HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It’s a fresh start. Today is Monday January 4th, 2010. We’re 4 days into a new year… Imagine how GREAT your life is going to be this year starting now. Believe in 2010, Believe that anything’s possible.

* The YOU Mission

Make this year “The Year” you remember for the rest of your life. What do you want to make happen this year? Anyone who knows me knows I’m a HUGE Fan of writing my dreams and goals down on paper.

I find that people often get stuck in the process of writing it down because they can’t fathom how they’re going to get there? But that’s the miracle part of the process, you don’t have to know how you’re going to get there you just have to write it down. I truly believe that if you put your mind, your soul, and your body into your dreams the rest will fall into place.

You never have to know how you’re going to get there… You just have to know that you want it and you’re willing to do whatever it takes.

* I’m going to tell you a little story.

Every Year when I’m flying home for the Holidays I take the time to make a list of The Top 20 Goals I want to achieve in the year. I write down crazy things way outside of my comfort zone and I write down goals I believe I can accomplish personally, professionally, and physically.

Once I nail down my Top 20 Goals for 2010 I’ll put them on the wall right above my desk and look at them every day. I put life into them by contacting people I know who have expertise in the areas of the goals… I put life into them by saying yes to opportunities that scare me a little. Opportunities I know will get me closer to where I want to be, so I can cross off #19 from the list

I’m going to share with you 4 goals I had last year. Goals that often seemed impossible… Goals that people said I would never accomplish

Be a Featured Fitness Expert on The Today Show in 2009 – I was the featured fitness expert on The Today Show December 6, 2009, Check out my website! http://www.laceystonefitness.com/video.htm - How did that happen? Not how you’d think.
Be Voted One of the Top 10 Trainers in New York in 2009– I was voted one of the Top 7 Trainers by Timeout Magazine on December 14th, 2009. http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/spas-sport/81637/top-trainers/4.html
Develop my relationship with Nike, become a consultant, develop revolutionary workout programs with them, anndd get lots of freeee cloootthhesss – Nike invited me to their Headquarters in Oregon January 10-12, 2010.
Share my love with Jessica Clark every single day and ask her to marry me. – We are getting married in Mexico on February 28th, 2010.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I want you to achieve your dreams and be the person you were born to be. I stand here to tell you that anything’s possible. I’m just a girl from Wisconsin who goes after my Top 20 Goals everyday, and the thrill of achieving almost every goal from my 2009 list feels Glorious. 2010 is the YEAR people, make it happen.

* January EVENTS!

PLAYList of The YEAR!

Wednesday – January 6th 2010 @ 6.30pm – Greenwich Equinox prepare to be WOWED.

Come one Come all to The PLAYList of The Year! All participants get a FREE CD and are eligible for the Raffle – Lacey Stone Fitness Hoodies, 6pack of Personal Training Sessions, and mooorreeee!

Equinox Anniversary WOOOORRRKKKOut!

Tuesday – January 19th @ 6.40pm – Greenwich Village Equinox

Mark Hendricks & I will lead a FUN Bootcamp Event you won’t want to miss! Start the New Year with a Bang! And invite Non-members to join in on the fun, just say you’re here for The Anniversary Workout w/ Lacey & Mark. Who loves you?

Cycle for SURVIVAL!

Start a Team. Join the Ride. OR Support the cause.
Cycle for Survival is the indoor cycling fundraiser benefiting lifesaving cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center anndd The Event is open to Everyone!

When? Sunday, January 31 – 2010 – I will be there from 8am-1pm
Where? 521 Fifth Ave. (at 43rd St.) – I will be there almost all day!

Register or donate now at www.cycleforsurvival.org or email cycleforsurvival@mskcc.org 888.722.9253

* My Revised 2010 Schedule – New CLASS!

Here’s my 2010 Schedule Plus Fun B-O-N-U-S-ES due to the lovely Kristi Molinaro.

The Schedule
Monday: 6.30am –Spin – Gwch
MONDAY: Starts Today NEW CLASS!- 12.30 – Spin – Columbus Circle – I’m going UPTOWN!

Tuesday: 6.40pm – TheBigGAME! – Gwch
Wednesday: 12.15 – Spin – 19th
Wednesday: 6.30pm – Spin – Gwch
Friday: 6.30am – TheBigGAME! – Gwch

B-o-n-u-s – The Lovely Ms Kristi Molinaro is due very soon. I’ll be taking over for her mid – January – Feb 20th, my wedding is February 28th, 2010.

This Saturday DOUBLE is being dubbed – The Pre-Wedding Slim-o-thon!

10.30am- 11.15- SPIN
11.30 -12.15 – TheBigGAME!

It’s going to be a BALL…. Come SWEAT it out with me and Blast off to 2000 and Zen GREATNESS! If you’re a non-member have no fear just shoot me an email 48 hours in advance and I’ll get you on the guestlist for any of these 45min workouts! Sswweeettt!!! For easy access to my schedule just click – http://www.laceystonefitness.com/schedule.htm – B-A-M!

* NEWS – Top 7 Trainers in New York!

Timeout New York – MAJOR!
I was Voted one the Top 7 Trainers in New York by Timeout Magazine. The Issue is still on stands now, check out page 24, Thank you to my client Erin Crandall for her very sweet quote and Kate Lowenstein… you are both angels. If you didn’t get to grab a copy here’s a quick link of the article, Check it OUT! http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/spas-sport/81637/top-trainers/4.html

TV –WCBS & WNBC Resolutions Segment – I filmed a segment for WNBC New Years Day and I’m filming a segment for WCBS News today about 6 ways to stick to your Fitness goals in ‘10. WNBC aired BUT WCBS hasn’t yet… As soon as I know the air date I will let you know! Yyyeaahhh 2010!!!

FITNESS – A couple Fitness Experts including me listed off our favorite tunes for Fitness Magazine Top 100 Workout Songs, page 74- Thank you Chee!

FITNESS PAGE on FB – Join my Fitness Page on Facebook – Lacey Stone Fitness, I will be taking polls, inviting you to Exclusive Nike Events and much much MORE. 2010 is the break-out Year bbaabbyy!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lacey-Stone-Fitness/172268324786?ref=ts Gracias Julie Smith the best Website Designer in the Universe

New Year’s Goals – If you’re looking to make some physical changes this year contact me, I’ll set you up with a trainer that matches your goals and your personality (Bottom line: If you don’t like’em you’re not going to go) – info@laceystonefitness.com – The time is now.

* Lesbian Love w/ Lacey & Jessica

SWWEEETTTTT, LL is killing it online thanks to you! Take a peak at last month’s highest rated episode: The episode is about “coming out” and discovering who you really are.

http://www.afterellen.com/blog/trishbendix/video-lacey-jessica-lesbian-love-episode-7

annnddd let us know if there’re any topics you’d like us to tackle in our next series of shows. Thank you for watching aaaanndddd commenting!

* December Top10!

Download this Playlist! These are the Top10 Voted Songs by Greenwich Village Equinox… If it’s HOT in the village it’s HOT, Trendsettersssss – Just click http://www.laceystonefitness.com/playlist.htm and download December TopTEN! 2009!

1. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
2. Empire State – Jay Z
3. Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
4. When Love Takes Over – Kelly Rowland
5. Million Dollar Bill (Remix) – Whitney
6. Paparazzi – Lady Gaga
7. Please Don’t Leave – Pink
8. Jai Ho! – A.R. Rahman
9. Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart – Alicia Keys
10. Single Ladies – Beyonce

* TRAVEL

Nike invited me to Oregon Sunday-Tuesday to the Think Tank… That’s the mother-ship, compound, headquarters ahhhh! All those hours on the basketball court, tennis court, soccer field, and Equinox… Sooo Happy!

Monday 1.11 – 6.30am – Spin – Greenwich – Faris
Monday 1.11 – 12.30 – Spin – Doug
Tuesday 1.12 – 6.40pm – TheBigGAME! – Erica

I’ll be back to teach Wednesday’s Spins and my regular schedule for the rest of the month. Brrinnnggg IT!

* QUOTE-Tastic!

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tightly closed in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.” Alicia Keys on – The Element of Freedom

Happy New Year!
Lacey

PS If you’d like to join my mailing list for Events and other motivational messages just click www.laceystonefitness.com and click “Sign-up for the newsletter” on the HOME page 2010 is it.

Passion.Patience.Persistence = EXCELLENCE

LACEY STONE
Fitness Professional
Founder of Lacey Stone Fitness, LLC
http://www.LaceyStoneFitness.com

What Does It Take?

Who do you look up to? Who do you admire? Who’s life inspires you?

For me I get inspired when I see people doing what they love.  I see Sparkles of Fairy Dust in people who are living out their purpose.  They figured out what they were meant to do on this planet and they’re doing it.  They are proud of themselves and their lives. They will do WHATEVER it takes to be the best they can be at their passion.

I believe a lot of us look up to actors, athletes, performers, and media moguls because we can feel the lives they lead are extraordinary.  They walk with purpose and they’re excited to wake up in the morning.

Some people that get me excited are- Madonna, Oprah, Martha Stewart, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Beyonce, Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barbara Streisand, Tony Robbins, & Kelly Ripa.

All of these people come from very different walks of life but they all believe and represent the same things. They LOVE what they do, and they will do WHATEVER it takes to be the best they can be in their given industries.  They never give up.  They believe in themselves more than anyone else.  They never take no for an answer.  They give themselves to others and their causes every second, of every day, of every moment.  They represent GREATNESS. 

And they’re not being GREAT to show off.  They are being great because that is all they know how to be.  They have made an agreement with themselves that they will get the job done.  Beyonce will lose 20lbs in a month if that’s what she’s told she must do for her career. Obama will go 3 days without sleeping to run the country.  Oprah, Kelly, and Martha will wake-up at 4am in the morning 5 days a week to make their shows and their 10 thousands other projects run smoothly. 

I respect these people because they will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  I respect anyone who stops making excuses and just does their job well.  They do it because they can, because they love it and loving it is reward enough.  When I get tired I think of them and their passion for life.  I want to do whatever it takes.  Because when you’re on the journey to GREATNESS… Whatever it takes is the only way to get there.

 

 

 

HUNT it DOWN!

Being Fearful of change, getting scared when you’re about to do something new, having doubts that you aren’t making the “right” decision… These are challenges every human being faces.

We can’t avoid it… It happens.  It’s the cycle of life.  Some days we feel on top of the world and other days we feel like nothing’s working.  BUT if we stay in the game long enough we realize that everything always comes full circle.  If we play by the rules and keep reaching for it… GOOD things will come our way eventually. It’s a law of nature.  If we break the rules and treat people like dirt some thing is going to come our way too.  Karma can be a REAL BI*$%#@ so watch out  :)

These are MY Top 3 Tools For Battling Doubt

1.    I think every Individual on this planet should have their own personal Mission Statement.  What do you stand for as a human being?  When times get tough and I start doubting myself I know I can always go back to my personal statement to bring me strength. 

My Mission Statement – I stand for hope and possibility in my life and everyone else’s life.

So when a friend comes to me and is looking for advice I always know how to respond.  I never doubt it… I’m there to support them in whatever they want to become.  When I doubt myself, I go back to my mission statement and I remember I can’t doubt myself because I stand for hope and possibility.  If I can remember to never lose hope than I can be, do, or have anything.

2.    After you know what you stand for I think it’s important to write down what it is you want out of life. What do you want? What are you goals?  It’s important to make a list of crazy goals, goals you have trouble writing down because they’re so BIG. Goals that you have to whisper at first because they make you blush   After you write those goals down I believe it’s KEY to write down WWHHHYYYYYYYY you want them?

I was talking to my friend the other day and she kept repeating the phrase… “I want to be rich, I want millions.”  And I was like… yeah, get in line sistah!   No no, I said why do you want to be rich?  And she said then I could spend more time with my husband.  And I said… you don’t need to be rich to spend more time with your husband you can do that now?  Then she said I want to travel more… And I said… You don’t have to be rich to travel more you can travel right now? 

Once you figure out your dreams/goals it’s important to have an understanding of why you want them. People think that being Rich is the answer to their prayers.  But having lots of money doesn’t always make you “rich.” 

Here’s one of my favorite quotes – “No man is a failure who is enjoying his life.” Being RICH is a feeling; you can be rich without lots of money.  I feel like I’m rich and I’m by no means a millionaire, yet    But what I’m saying is that just because you have lots of money in the bank you won’t automatically be happy.  BE RICH NOW.  Travel now, figure out what you want to do if you have millions of dollars and start doing it now!  That will make you feel rich I promise.  It will bring back the passion in your life and a smile to your face.

For me one of my big goals is to make MILLIONS but it’s a secondary goal and my reasoning is this.  I would like more freedom to do whatever I want to do… And if I have more money I know that I will be able to work with even more people.  Working with people is what I love to do. AND working with People is what I do right now.  Ironically I’ve personally discovered that the more invested I get in doing what I love the more money I’ve made.  It’s like the Law of Attraction or something?  It’s like when you follow what you’re meant to do the money comes. Do what you would do even if you didn’t get paid for it, do it now.  Do you get what I’m saying?

3.    Here’s MY all time favorite way of handling the doubt that comes with achieving my goals/dreams. Everyone that‘s come over to my house knows I do this.  I Love to make LISTS.  I will break it down for ya  :)

For 2009 make a list of your Top 10-20 Short Term Attainable goals.  Here’s what I like to do… Divide the YEAR up into 3month segments, 4 TOTAL. Soooo

1.    Jan, Feb, March

2.    April, May, June

3.    July, Aug, Sept

4.    Oct, Nov, Dec

Then you take your list of 10-20 goals and you put them into the months you think you can realistically achieve them.  Once you’ve done that you go for it for the next 365 days Every day, every moment you work towards achieving your Top 10-20 Short Term Attainable Goals.

So now on your wall YOU have the big list of 10-20 goals and the 3 Month List of which goals you are going to work towards in those months.  In the January, February, March SECTION write down all the Major Goals and Minor Goals you want to attain.  BUT do more than write it down! You need to make it a must that you will find a way to complete all the tasks on that Months list in the 31-28days.  ATTACK THEM baby… HUNT them down!  A dream, is a dream, is a dream.  YOU gotta go after it. That’s where the magic comes from.  The path and the choices you make every single day is what’s going to get you where you want to be.

Finally – Every week I make a list of what I am going to achieve on that day… The musts.  So this is the 3^rd List for Goal Setting.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday… AND OTHER in case there’s anything left over that I could maybe squeeze in.  You may think this sounds crazy but what’s CRAZY is how well it works

FIIINNNAAALLLYYYY the 4th and final list– Everyday I make a list that I carry around with me on a piece of paper so I don’t forget my objectives of the day.  I’m very old school I like to write it down, but this can all be done on the Blackberry or Iphone too.

Here’s an Example of my Day Tomorrow.

Monday January 12th, 2009

^{1.    Wake up 5.18am -Walk the Dog, mail bills}

2.    6.30am Spin Class Greenwich

3.    Make Sure Amy’s on the guest list for Lunchtime Spin

4.    8.30-10.30 Meetings

5.    Lift weights from 11-12

6.    12.30 Spin Greenwich

7.    Home – lunch – Office work Emails/ call Con Ed – walk the dog

8.    4.30-7.30pm Meetings

9.    Plan out Tuesday, rest, dinner walk the Dog

If I can’t fit some “Other” stuff in there like calling Con Edison I’ll tack it onto Tuesday, no biggie.  I always know what my Major Objectives are for the day because they are written down.  I know exactly what I need to do.  There’s NO ROOM for Doubt in my world because it’s organized in the way I want my life to go.  And I never lose sight of what I stand for: Mission Statement of Hope and Possibility.   Everyday I carry that badge with me wherever I go – In my classes of 30-40 peeps and with every individual I encounter. 

When you know who you are.  When you know what you stand for.  When you know what you want… that’s a very powerful place to be.  It takes away the distractions because you are on a direct path to “YOUR” goals… You see BS for what it is, because frankly when you’re excited about where you’re headed you don’t want anything to get in your way.

Like I said in the beginning, Trust your journey.  If you’re truly working towards something that you know in your heart is right for you… YOU never need to doubt yourself.  Believe in it BABY!

This is a good prayer/affirmation to repeat to yourself when all else fails…

“God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.”

May all your hopes and dreams come true.

 

 

Past, Future, PRESENT!

You Never Know What’s Coming for You…  I didn’t plan to meet Jessica, it just happened.  

Today I’m going to talk about some tools that help me to deal with Doubt bbuuttt before I get into that I think it’s important that we start the New Year with a clean slate, don’t you?  :)  Think of 2009 as your opportunity to make everything right in your life.  Nothing from the past is going to get in your way.  You are going to use this year to take the necessary steps towards all of your goals.

 

My goal setting for this year was something I had to work through with Jessica.  I was freaked out because sooo much happened last year. I looovvee to make stuff happen- EVENTS, CAMPS, TV… I like to go for it 100% all the time. 2008 was an amazing year, but this year Jessica helped me to understand that the EXPLOSIONS of success will happen… but some years of our lives need to be devoted to building structure so there’s space for more.  2009 is a structure year for me.

An example might be that we work really hard to find success in our careers. After a couple of years we make “career success” happen.  Then we find a lover and we want to have relationship success.  After a couple of years you and your partner decide to have a child.  Sooo, you make a conscious decision to pull back a little at work and redefine what success means to you. Maybe in 2009 your success is defined by being a GREAT parent?  That might not meet your bosses needs but it meets your needs as a human being and you need to recognize that your needs are always more important than anyone else’s.  Defining your Professional AND Personal goals in The New Year is key.

I heard an interesting Quote the other day that really made me stop and think… “The past is history, the future is a mystery, and right now is a gift… That is why it’s called The Present.”

If you break that quote down it’s very true.  That quote sums up almost everything I stand for.  Lets break it down together.  The past is history.  Often times I hear people stuck in what happened to them.  They let the tragedies, setbacks, and obstacles of the “past” cloud their vision in the present.  The past is HISTORY.  You need to work as hard as you can to leave the past in the past because it cannot help you in the right now.  The past only becomes your present if you bring it there.

The way your crappy ex treated you is not a reflection on how your next lover will treat you.  The way your ex boss was amazing is not a reflection on how your future boss is going to be.  Before we move forward in our lives we can’t put band-aids over our past mistakes… If we are going to keep bringing them up in our present then the past IS a vital part of your lives. You should make a goal of 2009 to tackle those issues so you can leave the past in the past where it belongs.

The Future is a MYSTERY.  You can catastrophize about what’s going to happen in the future.  You can dream a million dreams of what’s coming in the future. BUT, the truth is that the future is mystery.  That’s the beauty of life.  You never know what’s coming for you.

I was single for three years. One day I woke up and I went to work.  I knew I wanted a relationship but I didn’t know how it was going to happen, we never do. On that lovely Tuesday morning as I was rushing to the stairs I ran into a member.  She literally bumped into me.  We laughed, she said excuse me, and then we shook hands…  she said, “pleased to meet you I’m Jessica Clark, would you like to grab a cup of coffee sometime?”  You never know what’s coming for you, you never know who will cross your path… It’s a mystery.

Right now is a GIFT.  We don’t remember days we remember moments.  The only things we have control over in our lives are the choices we make in the moment.  When we wish time away for our vacations or our retirements… WE are wishing away the moments, we are wishing away our lives.  All you have to do to have an extraordinary life is to take the time to make every moment, of every second, of every minute, of every day matter.

How do you do that?  How do you get rid of the doubts of not being able to meet your life’s potential?  How do you find success?   The truth is that life is going to happen. Thinking you have control over life is an illusion.  No one has control over anything.  All you can do is your best.  You can’t force your boss to give you raise, you can’t force your lover to marry you, you can’t make someone be your friend.  There’s no control… WE must learn to let go.  The past doesn’t matter, the future doesn’t matter, and The PRESENT is what your life is.  So don’t skip over it… 

I rambled on about this quote for my entire post today But I think it is important to go over.  Before I talk about battling the doubt we need to lay a solid foundation of trust. I want you to understand where I’m coming from.  In order to achieve greatness in our lives we must learn to let go of the past and the future.

Don’t Doubt It!

(This was my FIRST Major Fitness Presentation… I was freaked out of my mind, but I did it anyway!)  

The Holidays are over… It’s a New Year, YYIIIPPPEEEEEE!!!!

I feel like “The New Year” carries a lot of pressure with it, don’t you?   You have the resolutions.  YOU have to change something about yourself.  You have to take your career, your fitness, and your relationship to the next level, right?!  Wwheeeewwwww…. I found myself on January 3rd, 2009 having a little bit of an anxiety attack  :)

I said to Jessica, “I don’t know how I’m going to top 2008.” The past year of my life has been an EXPLOSION of success both personally and professionally.  Jessica and I got engaged, annnnd my company is doing remarkably well.  A LOT has happened… 

The doubt started to creep in and I began to freak out a little.  What if I can’t maintain this level of success?  I feel like a lot of people get anxiety with the coming of a New Year.  For me the passing of a year is very meaningful. I take those 365 days seriously  Every day matters, every moment matters.  When the doubt comes in the most crucial thing I do is recognize it.  Doubt takes many forms.  One is fear that you’ll hurt yourself by going forward.  Another form of doubt is feeling that you’ve misunderstood your life and that you’re constantly making a fundamental mistake.

When I recognize “I’m doubting” I make a mental note/point to talk myself through it before it snowballs into a massive catastrophizing event. Examples of scenarios that bring about the 5-letter word

Having a baby, starting a new job, getting in a relationship, starting a new fitness routine, starting a company, writing a book…  

All can be scary, BUT everyone gets scared… Believe it BABY! Being scared and feeling doubt are a part of the process. They are as fundamental to everyday life as breathing.  You’re never going to rid yourself of these feelings so my stand is that we need to equip ourselves with the tools to battle them.  The alternative is just too painful.  If you let the fear of failure debilitate you, you will never find out how powerful you are. If you believe in your doubts you will plateau in your life.

Obama was scared to death when he delivered his acceptance speech in Chicago. You may not have seen it, but he was.  I was scared when I first moved to New York.  Lots of people are scared to speak in front of groups.  I’m sure Madonna freaks out before she performs in front of millions of people.

I don’t think it’s so much about being scared, doubtful, or fearful… I think it’s about how we choose to respond to that feeling.  We have two choices – We can let that doubt/fear paralyze us OR we can let it catalyze us. 

What do you want out of the next 362 days?  What excites you? What have you not gone after because you’ve doubted your capabilities? Why do you want it? Is it for Freedom, Power, Love? 

The questions that we ask ourselves are massively important.  Ask yourself what you want out of your life, and don’t doubt the answer.  It’s never to late to go after your answer.

In my next Blog I’m going to give you tools to help you battle your doubts.  When you face your fears you will find your true power and effortlessly achieve your 2009 goals.  I’m going to share with you what works for me and hopefully it will help you too.

HAPPY 2009!

Lacey

New Year. New You?

It’s the first day of 2009!  Happy New Year everybody

The festive season was lovely for me; I decided to give myself a real break.  I spent time with my family in Ireland, ate carbs and dark chocolate, drank a little red wine, didn’t workout nearly as hard or as often and slept long and late.  It has done me the world of good.  I was exhausted and needed the change of pace to recharge my batteries.  I woke up very early this am (jetlag!) after a late night of New Year celebration back in NYC with Lacey and tired as I am, I am also happy to be ready to get back into my routine.

One of the initial reasons Lacey and I decided to start Sweat City was in answer to the question we both (as a fitness professional and a model) get asked most frequently: “What is it that you do to look/feel/be the way that you are?”

Let me preface by saying that this is a personal routine that work for ME.  We all have different needs and desires and find different activities fun. 

The fact that it might not feel fun to start with is NOT an excuse however  !  Getting sweaty and out of breath might not feel fun to begin with, but I promise it CAN AND DOES become something that you get so much out of that you’re sad if you have to miss it.

So: What do I do?

I workout 5-6 days a week doing a combination of running or the elliptical machine for low impact, spin classes, and the BIG GAME (a full body cardio conditioning class courtesy of the lovely Ms Stone).  I use a weighted medicine ball. I do push-ups, and jump rope as fast as I can for 5-10 minutes or until I can’t breathe

For really fun, SUPER EFFECTIVE workouts check out http://sweatcity.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/seven-treadmill-workouts/

 http://sweatcity.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/laceys-interval-workout/

I eat (yes I really do I promise!), at least 3 times a day and often 4-5 times a day.  Check out ‘volumetrics’…

http://sweatcity.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/how-we-eat-volumetrics/

I don’t eat dessert or candy ever really, well, festive season aside  I also rarely drink alcohol, I quit smoking 5 years ago when I first decided I wanted my life back.

I go to bed early and I get up early because that is how I manage to workout so consistently; I just do it before life can get in the way and give me an excuse not to.

I actively try to ‘reframe’ events that I may not like, or that upset me during my day. For example if someone is horribly rude to me my emotional gut response is to think “It’s me, they don’t like me, there’s something wrong with me.”  This kind of thing used to be a trigger that would result in me stuffing food into my face like it was going out of fashion.  Now I reframe the event immediately in my brain. “They must be having a really hard day, I don’t think that it has anything to do with me really, it could have been anyone they were rude to. It’s because they are unhappy or frustrated in some way.”  That doesn’t make the behavior acceptable but it does mean I don’t start in on a negative downwards spiral for the rest of the day.  It used to be something I had to do consciously, but after a while it became second nature and it is one of the MOST HELPFUL life tools I have ever learnt!

I try the best I can everyday to be the best version of me that I can. When I screw up, and I definitely do, I try not to dwell on it, beat myself up and use it as an excuse to opt out of my life. I acknowledge it, if necessary I apologize (to myself or someone else) and then I try to move on. 

I try not to over eat, but I also try not to under eat, because my body is worthy of more respect than that.  I try every day to have respect for myself, my health, my emotions and for everyone out there who, whether they’re my favorite people or not, are just trying to do the best they know how in their lives too.   If they’re toxic, I don’t let them into my life anymore than is absolutely necessary.

And I’m lucky enough to have this forum, which helps me check in with myself through writing and interacting with you all.  Sweat City has proven itself to be such a rewarding experience for us both.  We want to thank you all for sharing this experience with us through 2008 and now as we begin a whole new chapter in 2009.  I hope that this New Year brings you health, happiness and prosperity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes We Can!

The United States of America has elected a new President, Barack Hussein Obama.

Sweat City is not a political blog and it does not intend to become one, but I will admit that as I saw the visual of the new First Family walk out onto the stage last night, a tear slid down my cheek.  Because whatever our political views may be, and wherever in the world you are reading this post, to me this represents a moment of limitless possibility. 

Yes, for the world. But also for each and everyone of us in our own lives

A junior senator with limited experience; a black man, a man of modest origin, the son of a Muslim, just became the new President of the USA.  Obama, and those around him had what may have seemed to many like an impossible dream.  I am sure that people laughed, they rolled their eyes, or just dismissed him.  But he believed in what he was capable of and just as importantly he surrounded himself with people that believed in him and who supported him every step of the way.

What the election last night illustrates for me is that no dream is too big; the goals and hopes and dreams that we all have for ourselves can be achieved IF we choose to believe in ourselves and our capabilities and self-worth.  It doesn’t mean that if we just decide we want our own successful company, or to climb Mount Kilimanjaro; to have an album in the Top 40, become a pilot, or get healthier and stronger when we feel powerless over our body and food choices: that it just happens.  President Obama didn’t just snap his fingers and get elected.  He had a dream, a goal, and just like we all must; he and his advisors had to break the BIG Goal down into little goals. And every little goal that was achieved took them a step closer to the White House. And committed step by committed step; the journey was made.

Your BIG Goal, your dream: What is one small step that you could take TODAY that will take you just a tiny bit closer to where your heart wants to be?  Is it to email your ex-colleague who now runs their own company and ask them how they got started?  Is it to take the money you were going to spend on new jeans and sign up for singing lessons instead? Is it to commit to going to the gym tonight?

It may even be to take 30 minutes tonight and brainstorm your craziest, biggest dreams.  Don’t limit yourself, go BIG, but try to focus on what makes your heart sing: on what you would do even if it didn’t pay you money.  Because I firmly believe that if can find your passion and are prepared to work your ass off to accomplish that passion, then the money will follow

And finally: the work of living a healthy, fulfilling, loving life is never done.  When the goal is accomplished, the next one is there waiting.  Barack Obama did it! He accomplished his dream of becoming the first black President in HISTORY. Guess what?  Now his goal has to be to lead the USA well, to work tirelessly to bring it back to a state of power and positivity and strength. The work isn’t over; the goal is just different.

When we have lost the weight, or have met the person we want to spend our life with it might seem as though the work is over, but in truth the goal is then to maintain that healthy, sexy body by eating clean, by working out.  The goal is to try every day to be the best girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife possible, to be honest and open and loving even when you’re exhausted and they’re driving you crazy!

But it can be done. We can all be who ever we choose to be, if we are prepared to do the work and believe in ourselves and just take that next right step every day.

Yes We Can

What do you really want in your life?

Have you ever thought about what you really want out of your life?  I mean really want? I find that so many of us have never really thought about it beyond the remnants of our childhood fantasies of astronaut, ballerina, or professional athlete.  When asked, a lot of us will mumble something about wanting to make more money, or losing some weight.  I’ve been just as guilty of this as anyone else; and if I’m honest about why that was…..and I always try to be honest on SweatCity! a lot of that seeming indecisiveness stemmed from embarrassment. 

On some level I was unwilling to say out loud what it was that I really wanted because I was afraid that other people would laugh, or roll their eyes or think that I was ‘big-headed’ because I wanted something more from my life than I already had.  I want to figure out a way to use everything that I have learnt over the last 5 years of my life, of my journey towards a more healthful and happy self to help other people and build a company around that philosophy. There. I said it   And guess what?  Now it’s actually starting to happen!

So why was I embarrassed (and even typing that was still a teeny bit tough for me!)?  Because part of my brain still had that little voice inside saying “Who are you to want that?  Who are you to think that you can help anybody else?  You are not good enough.”  And I find that there are so many other people who have placed similar limitations on themselves, often without even realizing it.  We don’t dare say out loud that we want to set up our own business or get a promotion in the career that we’re so good at and dedicated too; we keep the fact that we’d love to fall in love to ourselves; we don’t tell our friends that secretly we’d love to run a triathlon or take a spin class incase they laugh at us and tell us that we hate exercise and will never be able to do it, and why not come over and eat chips in front of the TV instead!

We’re so used to “being modest”, to keeping these things to ourselves that we never really think about the impact of never saying what it is we really want.  There’s been a lot of research on this over the last few years (if you check back in to SweatCity this Friday I’m going to post a couple of books about this that I’ve found really inspiring), and what is revealed time and time again is that if a dream is kept inside our heads then the probability is that it will only EVER live inside our heads.  BUT; if we get into the habit of saying it out loud, to ourselves and to other people, and even more powerful WRITING IT DOWN, then these seemingly tiny acts already greatly increase the likelihood of us bringing that dream into our reality and actually living it.

It seems silly I know but it works!  I’ve only come to this realization in the last few years but Lacey has been instinctively practicing it her whole life. The first time I was invited back to her family home (big moment ) I saw in her childhood bedroom a big long, fantastical list of ‘Things I want to do in my life”. I loved seeing it then because it showed me that she really tries to live her life authentically and to be true to herself, but even more amazing was that just last month she was home getting a little mom and dad time and she told me later that she read through that big long list of dreams and realized that she had already experienced or created most of them! 

It was really hard the first time I tried to say my dreams to another real-life person, I was so tongue-tied that I couldn’t even say it (and I’m a chatterbox usually ).  But I practiced by writing my life goals and dreams down in private and saying them out loud to myself (oh ok, and to my dog ).  It helped, it really did.  So I’d love for us to start practicing here at SweatCity!  You are totally anonymous but at the same time, a lot of other hardworking, inspiring people are going to be reading your goals on this blog.  That’s a lot of positive energy being put out there around what it is you truly want in life.

One more thing; the evidence shows that just thinking of needing to make more money or lose weight are not the most constructive goals; if one of those is your first thought just take a minute and think WHY you want to have more money; what would you do with that money?  THAT’S your goal, not the money but the action you would take if you had it. Same with the weight: WHY do you want to lose it?  What would you be doing if you lost the weight? THAT’S the goal

Want to take a risk and tell us what you really truly want?  Go on, I dare you!