It has been 5 weeks since I have had my little man and I am starting to think that my body will never get back to how it used to be. I know that it will because I feel this way after every child. (This is my third) The one thing that has helped me get back in shape the most has been setting goals. One of my favorite saying is, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." This is soooo true!!!
I have discovered a few things in setting goals. One, the goals we set need to be realistic. I grew up watching the Miss America Pageant with my Mom. We would make a big deal over the pageant and get our hair, make-up, and nails done before the show. Then we would go home and watch the show in our PJ's eating pizza and ice-cream with our hair, makeup and nails done to perfection. It is one of my fondest memories with my Mom. While we were watching the show, I would always envision being up on the Miss America stage twirling around in my gown. I looked at all the contestants and wanted to be like them. They were so beautiful to me. One thing they all seemed to have that I didn't was long skinny legs. I was blessed with short strong legs. This hurt me so bad and I actually became so self conscious of my huge fat legs (which were 100% muscle) that all through high school I wore pants. In 100+ degree weather I would still wear pants. I even skipped out on some fun water activities with friends because I didn't want them to see my fat legs. I wasn't like the beautiful women I saw in the pageant. It wasn't until I was half way through college that I realized, through the help of my hubby, that even though I didn't have skinny long legs my legs were still beautiful. Those muscular legs have actually helped me out tremendously in competing in bodybuilding and figure. So my goal of having the longest skinniest legs will never be achieved, but I can have the strongest most shredded legs out there. All I needed to do was be realistic. The good Lord gave me a muscular body, not a stick thin one. I needed to change my goals to achieve the best for me.
Second, I have learned that I need to make one big goal and several small goals along the way to that big goal, kind of like checkpoints. If you know me well, you know that I can be a all over the place. I have really big dreams and want to do everything, but the truth is... I can't do everything. Even though I still try and fail miserably. :) My pre-pregnancy weight was 105 and my measurements were 37-23.5-34. The chest measurement is so big because I always flair my lats when I measure my chest. I wish I was that well endowed in the chest area. :) Anyway, my weight right now is 130 and my measurements are 39-30.75-38.5. That is a far cry from I used to be. It is easy to see how someone can get discouraged. If all I do is focus on where my goal is, then I know I will never get there. Why?!?!? Because I get so distracted and discouraged when I am not seeing the progress that I want, I rationalize and give into temptation. I say to myself, "I am so far away from my goal, that this chocolate cake wont hurt." In reality, yes it hurts if my goal is to lose weight and get my body back. That is why I have learned to make small weekly goals to achieve the bigger goal. A wise man one said, "Start with the end in mind." When I plan my weight and fitness goals, I usually figure out what I want my end goal to be. Then I get out an excel spread sheet that I can edit with my goals. I have already figured out that a healthy amount of weight loss is 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. On my spread sheet I set my weekly goal for 2 pounds less than what I currently weigh. The next week will be 2 pounds less than this week's goal, and so forth, until my goal is achieved. At the end of each week I reward myself with a treat or something that I have wanted for a long time. This way I stay motivated and my progress toward the ultimate goal is achieved. I am, of course, being careful with this. Losing weight after a pregnancy is a bit different than just dropping a few pounds. I am and always will struggle with the slowness of the process, but I understand that things need to be done at a healthy pace.
Third, find people to motivate you. This past weekend I was privileged to attend the Build You Own Blog convention by Six Sisters Stuff. If you haven't seen their blog... GO CHECK IT OUT!!! They have amazing recipes. Anyway, when I was there I ran into Brittany Herlean. She is an amazing woman. She also has three kids and now competes in the World Beauty Fitness & Fashion Shows (WBFF). She is actually a pro level competitor. Women like her motivate me to achieve my fitness goals. There are several other women that I admire when it comes to fitness, Dana Lynn Baily, Monica Brant, Jamie Eason (she is the biggest sweetheart in the world!), to name a few. The point is you need to find people that motivate you and then use them as inspiration. I have photos of these women and when I sometimes have weak moments I pull the photos out and say, "If they can do it, then I can." Having a good role model is great motivation.
Now don't be afraid to achieve your goals! As long as your goals are realistic then you can achieve them. I have posted pictures of my goals and a spread sheet for you if you want to create your own. I would love to hear about your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Hey, it is nice to have friends along the way. :) Here's to us, strong women!
About this Author: De Kinsey is the co-owner/manager of LIFE 1010™. She worked as a licensed residential and commercial escrow officer for over 5 years. This experience helped her learn how to analyze and understand legal documents and translate them in a way the general public could understand. De Graduated from Utah Valley University in Psychology and in Community Health Science. She understands how a person’s psyche and personal health can have positive and/or negative impact on their LIFE and financial well being. She brings this knowledge into the LIFE 1010™ program.
I have discovered a few things in setting goals. One, the goals we set need to be realistic. I grew up watching the Miss America Pageant with my Mom. We would make a big deal over the pageant and get our hair, make-up, and nails done before the show. Then we would go home and watch the show in our PJ's eating pizza and ice-cream with our hair, makeup and nails done to perfection. It is one of my fondest memories with my Mom. While we were watching the show, I would always envision being up on the Miss America stage twirling around in my gown. I looked at all the contestants and wanted to be like them. They were so beautiful to me. One thing they all seemed to have that I didn't was long skinny legs. I was blessed with short strong legs. This hurt me so bad and I actually became so self conscious of my huge fat legs (which were 100% muscle) that all through high school I wore pants. In 100+ degree weather I would still wear pants. I even skipped out on some fun water activities with friends because I didn't want them to see my fat legs. I wasn't like the beautiful women I saw in the pageant. It wasn't until I was half way through college that I realized, through the help of my hubby, that even though I didn't have skinny long legs my legs were still beautiful. Those muscular legs have actually helped me out tremendously in competing in bodybuilding and figure. So my goal of having the longest skinniest legs will never be achieved, but I can have the strongest most shredded legs out there. All I needed to do was be realistic. The good Lord gave me a muscular body, not a stick thin one. I needed to change my goals to achieve the best for me.
Second, I have learned that I need to make one big goal and several small goals along the way to that big goal, kind of like checkpoints. If you know me well, you know that I can be a all over the place. I have really big dreams and want to do everything, but the truth is... I can't do everything. Even though I still try and fail miserably. :) My pre-pregnancy weight was 105 and my measurements were 37-23.5-34. The chest measurement is so big because I always flair my lats when I measure my chest. I wish I was that well endowed in the chest area. :) Anyway, my weight right now is 130 and my measurements are 39-30.75-38.5. That is a far cry from I used to be. It is easy to see how someone can get discouraged. If all I do is focus on where my goal is, then I know I will never get there. Why?!?!? Because I get so distracted and discouraged when I am not seeing the progress that I want, I rationalize and give into temptation. I say to myself, "I am so far away from my goal, that this chocolate cake wont hurt." In reality, yes it hurts if my goal is to lose weight and get my body back. That is why I have learned to make small weekly goals to achieve the bigger goal. A wise man one said, "Start with the end in mind." When I plan my weight and fitness goals, I usually figure out what I want my end goal to be. Then I get out an excel spread sheet that I can edit with my goals. I have already figured out that a healthy amount of weight loss is 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. On my spread sheet I set my weekly goal for 2 pounds less than what I currently weigh. The next week will be 2 pounds less than this week's goal, and so forth, until my goal is achieved. At the end of each week I reward myself with a treat or something that I have wanted for a long time. This way I stay motivated and my progress toward the ultimate goal is achieved. I am, of course, being careful with this. Losing weight after a pregnancy is a bit different than just dropping a few pounds. I am and always will struggle with the slowness of the process, but I understand that things need to be done at a healthy pace.
Third, find people to motivate you. This past weekend I was privileged to attend the Build You Own Blog convention by Six Sisters Stuff. If you haven't seen their blog... GO CHECK IT OUT!!! They have amazing recipes. Anyway, when I was there I ran into Brittany Herlean. She is an amazing woman. She also has three kids and now competes in the World Beauty Fitness & Fashion Shows (WBFF). She is actually a pro level competitor. Women like her motivate me to achieve my fitness goals. There are several other women that I admire when it comes to fitness, Dana Lynn Baily, Monica Brant, Jamie Eason (she is the biggest sweetheart in the world!), to name a few. The point is you need to find people that motivate you and then use them as inspiration. I have photos of these women and when I sometimes have weak moments I pull the photos out and say, "If they can do it, then I can." Having a good role model is great motivation.
Now don't be afraid to achieve your goals! As long as your goals are realistic then you can achieve them. I have posted pictures of my goals and a spread sheet for you if you want to create your own. I would love to hear about your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Hey, it is nice to have friends along the way. :) Here's to us, strong women!
About this Author: De Kinsey is the co-owner/manager of LIFE 1010™. She worked as a licensed residential and commercial escrow officer for over 5 years. This experience helped her learn how to analyze and understand legal documents and translate them in a way the general public could understand. De Graduated from Utah Valley University in Psychology and in Community Health Science. She understands how a person’s psyche and personal health can have positive and/or negative impact on their LIFE and financial well being. She brings this knowledge into the LIFE 1010™ program.
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