On Plan or Off Plan?

For many of us getting ready to enjoy summer feels like it can be an extended stay at …. (insert the worse place you’ve ever been).   Why do we make it so hard on ourselves? Summer means having fun, traveling, camping, boating or just getting away for the weekend - Right? Yes, but it can be easily done when you are prepared AND not totally derail yourself.

When you travel, boat or camp, initially you have to make the decision of whether or not you’re going to stay on plan or choose to deviate from your plan to some extent. Being mindful of the quantities you consume and simply not binging just because you can.  Simply stated, if you know what your goals are and how bad you really want them it will be easier to relax and enjoy yourself without beating yourself up.  It really is a mindset that YOU get to choose whether to stay on plan or off plan.

Too many times we give ourselves the excuses of “I couldn’t take my food with me, so I just ate whatever” or “there weren’t any healthy options.”  So I’ve listed just a few suggestions of how to stay on plan while traveling, camping, boating or whatever it is you like to do…

• If you know that you’ll be traveling away from home - look up hotels that has a kitchen then grab some groceries to prepare your meals.  If no kitchen, some hotels will charge you a small fee for a microwave or fridge if not already in your room.   
• Locate the closest gym if the hotel doesn’t already have one.  Some hotels have arrangements with local gyms to provide service as part of your stay.
• When camping, knowing what to pack for your stay ahead of time makes it less worrisome of what you’ll be eating.  Still enjoy yourself while out in nature and have the “treat” of your choice just be mindful of HOW MUCH you consume.
• Boating is another activity that we like to have excuses to go off plan. A simple cooler to keep your premade prepared foods in will help you stay on plan.  You can also substitute in non-perishable food items that can be packed in your purse or a bag
• If you plan to take your on-plan meals with you wherever you go, here are some ideas - ie… protein bars, nuts/seeds, tuna packets, canned tuna/chicken/salmon, peanut butter/almond butter, fruits..  There are quite a bit of foods that are safe for traveling without refrigeration.

It is perfectly OK to enjoy dietary balance while on vacation, provided you aren’t in the homestretch of a race or event. You of course have the option to just “wing it”  looking for healthier options so that you aren’t tempted to overindulge so that you don’t have to suffer consequences (slower progress of reaching your goals). All in all, the thing about vacations and traveling is that it doesn’t inherently have to totally derail you.  You can choose to be on plan or off plan, but ultimately is it a CHOICE.

3 words jumbled up!

Many years back I learned a really amazing principle that changed the way I do things forever. I was in a very large room with about 500 people...yep...a seminar. I was being taught things I had never heard of before and really caused my mind to bend. Just about everything I had learned up to that point was being challenged and I was hesitantly loving it but not ready to let it really soak in.

At that point in my life I was a huge perfectionist and had some serious protections in place so my heart wouldn't be hurt, I wouldn't have to look like a dork or be vulnerable. I was an incessant planner so that every aspect of my life would look good and I could receive the accolades of others.   I planned so much in fact that many things never got done or even started because the perfection factor wasn't there. Looking back I both giggle and throw up.

Enter new principle!  Fire, Aim, Ready! These 3 words jumbled up changed many things for me in some scary ways.  This now meant that I would take action before the entire plan was in place leaving out the perfection factor.  It meant I would most likely make mistakes and risk looking silly, dumb or unprepared in front of others. The thought of this was almost more than I could take at first.  I remembered times in my life when I intentionally was silly and realized I was still breathing and that helped as I adopted the Fire, Aim, Ready principle into daily living.

Now, instead of seeking perfection before I start a project, I look at what I want as a desired outcome, what steps would be beneficial to take, what tools will be helpful and then...I leap. Sometimes I land well and move forward easily.  Sometimes I stumble and have to dust myself off.  Other times, its a full on fall and I get may get some scrapes and cuts.  Each time however, I look at how close I got to the target, make adjustments and fire again.  

Sometimes this process seems a bit like I am flying like a leaf in the wind and I get uneasy because I still like to have things planned or written out. However, when I am able to let go and trust the process and myself, the results are usually better than I could have planned them out to be. I've watched this occur over and over in my life with amazing results yet still find myself wanting to go back to strands of perfection. 

I love that we will continue to get opportunties to learn a lesson until we finally get it. This past weekend I had the opportunity to put many of my fire, aim, ready skills to work and was simply amazed and humbled at the results that took place. We were put in a situation where all of our planning and preparation was compromised and no longer valid and immediate big changes were necessary. So...we fired. Took note. Aimed...and fired again, all in a mostly calm fashion.  Lets be real, intense feelings were felt but were easily let go of in order to move forward in an almost seamless fashion.

So, where are you planning and preparing to the point that you are frozen with perfection?  Are you willing to take a leap of faith to accomplish your goals or dreams? Are you willing to trust yourself, let go of old thinking and start practicing the new?  Enter Fire, Ready, Aim!  Where will you start to practice this principle that will set you free from the perfection monster and start reaping the rewards of purposeful creation? 

You have gifts and talents that only you can share and people are out there waiting for you to be brave enough to share them.  Your story and experiences and valuable beyond measure and what you give them credit to be. It's time to stand up to the line, take your talents, fire and start making a difference, not only for others but for yourself too. Just like exercise strengthens the body, everytime you fire strengthens the core of who you are.

Fire!  Aim!  Ready!  Keep Firing!  Keep firing til you reach your goals. Watch how you get closer. Laugh at yourself. Celebrate.  Fire again. And again. And again!  We're ready and waiting to be blessed by your gifts and talents.  

As I end this blog I am firing to my next adventure. I say thank you for reading my thoughts over the past few years and for the interactions I have had with you. Your lives have touched mine and I look forward to what our new adventures will be as we continue to Fire, Aim, Ready.  Here's to hitting our targets!

Until Next time...Go BE Great!

Jennifer Saunders

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Reiki, Adventure Coach

ButtinGear, Every Day Superhero 

Plank Variations

Welcome plank challenge participants!

I hope your first week of the challenge has proven successful and you are more encouraged than ever! If you did not receive, or need another copy of the recommended plank training plan, here it is:

This plan includes regular stomach planks only, as shown below:

The stomach plank is what you will be tested on, but I wanted to give you some plank variations that may be fun to incorporate in your training that will help keep you excited throughout the month of April. Check out the following article by runningcompetitor.com that gives some great explanations and visuals. 

http://running.competitor.com/2014/09/training/7-plank-variations-strong-running-core_113126

Enjoy!

Until next time!

Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hearley@mvhospital.net

Planks!!

Friends don’t let friends PLANK alone….

The plank exercise is one of the most unlikely exercises for you to have in your workout routine. The plank however is one of the most important components in building core strength and endurance for exercises such as push-ups. It is not exciting or flashy like the Power Clean, or Bench Press, but it will help you build strength in places those big lifts do not.

The plank works quite a few muscle groups including the Rhomboideous, Deltoideus, Triceps Brachii, And Biceps Brachii. All of which help you have great looking shoulders and arms. The Obliquus internus

 which gives you a tight tummy. Not to mention your lower body and hips working on the rectus femoris, Tensor Fasciate latae, and Tibialis anterior.

Here are a few tricks to getting your plank down perfect…..happy core work my friends. 

ghouston@mvhospital.net