Process over Results

A while ago, one of the coaches who I look up to and learn a lot of good things from, Dave Ward, posted an article that he got from Triathlon Magazine about athletes. It was called Are you a Level 6 Performer. It basically compares mediocre type athletes to "Level 6 Performers", which are those althletes that just have a higher midset for success. There was one point of his review of the article that really struck me and helped changed my mindset of working out. Here it is, word for word:

"Process over Results
This is probably my favorite principle. Level six performers focus on execution. They spend less time thinking about winning and more time focusing on what it takes to win. They are focused on the process, not the result. They understand that the process will lead to the desired result. By focusing on the process, they stay “in the moment” and are not distracted by their emotions.
This is not to say that you should not visualize. Personally, I’m a big believer in visualization, which I picked up from golf. What it means is that you need to focus on what you are doing when you are doing it.
Lower level athletes tend to focus on a desired result, rather than focusing on the
process that will lead them to a result. You simply cannot wish your way to a
higher level of fitness. It takes work and it takes time.
Focus on the process and the results will come. When you achieve your results that’s the time to enjoy them."

When we focus too much on our desired result (losing a certain number of pounds, getting into a certain size, etc) it is too easy to get discouraged because change takes time. Instead, we should be focusing on the process and staying in the moment. Putting every ounce of our energy and thought into what we are currently doing and giving our full 100%. Don't go through the motions and just jump around and do things half hearted. Do everything ON PURPOSE. Give your all so you can look back and say that you did. FOCUS on the process and the results WILL come.

What's been going on?

Yeah, I guess I haven't posted in a while! I guess I have kind of replaced this with a fitness forum that I post on, so I haven't been here as much as I should! I have a bunch of ideas in my head of things to post on, even some drafts, but I just haven't gotten around to actually doing them!

Well, one thing that is different is that I lost about 20 lbs. I talk a little bit about it in a previous post (which I can't figure out how to link!) in January. Well, I have stuck with the Beachbody programs and have been pretty successful. I think people are starting to notice the results. I think I posted a while ago about P90X. Well I'm past day 60 of the program. I will post my results with that on day 90.

I am really liking the whole losing weight and feeling go about myself thing. It's really working out for me. I'm more active now than I've been in a long time and feel much more fulfilled. If you would like to feel the same, you can visit my other site and sign up for more info, or just bop around. It is www.beachbodycoach.com/demaak . HOPEFULLY, I'll post more later!!

Food is Fuel

Your body is an AMAZING machine. It is filled with miles and miles of blood vessels that carry cells which travel precisely and completely to every single part of your body continuously from the day you were born until the day they stop, and you stop with them. It has many organs that are a team and work intricately together to perform hundreds, if not thousands of functions, from regulating your body temperature, to fighting off infections, to transferring oxygen from the air to all your little blood cells. It has hundreds of bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that all need to cooperate along with your hugely complicated and extensive sensory network, called the nervous system, in order to make all the millions of movements that you want to make. Without all these things and many many more, that I don't have time to list, you would not function the way you should.

I know that you probably already knew all those things, but I don't think that we think about them enough and truly appreciate the genius creation that is our bodies. Because if we did, we probably wouldn't be filling it with all the sludge and trudge and junk that we drop down our gullets.

Let's say that your body is a Cadillac. Cadillacs are considered high end luxury vehicles. A complex, expensive machine which the manufacture requires that you use a high performance of fuel, Premium Unleaded, in order for it to function they way it should. Your body is your high performance machine. If you want it to keep going and going and going, you have to use the best fuel. If you want to respect your body it is important to give it the fuel that it needs to keep going. It is not about what your taste buds want or what your brain thinks your body needs. Food is fuel. If you give your body the nutrients and clean energy that it needs to function, it will thank you by performing better and longer, giving you the higher quality of life you are striving for.

I'm losing weight!

So, I've been on a new, self-directed weight loss plan since Saturday (January 4) because I quit working out a few weeks before Thanksgiving and had gained about 5 pounds or so. I am an avid customer of Beachbody.com and decided to buy one of their new workout plans: Power 90. However, I didn't want to wait until it delivered to start the program, so I did some Turbo Jam in the meantime. Plus I've been eating healthy. You know, fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean means, low fat, NO soda, etc. I think I've been eating 1500-1700 calories a day, maybe less. Well, I already lost over 3 pounds. I even had a "rest" day yesterday and still lost weight! Overall, I'm pretty satisfied. I feel better, have more energy (and I'm drinking less caffeine), feel stronger and slimmer.

And guess what else? I got Power 90 the other day (their shipping is fast!) and I love it! I like it better than Turbo Jam. It's way less complicated. The moves are simple and seem to work. I can feel that they work. It's a little more directed to men, but women do it too and have been successful with it. The only thing I didn't really like was the yoga warm-up. It was just way different to what I'm used to and the range of motions is really long. I'm not that flexible yet! Maybe the ones in the next level are better or maybe it will feel better as I keep doing it. Overall, I think it was pretty fun and I'm really looking forward to my next session. Speaking of which, I've been getting up at 5:30 in the morning to work out! I know, I'm shocked, too. The first few days I was tired, but I think I'm adapting.

Oh, and I ordered a heart rate monitor, too! I'm always excited about electronic gadgets! This should be cool. I saw it and had to have it, so hopefully I get a lot of use out of it. I'll post more about it when I get it and figure out all the features. It's coming tomorrow!!