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The Power to Change by Sarah E. Rippel, BS, CPT There is nothing like making a positive change. The power that comes from change is limitless. First, you must have the power to change! Over the past six years, I have seen dramatic changes in my physique. I began my transformation at the age of 17, weighing 89 pounds.  I never thought, back then, that I would be where I am today...but, the power within me to change was so strong that I beat anorexia and have transformed my body. It has taken tons of hard work, desire, persistence, and sacrifice, but I can most definately tell you it has been worth every second. I have come such a long way, yet I still vividly remember how I felt about myself back then. The irony of anorexia lies in the fact that the anorexic feels they are in control, but the reality is the disease has control over them. I had become literally a living shadow of my former self. Towards the end of my struggle I felt weak and powerless. There didn't seem to be a way out... Not anymore!
I am sharing part of my story in the hopes that I might encourage you to overcome a personal obstacle. My experience ties in with working out and how it helped me gain confidence, inner strength, and the courage to overcome my eating disorder. I believe that we go through personal struggles so that we might find something wonderful on the other side. If you can learn from the worst situations, that is what matters. From my struggle, I found not only my life, but my passion for fitness, which I have been fortunate enough to make a living from. I know for a fact that exercising really does make a difference in a person's life. Through becoming stronger physically, you become stronger as a person. Use the strength that is within you and beat the odds!Changing Negatives into Positives
by Sarah E. Rippel, BS, CPT
Ask yourself this question: "Am I happy with how my body looks"? If your answer is "yes", that's great! Most likely you have a healthy attitude and perspective when it comes to body image. If you answered "no", it's nothing to worry about. It is possible to change negatives attitudes into positives. The best way to start is by replacing self-talk such as "my legs are fat" and "i'll never lose weight" with positive thoughts. To simplify my point, think of self-talk as being a cassette tape playing in your head. Usually, if a person's self-talk is predominantly negative, the tape just continues to voice those negative thoughts over and over, further instilling them in your mind, and making it very difficult to attain the body you're working towards.
On the other side of the coin, when the tape being played is full of positive, affirming messages, you have no choice but to believe them! Your chances of reaching your goals are 99.9% guaranteed!
Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with a client. We were
discussing body image, a topic which I tend to be very passionate about, for
it affects each and every one of us in some manner. I shared with this client a technique I have personally used to turn negative self-talk into a positive attitude. This technique is used by top athletes and fitness competitors, and it takes only a few seconds to perform. I promise that if you give it a try, you will notice changes in how you see yourself! Take a piece of paper and write down five positive statements about yourself. The messages can be about anything pertaining to you., for example, my last list contained the messages: "I am strong," "I am successful," and "I am in great shape and continue to improve." I taped my list up on my bathroom mirror, so that it was visible. I also made it eye-catching, with big letters and bright colors. Through reading the statements often, I had no choice but to believe them, and I noticed a big improvement in my confidence level! There is nothing that can stop me when my attitude is on track! When you read and reread your list, you will find the messages sinking in, and those nasty, negative thoughts will be a thing of the past! You will find a new passion for your workouts, and a newfound confidence in yourself!
Which would you rather have: a negative, self-defeating attitude which stands in the way of your goals and dreams, or a positive, winning outlook which proves that the possibilities are endless? You decide. It is truly amazing how much power is contained within a person's self-talk. The difference between winners and losers is that winners believe they can win. Winners face their fears and don't hold back, while losers expect to be defeated and live in fear. Do not fall victim to negativity - your attitude will make or break your success!
May you be successful in all that you do! Shape Up Your Mind
by Sarah E. Rippel, BS, CPT “Does your mindset need shaping up?” How do you feel about yourself? Is it positive or negative? When you make a mistake, do you berate or forgive yourself? Do you have trouble letting go of your mistakes? Holding onto negative feelings about yourself is draining. It detracts from your day to day life. It is important that you make an effort to change your self-perception if you feel it is a little “out of whack”. Your mindset contributes greatly to your success in attaining your health and fitness goals! If you believe from day one that you will not succeed, most likely that outcome will be the truth. Why set yourself up to fail? When you begin with a positive attitude, nothing is impossible. Allow yourself to make mistakes and to learn from them. Every situation we go through in our lives is a chance to learn something about ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up for messing up or not doing your best. Pick yourself back up and make an extra effort to do better the next time. Figure out what caused you to not succeed and change it. If you don’t try, you’ll never know… |
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SARAH E. RIPPEL, BS, CPT
I have been a Personal Trainer for over eight years. I became a trainer because I immediately fell in love with fitness when I took up regular exercise at 17 years of age. Visit me at Austin Fitness.
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