Priorities

I've been doing a lot of thinking about priorities.

Why do our top priorities often take a back seat?
Why is it so difficult to keep your top priority your top priority?
How do the small priorities make it to the top so easily?

The last two weeks have been a nutritional tug-of-war. I met with my CrossFit coach about nutrition and the

one goal I walked away from was incorporating more protein and healthy fats (i.e. avocado, nuts, etc.).  I set one objective in order not to get overwhelmed and that was to have 15g-20g of protein at each meal.

At the same time I was coming back into the "normal way" of eating after finishing the Daniel Fast and a week of mostly smoothies & juices.  And of course, all the stars aligned and I was dealing with what my husband calls "woman time" and the supernatural chocolate cravings.

Here are some reasons why our top priorities take a back seat:

• Life.  Life happens to everyone.  But when it happens all the time, it's not life -- it's you.  Meaning, everyone gets sick, everyone has a flat tire, but if it's happening all the time then you need to take a look at yourself.
• Laziness.  I'm too good at this.  I work out in the mornings, I work hard during the day and when I get home I want to relax. I don't want to read or invest my time into one of my priorities.  Usually, once you get started you'll continue, it's just about kick starting it.
• Lack of passion.  When you're unmotivated or not passionate, it's hard to do anything.  That's why it's important to have an accountability partner or somewhere/something you can look towards for motivation.  Somethings that help me are pinterest (there's always something motivating to pin), good music, or watching a motivational movie or documentary to open up your mind.

Here are some tips to keep your top priority your top priority:

• Prioritize.  What are your top priorities? Make sure you're clear and you know what your top priorities are.  Mine are: God, Marriage, Health (top 3).
• Post.  Have it written down and posted!  The more you see it and are consciously and sub-consciously aware of it, the more likely you are to complete it.  We have a designated area in the kitchen with my meal plan for the week (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
• Perspective.  Don't get overwhelmed.  I was so consumed when I messed up just for one day.  So what!?   You get another day.  If it's too much to handle then reassess your priorities.  Remember to enjoy life and your priorities should reflect that.

I'm human.  I've been there.  It was just this week actually.  I did my work outs consistently, but I didn't get my protein consistently.  I've been snacking a little too much.  I've been unmotivated on some days and totally hyped the next.  But here's my new perspective: it's okay.

It's okay to have a bad week (or month or whatever).  You just have to pick yourself up and keep going.  You get one body and one life so let's make the best of it!  On Thursday I had 20+ gram of protein at each meal.  It was a huge accomplishment!  Then on Friday I had the most kick-butt work out ever.  Think that's a coincidence?  I don't think so.

Friday's work out was 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 clean & jerks while increasing your weight. I joined the triple digit club with 100 lbs.

For the WOD (workout of the day) it was 5 rounds:

5 cleans

5 burpees

box jumps (as many as you could unbroken)

I did 210 box jumps total.  I'm sure all the protein had something to do with it.

Is the Biggest Loser the biggest winner?

It's swirling around the internet right now about last night's Biggest Loser Finale where Rachel weighed in at 105 pounds.  When she walked out jaws dropped, eyebrows were raised and even Jillian Michaels said, "oh...my...God..."

Rumors are going around that she's anorexic & did this all wrong.  Here's the deal plain and simple...

Rachel didn't appear to be healthy, but we don't know for sure.  Rachel was on the Biggest Loser to change her life from being an obese woman. EVERYONE on that show, and everyone in the world that is overweight, is overweight for one reason or another.  As we've learned on the show, most of the time it goes back to a life moment or a psychological impact.  The Biggest Loser is about breaking that barrier and changing your life from the inside out.

Rachel did that.  But what she does NOT need is all of America over shadowing her hard work and dedication and creating another barrier for someone that worked so hard to knock one down.  Could you imagine the pressure of tens of thousands of people breathing down your neck because from the outside looking in they think it's wrong?  Absorb that for a minute.

We should all know by now that NBC's the Biggest Loser is well staffed with medical professionals and three popular trainers that would not let one of their contestants go down the wrong path. Therefore, if something is off or wrong with Rachel, they would be the first step in and help.

So Rachel, I wish you the best of luck.  Congratulations on the victory of last night, and an even bigger congratulations on working hard to be fit & healthy.