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ruoyCHANGENATHALIAMELOFIT.COMMINDSETA FIT CHICK’SGUIDE TO GREATNESS

CONTENTWHY MINDSET?02GOAL SETTING03THE SCALE: FRIEND OR AN ENEMY05LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTUREHOW YOU FEELYOUR SELF-WORTH AND THE SCALEGETTING MOTIVATED07STAYING MOTIVATED08HOW EXCUSES ARE HOLDING YOU BACK10FLIPPING THE SCRIPTTAKING CONTROLSELF-WORTH AND YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE13HOW TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS14HEALTHY WEEKSUCCESSFUL WEEK

A FIT CHICK’S GUIDE TO GREATNESS01WHY MINDSETI believe many of you have heard the saying by Napoleon Hill, “Whatever the mind canconceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”With my experience as a professional athlete and coach for over fifteen years, I couldnot agree more with this saying.For the past year alone, we have helped over one-thousand women make changes totheir bodies and lifestyle. One thing the most successful have in common is that theystarted this journey with a positive mindset and belief in themselves.If you begin something with a negative mindset and disbelief in your potential, you havealready accepted defeat before even getting started.Believe in yourself and the amazing things your mind and your body can accomplish!There are already many out there doubting us and our abilities to become great. We donot need to be one of them.#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUE02

02GOAL SETTINGOver the years, I have learned that if you want something badly enough, you will find away to make it happen!When you want something badly enough, you are more willing to step out of yourcomfort zone, wake up early, change your habits, and become comfortable beinguncomfortable!That is just part of growth.And that is why you are here, right now, reading this!I have seen this time and time again in my coaching programs. Women whosucceeded against all the odds, even when at times, they thought they would not beable to hit their goals.I know a one-hour commute is impossible for some, and that is okay! Maybe you cantrain from home before the kids get up or when they are in bed.The point is, we all have obstacles, but the key here is not to let them slow us down!#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUEWhen my kids were younger, it was important to find a gym that would allow me tobring in my sleeping baby in their car seat since they were too young for daycare. Theonly gym I found that allowed this was a thirty-minute commute EACH WAY. I was nowcommuting an hour a day for a workout, but it was necessary to create and becomewho I wanted to be.03

A FIT CHICK’S GUIDE TO GREATNESSSo what can you do when your attitude is getting in the way of your goals?How can you overcome and become?Remember that a goal without a plan is just a wish. HOW can you make sure yourattitude is not getting in your way?TRY THESE SIMPLE STEPS TODEFINE YOUR PLAN:WHATDetermine what your goal is. Really define whatchange you want to see. The more specific youare about your goals, the better chance youhave of succeeding.WHYNow that you know what you are workingtoward, you need to determine why you wantit. In the video, I talk about finding your fire.Find your fire and then write it down on a stickynote and keep it on your mirror so that everymorning, you remind yourself why you startedin the first place.WHEN Define your goal. Write it down. Imagine yourself already there. Determine why this goal isimportant to you. Why have you chosen to focuson this one thing? Lastly, when are you going towork on it?Have the plan laid out today,and then all that is left to do isSTART!#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUEWhat time are you going to set aside to workon this new goal? Are you going to work on thisevery day? Every week? Decide what part ofyour day you are going to dedicate to this newgoal and stick with it!YOUR PLAN:04

FAT LOSS STRATEGIES03The Scale:A Friend or an Enemy?Just the thought of stepping on the scale gives some women anxiety. Sadly, our societyhas a very specific image of the “ideal” woman, as if there is even such a thing. So itis hard not to let it get us down when we do not fit that ideal, even if we are workingtoward it. This kind of thinking drags you down and can dilute the excitement you feelas you work toward becoming healthier. Building self-worth is all about remindingyourself what makes you awesome to dispel those negative thoughts!#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUELOSING WEIGHT AND BECOMING FIT IS A JOURNEY. FORMANY PEOPLE ON THAT JOURNEY, THERE ARE OFTENPITFALLS. ONE OF THESE PITFALLS IS THE SCALE.05

A FIT CHICK’S GUIDE TO GREATNESSLOOK AT THE BIG PICTUREThere’s the saying, “See the forest for the trees.” We should be looking at the wholeforest rather than focusing on individual trees. Likewise, when it comes to weight, weshould look instead at the big picture. If you weigh yourself every day, you will findthat one day you lose a pound, the next day you gain a pound and a half, the nextday you lose half a pound, etc. This type of fluctuation is normal and why it is notadvisable to weigh yourself daily. But the point is, by the end of the week, you mayend up having lost a pound or two overall.Similarly, try not to get discouraged if you do not see the number on the scalecreeping down each week. One week you may lose a pound, the next, you may gainone, and the week after that, you may lose two. The important thing is to take astep back and look at your total weight loss, rather than let an off week get to you.Graphing your weight loss helps you see how far you have come and leads to selfworth improvement.HOW DO YOU FEEL?While trying to become healthier/fitter, it is a good idea to keep a journal. In thisbook, write down all your thoughts as you go through the process of losing weightand becoming fitter. Start with your initial feelings and a list of things you may findchallenging because of your fitness level, etc. Once you start on your journey, returnto that first page often to see how you have changed. This is more important thanhow much weight you have lost. Maybe you only lost two pounds in three weeksand are feeling discouraged, but climbing up a flight of stairs left you breathlessbefore, while now you can climb three flights before feeling out of breath. Maybedaily exercise and making healthier eating choices have left you with a more positiveoutlook on life. Maybe you went down a pants size. Maybe you are losing fat, so youlook slimmer, but gaining muscle (which is denser than fat), makes the scale look likeit is not moving.THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-WORTH#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUEYou are more than a number on the scale. It is just that, a number. Your sense of selfworth should not be connected to a number, but sadly, for many women, this is thecase. Appreciate how far you have come rather than obsessing over how far you haveyet to go. The fact you are reading this blog post on a fitness website shows that youare making an all-important step toward your health! Whenever you feel down aboutyour weight, think instead about what you have accomplished in your weight lossjourney. Remind yourself of how strong you had to be to take those initial steps andstick with it!06

A FIT CHICK’S GUIDE TO GREATNESS04GETTING MOTIVATEDLacking motivation, in a slump, or feelinga bit down on yourself is something mostpeople experience. We have all beenthere! This lack of motivation can be quitetypical in the seasons of life. Maybe youjust went on vacation and came back withyour pants fitting a little tighter, or youjust had a baby and are ready to bumpyour activity level back up. Maybe youand Netflix have spent a little too muchtime together lately or having your kidshome all summer took all your energy,and making it to the gym was NOT yourpriority.I have experienced many highs andlows, which resulted in many differentphysiques over the years. From winningthe 2012 Ms. Bikini Olympia title to havingtwo babies fourteen months apart tomoving halfway across the world with nohelp from family, I can totally relate to theemotions and unexpected or undesiredweight gain/physique change.Suddenly, you look in the mirror, and itis not what you expected to see staringback at you. I have good news for you,though! You can and will make a positivechange if you follow my ABC’s.A BC’ s fo r F i t n e s s S u cce ssa b cYou want to make achange and have apositive attitude.You have a planthat’s safe, realistic,and tailored to yourgoals.You make the effortand stay consistent.The one thing I love about fitness and nutrition counseling is that there is alwaysroom to grow and to change no matter where you are in your journey.

05STAYINGMOTIVATEDIf I got a dollar every time someone asked me this question, I would be rich AF!Before we get started on the details, I just want to make it clear that I am not somekind of abnormal creature that feels motivated ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. Sometimes I feeldefeated and tired, or I just want to sit on the couch, watch Netflix, and eat ice cream.That is just how life is.#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUEI wish this was an easy question to answer, but I will try to simplify it as much aspossible.08

A FIT CHICK’S GUIDE TO GREATNESSBUT I DO OVERCOME THESE FEELINGS SWIFTLY WITH THESESIX TIPS:010203Break your goal into bite-sized pieces.Setting small stepping stones makes thatbig goal feel less overwhelming. Plus, itmeans you can celebrate the small wins!We all love winning, so the best way to setyourself up for success is to create small,achievable goals that lead you towardyour big, scary goal.Focus on what you want most vs.what you want now. It is easy to getsidetracked when craving an instantreward. But when that happens, focuson the bigger picture. Ask yourself ifwhat you are doing now will help getyou where you want to be, to the goalyou want the most! Every decision hasconsequences, and it isimportant to askyourself how those consequences willaffect your journey to that big-end goal.Be. Freaking. Resilient. Shit happens toeveryone. That is just how life operates.Some days are great, and others, not somuch. Sometimes, that whole tube of icecream makes its way into our mouths.(No idea how that happens, LOL, but ithappens!) Beating yourself up becauseyou missed the gym one day, or becauseyou ate too much, or because you didnot finish a work presentation in time,well, that will not fix the problem either.The same amount of energy we spendbeating ourselves up over past actionsor things out of our control, that energycould be spent on something moreproductive.Have a positive mindset. I know I amtalking a bit like a hippie now, but it istrue! Positivity attracts positivity, andwhen you start telling yourself, “This isn’tgoing to work,” or “It’ll be crap,” well,chances are, it will be! Youhave accepteddefeat before even starting!0506You may have just startedCreate healthy habits to lay a strongfoundation so you can move toward yourgoal! Recently, I heard a quote that stuckwith me (I can’t remember the author),“People don’t decide their future. Theydecide their habits, and their habitsdecide their futures.” (Remember, despitethe popular belief that habits take onlythirty days to form, it can take more timeto create an actual habit).setting goals, or you mayalready be on your journeyto reach them. But no matterwhat, it is important to staymotivated and to keep going(even on the days when you feela Netflix binge coming on)!#MOTHERSTRONGLEAGUE04Have a goal! We work better when wework toward something. Otherwise, itjust feels like we are drifting. Try settinga big, scary, hairy goal, one that will keepyou focused and driven to work towardsomething important.09