Mental Strength + Physical Strength

Happy Monday! Tonight I taught my Monday cardio dance class tonight. I am SO thankful for my Monday night class. It is a pretty big class (20+) which really energizes me. I love it. We shake our booties and fun is had by all.

Anyway, back to the meaning of this glorious post. Mental Strength + Physical Strength.

In order for a person to really change their lifestyle they've got to have their mind in the right place. When it comes to fitness, mentality is everything. Obviously, you know that. You know it's hard. If it weren't --everyone would do it, right. My philosophy is that in order to truly be a strong person all around you must be strong in & out--both physically AND mentally. To be disciplined, stay dedicated, continually pushing yourself to do better than you did yesterday, changing your habits,...I feel like that is the true measure of someone's strength.

I really respect those who don't look for the shortcuts, the easy ways, and put in the hard work that it takes to get results. When it comes to mental strength you have to be willing to endure being "uncomfortable". You have to be willing to "accept" pain (as in feel the burn, and like it!). Once you commit to constantly pushing yourself, it just becomes habit. Never settle. Be strong both mind and body. When your mind says no... tell it yes... and don't look back.

Mental Strength & Motivation. Finding something that motivates you to get your ass up can really be a driver in building mental toughness. Tell yourself you will get a reward (ex: food --a cheat meal on the weekend--or whatever motivates you!) and keep your eye on the prize. Remind yourself why you started. Think about how great you'll feel after you workout. Keep going. For me, the push motivates me. The feel I get of pushing harder than I thought I could...that keeps me going. Your mental strength builds this way...there really is no other way to do it...and no, it's not easy. But you CAN do it. Staying positive is also a huge factor as well. Stop getting down on yourself. Having a strong mind also means a positive mind. You must be fair and patient with yourself. Results don't happen over night. You didn't gain weight over night. Once you control your mind, you can control your body. You will realize you aren't having to tell your mind "no" as often, & that's when you know you are getting stronger mentally. And that's the best feeling in the world. When you have a strong mind when it comes to your workouts, it translates into other aspects of your life as well.

Mental strength & food. Stop "giving in" to cravings. Instead, be smart with your substitutions. You want a cookie, now don't you? No, I'll tell you what you want. (Haha.) But really. You probably crave sweetness. Satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sweeteners like fruit (ex: banana with tsp raw unfiltered honey), a handful of almonds (with a tbsp of dark chocolate chips), or have a spoonful of peanut butter. "Giving in" to your cravings is not a bad thing...and you're not "giving in"...you are simply satisfying them by being smarter. Substituting will lead to smarter choices more often and less "slip-ups" and less cheating and bingeing.

Strive to be the full package, mentally and physically. But this is just my simple opinion. Find what works the best for you and do it. :-) Bam!

Goodnight everyone!