5 Mistakes That Could be Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals

Here are a few important things to AVOID if you’re looking to achieve RESULTS!

1. Treating yourself after your workout.

Unfortunately, working out is not a free pass to indulge in a burger and fries right after you’re done. Now, please don’t misunderstand! I’m definitely not saying that you can never enjoy a treat. That would be ridiculous! But justifying eating high-calorie foods just because you worked out isn’t the best choice if you are trying to get in shape or lose weight. It will cancel out all your hard work, and for someone like yourself who is looking to achieve results, it’s counterproductive.

Instead of treating yourself with food, why not try rewarding yourself in other ways that won’t impact your progress and are even more POSITIVE! For example, buying yourself a new pair of Nike’s, purchasing a beautiful bouquet of flowers, or taking time for a relaxing bubble bath. Self love is SO important, especially through any process where we are striving for self-improvement. So let’s make it count in the best way possible, and let’s ensure that the reward aligns with the result we are working so hard towards, rather than potentially setting you back!

2. Doing the same workout every time you hit the gym.

Variety in a workout program is key to getting results. Not only does changing up your workout routine prevent you from hitting plateaus (by avoiding physiological adap, it also increases the likelihood that you’ll enjoy–and therefore adhere–to your workout routine.

Research actually shows that individuals who switch up their routine more often achieve greater and more sustainable results! Exercise scientists at the University of Florida observed that individuals who modified their workouts every two weeks over an eight-week period appeared to enjoy their workouts more and were more inclined to stick with their exercise programs when compared to individuals who followed the same workout regimens week after week. Varying your exercise routine can also help you stay physically challenged. Many of the body’s physiological systems (e.g., the muscular system) adapt to an exercise program within approximately six to eight weeks. If you do not modify your exercise routine, you reach a plateau because your body has adapted to the repetitive training stimulus.

So you’re probably wondering, how the heck am I supposed to know what to do now?!?!
Well, I’m glad you asked! There are many ways you can spice up your workout routine. If you tend to stick with steady-state cardio, one way you can change things up is to alternate periods of faster-paced, more intense work, with slower-paced periods of exercise. Interval work is a GREAT way to burn fat and add a fun challenge to your routine.

If you’re an avid weight lifter, try changing the sequence of exercises you do or vary the tempo of the exercises. Even these small changes can make HUGE difference!
Bottom line, it’s best to keep things fresh and interesting so that you remain motivated and excited about the process!

3. Not planning your workouts ahead of time.

Planning is crucial to achieving any goal. I know things can get crazy hectic when you have school, a family, work, etc., but if you truly want to achieve your fitness goals (whatever they may be) you HAVE to make it a priority in your schedule. Block out 3 chunks of time in your week to workout, and MAKE it happen. If you don’t make exercise a priority in your life, something else is going to inevitably take its place.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “That sounds GREAT, but I don’t have 3 hours a week to workout…” then I want you to start small. We are creating a habit here! You will see, little by little, week after week, how important this time becomes to you. Especially once you start seeing RESULTS!

Start off by planning three 10 minute sessions into your weekly schedule. You can walk, run stairs, do bodyweight exercises… Whatever floats your boat! Just commit to action and GET STARTED!

4. Having Unrealistic Expectations.

As much as we all wish we could get 6-pack abs in a 30 minute workout.. It just doesn’t work that way. Expecting instant results is a recipe for disaster and all you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment. If you ask anyone you know who is “fit” and somehow always seems to stay fit… They will tell you that consistency is key and that their results did not magically appear overnight. Nope. Rome wasn’t built in a day folks!

Expecting quick results is also very de-motivating. To stay motivated, try setting realistic performance-based goals for yourself. Things like running a mile, being able to do 10 bodyweight pushups, or deadlifting your bodyweight are examples of great goals to motivate you and keep you focused and having fun in any fitness program.

5. Not reaching your goals because you only ever reach for the pink dumbbells.

Pink is a nice color. I actually like it a lot. The problem is that most of the time, the pink dumbbells range from 0-5 pounds. Carrying your baby around is more taxing than using the pink dumbbells, am I right?

When you are working out, intensity is key to getting quicker and more satisfying results. You want to lose fat? Then you’re going to have to lift a little heavier. Now, I’m not saying go lift a truck every time you workout. But I want you to feel some sort of resistance when you’re lifting weights. Lifting heavier weights is what’s going to give you that “toned and tight” look you want.

Not only that, but lifting weights actually increases your metabolism by building lean muscle and leaves you burning calories hours after your workout (even if you’re lounging on the couch… Ummm, yes please!!)! And no, weight-lifting is NOT going to make you big and bulky.

And if you need yet another reason to pick up the weights? Recent research has shown a significant decrease in risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among women who lift weights. If you’re just starting out, The American College of Sports Medicine recommends performing strength training twice weekly, in the 8-12 rep range.

Bottom line: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you!

To sum all of this up… YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE A CHOICE TO MAKE A CHANGE.
A fit body is earned through active daily lifestyle choices. You’ve got to WANT IT and you’ve got to be willing to do what it takes to GET IT. Some of the choices that you will need to make will ultimately push you out of your comfort zone. But if you’re here reading this, then let’s get real honest: You’re not comfortable in that zone anyways, are you?!

The good news is this: If you can commit to your goals by avoiding these 5 fitness mishaps, you’re already well on your way to a brand new YOU! And not just a you that you can be comfortable with, but a you that you can be PROUD OF!!!

Want MORE OF THE BEST TIPS, HOW-TO’s and EXPERT FITNESS ADVICE?
Want to learn about a program that can help guide you through this awesome, yet often intimidating process of taking control of your fitness and health and CHANGING YOUR LIFE???

I have 2 spots NOW OPEN in my one-on-one Getting a Grip on Fitness Program.
Head on over here to book a free strategy call and LET’S GET STARTED!!! —> 

4 Steps to Getting Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat

The other day I was in my private Facebook group, and I asked my ladies to share what their top concerns were about working out and eating healthy.

One of the responses I got was:

“How to get rid of belly fat. I’ve lost 60 pounds but THE BELLY WON’T GO.”

Belly fat is a common problem for a lot of women.

Seriously, WHY is it so hard to get rid of???

I first want to point out a couple of things before we dig into how to get rid of belly fat.

1. You CANNOT spot treat your belly fat.

Your belly fat will not disappear simply by doing 100 crunches a day. It doesn’t work like that. We need to decrease your overall body fat percentage to get rid of the belly.

2. It is not “healthy” or normal for a woman to have a six-pack.

I am so sick of seeing fitspo that shows “fit girls” working out showing off their six-pack abs. There’s nothing wrong with having a six-pack…if it’s easy for you to maintain and you feel great being that lean…than more power to you! But for most women, it is not natural and in my opinion not healthy to be that lean. We are meant to have a little body fat and there is NOTHING wrong with that.

Now that I’ve gotten those 2 things off my chest, let’s dig into what we can do to decrease belly fat. Diet, movement, and lifestyle are all factors that we need to consider.

Here are 4 steps to getting rid of stubborn belly fat:

1. Eat foods that will nourish your body.

I want to keep this simple and easy to understand. If you want to lose fat and MAINTAIN your fat loss, it is a must to eat a primarily whole foods diet. What do I mean by whole foods?

Lean organic/pasture raised meats, all the veggies, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. Here is a detailed list:

Protein Sources:

Grass-fed ground beef
Lamb
Pasture raised chicken
Turkey
Bison
Venison
Wild-caught salmon, cod, tuna
Eggs
Cottage cheese, greek yogurt
Beans

Carbohydrate Sources:

Fiber rich:
Vegetables (e.g., collards, onion, chard, broccoli, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, kale, celery, bok choy, beets, watercress, lettuce, cucumber, bell peppers, etc.)
Peas
Beans and legumes
Most fruit
Starchy:
Sprouted whole grain breads and pastas
Yams/sweet potatoes
Quinoa
Oats
Rice

Fat Sources:
Eggs
Dairy
Meats
Coconut oil & butter
Olives and olive oil
Nuts (macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, almost, etc.)
Avocados
Hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds
Fish oil

If you want to lose belly fat is is also very important to limit eating sugar, excess grains, processed foods, and juice & soda. If you do have a craving for something sweet, opt to eat it during the 2 hour window post-exercise.

Not only will eating whole foods help you lose belly fat, it will also increase your satiety after meals (therefore decreasing your appetite), increase your energy levels, help improve digestion, and promote better health overall by increasing nutrient status and preventing disease.

ACTION PLAN:

Use this simple infographic to help determine how much and how often you should be eating:

2. Move your body every day.

Movement is such an important factor when it comes to exercise. If you aren’t working out regularly, try incorporating just FIVE MINUTES a day of activity. It can be anything from walking, lifting weights, dancing…whatever you like! Just make it a priority to do 5 minutes a day and increase the amount of time you work out each week.

If you are already working out regularly and seem to have hit a plateau when it comes to losing fat, take a look at your lifestyle. Are you super stressed out all the time with work, school, family life, and your workouts just seem to add MORE stress to your daily life?

Not great for fat loss. Our bodies tend to hold onto water and fat when we are constantly in a state of “fight or flight.”

If your stress level is a 7 or higher on a scale of 1-10 and you are doing intense workouts every time you hit the gym, a better option for you might be to combine high-intensity activity such as HIIT, with low-intensity activity such as walking. This will help decrease the overall stress placed on your body and you may be surprised that decreasing your intensity might actually lead to better results.

Now if you’re in the opposite boat where you are doing the SAME workout every time you hit the gym and you don’t pick up anything other than the pink 5 pound dumbbells…then we need to ramp up your intensity.

Try incorporating 2 HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions a week to increase your fat burn. HIIT incorporates short, but very intense periods of work, with alternating periods of rest. It only takes 10-20 minutes to get in a good HIIT session. Not only is it time efficient, but very effective for fat loss.

3. Take time to slow down.

Stress plays a large role when it comes to fat loss, especially around the midsection. When our bodies are in a state of chronic high stress, it resists letting go of excess fat.

There are many factors that can contribute to an increase in our stress levels, some of them include:

Lack of sleep
Never taking time to unwind, relax, or bring energy INTO your body
Always serving others and putting yourself on the backburner
Not dealing with emotions in a productive manner
Always feeling like you have to do everything in a rush

Pick one area of your life that you can work on to help decrease your stress levels. If it’s lack of sleep (I know us mommas only have so much control over this…) try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night. Or incorporate a bedtime routine (journalling, taking a bath, dimming the lights and making time to be grateful before bed, etc.)

If you’re a busy mom, try taking time out just 5 minutes a day for YOU. Whether that’s working out, meditating, reading, etc.

4. Intermittent Fasting.

Fasting 1-2 times a week is a great way to decrease belly fat. If it’s realistic for your lifestyle, try fasting 1-2 days a week from sunrise to sunset (it’s sunnah!), and see how your body responds. Just doing this alone will change your body composition without having to change any other factors.

If fasting from sunrise to sunset sounds completely daunting, try starting off with a 6-8 hour fast. There are many ways you can incorporate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle.

Not only does fasting help with fat loss, but it also has a myriad of other benefits including increased cognitive function, improving detoxification, and promoting longevity.

Top 3 Exercises for Low Back Pain

Low back pain is extremely common, especially in a lot of new moms. Low back pain is commonly caused by tightness in other parts of the body (e.g., the hips) and from a lack of core strength. Sitting at a desk, or on a couch all day, and moving around with bad posture and two main reasons why we are all walking around with a weakened core. Here are my top 3 exercises to help strengthen your core and get rid of that pesky back pain once and for all.

1) Lying Cycle Legs

This exercise is great for re-setting your lower back and strengthening your lower abs at the same time. This is also great to do if you are a new mom, and are just starting to get back into the swing of things–it will help strengthen your weakened core muscles.

How to do it:

1 – Lie down on your back with your spine in neutral
2 – Stretch your right leg out, but keep it hovering off the ground
3 – Extend your left leg straight up towards the sky
4 – In a cycle-like movement, bend both knees and gently bring the knees in towards your chest
5 – Switch legs, with the opposite leg (right leg) reaching up to the sky now
6 – Do ten reps on each side

2) Spinal Balance

This is another amazing core-strengthening exercise that is great incorporated into any workout. You can do it any time of day, and it is great as a warm up exercise before working out.

How to do it:

1 – Start in tabletop position, with hands under shoulders, knees under hips, top of feet flat on the floor, and a neutral spine.
2 – Look straight down to the floor, keeping your neck in line with your spine.
3 – Raise opposite arm, opposite leg (so if you raise your right arm, simultanerously raise your left leg) until your arm and leg reach shoulder height. *NOTE: Do not try and reach your limbs to the sky, only raise high enough
4 – Hold leg and arm up for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower back down to the ground with control.
5 – Repeat on the other side.
6 – Do 5-10 repetitions on each side.

3) Legs Up On the Wall

This pose is not only helpful for lower back pain, but it is great for putting the entire body in a state of relaxation. Nowadays when everyone is constantly in “fight or flight” mode, everyone would benefit from doing this exercise once daily. Other benefits of this pose include relief from:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Balances nervous system
• Digestive issues
• High & low blood pressure
• Menstrual cramps
• Varicose veins
• Daily stress
• Sore muscles
• Bad posture

How to do it:

1- Find a wall.
2 – Scooch up as close to the wall as possible, sitting perpendicular to the wall.
3 – Start to lay down and simultaneously turn your body, extending your legs up against the wall.
4 – Try and get your butt as close as possible to the wall.
5 – Relax your neck and back, and open your arms straight out to the side, palms facing up.
6 – Hold the position for 5 minutes. Breathe deeply and relax.
Do all these exercises once daily to reap the benefits.

3 Quick and Dirty Workouts

These days I have very limited time to get my workouts in.

Aleena is almost crawling now (yikes!) and when she is awake, she is AWAKE. She wants to explore, play, and put anything and everything in her mouth.
As soon as I put her down for a nap, it’s GO TIME. I am amazed at how much faster I can get things done now that I’m a mom. I literally can do 20 things in the same amount of time I used to do 1 thing. I guess that’s what happens when your life is measured by your baby’s naps.

So let’s get into the workouts. Most of the workouts I do now are quick and intense. I want to get the most bang for my buck, in the shortest amount of time. If you’re life is crazy hectic, but you want a quick and effective workout, give these workouts a try. If you’re a masochist like I am, I guarantee you will LOVE them.

Workout 1: Lower body burn

Squat with bottom half pulse
Walking lunges
Bulgarian split squats
Glute bridge
Jump squats

Beginner: 3 rounds, 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds rest.
Advanced: 4 rounds, 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds rest.

Workout 2: Upper body & Core

Pushups (if you can’t do floor pushups, do them off the wall or an elevated surface like a couch/bench)
Bent over row
Mountain climbers
Bicep curl to overhead press
Alternating side plank

Beginner: 3 rounds, 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds rest.
Advanced: 4 rounds, 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds rest.

Workout 3: Total body

Squat to burpee to bicep curl
Reverse lunge to single-arm overhead press
Tricep bodyweight dips
Renegade row
Bear crawl (with or without band–adds extra resistance)

Beginner: 3 rounds, 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds rest.
Advanced: 4 rounds, 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds rest.

The total workout time for the beginner circuit is 15:00 minutes, and for the advanced circuit it’s 19:45 minutes.

That’s LESS THAN 20 MINUTES. That’s less than 1.4% of your day!

Now if these workouts don’t get your heart racing and your body burning, hop on over to my free Facebook community HERE and let me know ;).

How to become an exercise ADDICT

LADIES…

I know the struggle. The struggle is so real.

I know the feeling of feeling hopeless that you will never have a regular exercise routine, constantly feeling like a failure because you can never meet your goals, and feeling like working out is the huge scary monster that is just going to be so hard to tackle.

HOW do other people do it? And make it look so EASY?

It’s easy to feel like it’s unfair…like they have some sort of superhero advantage…that they have more willpower than you do.

The thing is, the person you know who works out on the regular no matter what is NO different than you are.

Everyone has a life, everyone has an endless to-do list, a crazy house to take care of, floors to sweep, jobs to get to, children to tend to…

BUT the real difference between one who works out regularly and one who doesn’t is a matter of CHOICE.
We have are making choices every moment of every day…and they are either getting you closer to your goals, or they’re not.

If you want to tone up, feel more energized, and just feel healthier and happier day to day…eating a danish for breakfast and blaming your kids and husband for your lack of fitness is NOT going to get you to where you want to be, amiright?

So now you might be annoyed reading this, thinking…

“Yeah okay Hanan…but if you knew what I have on my plate….it would be a different story…”

Or

“Yeah but my situation is DIFFERENT…it’s not as EASY as you’re making it sound…”

And you’re right. I don’t know your situation.

But what I do know is that having goals to workout and get “fit” need commitment.
Your workouts need to be made a priority. You need to make a CHOICE to make it a priority.

Make a choice to eat eggs in the morning instead of a danish.
Make a choice to not blame your hectic lifestyle for that extra 15 pounds you’re carrying around.

If you aren’t making it a priority, it’s NOT going to happen, plain and simple.

Life is not going to get any easier or any less busy, let’s be honest here.

So let me ask you this…what EXACTLY are you waiting for???

START NOW.

Every time you are about to do something, I want you to ask yourself:

Is this serving me?

So, if you’re trying to lose 15 pounds and you wake up one morning about to eat a danish for breakfast, stop and ask yourself this question.

Then ask yourself:

What will be serving me?

And find the answer to that question.

To become “addicted” to working out, it takes time and patience. You need to build the habit of working out, and slowly, over time, it will start to be something you enjoy and something that is apart of your daily routine.

Here are my top 5 rules to build the habit of working out:

1) The early bird gets fit.

The morning is by far the BEST time to workout because life is 99.9% less likely to get in the way. You’re less likely to be thrown a curveball that changes the course of your day before everyone wakes up, amiright?

2) Start small.

When you are first building the habit of working out, it honestly DOES NOT matter what you do for your workouts. Do whatever you like. Go for a run, a hike, a swim, lift some weights…whatever is your jam. And if you don’t have a “jam,” try out different things until you find what you like.
The reason I say it doesn’t matter what you do in the beginning is because a) any movement is better than no movement and b) we are building the habit of consistent exercise.
Once the habit it formed, we can focus on the “what” aspect of the workout.

3) Hold yourself accountable.

Find a friend to workout with, to keep you accountable. Hire a personal trainer. Get your husband to keep you on track by checking in with you every day. Having accountability is a great way to keep you motivated and focused.

4) Be adaptable.

Perfection kills progress. I need you to take imperfect action. If you’re plans to go to the gym and workout get ruined, do a bodyweight workout at home. If your plan to go hiking and it rains, do an indoor workout and walk on the treadmill instead.
I need you to crush the idea that your workouts have to be “perfect.” Make a commitment to incorporate movement into your life no matter what the circumstances. Get creative!

5) Focus on ONE thing at a time.

I know you want to start exercising, eating better, waking up earlier, quit eating sugar, and the list goes on…
The thing is, we don’t have enough willpower to develop ALL those habits at once.
We can get there eventually, but one step at a time.
Pick ONE thing you want to change, and commit to working on it daily until it becomes second nature.

So ladies! I don’t want to just leave you hanging after giving you all that information. I want to give you an ACTION PLAN.

Action plan for becoming an exercise ADDICT:

1) Pick one exercise that you want to start doing, whether that’s squats, lunges, pushups, jumping jacks, etc.
2) Commit to doing FIVE repetitions a day. (so if you chose jumping jacks, I want you to do 5 jumping jacks a day)
3) Do your exercise in the morning as soon as you wake up (well…post coffee obviously…).
4) Do 5 reps of 1 exercise for 30 days straight.
5) Tell one other person who can hold you accountable, and get them to check in with you every day.

If you’re thinking, “Hanan…OBVIOUSLY I can do 5 reps a day. That’s way too easy!”
That was my intention. To develop the habit of working out, we need to start very small. Don’t worry…it won’t be this easy forever ;).

I’m SO excited you are taking *imperfect* action and starting your fitness journey with me.

Let me know what exercise you choose and keep me updated on your progress by tagging me on Facebook or Instagram. Or if you have more questions, contact me at hi@hanafadel.com.

9 Uncomfortable Truths About Health & Fitness

 

1. Quick results almost never last.

Quick!

Gimme the low-down.
Get to the point.
I want it now.

We now live in a society that is so ruled by instant gratification that we are losing the ability to actually work HARD for things. Working out and eating healthy is not easy. It’s much easier to go through the drive thru at Chick-fil-A on your way home than it is to cook yourself some chicken breast and broccoli. And the media knows this.

The media and gimmicky gurus try to sell you on a “flat tummy tea,” quick “7 day fix” or “28 day bikini body,” because they KNOW that we want a perfect body and we want it now. These “quick fixes” are oh so easy to fall for, but it is also very disappointing because these results never last.

And ladies….flat tummy tea? REALLY? Puhhh-leaseeee…a tea is NOT going to give you a flat tummy for the rest of your life…let’s get real!

So next time you see something that promises “instant” or “effortless” weight loss, hold onto your Kate Spade wallet and run in the opposite direction. Nothing worth having comes easy. Living a CONSISTENT healthy lifestyle is the ONLY way to achieve healthy and lasting results.

2. What works for your friend may not work for you.

Everyone is unique. What foods work for your friend to lose weight, might not work for you. There are MANY factors that affect our ability to lose weight & be healthy, some of which include: genetics, physical environment, social environment, food sensitivities, sleep, stress levels, and psychosocial health.

Experiment with different types of exercise (although I almost always recommend some type of resistance training), see what foods work for you by doing an elimination diet, work on becoming aware of your thoughts & emotions and then work towards practicing self-love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Your fixation on being happy if you were just “X” amount of weight is based off of something deeper going on.

The reason I talk about self-love and self-forgiveness is not just because I’m a hippie–it also has to do with the fact that it plays a real role in achieving your goals and being CONTENT with them.

If you workout and restrict your food intake out of punishment and hate for yourself, you will never be happy with your results no matter how much weight you lose or how many inches melt off. You will always be in a state of wanting MORE. I know this, because I have lived it.

When you can learn to LET GO and work out and eat right out of love & nourishment for yourself, not only will you be more content day-to-day, but you will also find that you’ll achieve your goals with ease.

4. You will never be able to achieve the results you deserve if they are only ever a “wish.”

Wishing won’t get you anywhere. Set yourself a specific goal, and COMMIT to achieving it no matter what. Failure is not an option. Make your goal as specific as possible, then write it down somewhere you can see on a daily basis. You can even put your goal as a reminder on your phone. For example:

“I will exercise for [X] minutes on [DAY(S)] in [PLACE] at [TIME].”

Setting goals in this manner and writing them down will make you 3 times more likely to achieve them.

5. The level of your health & fitness affects every area of your life.

Your health affects your happiness, energy levels, mood, attitude, relationships, your job, and the list goes on.

The healthier you are, the more able you are to move with ease, think with ease, and do (anything) with ease.

6. By neglecting your body & mind, you are actively choosing not to be your highest self.

We are our highest selves when we are giving to others. You cannot give value to others if you are not in a state of optimal health. It really is as simple as that. Your health is a measure of your wealth. I’m not talking about money–I’m referring to your mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical wealth. Start to become aware of yourself. Notice yourself on days you feel healthy and energetic–it is much easier to help others and serve than it is on days you feel lethargic and sick.
Make a commitment to yourself to become a person who SERVES others. Do you want to live a life of true value? Then you must serve. And to do that, means making the health of your body and mind a priority.

7. There is a difference between being consistent, and being obsessed.

I posted recently on Instagram about how exercise and eating healthy should make you feel healthy and happy NOT stressed and obsessed.
It’s great to be consistent with your workouts and nutrition, but you want to avoid letting it become an unhealthy obsession. So how do we avoid this? Again, it comes back to self-love and self-forgiveness. Doing things out of self-love and with the intention to be your best self (NOT out of self-hate) will help you avoid developing an obsession.

8. It’s OK to feel uncomfortable at the thought of working out.

If working out is something that makes you feel very uncomfortable because it seems so new and foreign (in addition to painful), I want you to know–it’s OK to feel that way!

Feeling uncomfortable may not be the best feeling in the world, but it is a good sign. It means you’re moving in the right direction. It means you are growing. It means you are challenging the old and facing the new. So embrace the discomfort, and know that it’s along for the ride, but don’t let it control your decisions.

9. Slip-ups, failures, and bad-days are inevitable.

There is no such thing as failure–there is only feedback. For example, the days that I “save” my workout to the end of the day almost always never get done. I’ve learned this after years of telling myself it was going to happen…but at the end of the day, life tends to throw curveballs at you and working out just doesn’t end up happening.
So this is a type of feedback. Now I almost always workout in the morning because life tends to not get in the way then. But bad days and “failures” are inevitable, especially if you’re a mom. So ditch perfectionism and super high expectations because both those things are the enemy of progress.
Set realistic expectations for yourself, try to get things done in the morning (wake up earlier if you have to), and be forgiving and patient with yourself if things don’t go as planned.