Episode 3942, do more than dream.

Mom's, it's time to rediscover, rejuvenate, and renew who you are in mind, body, and spirit.

Welcome to Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie, the show that help you do just that.

Here's your host, certified life coach, personal trainer, and nutritionist, Christian Wardo.

Happy every day, are you ready for something extraordinary?

Something that your body can do extraordinary for you?

Come on, it's time to do more than dream.

For those of you who are brand new to Create Your Now, welcome to this incredible family.

I'm so delighted of your presence.

If you already even had the opportunity, you want to head on over to CreatureNow.com,

where you could learn more and sign up for the Kisses Newsletter.

To keep it simple strategy, everyday solutions, to live, love, and impact.

With this episode is brought to you by AIM, Inspiring Connection, and Community.

Are you ready for a whirlwind today?

Because we are going to take a ride.

A ride that you probably didn't even think about.

Because you know, you dream about a lot of things, right?

But did you know dreaming could also fall into how you live when it comes to your health?

Let me ask you this.

Are you one of the millions who want to live a healthier lifestyle than where you are right now?

Yep, I'm sure you are, or coming close to it.

It may look different for everyone, I believe it does.

But every new year, right, brings this wave of resolutions promising weight loss,

or better habits, and a healthier life.

It's no surprise that live healthier is one of the most common resolutions out there.

That's like the top one besides money, money, money, money.

All right, we'll leave it at that.

But resolutions are just ideas floating in your head.

They don't carry weight, no pun intended, but yet intended.

Until you turn them into action, do more than dream.

I mean, when you think about it, why does this happen year after year after year?

Because wanting something isn't the same as doing something.

I want you to hear that again.

Wanting something isn't the same as doing something.

Yet, that's what we do, we just dream.

Dreaming about a healthier you is comfortable, right?

We can sit with it.

It feels good to imagine the results without putting it in the work.

It's like, yeah, I cannot wait to get that new outfit.

I can't wait to get into those pair of jeans that I bought 12 years ago.

Come on, let's be realistic, right?

But comfort never changed anyone's life.

That's a sucker punch right there.

Comfort never changes anyone's life.

Not yours, not mine.

And if you really want to live differently this year,

it's time to stop saying and start doing.

That is your kiss to keep it simple strategy.

Stop saying and start doing.

A lot of times, we're just kind of going through the motion, saying,

oh, yeah, wouldn't it be great?

We're just saying it, but we're not willing to do it.

How have you been doing this past?

However many days it is, right?

We're in the 14th day of the new year.

I know it's kind of like scratch your head.

It's almost mid-January and pretty soon you're going to be like,

if I haven't started now, why do it?

And that's only in February and the march comes around and then you're thinking,

oh, swimsuit season, I gotta look better.

And then you put in a little bit of extra effort and you may squeak out five to seven pounds.

But then you're like, this is just too much work.

I'm done with this and oh, then the whole thing, oh, let's grill out and let's have all of this

and let's have the barbecue and the baked beans and the coleslaw and all of this jazz.

And what happens?

What happens is you've lost all your progress and now you're back to where you were

when you started the new year.

I don't want you to end up there.

I want you to look at your life differently.

Make this year an incredible year for your mind, body, and spirit.

I want to give you an example of what I've been up to over the past,

I guess probably a handful of days.

I'm traveling right now so I'm not in my home.

And that's also something we could talk about is,

how do you travel and stay healthy?

I mean, for me, literally I bring everything but my kitchen sink.

If I'm traveling, I'm going to stay at a hotel and they don't have a microwave

or they're not willing to bring in a microwave for me.

Don't tell them or they want to charge me too much.

Don't tell them this.

I bring my own microwave.

Microwave's are cheap.

I put it in a box.

They have no idea.

So if I have to have a bellman take it up,

they don't know what's in that box.

I plug in my microwave and I have it.

I can cook my own food.

I can go grocery shopping before I show up.

And I have exactly what I need the entire time I'm there.

Because most of the time I'm traveling solo when it comes to conferences and things like that.

My husband's working on his career and doing his stuff and serving

his people and I am out serving my people.

And we just live those different lives.

And when we take vacation, that's a different conversation on how we do that.

We have usually a place that has a full kitchen.

And so I can cook, I go shopping, I do all of that.

So we may eat out only once or twice,

but we don't eat out every single meal.

And there's a big difference there.

And so what I did these past handful of days,

it was really over the weekend, this past weekend.

I really decided to look at all my supplements.

And when I say supplements, I'm talking vitamins.

I'm talking about my shakes that are actually nutritious for me.

So it's not just protein.

Now I do have things that are just protein.

And I add on to that because I know I want to be taking in over 100 grams of protein

for my body every single day.

And you're thinking that's a lot of protein.

Yeah, it is.

But I'm also losing muscle the older I get.

And I want to protect that muscle.

And the only way you can do that is by working out

and making sure you get enough protein.

Well, I could probably up my protein even another 20 grams or so.

But right now, I'm happy with where I'm sitting over 100 grams.

So I'm starting there.

It's just a starting process.

But what I did was I cleared out this entire cabinet of mine.

And it's all mine.

It has all of my vitamins.

My vitamins are not just stuck in a box where yes, I can go get to them.

But no, this is now front and center.

I made these cute little pill boxes.

I put AM and PM because I want to take my vitamins on a different timetable.

I don't want to take them all at once.

If some overlap, which they do,

I don't want to just flush stuff down the toilet.

I want to be able to absorb as much as possible.

So I break up my vitamins.

I try to take some three times a day.

Other times it's just twice a day.

And then when I eat, I have other supplements.

Then I went through each of my supplements.

And I wrote on there with the magic sharpie

that would make sure I wouldn't rub anything off.

And what I did was put down exactly.

I need two of these a day.

One of these a day.

I need this with a meal.

If I have carbs, I need this.

Right?

And so I got all the work in iced.

I have my bars.

I have my chocolate that is amazing.

One of these days, I'll put together a whole list because I do really,

I'm very intentional about where I buy, who I buy from.

I don't just go out to a big box store.

I don't go out to my local grocers.

Like I search this out and I do my research

because I want to know where my stuff is coming from where it's made.

So it's very important to me.

And it's important to what I can take in and who else can take it.

Right?

If you have a supplement specifically like a shake

and they say, I'm there, oh, you can't give it to kids.

Then why in the heck am I going to drink it?

If kids can't drink it?

If a four-year-old can't drink it, why would I not drink it?

If I can't drink it, why am I pregnant?

Why am I drinking it?

Right?

That doesn't make any sense that there's no common sense to that.

So I'm very, very, very specific.

About what goes into my body because my body is so sensitive.

And let me tell you, over the past, now what is it?

I guess it's been, well, since the weekend.

So now we're what five days out or so.

If I count Friday and Saturday, you know, not just a Saturday,

but, you know, Friday and a Saturday,

I'm feeling a big difference already, right?

I'm not just saying I'm going to do this.

I'm actually doing what I'm saying.

And that's the key.

That's our missing mark in most of what we do when it comes to healthy living.

We're just saying all these things, but we're really not in to doing it.

And this year, I want you to move the needle.

I want you to feel fabulous about your body.

That doesn't mean you're going to lose all the weight you want to.

But what if you could be that stronger you?

What if you could actually not lose any muscle mass?

What if you could actually walk up the stairs and not be like,

huffing and puffing by the time you get up there?

I know I've been doing that.

I've been moving my kids.

I moved two of mine this year.

Okay, not this year, but technically yes this year.

One this year and the end of last year.

So that's why I say I've moved two.

But within the span of about two and a half months,

that's a lot of moving.

That's a lot of stairs.

And I mean, stairs in my house, stairs that their new place.

And it's just, woof.

I don't want to feel winded.

I want to feel alive.

Fully alive.

Stop saying I start doing.

So what does it look like in real life when it comes to living this out?

Number one, make intentional choices every day.

Healthy living isn't about a grand event every single time.

It's not about pomp and circumstances.

It's a series of small decisions stacked consistently.

There's a reason, right?

Tiny habits make great impact.

Maybe it's eating a balanced meal for yourself,

choosing water over soda.

Man, stay hydrated.

I cannot stress that enough.

Move your body and wait.

Move your body again.

Even when motivation feels low,

go take a walk for goodness sakes.

These daily choices set the foundation for where you're headed.

You can't wait for the perfect moments or a fresh start.

You can't just hang on going,

well, you know what?

I've messed up these past two days.

I'll just wait till Monday.

We've heard all of that pretty soon.

It's a Monday, three months from now.

And you're like, well,

I'll just wait till summer's over.

Because I really want to enjoy the barbecue.

And I want to do this.

And I don't want to do that.

And now you're worse off than when you started.

The real fresh start is right now, right?

Creature now with what you choose at this moment.

Because this is the moment you have.

And that's what I begin noticing.

I was like, I'm going to remove the distractions.

I'm going to remove the clutter.

I've got this and that.

No, I'm bringing it all together so I can see it.

So when I get on my cabinet,

this is mine.

I get to claim this.

Nobody else does.

My husband doesn't.

He has his own cabinet.

My kids don't.

They have their own cabinet.

Now most of them, well, they're all gone.

But when they come and visit,

they have their own cabinet, right?

Now I have mine.

And now I can look at it and I can see it.

And I don't miss things that are important to me and my body.

Right?

Because nobody else can do you.

Nobody else can take care of your body.

Only you can.

I mean, I can sit there and show up on your doorstep

and knock on your door every single morning

and every single night and say,

what did you do today?

What are you doing tomorrow?

Did you take all your vitamins?

Did you have your two shakes?

Did you, did you, did you?

Did you run your marathon that you wanted

to five weeks ago?

Did you, like, I could do all of that.

But if you're not doing it, what does it matter?

Right?

So make intentional choices every day.

Make it easy for yourself to show up.

And to show up at the smile on your face,

knowing that you're impacting your own mind,

body, and spirit.

Number two, set clear, measurable goals.

vague resolutions like,

I'm going to eat better or I'm going to exercise more.

Just doesn't cut it.

Get specific.

What does better mean?

Make a mark on that.

I'm not saying you have to say,

I want to lose 30 pounds.

But maybe it's no,

I want to be able to walk two sets of stairs

without huffing and puffing.

That is success.

Because that's something that's measurable.

Right?

Maybe you need to add two servings of vegetables today

because you're not doing it for me.

Well, honestly,

my body doesn't like a lot of vegetables.

So for me to have good vegetables and good nutrition,

I need to have my two shakes a day.

That's what I need.

Or I need two shakes and then one shake

and then two shakes and then one shake.

Right?

So what is it for you?

Maybe you need to add in walking every single day.

What does that look like?

If you walk already,

what do you need to add in?

Maybe it's only 10 minutes,

but maybe your walking needs to really be more about speed

and your tempo.

Right?

Because you kind of just casually walk,

which is fine.

But maybe you need more of a rhythm

that induces what?

A little bit more of a cardio walk.

Okay?

Then do that.

And maybe you increase the amount of times

you do that a week.

Start where you can be successful.

Maybe it's twice a week.

Then up to three.

Maybe stay there.

Or if you want to do more than do more.

Or just say,

I'm going to do three times a week.

And if I can bonus in one or two,

then awesome.

But ultimately,

I want you to track your progress

and hold yourself accountable.

Write it down.

Write it down.

I feel like I need to have a big banner

that says write it down.

A chant.

Because if you don't know it,

you won't know how you're actually doing it.

And then it just becomes water under the bridge.

You're just saying it

because you can't measure it.

But when you can measure it,

you get to manage it.

And that's the key.

And then finally, number three,

build a support system that pushes you forward.

You know, going it alone

is a recipe for falling back into old habits.

Trying to do it on your own strength,

your own willpower.

Surround yourself with people who challenge your excuses.

The people who say,

you know what?

You can do better.

And do it lovingly, right?

You don't want somebody to be like,

well, I knew you were going to fail.

Those are people you want to kick off your team

because they're not on your team to begin with.

Right?

You want to have people

who are going to challenge your excuses,

who share your vision for your

body and mind and spirit.

Not the way they think you should do it,

but the way you want to do it.

And they hold you responsible.

Not where they're going to be like,

you know, all over social media.

You won't believe how much she's failed

and all of this.

I'm not saying like that.

But hold you responsible in a manner that's like,

yeah, I'm going to be your cheerleader,

but I'm going to call it out the way I see it.

So maybe it's a workout buddy or a coach

or a community with similar goals.

That's why I'm excited about aim.

We're going to have an area there,

Kyros. We're going to have an area there

that if you're about health and you want

people to pay attention and to cheer you on and things like that,

you can come there and connect there.

Connection will keep the flame alive

when your own willpower fades.

And I'm here to tell you and remind you

your willpower is going to give out.

The flame is going to go dark

because it just does.

It's easier to go back to our old self.

And our old self can still be healthy.

But if it's not the new healthy that you want,

then it's not doing what you want to do, right?

So you're failing yourself.

And I mean that lovingly, okay?

Hear me out.

I've been failing myself for a long time.

But I am making this year

a year where I am going to live this way

for the rest of my life year.

And I'm going to give myself permission

to have a piece of cake, not a cake.

Let's hear the difference.

But I'm not going to let it be my excuse.

I'm going to be like, okay, well,

I know if I'm going to have that fine,

I'm going to celebrate that,

but then I'm going to get right back on

to where I was.

And quite frankly,

sometimes I don't like the cake

so we have so,

do I have to have it to celebrate?

No.

So get to the real realization

of where you want to be.

You can meet and even exceed your health goals this year.

I promise you that.

But it's going to take more than just dreaming.

And a New Year's resolution, honestly,

they're just dreams.

But if you want to take action

and take aim,

then that's going to demand intentional action, right?

Strategic planning and real commitment from you.

Healthy living isn't about quick fixes

or this magical transformation that you can go.

It's about grit, consistency,

and moving forward even when it's hard.

It's about getting back up after you fall down.

It's not about saying,

I'll wait for four days

until Monday to start again.

You don't need to do that, right?

So here's the bottom line.

Resolutions are just thoughts

until you turn them into deeds.

Good food for thought, huh?

So put down the wishful thinking.

It's great.

You know, in the moment,

the fireworks are going off

or, you know,

you're getting the kisses from your sweetheart

and all of this.

And it's just all wonderful.

But that fades.

That excitement fades.

Now, you're in the real deal called life, right?

The reality has hit.

So put down that wishful thinking

and pick up the work.

This year, do more than dream.

Make it happen.

Go in peace.

Be present.

Be incredible.

Most importantly, be you.

I love you so very much.

I cannot wait to see you on the other side.

Bussing Tugs and lots and lots of love.

We'll talk to you real soon.

Have a glorious, blessed, healthy day.

Bye-bye.

More incredible resources to help you along the way.

We'll see you next time

on Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie.

And remember,

always be sure you consult your physician

before beginning any health and fitness plan.