5 Steps to a Powerful, No Fail, New Year…and Beyond

MakeYourMove2

I am so excited and honored to be a part of the Kohl?s #MakeYourMove campaign! This movement celebrates and encourages us as we strive to improve ourselves and our lives?two topics that are so near and dear to my heart and are the foundation for everything I do. And since 2016?and those New Year?s Resolutions?are only a couple of weeks old, I?m sharing one powerful tool that has been a total life/game-changer for everyone I?ve ever worked with, myself included!

So here goes?my number one transformation tool is…drumroll please…

The Power Promise

Yep. That?s it. Sounds simple, right? Because it is! As simple as it may be, it is so, so powerful, and it is truly THE #1 transformation tool, no matter what type of transformation journey you?re on?from weight loss to weight gain, sports performance, or even transforming your confidence?it works.

The Power Promise is a single, simple, attainable commitment that you know you can keep every day. Starting off, your Power Promise activates your transformation. It is the most basic form of action toward your goal. As long as you are keeping your Power Promise, you?re in the game. The moment you quit is the moment you stop keeping your Power Promise. Here are 5 simple steps to assist you in keeping this essential Power Promise:

1. Make it so small that it is virtually unbreakable.
2. Declare it?loud and proud?to yourself and those around you. And make sure you say ?I will? instead of ?I want to.? That adds extra power to your promise!
3. As you build your confidence in keeping your Power Promise you may add more, but only make as many promises at one time as you know you can keep.
4. Prepare, prepare, prepare…and prepare. You must aggressively defend this promise to keep your transformation alive!
5. Be patient with yourself and set realistic expectations. No matter how hard you try or how solid your intentions are, you will slip up from time to time. We all do?myself included?and not only is this okay, but it means you are human after all. 😉 Learn from that slip up and begin again.

Your Power Promise can be whatever you want it to be. To get you started, I?ve listed some Power Promises to help kick start your 2016. Simply choose 1 of these 5 (make them as is, or tweak as needed), and declare it!

HP_Kohls_6790 copy

Power Promise #1: I will plan and prepare my meals and workouts for the next 7 days.

See #4 above? I repeated it 4 times for a reason?planning and preparing are super important for keeping any Power Promise. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely said, ?If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.? You won?t get very far on your transformation path without planning and preparing?you?ll hit major roadblocks every step of the way! And since so many Power Promises are centered around healthy eating and working out, let?s start there.

Make your grocery list for the week, plan your shopping trip, prep as many foods as you can ahead of time, pack your lunch for work the next day, schedule your workouts with yourself on your calendar and keep those important dates with yourself, set out your workout clothes the night before, and keep your gym bag packed and ready to go. In short, alleviate as many excuses as you can before hand. And don?t forget to include the kids in your planning and prepping. It will help them understand your goals and learn how to set and achieve their own Power Promises, and if they become Power Promise Preppers at an early age, they?ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of us! 😉

HP_Kohls_6412 copy

Cash’s Shirt || Cash’s Pants || Ruby’s Sweater || Ruby’s Leggings || My Sweater || My Bracelets ||? Our Busy Family Board

Power Promise #2: I will work out 5 minutes a day, 5 days this week.

You might be surprised to see that 5 small, short minutes of moving your body at some point during your day can be huge in achieving your transformation goals. Get up and move during commercial breaks. Set an alarm, stop what you?re doing, and get up and just walk around. Park at the far end of the parking lot instead of scouting out the nearest spot to the entrance. Do 5 minutes of a workout DVD. Head outside and bike, or walk, or jog for 5 minutes. It?s that easy! And I can pretty much promise you that those 5 minutes will turn into 15, or 30, or 45, or more. And if 5 minutes is all you?ve got, that?s totally okay. You?ve kept that promise to yourself.

HP_Kohls_6938_BlurredNike copy

HP_Kohls_6976 copy

My Workout Top || My Workout Leggings || My Gym Bag || Vibrating Foam Roller || Yoga Mat || Hand Weights

Power Promise #3: I will drink an extra quart of water every day this week.

Proper hydration is a huge key to keeping your body healthy and dropping any extra pounds. Find a favorite water bottle so drinking all that water is more fun. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to drink up. Add fruit to your water. Keep water bottles in your car, at your desk, on your counter?everywhere! And be sure and drink some extra water if Power Promise #2 is on your list.

HP_Kohls_6862 copy

Artland Oasis 2-Gallon Water Pitcher || Contigo 32 oz. Water Bottle

Power Promise #4: I will go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night.

A lack of sleep can affect all aspects of your life, including your weight loss goals, in some not-so-good ways. I know…I?m like so many of you?nighttime is the time when I can get so many things done and enjoy some down time (ahem, kid-free time). It can be so tempting to just stay up a little bit longer, scroll through those apps, and lose track of time. But I also know that when I don?t get enough sleep, my days are completely thrown off, I?m exhausted within the first 15 minutes of my workout, and my kiddos don?t get the best version of me. If 15 minutes of extra shuteye is too hard to start with, begin with 5. And if your brain is like mine and tends to jump into multi-tasking mode the minute your head hits the pillow, two things that really help me are 1) make sure my bedroom is dark and quiet and 2) keep the temp at between 60-69 degrees. Here?s a bonus: These two tips will help your kiddos sleep better too. Win-win!

HP_Kohls_6564 copy

My Comfy Pajamas || Cash’s Sports Pajamas || Ruby’s Adorbs Unicorn Pajamas || “I Woke Up Like This” Mug || Ruby’s To-Die-For Eyes…sorry no link for that 😉

Power Promise #5: I will journal, reflect, and record 4 days this week.

While eating healthy and working out are a huge part of achieving your transformation goals, recording and reflecting are just as important (or, dare I say, even more important?!). At the end of the day, reflect and record: What didn?t work as I had hoped it would today? Why did I want to eat that food that?s not on my plan? Why did I want to skip my workout? Why did I stay up late to watch that movie?I didn?t get up on time! And so on… Answering and owning those questions can be a huge step on your transformation journey. And be sure and record all of the ?small victories? and positive things you did?and the Power Promises you kept?to get you closer to achieving your goals. It?s so easy to dwell on what we didn?t do or where we fell short and totally forget about all the things we did do!

HP_Kohls_6361 copy

Motivational Decorations || Picture Holder Motivational Decor || My LOVE Sweater

And since declaring and sharing are so important, I?ll go first:

Here are MY first two Power Promises for 2016:

1. I will prep ALL of my meals for the next week.

While I do feel like I?m doing better with this than I used to, I realize I really need to dial it in even more to hit my 2016 goals. I plan MOST of my meals, but I admit that sometimes I find myself out and about and stranded with not a lot of healthy options available.

HP_Kohls_6624 copy

HP_Kohls_6641 copy

Joseph Joseph 8 pc. Nesting Storage Containers || Food Network Chef’s Knife

I must also do better at measuring everything I put in my mouth because I?ve found that ?eyeballing? is not very accurate. 😉

HP_Kohls_6846 copy

Meal-to-Go Container Set || Food Network Kitchen Scale

2. I will drink ALL of my water every day for the next week.

One more thing I am doing ehh…okay with, but must do better if I want to get my IFBB Pro Card next year. There?s really not a lot of wiggle room for error? especially where drinking H2O and working out are concerned.

HP_Kohls_6874 copy

I?m so excited to start using this idea I got from my good friend, Pearls (from Extreme Weight Loss, season 5)?it?s genius! This is Pearls? water bottle. Drinking 5 of these each day equates to one gallon, so she puts 5 hair ties around the bottle in the morning. Each time she finishes a bottle, she moves a hair tie from the bottle to her wrist. It?s a super fun way to keep track of her water consumption, and she always has a hair tie handy! And do you see those hair ties? They have motivational quotes on them! Genius?I?m telling you.

Pearls edited

Now, it’s your turn. Time to take action! How do you plan to?#MakeYourMove toward a healthier, stronger, fitter “you”?in 2016? Choose and declare one Power Promise and share it below. And since sharing is caring, share this post on social media, using the hashtag #MakeYourMove, and tag me so I can find you! I can’t wait to be inspired by the amazing?ways you’ll #MakeYourMove this year!

Ready…set…GO promise! 🙂

Xoxo,

Heidi

Related reading:

How to Begin Your Transformation Journey Step-by-Step
Carb Cycling 101
Stressed Out?
I Cheat Every Day
Tip of the Day: Curb Those Cravings

Find?Kohl’s?here:

facebookinstagramtwitter2pinterest2

 

 

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Kohl’s.

25 Responses

  1. I’m living on borrowed time. I watched a rerun of extreme weight loss with Jaqui./Jackie. . Maybe I will get a second chance. Not ready to leave here at 37.

  2. I would like to purchase a book to learn more about the carb cycling if I buy the newest book will I be lost with out reading the previous book?

  3. Dear Heidi and Chris

    I just want to thank you for your inspiration and awesome energy that you send all the way to Norway, where I live. I really enjoy the EWL shows and your Instagram accounts, and you seem so genuine in your quest to help people. I have been overweight all my life, but at times managed to be in the right slot of the BMI scale. However, I find it so hard to stay there and after two pregnancies I struggle getting down to my goal weight again. I am not massively overweight, but still I want to feel good about myself, fit into my old clothes (and maybe even smaller ones!) again and improve my running. I am regularly doing races up to 21K and have even done three marathons (and more to come!), so obviously I am not in bad shape, but still those extra 5-10 kilos annoy me every day.

    In 2015 I got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, and the PSC is likely to make my liver getting progressively worse and I may require a liver transplant at some point as transplant is the only treatment available for this illness. This has kind of changed my perspective from the “superficial” – wanting to be slim (at least slimmer!) – to having to think deeper…thinking about staying HEALTHY as long as possible before the illness take its own course and to enjoy my life while I still have no restrictions and my health is good.

    So today I am starting my weight loss journey with you, and I am looking forward to following your blog for inspiration when times get rough. I have some promises:
    #1: Whenever I face a situation with a temptation, I will repeat a mantra: Be GOOD to yourself. And being good to myself (= my body) will be to choose the healthy way. My brain will probably try to trick me (as it regularly does) into eating sugar/fat for a “quick fix” to feeling better, but I will trick it back 😉
    #2: Running 125 km/month. Just do it. Get out and do it.
    #3: Do 10 mins of strength exercise a day. From zero now…I hate strength exercises….but need to just get on with it. Maybe I will even like it after a while?

    My goal weight is 65 kg, I am now 75 kg. So by the time I go to Berlin Marathon in September, I will have reached 65 kg and I will kick ass!! 😉 Thanks again for so much inspiration!

    1. Hi Hege: Thank you so much for your comment! These are awesome promises, and please keep us updated on your progress. You got this! ?

  4. I love theses ideas. I have started going to the gym everyday for 30 days & then every other day after. I have some limitations with my knee torn ACL for the last 5 years but have been able to make adjustments & keep moving . I have alot of weight to loose & surgery not an option.

  5. The beautiful Heidi- I love those pants I checked the website you left and it doesn’t show the awesome leopard ones you have on!?? Anymore details on those? Help please! Keep being awesome, you rock!!! Thanks for the inspiration

    1. Hi Brittany: Heidi wasn’t able to find that exact print on Kohl’s website, so they may be available on a store-by-store basis. So sorry!

  6. I already made 2 Power Promises and I keep them!

    1. Drink half my body weight in oz of water (wow I will do Pearl’s Super idea for tracking my intake!)

    2. Do my back stretching and muscle-toning exercices everyday no matter what!

    Next week it Will be : I will do 20 min of treadmill (work-out by intervals of speed and incline) 6 days a week

    I started my Extreme Transformation Journey on January 1st and so far I losted 9 pounds and since i’m keeping my promises to myself!

    Thank you for your wonderful book!! It’s a life-changing and a eye-opener for me. Too many times I worked on the food and exercices aspect but I never truly transform. This time like the Butterfly who never goes back being a caterpillar, I will never go back to my OLD shape. I’M transforming for good =)

    Isa F.

  7. I watch ur show all the time snd amazed! I am asking for help for both me and my don, I’m 45 yrs old and I can’t walk because there is no Cartsleg in my knees do it’s none on bone. I can’t walk, run. Squat anything that will cause pain in my knees I also have back pain which its constant along with the knees. I’m a 100 lbs over weight and really got my life need help! I also writing for my son since he was 14 yrs old he has had 7 hip surgery done and he also has gained s 100 lbs but he can’t run or jump! Can u please help us we have no family it’s just the two of us.! Thanks Katrina

    1. Hi Katrina: Chris and Heidi would love to help everyone personally, but since they can’t, they’ve put all their carb cycling tools in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. And with your cartilage issues, it’s best to discuss any exercise program with your healthcare team first, and then follow any modifications they recommend. For your son, since he’s still growing, it’s best to discuss any nutrition and exercise program with his healthcare team first also, and then follow their recommendations. You can get some tips to help him here: https://heidipowell.net/7201/teens-and-healthy-body-image-its-not-just-about-the-pounds/. You can do this – we wish you both the best!

  8. I just need help. I have MS. Before I become totally wheelchair bound what can I do to put strength in my leg. They aren’t very strong. Neither are my hands.
    Thank you
    Brigette Henik

    1. Hi Briggette: It would be best to discuss any exercise program with your healthcare team first, and then follow their recommendations. They are the best ones to help you since they know your exact issues and can work with you personally. We wish you the best!

  9. I know you said to tell you only one of my promises, but I’m proud of the 5 ones I’ve made and have been keeping since the last week of December:

    Promise 1- I promised to keep drinking more than 3 litres of water every day and I have – Yay!

    Promise 2 – Eat healthily every day, especially at lunch time (that was the hardest for me) and I have – Yay!

    Promise 3 – Do exercise EVERY day, besides my workouts with my personal trainer (3x a week), I also promised him and myself to work out the other 2 days (completing 5 days of gym exercises – 3 with him varied of 1 hour / 1 hour and 10 minutes , 2 of only cardio – 40 minutes of varied machines by myself)

    Promise 4 – Walk my dog EVERY day, twice a day, and still do everything from Promise 3 above.
    *It’s doable because I already worked out 3x a week and walked my dog 1x a day, but I wasn’t consistent with walking my dog every single day and ended up using my work as an excuse (I am a school teacher with 430 to 700 students per year, but it’s not an excuse, I have to help my husband and I need the exercise). My husband would walk our dog 3x a say some days in which I was too tired. NOT ANYMORE!

    Promise 5 – Help out my husband with chores every day and walking the dog as I’ve said.

    Thank you! These promises are making me much healthier, happier and knowing that I can keep them!

  10. I love these. I would love to see a post about a week of meals and what your prep day looked like. I am single mom of 2 teenage boys. When I get home I am tired but still work on prepping meals for the next day. Would love some quick suggestions for high carb and low carb meals that can easily be thrown together. Thank goodness we all love cottage cheese, yogurt and fresh fruit. But other options would be great. I love the new book and am down 7 pounds in 10 days. #extremetransformations.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CHOOSE A DATE: