Create Ready Set Go!

by Kris Pitcher

People get frustrated because they just never seem to be able to get going. They get the "ready", and they get the "set". But they have no "go!". The go really is the most important part.

The problem is, they don't really have the "ready" down. What I mean is they aren't ready for change. They might think they're ready, but the reality is change is very difficult.

Change means you actually have to do things differently. You have to change them. Pretty deep. You've heard the expression, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

It's true, if you keep doing the same things expecting a different outcome, you are not getting it. And you're not ready. You might even have the set and the go. But if you don't have the "ready"...you're not going to get anywhere.

It's hard to describe but you know when you are ready to accept change. You know when you are willing to do things differently, to stop being defensive about your behaviors, to accept that what you've been doing might not be serving you well.

Those things take courage, humility and the ability to take direction. It's hard to come to the realization that you might not have been treating your body all that well. Seriously, no harm, no foul. You just make better decisions one by one. That's how you accept readiness.

If you've been wavering on readiness to change, think about making a small change today. Just a small one. You don't have to tell anyone about it, just do it for yourself. Small changes add up, leading to big changes. That's how you create "ready"!

Fluff and Circumstance

by Kris Pitcher

Much of exercise is exactly as Nike says...just do it. But most of us put a lot of fluff and circumstance into the process making it really difficult to accomplish much, or be very successful at any of it.

What's fluff and circumstance? It's all the gear - the i-pod, the earphones, the arm band thingy, the newspaper/magazine/novel, e-reader, and the calorie burner/hr monitor. It's all the scheduling - when will I fit it in, what's the best time, what if so-and-so can't meet me?

The fluff is all the stuff and the circumstance are all the barriers we put up around why we can't seem to ever really make it happen. It's all the ceremony around making it into something bigger than it has to be.

Instead of spending all that energy on all of that...we could have already just done it. Ultimately, we're looking for excuses why it won't work instead of looking for ways to make it work. I'm not sure why our nature is to self sabotage in that way.

If you strip away all the fluff and circumstance you just have the actual work. So, my advice is just do the work. Quit looking for reasons why you can't do the work. You can do the work.

The work won't get done for you, no one but you can do it...so, just get up and go. Put away your fluff and circumstance and get going. Strip away the can'ts and the won'ts for cans and wills. It's your choice to meet your goals. You create that. Don't let fluff and circumstance get in your way!

Anonymous Rubbish

by Kris Pitcher

The look in her eye told me this was something to share in a big way. I almost couldn't hear the words coming from her mouth because I was so struck by the sparkle...or the roar of the commercial clothes dryers.

No, it was the glint in her eyes as she recounted an experience she'd had 21 floors above. Now, there are chores no one likes to do. If you've ever had to ask someone in your household to take the trash out you know what I'm talking about.

It's almost as if you've just asked them to gather up all the trash in the house, strip naked, and go door to door selling it to the neighbors. In reality...you just want them to remove the almost overflowing bag from the kitchen and take it 50 feet outside to the trash can.

Taking the trash out is a chore no one likes. Everyone likes a fresh, empty trash can in the kitchen especially. But taking it out, no one likes to do the asking, or the taking.

When you're 21 floors up things are different. You urban dwellers might not know how good you have it. So, I'm going to tell you. Welcome to the rubbish chute!

The look in Susie's eyes, the sparkle, the joy in her voice told me without exception she'd just experienced one of the most exhilarating things in her life. And this is why I think that is.

As you open the chute and release your trash, you can hear the echo of it making it's way into darkness. Having only your imagination to determine it's final stop...you imagine it disappears into thin air. Almost. But the real joy, the pure joy, is the anonymity.

That's right. Anonymous rubbish. For me, this is THE most exciting part about the trash chute. You have all this high-rise trash coming from random places into one central location and no one knows what you threw away!

I love that. Maybe it was all the anthropology classes I took in college (which were very interesting but who's going to be an anthropologist?) but I don't want anyone analyzing who I am now or after I'm dead by going through my trash.

Having said that...I really should purge more of my stuff. Anyway, the point is it is a complete joy to release your trash in a chute rather than walk your trash outside. Period.

All you high rise dwellers can just pause for a moment and relish in your rubbish. My urbanites can take joy for a day in another way to look at your life. Because in the eyes of a rural living gal...having anonymous rubbish is pretty exhilarating.

On Strength of Character

by Kris Pitcher

Strength is an amazing thing. On Halloween, at work we had a Board meeting and we always try to do something fun to engage people. One of the members asked everyone to tell what they would dress up as if they could be anything.

I felt pressure. This could, after all, be a career limiting answer if I didn't select it carefully. I was thinking about super heroes with their strength and courage. But then sometimes...I already feel like one.

That might sound a little overly self confident, but as a competitor I hear a lot of, "I just don't know how you do it." And, "You have such strength to eat like that." Statements which make me feel like I have some super power.

Mine is nothing compared to that of my husband. I've watched him prepare for the NPC Nationals...and the time is finally here. He's eaten countless pounds of white fish and egg whites for weeks on end in preparation.

He's done hour upon hour of cardio often early in the morning and late into the night to accommodate his schedule with clients. He's maintained his ability to care for each of them along the way...even when it got difficult.

He's battled fatigue on the days when there just wasn't anything left to pull from. He's managed a smile for me even when he didn't feel the least bit happy inside. He pushed (and pulled) through his workouts until the very end.

Strength is an amazing thing. We are stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We can push ourselves beyond limits imaginable to reach goals unheard of.

It's due to strength of character. It's what's inside the heart and the soul. It's what's inside the mind. It's who we are at the core that drives us to dig this deep. I've never been more proud of my very own super hero. Hit that stage Jacques!

Forgive My Sins

by Kris Pitcher

This is the age old question. Everyone asks it. And while I'd like to grab you by the shoulders and shake you when the words leave your mouth...it's not your fault because you've been programmed to repent.

It goes something like this. You go off plan. There are so many reasons why that might happen we'll just reach up in the air and pick one. You go off plan because you celebrate your wedding anniversary with a weekend get-away. (Sounds nice...)

The next thing that happens is you come back to your real life and you immediately stand on the scale (that's another blog all together). You don't like what the scale says. Even though you know you've gone off plan (you were there!) you are shocked, surprised, and saddened by what you see.

Then the question comes into your mind because you get this idea that you must repent. You ask yourself (or your trusted coach/trainer/professional), "What can I cut to get back where I started before my wonderful weekend?"

Seriously, don't feel sheepish, everyone does this. We are programmed to ask this question - which brings a question too big for even this blog, so I'll leave that one.

Here is the answer. Nothing. You do nothing. What you do is you get right back on plan. You eat exactly what you are supposed to eat, all of it. You do your exercise, all of it. You drink your water, all of it.

But you certainly don't cut any of the good stuff out. You cut the bad stuff out, which you will automatically do by not having brunch on Sunday morning in the resort. You're home now, back on plan. Do. Your. Plan.

That little celebratory break didn't set you back for weeks. You can get right back on track after enjoying the foundation of your life. No biggie. You don't need to repent for that. You haven't committed any sins. *Smile!

The Point of Points

by Kris Pitcher

Being rewarded is nice. I'm a member in a million reward programs. Earning points for this and racking up rewards for that. You're familiar with these loyalty programs. You're earning miles, and points yourself.

Some people are really savvy at earning and using their points. These systems are perfect for the very frequent shopper or consumer. Which admittedly, I am not.

I think it's this "rack 'em up!" mentality which frustrates me about the points based diet programs. I'll preface my frustration by saying - these are great programs. It's really your behavior that I'm going to challenge.

Let's talk about the way you use your points, and the way the points might best serve you. I know you are saving your points like miles toward a big trip of a life time. When you want to drink with the girls or go out after work...you save up all week.

What your "saving" means is you are going without meals. You are going without nutrition during the week so you can uncork your points later on. Now, if these were simply "reward" points for being a loyal customer...that would be fine.

But they are not reward points. They are points allocated for you to make food choices with. They are assigned in value form to various foods and combinations of foods so you can make educated choices regarding how you will spend your daily allotment of points.

They are a learning tool so you can make choices about how much things "cost". Your points help guide your decisions about food. It's currency to be spent on a daily basis. So, what's the big deal about saving them all up?

Well, calories are not created equal. What you will get nutritionally from an apple is much different than a 1 point 100 calorie snack treat. And certainly the calories from either of those are different than what you would get from 2 ounces of chicken breast.

The worst part of the save mentality, is by going without we are choosing to shut down our metabolism. Less is not more in the battle of the bulge. And the bottom line is if we save up all our points to use on empty calorie, zero nutrition, items...we're making a clear choice about our progress.

If you've gotten really savvy about ways to save up your points...you're not cheating the system. You haven't pulled one over, or tricked anyone. You're just racking 'em up for the big one!

Think about your points in terms of currency you get to spend rather than rewards you are saving up. Make good choices about how you spend that currency and the value of the choices you make regarding the nutritional profile. The reward will be yours!     

Checking Your Cans & Shoulds - Cocoa Pebbles

by Kris Pitcher

Recently my husband, who is heavily dieting, said to me, "I don't know why you're not eating Cocoa Pebbles." He said this with a straight face, out of the blue...in the evening.

I thought to myself - yeah, why aren't I eating Cocoa Pebbles?! My initial reply was, "I didn't have enough money for Cocoa Pebbles." Which was another funny husband story about the cost of groceries.

In an attempt to use cash for purchases he gave me money for groceries which basically amounted to what they would have cost in 1979. It's OK, we each have our contributions and shopping the groceries is mine.

As I thought about it a little more, I realized there are a lot of foods I just don't know about. Foods I just wouldn't consider because I've forgotten they exist. Chocoliscious bowls of cereal fall into that category.

Dieting, or rather eating clean, for so long will do that to you. Now, as I go down the aisles of the grocery store it's overwhelming and I leave with nothing instead of one of the 700 types of cereal. I'm not really supposed to eat cereal anyway!

Now that I could have a few "goodies" such as cereal...I don't even want it. Not only is it overwhelming to pick one, but it doesn't fit into my plan...or my life any more.

So, the real answer to why I'm not eating Cocoa Pebbles is because: I forgot they existed; I couldn't find them if I was looking for them on the aisle; and I don't really want to eat that.

His question wasn't quite so literal. In the bigger context he wondered - now that I have free reign, how is it, or why is it that I'm keeping my diet so clean? The answer there is twofold. First, he's dieting. I'm working to be supportive and control our home environment.

Secondly, this serves me. It allows me to maintain control over how gradually my weight returns. It's my way of managing my rebound. By not keeping that kind of stuff in the house, I have to make a conscious decision to go out and get something off plan. Or in addition to my plan.

And like a lot of things, just because you "can" doesn't mean you "should". It's about making the right choice because of the goals you want to reach. My Cocoa Pebbles choice will help me get to my goals.

This is where I ask you to check your "cans" and your "shoulds" to determine if your choices are taking you on the right path. The path is yours, it leads to your goals. Is it paved with Cocoa Pebbles?