Tag Archives: motivation

Great Idea: Take Video Selfies to Stick with a Goal

New Year’s resolutions often come in with a bang and go out with a soft thud. But maybe that’s because we’re all too focused on the end goal. If meeting a resolution was more about the journey—not the checkmark upon completion—perhaps we’d all be a little more committed.

A new company called 100 is hoping to help people enjoy and appreciate the steps, hours, and attempts it take to reach a goal. The idea is simple: You establish a goal then each day you upload a ten-second video of yourself practicing said goal to the 100 website. (These videos can be private or public.) At the end of 100 days you’re able to upload a full minute of video to really highlight what you’ve been able to accomplish over the past weeks. When you glance back at where you started and see how far you’ve come, you just may decide to commit to another 100-day goal.

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Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

No More ‘New Year, New You’ Broken Promises. Plan to be SMART about Your Resolutions

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I think it’s important to set a goal when it makes sense to do so, not based on a random date on the calendar. Not everyone is ready to change her life on January 1. Yet, even I get caught up in the frenzy of renewal and excitement that comes with the change of the calendar.

According to Time.com, losing weight is one of the top resolutions made – and broken. Why? Because we pin our hopes on an outcome we can’t directly control. We become frustrated when the scale doesn’t budge and we give up. We forget about the other benefits healthy weight loss strategies can bring.

The scale is actually the worst judge of our progress in our fitness journey. I have clients who have dropped 1-2 sizes while the scale only changed a pound or two in the process. Not only did their shape change, they also started feeling all the other benefits of focusing on fitness (and not how much they weigh).

This year, instead of the big “New Year, New Me” proclamation, I want you to take it one step at a time. I want you to pick ONE resolution that is SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relative, Time-Based) and focus on improving your health, not pounds lost. If you focus on doing the right things for your body it will often show up in your shape. You’ll also feel better by focusing on the things you can control. Here are some ideas to get you started. (more…)

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Pamela

Getting Spiritual: Diet and Exercise with Christian Influence

If you’re in the market for a new diet buddy, many would suggest looking for someone with a little more power. A higher power, if you will. In the last few years Christian-based diet and exercise programs have surged in popularity.

In 2024, Pastor Rick Warren introduced the Daniel Plan based on the Old Testament story of Daniel who was held captive by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and his companions refused the heavy food and wine from the king’s table, instead consuming fruits, vegetables and water. After 10 days they were in better health than those who had eaten the king’s food.

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Posted on December 4, 2023 by Elizabeth

Go Ahead, Face Your Fears for Real Weight Loss Success

There are countless obstacles standing in between you and your goals, but not all of them are external. In fact, sometimes, our own fears make us our own worst enemy. Identifying and understanding these fears are the first steps to keeping ourselves from sabotaging our success. Take a look at some of the common fears below to see if any strike a chord with you.

Fear of failure. Fear of not reaching a goal may keep you from even trying. The same could be said about fear of back-sliding once you see success. Keep in mind that failure is simply a part of the process and that learning from it can only increase your chances of achieving your goal.

Fear of the unknown. You know that you want to reach your goal, but you don’t know exactly how your life will change as a result. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, it may seem scary to think of yourself as a smaller person. Will people treat you differently? Will more be expected of you? Face these questions head on. Addressing the niggling concerns in the back of your mind will help you banish them. (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

Bloggers Expose Themselves Revealing the Naked Truth of a Healthy Body Image

Throughout the week of October 7-12 there have been quite a few bloggers exposing themselves online. Before your mind wanders to any dark places, let me clarify exactly what exposing means in this case. I’m talking about the Exposed Movement, which was started by a blogger named Mish back in 2024. Mish got the idea for the Exposed Movement after deciding that she was tired of hating the way she looked and wanted to instead celebrate her body and all that it has done for her. She forced herself to see her own body in a different light and focused on its strengths rather than scrutinizing every little imperfection.

What happened next was a revolution of sorts. Men and women started coming out of the woodwork to take part in the Exposed Movement. One by one bloggers began posting photos of themselves at their most vulnerable (which was often in a bikini or underwear) in order to put it all out there. Rather than focusing on their flaws, each blogger wrote about what they love and appreciate about their own body. Here’s a few of the bloggers that took part in the movement in 2024, 2024 and again in 2024.

Carla, Miz Fit Online

Prior to taking part in the Exposed Movement in 2024, Carla had a little hesitation about how others would view her body. She feared that many would view her as “already fit” and it may lessen the impact of her appreciation for what her body can do. By exposing herself Carla focused on what she is most thankful for in regards to her body, which includes her eyes, brain, legs and overall health. She learned that if she gives her body the nourishment it wants, it will be good to her in return.

Four years later, Carla is very much the same person but admits that she is older and wiser. By revisiting the movement four years later she was reminded that yes, she wants to be an active mom who stays fit and healthy – but her most important and exposing traits are in her words. (more…)

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Lauren Martin

Hiking Everest and 450 Miles Across Spain Helps Kay Cherryholmes Find Her Way to Health

By Kay Cherryholmes

One day I googled myself and I was caught off guard by a blog link that had me tagged as one of his Top 10 Most Inspiring Athletes of 2024! I had met the guy while hiking and considered him a dear friend. At first I smiled; feeling like I had somehow been a positive in his eyes, then almost immediately it read that he met me while hiking in Nepal to base camp of Mt. Everest and that my BMI was that of a mack truck!

Instantly real tears fell. Not tears of his writing, but tears of truth about my struggle to achieve fitness. Who was I kidding? Mostly myself it seems. I grew up a competitive gymnast. I was always on a scale and measured my success based on a number that ranged between 114 and 119.

Fast forward from age 14 to age 44 and I had been married, divorced, raised two children as a single mom, and was completely disconnected from the fitness I knew as a young adult. My mind, however, continued to crave challenges, even in a 230-pound body. For all the struggle that it took to walk up into the Himalayan mountains 80 pounds overweight,it never began to stop me. He wrote that it was my perseverance that got me on his Top 10 Athlete list.

I always describe myself from the shoulders up as a ‘Michael Phelps type‘ and from my shoulders down more of a ‘John Belushi type’. I am part extreme athlete, part party girl. Too much brie and wine and not enough cardio.

After more than a decade of athletic events where I have fought with the struggle of weight in competition I decided that my next adventure would be a 450-mile walk across Northern Spain; the Camino de Santiago. It is a spiritual pilgrimage that took me through the heart of many regions in Spain. Once again I would carry the extra weight on my body and an additional 30-pound backpack with all the necessary gear I would need in my 40 days of hiking.

I wanted to remove myself from all of the excuses at home that get between me and a stronger, more fit body. I left behind the wine, cheese, friends, family, dishes, laundry, job, dog, television and my comfy new couch. They’d all become specks of home reality in my rear view mirror as I landed on Spanish soil. I would be forced in to my own mind and body for hundreds of miles and countless days. I wanted answers and to be accountable to myself. I would have no other choice but to face the dragons in my head, that for decades have defined my mindset and impacted my choices. (more…)

Posted on September 26, 2023 by GuestBlogger

The Big Weight Loss Pay Off: Find What’s in it For You

Whenever you venture into a healthy lifestyle journey, it’s important to establish what will feel like you’re winning. Being really specific and clear on what you would like to do when you get healthy will inspire you along the way when you feel like giving up.

Some questions to consider as you look ahead include:

How do you want to live your life?

What kind of new activities will you get involved in?

Will you present yourself differently? A new look perhaps?

Will you make a career change?

Spend more time with your family? Make a family of your own?

Picturing yourself in the life that you dream of is important and acknowledging all the steps you are taking to make it a reality is priceless. (more…)

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Ali

Finding Motivation is Easy; Maintaining Motivation is Worth It

It’s so important to constantly reevaluate why we are making the choices that we make. This week on Live Big With Ali Vincent, my mom and I find ourselves back where it all started and stood in line for the Biggest Loser. Although the experience didn’t quite go as planned, I did find new motivation in Arizona to continue on this journey of the rest of my life, being healthy.

People often ask me how to find motivation. If you are truly struggling with staying motivated I think it’s of value to step back and take a look at the definition of the word.

Motivation

1. giving of reason to act

2. Enthusiasm

3. Reason

4. forces determining behavior

When you look simply at the definition it might become clear why you are struggling to keep it in your day to day. When we first start out on new journeys we are really clear on why we decided to act. (more…)

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Ali

The 1,000-Mile Journey of Life Really Does Start with the First Step

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese philosopher Laozi

When I was eliminated from the Biggest Loser, I started working out at home with a friend of mine who was a firefighter, JoEllen. The first night I met her at the gym she gave me a necklace that had this simple, yet powerful truth written on it. I continued to wear it and think about it throughout my journey.

This saying runs through my mind every time I start a new adventure and question my abilities. However, it makes me wonder, how is this truth that was first voiced in BC time so relevant today? I feel like they must have been referring to the actual journey instead of the philosophical journey of life. Then I think there is NO way they could be referring to the physical journey because then it would not be relevant today. (more…)

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Ali

Be Willing to Face the Truth of Weight Loss: 5 Things That Make or Break Success

During my twenty five years in working with weight loss clients, I took note a few common practices among the success stories – that is, those who were able to reach their ideal weight and remain there for years. What I see, time and time again, are five common success indicators.

Bottom line – inspiration is pointless without direction. Channel your inspiration into accomplishing these five tasks.

woman

Be willing to ‘let go’ and learn ‘just the facts.’ Most of us have a tainted education and need some de-programming after years of media hype and distortion of the truth. Dumping all of this bad information is vital to your success. You have to be willing to replace old myths with new facts. If you can do this, and ignore 99% of what you see and hear, your odds of success go way up. (more…)

Posted on July 15, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Make “Good Enough” Your Goal

By Team Best Life

If you decided today to join a gym and workout every day, never once missing a workout, would you give up if you couldn’t stick to it? When you try to control your food intake by sticking to unrealistic rules, you’re headed for the same kind of “failure”—and that’s not fair to you.

Stop aiming for perfection. Instead, make “good enough” your goal. This approach can often mean the difference between success and failure. Here are some tips to help you part with perfection.

Give in a little bit. Potato chips may be your undoing, but banishing them completely from your diet can be too tough to take. Instead of having to avoid the pantry because you’re afraid you’ll eat the whole bag of chips, buy individual-serving packages to satisfy your cravings on occasion. If you love chocolate or pizza, allow yourself one ounce piece per day, like these Dark Chocolate Quinoa Bars, or limit your pizza to two veggie-packed slices per week, with a homemade Whole Wheat Crust. When we’re too rigid with our food choices, we can’t help but rebel. (more…)

Posted on July 3, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

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