It is true that what you focus on you create while this is not to have you take your focus off your health but to take it off obsessing about losing weight. In this mission, it is important that you set your intentions, make a commitment to your health and take actions toward ultimate health while loving your body along the way.   How many times have you noticed that when you aren’t trying too hard and stressing over losing weight you are better able to lose it?  The key here is to focus on life, your purpose and get busy with it so you aren’t spending your time obsessing about your weight, but you are free in yourself.  These 3 approaches to weight will help you keep your eye on the ball while being free in body and mind: What is focusing on purpose and how do you do it? Focusing on purpose means focusing on something that is bigger than you and your weight loss or weight concerns. This doesn’t mean to dissociate from your problems and any negativity, it means to heal along the way with some help from a professional and focus on your life’s purpose.  This is because when you are focused on your concerns and self, you can stagnate and wallow but when you have a grander purpose for your life, you are better placed to take the focus off weight loss in the negative sense and place your focus on the positive sense. Place your attention on the positive. If you are focused on the negative things you believe about yourself, your focus will often be your weight and your concerns. While if you focus on letting go of body hate and replacing it with body love you set yourself up to be able to take your attention off weight loss and put it on your purpose.  A positive attitude with release the tension, pressure and obsessive behaviours toward your weight and help you to be able to focus forward.  Keep your eye on the ball, have your goal and vision for your weight while letting go of the pressure, being more positive and allowing yourself to live a little more because you are free. Vision will dissolve your concerns while decisions, commitments and action will get you there. Your focus will determine your outcome, but negative focus will only manifest more of that. When I talk about taking your focus off weight, I mean the negative aspects and obsessing while having a healthy relationship with weight loss and focusing on what you want out of life.  Your vision is everything when it comes to your life and when you are able to focus on it, as mentioned, your weight loss concerns become small, your body becomes something that is your temple to get there and you focus on life and purpose so you can live your life beyond any weight, body image and fitness challenges.  So, decide, commit and act toward what you want but make sure you live for something much greater than looking good into the realm of feeling good and being healthy to be able to fulfil on your life’s mission. 3 ways to let go of negative approaches to weight loss and focus on your purpose is republished from battlebabesfitness.com

So many women are unrealistic in their approach to weight loss. They think that there is a magic pill they can take that will strip the weight and keep it off. You just have to do the work. Often, they are also striving for a constant weight on the scales and that just won’t happen for most women.  When I speak of sustainable results, you must know you are living in a world where you might go backward then forward and up and down with your weight loss journey.  A realist knows this and expects to have fluctuations and times where weight may go up a little and then down again when you make the right healthy choices.  In life, it’s important to be a realist and know that a grounded, steady and paced approach to weight loss is the way to achieve what you want.  With these 3 strategies, you will find some aspects realist must consider for sustainable results – meaning your relationship with your body and self: Learn from your setbacks and turn them into steps forward. A realist will see that if you have something to learn, your results or lack thereof will show you what is nagging at you to be healed. Weight loss is far more than just actions as there is mental and emotional healing to do in the journey toward lasting results. When I say lasting results, this might mean inside a weight range rather than a specific number on the scale or clothes size.  Hormones, food intake, water retention or dehydration and many other things can affect your weight so know this.  What might seem like a setback could be one of these aspects that affect weight while also know that if you simply go off the wagon, you can learn from it, see what choices you made, what emotions were present and what you may have been feeling during those times. Know that your worth is not dependent on the number on the scales. I know this full well having been so many different sizes, fighting hormones, medication, emotions and trauma. When you place your worth on the number on the scales, you become obsessed often with something that is a human construct that means nothing about who you are as a woman.  Contrary to popular belief, the made-up concept of scale weight meaning you are fat or not fat must be a thing of the past and you must find your own natural weight. Your worth is not dependent of the things that are simply there to help you manage your weight. A realist knows this about the scales, doesn’t feel deflated by a number that means nothing about you and uses the scales to drive you toward health and keep you on track if you want to use them. Stay the path and keep consistently taking the right steps. A realist knows that being grounded and taking small steps each day consistently is what leads to results. It won’t happen in a day or week and there is no miracle cure as the miracle is in knowing that you must heal and take the actions toward what you want. We all have times of setbacks or off the wagon for varying reasons as we are human so be sure to go easy on yourself for the way you look or what you have done because your results will come if you just see that you can find your groove, reduce your unhealthy habits to abolish them mostly to the 80/20 rule.  Do this so you can live your life in a way that is structured, you can stay the path and you take the right steps to make sure you flourish and live your life for the healthy woman you are innately born to be.  Consistency is key and a realist knows this and your actions and non-actions will determine what outcome you create. The following blog post 3 strategies of a weight loss realist for sustainable results is courtesy of Battle Babes Fitness blog

In this day and age, sadly the image of a woman is often correlated with their levels of success and empowerment.  So many people think that you must look a certain way to be deemed successful and empowered but I beg to differ.  Empowerment is not something that is truly quantifiable because it is unique to each individual due to being derived from living your true values.  Let’s face it, if you are healthy and don’t look super skinny and you are living your life the way you want to, you are empowered still.  You are also empowered if you look like a super model or bikini model while it is all based on the values that each individual holds and what is important to them.  If being empowered to you means doing things that result in being thin then go for it, while also making sure you live your life for health over being driven by vanity or unrealistic looks.  Skinny doesn’t equal empowerment while being inspired from within does and with these 3 simple strategies you might just find an element of freedom: Base your levels of empowerment on what you give and the difference you make not your body. Empowerment as mentioned is very individual and while the model of empowerment that many women are influenced by looking a certain way, it is up to you to create your own model and values and live by them. Your levels of empowerment should be based on what you can give and the difference you can make while keeping your body healthy as it is your temple.  In this mission, make sure you are free from the constraints of society’s pressures to look a certain way and allow yourself to find peace over your body, get out there, make life happen and be empowered in your own unique way. Love your body regardless and don’t let it be the thing that stops you from thinking you are or are not empowered. Thinking that your body shape and size is a reflection of true empowerment is such a silly concept to me. Empowerment comes from within, it is connection to the divine and your willingness to see and follow your own true calling and visions.  Of course, that includes health for everyone, but it is not the determining factor for your levels of empowerment.  Loving your body now is imperative to the empowering women game while also ensuring that you don’t allow your body shape or size stop you from doing what you deem empowering things.  For one woman it is different to another so make sure you find your true calling, live by it and a healthy life simultaneously. Go out and make life happen while putting your wellbeing first. Different levels of health appeal to different people. As long as your doctor is saying you are healthy then you are healthy.  This is not a number on the scales for the right doctor, it is a check-up and thorough one to make sure everything internally is working, and you are able to perform your empowered woman tasks.  Put your wellbeing at the forefront of your mind because when you are healthy you can do so much more while not letting body image be something that holds you back or make you think you are not empowered.  You are empowered now from within and you are never without so make sure you go forth knowing your version of empowerment, standing by it and living your truth. Skinny doesn’t equal empowerment- being inspired from within does! is republished from Battle babes fitness

I have been there – the bikini body babe and the crop top wearing woman and fit and fabulous while feeling like I am looked at as not being empowered for my choice of clothing or training programs.  I know the pain of the young fit woman who feels not good enough regardless of what you do for your health, body shape and size.  I know the feelings of being judged as a vixen or temptress when the wrong is not in the minds of the woman, it is in the judgement of the others.  I also know what it is like to be in my mid 40’s and how much I wish I appreciated my own body back then while I can, and do, appreciate my body now regardless. I want to impart upon you this wisdom – love your body regardless of your shape and size and appreciate your younger years, what you wear and the way you approach things as long as it is from a place of self-love not vanity.  So many people think that women wearing crop tops and bikinis is not empowered or it is objectification or seeking external validation – but what if it’s simply a sign of self-comfort, empowerment with body image and a way to be expressed that is safe and doing no harm.  With these 3 insights, you will feel more empowered to embrace your body now and know that you are worthy at all times in your life: Wear what makes you feel alive, comfortable and self-expressed. There is nothing wrong in my eyes as a spiritual and very much a woman about empowerment with wearing what you feel is comfortable and right for you. It is better to have lived and loved your body at all stages and expressed yourself the way you want to whether that be covering up or wearing tasteful bikinis and crop tops.  It is not disempowered to wear such clothes and many what is deemed empowered women have been there.  Objectification is in the judger and objectifyer not the woman who is dressing to be fully self-expressed and loving their body with a healthy self and body image. Follow your heart and know that your worth is far more than your body. You know what you are comfortable with wearing. You know in your heart why you are wearing what you are wearing also.  Is it to catch a man or gain attention or is it a sign of self and body love showing you and the world that you are comfortable in your own skin?  Your worth has nothing to do with your body shape or size, it has everything to do with your inner beauty and ability to embrace yourself for the lovely and amazing woman you are. Understand your own true value knowing you are beautiful on the inside first. Your inner beauty must come first. There is no point in striving for that bikini or crop top on diets and living in misery. There is every point in wearing them now if you like while working your way to the way you want to be in a healthy way.  Your value has nothing to do with whether you wear these clothes or not and your levels of empowerment come from within, living your own true core values and seeking to find ways to embrace your body, inner beauty and self-expression for the way that you truly want to. The article How to be empowered with the way you dress was first published on Battle babes fitness

Most people have it.  That is the inner rebel who gets fed up with having to watch what you eat, exercise like a machine to be able to manage your weight and feel like you are on a diet most of the time.  Do you know your inner rebel who just wants to throw in the towel, prove you don’t care about what other people think of your body or prove to yourself that you just don’t care about what you look like anymore?  This is something that can be debilitating, lead to yoyoing and struggles with weight, body image and fitness.  With so much pressure to look a certain way these days, it’s hard to know when enough is enough and to find your balance that you can sustain for the rest of your life.  And then there are life phases of your weight fluctuating at a normal rate that can make it seem like the whole process isn’t worth it and it’s too much hard work – so you throw in the towel.  This just doesn’t work and the inner rebel who wants to cut loose needs to be tamed through these simple strategies to be able to find your groove and stay on track: Realise you have an inner rebel and embrace it as part of the journey. The inner rebel wants to come out to play sometimes and trying to squash it and push it away will only cause it to rear its ugly head over and over again. You must acknowledge it, embrace it as part of the journey and allow yourself to understand it rather than trying to force yourself into overcoming it.  Your inner rebel will sabotage your success and it will cause you to struggle if you can’t tame it.  So, go about making sure you learn and grow from what it is trying to teach you and show you about yourself and move powerfully forward understanding it and knowing it is there but can’t get you or stop you.  You are stronger and better than your inner rebel and loving it while creating a path for yourself that is powerfully driven will assist you in gaining and sustaining your results. Have plans and strategies in place so you can be disciplined and in charge of your health. Your inner rebel wants to throw in the towel when it comes to discipline and taking charge. Maybe you are tired of being disciplined and trying to take charge of your health.  Maybe you are seeking to find ways to avoid being those aspects that will bring you success.  Be very mindful of sabotage and your inner rebel trying to take you away from discipline and taking charge of your health because it will often try and you may feel like you are on a cycle of success and failure if you don’t have a plan, stick to it and stay true to your visions for your health and wellbeing.  Strategies and try new ways while being disciplined with your strategies but also free at the same time knowing that this is not about obsession, it is about creating long term sustainable results.  Take it slower and steadier if you don’t feel you can sustain it while strategies, be disciplined and take charge for the sake of your weight, body image and fitness. Love your body at all phases while working toward what you want. The inner rebel doesn’t want you to be happy really. She wants you to rebel against society and expectations of others and yourself to prove that you don’t care what anyone thinks.  The inner rebel will not want you to love your body now and may resist exercise and eating healthy because you may think that skinny equals success and you may fear success or the attention being thinner might bring.  When you love your body at all phases, you are less likely to throw in the towel and allow the inner rebel to come out to play.  By loving your body now, while using the right planning and strategies to move forward you are better able to rise to any challenge, overcome the inner rebel and shine brightly in a world where you deserve and are worthy of all that health has to offer. The post Embracing your inner rebel for weight loss was first published on Anna Maria Lang's fitness blog

Let’s face it, most of us have done this at some point in time.  That is overeating healthy foods.  It can be so easy to do as there is the rationale that it is healthy therefore it won’t cause health issues or weight gain, but this is not a healthy approach to food.  The dose equals the poison thus meaning you can gain weight and lose health if you are overeating on anything.  Many people think that just because it is healthy it’s low in calories or is good for you, but you must watch out for hidden sugars and high calorie snacks that can creep up on you sometimes.  I believe in the 80/20 rule all the way around.  80% of your weight loss and sustaining weight is food related and allow yourself 20% of the time you eat to be treats.  In this article, you will discover the 3 strategies for overcoming overeating healthy foods:   Trust that you can make healthy choices and you can feel satisfied by your choices. Losing trust in your intuition and feeling full while also in your behaviours can lead to chronic overeating and challenges with eating portion sizes. When you trust in yourself, you are less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy your food feeling satisfied.  Know that you can eat healthy food in moderation while understanding you are capable and able of being disciplined and in charge of your eating habits. Calorie count for the short term to be able to recognise your portion sizes. Informed eating is when you can recognise a portion size and approximately your daily calorie intake.  This is not about obsessively counting calories; it’s about learning what your body needs.  If you are trying to lose weight, aim for approximately 1200 calories per day (different sizes may need a different amount of calories so seek professional guidance if you are unsure).  By doing this, you know you are getting enough food and not too little food.  Once you have calorie counted for a while, you learn what your portions look like and you can train your body to respond to those portion sizes while then learning to trust a combination of your mindset and intuition to be able to eat the right amount of food for you. Bless your food and eat slowly embracing the process, tastes, aroma and textures. So often people just consume food and don’t appreciate it and nourishingly consume it. In the fast pace of the world of today, this can be very common, and you must know that slow eating and blessing your food is a nourishing process whereby you are able to embrace the process, tastes, aroma and textures for a nourishing and enjoyable experience leaving you satisfied and full. The following article 3 ways to overcome overeating healthy foods was originally published to battlebabesfitness.com

Often when people are on holidays, the first thing they do is throw in the towel and use holidays as a reason to let go and eat and drink whatever they like.  If you have been dieting and restricting, you might be seeking the first reason to let go and go for it with unhealthy options.  Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t allow yourself to have some time out from your healthy lifestyle but remember the 80/20 rule where you are healthy 80% of the time and your results are 80% what you eat and drink.  So, if you are going on holidays or you have times of celebration, think about what you want and how you can let go a little but stay on track for your health.  With these 3 strategies, you will be able to find an approach that can help you during these times: Be prepared and do some prior planning. It can be so easy to go off the rails if you are on holidays and if you do, just forgive yourself and know that it can happen sometimes while doing your best by being prepared. While there may be temptation everywhere, if you have healthy options available you will feel better about yourself and your choices.  You might be dining out a lot so call ahead or check the menu online to make sure that you have choices and if they don’t, ask them to prepare something for you.  When you are prepared, it takes away the stress as you have planned ahead to avoid temptation too much and you are able to find some reprieve.  This doesn’t mean you are on a diet contrary to popular belief.  It means you are committed, and dieting is a mindset and negatively driven approach to your eating.  Being prepared is about being comfortable in being healthy and not caring what others think because your health is important to you. Allow yourself a treat while limiting it to 20% of the time. Being fully restrictive won’t last and you will want to let loose if you are restricting yourself all of the time. So many women fear letting go a little because of restrictive diets and what is deemed lack of control if you were to let your guard down when it comes to food.  You must learn to be able to give yourself 20% of the time off so you aren’t on a restrictive diet and you are able to feel you have choice and aren’t on a diet.  It is important to be able to live with moderation and manage your thoughts, feelings and emotions when it comes to food. By allowing yourself some leeway and a chance to treat yourself, you are less likely to feel restricted and more likely to be able to reach your goals.  It may take longer but you will be able to sustain your results. Watch out for the inner rebel and become the queen of your eating and drinking habits. The inner rebel will cut loose when you are on holidays because many women have severely or moderately restricted themselves dieting feeling they can’t have any food that is outside of their diet. The inner rebel wants to prove that you aren’t on a diet and you can eat whatever you like while forgoing health in binges and an approach to food that is very unhealthy.  I believe to adopt an 80/20 approach you have some structure to go by where you are able to sometimes have whatever you like and that can tame the inner rebel who wants to prove you don’t care what others think or you think about your approach to food.  You must become the queen of your health habits and be discerning and decisive about the choices you make from a powerful abundant place. By doing this, you are the one who is in charge and you are the one who creates your results in the most effective and powerful ways. 3 ways to maintain your weight when you are on holidays is courtesy of www.battlebabesfitness.com

Let’s face it!  We are all human and sometimes lose our way and go off track with our weight, body image and fitness.  In life it’s important to not strive for perfection but to strive for excellence.  Excellence includes being the best you can be and if you fall off the wagon for a time you can get right back on.  The difference between perfection and excellence is that perfection often presupposes that you can’t do anything that isn’t perfect but excellence presupposes that you are striving and you are on the track while there is room for setbacks and getting back on track.  With these 3 simple strategies, you can get back on track after a setback and get going for even greater results than before: Review your goals and put in place a strategy for success. When you have no plans, you will fall into the plans of others most likely or fall into the trap of doing things that are not what you truly want to do. Planning prevents poor performance and with the right strategies you can and will be a success at whatever you have chosen to do.  As you review your goals, make sure they are realistic and aligned with your greatest vision while also seeking new strategies or using old ones that work keeping them in place as a way forward from what you may have done to land in a setback.  By doing this you set yourself up for success and know that if you have had a setback, it’s not the end of the world, have faith and trust you will get back on track and use your strategies and goals to get you there. Seek guidance and help to find new ways of sticking to your plans. You may have some goals and strategies in place or need help to create some goals or strategies so be sure you seek help where you can afford to and want to. You can create so much more when you have mentoring and guidance.  Often we don’t know what we don’t know.  This means often hidden in your deep subconscious there may be concerns that are holding you back that you just can’t see or there may be strategies that you need to succeed that you just don’t know that you don’t know yet.  It takes team work to make the dream work so don’t try to go it alone, seek the right help and Tactical Support if you are wanting to take things up a notch and overcome a setback. Visualise your success and hold those visions in mind. Often a setback is about losing sight of the goal. You manifest what you focus on and what your dominant thoughts are so make sure you focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. Make sure you seek to find your true visions that come from deep within and focus on that.  I often teach to have a vision board so you can have the big picture in mind and manifest more of what you want so you don’t forget your vision and you can focus on it more often.  Hold your visions in mind while making conducive decisions, commitments and taking action. The blog post 3 ways to get back on track if you lose your way was originally published to www.battlebabesfitness.com

Often women can live in the past defining themselves by the way they were.  Whether that be for the way you used to look that was thinner or maybe you have been overweight and are embarrassed by the way you used to look – or even look now.  It is important to find peace over everything that has occurred whether that be the way you wanted or didn’t want to look.  I know about this very well because I have been many sizes and used to be very thin and fit while I have had times of weight gain as well and the thing to do is own it at any stage while working toward what you want.  Weight loss contrary to popular belief is not about being super skinny it is about looking after yourself, finding your natural weight and maintaining that for the rest of your life as best you can. It is imperative to your wellbeing and self-esteem to love your body now regardless of whether you have had moments of pleasure with it or shame about it.  With these 3 simple strategies, you can at least find some peace over the past and love your body now: Give up shaming yourself for the times you were or are not happy with your body. It can be very easy to shame yourself or feel ashamed of the way you have been if you have pictures of yourself that you may not like. Sadly, the world has become very much about looks and this impacts the self-esteem of many women.  Let go of shame and feeling like you aren’t good enough because of the way you have been and start loving yourself and body now to be free in yourself to be the amazing woman you are. Start looking at yourself as a beauty and stunning women now. Most of us have been thinner in our past and many compare themselves to the way they used to be thinking that their body should always be the same. Bodies change and metabolic speed changes and to accept that you don’t need to morph into the old you or someone who is nothing like you is the ultimate freedom. Of course, if you want to sculpt and train hard do it but don’t do it at the cost of your mental health. If you are living in the past, you may feel never good enough for who you are now so begin to look to now and the future for the way you want to be while making sure you love your body and self now. Surround yourself with people who adore you for your internal beauty over external beauty. Often we become like the people we spend the most time with. This has nothing to do with looks, it has everything to do with health and finding your tribe that aligns with your values who make you feel amazing and beautiful now.  It is a fact of life that weight fluctuates often so if you are surrounding yourself with people who are all about looks, you may feel the pain and disconnect while if you surround yourself with people who are all about who you are as a person deep inside, you will find yourself in a much better and happier place because you are surrounded by unconditional love. The article 3 ways to find peace over the past for body love now is available on Battle Babes Fitness blog

In life it can be all consuming sometimes trying to be thin and look like the ideal woman.  In knowing that skinny is not the be all and end all to life, while health and freedom from the constraints of the quest to be skinny is.  I know it might sound like it is hard work finding freedom as we are bombarded with images and expectations daily while you must understand that in this mission, you are able to be in charge of your mind and therefore your results.  Your mind is a powerful thing and if you are suffering for the way that you think you look, when do you think is a good time to give up the eternal quest to be skinny that has you never feel good enough to love your body now, eat well, exercise and nourish yourself for extraordinary results. I’m not saying being thin is wrong – far from it. Health is what is most important and sometimes your mental health depends on your levels of internal and external freedom.  So many women live in misery at all sizes so why not find your true self, beauty and ability to be alright with yourself no matter what your body shape or size.  Losing weight doesn’t need to be this ultimate quest for the skinniest body and the best looks, it must be about losing the weight of your mind and finding freedom because your quality of life, whether you realise it now or not depends on it. Find freedom from within. Skinny might taste good and I know many women find that at all costs, but you must be a Battle Babe who puts freedom over being skinny and if that means you must take your time to find equilibrium, balance out your metabolism once more and stop fad diets and extreme measures then you must at all costs find yourself again.  When you are finding your way in all of this, put freedom first and seek professional help to be able to find your natural weight set point and if you want to sculpt or lose some weight from there do so but know that it may not be sustainable for the rest of your life. You deserve freedom. You deserve the freedom I am speaking of here and you should own your body no matter how big or small while finding what works for you in this mission toward your ultimate goals.  I am still saying that health and weight not always but can be connected so make sure you get your doctor’s approval for health at any size while thinking about your goals and what you want out of life.  Your values may shift at different times in your life so make sure you work to your current values and stop comparing yourself to the younger you, others who are half your age and those who have different genetics and lifestyles.  Freedom is found from within, and you can achieve that in the most powerful and sustainable way. I know it may seem hard, but it all starts with your intention and your willingness to let go of expectations and allow your body to feel good and for you to thrive. Take actions today to lose weight off your mind for ultimate freedom. Skinny might taste good but freedom tastes better is available on www.battlebabesfitness.com

The eternal mission in life that many people struggle with is the one to find balance.  The quest can lead to yoyoing and struggling with not feeling good enough because you just can’t seem to get it right or keep your life balanced.  It is sadly a balancing act so you must just go with the ebbs and flows, do your best at all times and make sure you find your groove that you can stick to for the rest of your life – or at least most of it.  This is a mission that has many women in a pickle, and it sees them give in because they just can’t seem to find their groove but keep at it and with these 3 tips, you will find at least some reprieve: Planning prevents poor performance. Planning is essential to any mission. It is very much a powerful thing that can make or break your success.  While plans are made to be adhered to with precision, you might find you need to shift and adjust in a healthy and balanced way along the way.  To prevent yourself struggling with losing grip on your balanced life, make a plan, map out your success path and do what you can to stay true to what you promised. Yourself.  This increases self-worth and provides you with your groove. Work out what you individually need and stick to that. When you plan from a place where you know what you need to keep your balance you set yourself up for a great life. Knowing your needs and clearly stating them with boundaries can help you to find your groove and also helps those around you to know what you need so you aren’t taken off track by others.  This is something that will form your future and your self-worth because knowing yourself and your needs while clearly stating them creates a whole different world of success and harmony.  Finding your groove when it is aligned with your greatest vision and goals makes for a smoother journey and ride. Use the 80/20 rule or give yourself one day off a week. Give yourself a break! Don’t strive for perfection but strive for excellence. In the Battle Babes Fitness magazine, you will find an edition where I talk specifically to this topic.  The 80/20 rule is where you are very healthy 80% of the time and you give yourself 20% leeway to be able to treat yourself.  If you are stiving to be perfect you are less likely to stick to your eating and exercise plan so make sure you give yourself a break and live by this rule that will have you enjoy your life more while achieving your results. The following post 3 ways to win the quest for balance and find your groove was originally published on Battle babes fitness by Anna Maria Lang

It can be so easy to succumb to the negativity of the world, others or your own internal dialogue.  In this mission I will help you understand and appreciate how you can manage negativity and negative thinking to be able to smash out your goals.  In life it can be a struggle for some or not so much for others, however no person on the planet has never experienced some form of negativity and negative thinking.  I know it can feel like it is out of your control and you may not be able to do anything about it, but you can. If you are struggling with your mental health, make sure you seek professional help.  With these 3 insights you will be able to enlighten yourself somewhat to be a Battle Babe who wins the mental war: Notice the thoughts and know they are not real unless you act upon them. Different people have different levels of negative thinking and you are better placed to deal with any negative thinking when you know that the thoughts can’t hurt you unless you act upon them. Be sure if you have negative thoughts that you reframe them toward the positive and act on the positive thoughts over the negative ones for successful outcomes. When you notice your thoughts, don’t be afraid of them, just know they are simply the enemy trying to take you out of the game so be bigger than the enemy and find ways like reframing and the below to be able to think more positively. Acknowledge the thoughts and allow in success thinking. When negative thoughts try to infiltrate your world, make sure you acknowledge the thinking and know what is going on within you that is attracting such thoughts. You may need some Tactical Support to be able to beat the enemy that wants to wipe you out.  By reframing your thoughts, you allow in success thinking and don’t allow the negativity to infiltrate your being, but you stand up and fight.  You can find moments of peace if you simply acknowledge your inner turmoil that is attracting them and replace the negativity with positive success manifesting thoughts. Pray or meditate to be able to find some peace. In the busy world of today, it can be easy to lose your footing for the way that life has become fast. Take some time to sit and pray and meditate and do some gentle exercise that brings you joy and peace while reframing your thoughts to be able to be more at peace. When you go within, you are better able to connect with your purpose and your vision and stay on track while making sure you acknowledge your emotions and seek help if you feel they are too much.  You can find peace at times and you can overcome the negativity that may plague you and be a success mindset kind of woman. The following blog post 3 ways to overcome negative thinking and embrace success was originally published to Battle babes fitness

Let’s face it, there are shallow people in the world who don’t accept and appreciate women for their true spirit and soul.  I am not only referring to men here ladies.  There are many people both men and women who judge and condemn the way we look.  I know this well, but the thing is, that you don’t know what someone’s story is and what they may have or be dealing with so to be shallow and think judgemental thoughts about someone’s body, these people are being part of the problem.  Many women struggle because of what others have said about them and they may find it difficult to cope with the world.  Just know that every human being has experienced some form of trauma and pain and in that, it is important to be more compassionate and empathetic with others and of course, with you too.  If you are rejected for your body, just know these following things and what to do about it: These people are not your tribe and just walk away. Be prepared to walk away from people. It can be too easy to try to make people accept you because that is the type of person you may be, but not all people are kind and loving. So just let them go, walk away and don’t look back.  So many people will try to drag you down or make you feel like you are not worthy when you are.  You deserve only the best so if men or other women judge you or reject you for your body just know they are not your tribe. See it as a blessing rather than a curse. You won’t regret seeing things this way. So many women make other’s opinions mean something about them and ruminate over the judgement of others.  The thing is that you can reframe what occurs and what others may say or think of you by seeing the negative experience as the curse it is but knowing that it is a blessing in disguise because you deserve better people in your life than those who place your worth on your looks or your body. In saying this, just know that you are able and capable of doing all the things you want in your life regardless of what others think or say about you. Don’t try to change yourself based on the external, embrace your internal. When you try to change yourself as a result of the pain of what others think you will be driven by pain. When you see it as a blessing in disguise and move on, you get to find your true power and true self because people who judge you that way are worthy of your forgiveness but not of your time, energy and resources.  When you know who you are internally, as a deep loving soul, you are more able to be who you are destined to be in this life, and you can take on your goals from an intrinsic perspective. 3 things to do if you are rejected for your body is available on Battle babes fitness by Anna Maria Lang

So many people eat when they are anxious reaching for food as a way to self-medicate and make themselves feel better.  Have you ever done this?  Stress places strain on your metabolism alone and to reach for food as a result of your anxiety can be a concoction for weight gain.  I know of many women who go through challenging times and some lose a lot of weight, while most gain weight as a result.  Often it can be a result of not wanting to be stressed about food or the process of eating, so they don’t care too much anymore and just do what causes them the least amount of stress at that time – eat whatever is convenient.  Also, many women eat more when they are stressed out because food can be a comforter and make you feel somewhat at peace with the relaxation response in the body from eating.  These 3 ways can assist you to overcome anxious eating and live a healthier life: Exercise causes the feel-good emotions that can replace the emotions food can give you. When you exercise, you get to feel good about yourself for doing it while also feeling good internally from the endorphins. This can cause you to feel like you are connected to your body, increase your body’s ability to feel satiated and also burns calories to help you manage your weight.  Too many women reach for food as a way to feel good when you can replace an excess of this with some exercise to make you feel good about yourself and have the opposite impact. Embody and learn to feel your body. Do some dancing, Pilates, get a massage or deep breathe so you can connect with your body again and learn to relax into it. When you are embodied and connected to your body, you are better able to feel full when eating while also you tend to value your body more because you want it to feel good.  In this, make sure you choose things that bring you joy and make you feel connected because your health although it may not seem so much like it, may depend on your ability to embody. I know that anxious people may struggle with this so go slowly to begin with and take your time to gradually embody and feel the sensations of your body. Meditate and find time for some peace. Some like to pray, or some like to meditate or do both. Whichever way it is for you, be sure to take time out, breathe deeply into your body and find some peace.  Overeating isn’t always a willpower problem; it can be compulsive or reactive concern that stems from the deep emotions you might have that some peace of mind can often prevent from occurring.  When you are peaceful, you can mindfully eat and eat slower while making way for a new approach to food and your ability to enjoy your time out is something that may need developing. 3 ways to deal with anxious eating to live a healthier life was originally seen on Battle babes fitness by Anna Maria Lang

Do you put off things for the way you think you look, or the way others may or do think you look?  In life, it is too short to be spending your time trying to please others and trying to be the ideal woman when you are ideal right now.  Of course, if you want to transform, go for it and do it well but don’t hinge your success in life on the way you look.  I know that there is pressure to look a certain way that may to you, or others insinuate you have ‘made it’ or you are a success for the way you look.  Your success is about so much more than the way you look, it is about the way you feel, what you do to help others and what you know about your true power and self that has you realise that life is waiting for you.  With these 3 ways to accept your body now, you will stop putting off things and start getting out there and making them happen: Your ideal relationships, health and career is waiting for you now regardless of how you look. So many women think as I mentioned that their success hinges on the way they look. This causes them to miss out on success in other ways because they are putting things off for waiting to achieve their goals.  Of course, get busy going for your goals with your weight but don’t put things off for the way you are and look now.  Your ideal relationships, health and career are waiting for you to love yourself and your body now so that you can be free to do all you choose to do.  By putting things off for the way you look, you are telling yourself you may not be good enough or worthy when women of all shapes and sizes have good relationships, health and the career of their dreams. Make plans and stick to them. Get busy making your plans now and at any point you feel you may not be good enough, just know that you are. Know that you are capable and able to do whatever you choose regardless of what you look like.  So many women feel and think that success includes being skinny and it can include that if that’s what your goals are, but don’t put off your dreams, aspirations and goals for the way you think you look.  Most often you have a warped view of yourself anyway and you look amazing regardless of your body shape or size so make sure you get busy setting and sticking to your goals. Know you are worthy and deserving of all you set out to do. Are you struggling with feeling and expecting the best for yourself? Do you want to succeed in all areas of life and are putting it off until you reach your weight goal?  Just know that you are worthy and deserving of all of that now and you are an incredible woman who has a very deep and beautiful soul who deserves all that you dream of right now.  So much time and life can be lost waiting until you are skinny or all your ducks are in a row to get out and do things.  Get out there now because you are worthy of all the success in the world which is at your fingertips if you just be vulnerable and take the leap. The following blog post 3 ways to accept your body and do all the things you want to do in life was first published to Battle Babes Fitness by Anna Maria Lang

Perfectionism is something that can be debilitating because many women struggle with the fact of life that things just often won’t be what is deemed perfect.  They strive to be and look like the ideal woman and struggle with the ebbs and flows of life because they think they have to be perfect all of the time.  I know this well and I know what it’s like to have people expect you to be perfect even though I have been through serious adversity and struggled severely. I am making a comeback and even if I never lost another kilogram, I am adamant I will be happy because my quality of life does not depend on the way I look, it depends on the amount I can give and what I can do for others.  You are not doomed if you can’t be perfect, you are very much human and no human being was ever prefect and if they say they are, don’t trust them because they are telling you something that is not necessarily true – you must be reality based and grounded to gain your results.  These 3 ways will help you to give up trying too hard and allow you to win the war on weight, body image and fitness: Keep your faith in your ability to achieve your results. When you are a perfectionist, it can be easy to feel like once you aren’t perfect that you will go off the rails or many women do because the stress of perfectionism can cause you to not only regress but to rebel. When you keep faith even if you can’t be perfect, you will get right back on track and keep at it while if you feel like your world is caving in if you aren’t able to be perfect then you may manifest your world caving in.  Make sure you hold a vision in your mind for what you want and what you deserve and have unwavering commitment to that because your quality of life depends on your ability to let go of the past and think about your bright future. Give up rebelling. So many perfectionists go through times of being perfect and then times of rebelling because perfectionism is tiring. The pressure to look and be a certain way can make you throw in the towel and stop trying if you aren’t able to keep faith because it is so much hard work to be prefect.  This is something that you must overcome because the setbacks in rebelling and yoyoing can be something that destroys your self-esteem and self-worth if you are trying to be perfect all of the time.  Give up the inner rebel who wants to just let it all go if you have been so perfect on a diet for so long and start finding some balance to be able to be divinely perfect, rather than a perfectionist who rebels. See your setbacks as a learning experience and step forward. When you are a perfectionist, it can be very easy as I mentioned to spiral out of control because you have been holding on tight to the perfect diet, perfect body or perfect way of life. This can lead to debilitating setbacks if you can’t learn from the minor ones and start looking toward finding peace over the way you have been.  There is much freedom in finding peace over your perfectionism and there is much you can do if you can learn from your past and challenges to be able to move powerfully forward for sustainable results. 3 ways to give up debilitating perfectionism for an element of freedom is courtesy of Battle Babes Fitness blog

I know what it is like to lose weight.  I have lost more than enough of it in my life over two occasions and understand what it takes to lose the first of many kilograms – but what about those last 5 kilograms or so that you want to shift?  I know that they are often the most difficult to lose and often women find themselves at a loss trying to shift the stubborn weight.  I also know that sometimes women are trying to morph themselves into someone they may not be when it comes to weight.  It’s alright to want to shift a bit of weight but be happy now while working at it in a way that brings you joy and not in a punishing way to be able to achieve what you want.  These are my 3 top tips for losing the last 5 kilograms: Lose the weight off your mind first. If you are obsessed with the scales and those 5 kilograms, maybe you need to throw away the scales or hide them for a while so you can learn to be more natural about your approach. I’m not one of those body positivity coaches who say to throw away scales for everyone as they can be helpful at times if you are using them in the right way.  When it comes to losing the weight off your mind, this is about losing the obsessiveness that comes often with weight loss and it is about making sure you are free in yourself, loving your body now and losing the weight from a place of freedom in your mind.  Try measurements with a tape measure also as that can be a great way to monitor your progress that is healthier for your mind. Maybe you don’t really want to lose that weight but think you should?  Maybe you want to but know without punishing yourself and starving yourself it may not be possible?  It’s alright to be alright with the way you are as long as you are healthy in terms of a good Health at Every Size (HAES) doctor.  It’s important to lose weight off your body for health reasons sometimes but not at the detriment of your mental health.  Be happy even if you never lost the weight. Change your program drastically while still doing things you love. Your body adapts to your exercise and eating plan and you may need to change things up drastically to be able to lose the last 5 kilograms. When I say drastically, don’t think I am saying to diet and exercise like a machine.  If your body has adapted, then those are things you may feel you need to do if you don’t change your program which is a very unhealthy approach.  If you do change your program, you may just find that is all you needed to achieve your goal and do it in a way that is not about punishing your body into submission and weight loss, but in a way that brings you joy still while doing things very differently. I have to say that you most likely may need some professional guidance to do this and know that changing things up, causes your body to have to work differently and harder and can cause you to shape up much faster.  Make sure you eat your macronutrient balance when dealing with your eating plan and don’t cut out food groups while understanding that there is more to losing weight such as the emotional aspects of the journey and this may be part of what you need to succeed. Do some resistance training. The size of a kilogram of fat to muscle is significantly smaller and you metabolise much faster and consistently when you are more toned.  It is still I believe believed by many women that resistance training and doing weights may make you bigger but that is a myth.  This is where you must use the scales correctly so seek professional guidance on how to use them to monitor fat percentage over kilograms and ensuring you are focused on the right thing – health over vanity.  Resistance training will make a very big difference to the way you feel, your body fat composition and also the way in which your body metabolises food.  It is important to avoid high protein, low carbohydrate diets that often come with weight training programs and opt for macronutrient balance including all of the food groups for optimum health and sustainable results. 3 top tips for losing the last 5 kilograms and winning the war on weight was originally published to www.battlebabesfitness.com

In winter, it can be very tempting to stay rugged up on the couch and not exercise due to the weather and the cold.  So many people let their routine go and struggle to get out and exercise or eat well due to the want for warm comfort food.  What are you like when the winter months roll in?  Do you toughen up and keep at it or do you allow the chill to stop you from achieving or sustaining your goals?  It is very important to keep at it, not so much for your looks but for your health because the problem so many women face is that the summer months roll in and then come the quick fixes and diets to try to rectify what was done over the winter months.  I know this can be difficult for some while make sure you look after yourself and at least maintain your weight or lose if you want to for optimum health. These 3 strategies will assist you in staying on track: Adjust your training program to suit the weather. It is important to adjust your training program to suit the weather. If you don’t like going outside to exercise in the colder months, make sure you find ways to exercise indoors that bring you joy so you will not only stick to it but you will enjoy it.  By adjusting your program for the colder months, you may find you not only achieve more for the change of exercise, but you stick to your program because it’s more inviting.  Of course, if you like getting outside go for it if that brings you joy.  It can be challenging to adjust your program sometimes so make sure you know it may take time to adjust if you feel you need to while understanding that a change in your routine can sometimes be the very thing to trigger change in your results also. Focus on your goals while taking affirmative action. Many women only set their goals when summer is coming. That is not the case for Battle Babes.  We focus on our health all year round and by adjusting your program to suit the weather and focusing on your goals while taking action, you won’t be faced with weight gain over the winter months because you made sure you did what it takes to lose or sustain your weight for health reasons of course.  When you are focused on your goals and aren’t distracted by the temptations of winter food, wine and comfort, you are more able to feel productive and good about yourself and avoid the discomfort of gaining weight and losing fitness and having to turn it all around when summer is on its way.  Focus on your goals and take affirmative action to make sure you at least sustain your weight, if not smashing your goals for your commitment to your health.   Employ a trainer to keep you accountable and on track. Let’s face it! Sometimes we just can’t seem to do things alone and all by ourselves.  It’s not a weakness to admit you need a bit of a push and to be held to account so make sure if you need to, you employ a trainer who can hold you to account and teach you some strategies to apply to your program in the winter months that are more comfortable, and you are more likely to do.  When you have that person to assist you, it really helps you to stay on track and avoid the rush to lose weight when summer comes while maintaining your fitness and health even in the colder times of year. 3 strategies to keep active during winter was originally seen on Battle Babes Fitness blog

I have to write about this because when I tell people about Battle Babes, the first thing they often do is look at my body as if it is a business card or means something about whether I am a success or not.  This is about body image ladies! I am the first to say that I am on the journey with you and although I have lost a lot of weight, I want to shift some more for health reasons but if it never came off me, I would still do Battle Babes because it is about mental fitness and adjusting your behaviours from there.  I want you to learn from me that you shouldn’t put things off for the way you look and if you are on the journey that is the first step. If I took the stares personally, I would maybe not value my body as much or I may not love my body as much as I do.  I want to impart upon you the ways to value your body, and that includes what you do to it while also the way you feel about it: Know you are just perfect the way you are. No matter what public opinion says, you must embrace and love your body now.  To one person you may be thin and to another you may not seem that depending on what they place their opinion of what thin is on.  For you to know that opinions are a dime a dozen, and they don’t really mean anything about you they mean something about the other people who are judging.   If you are struggling with your weight, just know that you are prefect the way you are and you can find ways to create the results you want without punishing yourself into them. When you know that you are just perfect and your body is not your business card, it is a precious commodity that needs to be looked after but your shape and size is not a depiction of your success in life – your success comes from your ability to love your body now and work toward your health working with your hormones, medications, mental health, lifestyle, children, partner, work and the endless list of things that can cause challenges.  You can love your body now and make sure you value it for the gift it is. Exercise and eat well while embodying for ultimate results. I know, you know this right! Now this doesn’t mean anything when it comes to other people’s opinions of you but just know that when you are looking after yourself, you feel better about yourself. When you embody, you are embracing and loving your body now and can feel your body and are deeply in love it.  Exercise and healthy food contribute to this while so does all types of movement like dancing. When you are embodied you are less likely to hate your body and more likely to disregard any comments or looks that may make you feel or think you may not be good enough.  I know this well because people often think because I have fitness in the title of Battle Babes, that I must be chiselled and sculpted but what about femininity, ageing and the fact that we are all on a journey and by eating well, exercising and embodying we are stronger in mind and body to be able to withstand the opinions of the world. Take action for you and not to please others. Taking action is a show of a sign of self-value when it comes to looking after yourself. This doesn’t mean obsessing and destroying your metabolism with diets and quick fixes, it means taking joyful actions that bring you a sense of peace while pushing yourself to get stronger and more resilient over time.  When you are taking action to please others, that is not sustainable as it is based on external motivation when we want to be intrinsically motivated from within.  If other people’s opinions are driving you only, you may find yourself in vanity and struggling with yo yo ing.  Of course, use negativity as fuel to feed your desire to succeed but look within for your motivation and find ways to take action for you and only you. 3 ways to value your body just the way it is and overcome external opinions was first published on www.battlebabesfitness.com

Often when you are joining a gym or employing a trainer it can be a daunting process.  Many women get caught out with memberships they don’t use or with trainers that aren’t right for them but get locked into programs that just don’t resonate or work for them. When you are setting out to find a gym and a trainer, make sure you consider what you want and what resonates with you over selling strategies or gimmicks that tick you into thinking you are getting more than what you want.  Of course, your results are in your hands but don’t go about joining gyms and employing trainers unless you do your due diligence.  Sometimes you need to just try things and that is fine but don’t go about wasting your good money on programs that don’t bring you joy.  These 3 things will assist you in choosing wisely and saving you some pain down the track: Ensure they conduct health screening, are qualified and check they are insured. Make sure the gym or trainer do proper health screening to make sure that you are alright to exercise. It is good practice for the fitness industry to do this and you can also at the same time set your goals together.  When you are setting out, it is important that the gym and trainer works with your ailments while also ensuring that the trainer is insured in the case something occurs which I would hope wouldn’t, but you never know.  It is basic professional practice to do a health screen, prove qualifications and insurance. Make sure they have a cancellation policy in case it doesn’t work out. Many gyms don’t have a cancellation policy but have a cooling off period while with a trainer, make sure that if you pay for your training up front which is common practice that they have a cancellation policy before you go paying your good money to them. Sometimes you may not be a match and you find out the hard way while I recommend locking yourself into a program and committing by paying for it, ensure you are certain before you go about paying for it because if you end up with someone who isn’t a match for you, you may find yourself unmotivated and struggling.  Be sure to check their policy and hold them to it if you need to. Choose an inspirational approach that brings you joy while knowing what you want. It is imperative you choose an inspirational approach that brings about a sense of joy and helps you remain committed. I know that it won’t feel joyful all of the time and it can be hard work sometimes but the basic feeling you get from your program is one where you want to keep going back.  When you know what you want and what brings you that joy, you are better able to choose your gym and trainer wisely while making sure that you put in 100% not blaming the trainer if you are the one who is not performing.  Also make sure you choose a gym and someone that inspires you to be better.  This is not so much about looks but it is about personalities and the environment you are training in while also. The following post 3 things to be mindful of when joining a gym or employing a trainer was originally published on Battle babes fitness by Anna Maria Lang

So many women look into the mirror and think they are fat or don’t look good because they are comparing themselves with an ideal image of a woman in their mind.  This can be damaging because thinking you are fat can lead to behaviours that are either extreme on each end of the scale of manifesting more weight or obsessive dieting.  It is important to acknowledge your reality and if you are unhealthy do something about it for the sake of your wellbeing while make sure you are not looking in the mirror and seeing something that is not really true.  In going through this, you might think that focusing on the fat on your body is a way to create enough pain to make you make change and that sometimes works for some women but it’s not a sustainable approach.  If you find you are struggling, make sure you seek professional help.  These 3 ways will help you overcome a warped view of your body: Learn to love your body now. I know I say this a lot, but I can’t re-iterate it enough. Life is too short to be wasting it on berating your body and self for the way you look.  It is too precious to spend your time missing opportunities or not wearing the clothes you want to wear and doing the things you want to do.  You can love your body now by making the simple choice to start now and to reframe your thoughts toward the positive for great results.  To love your body now, look into the mirror and literally say out loud ‘I love my body’.  Feel the feelings of love, notice what sounds you hear and what you say to yourself knowing you are loving your body now. Reframe your thoughts toward the positive. Success based on moving away from the pain of not being fat and berating yourself is most often not sustainable. Success that is toward or positive motivated is most often lasting and enables you to feel more joy about what you are doing.  When you reframe your thoughts toward the positive you reshape your thinking in a way that has you love your body now while working your way toward what you want from a nice and sustainable place.  If you built your success on the pain, if that pain goes away there often isn’t any driving force to be healthy so make sure you build your success from a place of grace and peace over your body. Take actions that make you feel good about yourself. You and I both know that you can look in the mirror before a workout and see something completely different to after a workout. The chemicals in the brain that activate your feel-good emotions from taking action can be the very thing that helps you be more toward and positive focused because the endorphins can literally make you see yourself differently sometimes even right away.  When you take action also, something happens to your confidence and your view of yourself while also knowing that you are perfect now and you can take some actions that make you feel even better.  Go for that walk, run or workout and eat the healthy foods to make you feel good about yourself and achieve what you want at the same time. 3 ways to overcome a warped perception of your body was originally seen on www.battlebabesfitness.com

When it comes to setting goals, it is important to be realistic and if it is a weight loss goal you must factor in that you should lose no more than 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week.  This is the recommended healthy rate of weight loss that should be achievable without being on a diet and having to starve yourself.  In this mission make sure you know you are worthy of your achievements, know clearly what you want and get out there and take action toward what you want.  It is said that if you don’t know where you are going, you will fall into the plans of other people and flop around yourself unable to make clear and deceive decisions. With these 3 simple strategies, you are able to set a goal and start going about achieving it. Be clear and specific. When you set your goal, state very clearly what you want to achieve.  Make it something short and easy to remember so you can focus on it and hold it in your mind’s eye to be able to know that you are on track.  This will shape your choices and your decisions making you better able to achieve what you set out to do.  Specificity is essential when going about your daily routine as when you put the goal out there, you must be able to recite it and know that you are on track with what you decide to eat and your exercise for the results you deserve. Give your goal a deadline. Do this so you can have some pull toward it as if you don’t have a deadline, you might take a very long time to get there or not get there at all.  To set a deadline, you create a powerful commitment with yourself to achieve what you set out to do while knowing your own true power and ability to create through a specific and timed goal.  A deadline will help you to take action and consistently work toward what you want without putting undue pressure on yourself but having you accountable to yourself, others and your ultimate outcome. Associate into your success. This is where you feel the feelings of having it now, you see what you would see, hear what you would hear and listen to what you say to yourself knowing you achieved your goal.  When you do this, you are able to know what it is like to have achieved your goal and how good that feels.  By doing this, you are more likely to stick to it because this gives you a purpose for doing it.  While thinking about your purpose for achieving this goal, make sure you hold strong to that purpose and reason and know that you can love your body now and have pull toward your goals. A sample of a goal might be: It is 1 December 2021, and I am wearing my goal dress which is a size 8. I look into the mirror and see how amazing I look feeling happy, hearing myself congratulate myself for achieving this goal. The following article 3 ways to set goals to achieve your outcomes was originally published on Battle Babes Fitness blog

It is often inevitable that you may find yourself setback.  Sometimes life gets in the way or you simply feel like you can’t be bothered and there can be an endless list of reasons why you might be setback.  The key is to not stay where you are but to take the setback as lessons about your behaviour and habits and move powerfully forward.  By doing this you can see that you are human, and you might have done things that may not be conducive to your health, but the main thing is that you get back on track.  Sometimes you might find that a setback leads to a spiral poor health habits.  The best thing to do is nip it in the bud before you are faced with a greater setback that may be more difficult to come back from.  These 3 keys will assist you in dealing with a setback and help you to move powerfully forward: Be powerful in your approach to a setback and don’t beat yourself up. Beating yourself up for a setback may only cause you to create more of what you don’t want.  Make sure you see your setback as a learning experience as mentioned, while ensuring you get right back on track with consistency in your health habits.  To do this you need to go easy on yourself and allow yourself to go through what you may be going through that has you setback while having clear goals and outcomes you are working toward that help you to stay focused and create the goals you want. Know you are human but make sure you get right back on track. By knowing you are human, you release the pressure you put on yourself while understanding and learning from your setback. Make sure you understand the reality of goals and that a plane doesn’t fly in a straight line to its destination and you most likely won’t achieve what you set out to without some obstacles coming up.  Of course, the less the better while knowing that things happen in life and what you do in a setback is crucial to your outcomes and the way you feel about yourself. Have an accountability buddy or a trainer who helps keep you on track. When you have accountability, you are more likely to not only get back on track but stay on track. You want to have someone who doesn’t put undue pressure on you that stresses you out, but you do want someone who you answer to who can hold you to account for your goals.  You might have a friend who you trust to hold you to account or a trainer who helps you to be committed. There is nothing wrong with relying sometimes on external factors such as these people to ensure you don’t spiral out of control, but you learn and grow to be able to be even more committed as a result of a setback. 3 ways to deal with a setback and get right back on track is available on Battle babes fitness

When it comes to weight loss, what method do you use to know when you have lost enough weight?  Do you use the BMI, just the number on the scales or measurements?  Or do you go by your natural feeling of when you have lost weight?  This is the point where you feel that to lose any more weight you would have to starve yourself and diet to get what may be an unrealistic goal.  So many women could benefit from understanding the power of knowing your natural weight over a weight where you have to pretzel yourself and bend yourself through restrictive dieting to gain the results you want.  It is better to be healthy in body and mind and carry some extra weight on your body than to starve yourself to meet a goal often that is set by someone else and sometimes by yourself.   3 of the ways to know when you have lost enough weight are: Get a check-up from a Health at Every Size (HAES) doctor. This is a doctor who advocates for health at every size.  What I recommend here is that you get your blood tests and other tests done to prove to yourself you have no health concerns or aren’t at risk of any and choose your weight loss goal from there or stop trying to lose weight and start living a little more while sustaining that weight. These doctors don’t necessarily use the BMI (Body Mass Index) and they often are aligned with body image conscious ways of dealing with their patients.  It is still often healthier to lose weight and I know that firsthand but do it from a place of power and knowing that there is inherently nothing wrong with you for carrying a bit of fat on your body.  These doctors will tell you when you are best to stop losing weight. Notice your appetite and listen to your body wisdom. When you notice you have reached a place where you are able to feel you have reached your goal, listen to the signals coming from your body.  You will notice where you are trying to starve yourself and trying to restrict to lose weight affecting your appetite. When you notice your true appetite, you will find that you will know the amount and types of foods that are healthy for you at that time.  If you listen to your body wisdom, you will know when the time has come to stop losing weight and go into maintenance mode to be able to sustain that loss. Know when you have reached a realistic goal for you. The crucial part of that statement is ‘realistic’.  What body type are you naturally?  Go ahead and enhance that through your training, food intake and emotional healing while understanding that without surgery, there are some things you just cannot change.  What is a realistic goal for you?  It may be where you are at now or somewhere in the distant or not so distant future but know that it is achievable for you and you are able to rise to the challenge, do the work to get there and love your body on the way and when you reach your goal. The following post 3 ways to know when you have lost enough weight was first published on Battle Babes Fitness blog

So many women put off things in life because they say, ‘I will do it when I am skinner’ or ‘When I lose weight I will…’.  The thing about this is that life is happening around you and you may miss out on opportunities if you are hiding away from the world for the way that you think you look.  I understand that there may be judgement of your body and by you in this mission, but just know that you can do whatever you like, and happiness is available to you now.  You don’t need to put things off for your body any longer and you can find ways to become more joyful in your approach to life through loving who you are now.  You can embrace your life for the gift it is and ensure that you are able to do all you are meant to do through being happy now.  These 3 ways to be happy now will assist you to be able to be free and enjoy your life: Start now with what you dream of doing. If you are stuck in body image concerns, maybe you aren’t living your dreams now?  So many women struggle because they can’t see the big picture and don’t do what they dream of doing for their body or self-consciousness that can destroy your self-esteem because you are focused on the little things in life.  I’m not saying that body image concerns are little to many women, but what I am saying that when you focus on your dreams you are better able to rise above that which may be standing in your way and get out there and make it happen. Find things that involve bringing you joy. What exercise, food, people and experiences bring you joy?  Often, we think we are stuck with things that bring us pain or misery and associate with things and people who drag you down but just know that isn’t the case.  Sometimes you need to go through a transition to find the things that bring you joy and find ways that cause you to feel energised. You might need to adjust your lifestyle and social circles but just know that it is possible to do things that are joyful, and you are able to live your life for the great gift it is. Focus your attention on the good things in life and your body is one of them. Your body is an essential aspect of being human and alive.  So often people check out of their bodies and do things that are not healthy for it because they don’t often care anymore, or they forget the importance of health.  You must focus on the good things in life and make your body one of them.  This can be done by writing down all the things you think or say about your body and change those thoughts to more positive ones while speaking only empowerment into the world regarding your body and self. The blog post 3 ways to be happy now regardless of your body shape or size was originally published on www.battlebabesfitness.com

I am passionate about this as there are many women who think they are fat because of what others say about them when they are not.  I know this well as I am judged as fat for my body shape and size because I am doing Battle Babes when I wear a size small to medium Lorna Jane (after being a size 18 Australian and not being able to wear these clothes at all for my size) and exercise regularly and do what I find joy in.  Now where does this myth about what fat is come from anyway?  Is it the BMI or religious projections or simply something that is made up by human beings?  Every person has a different view of what is the ideal body so why would you go about trying to please other people. Why not find your own weight sweet spot and stop putting pressure on yourself?  Of course, lose weight if you are told by a Health at Every Size (HAES) doctor but don’t go about your life wasting time on what other people think because fat is only a human construct that is judgement run rife.  The three ways to deal with being judged as fat will help you to love your body and enjoy life more: Know that you are loved regardless of your body shape or size. People sometimes place their love on the way you look and favour the skinner sibling or woman causing women to think they are not enough the way they are. People judge based on comparison and if you are comparing yourself to others, make sure you look at who you are, start realising that fat on the body is not bad, while you might want to shift a little bit of it or a lot, you can still know that you are lovable and loved right now. Know that what the other people are thinking or saying is their own values and opinion only. Every single person on the planet has a different view of what skinny or fat is and that’s something we all have to get used to.  The fitness industry often thinks that a model that is size 6 is the ideal body shape and size when the clothing industry for fitness now is more diverse and projects all body shapes and sizes.  This is a values thing and who is right or wrong?  I don’t know but just know that it is imperative for your body image that you love your body now and embrace it while losing weight for your health knowing that opinions are a dime a dozen, and your worth is not based on what other people think – it is based on the way you think about yourself. Start accepting yourself instead of judging yourself based on external pressure. External pressure can destroy you if you let it and it can crush you if you allow it to.  Make sure you stay strong in who you are and what you believe about yourself that is positive while accepting yourself warts and all.  When I say that Battle Babes is about losing weight, it is mostly about losing the weight off your mind and the body will follow with the right strategy and actions.  It is not about morphing yourself into someone you are not or obsessing so you can look different.  It is about finding a way to accept yourself while being healthy in body and mind.  How can you do this today?  Maybe start with monitoring your thoughts, feelings and emotions and changing them toward a loving and accepting approach to be able to be free. The blog post What is fat anyway? 3 ways to deal with being judged as fat. is courtesy of www.battlebabesfitness.com

Let’s face it, we are living in a world where there is judgement and people think that their opinion or view of the way you should be is right.  People get fixated on what others are doing or not doing and judge and condemn.  This will hold you back and hold you down when it comes to loving your body now and embracing who you are in entirety.  Sometimes you just know when people are looking down on you for your weight, body shape and body size.  The thing to do is to make sure you don’t worry about what others are thinking, saying or doing, you must make sure you do what you know deep inside you are called to do.  Sadly, fat on the body has become in many ways something people are shamed for and it is deemed often immoral or a bad thing. This is not the case, it simply is fat on your body and all people have it in differing amounts depending on genetics, habits, behaviours and stages of life for some.  With these 3 ways to deal with judgement, you will find some reprieve in a world where opinions are a dime a dozen: Know who you are and what you want. When you know who you are and go for what you want, you may come across adversary forces that cause you to struggle and which may take you off track because of the judgement you feel, hear or see. In these times, make sure you look to your own true path and calling in life and stick to your plans because that is where the greatest rewards are. If you listen to what others may say and their opinions are allowed to infiltrate your subconscious, you may become what they think, say or project upon you.  Be more powerful than the opinions of others and invent yourself the way you know you are meant to. Understand that it’s a reflection of the other person’s character. Too often people think that it is the ‘overweight’ woman who is the one with the problem.  Of course, you may be wearing your emotions on your body but that’s a different matter.  If people try to drag you down with negativity or the projection of judgement upon you, make sure you know that it’s only a reflection of them and their character.  Some people can be cruel and don’t want to see you succeed but you must overcome that, and you must know that you are powerful and able to rise above any projection or opinion enforced upon you. Be discerning regarding what is judgement and what is feedback. Sometimes the judgement of others can be the fuel that feeds you to make change and to become what you want to be. This is not ideal because you want to be inspired from within through intrinsic motivation that doesn’t move away from pain but moves toward what you want.  In saying this, sometimes you can see the judgement of others as feedback and a way to improve yourself if you take it on board in a way that doesn’t infiltrate you but inspires you to transform.  Feedback is the breakfast of champions so take it on powerfully knowing that some people are saying things out of love and know the difference so you can cause your life to be the way you want it to be. The following post 3 ways to deal with judgement to succeed in your weight loss journey was first published to Anna Maria Lang's fitness blog