I just returned from IDEA, a convention in California for Health professionals from all over the world. I attended the keynote with Matt Weinstein, a motivational speaker and author. He said the problem with all the self help books is that they're too hard to remember - the 8 secrets, the 7 Habits etc...So he's come up with the 4 unforgettable keys to a Successful Life. He promises that you will never, ever forget them! I thought I’d share them with all of you in hopes that it will help you live your dream life.
#1 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘ Row, Row, Row your Boat’
This is your boat – your life! And if you want something, you’re going to have to work at it – you’re going to have to row, and row, and row some more. You’re going to have to put some muscle into it. Rowing can be a challenging activity but you can direct which way you want that boat to go! This is your life to create!
#2 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘Gently down the Stream’
Go with the flow. Don’t fight so hard. It's so much easier to row your boat downstream rather than upstream! You’ve got to Focus on your strengths – that will make everything so much easier.
#3 Key to an Incredible Life: Can you already guess it??!! Yep – “Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily”
Be positive. Be content. Focus on what you have versus what you don’t have. Look for the good in everything. Notice everyday miracles. Incredible opportunities come to those with a joyful spirit. No one wants to be around or offer opportunities to those who are negative! Why? They are just going to complain about it anyways!
#4 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘Life is But a Dream’
Life should be a dream – a pleasant, beautiful, wonderful dream - Not a nightmare. Reality happens first in your mind. Dream big for your life. Make the life that you want so vivid in your mind that it’s easier to make it come to fruition!
That’s it! Four keys that you will probably never, ever forget. Simple but powerful messages! We’ve all heard it before and now all we have to do is live it! I hope it gives you a little boost for your week!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Monday, August 17, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
By challenging yourself, you challenge others!
"Do something everyday that scares or challenges you!" I love this photo of my friend Tamara as she jumps off a 20 ft cliff into Crater Lake. She inspired me to jump shortly after - a big accomplishment since I'm crazy scared of heights. That's how inspiration works. Someone sees someone else do something cool and they think "Hey, maybe I could do that too!" So do something amazing and you'll most likely inspire someone else too!
This thought process reminds me of this poem...
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God….And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson – Read by Nelson Mandela
So let your life shine brightly and as you do so, it will inspire others to live their best life too!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
This thought process reminds me of this poem...
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God….And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson – Read by Nelson Mandela
So let your life shine brightly and as you do so, it will inspire others to live their best life too!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Friday, August 7, 2009
I was wrong...
I used to say "Use the Scale and Plan to Fail". I've seen so many people get so discouraged by a scale reading even when they were doing everything right. So I would often tell clients not to get on the scale or to limit it to monthly to avoid any issues. But research now shows that I was actually wrong.
When your goal is fat loss or weight management, weigh-ins offer you an objective, quantitative way for you to monitor your weight loss progress. In fact, people who have succeeded with weight loss often report that they self-monitored themselves using weekly weigh-ins. The most recent research shows greater progress in those who do daily weight monitoring.
Avoiding the scale means weight gain can easily accumulate without you realizing. I've seen so many clients utterly shocked at the number on the scale because they had avoided it for years. Regular monitoring can provide you with the information you need and often the motivation to take action before weight gain gets out of control. This way you’ll know quickly if you’re slipping at all and can take appropriate measures to get back on track.
The only downfall to measuring progress using a scale is that it doesn’t tell you anything about changes in body composition. So for example, if you’re gaining muscle because you’re working out and since muscle is more dense that fat, this change will not be represented on the scale and you may think you’re not doing that well. Also, weight can change significantly and quickly due to factors such as water retention. This can often lead to frustrations and discouragement when in fact, you may have been doing really well.
So my only advice is don’t get obsessed with what the scale reads. Start with only measuring yourself once per week at exactly the same time and focus on the action steps you can take to move the scale numbers in the right direction. Focus on getting your workouts in and eating healthy and the scale will take care of itself. It is also helpful to use a variety of measuring tools such as girth measurements, body fat assessments, Polaroid photo shots and how your clothes are fitting. This will give you a much better view of the whole picture.
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
When your goal is fat loss or weight management, weigh-ins offer you an objective, quantitative way for you to monitor your weight loss progress. In fact, people who have succeeded with weight loss often report that they self-monitored themselves using weekly weigh-ins. The most recent research shows greater progress in those who do daily weight monitoring.
Avoiding the scale means weight gain can easily accumulate without you realizing. I've seen so many clients utterly shocked at the number on the scale because they had avoided it for years. Regular monitoring can provide you with the information you need and often the motivation to take action before weight gain gets out of control. This way you’ll know quickly if you’re slipping at all and can take appropriate measures to get back on track.
The only downfall to measuring progress using a scale is that it doesn’t tell you anything about changes in body composition. So for example, if you’re gaining muscle because you’re working out and since muscle is more dense that fat, this change will not be represented on the scale and you may think you’re not doing that well. Also, weight can change significantly and quickly due to factors such as water retention. This can often lead to frustrations and discouragement when in fact, you may have been doing really well.
So my only advice is don’t get obsessed with what the scale reads. Start with only measuring yourself once per week at exactly the same time and focus on the action steps you can take to move the scale numbers in the right direction. Focus on getting your workouts in and eating healthy and the scale will take care of itself. It is also helpful to use a variety of measuring tools such as girth measurements, body fat assessments, Polaroid photo shots and how your clothes are fitting. This will give you a much better view of the whole picture.
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Fitness Bucket List
I'd like to encourage you to complete a Fitness Bucket Wish-List...all the fitness related adventures you'd like to do before you die.
And then start training for one of these events and/or adventures.
Many people take this approach – ‘As soon as I lose the weight/get fit, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do”. But we take the opposite approach. Let’s set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity you’ve always wanted to do, then you lose the weight and get fit!
And please, promise me, you'll put a Crater Lake adventure on your fitness wish-list. Just this weekend, we took 14 of our clients on the most unbelievable hiking and biking adventure. Watch the clip and be inspired - you HAVE to do this at some point in your life!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
And then start training for one of these events and/or adventures.
Many people take this approach – ‘As soon as I lose the weight/get fit, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do”. But we take the opposite approach. Let’s set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity you’ve always wanted to do, then you lose the weight and get fit!
And please, promise me, you'll put a Crater Lake adventure on your fitness wish-list. Just this weekend, we took 14 of our clients on the most unbelievable hiking and biking adventure. Watch the clip and be inspired - you HAVE to do this at some point in your life!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
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