C’s Inspiring Story

I want to share with you today the amazingly inspiring words of one of my clients.  I share this with her express permission of course.

First a little background:  I worked with C last winter.  We set up some great groundwork, finished a 3-month program and then took a break.  But truthfully, I knew she hadn’t had her “Blammo” yet and I worried about it.  Three-months is such a short time to work on something that has often been a many years or even life-long issue!

Luckily, we kept in touch and the wheels must have still been turning because a few months later, we had an email exchange that C claims was me “slapping her upside the head with reality” and she finally got it. Blammo.

(Now, for the record, I did not “slap” .  My coaching style is kind, loving and gentle, just like me darling personality.  The truth is what slaps.  I was just the bringer of the Truth, in the same way Tony Robbin’s brought the truth that slapped me upside the head 10 years ago on that day in the library).

As I’ve described before, when someone just finally really GETS IT, deep down in their heart and soul, it’s like a mighty thunderclap.  It is the most exciting thing to be witness to and the main reason I love my job.

From that moment on, I knew that C’s life would be different.  While there can be zig-zag progress after a blammo, there is no UN-Blammoing.  Once you’ve had it, it’s there for good.  You can never again pretend to not know the thing you now know.

C then set herself a short-term challenge to be even MORE focused than she had been to that point.  She wanted to witness for herself what kind of changes her focused intent could really bring in a one-month period.  She set daily goals for herself in the area of food journaling, staying within her calorie range by eating the foods that are best for her, daily exercise, water drinking and a few other personal challenges.  Whenever she met her goal for the week, I encouraged her to claim a reward decided upon beforehand.  At the conclusion of her challenge, she posted the following on her blog:

“I am happy to report that I have successfully completed my 27 day Focus Like A Laser Beam personal challenge totally on target!!

I did not include a weight loss goal of any kind during this challenge because the number on the is not really within my control. What is in my control are the daily steps I take to change the number on the scale.

I did however lose about 4 pounds during this challenge (this is on top of the 8 lbs she had already lost!).  More importantly I have gained strength, muscle mass, and stamina.

Possibly most importantly however, is I proved to myself that I CAN do it. Daily action steps will take me to where I want to go. 27 straight days of being very aware of my actions, the food I eat, what I drink, my body activity, and how I feel has given me a great boost of thinking “I can do this!” “I can keep going!” “It’s not that hard!”

Some of the things I learned (or re-learned):

I lose weight slowly, and that can frustrate me. Intellectually I know that I am much more fit than I was a month or two ago, but I can still let the scale number affect me. The last 27 days was a really good exercise in not worrying about the scale, but paying attention to the daily action steps over which I have control.

Weight loss goals are not motivating to me. They discourage me.

I really really really am motivated by stickers!

Music makes me move my body, and changes my attitude.

I am the one in control of my choices.

I love to feel fit and energetic. I can’t wait to lose more fat off my body and be even fitter.

I love muscles.

I learned that it is very easy to slip into “mindlessness”, even after weeks of being “mindful”.

I learned that I have the power within me to change my behavior.

I learned that motivation is contagious.

I re-learned “lifestyle” not “diet”.

One of my most important lessons, that I will need to be reminded of again and again, is that I must stay in the day I am in. I cannot overly worry about tomorrow or next week or next month. I must stay on my own mat. I must work my own plan. I cannot let the success or failures or plans or paths of others distract me from my own path and plan.

Today, right now, the next action step…those are the things I must keep my attention focused on.

Step by step, bit by bit, I move forward, make progress and eventually I will have a smaller, stronger, even more energetic body than I have right now.

I want to thank Emily Segal for being a friend, confidant, supporter, mentor and coach throughout this whole process! I so appreciate your input, wisdom and friendship.

Thanks also to M, J, and M for your support and showing me that my motivation impacts your motivation which impacts my motivation. I truly appreciate your feedback and friendship!

Okay!! Onward!”

Color me motivated baby!  I am so very, very proud of you and honored to have had a part in this.  Mazal Tov C and thank you so much for sharing your story!

And a reminder for all of us: the 3-month program, or even the 30-Day Detox…  are just the beginning.  Don’t walk away from that thinking we’re “done”.  You have got to be In It To Win It.  Stay in touch, keep asking questions, come back to me.  Keep coming back until it’s D.O.N.E.