A million reasons not to work out

“I’ve got a million reasons not to workout and one reason why I should”

I have an early morning friend/client I’ve been training for almost 3 years…I go to her house or zoom workout with her 5x a week and we joke that we wake up every morning together

She’s made big changes over the years but I think the biggest change she’s had is her mindset. She’s been letting me in on some of her self talk and perspectives and I thought I’d share with you because I truly believe we all talk to ourselves like this at one time or another.

She often says that when her alarm goes off in the morning…she thinks of a million reasons why she shouldn’t get up…

~She’s got a busy day at work

~She was up late running kids or helping with homework

~She’s got a ton of laundry to do

~She hasn’t been eating good lately so really….what’s the point

~Maybe today she’ll just sleep in and workout later in the day

~ the results she’s getting aren’t fast enough or immediate

And…then…she said she realizes there’s only ONE reason she should get up and workout…that one reason is because she’s worth it…her health is worth it and everything in her life improves when she feels good.

I think we all have a million reasons not to exercise…..time, money, an all or nothing attitude towards your health.

The truth is, the small things you do daily matter. You have to get past the all or nothing approach and you have to put your health first. That’s how it has to work. I’ve never seen sustainable results that didn’t have that formula.

Running through the reasons why you shouldn’t is fine as long as the ultimate outcome is that you DO IT.

Consistency is the special sauce. It’s the magic trick everyone is looking for. Pick a few small things you can do daily to improve your health, stick with them and then let me know how things are going for you next year on January 18th

I love hearing my clients’ perspectives and I’m so thankful for their trust.

In the end, we are all just regular people striving for a good quality of life…and good health starts with our mindset.

Xoxo, Angie

Definition of Insanity

Definition of Insanity:

Spending another minute not feeling good.....

Spending another minute not loving the gift of your body.....

Spending another minute skipping that class because you are self conscious or don’t know what to wear.......

Spending another day confused about what to do to feel better.......

Spending another second thinking about your belly and how much you hate it........

Spending another week starting and quitting.......

Spending another moment uncomfortable in your skin........

Spending another second unhappy.....

Insanity is spending all this time on these things...

and not doing ANYTHING about it.

That’s how I define insanity.

If you only knew how good your body was designed to feel....

If you only knew how much power lies in your own mind....

IF YOU JUST MADE ONE CHANGE TODAY......

If you only knew how much better you could feel in as little as 5 days.....

You’d stop the insanity.

YOU have the POWER to change it all.

You are in control.

I promise....feeling good is worth it.

Xoxo, Angie

One Body

Spending one more minute hating your body is a waste of time.

If perfection is your goal you will fail. Perfect is a subjective standard and it changes all the time. It’s also set by someone who isn’t you.

You have one body. It’s unique and it’s yours.

You get to decide what to do with your body. You decide what goes in it and you decide how to move it.

Society’s standards aren’t the measuring stick.

Healthy and feeling good should be the goal.

Last, but certainly not least, the way you feel, talk about and treat your body is passed along to your kids. Do NOT teach them to grow up on a diet and striving to meet unattainable standards set by the world. Please teach them to eat healthy and exercise ....not because it makes them look better but because it makes them FEEL AND BE BETTER.

Xoxo, Angie

Comparison is a thief

Everything changed when I stopped comparing.

Warning...what I’m going to suggest is going to take a while to accomplish and will be something you’ll need to work on every day. Progress...not perfection.

1st step: Make a conscious effort to STOP COMPARING AND STOP COMPETING.

I spent a lot of years comparing. I compared myself to other girls who were petite or small. I compared myself to athletic girls who could jump and run. I compared myself to lean and long dancers who could dance on their toes and spin.

I was competing with bodies that weren’t built like mine. Expecting my body to do things it wasn’t built to do.

I’ve always had big legs, big lips, big hips. It just is what it is....and while some of that might be “in style” now...it certainly wasn’t when I grew up. All we wanted was big hair and bangs, skinny legs & lips and a flat butt (this is all true...ladies of the 80’s remember?!)

So I started comparing...I listened to the kids call me ‘bongo hips and lips’ and believed that I wasn’t good enough because I didn’t look a certain way.

I think we have all been there and we all beat ourselves up for not fitting into norms or whatever society views as “pretty” in that decade.

Then, after years of comparing and competing and saying yucky things to myself....I decided to STOP. I had a daughter who I brought into this world and I never wanted her to feel inferior for the way her body was made. I wanted her to celebrate her strengths in her body and not compare. I needed to lead by example.

Everything changed when I stopped comparing and competing. I realized that my legs were powerhouses on the bike. I realized that my height allowed me to carry myself with strength. I realized that if I accept and love my body it was capable of amazing things.

This was a 35 plus year journey that I am still on daily.

I encourage you to find something amazing about YOU and celebrate it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks...it matters what you say and think.

I promise if you stop comparing you’ll become free and happier.

We were born unique with exactly what we need to serve our purpose...no one is ever going to be like you and you’ll never be, look or act like anyone else. What a wonderful gift that is!

Another moral of this story is that whatever is “in style” for the perfect body now will definitely change...if you get old enough you’ll see it come full circle (mom jeans is a perfect example:))

XOXO, Angie

Why I Train

I've been thinking a lot about my training and coaching philosophies and how they have changed as I get older.

I know that my style isn’t for everyone. I’m not everyone’s “cup of tea”. That’s the beauty of wellness and fitness. There’s a style and a trainer/coach for everyone. You just need to align with someone who inspires you and believes what you believe. No trainer or coach is everything to everyone.

Here's what I believe and why I train.

I train to be strong

I train to feel good

I train to increase my energy for my life with my family

I train to be healthy and in reasonably good shape

I know that I am responsible for my family’s health

I fuel my body to achieve those training goals

I always want to know the WHY before the what or how

I don’t like fads or things that seem to make no sense

If you are like me, if you feel this way....I can help you. I'd love to help you. It's my passion and my mission in life and I'm ready when you are. You'll have to listen to me talk about purpose and passion but I know I can help anyone who wants to help themselves

XOXO, Angie

EXERCISE

Exercise

Has nothing to do with losing weight

Has nothing to do with burning calories

Has nothing to do with the food you ate today or yesterday or will eat tomorrow

Has nothing to do with getting a six pack or a “toned” body

Exercise

Has everything you to do with your mental wellness

Has everything to do with keeping your bones, joints & muscles strong

Has everything to do with your happiness

Has everything to do with being grateful for your body

Has everything to with celebrating your strength and health and wellness

You have to separate exercise from nutrition. You can’t exercise because you want to eat more or because you ate “bad”. You can’t punish yourself for what you ate by exercising more.

Once you start exercising for the right reasons…you become free.

Free to love your body

Free to move your body

Free to celebrate your body

I wish that everyone could enjoy that freedom. Exercise because you GET TO not because you HAVE TO. Celebrate every movement you are ABLE to do and don’t worry about the movements you can’t.

Enjoy your body and free yourself from the diet culture calorie burning trap we have all been in at some point in our lives

Our bodies were MADE TO MOVE…so do what you can and enjoy it.

Oh….and be consistent

XOXO, Angie

What you need to know

The diet industry isn’t going to tell you that a sustainable lifestyle change is going to take a while or that you HAVE to adjust your nutrition or that you HAVE to find a way to be active.

The diet industry isn’t telling you that it’s not complicated but it also isn’t easy.

The diet industry isn’t telling you that you will need to adjust your priorities and say no to some things for a while.

They don’t tell you this because those things don’t sell. It’s not sexy to say “this could take a year or more”. It’s not sexy to say that you can’t make unhealthy food choices ALL the time and still be healthy.

When I finally “figured it out” I decided to be that person that tells you the truth, the person that encourages and educates and believes in you until you believe in you.

I realized that the machine that is the diet industry is selling fast, easy & sexy and that’s just making America depressed, overweight and confused.

Everyone is different, every body is different and I don’t know how long it will take for you. My goal is to help you learn your body & its needs and guide you on a path that is sustainable.

Of course I know what to tell you to do to so you would lose 10lbs by next Friday, but I don’t believe in fast ….I believe in forever.

Just know that….just like everything in life….if it seems too good to be true…it probably is.

Also, a week, a month or a year from now I bet you will wish that you just got started today.

XOXO, Angie

Freedom

Freedom

Are you “free”?

You’ll never be truly free until:

The number on the scale doesn’t define your worth…

The number in your bank account doesn’t define your success...

The number of likes, friends, followers or comments doesn’t define your value to the world...

You aren’t truly free until none of those numbers matter and YOU are truly living YOUR life in YOUR body for YOURSELF….owning YOUR choices.

Xoxo, Angie

Fair Expectations for a New Year

It’s a fair expectation that you can feel better next year than you feel this year.

Age, weight, circumstances have nothing to do with it.

It’s a decision.

A decision to put yourself first.

A decision to put your health first.

A decision that you are worth it.

This might sound too simple…and it is.

I got into this business to help people see that it isn’t complicated. It’s not easy but it’s certainly very simple.

There’s enough horrible things in this world…the way you feel shouldn’t be one of them.

Take some time over the next few days and find something you can do next year to improve how your feel, to improve your health.

Some people can make a full sweep change and some people need small steps. There’s no right or wrong way.

Find someone you trust and just ask for help if you need it.

I got help 16 years ago and it changed my life….and many other lives since.

I was scared, embarrassed, sad, all the things…..but I needed a change and I had a small little girl relying on a healthy mama.

2022 is less than 48 hours and I am FIRED UP!

Just remember, first step….DECIDE

XOXO, Angie

I weighed myself today.......

I weighed myself this morning and it was 10 lbs more than I’d like it to be…and 10 lbs more than it used to be..

And I’m not even mad about it

Why? Because I’ve got a plan, I’ve got support & I’ve got all the tools I need to put the brakes on and turn this around.

Obviously nights of wine and charcuterie catch up…I knew it would and I made those choices.

And now I’m going to make other choices and get back on track.

Will I have wine & charcuterie again…you betcha (Wisconsin ppl say ‘you betcha )….but I won’t have it for a little while.

I’m ready to feel good again and feed my body what it needs to feel good…out with the inflammatory foods and in with the good stuff.

That number on the scale is what it is and it does not define me…but it is a reflection of the choices I’ve been making. I own every single choice I make.

And it’s ok. Because I’m ready and excited for January and feeling better.

I don’t know about you but I am REALLY feeling !

I’d love for you to join me….I just got done with a nutrition consult with a friend who is doing this with me and im super excited for her too!

Decision, Plan, Action.

I’ve got a plan & tools to help you too

Xoxo, Angie

It is time to feel good again.....

It’s time to feel good again. Stop measuring your worth by the scale.

Losing weight isn’t a goal...it’s a result...

A result of deciding to treat your body like the amazing machine it is.

A result of deciding you are worth putting nutritious food in your body.

A results of recognizing your health choices affect every single person you love.

A result of deciding that $120 a month on fitness is as important as $120 a month on your nails.

A result of a DECISION.

A decision to be more, do more, love yourself more.

If you aren’t happy where you are with your health or fitness....you are not helpless. There is hope.

But no one can help you until you decide you are worth it.

I know you are worth it. It’s time you decide you are too.

Just remember...The scale doesn’t own you. You won’t be a better person, mom or wife if you weigh less, but you might be better if you feel good.

Improvement starts from within and making the decision to feel better.

I’d love to help you:)….just ask.

Xoxo, Angie

10 Hard Truths & a Lie

“10 hard truths and a lie”

1 ~ True change begins in your mind. You need to decide that being healthy is the most important priority in your life…more important that every single thing in your life

2 ~ Fad diets are not sustainable. Extreme dieting or eating is not a way of life. One big red flag is when you are on a diet that doesn’t allow you to exercise. If what you are doing now is not something you can do 80% of the time FOREVER then it’s not sustainable

3 ~ Your muscle drives your metabolism. Eat & exercise to sustain & grow that muscle. I like to say…the more muscle you have, the more you can eat

4 ~ The diet industry is trying to confuse you because they make more money if you are overweight and confused. The pharmaceutical companies make more money if you are sick

5 ~ You are literally the ONLY PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HEALTH …that’s is all caps and I’m shouting…the sooner you take responsibility for your health, the sooner things can get better

6 ~ Your views on dieting, body image and your food relationships will be passed down to your kids. I know we don’t need more stuff to feel guilty about but passing down unhealthy views on food or body image is not serving the next generation

7 ~ Long term weight loss comes from a lifestyle change and takes time. It can take a long time and it’s worth it

8 ~ Small changes create huge momentum over time. Everything doesn’t have to change at once. Start small & get the ball rolling

9 ~ Exercise is vital for your health but it won’t, by itself, result in weight loss. This is why I went back to get my nutrition certification….because teaching people to exercise wasn’t enough….true change happens when you combine both nutrition & fitness

10~ There are no good or bad foods…but there are ‘all the time’ and ‘once in a while’ foods. You will eat a cookie again….maybe just not every day

*Here’s the one lie*

“I’ve tried it all and nothing works”. Until you change your paradigm, you change your relationship with food and create a healthy body image nothing will ‘work’. But once you decide that food isn’t the enemy and exercise is a celebration of your strength…things will change and you can focus on healthy habits that sustain a high quality of life.

If your goal is to look like a supermodel, have zero cellulite or lose 10lbs of fat in a week……you are quite possibly on an eternal cycle of up & down weight and your expectations are unrealistic…which always results in failure.

It’s time to make those changes and feel better…long term ….for a higher quality of life.

Xoxo, Angie

January 7th - the day resolutions die

January 7th - Statistically today is the day people give up on the New Years Changes they committed to just 7 days ago….

It doesn’t have to be this way.

It’s important to understand that TRUE CHANGES take time and go through stages (sometimes repeating the stages over and over until it “sticks”. )

Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like giving up. Instead, determine which stage of change you are in and repeat the stages as often as needed.

Stages of change

1) Awareness: something triggers you to because aware of the need to make a change. Perhaps it’s a health scare, a number on the scale, a picture, a feeling….something makes you AWARE that you need to change your path. WHAT is it that you want to change.

2) Contemplation: don’t skip this step….because this is your WHY! I recommend you write down all the things you want less of in your life and all the things you want more of in your life. Then, write down what your life looks like if you make the change you became aware of in step 1. Write down your WHY.

3) Knowledge: gather information, research plans, talk to experts. This step is where you figure out your HOW. Ensure you gather good information to take you to the next step.

4) Action: in this step you put it all into action. Remembering WHAT you want to change, WHY you want to change and HOW you have decided to change. You are in full action mode.

{steps 2, 3 and 4 may be repeated over and over until true change happens…..it isn’t a failure to keep repeating steps…it’s a failure to quit entirely}

Finally…the last step and the one step that, when you reach it, you know you have permanent change:

5) Self Accountability: you know you are here when you say things like “I want to” vs. “I have to”. You are fully accountable only to yourself and are able to do the things you decided to in step 2 on your own. This is where I strive to get my clients. This is where lasting change happens.

Now sprinkled through out these steps are motivation….internal & external motivation and it’s important to find that motivation throughout and especially when you are in step 5. Everyone needs that…even after you’ve made a lasting change.

So it you feel like you are about to kick that resolution to the curb…perhaps go back to contemplation or find new knowledge and repeat the cycle again. Everyone can change. It’s not fast or sexy but it’s permanent and worth it.

What stage do you feel like you are at right now?

XOXO, Angie

I SEE YOU

I see you.

I see you getting up at 4:30am to exercise because it’s the only time you can get to yourself.

I see you sacrificing other things in your life and making an investment in your health so you can pay for that exercise class, gym membership or coach.

I see you doing lunges in the school parking lot while you wait for your kids to get done with practice...just trying to get your exercise in.

I see you up long before the sun to get those miles in and get home before anyone in your house is even awake.

I see you struggling with everything you have in your life but still digging in and finding more to give to your family everyday.

I see you planning & cooking the meals for you and your family...not because it’s easy but because their health is more important than convenience.

I see you doing it when you don’t want to.

I see you struggling to keep it together even when you think you can’t.

I see you fighting for your health and the health of those you love.

We are in a war for our health and I see you winning. Not winning because it’s easy, but winning because it matters.

I see you. I support you. I celebrate you.

What you are doing for yourself and those you love matters....and will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine.

Just keep fighting and being a warrior for health. I see you & I’m cheering you on…..all the way.

Xoxo, Angie

DARE Graduation 12/19/12

Nine years ago I was asked to speak at a few Middle School DARE graduations....I always keep my notes in my phone..and this one came up today....as I read it, it occurred to me that a lot of adults could use these words and I needed to hear them today too. Hope it helps someone in social media land!

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DARE GRADUATION SPEECH

12/19/12

- Angie Asmann

Don't worry, I'm not going to make you do push-ups!

In all seriousness....Congratulations to all of you on such a significant accomplishment. I have a few words for you to consider and think about as you grow up and become community leaders

Be brave....be brave enough to create your own path and defend your beliefs. Sometimes you will lead and sometimes you will follow but you must stay true to yourself

Be strong...lead the way and stand up for what you believe...and know that a really strong person recognizes the strengths of others

Be thankful .....find something everyday to be thankful for...learn to be thankful no matter where you are in your life.

Be healthy...your future and your life depend on it. Love yourself and your friends and family enough to keep your body, mind and spirit healthy

Finally...Be happy...and shine from within in all of your actions and words. Give back to others and allow them to shine with you. Do all you can to make your world a healthy and happy place to BE

Congratulations again! You should all be very proud of yourselves and each other!

Thank you.

My Purpose

My purpose is to move you away from old paradigms and bring you into a new one.

I want your NEW paradigm for health & fitness to inspire you.

I want to move you away from exercises that are boring and bring you workouts that are fun.

I want to move you away from thinking you have to drill your body into the ground and teach you that treating your body good results in excellent health &

fitness.

I want to move you away from thinking you need to be perfect and show you that our imperfections are what make us beautiful.

I want to move you away from breaking yourself down and help to build you up.

I want to move you away from the scale and help you focus on the growth inside as you get stronger and happier.

My purpose - my #1 purpose in life- is to teach, inspire & lead you to loving your fitness and your body.

We WILL have fun doing it. We WILL become stronger together. We WILL believe we are WORTH IT!

Oh....and...We WILL have messy hair after every single workout and possibly before the workout too

Xoxo, Angie

December Wellness thoughts :)

Happy December!

I’d like to share a perspective with you that I feel might help you feel better as we move towards 2022 in 22 days.

Working out is not a punishment. If you view it like that you will never stick with it. I mean, who wants to be punished all the time. I prefer gifts...don’t you? Your workouts are your gifts to yourself.

Do not slash all your tires just because one went flat. If you miss a day or have an off day, hour, weekend, etc...pick yourself up and get going again. Stop being all or nothing and just be active.

Workout to be strong...NOT to burn calories. Stop chasing the scale and start to ENJOY your fitness. The scale will be there in January if you want to use it then...but until then stop beating yourself up about a number that doesn’t define you or your fitness.

Have FUN with your workouts. Stop comparing, stop complaining, stop any negative self talk. Your body is an amazing machine! Find workouts that are fun! Get yourself some people (virtually or in person) to have some fun workouts with.

Wear the red workout pants (or wear whatever you want!). Who cares if they make your butt look too big or too small and who cares if you have cellulite because we all have it. Getting into the spirit with some fun clothes just makes it so much better!

Stop being all or nothing with your health and do what you can do today to feel and be stronger! I promise you won’t regret it!

Xoxo, Angie

Post Thanksgiving Scale Self Talk....

The Monday after Thanksgiving…and…I’m debating on whether I should step on the scale today.

Questions I’m asking

will that number on the scale make me feel good or bad about myself

does my worth as a coach, mom, wife, daughter, person depend on that number

if it says higher than what I want will I say “screw it” and go crazy the rest of the day, month or year with my eating?

if it says lower than what I want will I say “screw it” since I spent 4 days over the holiday indulging and didn’t gain anything?

HERES THE REAL QUESTION I NEED TO ASK:

If I get on the scale and don’t love the number (which I never do)…am I WILLING to make changes today to change that number. Am I willing to adjust my nutrition to get different results. The answer…right now…In December….is NO I’m not changing my nutrition. I’m not going crazy but I’m not going to reign it in anymore….I’ve got a wine advent calendar to drink and dry January/February and a New Years cleanse planned.

So…..I’m not getting on the scale. Because, for me, it won’t help or change anything. It’ll probably just make me feel like crap. I’ve got a plan in place for next month and this month I’ll indulge if I want to on the weekends and maybe a little during the week (I told you about the wine advent calendar right?)

Thanks for participating in my scale self talk:)

Xoxo, Angie

Your Holiday "Body Bill of Rights"

Your Holiday “Body Bill of Rights”

1. You have the right to enjoy food with the people that matter to you. You do not have to feel guilty or allow your food choices to be judged by anyone else or YOURSELF.

2. You have the right to exercise or move your body in any way that you enjoy. You do not have to exercise to compensate for something you did or did not eat. You do not have to workout to burn calories.

3. You have the right to wear clothes that feel good on you & that you enjoy. You do not have to choose your clothing in order to impress others or look a certain way. If you feel good on the inside it will radiate to the outside.

4. You don’t owe anyone at your holiday celebration a smaller, fitter, different body.

5. You do not have to label foods “good” or “bad”. You have the right to nourish your body with foods you enjoy.

6. You have the right to be in all the pictures. Front & center. Enjoying your life, your body, your freedom from judgement.

I hope you all enjoy this week with those you care about. I hope you eat all the pie (or whatever it is you want) without guilt or shame or judgement. I hope you find gratitude in the your life & the amazing body your soul inhabits. Happy Thanksgiving !

Xoxo, Angie

You are perfect....just the way you are

I don’t know who needs to hear this but…

You are perfect just way you are

No one gets to judge you

No one gets to tell you what you should wear

No one gets to tell you what you should weigh

No one gets to decide what’s best for YOU

No one gets to decide what job is best for you

Protect yourself and protect your self image & protect your mental health

Wear your hair the way you want, skip the make up or wear all the makeup, put on the clothes that make you feel fierce, do the workouts that work for your body, eat what makes your body feel good. AND IGNORE THE HATERS.

Everyone has haters…if you are living out loud then you are probably rubbing someone the wrong way.

IGNORE the negative comments & just be YOU. The world needs YOU.

Be kind. Be REAL. Be YOU

Xoxo, Angie