10 No BS Lessons from a Decade as a Personal Trainer

I became a personal trainer 10 years ago and I have learned a lot over this past decade. These 10 things, not listed in any particular order, are probably some of the most important things a person needs to know in order to have a healthy body AND mind. So, let's get to these 10 no BS lessons from my decade as a personal trainer.

Your wellness is multifaceted- stop treating it like there's only one area to consider and you'll be a shit ton more successful.

I say this because people get VERY focused on looks aka the physical aspect. There are actually 6 areas of deep health- physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental, and existential/spiritual- and they all impact each other. Ignoring this fact of life is what causes so many people to struggle with making actual progress on their wellness journey. For example, if you're trying to lose weight by going to the gym 6 days a week while also working 50+ hours a week, taking care of your sick mom, and dealing with your rebellious teenager it's likely your mental health is a dumpster fire. Add DREADING going to the gym because you're simply exhausted, while also beating the shit out of yourself if you don't go- that's a no win situation for you. Instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym that many days it may do you better to do 3 or maybe do some yoga at home. MAYBE you actually need to rest because that's what your mental health needs that day- which in the long run will help your physical health as well. See below for examples of what it looks like to be doing well in each of the areas.

People seriously need to stop falling for quick fix BS like meal replacement shakes and weight loss drugs

Can those things be tools to aid in weight loss? Sure. The issue is a lot of people depend on those things for the weight loss and don't actually learn how to make the lifestyle changes necessary to keep the weight off. Then when they stop using them, because they can't afford it anymore or they're bored out of their minds with the same shakes every day, all the weight comes back. You have to BECOME the person that has what you want. No shot, diet, shake, perfect workout program is going to do that for you.

Your future self is gonna be pissed if you don't exercise

How do I know this? Because most of the clients I've worked with are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s and they always talk about how they wish they wouldn't have stopped working out or that they would have started sooner. Because at that stage of the game they feel like they're playing catch up and it's just harder to get going than it would have been at a younger age.

If you don't exercise because you "don't like it" or you "don't like being sweaty" or "it's boring" well...get over it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't always like exercising. I don't like being sweaty and I sure as hell get bored with it sometimes. BUT, whether you like it or not, your body was made to move, and it NEEDS to move to stay healthy. Joint pain, stiffness, tightness, weakness, excess weight, instability, lack of coordination- all of these can be improved through movement.

Then there's the mental health benefits from exercise such as being able to think better, make decisions, be more alert, and reduce anxiety (which I talk about more deeply in this blog post). Plus, there's the self-trust you build because you push yourself to do challenging things and consistently follow through with doing the things you say you will do. Movement doesn't have to be lifting weights in the gym. It can be going on a hike with your family, playing pickleball with your friends, or training for a triathlon. Just move!

Your wellness plan should be flexible enough to mold to your life circumstances

One reason a lot of people struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is because they're trying to live some idealized cookie cutter version they saw online or made up in their heads that doesn't actually make sense for their real life. There may be a span of time where tracking macros and working out in the gym 5 days a week makes sense for you and your goals. But if you have a newborn and a toddler at home the idea of that is totally laughable. Your body and mind are stressed enough. It's okay to shift your wellness habits to fit your needs for the time of life you're in. What isn't okay is throwing yourself on the backburner completely and telling yourself you'll get back to it when things calm down. Spoiler alert: things never really calm down.

People feeling guilty for drinking a diet soda or eating ice cream is f*cking ridiculous

Yes. I used the f*ck word because I feel that strongly about it. Every time I hear someone mention they ate or drank something and then follow it up with something like "I know that's bad" makes me want to punch a guppy and pull my hair out. STOP. IT. For f*cks sake stop guilting yourself for eating Mexican last night and having a margarita! Or for drinking your afternoon diet coke. Or enjoying ice cream for dessert. All guilting yourself is going to do is make you want to overcorrect and avoid it like the plague (only making you want it more) or give up and have 3 margaritas instead.

This gets me riled up because a lot of the time I know these people are trying to live a healthier lifestyle overall and they beat themselves up for something not being perfect. Then they miss the fact that for the first time they only had ONE margarita when they used to have 2 or they had ONE serving of ice cream instead of the whole container. They don't deserve that kind of treatment from themselves or from anyone else. We're here to enjoy life. Not live by a strict set of rules that include no flavor or spice.

Sidenote: if someone you know has decided to blacklist some item because of whatever info is bouncing around social media right now, that may or may not be accurate, and they're guilting you about it- they can heck off. Do your own research and stand by your decisions.

Nail down the basic bish habits before trying to nitpick things that might not even be necessary to change

You may not wanna hear (read) this, but if you can't even get yourself to eat enough protein and a couple servings of fruits and veggies a day what makes you think you're going to be able to make the major changes needed to, for example, not eat any seed oils at all? Do you know how hard that actually is? Focus on the things that are actually going to make a big difference and once you've nailed those down then perhaps consider cutting out seed oils if you really want to. I just say seed oils because that's the hype thing right now. Like fat was for a while. Or eggs. Give it time and something else will pop up. Dive deeper into what I mean about basic bish habits and how you can apply them to your life here.

It's not about your willpower or self-discipline

I hear people say all the time "I just need to have better self-discipline" or "I need more willpower" and this may blow your mind, but those things aren't really the problem. The issue tends to be something like not setting up your environment to support you or not having a goal that makes sense for you. There's any number of things it could be and your willpower ain't the actual problem. So next time you find yourself uttering the phrase "my self-discipline sucks" consider these things:

• Does your goal AND the plan you have in place to achieve it make sense for your life right now?

• Do you have a good support system of people who know what you're working towards and can help keep you accountable?

• Have you set up your environment in a way that supports your goals?

• Is your "why" for achieving your goal meaningful to you? How so? Be specific!

• Are you stuck in all or nothing thinking and not allowing yourself to be open to alternative methods of achieving the desired goal?

If these questions have you thinking that maybe you're going about your goals in a less than ideal way, and you feel like you need some guidance, this is what I help clients with in my one on one coaching. Email me at janna@jl-wellness.com and let's talk about how we can put together a plan that makes sense for you AND see it through!

Wellness is an act of rebellion these days

You can read my whole post on this here. However, to put it briefly, taking care of your health is a radical act. If you're worn down, tired, and sick you don't have the energy or desire to think clearly about what's going on in the world. Everything is about survival. If we keep believing self-care is selfish, we'll always just be getting by. And people that are just getting by can't thrive as well. They can't grow and evolve like they could otherwise. So, take care of your overall wellness.

Self-care is healthcare

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse when I talk about this one. Ha! In this context I mean overall self-care- not just taking time to meditate or get a massage. I mean eating well, moving your body, getting good sleep, and learning how to regulate your nervous system (all things I help clients with inside the SNAP Method). When we take care of our bodies and minds, we stay healthy more often. If we do get sick or injured, we recover better faster. There is nothing selfish about self-care. It is essential.

You're teaching your littles what's important- prioritize yourself and your health so they will prioritize their own as well

I'm not a parent, but I was a kid at one time, and I can tell you I was influenced by my mom to be active (good ol Denise Austin workouts) and other family members to pay attention to nutrition. Show your kids that you prioritize your health and wellness not only because you deserve it, but so they'll do the same for themselves when they're older.

This list could honestly go on for a while, but I will stop it there. Which one of these resonated with you the most? Tell me in the comments below! Also, if you have goals you're trying to reach and you're really struggling please reach out! What I do is literally help people reach their health and wellness goals. I'd love to hear from you so just shoot me an email at janna@jl-wellness.com!