Category: Uncategorized

FAT LOSS DIARIES: 3 Tips to Prevent Fat Loss From Biting You In the Booty

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date September 25, 2015

To say that my history with Fat Loss has been emotionally “shaky” is a gross understatement. I’ve been frustrated more times than I can count by the slowness, stubbornness, and mental strain that I have placed on my ability (or inability, rather) to lose fat when I tried to the hardest. Have you ever felt that way?! Sometimes I just research the liposuction cost and consider having all the access weight sucked out of me. It’s something I’ve really considered because losing weight can be a very stressful and frustrating process, especially when doing it with just exercise and diet regulations.

The problem is that Fat Loss is NOT the same thing as “weight loss” and even so, for both categories, the old adage that you simply lose weight or fat by the mathematical sequence of “Calories In < Calories Out" is flat out WRONG.

The achieve a change in our physique through muscle growth and/or fat loss, we have to focus on our METABOLISM.

Our metabolism is COMPLEX to say the least! Yes, the Big Man upstairs has done Himself some kind of wonder in creating this amazing system that is responsible for both the break-down (called CATABOLISM) of our food into calories (that are used for energy in the body) as well as the build-up (called ANABOLISM) of all cells, such as muscle cells. It is a TRUE WONDER!

Even with my degree in Biochemistry and Biology, I did not understand the wonder of our body’s biochemical pathways and metabolic processes until I really devoted myself to studying it….and of course, experimenting with it (read: FAILING A LOT).

Yes, I have achieved the FULL SPECTRUM of what a high speed and perfectly ineffecient Metabolism does (our metabolism actually needs to be inefficient to promote fat burn and keep our system “moving” and higher speeds) as well as what a low speed and completely manipulated metabolism does.

Ironically, the time that I was at my LEANEST weight, when I trained for a a Bikini Competition, I was suffering from the WORST METABOLIC OPERATION that by Body had ever seen! So we cannot always associate a “smaller body frame” with a HIGH Metabolism! The opposite could be true!

Because I had WILL POWERED my way to see significant fat loss (losing over 10% in just 5 months) by EATING FAR TOO FEW CALORIES (especially carbohydrates that are out #1 quick energy source) and doing FAR TOO MUCH EXERCISE I stunted my metabolism to incredibly slow and yes, even damaged, levels.

Metabolic Effect calls this the EMEL method (Exercise More, Eat Less) which is a highway to metabolic damage and gaining ALL the weight back. Which is exactly what I did!

My metabolic damage was made worse yet by the fact that I promptly proceeded to GAIN BACK almost ALL of the body fat I lost (gained back about 7%), which took my metabolic damage to a whole. notha.’ level!

Yes, studies show that is is WORSE for your body to lose weight and gain it all back than it is to never lose it at all. Yes, that’s right.

Why? Because when we lose and gain, lose and gain (a la’ Yo-Yo dieting) your metabolism is slowed down. You simply won’t be as fuel (in)efficient anymore and your body won’t burn as many calories as you used to.

In fact, if you take two identical twins that are the same height and the same weight but ONE of the women had gained weight last year and had to ‘diet down’ to lose the weight again, HER METABOLISM will be slower than the other sister’s. Any time we gain and lose weight, we slow down our system. Frustrating RIGHT?! (By the way this is one of those questions on my list to ask God in Heaven, “What’s up with THAT?!”)

This is what I call, “Biting you in the Booty!” It’s both figurative reference and for me, quite literal because let’s just say, my BIG BOOTY has come right back to where it started from, and appears to be here to stay (to my husband’s delight, of course ;-)).

So, needless to say, now that I am 2.5 years POST-SHOW, I have learned a TON about metabolism in an effort to keep my body revved up and roaring as much as possible! This has helped me a TON understand MY BODY more of course, but it really helps me be a better Health Coach!

It’s a hard discussion to have with clients, because I know so many of us women want to see “results right away” but the truth is, you CAN’T speed up the process of Fat Loss to the point of it causing detriment to your Metabolism. You need to WORK WITH YOUR METABOLISM, not against it.

This means TAKING THE TIME to test your body and seeing what works. It is a PROCESS and if you’re doing it right, it’s a slow process! It’s hard, but if you consider the alternative, you would much rather have SUSTAINABLE FAT LOSS over quickly lost but quickly gained back fat loss? Yeah, me too.

My Top 3 Tips In Your Road to Fat Loss!

Try the TOGGLE programs that Metabolic Effect Prescribes for a roaring metabolism– either Eat Less and Exercise Less OR Eat More and Exercise More. Toggle back and forth between the two phases depending on your scheduling and life!
My 10% Method! Choose the “Minimum Effective Dose Method:” The goal is the eat as much as you possibly can while still seeing Fat Loss! You never want to take drastic cuts to your diet or make drastic leaps with your exercise. Just kick things up or down a notch, by about 10% of so. This is just enough to see if you see any results! When you cut too much, you probably can’t maintain that too well.
Don’t STRESS! Adding more stress to yourself to do everything “perfectly” just increases the stress hormones which ultimately WORKS AGAINST you in Fat Loss. So take this Fat Loss effort slow and just keep SURREND’hering your will to God’s will. Your God power will get you through these challenges far greater than your will power! Have Faith and Endure!

Hey, are you signed up for the Finding A. Wright Fit Newsletter? Join now and get a FREE Checklist of my Top 7 Rituals to Add to Your Health Today! In addition, you’ll get all of my insider goods, specialty posts on all things Body, Mind and Soul, exclusive offers AND the first dibs and discounts on all of my programs! Don’t hesitate and sign up HERE!

Tags Bikini Competition, body, endure, fat loss, fat loss diaries, God, Health, lean, metabolic effect, metabolism, toggle stress, woman, Women

Uncategorized

{Part 2} 5 Ways to NOT Be a Christian A-Hole

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date September 19, 2015

The other day, I wrote about my epiphany of one of the greatest fears that a Christian person might have when talking about their Faith is the feared STIGMA that all Christians are self-righteous, hypocritical A-HOLES. I believe this fear actually holds so many of us back from speaking our truth and actually impacting people’s lives. (read here)

The fear of the stigma becomes a deterrent for standing up and speaking our truth! It prevents many people from sharing openly or from doing something like I’ve done— combining their business and their Faith.

Because the truth is just because I run a Faith-Based Company does not mean I’m over here counting your sins and judging you. No, it DOES NOT in fact mean that I’m a Christian A-Hole. So I think it’s time we stand up and say it and prove it with our actions.

This past weekend I was at a Fitness conference among 80+ other women, and I was able to successfully hurdle this fear of the stigma that others were going to “not like me” or “shy away from me” because of my beliefs. Well, that didn’t happen!

While I didn’t intentionally set out to do these things, I can reflect now on the 5 things I did that helped me to avoid this misconception and have a really great time bonding with fellow Faith-based people and non-Faith-based people alike.

I encourage you, if you are Faith-based to apply whatever fits well with you in your life without the fear of ruffling feathers. If you are not Faith-based, or have had reservations about your belief because of a past experience with an overly-religious people, I hope this will give you some hope that there is a way for your to establish a relationship with God and not fear what your lifestyle will be like!

5 Ways to NOT Be a Christian A-Hole:

1. Stand-Up and Say Your Truth With Confidence:

People know when you’re faking it. They know when you’re nervous from second guessing yourself. So, the key to being able to do this is to hold your conviction of what you truly believe. Faith is not easy, but you don’t have to have it “perfect” to be able to talk freely about your experience and even admit that you have questions or doubts but still have Faith. Your only task is to stand in your truth! People resonate with those that hold conviction. That speaks far louder than any choice of words!

2. People Don’t Remember What You Say, But Do Remember How You Make Them Feel:

Growing up, I do remember a lot of experiences where I felt uncomfortable about religious people. I remember those people that tried to guilt me for my sin and it did push me away. But, luckily, there were just as many people that showed me love and compassion through interest and genuine care in my life. Today, I remember 0% of what words people ever spoke to me, but I will remember always how they made me feel. I am still drawn to seek these people and be around them because of how I feel when I’m with them.

Hold this truth close to your heart too. Let go of the need to say “just the right thing” to people you want to reach and instead just focus on doing the things that make other people feel good to be around you. Being present in the moment allows you to take this opportunity and represent God best.

3. People Respond to Passion and Kindness:

I spoke with almost all 80 of the women in the room and did not ask a single one of them about their Faith. You might find that odd, but what I did I think inspired far greater. I spoke about my Faith with such passion and kindness that it gave opportunity for whomever I was speaking with to open up if they chose to. Many of the women did and we had a great conversation.

When I speak about A. Wright Fit, I realize my passion just lights up. It is not about the business that excites me, it is what God has done through my life and the very miracle that I am where I am today. Speaking of that personal pride and joy from God resonates FAR greater than having a “philosophical” discussion of what it means to be Faith-based or not Faith-based.

I could see in the women’s eyes that they would light up as my energy poured out of me. So no matter what their current relationship with God was, I transmitted mine without having to use words. I hope they saw such a passionate relationship with God within me that they might desire one for themselves! I can only show this, not explain it.

4. Use Far More “I’s” and “We’s” than “You’s”:

Ok, this might be Sales 101, but I think for many believers this might be a necessary refresher! If you want to get someone to do something, buy something, or BELIEVE something, you don’t go about doing it by TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO and all the reasons why. Why? Because our innate human response when someone tells us what to do is to act like we did as a child—- get defensive and do the opposite!

It’s true for every single relationship out there! I genuinely believe that most Christians that are trying to share their Faith have no intention of coming across as self-righteous A holes! Of course not! They are trying to do what Jesus calls us to do. But it’s just a matter of delivery that throws off the intention.

So, in my writing and in my speaking, I have learned that the best way to speak about beliefs is to speak from personal experience. Many more “I feel…” or “I have…” or “We can…” and a lot less “You should’s…”

Even a seemingly innocent question of “Why?” can invoke a natural defensive response. Think about yourself and how you respond when someone asks you “Why?” about your beliefs or actions. You naturally get a little defensive, don’t you? A far better question is, “Tell me more about that?”

Keeping things trigger-free of defensive emotions is the best way to have a loving conversation.

5. In the End It’s Up to God Anyway, So Have Faith:

Trust me, I am not taking this as a cop out by any means. God calls ALL who have a relationship with Him to create more disciples among us (Matthew 28:16-20). But we must always remember that it is ultimately GOD and that person that has the control in this.

We are just responsible for our part, not their part. God has to take care of that from the inside.

Jesus tells us this point blank. “You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in my name.” (John 15:16 GNB)

I think this is one of the most profound mental shifts I have made in my Faith. I have to establish a deep enough belief and FAITH in God that allows me to trust that ALL I have to do is MY BEST and the rest is up to God and the other person. To be obedient to MY responsibility here on earth with thanksgiving and the honor of being chosen and capable.

Nothing can be forced from the outside. Everything comes from within. Their personal experiences build up until staying the same is far more painful than changing their beliefs. That is what it was for me and that is what it is for everyone!

These are just my takes on what I am doing that I think is working. I am not perfect at it and do know that I need to grow in courage and Faith more and more. But I was proud of the progress I made in overcoming a lot of fears this last weekend! I hope this encourages you in your Faith this week too!

Tags a-hole, Beliefs, disciples, Faith, friends, God, ministry, open minded, sharing faith

Food & Nutrition Uncategorized

5 Ways I #RITUALIZE My Meal Planning

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date August 9, 2015
1 Comment on 5 Ways I #RITUALIZE My Meal Planning

This week I continue on my quest to share some of the ways I #Ritualize my health! As I’ve explained, #rituals are just how I find ways to attach greater enjoyment from the regular health habits I’m trying to make second-nature. If I add a *MANDI STYLE* to some otherwise boring health habit, I find that it ups the “reward” center of my brain to thinking what I’m doing is fun and enjoyable instead of boring and horrible “healthy” stuff.

You will never learn to live a healthy life FOREVER unless you find some way to enjoy it! It is simple psychology and patterns human behavior! You have to change your brain chemistry to ENJOY being healthy and change any part of your life!

I believe RITUALS are the #1 WAY to find greater enjoyment. Being MINDFUL and INTENTIONAL with your rituals is so effective to making your rituals the healthy ones instead of the unhealthy ones.

So, as we have probably all heard, the solution to ANY PHYSIQUE change you desire for your body is going to come down to 80% NUTRITION CHOICES.

While working out is amazing and wonderful, if you don’t change your food and beverage habits, you may never see any weight loss, muscle gain or whatever your desired change may be.

YOU CAN’T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET. It is that simple.

That does not mean you take the “well why even bother!” approach and stop working out or putting in effort for exercise! Fitness brings FAR more benefits to your health than the aesthetic reasons we workout including psychological benefits, emotional stress relief, the metaphorically motivating aspects, heart health, disease reduction, and FUN, to name a few.

NO, my point in always pointing out that 80% of your body goal is dependent on your nutrition is to be sure you get the message that NUTRITION IS REALLY IMPORTANT so you don’t shirk responsibility in managing what you allow in your body.

I don’t advocate being a ‘perfectionist’ eater at all (that usually makes us suffer the consequences of an “unhealthy mindset” which renders us unhealthy overall), but I do want to empower all people and my clients to take proper responsibility for the “temple” that is their body.

Eating healthy is HARD because so much of it is dependent on things that we humans don’t manage very well–our emotions, stress, money, and planning. And not forgetting that most of us like to add extra salt to our meals to give it a heightened taste.

But this is actually bad for your health. Even though the likes of salt and sugar taste nice in our meals, it is unhealthy, and can even create a lot of health problems down the line, especially if you eat more than you should. The salt vs sugar comparison is an ongoing debate about which one is worse for your heart, and which one is likely to bring on a heart attack. The truth is is that they’re equally as bad as each other, and you should take great care when it comes to planning your meals, and how much of each ingredient you add.

I believe just implementing a solid set of RITUALS to what you eat, how you plan and cook your meals, and how you make decisions while you’re dining out will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in you feeling more REWARDED for taking the positive responsibility of governing your body with love and care.

Alas, here are my TOP 5 MEAL PLANNING RITUALS that I love! Use them to think about your FOOD RITUALS and how you can implement more HEALTHY associations and less unhealthy ones.

Top 5 Meal Planning Rituals

1. GROCERY SHOPPING WITH A HOT TEA AND A FULL STOMACH:

You’ve probably heard this one before but it’s a huge one for me–don’t grocery shop while hungry! If I decide to go to the grocery store on an empty stomach I will have eaten half a bag of grapes by the time get to the checkout counter as well as will find 3X more food especially in the form of chocolate, processed snacks and a lot of other things that just “looked” good at the time.

My goal while grocery shopping is to not get too carried away with spending (hello Whole Foods!), to buy mainly Holistic food choices (i.e. whole, unprocessed foods) found on the perimeter of the grocery store, and to purchase the satisfying variety of foods that will keep me eating Nutrient Based for all of my meals the next few days.

While I am a person that actually ENJOYS grocery shopping (I know not everyone does) to further increase the “reward” value I’m feeling, I will make myself a nice HOT TEA (or cold if it’s really hot out) to sip on while I walk. My favorite tea is Jasmine Green Tea. All green teas have this wonderful affect of just a little bit of caffeine matched with fat burning antioxidants AND this palette cleansing effect. It really helps to curb any cravings I might be having. Thus, as I’m walking by the chocolate aisle I’m less likely to wander in and overindulge. Any type of quenching treat is a great idea for all!

2. VEGGIES/FOOD PREP TO SOME MUSIC:

When I get home from the grocery store, it is always best if I go ahead a chop up all the veggies and produce and put it into containers on the shelf that is at eye level. First, having the veggies pre-chopped makes them more accessible and will help me EAT THEM. Then, I know if I keep them in the bags and put them in the drawer, I’m must more likely to FORGET about them and then they go bad and I have to throw them out (which I really hate wasting food!). So I put them at EYE LEVEL to prompt me to eat them.

SO, I don’t usually have a whole lot of time to chop up veggies since I’m always feeling “behind” in something for my business. Sometimes I will time myself to see how quickly I can do it. Other times, I’ll just plan this for my “break” time that I do about every 90min-2hr of work. I put on some jams on the speakers and get to choppin’! It becomes pretty stress relieving and will make it a much more enjoyable activity! Once or twice a week when I do more extensive food prep (like bake chicken breasts or baked sweet potatoes) I especially implement the music/dance party! I know that food prep is a boring, mundane task but it’s something that has to be done unless you use a meal kit. If you’re interested in learning more about meal kits, it might be worth reading this hello fresh vs blue apron review page. I can certainly see the advantages of meal kits so if the prep is something you dread every week, this might be an option for you. Just make sure you’re eating healthily.

3. FOOD PLATING AS ART DESIGN:

I think the “prettier” your food is, the more appealing it is to eat. I have started engaging in some meal planning tactics that help to make for “prettier” plates.

The more colorful the food is, the prettier it is! Thinking about this helps me first buy the array of colorful fruits and vegetables that will help me get a nice NUTRIENT-BASED variety that is really, REALLY important to True Health. Then I just make sure they get on the plate and I will eat them!

Also, if you really want to enforce this one to your “reward” center of your brain, take a picture of your food! I know the whole “food posting” tendency is slightly controversial and gets a lot of slack, but I personally find it a very valuable step in showing others that you are healthy and to give others ideas of meals! Why not shine the light?!

4. FOLLOW A PLATE GRAPHIC:

Metabolic Effect Food Graphic

This kind of piggy backs on the last ritual, but this one works for me because I get that feeling of “reward” when I actually feel organized in something. If I make an effort to consciously organize my eating without having to resort to things like measuring food or counting macronutrients, I am still finding a way to monitor my portion sizes but in a less rigorous way.

I am not against such practices of counting and logging food– in fact, I do it during certain seasons of strength training and I do ask most of my clients trying to lose a certain amount of fat to implement this habit for themselves. But for my very busy life right now, I appreciate just using a plate graphic to help hold me accountable. This is my LIFESTYLE way of doing this because I believe no person can reasonably log their food for the rest of their life.

Using a plate goes as follows:

1)Choose the proper plate size for your meal. This is dependent on your body size (the smaller you are, the smaller the plate should be and vice versa) as well as the # of meals you eat per day. If you eat 3x per day, you can have 3 bigger plates. If you eat 5-6x per day, you should be using 5-6 smaller plates. It just helps you eat the proper amount for you.

Choose Plate size based on # of Meals and Body Size (I chose the smaller plate)

2) Fill at least 1/2 of the plate with veggies. If it’s a green veggies, especially lettuce, fill the whole darn thing! Make sure you get some colored produce on there too (a nod to my Ritual #3). The “heavier” the vegetable, the more likely it is to have some fiber in there and make you feel full. I recommend a lot of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy etc.)

Colorful Cauliflower, Carrots and Celery

3) Fill just under 1/4 of the plate with a starchy carb source (sweet potato, brown rice, corn, beans, oats) OR fruit.

Added baked sweet potato slices which I like because they are naturally sweet and don’t need butter added.

4) Fill just over 1/4 of the plate with a lean protein of choice (fish, chicken, turkey, sirloin, bison, shrimp, egg whites etc for those that eat meat).

I’ve really enjoyed lean ground Bison lately, it has higher Iron and lower fat than Beef.

5) Add a “dollop” of fat in there (about the size of your thumb or two). If you cooked your veggies in a fat, that counts. If you are eating a higher fat source of protein (like bacon, ribeye, salmon,or whole eggs) that counts too. Otherwise, grab some guacamole to dip your veggies into, some olives on the side, or some coconut butter for your fruit or starch.

Today, I chose guacamole! Yummy polyunsaturated fat source!

5. PRACTICE THE SAME MODEL WHEN OUT TO EAT!

Whenever I eat at a restaurant, I actually try to follow the same principles of #4! Now, I won’t get the chance to actually plate my own food, but I will ORDER as best as I can to this same degree. For this reason, I will order a la carte A LOT or will just ask for exactly what I want (which a smile and respect of course!). 🙂

1.VEG: I start with veggies and this usually is just me asking for a side or two of whatever the chefs vegetables are that day or maybe get a side salad. Sides are usually always cooked in oil (as is everything when dining out!) but I’ll see if they can do light oil sometimes. For salads, I always get dressing on the side to avoid them dousing the thing with way too much.

2. PROTEIN: I’ll always find grilled fish or chicken as an easy go-to.

3. STARCH: For starch I’ll do brown rice or a sweet potato if they have them. If not, I’ll go for fruit for dessert–helps with my sweet tooth! If I plan on going for chocolate (which I do usually for one meal per day) I’ll just count that and try only 2-3 bites! If I’ve decided to have a glass of wine I count that as my starch too (only 1 glass though).

4. FAT: Since most restaurants already use way more oil that I do at home, I assume I’ve already had more than enough fat to necessitate extra fat sources. Therefore, I try to avoid adding extra “fat” options to my meals on purpose.

This is has HUGE reward incentive in the RESULTS I actually get. We travel all the time so we are eating out all the time. We’ve got no choice to so we have made the changes we need to make it work for us both health-wise and financially. For example, my other half has an AMEX Gold Card because she found it was the best option for people who eat out a lot and we also make sure the places we eat are healthy. If I DON’T implement this ritual, I will put on weight really fast. Sometimes its worth it and I’m perfectly find accepting that! But the rest of the time, I try to follow a the same steps to keep things as consistent in my eating as possible!

These are just a few ideas of some meal #RITUALS I have been implementing lately! I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing!!

Tags carbohydrates, Diet, easy, eat, Eating, effective, fats, Food, Health, meal planning, nutrients, nutrition, ordering, practice, protein, ritualizing, rituals, skills, tips, variety

Fitness & Training Uncategorized

How I #Ritualize My Workouts (Currently)

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date August 6, 2015

Monday on the blog as the inaugural #STRONGherAUGUST series I went over the #1 way I get into my health rhythm and flowwwwwww…..

RITUALS!

Today, I want to share exactly how I am currently #Ritualizing my WORKOUTS!

As much as I love the burn from lifting and the endorphin high I feel after I get in a good session, I don’t often “feel” like getting over to the gym. But by #RitualizingIt!, I add in little “me” components that make me feel better, look better, and therefore incentivize me to show up for ME.

Here are my current TOP 5 WORKOUT #RITUALS:

1. Look Good, Train Hard:

I kinda stole this from my girl Serena Williams motto, but honestly, I train MUCH HARDER when I put on clothes that make me feel hotter than my normal disheveled look (which I may or may not be currently representing while writing, glad there are no cameras right now!), which is why I recommend you to definitely look into buying some good quality gym clothes, similar to the ones available from companies like Anax Fitness! So yes, I’m the girl that puts on some tinted moisturizer, mascara, lip gloss or WHATEVER makes me feel better when I walk past the mirror at the gym.

I know it doesn’t matter to God or to anyone else what I LOOK LIKE on the outside, I do this because it matters to me what I FEEL like. I am a person that unapologetically feels better when I put in more effort. That’s just me.

I mean it seems to work for Serena right? She always looks great when she takes to the court, and she looks even better when she has reigned triumphant. What are the chances? I would love to have the chance to play a bit of tennis, but I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’ve heard one of my friends say that I should probably try and find my NTRP level to help me determine where I rank and then go from there. It’s not a bad idea, but I’m not sure if it is something that I want to look into just yet. I think I’m more interested in what I look like when exercising.

This also means that I do care about my workout clothes too! I love a cute hat which I will wear with some hoop earrings (don’t judge), a breathable but slimming workout top and any pair of pants that makes my booty look dyn-o-mite!

Yeah, when I first put on Lululemon pants and look at my arse in the mirror, I was like……

Make It Rain Emoji — Here’s All My Money Lulu!!

This ritual works! The second I have a new top or accessory, I’m that that GYM!

2. I Started A Training Notebook:

I’m organized in certain areas of my life more than others, but I wouldn’t say I’m exactly “Type A.” I’m a solid “Type B” which I don’t think is a thing, but I just made it one.

One area I have upped my “Type-B”ness is in this kinda “old school” idea of starting a workout journal,. I started only recently to write down and recording how much I’m doing, burning, and lifting for my workouts and it has been making a HUGE difference in my motivation and progression!

Also, I find that the act of writing down my workouts IN ADVANCE helps to make sure I push myself hard and record how well I did.

Then, the next time I do that same lift, like Back Squats for example, I know exactly where I need to start from and make more concerted efforts to increase my weight, reps or intensity.

This is the policy that I actually love to see for my Health Coaching clients for their personalized workouts I give them each week. It helps to be held accountable for the training and to really see the marked improvements!

#Ritualize it even more by making it some cute notebook the represents you!

3. I Ritualize My Warm-Up:

To make sure I do it, I came up with a routine that kinda gets me going, warms up my joints, and ensures I remain as injury free as possible these days. I prescribe the same warm-up to all of my health coaching clients too.

WARM UP RITUAL:

In includes:
5 Mins Foam Rolling (legs, glutes, lats)
Dynamic Stretching (moving through Yoga Sun Salutations etc.)
Diaphragmatic Breathing (deep breaths in, slowwwww exhale as if breathing through small straw).

I also have been STARTING my workouts these days with some HIIT Sprints for 10 mins. I used to do them as a “finisher” of my workout, but more often than not I would cut out on them early if I was short on time. I read on one of my favorite writers and mentors, JillFit.com that if you start your workout with your HIIT sprints, it helps to slim down legs for those of us that carry our weight mainly in our legs. The jury is still out on whether this strategy WORKS or not for me (these things take time and consistency), but overall I like doing the sprints early to just get them done.

Pre-Lift HIIT:
To do these, I use my Heart Rate monitor on my Fitbit Charge 2. Its the best I’ve found, plus it looks amazing with my replacement pink band from Mobile Mob. I will run at an exerted speed until my heart rate reaches 85% of my max HR or higher (the orange zone), then walk slowly until my heart rate gets back down to 60% of my max HR (the blue zone). I repeat this effort for as many rounds as I can fit into to 10 mins. Done!

An example of an effective HIIT workout! You want your HR to get high and recover too to get the most fat burning, metabolic pushing heart rates possible!

While I don’t think its “good” for our bodies to do the same workouts too many times in a row, to #Ritualize some parts makes it a “no brainer” to just get it done!

4. My Mind:Body 1,2 PUNCH:

While I love a great play list to get me into a workout zone, lately I have been really into using the time to soak up some KNOWLEDGE. I will listen to a Podcast or book on tape via the Audible app a good 90% of my workouts these days!

With a full-time business start up, I feel like there is always more I want to be learning right now. I call myself very “spongy” for the amount of knowledge I’m trying to soak out of every minute of every day. But I find it really helpful in processing the information through movement and offers a very nice, NEW distraction away from the workout. Having a new business is difficult. Things move very slowly at the start, meaning that it can be worrying for business owners to know when their company is going to start making money. It’s also difficult for small businesses to grow internationally without a merchant account provider, however, some of them class smaller businesses as high-risk if they’re not making enough money. Additionally, high risk merchant accounts may have more chargebacks than other businesses, meaning that merchant account providers are more likely to go for the safer option. That’s always in the back of my mind. If we don’t make enough money with the business, we might never be able to grow it internationally. Workouts often take my mind off this.

My current favorite Podcasts are:
The Fitcast with Kevin Lararabee
Amy Porterfiled (online business guru)
The Nutrition Diva with Monica Reinagel

Spiritual Podcasts I love (all have a very different “style”):
The Rock Church (San Diego based Christian Church)
Daily Hope with Rick Warren (Orange Country, CA)
Christ Community Church (Greeley, CO where I’m from)
T.D. Jakes The Potters Touch (Dallas, TX Southern Church!)

Audible Recent Favorite Audiobooks:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim or and Tony Schwartz
Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst

5. My Post Workout “Health” Treat:

So “treat” is kinda a lame term for my psyche and I DON’T want to indicate that I actually think some foods are “treats” in the way that makes them “bad” in the way that makes them “guilty pleasures.” Overall, I’m talking about carbohydrates which I associate as my “treat” foods because I don’t necessarily eat starchy carbs at every meal. For my body type, lower starchy carbohydrates work best for me and I will try to eat them mainly around my most active times of day.

Right after my workout is the BEST time to eat starchy carbs so I will use this incentive ritual to treat myself to something that I otherwise don’t eat on my rest days due to my lower activity. (The more active I am, the more carbohydrates I eat to help sustain high energy and a high functioning metabolism.)

The perfect example is a Protein Bar…a.k.a glorified candy bar. I have been loving the Nugo STRONGER Bars in the low sugar flavors (I have bought from Whole Foods, Sprouts Market and on Amazon). I also love the RxBar brand (sold online) because these are made of only “whole food” sources like egg whites, almonds, dates etc.

(I get no endorsements or free products from either company, just wanted to pass along my current favorites!)

Another great post workout treat I love is a PROTEIN PANCAKE. I’ll make them “whole food” based as follows:

1/3 Cup Pure Pumpkin
1/4 cup Gluten Free Oats or Qia Seed
3-4 egg whites
2 Tbs Coconut Flour
1 Tbs Arrowroot Starch
Vanilla, Salt, Stevia (if desired)

Cook stove top approx 2-3 mins each side on medium heat.
Top with fresh berries or banana, coconut butter or almond butter.

Having a solid 5 rituals to help me get to the gym, enjoy it as much as I can that day, and get it DONE are really all I need.

I’m curious, do you have some gym or workout rituals that make things more enjoyable for you? Please leave a comment below on what rituals you have been into lately and why you think they are working to motivate you! Help others learn new tricks!

Tags body, Exercise, Faith, fifaith, Fit, fitful, Fitness, Love, Mind, rituals, train, training, woman, workout

Fitness & Training Food & Nutrition Uncategorized

Find Your Health Rhythm and Flow With THIS….

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date August 4, 2015

What is the #1 thing that determines whether you have a “Healthy Day” or not?!

I have found my *THING* and once I tell you I bet you will totally agree with me…..AND will probably love that I am offering you a FREE checklist of said *THING* so you can get in on the practice as well!! Be sure you look for it at the end!

So here’s the thing—-it appears the entire month of July seems to have passed within a blink of an eye! WHERE DID IT GO?!

My husband and I were down in San Diego for the month while my 3-year old stepdaughter, Eden, was staying with us and (as is often is the case for me in July) my normal health practices kinda fell by the wayside. I noticed my physical health somewhat declining and I decided it was time to learn more about my body heath and go for a checkup at my local clinic. I couldn’t keep letting myself slip like I was.

Jumping into the moving vortex that is parenting a boisterous and hilarious “threenager” will certainly do that to ya, but also, July is just one of those months where, year-after-year, I kinda just relax a little bit more. It starts with the 4th holiday and then I usually have a vacation in there or two, certainly a few more BBQs, a family reunion and before you know it, my normal exercise practices have taken a month-long hiatus.

I happen to think this break is an EXCELLENT idea for everyone and I do it intentionally. I know from years of experience, that you CANNOT go 12-months of non-stop “fat loss” efforts. It doesn’t work for our bodies, our minds OR our souls.

So when the Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

For your TRUE HEALTH, this means you need to take SEASONS where you just REST and you just take a chill pill on the whole “count every macro that goes into my mouth” or the “count every rep and every calorie I burn” type of attention to detail (if you’re into that sort of thing….).

This is not to say that I didn’t CARE about my health for an entire month! Actually, quite the opposite! For me, this just means that I take a season off of my BODY health practices and usually make greater efforts for my MINDSET and my SPIRITUAL health.

Actually, my real test for my “Healthy Mindset” is IF I can take a hiatus from the gym a bit more, eat a few more pieces of chocolate and cups of frozen yogurt and…..wait for it…..

NOT BEAT MYSELF UP FOR IT!

I monitor my “Self-Talk” and what I’m saying to myself when I look in the mirror, when I’m experiencing the stomach aches that inevitably come too (darnit dairy!), and just breath into the space of imperfection. It is a daily mental battle. I won’t lie to you and tell you I was really strong mentally every day of the month, but I can tell you, my WISE’her practices have paid off! I certainly am stronger mentally in my health that I was just a few months ago! #ProgressNotPerfection!

As far as my Body’s Health went during this season of “chill more” and “worry less” I still focused definitely on movement with lots of park time and certainly lifting up that 46-lb ball of sugar that is my step-daughter(!) and even stuck to my Nutrient-based eating that I always do (I just added more chocolate and sugar into the mix)! It was a really enjoyable break!

So whether July was that sort of month for you or not, I want to encourage you to TAKE A MONTH (or two!) where you do intentionally plan to REST your body for a season. But then…..get back to WORK.

SO WHAT NOW?

After you take a season OFF of your normal exercise and/or heightened nutrition focus, there is always this TOUGH PHASE of getting back into the rhythm of things!

But that’s really all you need to focus on….THE RHYTHM.

THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT! This is the #1 thing that will determine whether I have a “Healthy Day” or not….

Finding My Health and Fitness Floowwwww!

I believe, to effectively put your health back into practice, you must find that rhythm and flow that comes into good, healthy practices.

The best way to find that RHYTHM is in my favorite step to SURREND’hered Health——–> RITUALIZE It!
In my 7-Steps to SURREND’her Goal Development, I highlight the two very important steps in the path to True Health.

Step #5: Habitualize It! –>this is creating new healthy habits to replace old unhealthy habits.

and my FAVORITE….

Step #6: Ritualize It! –> THIS is finding those personal preferences, tricks, and other appealing practices around the new healthy habits that will get you to DO THEM!

Ritualizing your Health becomes a rhythm and a flow when you plan for the rituals rather than plan for the “check list” of habits you need to do.

For example, I find the stupidest little details really enjoyable in my day!

From the coffee cup I use in the morning when I do my morning quiet time with God…..

To the little tiny dishes I use to fill with nuts and treats….

To THE song that I use as my anthem of the moment (i.e. gym, God-time, dance-time etc.)

To the pen and special notebook I use to write down my workouts.

Everything that I do well for my health, I do because I have RITUALIZED my practice of it and have thus found the RHYTHM and FLOW I need to have a fully successful day practicing better health practices.

For you I have 2 Special Treats:

I have created an easy check list of the 7 SURREND’hered Rituals that I do every day for my True Health practices! You can get a copy of this Ritual Checklist when you subscribe to the #STRONGherAUGUST month long series of more blogs and articles on all things related to become STRONG’her in my Body’s Health. All month I’m going to focus on more workouts to try, more metabolism tips, more nutrition education, and more recipes for success! Click HERE to subscribe and you’ll also be the first to see the next great things I’m doing on A. Wright Fit come this FALL!
For your viewing pleasure, I have the video that I created for the 7-Steps of SURREND’hered Goal Development series on how to effectively RITUALIZE It! I’m a HUGE dork so it’s a good one! 😉
https://vimeo.com/125247677

Tags body, Exercise, flow, Goal Development, habits, Health, life, little things, Love, nutrition, rhythm, ritualize, rituals, STRONGherAUGUST, Women, workouts

Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

The Best Kind of Weight Loss

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date June 17, 2015

So I just got off the phone with one of my new clients and I am so inspired that I am actually going to botch the entire blog that I’ve been working on for the last couple of weeks to share this story with you today!

This client and I have only been working together for a couple of weeks so far, but she hired me describing feeling being at “an all-time low point with her health”. She knew she needed to drastically change her health and knew she needed someone to help coach, guide and support her in some significant changes she was ready to make. I am so lucky she chose me.

I told her, as I tell all my clients, that I learn just as much from them as they do from me. It is an absolute honor and priveledge that I get to be a support system for any woman willing to face her fears, overcome obstacles and set herself back on the path that God has created for her. To witness such transformations with her, changes my soul and teaches me much more than I could ever learn on my own and through my own experiences.

So, as I do with all clients, the first step that we take together is to decide and write down what her goals are going to be. I whole-heartedly believe that choosing the (W)right goal for yourself is the most important step in becoming STRONG’her, WISE’her, andSURREND’her your life UP and should not be a rushed decision.

If you are truly ready for some real change in your life and in your health, you must get the SURREND’her part down first. That means, choosing the kind of health goal that GOD wants you to choose, not that you and your fears or lack-based tendencies are pressuring you to choose.

(By the way, I have combined all 7-steps into an ebook that can be downloaded when you subscribe to my emails newsletters HERE.)

As we discussed her goals over the course of the first couple of phone calls, the tone of her voice sounded unsure, embarrassed, discouraged, and soft.

The tone of her voice when we just spoke today? Completely different. It sounded light, free, upbeat, and confident.

So what had changed?

Well, she shifted her thinking and shifted her search for her goals! Her story was so awe inspriing, I wanted to share with you here today.

When she first contacted me she had told me her measurable goal was to lose X number of pounds. This is extremely common and not at all a “bad” goal. In fact, I highly encourage measurable goals to help motivate, track and stay accountable.

However, there are a million ways to measure your goals, so I encouraged her to take some time and truly reflect on whether or not this was the right goal for her and was indeed what God wanted her to focus on.

After this conversation, she told me she kept seeing messages about spiritual fasting popping-up in her world and she decided to do an incredibly brave thing——she listened.

She decided the signs were pointing her to do a spiritual fast and see if she could find some clarity about this health process. So for a almost a full week, she only ate vegetables and fruit and spent the time she would have spent eating, praying and reflecting more with God.

(NOTE: This is a highly effective practice for anyone spiritually mature enough to make it about connecting with God to answer a prayer and not about doing a “cleanse” to help you lose weight. Your heart posture matters! If you would like more information about this, I’m happy to help answer or guide you, just email me!)

As God promises us in the Bible, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7) When she sought clarity from God, He gave it to her.

During this fasting period, she came across a book that just seemed to pop-off the shelf to her. It was called “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Vosakamp. The story resonated with her on such a deep level she devoured it in about 2 hours flat and had her new measureable health goal from it.

Today, with her voice full of courage, hope and a new depth of Faith, she announced her new goal to me: She is going to seek and find her 1,000 gifts.

Every day, she is going to seek out the gifts of her life and write them all down. She will set her her intention on finding all that is good in her life and will spend her time looking for that, not just seeing her life through the lens of self pressure or busyness.

Her choice of a goal actually went hand-in-hand with a morning devotion that I had happened to read just this morning from the book, Nearer to Jesus by Sarah Young, which read:

“As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way. I lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day. Look carefully for them and pluck them one by one. When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet. Offer it up to Me with a grateful heart. Receive My Peace as you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts plying a lullaby in your mind.”

It is of no coincidence that she and I had received similar messages of seeking out the small treasures from God on the very same day. These are the “God winks” that we can all experience every day that we have our eyes opened and willing to receive it.

The best part of the phone call was the next part she told me….

She said that naturally Monday morning she decided to weigh herself to see if her weight had dropped after doing a week of fasting. It did…..but only 2 pounds.

She was fighting the natural instinct to be disappointed that after so much “restriction” she did not see more physical weight loss.

I reminded her however, that she had actually lost a significant amount of weight, it just wasn’t the kind of weight that we know how to measure.

You see, this past weekend after the fasting, she described how she had been able to go to her favorite Mexican food restaurant and felt satisfied after eating only 20% of her favorite meal.

She went to a baby shower and was able to resist the unhealthy food choices and cupcakes, and made the best decision she could with the options she had (chicken salad and some fresh vegetables and fruit) and felt good and satisfied by it.

The weight she lost was not physical weight. It was the lifting of the MENTAL burden that she had been bearing for the past several years regarding food, cravings and overall energy. I could tell she had lost such weight simply by the lightness of her voice.

Weight gain is very rarely about actual “weight.” 90%+ of the time, our weight is determined more by our thoughts than anything else.

Having a dieters mentality is a heavy burden.
Being unhappy and discouraged by your body all the time wears you down.
Always feeling stressed to eat the right foods and to do the right exercises is a heavy load to bear.

All of these things are much “heavier” than the actual weight we may need to lose.

Being able to lighten the burden of of our thoughts is MUCH MORE REWARDING than losing a few more pounds in one week.

She was able to fight the temptation of disappointment and stay on this path of greater understanding, joy and peace because she was able to instead focus her life on the gifts of her day.

From here, she will be able to now move forward toward an healthier body with a much lighter mental burden that will allow her to find True Health and success that no “diet” would have.

This is SURREND’hering.

I encourage anyone reading this to take the following steps to transform your MIND as well by asking yourself these 3 things.

Are my current health goals really what God wants me to focus on or am I creating goals to fill some sort of void I have in my heart that only He can fill?

If you find that you are not focusing on the right goals, take the time to pray and change them. God will empower you and guide you if you ask Him.
What are the small gifts that I encountered today that I can pick like a fresh flower bouquet?

Even if you’ve had a really crappy day so far, is there 1 or 2 things you can find that were unexpected gifts? Perhaps you can start a journal too to see if you can get to 1,000 gifts?!
What kind of mental weight am I bearing on my body that I need to lose before I can lose any physical weight? Am I putting unrealistic expectations on myself? Am I living only for others approval? Am I taking on others burdens as my own?

Pray that God will show you how to unburden and share the “yoke” with Him so that you do not bear the weight all alone.

Final reminders that if any of you would like to also work with me for 1:1 Health Coaching, I have just a couple more spots available in my current roster. You can check out the new 6-Part Module forum I’m offering in my 12-Week SURREND’her Health Transformation in this link HERE. Feel free to reach out and contact me via email at amanda@amandawrightfit.com and I can answer any more questions you have!

Tags body, Fitness, God, Health Coaching, life, Mental, Mind, Soul, Spiritual, Surrender, Weight loss

Spiritual Health Uncategorized

The Two Most Powerful Words…

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date May 22, 2015

I recently came across a beautiful quote that said, “I Am. The two most powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality.”

These words, “I Am” are incredibly powerful. Their meaning has so pervasive into my soul that it has taken on truer depths of meaning as I have thought of them, heard them in passing, and have seen them in written form too.

For those that took part in my 7-Steps to SURREND’her Goal Development Program or have read my ebook on the 7-Steps HERE, know that I drew emphasis on the power of our words in Step # 4 Visualize & Affirm It!

In this step, I stress the importance of using verbal affirmations because of the power that our words have over our subconscious mind! Since neuro scientists have revealed that our subconscious mind is responsible for 95% of our behavior, I argue that anything we can do to re-wire our subconscious minds in the direction we want to go is the best practice!

While, I think far too many people, including myself, ‘forget’ that this has been proven, and instead tend to repeat the old phrases in our heads. The lies that we’ve always believed.

Such was the case from the last blog I wrote the other day. I was in a world of turmoil for reasons I could not quite determine and I was just spiritually exhausted. In prayer, I called out to God and asked how I was supposed to manage all of my new roles and callings when “I Am so insecure.”

Those words, “I am” shaped that reality and were a main reason for my turmoil.

They were another LIE from the devil planted in my head, for who knows how long, that had taken root and was causing destruction in my ability to move forward with my Greater Purpose and calling.

Do I have remorse for saying those words? Absolutely not. Because by saying them to God, HE was able to set me right again and speak the truth into me.

He told me, “My Beloved, you are not insecure. You have just been believing the lie that you are insecure.”

God revealed to me what my truth is.

“I am empowered. I am strong. I am standing.”

BUT LET’S UNWRAP IT A BIT MORE…..

These words, “I am” will always remind me of God speaking to Moses in Exodus.

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3: 14)

For years and years, I have not been able to wrap my head around the sentence, “I AM has sent me to you.”

It has been a philosophical puzzle that I knew I was supposed to understand, but it wasn’t quite sinking to that depth yet….until one day.

Coincidentally, this was during a time where I was practicing the other part of the “Step #4 Visualize & Affirm It!” by doing a self visualization with my prayer.

There are times in my prayer that I get crystal clear on this woman that I picture myself to be. My ‘future self’ that is living out her Greater Purpose and calling. I imagine “her”, meaning me of course, in the course of a typical day.

{This “her” is actually what I hope to inspire all women to focus on becoming and is the “her” I refer to in “STRONG’her, WISE’her and SURREND’her”}

For me, my visualization prayer takes me to this certain place.

I visualize myself in 20+ years first in the outward appearance: I visualize what I’m wearing, my body and shape, the type of chair I’m sitting in, the type of food Im snacking on etc.

Then I visualize the feelings of this future version of myself: her aura and energy, the joy expressed in her face, the calm and peaceful way she talks— she is strong in grace.

One day, as I was finishing up this visualization prayer, I began thanking God for this vision and for this future version of me.

Instead of asking Him to guide me to be like her, I did the opposite, I thanked Him for already making it happen. I am that confident that I will be this woman I envision, that I don’t actually have to ask God to become that woman anymore, I can start thanking God for what I already know will be.

But as I started to thank Him, I found myself saying these words instead, “Thank you God for the woman that I will beco…(starting to say “become”), for the woman that “I AM.”

And that’s where it hit me. “I AM”

There is no “future me”, there is just me. It’s already been done. Just like there is no future God…He’s already there too.

All the difficulties I will face between now and that woman I envision is already done. The trials, the difficulties, the sorrows, the pains….already done and already solved. The joy, the love, the peace and the grace are all already given to me at maximum levels too.

I AM is now.

I AM all of those things I dream of being one day, right now.

The reason why this is true, is because God is in me and God IS ALL THESE THINGS.

God does not live in space and time. God is omnipotent.

God is both the sorrow and the joy.

God is both the pain and the peace.

He is ALL things because ALL things have their purpose, His Purpose.

When I was crying on the ground and said the words, “I am insecure,” God is that TOO. God is the LIE only because He must be the LIE in order to be the TRUTH. You cannot have the truth without also having the lie.

This is not to say that God is the cause of all of these things. I recently heard a sermon by Pastor Rick Warren where He distinguished that our circumstances (including the bad times) can be caused by 4 different sources:

1. God
2. The Devil
3. Ourselves
4. Other People

So while we can sometimes determine if we’ve caused our own pain or if other people have, we often don’t know if our suffering is from God or the Devil.

But the truth is that it doesn’t matter. What matters is not the source of the PAIN, but rather how we are going to use it for our Greater Purpose. Having a relationship with God means that we allow God to use all things to develop our Purpose and Character.

The truth is, our times of trouble and the difficult times will have a far greater impact on us that the good and happy times. The LIES we believe have their purpose in their pain.

So while I believe that the devil will continue to plant in my head the lies like, “I am insecure” that I will unknowingly believe for any course of time, I KNOW that God will give purpose and blessing to those lies.

There is POWER in setting those lies straight. There is POWER in discovering our TRUTH.

Jesus, who said, “I AM the way, the truth and the light” (John 14:6) will give us our TRUTH as long as we have ears that are open to hear it.

So I encourage you today, to stop, breathe and pray for greater awareness of who you really ARE. Pray that all lies will be made true again.

Shape the TRUTH of who you are by using the words, “I AM _______” and start repeating it to yourself every day, several times a day. Shaping this TRUTH can be just another way that God will be revealed in you.

“I AM sent me to you.”

Tags discovery, Faith, God, I am, Love, power, truth, Women, words

Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

3 Ways to Put the PRO in Progress

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date May 14, 2015

So “Emily (Blunt)” is the character in my mind that plays the role of my Inner Critic. She’s the hard-driving, perfectionist seeking, real b-word in my head that likes to point out all my weaknesses and tell me how I’m failing at things.

I introduced her to you in my last blog that talked more about our recognizing our Inner Self Critics, why we have those voices in our head to begin with, and how to refocus our mind to the only thing that IS perfect in our life (those areas where God dwells). If you missed it, check it out HERE.

In today’s blog, I want to cover how to adjust your goals and expectations of PERFECTION to a new word that will have much more POWER and much more SUCCESS.

—>PROGRESS.

In spite of all this chitter chatter of the “Emily” trying to manipulate my thoughts, I have to say that I have been able to muzzle her voice from my head with greater and greater success in the last several months!

To quiet her barking in my mind, I’ve just had to utter one phrase inside my head and she shuts up.

“Progress is Progress.”

PROGRESS is the new PERFECT. And I have developed a true sense of empowerment and motivation in life when I look for and see the ways that I am PROGRESSING instead of only focusing on the ways that I’m not yet perfect.

But you might be wondering – How do I make progress? In order to make progress, you must be proactive in reaching your goals. For example, if you want to lose some of your body fat, you know that what you’re doing currently isn’t working so you need to change something in order to see the progress you want. This could be something as simple as Googling “is DIY cryolipolysis effective” and taking steps to implement it, or it could be as major as totally changing your diet. It doesn’t matter what it is – your goals will be met no matter how slow you go.

As we all know, I am a big-time believer in writing and setting goals (hence why I wrote an ebook on the 7-Steps To SURREND’hered Goal Development which you can download free right HERE).

Often times however, it is in these very goals that I have so diligently planned out that I start to hear more of “Emily” in my head trying to measure me up to my perfectionist areas.

Let’s take one small, silly example to illustrate:

I made a small goal to be able to improve my time in running the 1.5 mile jog that I try to do as a warm-up in my workouts. Now mind you, there is no real reason why I think I need to improve my time in this effort nor any magic in running 1.5 miles, but it really is just a distance that I thought was a good amount of time and I like to created the mini goal to just push me a little harder!

So, anyway, this week, I was able to do the run 3x in my workouts. BUT, I wasn’t able to improve my time in the last run that I did this week because I was feeling a bit more sore and needed to go slower to start.

You all probably understand that this is really not a big deal. Not life or death. But the EMILY in me, wants to really put me down about it. She wanted me to push through the soreness and just “work harder” and “go faster.”

But, I shut her up. Why? Because….

Progress is Progress.

The fact is that I did this run 3x this week whereas last week I only did it 1x! So I made PROGRESS!!

The progress is what I need to focus on, not the “lack.”

While this kind of example illustrates a small disappointment I experienced this week and may not seem like too big of a deal on it’s own, the truth is our small disappointments build-up over time and can destroy our resolve.

If I let my mind continue to be unnecessarily disappointed in myself for the small stuff, it’s for sure going to be majorly affected for the big stuff. I have to rewire my thinking in small ways if I want to prepare myself to do the same in BIG ways.

Progress doesn’t have to be measured results either! Progress might be that you have mentally shifted away from past destructive behavior. That you are being more gracious, loving, and gentle with yourself. That too is making progress and should be acknowledged!

Let’s take another, more serious example:

Say you want to lose a fairly significant amount of weight (20-30lbs) and you know how hard it is to lose fat when you drink alcohol, but you have a real taste for wine and drink a glass or two 3x per week.

But because you want and need to lose this weight so bad, you set out to give up your wine for 30 days.

One week in, you have an especially stressful day and everything seems to have gone wrong and before you know it, that bottle of wine is opened and you’ve finished it off! Ugh!

So here you are, set-up with a prime opportunity for your own Self Critic to lay into you about how you blew it and probably some bit about how you’re never going to be able to do this and it’s too hard and you might as well quit!

AmIRight??

Luckily for us, we have this new slap in the face to offer our dear Self Critic. We say to her…

“Progress is Progress“!

Because the reality is, you used to drink 3x/week, and then this week you only drank 1x/week!

That, is the proper focus and that is the reality of how changes happen!

REAL, long lasting change usually happens step-by-step, not mile by mile.

REAL, long lasting change modifies your current bad habits just enough to make them better habits.

REAL, long lasting change is gradual and purposeful, not sweeping and bipolar.

THE REAL WAY YOU MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE IS TO FOCUS ON MAKING PROGRESS!

Want to improve in this? I have you covered in just 3 steps!

3 Ways to Put the PRO is PROGRESS:

1. PRO-gram your MIND:

You must learn to mentally shift your mind away from your disappointment in yourself or thinking you’ve “failed” at something and instead see the PROGRESS you’ve made. The easiest way to do this is to verbally (or mentally) affirm it! Anytime you hear your Inner Critic barking at you from within, stop yourself and say “Progress is Progress” and look for the way that you did make progress in your effort.

Repeating things like sayings and affirmations actually reprograms your subconscious mind to believe what you are saying. The more often you say something, the more it becomes true for you and the more you start to live it.

2. PRO-fess the next PROgression:

Once you have acknowledged and recognized the progress you’ve made so far, you want to PRO-fess and decide what the next step or “mini goal” of progress is going to be! There is no time table or pressure to always do more and more, but it also is good to keep progressing! We must always keep learning!

We can and should feel great about only drinking 1x per week when we used to drink 3x per week, but we don’t want to stop short of our real goal and real capability either! We don’t want to be complacent with our efforts and fool ourselves into thinking our half-hearted attempts are “good enough” especially when we know we CAN do more.

So take a minute to mentally, verbally, or in writing decide your next level of progress you wish to make in this goal. Give yourself a *realistic* deadline to make it really stick!

3. PRO-vide the Example for others!

As you start to put less pressure on yourself to be “perfect” you will find that you can start putting less pressure on others to be perfect too. PRO-viding the example for them by acknowledging their progress will be a service you can provide to others that will also come back to you.

After all, you don’t want to be one of those people’s that gives yourself Grace but holds others to some standard of perfection they can’t reach!

Overall, I view my relationship with my Self Critic, “Emily Blunt” in my head as a pretty great thing. Recnognizing her comments now, almost laughing at how ridiculous and obsessive she sounds, and taking steps toward God and toward a life seeking PROGRESS in becoming STRONG’her, WISE’her and live SURREND’hered is truly what makes me EMPOW’hered.

Here’s to us, with the crazies in our head! Moving on….

Tags Emily Blunt, Faith, God, perfection, PRO, progress, Trust, voices

Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

Motherhood Woes and Why Emily Blunt sucks…

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date May 12, 2015

Happy belated Mother’s Day to all Mothers, Step Mothers and Adopted Mothers and Grandmothers out there, too. I am blessed to witness some really incredible mom’s in my world. As I reached out to my Mom, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law, sisters, mother to my step daughter Eden, as well as all the friends I have that are also mothers, I wanted to be sure I fully expressed how much I love them, how in awe of them I am, and how great I think they are doing as a mom because I know, as a mom, you never think you are really doing “good enough.”

Indeed, from some of these moms, I did get an almost expected reply back to my praise and adoration, saying, “I fail a lot, but thank you!”

It’s such an honest response to how I know most mom’s feel.

I certainly feel like I “fail” a lot as a Step Mom and have intense feelings of guilt trying plague my mind and thoughts. It can feel defeating.

But, what does that word even mean? FAIL.

To me, this word doesn’t signify an indication of merely the result of an effort made, but is more of an indication of what the goal was to begin with!

If you have ever felt you have FAILED at something, it is likely because your GOAL in this particular area was to be PERFECT.

There are just certain areas of our life where we strive for PERFECTION.

Perfectionism has fooled our minds into thinking that:

There is such thing as perfection;

That we actually have ability to be perfect;

Anything short of perfection is failure.

But, what we may not realize is having a mindset geared toward PERFECTION is a design from God Himself.

“I have planted a longing for perfection in every human heart. This is a good desire, which I alone can fulfill.” —Sarah Young, Nearer to Jesus

But what goes wrong, is we try to fill our hearts with things that are imperfect (hint: anything that is not God is imperfect, so yes, even your children are an example of this). Those areas then become our IDOLS and we suffer more because of it. We burden ourselves with expectations that can never be met and our mindsets suffer from our inner Self Critic pointing out every “failure” along the way.

But there is a way to beat this! There is a way to feel successful, full and complete!

In this 2-Part Blog Series We’re Going to TACKLE this issue of our Mind:

Part 1: Expose our perfectionist thinking by identifying the Self Critic in your Mind

Part 2: Offer the Alternative Goal that will allow for more God, more Grace, and more “Success” (HINT: the key word is PROGRESS).

OUR SELF CRITIC SABOTEUR!

WHAT IS OUR SELF CRITIC?

Our inner Self Critic is that voice in our head that is always nagging on us and criticizing us. It is the voice in our head that tells us we are not “good enough.”

For simplicity sake, let’s be clear there are 3 facts about our Inner Self Critic:

Our Self Critic is NOT the voice of God telling you you’re not good enough.
Our Self Critic is NOT the “real us” even though it’s a voice that sounds like us.
Our Self Critic IS a scheme of the Devil himself.

The devil can be so good and so smart that he might have you convinced that this voice in your head is “just the way you are” or it is God who is ashamed of you, but that is simply not the truth.

Being aware of these facts is a source of empowerment.

Discerning this Self Critic voice from God’s voice and your TRUE self is the awareness that you need in order to move beyond the limitations it tries to set upon you.

CHARACTERIZING OUR SELF CRITIC?

I was first introduced to the term “Self Critic” from the book, Playing Big, by Tara Mohr.

She says, “All women grapple with this voice of self-doubt in one way or another. For some women, it is most prominent around their professional lives. For others, it comes up around their sense of competence as mothers or partners. For others, it speaks mostly about appearance, body image or aging.”

Preach, Tara, preach!

There she invited me to think of my Self Critic in some character format so I might see her as someone other than me. I loved the idea and encourage you to do the same!

I named my self critic “Emily” after the character played by Emily Blunt in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. She’s the “popular girl” type who thinks that no one is ever good enough, pretty enough, smart enough or skinny enough. Yeah, she sucks. (Not the real Emily Blunt, but the character she plays in my head.)

For some of you, your self critic is going to be an older woman/man of authority that barks down orders. For others, your inner self critic might actually take on the character of your mom or dad or another family member that you have historically never felt “good enough” for.

Whatever the voice is, it’s important to recognize it so you can distinguish it. You can then learn to live with it (because it may never go away) but also ignore it because you recognize this voice for what it is.

Recognize the common phrases your self critic might use. Tara Mohr says our self critics will often speak in extreme phrases so you’re either “awesome” or “pathetic”. It’s usually harsh, mean and rude. Fear based and mischievous. Tells you you’re “not ready yet” to embark on a dream. Irrational, persistent, and seemingly like a “broken record” that just plays and plays.

I know personally, I recognize my self critic when I walk by a mirror and I hear “Ugh.” It may take a while to fully acknowledge, but it’s really important to start to recognize the character and cues that our Self Critics will use.

THE AREAS OF FOCUS FOR OUR SELF CRITIC:

Our self critic (i.e. the devil) is incredibly smart and knows to prey on those very areas of our mind and hearts that are the most susceptible to sabotage. Our very weakest weaknesses.

In fact, once you think about it, your Self Critic seems to expand in areas on your life that you fall most prey to idolatry. Those areas that you have a tendency to put ahead of God.

Allow me to humbly admit the 3 top ares of my own demise and idolatry:

First in my RELATIONSHIPS, “Emily” likes to keep me worrying about what everyone is always thinking of me and keeps putting pressure on me to be a “perfect” wife, “perfect” friend, “perfect” step mom, “perfect” health coach and all that.

Then in my WORK, “Emily” has been especially hard driving on me lately to get more done and do everything all at once to make sure that my new business will succeed. She’s been basically yelling into my head with a megaphone on this one.

Then in my HEALTH, “Emily” has been historically a real b-word. She has yelled at me in my head to workout longer, eat more strict, and especially focused on my body’s flaws and how I just must not be “working hard enough” to see quicker changes!

I fully admit that in all the three areas, I wake up every day putting unrealistic pressures on myself to strive for a level of perfection that doesn’t exist.

Every. Day.

But, my power is is recognizing this voice and ignoring it.

THE ANTIDOTE TO OUR SELF CRITIC:

The other day I was listening to a Rick Warren podcast called “Daily Hope” (one I highly recommend for anyone looking for “quickie” Spiritual guidance!) where he mentioned that the antidote to FEAR is to FOCUS ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

That same focus applies to this Self Critic since the truth about these “perfectionist” thoughts is FEAR as well.

Transitioning our focus to the one thing that IS PERFECT is the perfect way to overcome this Self Critic voice from the devil.

Recognizing our weaknesses and imperfections and offering them up to God is the only way we can be made perfect in Him.

“But he said to me, ‘My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

We DO have the opportunity for perfection, but it is only found where God dwells in us. So if we seek God and connect with God, we find that perfection we long for.

The Devil will continue to try to tear that away and you will struggle every day, in many different ways, to keep that connection to Christ, but God knows that.

God knows that you have a heart that desires perfection, He created that so you would seek HIM more. This means not once, not twice, not 100 times, but every day, several times a day, you must seek God and find the fulfillment you need.

The more you practice this, the more God will relieve your worrisome mind and rest your fears that you are not “good enough” at motherhood, health, or whatever areas your tend to fret.

This awareness, has been incredibly powerful for me. I have been able to use this GodPower source and He has given me a new word and a new GOAL to strive for.

PROGRESS!

Part II of this series will cover how you too can transition your areas of “Perfectionist” thinking in your pursuits for health and use instead a goal of PROGRESS to keep you motivated and find success and satisfaction!

Tags Faith, God, Health, imperfections, perfection, progress, relationships, self critic, work

Food & Nutrition Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

7-Steps to Conquer Emotional Eating (Part 2)

Post author By Amanda Wright
Post date April 30, 2015

“I’m not hungry but I really need something sweet right now. Well now that I’ve had one bite how about another bite…. and then….ok just one more.”

This is essentially my inner monologue several times per week. I am thinking these thoughts usually in the evening, after I’ve had a healthy dinner, my body feels satisfied, and I could easily go to bed content.

But, I don’t.

Why? Because usually at that time, I also have this little nagging feeling in my head, mouth and stomach. As though there is this little creature that is screaming “I need something sweet! I need a treat!” Sure enough, I wind up in our pantry munching just for the sake of munching. I’ve learned to have healthy sweet treats on hand, thankfully, but when we are away from home, forget about it! I get myself into some precarious, overeating situations quickly!

I know I’m not alone with this little creature in my head. For me it’s all about the sweets. For you, it might be salty/crunchy variety. But we can all easily suffer from CRAVINGS for food that is not about hunger at all.

Yesterday, I wrote about reading a very relatable book called, ‘Made to Crave’ by Lysa TerKeurst, where she wrote about her journey of trying to refocus her Cravings to God instead of the junk food she felt controlled by.

Her book and scriptures prompted me to take a deeper dive into what the bible actually has to say about food and cravings too! Surprisingly there was a lot! It made me feel more “normal” knowing that if God uses food as an example in the Bible, then I’m not the only one out there exploiting and idolizing the role of food in my life. It also gave me Hope because it gave me some scriptural places that I should be focusing my attention and cravings:

The Word of God
His will for my life (i.e. My Greater Purpose).

This begs the question, however, how do we apply this to our every day life? How do we actually take such a challenge and convert it into applicable, every day ACTION toward lasting success?

For me, the answer is easy because I’m going to use the same strategy I implement for ALL changes I want to make in my health and in my life.

Make a goal out of it.

Not just any goal, mind you. No, as a woman of Faith, I know that this kind of challenge (which clearly has some Spiritual depth to it) means I need to make this a SURREND’hered goal!

I will use my 7-Steps to SURREND’hered Goal Development that I will use to effectively plan and implement this new way of health to defeat my affinity toward emotional and overeating.

I recently offered an 8-day workshop explaining all 7-Steps to SURREND’hered Goals to an amazing group of individuals that included daily emails, examples, resources and videos of me explaining each step. Sorry if you missed it!

Lucky for you, however, because I have actually turned all 7-Steps into an Ebook that I am now offering for FREE to all email subscribers. The book includes an in-depth look at all 7-steps to succeed in any goal, a list of books and references, PLUS a bonus of my fillable forms and charts that will help you effectively plan your own success! You’ll see more of those is this very article.

Click this link to receive your FREE copy of this Ebook here!

My 7-Steps to SURREND’hered Goal Development are:

So, while you get the full in-depth explanation of all of these 7-Steps in my Ebook, I wanted to offer a living example of these 7-Steps to SURREND’hered Goals as they apply to this goal I have of overcoming my emotional and overeating!

Step 1: SURREND’her It:

As I explain in my ebook, this step is all about offering my goal as a living sacrifice to God. This is recognizing that I will need to depend wholly on God’s strength to actually be able to conquer this dream. To effectively practice this art of SURREND’hering I know I will need to do both PLANNING + PRAYER. From one of my favorite books, The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, I have to do as he advises:

“Plan like it depends on me, but Pray like it depends on God.”

Also, even the Bible reinforces that to achieve any dream there is much activity required.

“A dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice in known by his many words.” Ecclesiastics 5:3

So, I’m not going to be “all talk,” or even “all prayer”, I am going to make a plan and put it into action!

Step 2: DREAM It!

As I also explain, while I say my goal is to “not overeat or be an emotional eater” I know that this is not actually how I am to phrase my goal. Nope, my goal needs to be AUDACIOUS, S.M.A.R.T., stated in the POSITIVE and PROACTIVE tense, and is BALANCED to include not just BODY goals but also MINDSET and SPIRITUAL goals too! (You’ll have to read up to know what all of these rules mean!)

So my dream is actually:

To go 6-months straight of emotionally disconnecting from my food, intentionally “eating to live,” only eating until I’m 80% full, planning and eating on a timed schedule, and use the act of eating to draw me closer with God, my Greater Purpose and His Word. I will measure my success by body measurements as well as journaling/emotional comparisons.”

You can see that my above dream is measured and includes BODY, MIND and SPIRITUAL aspects to conquering this dream.

Step 3: DIVIDE It!

As you’ll see, again, in the ebook the purpose of DIVIDING your ultimate goal is to create short-term “Phases” of goals that you focus on. This will help not only help avoid the feeling of “overwhelm” by such an audacious goal, but it will also provide opportunity for the very important REST periods and CELEBRATIONS after I accomplish each Phase Goal.

For this ultimate goal, I will divide all 6-Months up into 6 Phases:

Phase 1 (Month 1): For 70% of the first 30 days of “eating to live,” only eating until I’m 80% full and eating on the planned schedule, and journaling and praying for each meal.

(*note* this will be broken down into “Mini-Goals” for this first Phase as is covered in the ebook)