Who has the time? It takes too much time. I don't have enough time. I need more time! Common feedback I hear when asking clients to bring in their completed nutrition log or the answer I get when asking how their interval training session went that they were supposed to complete on their own yesterday. I usually only hear it once or twice because they know the lecture they're about to get for the next 45 minutes about priorities. They know I'll ask them to remind me what their goals are. Then they also know I'll ask them how they expect to reach those goals without taking the steps necessary to get there. Following that, they'll hear about how they're prolonging a process that can be completed in a fairly short amount of time, and instead they'd rather drag they're habituated self through the mud and relish in the "I told you so's" just one more time.
Wait, wait, wait, WAIT!!! C'mon now. Don't click to another page yet. I didn't say it would be easy and I didn't say it is impossible. The process I engage my clients in when in the depths of their struggles is something out of the ordinary and fairly regimented with enough space to grow and manifest. You see, you have to give up completely and surrender everything you think you know in order for the manifestation to take place. What you think you know will often sabotage your efforts and close you down to the possibilities.
And so the re-education of the importance of life begins. What's more important than your health and well being? These are the foundations for anything and everything...and I mean EVERYTHING...in your existence. If the foundation is poor, the rest of the structure will crumble.
Want to know why disease and illness catches up to us without us knowing we're actually in the process of damaging our foundation little by little on a daily basis? It's because you can't see it happening! All the sabotage is taking place behind closed doors! You can't see your organs struggling and becoming toxic and diseased. You can't see your cells dying off. You can't see your intestines struggling to find nutrients in the crap you eat. You can't hear your bones, joints, muscles and connective tissue screaming at you to get off your ass and move as the body was made to do. It just happens one day. Takes a while to reach the surface and when it does, oh boy the shock it creates.
So, what do you do? I like to think about the body, it's psyche and the energetic being housed inside it as a structure needing constant care and maintenance. Think of it like this, if you don't get your vehicle regularly serviced and on a maintenance schedule you probably aren't doing it for your structural self either. Prioritizing time for the "personal project" is a must.

TIME HAS COME TODAY

Where to start? Block out small sections of time in the morning, the afternoon and evening. Fifteen minutes here, thirty minutes there. When I say block out time, I mean it. Write it in your schedule, day planner, palm pilot, whatever...just do it. Now begin to fill those time slots with exercise allotments and time for meal preparations. Stops at the grocery store are essential and don't forget to ask the kid inside you what they'd like to do every once in a while. You'd be surprised to find how much positive reinforcement you'll give yourself just by asking yourself what you need today. And if it's the kid inside who says he/she wants to go play...then go play! It's a priority!
So, get yourself on a maintenance schedule and prioritize time slots in the day to get to that maintenance. Just that one simple step of blocking out time for yourself will get you started and well on your way to a healthier existence. Don't forget to include Habitsforming group training sessions as part of your daily, healthier existence time allotment.
Until next time.... Rochelle Gravance

I recently read an article by a fitness entrepreneur that suggested as a fitness professional I needed to focus my business on selling "Hope" to my clients. Now, that may seem all well and good, and in some respects that statement can be considered tolerable. If you are one of the many that find the word "hope" being unconsciously used after reading this blog, then you may find it necessary and helpful to read my previous blog "Hope vs Faith". That particular piece will help set the stage for this follow up blog entry.

I'm not in the "Hope" selling business. What I will SELL you may cost your habituated identity more upfront AND will GIVE you more return on investment in the long run. Confused yet? Interested maybe? Well, I sell something that holds it's value much longer. TRUTH.

I have found that quality purchases seem to be a better investment than buying the same or similar product over again to replace the first. Quantity vs Quality. Seems to me when buying a lesser product, many times it ends up needing to be replaced which can cost one more money, time etc. Their's something to be said about learning through your experiences. Their's also something to be said about learning from your experiences.

So, here it is...buy into it or keep buying your time. Oh, that's right, you don't have much of that either. You've been trying everything under the sun to come to some understanding of yourself and why you haven't achieved your fitness goals. It seems to be working for everyone else, just not you. Well my friend, let me reassure you that you are not an anomaly. You just need to be told the TRUTH.

TRUTH is, it isn't easy. It takes work. It takes effort. It takes responsibility. It takes honesty. You probably already know all of these things. If you are a client of mine I know you do because I remind you on a daily basis. And, maybe all you need is a friendly, little reminder such as this one. Glad to be of service. If you didn't know, then let me be the first to let you in on this universal secret.

Not too many things happen to fall into the laps of those that remain passive. I have been roughed up by this reality all too many times myself. It's been my experience that action allows mysterious intervention. In other words, taking action not only produces an effect but also produces the unexpected. Putting in the effort will get you a result and more importantly bring you to new awareness. Awareness that can be harnessed as renewable energy later. I guess you could call it the Green Effort.

Keep putting in the effort and don't forget to stay conscious to the possibilities of positive change that are offering themselves up to you in the process. If you don't know which way to turn then let me be your guide and get you on your way to creating the space for all the possibilities. The Habitsforming plan of action is not conventional AND it works. If you're not afraid to be sold the TRUTH and finally find a plan that works for you, then you have found your starting gate.

Initiate the action and get yourself enrolled where TRUTH always prevails at Habitsforming.com.

TRUTH-fully yours,

Rochelle Gravance

It's my great fortune that I have the opportunity to meet with a variety of individuals who are my clients each day. Whether they realize it or not, these very people present me with questions and psychological challenges that entice me to ponder in greater depth a whole myriad of situations and potential road blocks that the vast majority of us face regularly. What I like to call the Hope versus Faith controversy is one of these.

I grew up in a small, rural community where family and good 'ol earthy living seemed to be the foundation upon which we built our lives. Farming, ranching and the like provided the way of living for most of the area towns and congregations. Speaking of congregations, there were many. I would say that most in these communities attended one or the other religion based churches of their choice.

Now, I am not here to criticize or bash, I am merely a philosopher of perception. So, that being said I will continue by saying that I have heard the words "hope" and "faith" interchanged to great extent. As I matured, I began to find difficulty with this blending of terms and the emotions attached to each. To this day, I hear many of my friends and family continue to use the word "hope" in a way that I believe restrains them from taking action and making advancements. My clients are no different.

To clear the air momentarily, I don't believe religion is the sole influence of this perception. I can say that in my early years it definitely had a tremendous influence. Secondly, I'm not saying that we should lose the usage of the word hope and therefor the emotions tied to it entirely. I will say that in my experience it is imperative that we clarify what we set our habituated identity up for.

My definitions for the "hope" versus "faith" controversy: Hope: to passively desire a particular outcome without taking personal responsibility and action. Faith: to take action(s) to produce the stimulus required to generate the intended result while continuing to commit your spirit to the possibilities of your Higher Power. The condensed version: to hope is to remain passive and to have faith requires taking personal investment through positive actions.

Is that too much to handle? Did I create some egocentric backlash and upheaval? Then I have successfully done my job and got your attention. P.C. I am not. So, take a deep breath and try to engage in the mystery momentarily.

If you are my client and reading this, then you well know my constant encouragements to think around situations instead of through them. If you are not my client, then pay attention. You have much to learn and ponder right now. If you think you're going to "hope" your way through an exercise program to reach your particular goals and potential...think again. Ever heard of the term plateau? Well, if you're at one or experienced one you should think about whether or not you were doing all you could to better your situation or were you just hoping your way into a self sabotaging loop that stunted your objectives.

Yes, this too is something I struggle with, AND I won't let it get the best of me. So what's the remedy? There's only one as far as I can tell. Keep putting yourself out there. Find the motives in the "other" realms of possible achievement and "not so ordinary" hiding places of positive reinforcement. More than one way to skin a cat, right?

Look toward personal bests within your exercise sessions. Involve yourself in new, unstructured physical activities. Grow a garden or buy from a weekly produce vendor instead of shopping at the big chain grocer. Eat for sustenance instead of pleasure. Find a workout partner that's in better shape than you. Play with and like your kids for a few hours each week and see what you may find out about yourself. And, above all, don't be afraid to fall. More on that in a future correspondence.

You see, when you limit your brain to exposure through fear or lack of experience, you limit your chances of becoming and growing into the "real you". Challenge your body by challenging your mind. You may be surprised and excited to find the potential and possibilities. Don't hope for a better body, implement action and congratulate yourself on each and every minor achievement and reference gained in the process.

If you are still reading this article and were or are upset with my philosophies and concepts, congratulations. You have just allowed yourself exposure to possible new stimulus that may have an effect on you at some point....maybe even during your next workout. Even if you disagree completely, the next time you workout remember what I said here in this post or reread just before you engage yourself in physical activity. I have "faith" the emotions that are stirring inside you might just bring a little more intensity and possibly even new awareness into your workout.

How does one attempt fat loss? With so much information on various workout techniques, low carb diets and quick fix diet pills it's no wonder you are so confused. Maybe you've even tried a few different avenues to try to drop a few pounds and it was a bust. I see many individuals that will start a program see some initial results and then give up the ghost right in the middle of the program because they didn't think effort should be involved. Well let me be the first to inform you that physical and mental stamina will be required to effectively lose body fat the healthy way. Surprised? Maybe some of you are and others...not so much. Once the habitual self comes to the unhappy conclusion that effort is to be involved, then fat loss becomes a whole lot easier. You see, staying in denial by allowing the habitual self to feel "it should not be so hard" only keeps you stagnant with your feet stuck deep in the mud of self sabotaging torture. Fat loss takes effort and sacrifice for a short, given period of time so that one can create a lifetime of satisfaction and well being. Through this period of self awareness, you'll become educated on how to maintain your health and body composition to ensure that you won't have to repeat this process. Habitsforming teaches you the quickest way to reach your personal body composition goals while allowing you to see and feel, maybe for the first time, all the emotions and habits that have perpetuated your current condition. Come on, you have group support here. We're all in the same boat collectively. Pick up an oar and paddle your way to new awareness with a new body in the process. So what if you have to give up pizza, beer and ice cream for 90 days. Big deal. You've been beating yourself up about needing to lose some weight far longer than 90 days. Call today and sign up for Habitsforming group HIIT training and get rid of that gut already.