Stop aiming for perfection!  I’ve been training people for a while and I’m tired of the self verbal abuse. We are all guilty of it. I personally have this annoying little piece of fat that causes the ugliest dimple on my upper left hamstring. I don’t care if I fast, workout like a maniac, or do cardio 2 hours a day- it will be there in the morning. I’m very fit. I lift and run with the best of them and my body is not perfect.

Enjoy every victory!

I love it when my clients lose inches or a few pounds. I really love it when they reach a new fitness plateau. I always congratulate them on the small victories. But every time I compliment them I hear “yea but I still got that little jiggle under my arm” or “my thighs are still too big” or my favorite “I still won’t wear a bikini.” Ok, take a deep breath. The proper response to any compliment is “thank you.” That’s it. Stop talking about the parts of your body that you hate(and no one else notices).  If someone says your arms are great- take it! Don’t remind them that your left butt cheek is still drooping.  Let’s think about this curse of perfection. If you dwell on the negative little parts of your body, you are saying that you want to be perfect. Nobody is perfect and no one has a perfect body. You can ask every magazine out there to release their pre-touched photos to confirm that truth. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with striving for optimal fitness and expecting great results. But the end game can not perfection. Perfection is an unrealistic, unobtainable, and stressful desire that will rob you of the small victories. It has taken me a lifetime to realize that I’m not working hard for perfection. I’m working hard to enjoy life for another glorious day. I’m currently six pounds heavier than my “perfect weight.” I’m in better shape, more defined and a little thicker- in all the right places. I’ve received more compliments and I feel awesome! I actually like these extra pounds. I look stronger and my face is fuller. My doctor gave me a clean bill of health and my cholesterol and blood pressure is superb!

The next time someone compliments me, I’m simply going to say “thank you.” I haven’t forgotten that dimple on my hamstring but I ain’t worried about it!