A Do-Over? (and a confession)

I'm clearly in the middle of a case of do as I say, not as I do. Not where I like to be!

As we enter the second week of December, people are asking me questions about what to do to not gain weight (or so much of it), or how to get their fat loss under control before the first of the year. Generally, my recommendation is to have a strategy without dieting and to not try to live under too much structure with eating and training. The very nature of the time period between Thanksgiving and the New Year sets us up for failure in terms of being able to adhere to unbending structure. Mind you, I'm not saying go hog wild (as my grandmother would say). I'm also not saying don't eat well and don't train so you can assess the damage at the new year and set another resolution that won't happen or will be short-lived. I'm just saying big ideas of grandiose structure during the holidays are sure to go straight down the drain.

This is where I find myself right now.

My first attempt at Week 1 of Warp Speed Fat Loss 2.0 was downright lame on my scale of measuring myself. Day 1 was beautiful, then it was downhill from there. Last week I literally was traveling or in meetings from early Tuesday morning to Wednesday midnight. Then I had family events each evening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Today I am sick with an unresolved sinus infection.

My purpose of starting and completing WSFL 2.0 at this time was twofold.

1. I wanted to complete the entire program right now and give you a good, solid review in case you were considering it or starting it in January or sooner.

2. I'm still on my own fat loss journey and have my own goals to meet. This is an awesome program that is going to help get me there.

What to do now that I am realizing my problem? Here are my options as I see them:

Option 1

A total do-over. Repeat Week 1 beginning today and push through the next 4 weeks, doing the best I can, knowing it will be a substandard execution of the program.

Option 2

Delay the start date of WSFL 2.0 until January 4, at a time when I'm much less likely to be sabotaged by my schedule every time I turn around. Wing it until then.

Option 3

Between now and Jan 4 do a WSFL 2.o workout at every opportunity, use the concepts on my adjusted days, follow the eating plans as much as possible and stick to 90% compliance. Re-evaluate my goals and start a new plan to meet them Jan 4.

Now I have to confess a serious, personal flaw to you. The part of the sentence that I hate about Optoin 1 is the word substandard. If you told me you could not do a program like WSFL 2.0 right now I would completely understand and help you figure out a strategy until you could handle it. But I am much harder on myself. My husband would tell you that for the length of time he's known me, I tend to be off or wide open. That coupled with a relatively unforgiving spirit toward myself is not a good combo. At 44 years old I still battle this. Although I am making strides in this area, I can look at my calendar and clearly imagine how irritated an attempt at this level of structure is going to make me. So Option 1 is out.

Option 2 is a good one, but it isn't the best help for me in the here and now. So that one is out.

Looks like Option 3 is the way to go. Why?

• It allows me to reap some benefit now from the program.
• It frees my mind from the stress of knowing I can't do the program to the letter.
• I can still share thoughts and ideas with you regarding the workouts and eating plan.
• It provides a plan for the rest of the month.
• My calendar is already full so I can strategize for the days ahead.

Am I giving up? Some might think so. It's highly likely WSFL 2.0 is still going to be the program for me starting Jan 4 based on my goals. The point is, this strategy is what works for me now.

Do you have a strategy that works for you right now? Are you waiting until Jan 4 to do anything at all about your weight, your fat or your fitness level? You don't have to. Even if you can't follow a structured program during the holidays, you can still make great progress and get a head start on your goals as the new year approaches.

Here are some really simple tips that may help you:

• Sit down with your calendar right now. Schedule your exercise.
• Step up the daily movement. Be mindful and get physical. Add some movement to everything you do.
• Keep your eating as tight as possible every single chance you get. If you have a party tomorrow night, don't just eat haphazard until then. Eat very structured until then. Don't arrive hungry, enjoy a little in moderation, then tighten back up.
• Keep your water intake up.
• Don't neglect your sleep.
• When you exercise, crank it up and keep it intense.
• If you are currently on a program or schedule that is working for you, don't let it slack up!

I am anxious to hear what some of you are doing right now!

If you'd like to learn more about Warp Speed Fat Loss 2.0, click here.

This post includes an affiliate link. Please see my disclosure statement.

It's the Fourth Quarter

I can't even believe it and yet October 1 is here already. The fourth quarter is here! In a recent post I talked about training and nutrition plans for fall. Too many times we start back in the school routine and next thing we know we're into the last three months of the year. This can be a busy time with lots of festivities and holidays that can literally wreck your training and nutrition. It does not have to be that way!

For some reason this year I am more motivated than ever to combat the external forces that can derail even the best laid plans. If you don't have a plan yet, now is the time to put one down on paper and tap into the support that will help keep you on course. It's not enough to think about what you will do, telling someone else that will help you or at least hold you accountable makes it real. This is a very personal issue for me as I tend to "go with the group" and next thing I know I am off track and disappointed with myself.

How many times have we loosely flown through this time of year only to be really bummed out by the end and have to focus yet again on the very same resolutions? Does this really work? I always enjoy the great burst of energy and the hope of new beginnings at the start of each new year, but waiting on that and expecting it to magically fix my issues and focus isn't the answer.

I'm convinced in order to be healthy and fit and really live life to the fullest we must get to the point in which we're consciously making the best possible choices every opportunity, every single day. It has to be a lifestyle if it's going to work. It doesn't have to be obsessive or selfish or fanatical. In fact, if we're doing it right, it probably will simplify our lives to a great extent.

Will Halloween candy, fall feasts, Christmas parties and treats, big family dinners, and out of control schedules sabotage you again this last quarter of the year? I hope not. Today is a good day to start a new way of thinking and living that can be maintained. I'm putting a lot of energy into it this year to see what I can accomplish.

We have so much to be thankful for and so many resources at our disposal. I hope we can start now so we can enter 2010 in good shape with grateful hearts, ready to take on a fresh new year!

If you need an accountability partner, a training program recommendation, a reality check on your eating, I'm here. Feel free to email me anytime.

Welcome 2009

As much as I enjoy the last quarter of every year, it's always exciting to me when the new year finally arrives. We get to take the best of 2008 with us, put the rest to bed and begin a nice, fresh start. If you've not yet developed or revised your fitness and nutrition goals for 2009, do it this weekend! If you have, I'd love to see some comments on what you will be focusing on this year.

My challenges with eating and workouts over the past 4 weeks in particular reminds me that this is a journey. Notice my blog name is "get fit with kelley" and not "get fit like kelley". I have come a long way and have a long way to go. However, I love the process and am looking forward to the opportunity of sharing it. If I do it right I should consistently achieve my goals, but will never quite arrive. There is always a higher level!

Two weeks ago when I sprained my ankle I made some conscious decisions: I would rehab my ankle, not allow myself to get frustrated or discouraged by trying to do a workout program I could not stick to, I would relax my eating standards (but not go crazy with it) and I would rest Jan 1-3. Today I feel the brain break was well worth it, my ankle is steady, I'm feeling rested and I'm ready to start my new workout program on Sunday. On the other hand, the relaxed eating was enjoyable, but not really worth it. Anytime I take a break from a conscious eating pattern, I feel like I have to detox from it. It never takes long, but it's really not worth it.

I will continue to post on my own progress and share anything I learn along the way. Tomorrow I will be measuring inches, scale weight and body fat and think I will even take some beginning-of-2009 pictures.

Happy new year!