The energy in the room when we test in new group is exciting to be a part of. Coaches and instructors sit at the front of the room, ready to share their history and success stories at Goals in Motion. As we look out into the crowd, we see people of all ages abilities, shapes and sizes, all with different individual goals, yet sharing the common goal of improving their health and fitness.
The sharing of our stories is my favorite part of initial testing. We hope that by showing the newcomers how far we've come and telling them how Goals in Motion has positively impacted our lives, that it will help to motivate and empower them to work hard and make similar changes to their lifestyles. Stories shared included one of a breast cancer surviver of two years recognizing obesity as a risk factor, a radio show host who's lost over 50 pounds since May and a busy mom who uses GIM workouts as her time "me-time". The passion in people's voices is evident and the energy is contagious.
If I could break down my advice to new challengers to three simple points, here's what they'd be:
- Read labels and eat clean. As a society, we've become accustomed to packaged, convenience foods, at the same time as being barraged by marketing and sales strategies targeting those who are trying to lose weight or "diet". The simple fact is that you can't trust the headlines you see on food packages or splashed across your tv in commercials. Packaged foods claiming to be "healthy" may contain high amounts of sodium, sugar and empty calories. Learn to eat prepare your own clean, "convenience" foods and your waistline, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc, etc, etc, will thank you for it.
- Come to class. Come to class every day and workout to your level 10. Pair intense workouts with eating well and you will see results. It's that simple.
- Involve a support/motivation system. If you can take this journey with a spouse, sister, brother, mother, father or good friend, it is always easier. Share your goals and achievements with your support group. Don't be afraid of sharing your new food choices with them as well. Healthy and clean food is not bad food or boring food, it's just likely different from what you're used to. Your family members will benefit from these changes too. Motivation can also be drawn from magazines (Clean Eating, Oxygen), the Goals in Motion- Ames Facebook page and of course always look to your coaches, instructors and teammates.
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| This caption sums it up for our challengers today. Congratulations for taking the first step! |
