BONUS: workout challenge below!
I’m curious. When you went on vacation over the summer, which would you say you relate to the most?
a.) I stayed committed to my regimen because if I miss a workout, I come unglued. Besides, I’m afraid if I stop, I may not start back up again after my trip.
b.) I said “F-it!” & used the opportunity to eat whatever the hell I wanted & I blew off my workouts. I deserve time off dammit. (but I secretly feel guilty for it)
c.) I crushed it & took full advantage of the ebb & flow of vacation. Sometimes I worked out, and other times I didn’t sweat it when I decided to have pancakes instead.
Can you guess my answer after coming back from St John?
Yup - c! I played full out!!! In other words, I CRUSHED IT.
“Crushin’ it” in RealFit terms means we hiked, snorkeled, chartered a sailboat, and enjoyed every bit of the peaceful tranquility the island had to offer. There was zero missing out! And zero guilt.
I did a HIIT workout 2 of the mornings because I was inspired, not because I had to or had some feeling of obligation. AND besides, I had a couple of awesome workout partners so how I could I skip out on that?!
Instead of viewing a hike as a workout, I now see it as a super fun way to explore the lands in a way you can never experience by driving in a car or from seeing it in pictures. It does a body good, no doubt! But it’s so much more than counting steps or doing it for the calorie burn. This is the stuff that feeds the soul.
Check out this fun little video I did to capture some of the adventures we had climbing up to Ram Head peak.
But, here’s the thing. I have a confession to make.
The a, b, & c options above tell 3 different stages I went through in order to finally feel happy, fulfilled and refreshed,coming back from my vacation with zero guilt. & I mean ALL vacations, even the one called “summer.”
It went something like this:
(a) Stage 1:
Totally obsessed. No wiggle room for taking time off of workouts or dieting.
--> Result: Anger, resentment and rage that I was sacrificing so much (serious FOMO) to try & maintain a body & life that felt mediocre at best.
(b) Stage 2:
The rebel came out & decided I deserved to splurge, take time off & incorporate “cheat days” dammit!
--> Result: Guilt and over-exercising (read: doing shittons of cardio) to compensate, only to create a vicious cycle that felt like a trap.
(c) Stage 3:
I got to work on my thinking and my belief system as a path to honor and take care of myself in the best way possible. In the process I learned to let go of all I was taught about how to losing weight through diet & exercise so I could redefine the formula for MYSELF.
--> Result: A body & a life I feel awesome about that is easy to maintain so I can focus on the REAL things that matter in my life: My husband, my family, my relationships & my work here at RealFit as a fitness & mindset coach.
Since I have moved beyond stage 1 & 2 some time ago (there’s a method to that madness), I am now so grateful for being in a place of peace where I enjoy every minute of my vacation without being concerned with:
1. When & where I’m going to workout
2. How many calories I’m eating
3. Being sure to choose the “skinny” margarita if I’m indulging, and
4. How much I’ll have to do to “make up for it” later.
Turns out, I ended up doing 2 interval workouts while we were away. I brought workout clothes but had zero expectations of whether or not I was actually going to use them. So basically, I didn’t sweat it… err well I actually did sweat… a lot - it was freakin’ hot down there… what I mean is, I didn’t worry about “being good” - my main goal was CRUSHIN IT!
Gone are the days of punishing myself for not working out for a week while on vacation. I just get back into the groove when it feels right. It’s really no big deal.
Huge mindset shift: Exercise is something that makes my body and spirit feel good. & Feeling good is high up on my priority list. Therefore, exercise is a reward, not a punishment and that makes me actually crave it, in just the right dosage.
What I mean by craving... I love a tough, sweat-dripping, heart-pumpin’ workout - when I have a lot of energy to release & I am inspired to really push myself. The difference today vs back then, is that I make it a fulfilling experience. I grab a workout buddy, (it’s amazing how your online friends can make you feel like you’re not alone) put on some killer tunes, or take it outside.
Sometimes I even get the trifecta which is what happened in St John! so, I’m inviting you & a friend to do this challenge together - Grab a pair of dumbbells & take them outside with your playlist & a speaker.
Here’s how we crushed it in Coral Cove:
(in fact, my CrossFitter-friends nick-named me “Muscles Marinara” after this session together. LMAO)
10 Reps Each / 5 rounds
- Shuffles (back & forth = 1)
- Dumbbell Swings (hip thrust)
- Pull Ups or Rows (depending if you are working on your pull ups or not)
- Dips
- Knee Tucks
Complete as quickly as possible, with just enough rest in between to recover & move on to next exercise with quality & control. If you’re competitive, you can time yourself. Then when you do it again, compare it to the first time taking your dumbbell weight into consideration.
Post below. How’d ya do?!
