be a more healthy individual. Lack of motivation is, in 99 percent of the cases I see, the kindling for failure. Simple as that. A person gets out of the shower one day, looks in the mirror, is horrified by the reflection in the mirror, and right then and there this person thinks, "I have to do something about this body and about my health." And what does this person do? He or she goes to a local health club or gym and tries to fix the problem by jumping head first into some type of exercise plan and/or goes on a crash diet. A week later, life sucks. This person hasn't stuck to the diet plan, and hates the thought of being at the gym. Lack of motivation is where this state of mind begins.....and eventually your mind chooses defeat over victory. What could possibly motivate a person to stick to a diet or exercise program? As a personal trainer, I motivate people- it's the most important aspect of my job. Yes, I design workout and diet plans for individuals based on their needs, but keeping them motivated is key. Thing is, most people either can't afford a personal trainer or they think they don't have time for one. So, if you can't get a personal trainer, what do you do? Before I give you some answers, let me say this......diet and exercise isn't just about looking good. Feeling good is just as important. Looking healthy is great, but diet and exercise helps you to be healthy. Many of the clients I've worked with have had issues other than looks- they are overcome with stress, they have trouble sleeping, have little or no confidence, have health issues such as osteoperosis, unhealthy skin or hair, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad circulation, no energy (no energy is most common with my clients), nervousness and tension, some might struggle with postpartum depression or any other form of depression or anxiety. They need a balanced diet and an exercise regimen to solve these health issues. So, again, without a personal trainer to motivate you.....how the heck do you stay motivated and attain physical victory? Here is a step-by-step solution for you: The Perfect You First, visualize your body and begin to think of what your perfect you would look like. Grab a pen and paper and write out the perfect, physical you. What does your hair look like, your face, your shoulders, your arms, your torso, your hips, your butt......and on down to your feet. Be specific and write down everything. Now, what does the perfect you FEEL like? What health issues- other than physical appearance- need help? Write down how the perfect you feels......rested, energetic, no stress, confident, regulated blood pressure, no depression, etc. Again, be specific. Now visualize....you as your perfect self, in the location of your choice, with the person of your choice. Describe this out loud, to yourself or to someone else. What do you look like? What are you wearing? Who is with you? How is this person looking at you? How do you feel, inside and out? What are you doing? As you describe your visualization....remember how you look, specifically, how you feel, specifically, what health issues are solved, etc. Obstacles and Defeat Now.....what is keeping you from attaining this physical appearance and physical health you wrote down and visualized? What obstacles in your life are causing you to be defeated by an unhealthy lifestyle? Why are you choosing defeat over victory? Begin to write down what is preventing you from experiencing this ultimate picture of health you visualized- what are your OBSTACLES? Give this area of your paper the title "Defeat." Begin to write what is causing this defeat.......is an unhealthy diet keeping you from looking fit? What about your diet is unhealthy? Do you eat fried foods and snack often? Write that down. Do you drink a lot of soda? Drink coffee and other caffeinated beverages? Write it down. Do you not eat enough fruits and vegetables? Do you not exercise regularly? Do you feel you have no time for exercise? Do you eat fast foods or eat out often? Do you have a family that you feel is preventing you from getting time to exercise? Are your friends just as unhealthy as you? Is your significant other unhealthy and does he/she eat an unbalanced diet? Do you feel you are not organized or that you have no focus? Do you procrastinate? Write it all down. Every little thing that is an obstacle for your physical health should be written on your list. Goals and Victory Next.....you will create your victory list. I want you to get a clean sheet of paper for this and write your list vertically, one idea under the next. Based on your obstacles, what will you do to obtain your ultimate physical health? You will be writing down ideas that you will incorporate into daily life, from this day on. This list is a checklist that you will keep in your home and also with you at work, school, etc., and will be checking off as you complete it. What about your diet will change? Write it down. Drinking 64 ounces of water a day? You need to, so write that down. Eating less fast foods, less fried foods, less snacks, less soda....write it all down. Eat veggies and fruit, cut down on carbohydrates like breads, pasta, and rice. Exercise daily.....write it down. You must exercise at least 3 times a week- be it cardio, strength training, building, firming......some type of exercise, so write that down. Where will you find an exercise program.....at a gym or will you do it alone at home? Write it down. Do you need to start taking a multivitamin? (If you aren't already, then yes, you do so write it down). Do you need to help your significant other and other family members to be fitness or health-oriented? If so, write that down. Do you need to start buying healthier foods and cooking healthier meals? Write it down. Do you need to become more focused on YOU? Write all of this down. Think of what you need to do, personally, and write it down. What you need to do with this list, first, is copy it. You need one to hang in your home where you will see it every day and one to keep with you all day. At the bottom of your lists, write down your ultimate victories.......firmer body, better attitude, more confidence, more rested, more energy, less stress, no sickness, friendlier and more appealing personality, less irritable......and be specific here too. If you are reaching for a body that looks great in a swim suit, write that down. Write down what you will achieve by reaching the goals you just listed. Next, date the lists.......from today to 21 days from now. Here is an example list and how it can be dated...... _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Feb21 Feb22 Feb23 Feb24 Feb25 Feb26 Feb27 Feb28 Mar1 Mar2 Mar3 Goals Eat vegetables x Replace fast food lunch with healthy meal x Cut out carbohydrates x Drink 64 ounces of water Exercise- sit ups, squats, free weights Take my vitamins Cook healthy dinner x Don't eat snack from vending machine Don't drink soda.....replace with water x Help family see benefits of healthy diet Encourage friends to eat better Victories **Less stress....More energy.....Firm butt....Six-pack abs....Less irritable.....More condident.....More rested** _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I don't have room here to date the list for 21 days, but you can do so with your paper. Under each date, you will place a check mark or X beside the goal once you complete it. Notice my x's above next to the goals I listed. After you eat your healthy lunch, check it off. After you cut out the carbohydrates from your supper, check it off. After you drink your water, check it off, after your vitamin, check it off, after your exercises, check it off. This list can be long and detailed, depending on how much change you need in your life. This list of goals will help you reach your physical victories...over-all, ultimate health. The reason for the 21 day progression......it takes 21 days of repeated activitiy to creat a habit. Health will become a habit for you. The ideas you write on your list are goals- the diet and excercise changes, the daily life changes- these are goals you will reach day-by-day. However, the concepts written at the bottom of your checklist.......these are VICTORIES. Victory is a philosophy. Goals are ideas you need to keep in mind in order to reach your ultimate victory. Reach your goals daily and you will realize victory. These victories at the bottom of your list are part of your motivation. This idea might sound hokey, goofy, ridiculous, etc. But it's proven to work. In the fitness meetings and seminars I attend in the U.S. and Australia, this is the latest and most effective system in gaining and maintaining ultimate physical health. The most cutting edge salons, health clubs, and gyms across the States will be teaching this type of system to it's members. Personal trainers who are doing their job right will be teaching this system to their clients and working with them daily to reach goals and attain victory over unhealthy activities. Keep the list, check off your goals as you complete them........and there is no way you can fail. Accountability This is the final step in this program I described. What is accountability? It's being responsible for something and to someone else. While you are keeping this victory checklist and completing it day-to-day, it's a good idea to have someone to be accountable to. Do you have a friend or someone in your life who could, every day, ask you, "Did you eat properly today, did you drink your water, did you exercise, did you take your vitamins, did you count your calories and fat grams, let me see that checklist......?" As a personal trainer, it's my job to ask these questions and have my clients answer to me when it comes to their diet and exercise. But if you have no personal trainer, grab a friend or family member and tell them to drill you each day and help keep you on track. This is another step to keeping you motivated. Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to look and feel good? Then get off your butt and do something about it. Don't complain about it.......fix it. Can't hire someone to help you stay motivated? Then keep this list in front of your face everyday and allow yourself to see exactly what you truly desire and how you will achieve it. If you want it, do it. Everyday when you see that checklist and look at your victories, you will feel that desire to look and feel healthy. So do it! Physical health is important. No, looking perfect is not important, that's not what this system is about. Being the best physical YOU is what this system is about. Health is not just looking good- it's feeling good and feeling good about yourself. Would you feel better about yourself if your body was firm and sculpted? Then use this motivation system I described and get that firm body with diet and exercise. Would you feel better if you could sleep well at night and have more energy? Then use this program and get yourself a healthy diet and good exercise program. This system is the answer to the ultimate, healthy you. If you are rested, energetic, more positive, and more healthy over-all.........then your spiritual life and magickal practise will benefit from this. HOME |
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