I know I’ve only just introduced myself, and NO, my company is not a fitness company, but no matter what you choose to do in life, balance is critical. Eat healthy, stay active, challenge your mind, ground your spirit. Balance work and play, family and personal time, relaxation and activity.

It took a while for me to realize I didn’t have balance. I would go through spurts of working out 2 hours a day every day, dropping weight quickly, but burning out quickly. Most likely, this always ended with an injury, and I would stop working out altogether. Cue the stress eating and lack of activity… cue the weight gain. The cycle would continue. I would get great exercise when life seemed to be going smooth and a job was progressing nicely. At the first sign of distress, it would all shift and go downhill. Over the past 5 years I have fluctuated over 90 pounds. Currently sitting at a weight, size and mental state my high school self would be envious of.

Hard work pays off. Planning pays off. Setting goals and killing them pays off. Balance in your life pays off.

Part of the reason I feel comfortable telling you about health and fitness as part of a balanced life, isn’t because I see myself as a fitness guru or health coach (I don’t!) but because of trial and error and finding what works well for me. What I’ve done and what I do, doesn’t mean it will be the right stuff for you. Maybe you can take an idea or two and build off it.

What I really want you emphasize here are two key points: It doesn’t happen overnight! And with that, don’t believe all these weight loss instant tricks or secret recipes. Hard work, dedication and believing in yourself is what it really takes, for fitness and business.

When i first started trying to lose that dreaded Freshman-Fifty (it’s changed a lot over the years… everyone warned me about the Freshman-Fifteen, no one ever mentioned the Freshman-Fifty!) Holy cow. I crash dieted to the point where I couldn’t stand up without feeling dizzy and fatigued, but kept telling myself i NEEDED to do this. Little did I know my fluctuation back up would be way worse. And here is where yo-yo dieting hit my vocabulary.

I went up and down for a few years, had my son, climbed over the 200 pound mark (I’m honestly not sure exactly how far over I went because I stopped weighing myself and went strictly to stretch/yoga pants so I wouldn’t have to admit the size pants I was buying).

It took me until my son was 6 to figure out what balance meant.

Balance for me includes a work schedule that doesn’t consume me 24/7, reading books for myself and my son – every. Single. Day. I work out three days a week, make an effort to walk as often as possible, and eat in moderation. I still have ice cream and cookies and nachos. I still have salad and veggies and lean meats. The big difference now versus a few years ago – I don’t force myself to go full bore in any one direction, and it becomes easier to maintain consistency when you find your balance.

Think of a teeter totter. I hit the bottom, I pushed as hard as I could and hit the top, but came crashing down just as fast. LIFE SHOULD NOT BE A TEETER TOTTER.

Stop the world, I want to get off!

I wanted stability in life, love, health. I wanted to feel good about myself, my career and my family. I couldn’t feel good about my family if I didn’t feel well, how do I give my son everything he needs and wants and be the present parent when I didn’t feel like a whole person?

Hint Hint * Wink Wink * You need to apply these same principles in your life and career, not just health and fitness.

Outside of the few exercise classes and walking when possible throughout the day, we don’t exercise daily! 2-3 days a week is our balance. We choose well balanced meals, indulge when we feel, drink wine (or margaritas), and enjoy life. We also don’t partake in fad diets. We take our vitamins, and will make pancakes or muffins with added protein and avoid foods with chemical sugars. Little modifications made include limiting white breads, swapping honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar. Remember, I still eat chocolate and ice cream like it’s going out of business.

Weight and size are not everything. We don’t feel good because we’re at an ideal weight, we’re at an ideal weight BECAUSE WE FEEL GOOD.

Don’t let your predisposed notion tell you you need to be a certain size. Work with your body to find the size that suits you best. It’s amazing how well you’ll feel when you find your balance.

Roll these theories into life and career, don’t let anyone define your goals or your timeline. You can spin the fate you want and cruise through the goals you choose to pursue.

As a little bonus to this, I’m like to share a few Instagram fitness accounts I follow that have great short yet effective workouts.

@HNSFitness

@Sweat.Smile.Repeat.1

@Ainsley