Weight Loss Tips (Part 1)

Meet Carrie Covington...

Hi, I’m Carrie.  I have been working out for 20 years now and in the industry as a fitness professional for 17 years with a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Kentucky.  In 2001, I became a founding partner of PROMATx Health Club.  Working in several different gyms in Lexington, we saw that the industry catered to the fit more than the unfit.  PROMATx was founded to provide a non-intimidating, friendly, and family-oriented atmosphere where real people feel comfortable to workout.  It was our mission to provide this space so that lives can be changed and memberships are used instead of wasted.  My personal passion is to help empower women to find freedom from the mental exhaustion that comes from counting calories in versus calories out, comparing their body to others, and most of all missing out on LIFE!  Over the years, I have watched countless women search for the "secret formula" to weight loss success.  They look for an easy solution that will melt away the pounds without changing the way they eat, the way they think, or by adding more activity.  As a former searcher I can tell you there is NO SECRET! Weight loss is hard and permanent weight loss is about changing everything. During the month of September, I will be coaching you and sharing my top 5 tips to stop the search for the secret to “get and stay skinny” and commit to a lifestyle change. 

Tip #1:  Weight loss is NOT mindless.  It is actually the opposite…it is very mindful.  You must have a plan and you must follow the plan to see results.  Once you have a plan you need to think through all the obstacles that WILL come.  Life doesn’t always go how we plan so having strategies for the obstacles that come is a must.  I suggest looking back on the past attempts to lose weight and see what kept you from success as well as think ahead to what obligations you have.  Make a list and have a plan to execute when life doesn’t go as planned.  The more time you spend on the plan the more empowered you will feel when you overcome an obstacle to your success.

Stay tuned later this week for another "Tip from Carrie".

Should You Get Rid of Your Skinny Jeans?

Skinny jeans...yes we are talking about those skin tight, ankle-length jeans that are all the rage today.  Do you have a pair of jeans in the back of your closet or drawer that you have deemed your "skinny jeans"?  You know, the pair you wore 10 or 15 years ago when you were "skinnier"?  Do you dream of being in a pair of skinny jeans just like the actresses on television?  Maybe you even bought a pair in a size, other than your current size, just to hold onto for "motivation" to lose weight.

Did you ever wonder if skinny jeans can be detrimental?  I began to think this when I overheard a gym member talk about wanting to fit into a new pair of skinny jeans she just purchased.  She stated the jeans were 3 sizes smaller than her current size.  To give you a little background, she was approximately 10 pounds from her goal weight and approximately 3-5% from her ideal body fat percentage.  Dropping 3 pant sizes would have put her well under her ideal body weight.  I stepped in to talk to her about this and she told me she saw an ad in a magazine with the cutest pair of skinny jeans on a model.  She even had the ad taped to her refrigerator.  So I asked her to bring it in so I could see it.  This model was probably 5'11" and weighed about 115 pounds.  The member was 5'4".  Big difference, huh?

Skinny jeans in this example are detrimental to the member's body image.  She was wanting something that wasn't healthy and she was determined to obtain it.  We have all heard the warnings of media and the pressure to be "skinny".  There's only a small population of women 5'10" and taller who weigh less than 130 pounds.

Even keeping an old article of clothing because you wore it when you were skinnier can be detrimental.  What happens if you don't return to that body weight?  It can make you feel like a failure because you can't wear those jeans, regardless of the progress you've made to become healthier.  It also keeps you living in the past.  Embrace yourself today, not how you were 20 years ago.  Empower yourself to live in the present and work towards improving the current "you". 

So go through your closet and purge the items you are keeping "just in case".  Donate those clothes to someone who really needs them.  Sell them at a consignment shop to get a little extra cash in your pocket.  Take charge of your life and your health.  Be realistic and don't live in the past.  Set attainable (and healthy) goals and improve your health one step at a time.  You will build greater confidence and improve the chances of greater success.

Live on...and live healthy!