motivational Mondays- loving you

Good morning readers!!
Todays motivational Monday comes live to you again from Hungary. Today i will not be posting a video but i will be discussing something very important. I want to talk to you all today about loving you for you and enjoying the journey to a healthy lifestyle. 

I posted these pictures of myself because i wanted to give you all a glimpse of my journey to a healthy life and what i look like currently. The first photo is my arm...which i want to discuss with you all "strength vs. bulk". The second photo is where i will discuss "body proportion". And the last photo is a full body photo of me and a side shot where i will discuss "body fat % and BMI". 

So lets get to it!!!

1.) Strength vs. Bulk- i get a lot of clients that come to me wanting to lose weight and tone up. I put them on a regimen that includes weight lifting and the first thing they say is "I don't want to look like the hulk" . For both men and women, lifting weight 2-3 times a week at a weight that is difficult but not strenuous will NOT result in bulk, but will result in strength, endurance, and will help aid in fat loss and calorie burning.My arm when flexed (left photo) is a good size, if my arms stayed flexed like that, i would look a little bulky; but as the photo on the right shows, my arms look very normal, and pretty thin. A good workout plan will include a small amount of weight lifting at minimum, or at least body weight exercises that will challenge the body and force it to become stronger. I can lift quite a bit of weight but in no way do my arms casually bulk or look big! So go ahead and get in that weight lifting routine, tone and look sharp, all while gaining some great strength!!

2.) Body proportion- another question i get asked a lot from clients is "Im 5'7 how much should i weigh?". I can give a general number, but a general number does not take into consideration the way your body is shaped. I have always been tall, i am 5'10 now. In college i weighed 25 pounds less than what the numbers said i should be for my height. I was a little thin, but in no way was i anorexic looking. Over the past 6 years my hips have expanded and i now am only 12 pounds under for my height. As you can see in the second picture, my waist is thin, but i do have hips. My hips are never going to go away, in fact, after a child my hips might expand some more!! But for now...i totally embrace that i can be fit and strong without being a little pole! I have a chest, hips, and a butt....this is not going to change. Maybe you are very short, maybe you are shaped in a way you do not like, maybe you are a guy and you are unhappy that  you are skinny naturally, or a little larger naturally. Whatever your size, shape, and height....you can still live a healthy lifestyle with exercise and a good diet. I am happy with my weight, i am ok with the number telling me i should be 10 pounds heavier...I am not defining my progress or success by the number on the scale, because that scale is not specific to Morgan Williams. Only i know the boundaries, limits, and numbers where i want to be. Which brings us to number 3...

3.) Body fat % and BMI- For those of you that are unhappy with your weight or not sure what size you want or should be....i always tell my clients to check out their BMI and Body fat %....with each new client, i always take these calculations. If your BMI & Body fat % align with your height and your weight....then you are right where you need to be...Some people think that they are overweight or need to lose 20 pounds. Or clients will tell me i want to lose 50 pounds to look and feel good...but the truth is...you being HEALTHY is the ultimate goal, and maybe you do not NEED to lose that amount. When you calculate your BMI and your Body fat %....you can find out what category you fall under "normal", "overweight", and "obese" are usually the categories given. If you fall under normal- maybe you dont need as much work as you thought- try losing just 5-8 pounds and gaining some muscle....if you are overweight, take a look at just how much overweight you really are, what percentage over are you really? If you are falling in the obese category- take a look at your lifestyle, maybe some changes need to be made with your food, beverage, and exercise choices. A personal trainer or nutritionist can help you figure all of this information out and get you on the right track to being where you need to be, but just remember...its not always the number on the scale or the "average" looking person you think you should resemble....figure out your own body, figure out the needs and goals that you SHOULD be reaching for YOU specifically. We cannot compare ourselves to another, just because we are the same height or age. Those 5'10 victoria secret models are very skinny and i do not resemble them one bit...and i love me for that!! :)

So....today i leave you with this motivation. Start on your journey to becoming the best you that you can!!! Begin with finding out (from a professional or doctor) where you should be at with your body fat and your BMI. Start to transform yourself in a healthy manner, begin changing your diet and exercise patterns to better you as an individual. As long as your numbers are HEALTHY the scale can just sit on the shelf. As long as you are telling yourself daily that you are progressing and that you are trying, then that is the BEST that you can do for you!

If you aren't ready to face the numbers yet...maybe you know you're skinny but have fat in weird places (stomach, thighs, etc), or you know you are overweight but don't really want to face how much you've gained or need to lose....then simply take the first steps in CREATING a better you. Do not worry about the numbers right now...start eating clean, cutting back on the bad foods and drinks, start walking 30 minutes a day, start doing sit ups at night during your commercial breaks on the TV. Then when you begin to see progress, get the numbers you need. 

ANYONE can be a better of themselves. NO ONE is perfect and we can always work harder on our temples (bodies). Our bodies are not trash cans, so lets stop giving them junk and putting them through hell and back! Begin to look at yourself with a positive perspective and begin to fix things that you may not like or want to become better at. 

I am always working on my abs and thighs....my troublespots!!! My body is NOWHERE near perfect, but i love my temple, i feed my temple good things, and i make my temple stronger and stronger everyday. And because of this....my numbers are in good range....my blood pressure & cholesterol are great, my heart is healthy, and both my BMI and Body fat % are in the "Athletic" range....and this is my lifestyle...

Stay motivated....see you al