Getting Through the Holidays

with Tarsha Gibbons

As the holidays come around this year, I get a lot of questions about eating healthy. Here is the #1 thing I would say: “Make half of your plate non-starchy vegetables”. This means leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, beets, etc…If you can do that you are well on your way to a healthier you.

It may seem hard, but it is not. What is actually a little difficult is change. Our bodies naturally want to stay the same. We must change our mind about the situation and make our body comply. Our mind will be screaming at us, our emotions will be all over the place, but we must let it know that we will be in control from now on and it will listen to what we are telling it.

This takes effort and focus but that is like anything in life. When we get a new job, we must learn how to do new things, we must learn new programs, new paperwork and then we master our responsibilities and become a great employee. Well, this is no different. You have just gotten a new job - to learn to eat better.

You will learn what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, calorie counting and when you have done this you will have mastered how to live a life of health and wellness. I am sure this is a paycheck you want to cash. That comes with the benefits of a long life. I will give you some more tips but let’s start with this one first. Let me know how this has helped. Contact us on the website. We love to hear your success stories!

Here's To You 2022

Well hello 2022! You came in here sort of like a ninja. We are looking around not knowing what to expect but are pretty sure something is coming. This is the reality of things for us right now. We are in a pandemic. We are dealing with health, family, jobs, schooling, children and just everyday stressors. But there is good news. I know you may be like , good news? Tarsha, what is that? If you are reading this you should realize you have a CHOICE to choose joy on a daily basis. You see fear is the thief of joy and you can choose today that it does not get to come into your house and steal (just like a ninja).

Most people set big and lofty goals for the new year and often get disappointed when they don’t come to pass. Can I offer you a suggestion? How about the small decision of joy just for today? Here is why I say that. I have looked over 2021 and I could dwell on all the things I got wrong, but how would that profit me?

Instead, I spoke with my amazing Admin Assistant Erica and she listed for me all the things we accomplished with Gibbons Family Fitness last year and let me tell you, our achievements were amazing. I looked at the relationship with my son and I felt so privileged to travel with his basketball team and be the mom making the sandwiches. I appreciated how my husband and I overcame so much and are evolving as a team. By choosing joy, I look for signs of it or do my best to create it. It can be uncomfortable making joy appear out of thin air, and trust me, I was uncomfortable most of the times I tried, but I was certainly not afraid. That is the key. Without minimizing what is going on in the world, I found that choosing joy meant I could control my little world at home.

Now that we have agreed to choose joy for 2022, what are some of the other things you want to accomplish this year? Are you setting yourself up for success? Figure out where you are versus where you want to be. Is this a 3 month goal, 6 months, 1 year? Then break it down by month, then by week, then by day. It should look something like this; I have committed to reading 12 books this year for personal growth and enjoyment. I will read 1 book per month. I will break the book down into chapters to see how many I need to read weekly to finish by the end of the month. Then I set my page limit daily and get to reading. By the way this is a physical book because I am a highlighter, underliner and note writer in all of my books. You couldn’t borrow them :) See how that approach to breaking down a goal works? I know you can do this!

If you have a weight loss goal it would work the same exact way. Set a realistic goal and then break it down. When you put goals into small doable steps, you gain momentum and motivation as you see your progress. Can I let you in on a little secret? You usually wind up finishing faster. You know why? Who doesn’t like accomplishing a goal like a ROCKSTAR!

2022 is going to be exciting around here. We have some pretty cool projects we are going to be working on. One is a weight loss journey with one special woman that we will debut this month. There will be some live chats and we may have a subscriber challenge. You can find out all the info on our YouTube channel. Here’s to you in 2022!

We are cheering you on. Remember to choose joy, don’t let fear in your house. Something that stuck with me when I used to be a Mary Kay consultant is that I learned that you can eat whole elephant if you take just one bite at a time. :)

One last thing in order to spread some joy in this new year, would you do me a favor? Share with me your favorite moments of 2021 and post it somewhere that you can see them everyday. Let them be a reminder that there were some bright spots last year. Now let’s make some more! See my favorites below. You are Amazing!

My son and I

With The FAMILY!

The Dream Team

Give Yourself a Gift

Every year I find myself saying the same thing, “How is it December already?” This year has flown by and it hit me all at once. Another year and my brain can’t seem to shake the idea that because the year is concluding, the chances of me starting something new has to wait until the new year. But who makes these rules? Why wait when you can start now!

I can decide yes, I am changing, I am taking charge. So now comes the time to assess my perspective of wants, needs, goals and mental health. Why does December make things feel so final? What is holding me back from moving forward with productivity and positivity? The end of the year and the holidays can be difficult. Some people are experiencing tough situations, whether it’s life’s stresses, loss of a loved one, pet or job, money issues or health issues and in a time when the whole world is living in a pandemic, aren’t we all collectively living through something?

To beat this December despair let’s do one of my favorite exercises for mental health, THE MIND DUMP.

Step ONE, Yes, just like that, make a list and check it twice. Discover if your thoughts are naughty or nice (just kidding, stay focused). Write it down, on your phone, on paper, in a notebook, on a napkin, just get it out of your head. Any thought that comes to mind, any stress, any bill you have to pay, groceries you have to buy, appointment you have to make, goal you want to achieve, trip you want to take, chore you’ve been putting off, empty it all. Go ahead and unburden yourself of all that you want, all that you feel, all that has to get done to make the life you want to live HAPPEN.

Step TWO, Prioritize. The garbage has to get taken out, the rent has to be paid but take the time to recognize what really HAS to get done now. For me, physical health is a priority. Getting my annual physical, making all the other Dr. appointments, creating my meal plan, and making a goal to change one thing that results in better physical fitness. If you are not physically well, can you really get anything done?

Step THREE, Now that you have divided, you must CONQUER! Take your big list of to-dos and schedule them by priority with a concrete deadline. Post them on the fridge, in your planner, in your phone with an alarm and send it to a friend or spouse so that you can be held accountable. When you hear that alarm and know you are going to get a phone call at the end of the day about your scheduled tasks, I don’t know about you but that is pure motivation for me. I don’t want to answer that call. I think this will work for you as well. What do you think the likelihood of you sticking to your schedule will be?.

FINALLY, when reviewing and prioritizing your mind dump, here are 4 words for you to remember: Delegate, Eliminate, Automate, Simplify. Delegate it to someone else, Eliminate unnecessary tasks, Automate whatever you can and Simplify the process wherever possible. Oh My! How is December looking for you now?. ‘Tis the season to get it done.

I say all that is left is to have a little faith. The definition of faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Let that someone be you and God. This is the season of giving to others but don’t forget to give to yourself. Give yourself love, give yourself grace, give yourself permission to believe change is possible. It can be done, you can start anew and the end of the year will be wonderful! Merry Christmas from all of us here at Gibbons Family Fitness :)