I’m a regular Facebook user and enjoy reading my friends’ status updates and commenting on them. I enjoy the games and interaction and find it a great way to connect with people. I also enjoy having the opportunity to encourage and inspire my friends on their fitness journies. I even was able to enjoy a wonderful moment when a friend posted her Before and 30 Day photos from ChaLEAN Extreme. She saw incredible results in the first 30 days of the program and I was so proud of her!

But there is something that really saddens me, too, and that’s what I want to talk about today. As I mentioned, I love it when my friends post updates on their fitness routines. Whether they just ran for the first time, completed their daily workout, or are thinking about getting on the treadmill that day, I love to see my friends being active and taking care of themselves. What breaks my heart is when other friends respond to those posts with statements like, “I could never do that!” or “I ran today, too - to the kitchen for some brownies!” One in particular that really struck me was this statement, “I wish I could be like you.” This was posted on a friend’s update who had gotten up, done her exercise and felt great for it.

The truth is, that person can be like her friend! Unless there is some crippling illness holding her back, the only reason she can’t be like her friend is because she thinks she can’t! Do you get it? It’s all in your head! We spend so much time bad-mouthing ourselves, that we get to the point that we really believe we can’t do the kinds of things we see all these people around us doing. I know it! I used to be one of those people! Do you know how many times I said things like “I could never give up ice cream! It’s my main food group!” or “I can’t live without bread! I love it!” or “I hate running!”

Guess what? I am still that person! I still love ice cream, I still love bread and I still hate running! But instead of telling myself “I can never….”, I tell myself, “I can and I will!” I can do this!  I recommit myself every day to a healthy lifestyle. Some days are easier than others. Some days I’m more successful than others, but the main thing is that I’ve stopped telling myself  “I can’t.”

You can do this, too. It really is all in your head. The first step - stop trash talking yourself. Start talking positive. Start saying, “I can and I will.” You may be thinking at this point that I’m crazy, that it can’t be that easy. But it is. The human mind is an amazing thing. You can talk yourself into just about anything! You really can.

So start today. Take baby steps if you have to. Imagine yourself exercising, such as getting out and walking today. Imagine yourself not eating that ice cream tonight. Imagine yourself having a nice big salad at lunch with chicken and veggies on it. If you don’t succeed with whatever it is you imagined today, that’s okay. Keep doing it! Practice makes perfect, in this just as in anything! Tomorrow, try again, and again. Keep doing it. Pretty soon, you will find yourself wanting to get out that door and take a walk. You will feel like you have to do it before you can get other things done. Give yourself a pat on the back and then add something else to that imagine list. Also, write down those goals. Whatever they are, big or small, write them down. Get them on paper, tell others about them, make yourself accountable.

Do you know what I do every night as I’m falling asleep? I picture in my head the slender, shapely, strong, healthy person I want to be. I started that at the beginning of my weight loss journey. I turn this way and that and see myself the way I want to be. I picture myself in clothes that fit and feel comfortable, and I feel the pride of a job well done. When I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror, I see myself for what I am, yes, but I also can see in there the person I am becoming. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am getting closer and closer to becoming that person. You can do this, too. Start now to be the person you want to become. You can do this!

If you’d like to follow me on Facebook, I am Jan Hildenbrand Hicks. On Twitter, you can find me as FitClubToday. And if you’d like to find out more about how you can get fit, or just hook up with me to help motivate and encourage you, contact me today!

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