I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year a bit depressing. Christmas and all its fun and treats and parties are over, the new year has come…and past, our Vancouver weather is full of rain, rain and more rain…and the shine is starting to wear off my motivation.

My energy level dips with the gloomy days and wouldn’t it be nice to stay in bed all cuddled up with a good book, or to sit and watch tv all day with a soft blanket, glass of wine, some cheese and the fireplace cranked up?

Thank goodness I joined the Peninsula Runners marathon running clinic.

Because, well, let me just say…this video sums up the reason why I need to get running:

On Wednesday, I felt absolutely listless and grumpy as I hadn’t slept well at all after having a small cyst removed from my shoulder the day before. It didn’t hurt at all, until I fell asleep. Who knew 3 small stitches on my shoulder blade could be that irritating every time I rolled over!

So I was really tired and was NOT looking forward to my evening run…well, maybe more like ‘dreading’ my evening run. Let’s face it, it’s pretty easy to lose motivation as the day wears on anyway. And while the run itself was to be around 6 miles, the hard part was the 3 mile tempo run which I was scheduled to run at a pace I just wasn’t sure about. Yikes!

I was so grumpy that I decided I’d better try to take a cat nap in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I’m not a good daytime napper.

When my husband came home and entered our bedroom, he took one look at my face (the only thing poking out from my big comfy pile of pillows and duvet covers) and promptly left again.

I could hear him hastily warning the kids not to come into my room. Guess I looked as grumpy as I felt, lol!

Half an hour later, though, I was up, dressed and ready to run.

Albeit, not cheerfully and everyone kept their distance from me, peeking at me out of the corners of their eyes. I laced my runners, waved goodbye and fled before I could think twice.

So what happened to get me out of bed…?

My girlfriend. It was my turn to drive to the running group and I had to go pick her up.

Instant accountability – and thank goodness, because without her, I’d never have gone! And guess what…she was exhausted from a long day of work and said the same thing to me.

You know the ending to this story….we went, we ran, we came home….pumped!

I felt energized and so, SO much more cheerful. I mean, irritatingly happy. I sat down in front of the tv, cranked up the fireplace, wrapped myself up in a soft blanket, had a little snack and my (sweet) hubby made me a giant spinach, blueberry and mango smoothie.

Heaven!

All that and I’d burned off 600 calories too.

I was SO glad I went.

And holding onto that thought – how happy I’ll feel after I work out – will help motivate me for my next run.

And if that fails, well, that’s what friends are for, right?!

What is Motivation? A Video to Inspire Us.

Happy New Year!

If – like many of us – you have weight loss or fitness resolutions this year, congratulations!

Now I know that some people poo-poo New Year’s resolutions but the GGS girls don’t.  Yes, its better to try to have an all-around, long term healthy lifestyle, yada yada, but let’s get realistic. Sometimes we need a little incentive to get us off our butts.

New Years Resolutions can be that catalyst.

Six years ago at Sian’s happy/tipsy New Year’s Eve party, Sian, Susan and I made a resolution together that we’d start running. You know the boisterous-almost-bragging-off-the-cuff-we-should-do-a-10k-run-even-though-we’ve-never-run-a-step-before type of resolution…

Were we serious at the time?

Heck, no.

Alcohol impairs judgment, remember?

So did we wake up wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into?

Heck, yes.

We were sober by then.

But we’re all stubborn and none of us wanted to be the friend that “gave up”.  So we had a little positive peer pressure to get us going.  And go we did, one small step at a time.

But after a few months, we went from couch potatoes to fitness enthusiasts (you can read the whole story here, if you want the entire yada yada).

Later – after an injured back that required emergency surgery – Sian decided that gym workouts and not running are for her.  For Susan, running is still an on/off passion and so is yoga.  For me, running has become a way of life, part of the very fabric of my being.

In the end, we all took on the challenge of a New Year’s Fitness Resolution…and kept it.  Six years and counting.

And you can too.

The trick is to find something you enjoy and to stay motivated so you don’t drop your resolution like a couch hot potato come February.

While only you know what will fire up your passion when it comes to fitness and weight loss, we can help you on the motivation end.

In this post we have a great video for you, and be sure to check out the other posts in our Motivation Category too for more inspiration.

In this video, super-motivator Anthony Robbins retells an inspiring story about Rocky, aka, Sylvestor Stallone. I don’t want to give much away, but it speaks to persevering when times are bleak.

We hope this is a story touches you and inspires you and helps you persevere when times get tough.

Because if you are just starting your weight loss or fitness journey, no lie, things will get tough.

But if you persevere, you’ll come out the other side a stronger, smarter, more confident person.

And isn’t it time you embrace that challenge?

We are so excited to welcome Debi Silber MS, RD, WHC - The Mojo Coach – as a featured contributor to Girlgetstrong! ~ Melanie

There are many reasons to incorporate exercise into your life.  But all of them may not have the same motivating power for you.  Finding the benefits of exercise that mean the most to you personally can make all the difference in getting you into a long term habit of regular exercise.

Some of benefits of exercise that you might consider are:

* Reduces your risk for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity

* Helps reduce your blood pressure

* Increases HDL (“good” cholesterol) and reduces LDL (“bad” cholesterol)

* Clears toxins

* Improves the quality of your sleep

* Sharpens your mind and increases energy

* Makes your heart and lungs stronger and more efficient

* Elevates mood

* Helps manage stress

* Sets a positive example for your children

* Tones your body and keeps you slim

You have probably heard most of these benefits before, and they’re all good reasons to get off the couch and get moving.  But finding the one that motivates you is the key to making exercise a part of your life!

If reducing the risk of disease jumps out on the list and makes you want to get started, then think about how exercise helps normalize your levels of stress hormones, blood glucose levels, and insulin levels.  Normalizing these levels keeps your body in balance while reducing your risk for diseases.

If the idea of elevating your mood is especially appealing to you, imagine being outside on the perfect day, with a clear head, listening to the perfect song and enjoying the feeling of treating your body well.  Now imagine you are midway through your workout and suddenly you feel a burst of energy that makes you feel as if you can fly.  You are completely “in the zone”, you feel weightless and you feel like nothing beats the feeling you’re experiencing right at that moment.  You may double your speed and not even notice because you are so completely enjoying the experience.

Those of you who don’t exercise may think I am nothing short of crazy, but I can only urge you to give this “high” a try!  When you compare it to any chemically induced high, this one is available any time, for free, and is actually good for you!

Another example of how exercise can elevate your mood is by giving you a positive outlet for stress relief, building your confidence by building a more fit body and showing yourself a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle.  The positive thoughts that come along with these feelings will overflow into other areas of your life.

If setting a good example for your children seems like a strong reason to get moving, realize that you can tell your children all day long how important it is for them to exercise.  But if they see you finding the time to exercise yourself, they may follow your example and get out and try it themselves.  Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!

If making your body lean, toned and strong sounds good to you, you are in good company!  Having children can leave your body in less than optimal condition and you can thank your little ones for the new stretch marks, change in skin tone, sagging, and those few extra pounds you may still have hanging around since their arrival.  While people will tell you these are some of the ‘medals of motherhood’, I’m going to tell you something else.  You don’t have to be unhappy with your post-pregnancy body.  In fact, you can make your post-pregnancy body stronger, sleeker, and sexier than ever before.

While you may have a few extra pounds on you, you also may have some new curves to work with.  While your skin tone may not be the same, you can certainly tighten up what’s lying underneath.  The point is, it’s never too late to work toward a healthy, fit body!

So take some time and think about what would motivate YOU to exercise.  What benefits of becoming fit mean the most to you?  Find a personal reason for beginning or maintaining an exercise routine.  The reason can be your health, your appearance, stress-management, the chance to take some time for self-care, or showing yourself that you can make a commitment and stick to it.  Whatever reason you discover, write it down and review it every day.  On days when you don’t feel like exercising, reading your own words of motivation may offer you the incentive to get moving!

Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach® is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Nutrition Science. She’s a Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, Lifestyle Expert – just for moms, speaker and the author of The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best and From Mom To Wow: Your Ultimate Body, Mind and Life Makeover Guide.

~ Melanie

Yesterday, when I read Sian’s post about the self -sabotage one’s inner voice can do (“Are those my fat thighs in the mirror, Sian’s weekly weigh in“), I immediately thought of my own little green and scaly bug-eyed devil named Tiff.  She’s my little – but loud – inner voice and I always picture her as a surprisingly round green monster sitting on my shoulder, doing her best to weigh me down. (Yes; Tiff. It’s the name of a particularly nasty girl I once knew. I know it’s petty, but it does makes me feel loads better.)

Never is the whiny side of  inner-voice-Tiff louder than when I’m running.

“Stop. Stop. Stop.” She pleads petulantly with each footfall from the moment I close the front door to the moment I come back to my driveway. “You’re tired. You’re not strong enough.  You’re not an athlete. You’ll never be a good runner. Why don’t you just give up and go home, sit your ass on the couch and scarf down some chips and beer.”

I used to argue with her voraciously. After all, I don’t even particularly like beer. Arguing never worked well, though, and people always gave me funny looks when they saw me running past them yelling at my shoulder.

When I first started running, there were too many times that I let Tiff bully me.  After all, the effort of running is uncomfortable; there is the pounding of the feet, the shaking of anything that jiggles, the desperate gasping of breath and the wild pumping of arms (or is that just me reliving a Friends episode?).

“Stop. Stop. Stop.” Tiff’s voice is amazingly effective.

Two things helped me quiet her voice.  The first thing that helped was joining a running group – where just the thought of being left behind kept me going, as well as the cheery support of the group leaders and fellow runners.  It was a relief not to have to battle my inner voice anymore, but to just follow the group and go with the flow.

And it was in the running group that I learned that I have a choice – I don’t need to listen to the negative little whiner.  I learned you can tune out the voice by ignoring it and you can also stifle it by distraction, but that the best way of all to quiet it is by building up your self-confidence.

One of the leaders of my running group had a strict rule – no complaining.  Complaining, she said, was poison to the group. She said one person’s complaint would spread like a virus to everyone else.  She was adamant about her rule and I’ll never forget the lecture she gave to one man who just couldn’t keep his negative inner voice inside his head. He said something pretty innocuous like, “Wow this is tough.” and our leader’s head whipped around and right then in front of everyone she asked him to make a choice: be positive (or at least quiet) or leave the group.   At the time, I thought she was being harsh but I’ve come to realize just how right she is (although perhaps she could have handled it better). Negativity is contagious and the more you listen to it, the stronger it becomes. Negativity sucks out your hard-won self confidence, undoing all the positive work you’ve done.

I found that while I couldn’t banish the voice (I’m not sure I ever will completely), I could distract myself.

I love to drown my inner voice with music.  I’m obsessive about my running music. I choose high tempo, high energy, positive songs that sweep me along in their frantic beat.  I turn my ipod up until the beat of the music becomes one with my heart beat and I surrender my pace to the music, surging along with it, slowing when it slows.  I like to think of it as a dance of pure joy and yes, power.  When I surrender completely, I feel as though I could run forever.

Yes, music works great for me but don’t get me wrong: it is a crutch.  I can run without music but it is never quite the same.

Over the years, each new running accomplishment made that whiny little inner voice named Tiff quieter and quieter.  After all, now I know that Tiff was wrong; I can do it. I did a 10k, a half marathon, a personal best, ran for four hours, ran through the rain, the sleet, the snow, the sniffles. I know I am strong enough and that I am as much of an athlete as I allow myself to be. Let’s face it, I  know I’ll never win a race, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is beating Tiff, not the other runners.

Ladies, we’re allowed to be proud of ourselves and we deserve to be proud of our accomplishments. Like Mizfit says, “I am my own superhero” and some days, after a good run, I believe this too.

Every once in a while, Tiff’s voice gets louder. Bad runs happen, for whatever reason and Tiff loves to pipe up and remind me that she’s still waiting to mess with my head.  But every time she does I give myself a little smile and think about what I’ve accomplished and I know Tiff will never be heavy on my shoulder again.

photo, right, me at the finish line of the Victoria, BC, half marathon

~Abby, Fitsmi

In general, I really like to exercise. Or, let me amend that: I really like having exercised. I like knowing there’s a diet coke with my name on it at the end of a long, sweaty bike ride. I like knowing I’ve done something good for myself.

This is not to say that I’m a pillar of exercise excellence. There are days—many, in fact—when I’d rather, oh, scrub my toilet than hit the gym. On those days, it takes everything in my power to get off my ass and actually moving. But nine times out of ten I actually succeed. </p>

1. I want to get in shape! And exercise is the best way to do it.
2. I feel great–physically and psychically–after I’ve worked out.
3. Muscles are sexy.
4. There are REALLY hot guys at my gym.
5. I pay good money to belong to the gym; how can I just let it sit there, un-used?
6. My iPod likes to sweat, too.
7. I really dig the way my muscles feel—and look!—after I spin, kickbox, swim, or run on the treadmill.
8. I love food! And what’s the best way to eat and not gain weight? Yep, you guessed it.
9. I have awesome workout clothes and it seems un-American not to wear them.
10. Did I say there are really hot guys at my gym?

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