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Inspiration

Uncle Buck Can Help

Recently, I’ve been learning more and more about vegetarianism and vegan-ism. (Don’t close. I am not trying to convert you, I promise.)

In my first attempt to take advantage of the health benefits, I moved all of my family’s meals to meat/dairy-free items AND nutrient rich foods only. (Oreos and Coca-Cola are vegan, they did not make the cut.) The first week was a colossal fail – stressful, annoying and even I was left hungry and dissatisfied. The kids were crabby and my husband was not on board.

Then, I had a revelation, I had set myself up for failure.

Here’s how.

I had not:
• invested time in resources (great recipes and menus),
• discussed the pending change with my constituents (munchkins and finicky husband),
• allowed a proper time line for the transition (long term diet changes can not happen in one fell swoop)

Uncle Buck is a well-loved 1989 comedy starring John Candy. In it, he discussed his five year plan to quit smoking. Ridiculous and funny, I of course have spun it to serve me and hopefully you, my beautiful reader.

As I have repeatedly joked with clients, “I am now on the ‘Uncle Buck Plan’ to vegan-ism.” Every week and every month I am snagging new recipes, clever solutions and continually educating my family, paving the way for an easier, seamless transition – even if it takes five years!

My hope is that you learn from Uncle Buck, too. Whatever your goal for healthy living, maybe your timeline could be altered, resources bolstered and talks with those you love help with your success.

I’m rooting for you!

My Bank Account

BlakelyFITPrisonWindow“Two men looked out from prison bars,

One saw the mud, the other saw stars.”

– Dale Carnegie

I’m pretty conservative when it comes to money. As a result, I was more than confused when I popped by an ATM for $80 dollars and the machine popped back  “insufficient funds.” Excuse me? I’m sure I have plenty in that account. To my dismay, nope, I did not. In fact, I had only $26.24 to be exact.

The mental simmer began… What was I mischarged for? What had I overlooked? Was someone tampering with my account? No, no and no. Realizing I didn’t have time to get upset, I paused the simmer and thought, “oh, this is a gift.”

This is information that I needed (bank account is low)

that I didn’t know I needed (thought the account was fine)

and now I can fix it (transfer money into the account so I don’t overdraw.)

Clients went through Reassessments this past week. The results are overall, outstanding. I am insanely proud of every single one of my clients. Every one. However, of the roughly fifty items we measure there are nearly always some setbacks for some women. Juggling healthy living is challenging. For clients and readers in the camp of “success is feeling elusive” or “I’m not getting healthier as quickly as I want,” I empathize with your struggle and then, implore you to see the opportunity. See that $26.24 balance as a positive.

Learning that things are not working is an OPPORTUNITY to fix it as long as we don’t get stuck in the dread or self-beratement. If we can pause the emotions long enough to clarify why we are stuck or sliding there is a tremendous turning point just up ahead. So for any of you out there experiencing frustration with healthy living, identify what isn’t working or often just as important what you are up against (demanding work schedule, new stressors, pressing life events) and then, be kind in developing a new plan.

Getting stuck in the disappointment of not being where we want to be is not a very useful or happy place. Consider the blessing of a little bad news, it can often take us to much better place in the end, if we let it.

Do You Have This Problem?

My favorite

“TRAVELING WITH FAMILY DURING AN INDULGENT HOLIDAY WEEKEND TRYING NOT TO UNDO ALL THE HARD WORK I’VE PUT IN TOWARD HEALTHY LIVING LATELY”

tip?

GO OUTDOORS! (smile)

Ten minute walk, swim in the lake, paddle boat excursion, walk through the small town your visiting or quick jog on a trail –  find any excuse to get outdoors (might be best to go alone ;)) and fill that beautiful body of yours with feel good hormones and movement.  Independence is a good thing – give yourself some.

#fourthofjuly #healthy #fit #weightloss #women #smart #fun

You’re Doing It Wrong

Tortoise

Let go of the unhelpful healthy living advice still lingering in that big brain of yours and embrace something simple and productive:

When it comes to cardio… Something is always better than nothing.

When it comes to winning the race to be healthy… My money is on the tortoise.

When it comes to stress… Sleep is the best remedy.

When it comes to food… Eat your fruits and veggies first.

When it comes to motivation… Make small commitments that can blossom into something more. Don’t overwhelm yourself with extreme projects.

I’m rooting for you!

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Many thanks!

Missing the Motivation?

The motivation and strength to live healthfully is in your hands right now.
But, I suspect your not using it.
Most of us don’t.
Here’s how you can change it.
BlakelyFITClientBicep Curl
Think of something you have accomplished that you are proud of. It can be ANYTHING you deem important.
Next, think about how you got there.
  • Incredible amounts of studying to get that MBA
  • A monk-like patience with your terrible twos toddler
  • An impressive work ethic that earned you a promotion
  • The discipline to save enough money to buy your own home
  • The fortitude to quit smoking
The road to that accomplishment wasn’t easy and it wasn’t perfect. (Can I get an “Amen”?) So, why do we expect ourselves to be perfect, and the road to be easy when it comes to healthy living. Change that perspective and a fountain of motivation is there for you. Build on what you have accomplished in the past to fuel the change toward living healthier.
What if we gave ourselves the same timeline that it took to get our MBA or promotion or two healthy kids? That seems more fair, doesn’t it? I understand we want immediate change and that’s why we expect so much of ourselves. But isn’t it also true that we want lasting change? Well, that takes some time and some learning and some failing and recovery. And let me tell you something else – it’s worth it.So stop expecting yourself to get this all at once and all alone. Get some help, focus on what you have accomplished elsewhere and use it to remind yourself – you can do this! Worthwhile change takes time. You have done it before, you can do it again.As always, I’m rooting for you!
Need help with your healthy living? Email. I’d be happy to hear from you:

The Full Monty

Blakely FIT’s Polar Plunge 2015 for
Special OlympicsTHE FULL MONTY

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21 degrees when I leave home for the plunge.

My brother Matt and his Motorola colleagues, Matt, Nick and I enjoy the warmth of the first responders tent (sponsored my Motorola Solutions Foundation) as we discuss strategy for plunging all the way. (“Launch yourself into the lake with out hesitation” is the winner.) Safety crews (in dry suits because they, are not insane) search and remove for sharp objects that could impale plungers.

There it is. Icey Lake Michigan.
They had to dig the ice out with a back hoe.
This is nuts. Waiting our turn. You can tell by my face, I’m not so sure this was a good idea anymore. My Blakely FIT beach towel is the only thing keeping me warm at this point (Thank you, Kristin!)
Bagpipes lead that charge by walking into the water first.


Celebrities, Lady Gaga (on video), Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kinney make us all proud by plunging all the way.
The gates are open. This is happening.
I spot a hole in the ice and run for it.
(You’ll notice on the video another plunger and I collide – he was trying to get out I was trying to get in – ridiculous!)
Motorola’s commitment to helping those that help so many of us. Slogan is beautifully caught by Special Olympics photographers as Matt exits the water.
Adrenaline is a wonderful thing!!! It was awesome! (I truly thought more people would be wearing swimsuits!)
You can see the ice on Matt’s head and the snow falling from the sky.  See. Adrenaline. You’d think we just won the gold.
Jumping in the lake was definitely a rush but none of it would have been possible with out the incredible volunteers!!!

DSC06712I am thrilled to cross that off my bucket list and honored so many of you have opened your wallets and posted such encouraging words! It would not have been possible with out your remarkable generosity and support. My very heartfelt thanks!

Here’s the video!

Celebrate the Uncelebrated

Many people have brought the video of Moscow based dancer Sergei Polunin performance of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier ballad, “Take Me to Church” directed by artist David LaChapelle to my attention. Compelling, gorgeous and gravity defying – thank you each for the notice. As a former dancer I have some understanding of what it took to create this stunning piece: the sacrifice, work, the commitment and resilience.

It got me thinking. In life, there is no seamless choreography, no musical score and no four minute transformation. Life is not a crafted video and healthy living even more so. It is an infinite series of small choices sending us on different trajectories.

With that thought in mind, I’d like to take a moment to applaud my clients and women out there in general daring to make a change. They do so with out much notice or fanfare or recognition even. They do it to better their lives, value their health and energize their life for the betterment of those around them.

A few thoughts to celebrate the uncelebrated:
Here’s to the woman that refuses to hit snooze so that she makes it to the gym on time.
Here’s to the client that puts it all on the table and risks trying a new strategy for healthy living.
Here’s to the gal that was hit with a medical condition and refuses to relinquish her health with out a fight.
Here’s to the young adult that saw healthy living sabotage from others and walked away for self-preservation.
Here’s to the mother that insisted on being as healthy as she could for her children and one on the way.
Here’s to every woman out there doing their best, quietly, habitually and with out any fanfare – to improve their health for the benefit of herself and all those that need her.

Here’s to celebrating our small moments and the little victories of the women around us!

Hold On, Baby…

BlakelyFITHoldOnBaby2014

Are you feeling it? That urge to let it all go? The temptation to indulge at every turn during this holiday, end-of-the-year obligation melee.

Well, maybe you did derail at Thanksgiving. Maybe you wish you didn’t eat the pastries left in the conference room every day this week. Maybe you haven’t finished your workouts as planned. So what. Letting less than ideal choices guilt you into additional indulgences is adding insult to injury. Let them go. Move on.

Taking a ten-minute walk, passing over an extra piece of candy or getting an extra hour of sleep will serve you exceedingly well in this holiday frenzy. Don’t let setbacks deter you; you’re too smart to throw in the towel. Hold on to what is important: your health, your livelihood and your loved ones. All your small decisions in the end WILL make a difference in your continued success.

You can do this. Keep your chin up. I’m rooting for you!

W.I.S.E. Success!

Michelle's 1st 39th - trimming hedges

I was a big fan of the show Dirty Jobs for a while. Have you seen it? Personally, I had a bit of a crush on the host, Mike Rowe. Anyway, one episode was all military. They illustrated how a few soldiers leveraged winches and pulleys to pull a multi-ton military vehicle out from being stuck in the sand. The winches and pulleys were their mechanical advantage. The winches and pulleys provided leverage in a seemingly impossible situation.  

That’s how I see exercise. I firmly believe, exercise can be your mechanical advantage. With all that you have to accomplish, exercise will give you leverage…

It was an honor to be a part of the Industrial Supply Association’s, Women Industrial Supply Executive’s Summit this week in Tempe, Arizona. An incredible group of women and outstanding fellow panelists / committee members made it an exceptional event. One of my favorite exerts from the talk above…  detailed follow up coming soon.
Enjoy!
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