81. How to Find Consistency in Your Fitness Journey While Listening To Your Body's Needs

I put a little question box up there and I got so many great suggestions , ideas for , if not , a podcast episode . It's good content , it's good to know what you're struggling with and what questions you have and what things I can talk about and educate you on . And this one really , really stuck out to me . And there's one thing about this podcast .

I've had different suggestions before and people are like you should talk about this or please educate me on this . I will never get on here and talk about something that one , I'm not passionate about , that two , I'm not educated enough to speak on . Or three , that's not authentic to me , because that's not why I created this podcast .

I don't want to get on here and just spit facts to you . You can find facts on Google . You can find facts pretty much anywhere .

What I want to do is unfuck the facts for you and really give you the tools to put them into your life , and the only way I can do that is to be myself and to talk about things that I resonate with , that I've been through or that I've coached my clients through , and I'm just not going to get on here and talk about something that doesn't light me up ,

that I don't have a background in . So please know that I would never get on here and just speak on a topic , just to speak on it . I'm not going to do that .

There is so much information out there that if there is a topic that you would like to know about and it doesn't align with me or it's not something that I don't feel like I can honestly educate you on . If I don't feel confident about what I'm saying , I'm just not going to say it .

So , anyway , I'm really excited about this topic because , for one , someone asked it and I know that if you're asking it , you're struggling with it and I want to help .

If it's something that I feel confident that I can help with , that , I feel like my opinions , my thoughts , my whatever , my journey , my history with it , coming out of it , dealing with it is , will be helpful . So let's dive in .

The topic in a roundabout way is basically when you are stuck between consistency and showing up for yourself versus listening to your body . Someone actually wrote in the question box that I wrote that they're feeling torn between quote unquote consistency and quote unquote showing up versus listening to my holistic needs .

A lot of people aren't in tune with like holistic needs , so I kind of change that to listening to my body and kind of being intuitive and I , when I read through that , I just thought so many people probably struggle while I know not even probably so many people struggle with that concept of feeling like you have to be consistent and you have to keep showing

up which I do talk about all the time and I believe , versus listening to your body . And I'm not feeling it today , or I'm feeling sick or I'm feeling sore . And that's why I'm really really open about my own journey with this , because even yesterday on my stories I posted about myself not wanting to work out . I felt tired , I felt blah .

I'm just at that time of the month where I'm feeling like I've literally been eating my body weight and I say literally like I have been eating boxes of cereal , loaves of bread , if you know . You know because I've talked about this with some people already . But it's , I've just been off and that's what my body has been wanting .

So I've been listening to my body . But there is a time when I have to tell my body like , okay , these are the things that we have to do regardless . And so I know that a lot of us can feel torn between showing up , being consistent . Not even necessarily there is a hustle mindset . There is a grind , you know , don't miss a Monday , that kind of attitude .

I feel like that's separate from the consistency and showing up . The way that I always talk about consistency and showing up is not in a hustle grind , you know , never miss a Monday , every day , you know kind of mindset versus . So there's , you know , the hustle , then there's the consistency and then there's a listening to what your body needs .

And I feel like those are kind of broken up into three different sections . But I love this so much because I have felt the exact same way , for example , in my own . I would say my hustle mindset was and I feel like we all should go through these steps .

Maybe you're , maybe you haven't already , maybe this isn't your point in your journey , but this is kind of a natural evolution when you start from , and for me it was the beach body hustle , it was the never miss a Monday , it was the start , the program from you know , beginning to end .

When I was a coach , when I was following coaches , it was like show up every single day , no matter what , get your morning routine in , grind , grind , grind , even if you're tired , show up anyway .

And there was that whole mindset that I think I really got accustomed to and I thought that that was the way that you saw results , because I did that , I hustled , I grinded , I never missed a day . I showed up , I was proud of that , I bragged about that , I was so , you know , I saw results , but I couldn't keep that up .

Of course , but I think that's part of diet culture . Or maybe people just aren't being honest about their journey , where you see , you know fitness influencers and I'm just this is an example .

This isn't for certain , but I think sometimes we look at people and think like , wow , they must never miss a day , or they must always go to the gym even when they don't feel like it , right , maybe we're even putting things in our own heads that aren't true , but maybe those people just aren't being honest about .

They're just posting their workouts , they're just posting that they went to the gym . They're not posting how , to shitty day , I didn't go to the gym . That's not a fun reel to make . So you know , sometimes maybe we're just putting those expectations on ourselves too and thinking that that's what we have to do .

But I think diet culture and culture in general , honestly but diet culture has brought us so far away from who we are , holistically and intuitively , that it has us doing things and we don't know why . Like , we're hustling and we're never missing a Monday . Why are we doing ? Why do we think that that's what we need to do , right ?

Why do we think we have to cut carbs ? Why do we think we have to grind ? Why do we think we can't ever miss a Monday ? Why do we think we have to do every single thing perfectly ? That is taking us away from our body . Because it's diet culture .

It's , you know , follow this certain diet and do X , y and Z to be able to lose , lose 30 pounds and get you know this end result . It gives you this plan to follow , not really telling you why exactly , but telling you that you'll get this result at the end that you want .

So you're not listening to your body during this 30-day challenge , this 90-day challenge or you know , whatever these programs are . You're looking at the program , you're looking at the workouts and you're like this is what I need to do . I'm doing it right . I'm showing up every single day . I'm getting up every single morning .

I'm doing these things because I said I would , because this diet program , this trainer , diet culture says this is what I have to do . When that takes you away from listening to your body , that takes us away from really understanding what our body needs .

And so if you're in like a calorie deficit , for example , and you're like man , I am so freaking hungry , that's your body telling you like that's you hearing your body being like I'm so hungry , that's your body saying I need more food . So we're being . We're not listening to our body .

When we're like I , you know , screw you , sorry , you're hungry , I'm not giving you enough energy , I'm gonna do this diet anyway . I'm not listening to you . It takes you so far away from your body . And so anytime we're doing things and we don't really know why , it obviously feels unknown because we don't know why we're doing it .

So that's natural and that kind of starts to feel bad . That's why diet culture kind of has this bad .

You know dieting is bad and you know some of those negative connotations that come with it because we're not really educated on why and it feels restrictive and it feels like we have all these rules to follow and it feels off because we're not listening to our bodies .

Right , we restrict and we restrict and our bodies are just like I just want the food that you're restricting , right ? So if you think about it as far as that goes , like restricting foods , let's say , my diet plan calls for no Oreos , so I stop thinking , or I start . I stop eating Oreos , thinking it will help me lose weight . So no more Oreos .

I'm on this diet plan . I can't have Oreos because I need to lose weight and Oreos don't help me lose weight , when in reality , by subtracting the Oreos or whatever food they're having you not eat , you're just eating less calories . They're the diet is putting you in a calorie deficit . So it's like the diet is putting you in a calorie deficit .

So it's not necessarily the Oreos , it's the calories . So I can have Oreos , yes , but then why am I not eating the Oreos ? Because I'm taught that they're bad , because they're not on the food list . So it's like that's not .

I'm not saying that that's really like listening to my body , but that's just an example of following things blindly and that's kind of how the things are taught to us that we think processed foods are so bad for us or that we can't have those foods while losing weight because x diet plan says we can't have it right .

As far as workouts , you're like don't miss a day . I signed up for this program . I have to show up every single day , five days a week . I have to get this many steps in . I have to . You know I can't miss one single workout of this 90 day program or what , or I won't see results . I'll gain all my weight back , like you know .

What are we really thinking ? We don't really know . We're just following this plan , not listening to our body at all and just doing exactly what this plan is telling us to do .

So those are just some examples of how diet culture and those things not really understanding it takes us further away from listening to our body and from giving our body what it needs and to honoring our body .

And the further we get away from that , the further we get away from ourselves and our body and our intuition and you know what we really feel like our body needs . Because our body does need these things . We do need movement , we do need nutrients , we do sometimes need to give in to some cravings , so that you know that's just natural .

You have to kind of blend all those things in , but when you are taught to kind of not listen to anything that your body wants and just do X , y and Z to get this end result , you really are taken away from your body . And this can be in so many different contexts , but I'm just kind of showing it in the in the version of .

You know , consistency showing up versus listening to your body . So let's kind of break this down as far as what this actually means . So when you are going to start to listen to your body and be intuitive , some people are just like I don't feel like working out today . I feel tired , I feel like I should take a rest day .

Sometimes you're just using that as an excuse and you're just tired and you'd like to take a rest day . But in reality you should probably get up and get moving and get around and start your workout and you know , push through .

There are sometimes , when you are sick , or it is a scheduled rest day , or it is that time of the month or whatever right , you're stressed out , you're depressed . There are times where your body is like no , I'm using all of the calories you're feeding me to fight the sickness , to get out of bed , to function , to .

Whatever the case may be , I do not have the extra energy right now to work out . There is a difference between an excuse , of course , and a valid reason why you should not be that consistent and show up for a certain amount of time . But I have to note that it is important that you know your body .

Number one , which means you have to spend time with yourself . You have to heal , you have to do some like breath work . You have to heal your nervous system , like . You have to really get in tune with your body .

And if you were like me , where diet , culture , life , whatever you want to say everything had taken me so far away from who I was and what I knew about myself and how I felt , I disregarded everything about how I felt . I didn't know myself for a while at all . So I couldn't listen to my body because I wasn't listening to my body .

It was like my body was hardly speaking to me anymore because I had ignored it for so long . So , number one , to be able to know if you should listen to your body , to your holistic needs , or if you should show up and be consistent , you first have to know your body and you'll know . When you know your body and it won't feel like an excuse for me .

Now it's like if I need to take a rest day , I am so sure that my body is letting me know you better not move today , christy , or tomorrow will be hell to pay , like . I know what my body needs , but it is important that you take the time to get to know yourself .

This means deep work , this means really connecting back with your body and physically , as far as fitness and diet culture , you do have to reconnect with your body because you have been taken so far away . You don't listen to your body anymore .

You work out and you go to the gym and you do these workouts that actually are just slamming your body and you're going for runs and it's killing your knees and you're so sore from it and your body's like please stop . And you're like no , I have to do this , I have to get my step count and I have to do 30 minutes of cardio . I have to move .

I you know you're just like go , go , go and your body is like broken down . So you have to take the time to spend time with yourself , to heal , to breathe , to do all the things to actually know your body , and I'm sorry that it it is the way that it is right now that we've been taken so far away from our bodies that you have to do this .

It's not always fun , but , number one , you do have to know your body . Number two , you do have to know your goals . If your goal is to build muscle and to eat more and you have this physical goal , you will have to show up very consistently and sometimes tell your body listen . You've got to trust me .

I'm going to give you enough fuel to get through this workout . We've got to work together . Tomorrow's a rest day , like you know . Listen to me . Body , like we , I know that we've got goals . I know you're tired , pushed through today . I'll give you a rest day tomorrow . Like , you have to be able to know your goals .

If your goals are to crush it , build some muscle , that kind of thing , then you're going to have to kind of be in tune with your body in that way , right ? So these things need to be in alignment . That's number three . Number one isn't it important to know your body ? Number two it's important to know your goals .

And number three these things have to be in alignment . That's how you stop feeling torn between being consistent and showing up and listening to your body .

Because if your goal is to start listening to your body more , move your body for exercise in a way that you enjoy your consistency and your showing up can be going for a walk every single day Screw workouts , we don't need to do that anymore , right ?

Your consistency and your showing up can be hitting your protein goal , drinking some water and going for an hour walk every single day , because , if that's your goal , your goal is to slow down . Your goal is to get in tune with your body . Your goal is to take some time , realign , fix your relationship with food . That's your goal .

If your goal is physically , we need to change . We need to drop some weight , we are unhealthy or we have to build some muscle , because it's fricking go time and you've been depressed , you've been anxious , you've been not eating . We really need to get back to healthy . You need to eat more , you need to put on some muscle .

Physically , you need to fix your metabolism Right . So you have to know what your body needs and you have to make your goal Align with your body . If those two are in alignment , you won't struggle with feeling torn . And that is where you feel torn is probably because listening to your body and your goals are not lining up .

For me , this still happens where it's always this time of the year , even right now , for example , in the fall , and I'm like okay , it's time to eat more , it's time to lift heavier , let's go . It's go time . It's time to build , put on that muscle , put on a little fat .

In the spring we're going to shred it back off and , you know , mentally I'm like , let's go . Physically , my body's like whoa , sister , we have just gotten back into school . Your daughter is a senior . That comes with a shit ton of things that you were not prepared for . You now have sports . It seems like every night of the week you have to take a break .

You have to , you know , do these things with your house . You have to do these things with your business . Your kids need to go here and there . This is falling apart . You have to fix it right . It's like my body is like uh , we're not ready for that yet .

And this is literally happening to me as we speak , where my my body is telling me one thing and my goals were misaligned . So I had to slow down because I was still going to the gym . Well , my garage .

I was going to my garage , I was lifting super heavy , I was trying to eat more than my body was ready for and I was just like this I'm clashing , I'm not sleeping well , I'm not eating the right foods . Like something is wrong . I was feeling torn and that's because my goals weren't aligning with how my body was feeling .

And so should you take the order from the火 stocks and the ? That's how you fix that .

And really , I've had to do this so many years because when you're stuck in for me , when you're stuck in that beach body , when I was stuck in that beach body , mindset right , and I came out of that , and then I was like I'm going to live intuitively and I'm going to listen to my body . And you know , screw diet culture and screw you beach body .

And like you don't know what you're talking about , I hate you , I'm going to live over here and live intuitively and listen to my body . Then I felt like that was a little too lenient . I went from being way too strict to being like way too lenient .

So I was also feeling torn because how do I have consistency and what is showing up , look like when I'm don't have a plan and I'm not ? I don't have a program that I'm following , right ? So what does that look like and what ? What happens is when you're in tune with your body , you will also have to have non-negotiables .

So I realized that being too strict was not great , being too free was not great . I had to go back to having non-negotiables . I had to know my body . I have to know my goals . Those two things have to align and I have to have non-negotiables Every single day . I will hit my macros . Every single day . I will go for a walk every or work out .

Every single day I will hit my water intake Period . It doesn't matter how I feel , it doesn't matter what my body says . I'm not thirsty , I don't want to go for a walk . Whatever Like , you still have to have non-negotiables to be healthy , you still have to show up for yourself .

So don't think that , just listening to your body is like , oh , I'm just going to roam around freely . Your body needs structure , you still need consistency , you still need the basics of health and habits to have a good life , to have a healthy body , right ?

So if you're not in tune yet with your body and you don't feel like you're holistic and you know your intuitiveness , like you don't feel like you have that yet , I challenge you to just really spend some time journaling and like really asking yourself what right now am I able to do ?

What would make me really happy if I could nail this for my body and really like , show up like this . And it will be harder when you're not in tune with your body and you can't really be intuitive and you're like I don't know if I'm just making excuses and I don't want to get out of bed or if I'm actually sick .

So you have to spend some time and , let's say , you're like , uh , I slept in , I'd miss my workout , I thought I didn't feel good . I got up , I actually felt fine , take note of that , right ?

Or if you get out of bed and you're like , stop being a little baby , get up and work out , you start your workout and you're like no , I actually don't feel right , something's off . I shouldn't have pushed through this . Make note of that , but really really pay attention to it . So I hope that this episode was helpful .

I want to make sure that your consistency and your showing up should just be really in line with what your body needs . So get to know your body . Get to know your body . Get to know your specific goals not somebody else's goals , your freaking goals . Make sure they align and just know that every day you have to have those habits and non-negotiables .

Listening to your body and being intuitive isn't like , oh , I don't have to work out this week , or oh , I'm just going to sleep in all the time , or I'm just going to kind of bounce around freely , that's . It sounds okay , but in reality we do need water , we do need our macros , we do need movement every single day , regardless , right ?

So make sure that , as you are going from obsessive diet culture to this intuitiveness , make sure when you meet in the middle that's the goal to meet in the middle that you're doing that with overall health in mind , not obsessiveness and not just dropping the ball and being all willy nilly over here , but really being intuitive and really just having overall health

at the basis , and I think that will ultimately help you to go from feeling torn to feeling confident in your own choices . But I this was such a good topic . I think it's something that a lot of people struggle with and I'm really happy to talk about it . So please shoot me a message If you enjoyed this episode .

As always , I love gotten a lot of messages this week from you all finding the podcast . I love to hear which episodes that are really resonating with you .

I love to hear if you're starting on this episode , which is brand new , or if you've , like , gone from the beginning and you're listening to the old throwbacks not really throwbacks , it's like a year and a half ago , but yeah , I really enjoy connecting with you . I love it so much . Thank you for being here and I will talk to you next week .