I CAN'T KEEP UP!

 

I am struggling to even breathe in through my nose, never mind breathe out again through my mouth, dammit I really cant breathe, now I'm overthinking my breathing and convinced I suddenly have asthma. This is so hard, everyone else makes it look so easy. Am I doing this wrong?

 OMG that Emma girl is looking at me, she must be laughing at the sweaty bumcheek marks I've left on the floor, ugh! I don't want to smile back at her, just incase.

 Damn burpees, I need to tuck this T-shirt into my bottoms, I don't want the group noticing my belly bouncing about next! Dear God my face is TOO warm, I think I'm gonna explode. Did she say sprints?! I can barely jiggle along never mind sprint! Look at the floor, look at the floor, don't make eye contact. I shouldn't have let myself get so unfit, I feel mortified. I can't keep up, I can't keep up,

I CAN'T KEEP UP!

 

Ring a bell? The thoughts that run through our heads when we first try out a new training regime.

For most of us, yes me included, the first day with a new personal trainer/coach or the first day at a bootcamp or gym class can be quite... unnerving.

 

You don't know what to expect, you've heard so many good things as well as so many scary things you really don't know what to listen to. You're cursing yourself for signing up because, well, now you're here and you think you "can't keep up".

Let me tell you something right now girl... YES, YOU CAN KEEP UP. You can keep up with yourself. You can keep up with your own personal limits and your own personal goals. You're not here to impress anyone, you're here for you and your growth towards a healthier life.

 

You promise yourself you won't come back, it's too hard, I'm too sore, I'm too slow.

You're wondering if this is the place for you, everyone else seems so at home, well, that's what you think. The next time you think that I want you to stop a minute and wonder what those other people in the room are really thinking. I can guarantee you they didn't notice your sweaty bum marks on the floor or your frizzy pineapple hair mess on top of your head. They are thinking along the same lines as you. They are ALSO a little on edge, they find it tough, they are sweating too!

Always remember, anytime you are out of your comfort zone, in all walks of life, not just a fitness scenario, you're gonna feel on edge!

It is natural to feel like you stick out like a sore thumb, you truly believe everyone is looking at you, they know you're new etc. I am here to tell you that's not true! Your mind can sometimes be your own worst enemy.

Most people in the room feel the exact same way you're feeling. Use this moment as an opportunity to talk to the girl standing beside you in the room, I'll put money on it she's currently feeling or has previously felt the same way you feel now.

 

Don't be embarrassed, you don't need to "keep up"!

You don't need to keep up with anybody at all, ever, not in my gym.

You signed up to this program to better yourself, to get healthier, fitter, leaner and happier. You didn't sign up to see if you were better at burpees than the person next to you.

 You signed up for YOU. Please remember that the next time you say "I can't keep up".

As a trainer I do not give a damn if you are the slowest sprinter in the pack, I don't judge, that's not my job. What I care about is watching you progress as the months go on, watching YOU get faster and fitter, healthier and more confident!

You may not notice a change like this, but I will.

Any trainer that makes you feel like you need to push harder to be better than another person in that room, well that's a sucky trainer in my own opinion and yes, I can have an opinion ;)

 

 I believe you should always push yourself and push your own limits and if you want to feel inspired by a fellow fit friend then that's ok but don't set out with the intention of "beating" them. YOU are your only competition and you should only feel the urge to beat your previous unhealthy self. You are here to better yourself, to be better both mentally and physically than you were yesterday. Don't give up on yourself because you think you aren't capable, you are very capable.

 

Next time you feel like quitting any fitness regime, for any reason, follow my steps.

 

Say out loud:

 

* I CAN FINISH THIS

 

Remind yourself:

 

* I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SCARIER LIFE PERIODS THAN THIS SINGLE HOUR OF EXERCISE (admit it, we all have)

 

* NOBODY IS JUDGING MY ABILITY (apart from yourself, so stop it)

 

* A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR IS €45, LET'S AVOID FUTURE VISITS (blend up that green veggie shake) :)

 

 

When you feel like giving up and you're genuinely having a really bad day, please don't go on instagram and scroll through photos of abs and peachy bums. You are setting yourself up to feel worse. Instead, pick up your favourite inspirational book and read a page or listen to a motivating video on youtube. If you have just started your fitness journey and are feeling a little off track or having an unmotivated day then scrolling through hundreds of photos of perfect abs will make you feel like you really don't fit in! Don't give in to that pressure.

This is YOUR journey, you follow it whatever way you want, as long as you feel good and feel healthy, then what else matters?

If you're currently not getting desired results and are just sticking with the same trainer out of loyalty, ask yourself again why you signed up in the first place... Yes, remember, you signed up for YOU to get results, whatever those results may be to you.

 Put yourself first, block everything else from your vision for a change, you deserve this hour of exercise. This hour hurts, it's hard, it's sweaty, it's still a bit scary but you know what, it can also be the best hour of your day.

Wanna know how to make it your best hour?  Step inside the gym and this is what you do:

Leave your work, your boss, your screaming (but beautiful) children, your needy brother, your insecurities, your failures, your heartbreaks, your daily struggles, leave them all outside the gym door. Step inside and focus on your body for an hour.

You CAN do it,  you may not be the fittest in the room but you can definitely do it to  match your own ability.

You are worth it, you deserve this hour, don't ever forget your reason for signing up.

Do it, because you can.

 

 

Love,

Lisa Dee

:) x

 

 

Stay happy, healthy and grateful.

lisadeefitness@gmail.com

Comfort Eating, The Big Taboo.

Will you hide the wrapper after you eat that cake, alone?

You know the feeling, you’re a few weeks, into a new healthy eating plan you feel on top of the whole world and then THIS happens…

One morning you wake up, it’s raining, you slept past your alarm, there’s no coffee left, NOTHING looks good on you, you’re now late for work, your boss pretty much hates you, the girl at the desk next to you is a two faced bitch, you get a hateful message from your mum, there’s no money in your account to pay your phone bill today, you just realised you skipped breakfast and you’re so hungry and damn it did you even remember to feed the dog?!!

And it’s only 1pm!!! You’re feeling fuzzled and stressed and all you want to do is pick up a pizza and 3 tubs of Ben & Jerrys (different flavours of course) and go back to bed for the night.

Sound familiar? We have all been there! A little mishap first thing in the morning and your day seems to spiral out of control with so many annoyances!

When we feel stressed out, all we want is to be comforted. This can be a hug, a smile from your other half, a few minutes on the phone with your bestie, but for many, and don’t deny this, we find that comfort in our food! “I am sooo stressed today, I NEED that large pizza meal”

That’s ok, we all need balance and we’re all human BUT the real problems begin when the guilt sets in. You binge on sugary food and then feel guilty;

 “Why can’t I stick to a plan”,

 “I am useless”,

 “Why do I even bother trying”,

 “Everyone else is able to do it but I can’t”. 

 You beat yourself up and almost joke about it a little to your friends when they ask “How’s that diet going?”, when most of the time deep down you’re really giving yourself a harder time than you’ll let on. This makes it worse. You feel alone and kinda embarrassed!

This continues over time, you start and stop different healthy eating plans,  you get into more regular cycles of binging on food and then you start hiding it. Have you ever bought something, ate it, and hid the wrappers incase someone saw you give up on yourself AGAIN?

Here's another trick, and don't feel bad when you read this, it's ok! So, you go to do your grocery shopping and buy two freshly baked chocolate donuts, for your niece, you have one niece that visits weekly, she doesn't even really like donuts but you buy them anyway, sure a wee treat won't do her any harm. You go home, she's out with her friends, so you eat one of the donuts, your mindset has changed suddenly, you're now thinking, "Ah, she won't want both of them". Your niece lands home and turns down your thoughtful little gift. What do you do? You then eat the second donut too! Didn't we already know deep down, you bought them for yourself but used your niece as a cover up?

The girl in the office that goes out and buys a box of cupcakes for everyone because she's having a bad day, when really she wants one just for herself but feels embarrassed to eat one alone, she also kinds wants to put you off your new healthy eating plan (you're looking too good in those new skinny jeans)

This may be new to some and sound a little strange but it’s a daily reality for too many girls AND guys.

I’ve been there before, I had an unhealthy connection with food, it wasn’t pretty. Looking back, I was a comfort eater from a very young age, too scared to speak up I would make my way for the biscuits, biscuits never let anyone down, those biscuits were my friends!

My worst period was from the age of 20-23. Nothing to do with self-image, it was a sheer need of comfort. One evening a few years back, directly after the gym, I bought a large chocolate cake, I ate half for dinner instead of my steak and salad and ate the rest of it the next morning instead of my eggs. Actually, I may have ate the eggs too! My mentality was, if I eat the “healthy” meals I can just add in all the crap food on top of it and just forget about it once I eat it. Not sure why this incident sticks out in my head the most, probably because I remember how disgusted I felt at the time.

If you feel you are in a viscous circle at the minute regarding your food and emotional eating then it’s time to speak up. First of all look at the people you are surrounded by, do you have kind, genuine, supportive people in your life or are you surrounded by self centered and egotistic know it alls? A lot of the time, we really just need to get rid of the weeds in our lives that make us feel crap, those weeds that make us reach out to food/alcohol and drugs for that 5 minutes of comfort that we should be getting from other sources!

Don’t let years go by. Find someone you can open up to, it can be a professional or maybe you just need a friend, or your personal trainer!

Balance is key in life, but if eating that chocolate is making you feel worse, you need to sit and have a wee think about what’s going on. Don’t be your own worst enemy, go easy on yourself.

You CAN change your lifestyle and you WILL. You may just have a few issues to sort out to get you on the right track but I promise you, you can do it. Start getting excited about all the possibilities! Nothing on this earth feels as good as feeling good about yourself and your choices. Think about it.

As always, I’m here for any comments or questions you have, thank you for reading!

Love,

Lisa Dee

 :) x

Alcohol and fitness

IS THERE A BALANCE?

So you recently started your fitness journey and you're feeling on top of the world, radiant, healthy and pretty much invincible... And then it hits.... That one occasion/event/day where it's deemed acceptable drink alcohol. All day... St Patricks Day.

 

For many, it's not an issue but sadly for any more, it is!

 

So many girls have approached me over the last week asking my view on drinking alcohol when trying to lose weight and with questions such as;

 "Which drinks have the least calories?",

"One night won't harm my progress, will it?",

"What if I avoid the hangover food the next day?" etc.

There's no easy way for me to say this girls without sounding like a 78 year old master granny but you really don't need a drink to enjoy a special occasion! Yup I said it!

 

I enjoy a bottle of merlot as much as the next girl but I am going to be honest here, you have to decide what is important to you right now in this moment, if you are fighting with the idea of drinking tomorrow because you have made a promise to yourself to stick to a certain healthy eating and training plan then you need to stick with your promise to yourself, for yourself.

 

If you are only a few weeks into your new fitness journey, my advice is to avoid any alcohol for the first 8 weeks, preferably 12 weeks, you need that for some real changes to happen.

Once you have your health and body at a happier level, you can balance those little cheats here and there. There's no point me giving a huge lecture when all you want is some honesty.

When I first started my fitness journey a few years ago, I had already gotten over the whole alcohol thing. I had previously partied a lot in university and was quite happy to start a new, fresh journey towards a healthier body. Queue my healthy green veggie shakes I started making!

 

"Ok Lisa, get on with it, all I really wanna know is, WILL I still lose weight while I am drinking?!"Ok ok ok... Here's my answer and I'll let you make your own decision.

 

It's simply not about the calories in the alcohol, it's about the composition; the effect the alcohol has on the body and how hard it is to remove from the body to allow the body to go back to the previous healthier, happier "fat burning" mode!

Our bodies are extremely smart BUT to explain it simply, when shit hits the fan, our bodies have one goal and one goal only. That single and most important goal is to simply SURVIVE which means to BE healthy; fight poison/disease/invaders/toxins where needed. For this reason, our livers simply cannot do 2 completely different things at once, which in this case are, getting rid of fatty acids and getting rid of poison (alcohol).

 Our liver, no matter what, chooses what it feels is the most important for survival; clearing out the poisonous alcohol so it can get on with day to day functioning.

 

 So dealing with the excess body fat sits on the back burner, for longer than you would imagine, 5-6 days actually!

Yes, that one glass of Vodka and tonic will put your fat loss goals behind by a few days.

 

Not to mention how crappy you will feel the next day! Good intentions aside, we all know it's simply impossible to stick to a clean diet the day after an alcohol binge. All we want is greasy, fatty foods, or no food at all, which is just as bad!

 

Another issue is our family and friends, sad but true!

"Ah Mary why aren't ya having a wee drink?",

"Now now don't be silly, you will never have a set of abs, what's the point!",

"You're no craic when you're dieting!"

 

My advice when you come into contact with people like these is to simply ignore their efforts.

They feel bad for having a few drinks when you're not, that's their issue. Not yours.

Be responsible for your goals, this is your life. Live how you want to live, if that means making a conscious effort to be healthier each day then so be it. Don't give up on yourself just to please someone else. The worst thing you could be in this life is a sheep, stand your ground.

 Be proud of YOU and your efforts.

      You're worth it!

 

 

I hope you have a healthy, happy and fun St.Patricks Day, wherever you are in the world!

 

              Thanks for reading, see you here again soon!

 

       Love,

        Lisa Dee

      :) x

 

 

 

Helloooo!

Hey girls!

 

Lisa Dee now has a blog! YAY!

 

 This is just getting started so stick with me while I figure it all out :)

After many messages from you girlies on my facebook and instagram pages asking for info on various subjects; training, nutrition, travel, health care, show prep etc. I decided to make a blog!

This way I can write more about what I am up to.

I hope this blog helps you out in some way with any questions or insecurities you may have and I hope you find a sprinkle of inspiration in my posts!

 

As always, feel free to comment or message with any questions :)

 

Love,

Lisa Dee x