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It has taken me a few months to write this next blog, and the reason is that this one was a bit of a struggle to put down on “paper”.  Body Image and how we see ourselves, how society projects how we should see ourselves, impacts our confidence, feelings of self-worth, and gives pressure to “look” a certain way.  For me, a positive mindset and a complete acceptance of my body, becoming a healthier version of myself, more energy and more mobility was the real work behind losing weight.  This topic, that is so broad and include some pain is mostly about growth!  

I know from my perspective, losing weight has allowed me to have some candid conversations with others and I want to share some of my thoughts and feelings in hopes that this resonates with you and we can start to think more positive about our bodies!  

From the beginning of my journey, the main reason for my motivation and determination has been to become a healthier me.  I loved myself, my husband loved me for who I was/am and has always made me feel beautiful, even at time when I didn’t.  However, even though I loved who I was inside, I did not always love what I saw in the mirror.  Along with losing weight, I had to also work on my relationship with accepting ME. That it doesn’t matter what you look like, it matters who you are inside and the beauty that is within.  Society casts so much doubt and really causes one to question their external beauty and you wrestle with the suggestion that it matters what you look like.  

First of all, there is more to losing weight than calories in and calories out (I’ve mentioned this numerous times).  However, when you lose weight, you end up looking “different” than you did before and with that comes real shifts in mindset and that is a lot of work as well! It is important to focus on the new healthier you not necessarily the “look”.  With that being said, it is still okay to celebrate the “new” you and that includes the “look” and I will say that it is thrilling to be able to fit in smaller clothes and to shop in more than 1 or 2 stores.  Unless you have experienced it, I’m sure it is hard to understand.  It is just as hard to change your mindset to the way you look at yourself as it is to take the weight off.  It is a complete double edge sword. 

Honestly, it is just as important to work on your relationship with yourself and your body as it is with your relationship with your spouse, significant other, friends, or family.  I work at this every single day including discussions at my weekly coaching session with my Profile Coach, Sam.  

Our society has taught me as a young child, our image of our body is complex, and the following are some bullet points on how to continue to work on the positive mindset of loving your body:

• How many things do we miss out on for the fear of what other people think? You deserve better! Ask yourself why you re allowing other people’s opinion that stop you from being the best version of yourself. 

• Stay body positive – OWN IT and ROCK IT!! Change your mindset on the way you feel vs the way you think you look!  This is a daily challenge for me! 

• Keep concentrating on the new healthier you! 

• Reflect on your goals.

• Move your body – – helps with so many things including your mental health and positive mindset! 

• Keep a gratitude journal. 

• Give yourself time to adapt.

• Share your journey with others. 

• Reflect on why you love yourself, not because of how you look but the values you hold and strive for! You are more to your friends and loved ones than how you look!! 

Working on my new mindset has been a work in progress as well, if you would like to hear more and also connect with others who want to take back control of their wellness and well-being, join us virtually this Tuesday, April 27 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm.  We will discuss body image and accepting and celebrating the real you during your health improvement journey.  If you would like to join us, please send me your email at journey4julie@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom link. You do not need to be a Profile member to join us, everyone is invited! 

Reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership.  If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life! 

I have always been an outgoing person, not afraid to jump in, make new friends, lead projects at work, volunteer and help make a difference where I can.  However, losing my weight has propelled me to step outside my comfort zone and challenge myself. I feel good about myself, more energy and more passion for life.  I am not a risk taker, so I often stay in a safety zone. Losing weight and the confidence it has given me, is pushing me to experience new adventures, LIVE life and not live scared!  It has taught me that failure is okay, you learn from your failures and become a better person.  Learning each day that there are failures in life, but as you push through, you learn from them and make yourself stronger. 

This month, our family took our first family ski trip to Breckenridge, Colorado and I was scared to even try to ski and secretly just wanted to back out and let my family go ahead without me.  My heart was racing, I was nervous and wondered what in the world did I sign up for?  I remembered that this was the feeling I had when I started my journey with Profile too, I was nervous and did not want to share with anyone that I was on this new health improvement journey.  Yes, I was worried about a lot of things AND not about what was going to make Julie happy and that this was my journey.  This ski trip represented so many things that I had experienced the last 2 years…stepping outside my box! 

Here I am at 51 ½ years old, putting on skis for the first time in my life.  Oh now, I think in PE class in high school we had a “learning to ski” day and I remember back then that I said to myself that I was NEVER going to go skiing.  Fast forward 30 years later (or something like that 😊) and I’m putting on skis in front of a group of people I don’t know.  My husband was my biggest supporter, and he went to the beginner ski school with me even though he had skied many times in his life.  Of course, then what happens? I don’t even get both skis on and I fall, I FALL! I didn’t let this stop or derail me from this experience (even though I really wanted to just stop) I got up, bowed to my “classmates”, they encouraged me, and I put that other ski on!! The remainder of the 3-hour ski school surprises me and my co-beginner skiers, as well as my husband and I do not fall again.  I learned to ski; I loved it and think, what have I been waiting for?  Yes, I was still scared to fall, yes, I was not going down the blues or greens (heaven forbid the blacks) but I was having fun and I learned to ski!  

What I learned about myself that day was far beyond learning to ski, I learned that through my confidence that I built from losing weight, that I can do anything! I can push myself to do whatever I want to do and at whatever age! I was so proud of myself that I was in tears.  My weight loss journey was the same, I am not perfect, and I can allow myself to fall and get back up and keep striving.  My weight loss and fitness journey allowed me to be STRONG, my legs were strong, I was not out of breath and my mind was STRONG.   I am proud of this new body and strength and proud of the confidence it has propelled me to build. 

It is all about your foundation of having a mindset that you can do it, you set your mind to accomplish what you want. We are sometimes so afraid to step outside our comfort zone that we forget how to live.  If anything, this last year has taught us that life is not guaranteed, we are not guaranteed tomorrow so we must live our lives to the fullest.  Push yourself to do something you have been afraid to do, it doesn’t feel great when you start, you are scared, your heart is racing and maybe your anxiety level is high.  However, the feeling you get when you have accomplished it, is definitely the most rewarding!  

If you would like to hear more and also connect with others who want to take back control of their wellness and well-being, join us virtually this Tuesday, February 9 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm.  We will discuss body image and accepting your new body after your health improvement journey.  If you would like to join us, please send me your email at journey4julie@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom link. You do not need to be a Profile member to join us, everyone is invited! 

Also, a reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership.  If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life! 

The emotional adjustments of substantial weight loss can be overwhelming and very personal.  It is imperative for success to acknowledge the psychological changes just as much as the physical change. 

Dramatic weight loss can cause intense fear and anxiety with putting any amount of weight back on and this can be the hardest part of the journey. The fear can lead to anxiety over every food you put in your mouth.  The pressure can be overwhelming and sometimes it can cause you to be obsessed and can lead to eating disorders.  It is so important to lean on your support system and for me that not only means leaning on my family but also my Profile Coach, Sarah.  I continue to meet with her weekly where we talk about these feelings and learn self-control without that feeling of dread when you eat something that may be indulging and the fear that it will put you right back to where you started.  This has been so important to me and why I love Profile by Sanford.  They give me the tools and the coaching sessions to really work through all these issues.  Losing weight is not just about calories in and calories out but a wide range of emotions that go with losing weight.   

It is important to remember the following:

• Comparison is just a ‘thief of joy’!! Remember to focus on yourself without comparing yourself to others! 

• Do not think that weight defines who you are – I can’t express this enough!! You are absolutely NOT your weight.  I believe the reason I was successful in losing weight is that I was a very happy person with a wonderful husband and family with wonderful friends and I didn’t lose the weight because I was unhappy, I lost the weight because I was healthy unhappy.  I knew that even though I had no health issues, if I continued at the weight I was, I would eventually have health issues and I did not want that for myself, I wanted to continue to be happy but at a healthier weight so I can keep up with my fun husband and my beautiful family!! 

• Remember that this is a LIFE LONG COMMITMENT! Don’t think this is a quick fix, if you do, your weight may sneak back on!  Believe that you can sustain your goal and it will take work but keep your goals in check and remember that this is a lifestyle change. 

• Always celebrate your accomplishment even the small ones! 

• Remember self-reflection and do fact checks with yourself.  Write down why you wanted this, why you continued and why you want to be the healthier person you have become! 

The next two weeks we celebrate Christ’s Birth and bring in a New Year.  We tend to celebrate the holidays with food, candies, cocktails and this year also gives us stress, anger, sadness and anxiety which can lead to overindulging.  Remember to go back and check your goals and it is okay to give yourself grace and find balance.  I allow myself to have something that I absolutely want to have, but I plan for it, decide what it is and then enjoy it! It is all about balance and learning that life still happens and with it we can enjoy life without feeling guilty or deprived!!  

It is helpful to stay active and get your workouts in, get a workout in before you eat, believe me it will help with your choices!! 

If you would like to hear more and also connect with others who want to take back control of their wellness and well-being, join us virtually this Tuesday, December 22 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm where we talk this week about the approaching Holidays and the stresses that Covid has on our plans and that it may look a little different this year!  If you would like to join us, please send me your email at journey4julie@gmail.com and we will send the you the Zoom link. You do not need to be a Profile member to join us, everyone is invited! 

Also, a reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership.  If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life! 

Attacking the Holidays doesn’t sound very jolly does it?  This year looks different, as we are trying to determine the risk factors of our own family Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers; not to mention the worry of keeping your family well during this unprecedented (how sick are you of this word?) times.  If you are like me, you yearn for tradition, love of family and everyone gathering together.  For our family, we have chosen to forgo Thanksgiving with our entire family.  We will get together with our kids only. If I allowed this to take over my mindset and bring me down to the emotional sadness it brings, it would consume me and possibly derail my path of staying the course.  Your feelings can range from anger, sadness, anxious, scared, terrified, and just trying to find balance.  This year the holidays are even more of an emotional stress than the normal hustle and bustle. 

Remember to give yourself grace and space to acknowledge your feelings.  These times are real and what you are experiencing is real.  As I reflect on all that is around us and what the Holidays really mean, I had to think about the new mindset I had created around becoming healthier and revisit those with the emotional health/mindset. It is just as important as you are working on your healthier life that you take care of the emotional side too.  If you are not getting together for the Holidays, let’s look for the positive ways to make it work (even if it is different).  

It is time to be creative! Think of all the ways you can make the Holidays special even if you are not gathering in a normal sense.  The following are just a few examples to think about:

This year we are doing a Zoom call with my husband’s side of the family.  I know it is not ideal but put the positive spin on it and be grateful that we have technology today that allows us to still “see” each other!  What a wonderful platform to be able to use today.  

Make your Thanksgiving meal and then deliver to your family members (obviously, only if they are close by) and share your meal with them, you may not be together in person but you can share your favorite recipes and foods with those you love. 

Write down all the things you are thankful for, put them on a piece of paper and send to your loved ones.  What a joy it is to receive something in “snail” mail! 

Meditation/Prayer – I’ve been learning to meditate more and there are great apps that can help you with meditation and learn the science behind it and the positive effects that comes from practicing meditation.  Self-care is so important and especially during a pandemic.  It reduces stress, anxiety and depression.  Prayer – Remember that your relationship with God is as important. Daily prayer blesses you, your family and those you pray for. Prayer can bring you peace and understanding of God’s plan for you. 

Exercise – Always a great way to reduce stress, increase your endorphins and boost your immunity.  If it is nice outside, go on a walk/run. 

Please remember that it is okay to ask for help, seek a professional if you need to. Reach out to your family and friends. 

I challenge you, as we approach not only the Holidays but also the next potentially scary months of Covid-19, to have a grateful heart, look for the positives even in the most negative moments.  I keep going back to this, but I truly believe it is the foundation to all things in our lives, your MINDSET.  Your brain is a muscle and the more you train your mind on positive thoughts, the easier it will become and then you don’t even need to think about it!  Positivity happens when you make it a habit.  Be grateful for what you have and remember that the bad times don’t last. 

If you would like to hear more and also connect with others who want to take back control of their wellness and well-being, join us virtually this Tuesday, November 24 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm where we talk this week about the approaching Holidays and the stresses that Covid-19 has on our plans and that it may look a little different this year!  If you would like to join us, please send me your email at journey4julie@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom link. You do not need to be a Profile member to join us, everyone is invited! 

Also, a reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership.  If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life! 

Speaking of breaking down barriers, as we all know 2020 has given us every reason to be more stressed, have increased anxiety, more agitation, increased nervousness, even depression. For me, I admit I like to have control of every aspect of my life. I’m a planner and when I can’t plan and have control of what is happening, those stresses and anxieties heighten. The year 2020 has taken all control and planning out of our vocabulary!

In the past (pre-Profile), I would have turned to food and I know a lot of us are turning to food for comfort. It is what we know, and our society promotes it, as most things we do socially is centered around food. These are barriers we need to break down and to not use food as a crutch! It is okay to eat in moderation, but use your strength, determination, will power and positive mindset to break the habit of turning or using food as your comfort zone. I have been working on rechanneling and use other stress relievers other than eating poor choices of food that leads to overeating. The following are some of my “go-to” alternatives:

MUSIC – this is my main source of solace! I use music to heal the soul and also to find joy in living! Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge concert going buff! 2020 and Covid has even taken that away from us for now; however, I still use music to relieve stress. If you saw my play list, you likely would be very confused as it includes all artists from every genre! Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Big Band, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Hip-Hop, Drake, Post Malone, Chris Brown, A$AP Ferg (just to name a few) and of course growing up in the 80’s, every hair band that made an album, and oh, I can’t forget Duran Duran!

There are several studies that show how music speaks when words fail. Using music can help heal trauma and helps change your brain chemistry. I could go on an on about how music is used in science, but we all know how music affects us personally and for me it is healing, and I’ve used it to break down the barriers on my wellness journey.

EXERCISE – using physical activity (while listening to music) is what motivates me and changes a negative mind to a positive one. Exercise boosts energy and research shows it helps alleviate mild to moderate depression and helps with stress and increases relaxation, improved health with better blood pressure, and heart rate, helps control our weight and most importantly during this pandemic, increases our immunity!

ORGANIZATION – for me, increased organization helps me feel more in control! Clean out a closet, rearrange your pantry, update your calendar/planner, journal your thoughts! Journaling during my journey has been very helpful. Writing down my feelings, good and bad is therapeutic and healing.

FIND A HOBBY – For me, one of my “hobbies” is watching sports and even though our beloved Hawkeyes lost their first game, it was healing to just be able to watch them play football. If you are not into sports, there are so many DIY projects you can learn through Pinterest or YouTube!

This list includes some of the activities I use to re-wire my brain and not turn to food during highly stressful times. Find you own motivation and activities that give you a positive mindset and helps relieve your stress and anxiety. Dig deep down and find the positive even in the darkest moments. Be kind to each other, remember that we don’t know what others are going through and we need to be there for each other!

If you would like to hear more and also connect with others who want to take back control of their wellness and well-being, join us virtually this Tuesday, October 27 from 5:00 – 5:30 pm where we will talk about breaking down barriers especially as we approach the Holidays and the stresses that Covid has on our plans and that it may look a little different this year! If you would like to join us, please send me your email at journey4julie@gmail.com and we will send the you the Zoom link.

Also, a reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership. If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life!

It is ironic that I scheduled this blog post on this topic and then this is the week I celebrated, after 21 months of hard work, my goal weight!! Now, with that comes a lot of emotion! I have worked so hard on this goal!! It has taken a new mindset, breaking down barriers, setting goals, perseverance, determination, will power and grit! However, it does focus on a number, a number that truly is JUST A NUMBER. There is so much more to this than hitting the goal number I wanted, so keep this mind as I share what this really means.

Prior to Profile, I have had a negative relationship with the scale, sometimes weighing 4 times a day and if I didn’t see success, I would stress out and let it control me and the end results would not be successful. I would also avoid the scale, not wanting to see the reality…..I let the scale define me. Through my journey, my coach Sarah and I would talk about the scale and what that number meant to me. I learned that the number was just a data point and that what really matters is what I learned for the week or month. I learned about healthy eating, listening to my body and eating when I’m hungry. Taking at least 30 mins to eat a meal, think about what I was eating, not just eat it. Continuing my fitness goals, pushing myself to keep moving and that this was all about improving my overall health, NOT the number that was on the scale.

Early in the program I decided to only weigh every 3 weeks, I followed the program and knew I was doing everything I needed to do to fuel my body. I didn’t need to look at a number! I tricked my mind by not weighing and defining my success by a number, but to focus on how my body was feeling, AND I was seeing a bigger loss by waiting 3 weeks to weigh. Now, I must stress that this is what worked for me, I know what I needed to do to be successful. The scale was not going to define me! With this new outlook on the scale, I needed to also celebrate non-scale victories! Here is a look at some of them throughout my journey:

Mindful of movement and taking longer routes form point A to point B

Trying new types of exercise/activity

Exercising for longer periods of time

Higher energy levels

Refocusing my energy on something that does not involve food or eating

Improved meal prep skills

More mindful of food choices and still able to dine out

More aware of feeling full

Feeling in control of my health

Kinder to myself

Higher levels of productivity

Better sleep quality

Clothes fit and actually have gone down 8 clothes sizes!

Improved cholesterol

Improved blood pressure (112/68)!!!

The above non-scale victories are just a few of the benefits from being a healthier me! Feeling amazing is way better than looking at the number on the scale. I didn’t need to lose weight to “look better” I was already confident and had a husband, family and friends who loved me! I needed to LOVE ME! I did this for ME and to be a healthier me, to hopefully give me more years to enjoy my husband, my kids and my life!

I’ve been asked often what keeps me motivated, it is proving to myself that I had a goal and I crushed that goal but it took persistence, determination, will-power and waking up every day, believing in myself, looking at my goals and continually be focused! You may have slip-ups and it is okay, forgive yourself and move on!! We are way too hard on ourselves and the reality is that life is not perfect, your food choices are not perfect, we ARE NOT PERFECT! What is perfect is that we are in control of ourselves, don’t let negativity win, push through and you will be successful!!

I’m excited to announce that this week, I’m joining my coach Sarah at Profile by Sanford Ankeny and launching Community Coaching for both members and non-members with a Zoom meeting every other week to talk through challenges, celebrating successes and learning from each other! Our first virtual meeting will be this Tuesday, October 13. If you want to join, please sign-up through Profile by Sanford Ankeny Facebook page (I’ve also shared the link on my Facebook page) and “purchase” a FREE ticket through the events page.

Reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership. If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Please call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life!

My last blog post I talked about setting goals and focused on my first main objective which was a substantial goal and may have seemed overwhelming. It is important to know that I set small goals on a weekly and daily basis to break down my overall projected outcome and make it more attainable. I believe it is important to set these smaller goals as well. I would break down that 130 lbs. in 10 lbs. increments and then celebrated those victories. I haven’t talked about this yet; however, this journey was not just about losing weight it was also to increase my fitness goals. Believe it or not, I have worked out for years between utilizing my work’s gym or at other gyms and have ran a few 5ks and a 10k off-road race. Working out was and is an important part of this journey and also a great stress release for me. My weekly goals included increasing my fitness routine.

In my weekly coaching sessions, Sarah and I always talked about what my fitness goals were for the week and one of my goals is to increase my strength training. It is important in this weight loss journey that I continue to work on flexibility, agility and proper technique to stay away from minor injuries due to lifting while maintaining general/physical muscle strength. It is also important to maintain muscle tone and flexibility. I’m in my 50s now and so it is even more important in aging health. One of the best benefits in losing this weight has been my increased stamina working out and how powerful and energized I feel, it truly makes me feel more positive and goes back to helping me with my positive mindset.

Covid-19 caused a challenge in keeping up with my fitness goals, but I was determined to not let it derail me! I changed things up and made a gym downstairs and used innovative ways to still lift weights by using things around the house to lift and used some of the dumbbells we had and also strength bands. I would run up and down the stairs for cardio and would walk/run outdoors. I want to stress how important it was to work on my mindset and keeping it positive and open to change; change in your body, your confidence, your strength, etc. I know that I keep going back to mindset, but it truly is the foundation to any success you have in every aspect of your life.

Recently, I told a couple of friends when asked how I felt after losing all this weight, I smiled big and said, “I feel AMAZING!” but also how I almost feel like I needed to apologize for it. This journey has not been all roses, there are so many changes that I have experienced and one of them is accepting my new body and that it is 100% okay to celebrate this and I honestly just want to share how great I feel and that I want to help others feel as great as I do!! I’m done apologizing. It is okay to feel good, it is okay to be positive, it is okay to say it’s hard, it is okay to feel whatever you are feeling. It is okay to celebrate!!

Reminder that reflection and focus are important along your own journey, it is about progress not perfection and to ALWAYS TRUST THE PROCESS! Also, remember to love yourself, love people, always be kind and to keep striving!

Looking ahead, my next blog post I will touch on how the scale does not define you and to celebrate non-scale victories!

Reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership. If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life!

It has been very important that during this entire journey I have worked on my goals every week and have also re-evaluated them as I moved along.

I believe it is also important as you work on setting your goals that you focus on the performance and outcomes.

I’ve had many goals during this 19-month journey from losing weight to improving my fitness. I will dive into on my next blog. Take note that when you are setting your goals that you categorize them so you are aware of where you should focus your time and attention. Setting goals is crucial to taking control of your life’s actions. I would go over my goals each week with my Coach Sarah. The following was one of my goals from day one:

Outcome Goals – Lose 130 lbs/Become a Healthier Me

Performance Goals – Selecting a Meal Plan/Follow the Plan/Concentrate on Discipline

Process Goals – Attending Weekly Coaching Sessions/Reach Out for Support From Others

If you want a successful outcome it is important to set goals that are attainable and challenging. Know, that goals are used and become powerful because they narrow your focus. It is centered around the mindset as discussed in my blog post, “Changing Your Mindset”, and were focused on the execution to always TRUST THE PROCESS!

Re-evaluate your goals weekly, you will adjust your goals as life happens and don’t beat yourself up. Remember that it is about progress NOT perfection. You can reset your goals to help stay focused when needed. Goals are events that happen and will eventually become your past. If we lose sight of purpose, then goals will just lead you in the wrong direction. Reflection and focus are what is important.

Reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount off your membership. If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life!

One of the reasons I believe I’ve been so successful on my journey with Profile is that I made attending my weekly Profile coaching meetings a priority. I definitely believe it helps with accountability, reflects on the prior week and also plan for your week ahead. There is research that confirms by having a health and fitness coach and if you make those coaching sessions it can predict how successful you will be in losing and keeping off weight. Coaching has shown that individuals can experience and achieve more satisfaction and motivation. I am so fortunate to have had Sara Meyer as my coach for all 19 months of my journey! I’ve mentioned her in my previous blog posts and she seriously has been by my side since day one. We’ve talked a lot about emotional eating and how to break down those barriers, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, shared goals, celebrated victories including those non-scale victories! Sara has played a critical role in my success! Even with Covid, we were able to meet for weeks virtually. All coaches at Profile are certified health coaches and her guidance through my health and fitness journey has helped me with lasting lifetime changes and will I believe will help me keep the weight off!

How 3-Dimensional Coaching Has Helped Me

I have another great coach in my life, my husband Bill. Throughout these last 19 months we have celebrated my victories but when I started to experience those dreaded plateaus (and they happen), or when I needed encouragement, he would share with me his coaching philosophy. Bill is a high school football and track coach. He has over 20 years coaching experience and the last 5 years he has been transforming his own coaching philosophy with 3-Dimensional Coaching techniques, strategies and certification. Even though this is geared towards coaches of athletics, I was able to apply it to my own purpose and journey. In 3-Dimensional coaching, the 1^st Dimension is fundamentals, Body and Physicality, 2^nd Dimension is Body/Mind and dealing with motivation, confidence, emotions, team cohesion and goal setting. The 3^rd Dimension is Body/Mind/Spirit and discussion Identify, Character, Self-worth, Values, Significance and Purpose. For example, on a week where I didn’t see the results I wanted, Bill would give me the coaching tips to transform my mindset. He would say, “trust the process and results can’t happen overnight, there is a better good in the long distance and a reminder that it is a marathon not a sprint!” These tips helped ground me and kept me focused on my goals!

On next week’s Blog, I will share what I’ve learned about setting goals and how they are not the same as your purpose.

Reminder, if you are thinking about joining Profile (run don’t walk), please use my code Julie50 for a discount on your membership. If you want to just learn more before committing, they offer free consultations! Call the Ankeny office (515-257-7050) and make that appointment, it will change your life!

When you change your mindset, I mean really work on training your brain to think differently, you can start to break down your barriers. Barriers can be anything from having a young family you need to cook for, busy schedule, liking to eat, afraid of the scale and seeing the number, stress, health issues, genetics, just to name a few.  When I started Profile back in January 2019, to be successful, I knew that I  needed to start breaking down those barriers. Barriers are also excuses.  “I’m too busy to eat healthy”; “It’s too expensive to eat healthy”; “I have to cook for my family; it’s too hard to make something healthy that they will like”.  Look to be innovative in breaking these barriers down!  I know some will say it is too expensive but there really is no price too high for becoming a healthier you.  For me, it was adjusting our budget so that it allowed me to spend the money.  It was costing me on average $10/day for lunch and that is $50 a week.  You can see how I can remove that barrier by not spending the $50/week on my lunch and spending that on my profile food, veggies and lean meats! Another big barrier for me was the dreaded scale. I was scared to get on every time, I was hard on myself and thought even a loss was not good enough.  I had to again start to change that mindset and realize that this is a marathon not a sprint, the weight was not going to come off overnight and that this journey is about progress not perfection.  I know it seems like a simple change in thinking, but when you have struggled with weight all your life and you are so hard on yourself, you have to practice self-positive talk all the time.  Train your mind to think positive about what you are doing and you will start to knock those barriers down!  Remind yourself that you are worth it, you are in charge of your own destiny! You can make anything happen as long as you put your mind to it!  The following are some of the other ways I have broke down barriers:

How Profile Helped Me!

How Profile What I love about Profile is that they gave me the tools to help break down these barriers.  It was important for me to go to my weekly coaching sessions and I still continue to make those sessions even if it means weeks of virtual meetings. My coach, Sarah, was critical to my success and it helps me be accountable.  We talk about the struggles for the week, what barriers may be on the horizon, those fears of getting on the scale, checking in on my physical activity and creating goals that we discuss weekly.  Sarah and I have talked, laughed and yes, even cried and I am so appreciative of her being a part of my journey!  I would say that attending your weekly coaching sessions is imperative to a successful journey.  

Another great tool from Profile is their new ap and how it allows you to track your meals, calories and your physical activity.  It also reminds you of your coaching sessions and when they are scheduled. 

Join Profile!

I’m excited to share that if you are thinking about joining Profile in Ankeny, you can use my code Julie50 for a discount on your membership! That is a huge savings and so worth it! Profile provides 1:1 coaching, a personalized nutrition plan that has been developed by medical experts, nutritious and delicious foods, and a weight loss plan tailored to you!  As I have shared before, if you are even thinking about joining, run not walk through the door! You won’t regret it! 

Next Week’s Sneak Peek!

Sneak peek at next week’s blog post – Coaching! How to utilize your coach at profile and also how I used my husband’s coaching philosophy (he is a High School Head Boys Varsity Track and Assistant Football Coach) and applied it to weight loss!