Attitude is EVERYTHING

Here's one thing you may be surprised to learn about me- I love to eat. Literally. L O V E to eat. Meaning I just "enjoy" the act of eating, of putting food into my mouth with no second thought. In fact about 2 years ago, during an offseason I hit an alltime high weight for me at a whooping 160 lbs (to put it in perspective for you, I compete at around 130). You can imagine how crappy I felt, and looked.

These days the story is entirely different, and it's not because I suddenly stopped loving to eat- it's simply because I put a lot of time and effort into my attitude about food in general. Attitude really is everything, and in order to change your body, you have to change the way you think about food, and the attitude you have about the gym.

Despite being a competitor, I'm not very different from many of you- I get cravings, I miss certain foods, I fight through hunger, I deal with social pressures to eat, and there are days where I don't feel like moving let alone going through two a days in a the gym. But that's where my ATTITUDE comes into play.

Change does not happen overnight, nor does it come easy. I can never say this enough. But consistency and a positive attitude will lead towards life changing habits, and nothing can outdo the power of the mind. It may take some repetition and practice, but when we can tap into the emotional aspect of a desired behavior it has more staying power- and most of us who want to overindulge, eat our faces off, or lay around the house can admit, it's emotional/mental.

It didn't take me long to discover that if I change my thought process, I could (almost) create a mantra for what I wanted to achieve. Instead of saying things like, "I really should go to the gym today," which makes it sound like a chore, you would say, "I WANT to work out today because it will relieve stress," or "I WANT to work out because I WANT to drop those last 3 lbs". All I did was change the vocabulary, yet it also altered my entire attitude! It will help put you in the right frame of mind to not only get in a solid workout, but hopefully get to the gym more frequently.

When pizza or peanut butter are calling me, instead of saying, "I SHOULD eat chicken and asparagus" I say, "I WANT to eat chicken and asparagus because that's the fuel my body needs," or "I WANT to eat chicken and asparagus because I WANT to present my best package on stage at Nationals in 2 weeks."

Next, pair this attitude adjustment with a visual. I personally have my own vision board full of motivating quotes and photos that keep my inspired. It hangs in my office and I update it, alter it, or add to it as often as I want to. The key is to look at it repeatedly. I write "PRO CARD" on post it's and place them at various spots in the house. ANYTHING to keep your focus is well worth the while.

Thirdly, surround yourself with like-minded people. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most of us are fine, on our own, yet when we surround ourselves with family or friends, or are places in a social setting, we fall headfirst off the wagon. My best advice is to surround yourself with people who are health conscious, like you, and will ENCOURAGE you to stay on track, not try to derail you. If you have to go to a party- my advice is to drink a 1 scoop protein shake with some unsweetened almond milk or nonfat greek yogurt beforehand to help fill you up. Carry snacks with you, like rice cakes, raw almonds, celery, baby carrots, etc so you have munchies of your own while you're there. Better yet- prepare a healthy dish to bring with you so you know for a fact at least one food option will not throw you off track with your diet.

Applying this principles, along with re-routing your mindset can not only maintain your focus, but help fuel and feed your determination as well. Through small, daily, consistent behavioral changes, what was once a simple desire will eventually become a deep seated passion. Trust me, I'm proof. I now gain no more then 5-10 lbs in an offseason, and I feel and look better, inside and out. And remember, when an urge or desire becomes that strong, you are virtually unstoppable. NOTHING derails the power of a focused mind. NOTHING!