10 Things You Should Be Crushing Instead of Candy

I wanted to give everyone something to think about if you are on the cusp of improving your health and fitness but just can’t seem to find the motivation.  After reading this I hope you know what you need to do!

10 Things You Should Be Crushing Instead of Candy

                  1.       EXCUSES

                  2.       NUTRITION

                  3.       SELF-DOUBT

                  4.       ABS

                  5.       FEAR

                  6.       EGO

                  7.       TRICEPS

                  8.       BICEPS

                  9.       WORKOUTS

                 10.   YOUR LIFE

I love to play Candy Crush just as much if no more than anyone!  But when I decided to get fit and healthy and I had to get real with myself I had to face a lot of hard truths that weren’t easy or pretty to face and I had to start learning how to change or I was never going to be any different than I was right then.  The first thing I had to overcome was the many, many excuses that I would come up with constantly.  One of my favorite excuses was that I didn’t have enough time or money to eat right, exercise and be healthy.  And when I finally got real with myself I had to break it down so I would take responsibility for my actions.  I didn’t have enough time… REALLY???  I played Candy Crush religiously for at least an hour a day (that was just my lunch hour!).   Before work, at lunch and at nigh I played Candy Crush.  I also watched LOTS of television… but I didn’t have time to work out... LIE!!!!!  An excuse is just a lie that we tell ourselves to make us feel good about bad decisions.

As for nutrition and not being able to afford to eat healthy I ate out A LOT and I ate a lot in general so I was spending a lot on food period.  Once I decided to get healthier I just bought healthy stuff, cut out the crap foods I used to buy, started packing a healthy lunch and healthy snacks for my work day so I had no excuses to eat out or go to the vending machine and make a bad choice.  Now I am actually saving money because I have cut out all of my morning trips to McDonalds, my lunches out and all of the snacking from the vending machine I would do in between (that all just sounds super gross to me now!!!). 

Now let’s talk about self-doubt.  You have all heard of the little angel on one shoulder and the little devil on the other shoulder.  NEVER listen to the devil… he is BAD!!!  He will cause you to make so many bad choices and feed you excuses so you can lie to yourself and others to justify those bad choices.  Then, you know deep down you chose the wrong thing and are on the wrong path and you suddenly feel bad about yourself again… it is a vicious, never-ending circle.  I always tell my challengers that every single day you should pat yourself on the back at the end of the day and give yourself props for a job well done.  Instead of being your worst enemy become your best friend and you will not only get results but they will last a lifetime. 

As for crushing abs, triceps, biceps and workouts I think you all get the idea behind that.  The next time you are playing Candy Crush or you are playing games on Facebook or whatever your choice of killing time may be, just think about all of the other positive things you could be doing instead to be getting yourself closer to your goals!  I’m not saying you can’t play a little Candy Crush now and again but just make sure it isn’t consuming you and causing you to be held back from becoming the person you want to be!

Let’s address the whole fear issue.  Change is scary for everyone there are no ifs ands or buts about that.  But what I want you to do is clear your head for a few seconds.  Now think about something that you have done in your life, an accomplishment that made you feel so proud of yourself that you were busting at the seams with happiness and pride.  Now, the next time you are afraid of changing because you think it may be too hard and you are afraid you will fail I want you to think about that awesome accomplishment that you just thought of and think to yourself if you can do that then this new challenge is doable.  You are so strong and I want you to give yourself props every day and start to really love yourself and be happy on the inside.  This will help you to get your outside where you want it to be a lot quicker and it will last!!!!

Ego is a difficult thing for people to crush but I am going to help you.  Your story, no matter how harrowing, is not any different than many, many other people’s story so you don’t get to feel like you are the only one who has these struggles and you don’t get to feel sorry for yourself.  Check your ego at the door and make sure that you let yourself know that there are other people out there facing the same challenges that you are facing and you need to pick yourself up and get back in the race.  This morning I went to Kroger after I dropped my son off at school.  As I pulled into a parking spot I saw a handicapped gentlemen that works there as a cashier wheeling himself in his wheelchair through the parking lot.  I have seen him at the cash register before and he is always friendly and always has a smile on his face.  I believe he has cerebral palsy and he does not have an easy time doing his job.  But he is there and he is doing it.  When I saw him trying to get through the parking lot this morning he was struggling to turn the wheels of his wheelchair and it really put things into a new perspective for me.  Every morning that I am lucky enough to wake up and I am blessed with another day I should be grateful and humbled that I am healthy.   Not everyone gets to have a choice of whether or not they want to work out and be healthier.  If you are blessed enough to be able to have that choice every day you should make it a priority to do your workouts for all of those that don’t have a choice.  Get rid of your ego!

Each and every one of us that is able should be doing the best we can be each and every day.   I believe in you and I want you to believe in you!  Now let’s go crush our lives… time is wasting!  And as always if you need some help, advice or just someone to talk to I am always hear.  Please don't feel like you have to go through this alone.  My email is tibelling@aol.com or you can find me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tinaballingerfitness.