What does a FitLife look like TO YOU??? We ALL start at different points and with different goals in mind. The real challenge is to challenge OURSELVES to give our best whatever our “best” is. Sometimes our “best” and our “all” can get a little fuzzy.
As many of you know, I spent over 5 years as a competitive figure athlete and had a great opportunity to coach as well. I have spent literally years of my life in preparation for elite physique competitions where I have competed against some of the world’s best athletes.
Competing was fun for me and challenged me to really push my limits… my boundaries… and I really saw what I was made of during these competitions. The 4:30am workouts… the measuring, weighing, and food- logging… the depletion… and all of the emotions that came along with experiencing such a challenging feat.
Prior to physique competitions, I was an avid endurance athlete, but I never had to give 100% for 100% of the time… fitness competitions did that for me… there wasn’t room for negotiations when it came down to it, and I loved that part!
With that being said, at this point in my life I am now enjoying “just living”. I am living a fit life that includes plenty of healthy exercise and nutrition, and I am very happy with how I look and feel…. even if I am not “ripped and shredded” (industry lingo for looking like a fitness magazine cover model – let’s face it – those models don’t really look like that 365 days out of the year).
I have asked myself this question many times…
How much is enough? How much is too much?
My good friend and very knowledgeable holistic nutritionist, April Reigart, recently shared her expertise during our Tuesday Topic discussion about adrenal fatigue that really resonated with me because I see this on a daily basis…
“I sometimes feel like, as Americans, we often measure our worth against each other by how much more stressed we are than the other person. “OH! I am so stressed out…the dog had to go to the vet, and my bathroom sink is leaking, and Haley (no one is named John and Jane anymore) didn’t make her cheerleading team, and I have to host Friday night’s book party, and I am having the worst week at work, and I worked out for 2 hours at the gym this morning, but I didn’t eat any carbs today, so I….” Do I sound harsh? Wake up calls often are harsh. We all need a wake-up call (self included)… A lot of this is self-imposed stress, and we don’t have to live this way. That saying just so happens to be true- that life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you handle it.
Where do we get all the rules we put on ourselves? I have to work out for two hours every day. I have to be top dog at my job. I have to avoid carbohydrates at all costs. I have to be the best dressed at the ___________. I have to look great in skinny jeans. I have to, I have to, I have to…. It can turn in to compulsion, and then what we thought was being healthy is just more self-abuse.“
So, back to our “best”… This is about being honest with ourselves and reflecting on what our personal best is. Are we giving our best to our nutrition? Are we giving our best to our training? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY… are we treating OURSELVES with love and respect when we think about ourselves? Or… did we say, “it’s not fair”? Did we feed ourselves excuses? Did we let ourselves off the hook?
There is a big difference between making excuses and self-acceptance, and that is my challenge to you… to work on finding this balance. To push yourself to be better, BUT not beat yourself up. To love, not punish.
In the SKFitLife Challenge, we work to focus on all of the great things that we can 
accomplish when we focus on being healthy. The physical results WILL follow. Positive self talk and self love is FIRST. Although there are so many tips and tricks I can give for dialing in nutrition and training, if we are not ok in our own heads, no amount of “technical” training will result in feeling beautiful and loving ourselves.
The results we see from each SKFitLife Challenge are attainable, maintainable, and extremely impressive, but what if you have completed a challenge and want to push the limits??? I have a little something for you on Tuesday… hold onto your hats… those 6-pack abs that you yearn for will get a chance to come out and play, if that is your goal.
Take a minute to assess where you currently are in your fitness journey and if you would like to push your limits. Is your next step the SKFitLife Challenge? Or are you ready to dial in for a specific event?
