Getting My Body Back Friday - Take the Challenge - getting your mind, body and spirit to work in harmony

In everything you do you need to have your mind, body and spirit working together in sync to give you the best results. This is especially true when you're working towards your health and weight goal. Here's how:

http://doingthisnow.blogspot.com/2009/08/take-challenge-part-4-mind-body-spirit.html

Take the challenge - Part 5 - The Ultimate Challenge

Getting my body back - Day 121

The ultimate challenge in achieving any goal is letting go and trusting the process to bring the results you're expecting. Many times I have to remind myself of this; feeling at times that I want to go from A to Z and skip the process - B down to Y. It is the B Y process where we build strength, stamina, character and integrity and the lessons we learn during this time are invaluable. These lessons could never be experienced at A or at Z, which are the beginning of any desire and the ending - the attainment of that desire.

If you're making a dress, you must go through the process. If you're building a house, you must go through the process, if you are writing a book, you must go through the process and in writing this blog post I must go through the process from the start, through the middle and then the end. There are no short cuts. Even if you someone bought you the dress, or built you the house, you still had a preparatory period before you even got it.

The alphabet is incomplete if you only have the A and the Z; no words are formed this way. As you work on your goal, when you've done all that you can do, relax and allow the process to work for you.

I've done all that is within my power to do - my workout, watching my food intake. Now, I must allow my body to do the rest - I must trust the process to get me to my ideal weight. I visibly see my body changing and patiently allow my body to reshape itself to manifesting my desire.

While we must be determined to achieve our goal, we must equally be patiently determined to let the process bring us to the finish line and disallow anxiety to hinder our progress.

Fuelling words: I take the ultimate challenge - release my anxiety to get to my ideal weight - and allow the process to bring me to the finish line.

Workout: walking, jogging, weight lifting, endurance exercise

Take the challenge - Part 3 - Getting out of the comfort zone

Getting my body back - Day 119

When it comes to getting out of the comfort zone, many people find it difficult to leave what has become their safe zone, to venture into unknown territory. Leaving the 'safety' of the comfort zone, in many cases, is the only way to get the results you're looking for.

If you keep doing the same things over and over and you're getting the same undesired results, then, it's time to shift gears, get out of the comfort zone and do something new. Sometimes it may require just a little shift in what you're already doing and other times you may need to make some drastic changes to gain dramatic effects in getting the desired results.

For example, my drastic shift in gear would be going from my indoorzy type workout routine in the spring that included stretching, aerobics etc. to total outdoor high energy workout in the summer that includes walking, jogging, weight lifting, steps, gardening etc. The latter is quite a dramatic change from the former.

Now that I've gone from the low end of the spectrum to the high end, making a slight shift from that would be to add an extra set or two to my weight training routine. I'm constantly monitoring my progress and looking for ways to get out of my comfort zone into a new level to achieve more.

Maybe you have challenged yourself and left your personal comfort zone. Check the results you're getting, and if they're not as you expected, then, consider perhaps shifting just a bit more out of the rut or you may need to change completely.

Getting out of your comfort zone may not entail any physical activity for you but may be that you need to change your habitual way of thinking or change your perspective on life and your relationship with others. You may need to get out of your comfort zone of negativity and enter into a more positive way of being. Perhaps you may need to see life from the angle of good coming to you and not that 'bad things' always happen to you.

Assess your results thus far and consider the progress you would make and how much more you could accomplish in your life if you got out of your comfort zone and entered into unfamiliar territory which may prove to be beneficial for you.

Fuelling words: I constantly look for areas to get out of my comfort zone so I could get closer to my goals.

Workout: walking, jogging, weight training, endurance exercises

Take the challenge - Part 2 - Take two steps

Getting my body back - Day 118

From time to time we need to monitor our progress and take two steps up from where we are. The transition, however, should be a natural flow. One in which you feel that it is necessary to take it to the next level to achieve greater success to getting you closer to your goal.

When I first started out exercising, I began at the level I felt that I was most comfortable with. As I monitor my progress, I felt that I needed to advance to the next level. It was a natural progressive move. It made no sense trying to force something that I did not feel I was ready for. I went at my own pace and even though I knew that I needed to start walking, my feelings did not quite catch the message. I came to the point when I was ready. I made the decision and off I went.

Going to the next level, taking two steps forward, require some willingness on your part, but once you have made the decision to follow through with your advancement everything else falls into place.

Now, my step workout has also gone to the next level, I not only do one step up but I have gone two steps up, adding more intensity on the muscles. My 10, year old daughter, my workout partner has gone up 3 steps. I am trying to keep up with her; however, every time I advance, she advances one more ahead of me. She is quite a trooper and keeps me on the ball. We now have company, Dad and the other children have joined in our routine adding variety and fun.

Decide to take the challenge, take two steps more than you are doing now and advance to the next level of your goal achievement.

Fuelling words: I move to the next level as my body gets comfortable with each new challenge.

Workout: walking, endurance exercises,

Take the challenge - Part 1 - Go the distance

Getting my body back - Day 117

The decision to achieving your dream could be quite exciting and challenging at times but once you've put your gear in motion it's time to take the challenge and go the distance.

What does going the distance means to you? This is a question you have to decide for yourself. One way to know is that if you have put a routine in place to achieving your goal, you could think of ways to stepping it up a notch to get more results faster. For example, I've added jogging to my walking routine, as well. For me, that's stepping it up a notch. I'm not a regular jogger, so for me, this is challenging myself to go the distance. I walk, then I jog, then I walk some more.

Perhaps in your own routine, you have jogging as your main fitness routine. Then, you could take the challenge, go the distance to adding an extra mile.

Whatever target you are aiming at, look for ways to advance to the next level. Just that extra nudge could make a difference in the results you are looking for.

When you go the distance, you are digging deep within yourself and finding the extra strength you need to climb higher, build stamina and endurance. You are setting the foundation for inner character building as you not only change externally to attain your desire but more so, you change inwardly, stretching and expanding your inner person to achieve personal growth.

Reaching the finish is great but the journey there and lessons learned along the way are priceless.

Fuelling words: I take the challenge and go the distance, knowing that I am creating inner strength that will change me from the inside out.

Workout: walking, jogging, weight lifting, endurance exercises