Mantra De Jour: Adapt-Innovate-Overcome

And so, before I say anything more, I have an announcement: I write you today, 1 pound lighter.

You'll never guess how I did it -- I ate less and burned more. I know! Who knew? Crazy!!!

But seriously folks, that's the secret: 3500 calories in deficit. Every time.

Now on to the mantra of the day, "Innovate, Adapt & Overcome."

There's a guy with a suspicious amount of energy in my Sunday Shadow Boxing class who shouted this phrase during the class a couple of weeks ago. At the time, the instructor was having technical difficulties that amounted to no microphone and no music. Her attempt to remain upbeat was impressive, but the tell-tale hives showing up on her neck were not fooling me.

This is when Super Enthusiastic guy (while bouncing in place like Tigger) said, "That's cool. Innovate, Adapt & Overcome."

In the week and a half since, his three word phrase has become my mantra. When I see a challenge, I try to figure out which of the three paths will lead to a solution. Here are a few cases in point:

Innovate
Try something new or a new way of seeing/approaching what you are already doing. For me, it's been running. This is something new, something terrifying, and something exhausting. Still, it's jumpstarted my cardio stamina like nothing else. Today I finished Zumba and felt like I could do more. Three months ago I wanted to throw up 30 minutes in.

Little by little, yard by yard, I'm running longer and faster. I'm also getting a little more efficient thanks to a few tips from Betty the Meanie. It's amazing how trying something new or trying something old in a new way can take you to a place you didn't think you could reach.

Adapt
Sometimes, the key is to simply accept what's happening and figure out a way to make it work. For whatever reason, food is a major issue for me from 1 to 4 p.m. almost every day. This is usually when I screw up on a grand scale. I've tried many options, but the fact is, that this is a struggle. My new plan? I simply adapt to the situation. No one major meal, but a deconstructed one that simply finds me grazing like the munch hound I am during this window of time.

I like to eat and I think about food on an unnaturally consuming level during these times. That's cool, I am who I am. Now the trick is to find a way to adapt to the situation, to change at least one factor so that all the pegs fit nicely into place. So far the deconstructed meal is working for me (I mean, I lost a pound people, so that clearly makes me an expert -- LOL).

Overcome
Then there are the icky things that lurk on the periphery of my fitness program. Things like that funky Spartacus Workout that Betty the Meanie gave me. It's got mountain climbers and T-pushups for crying outloud! First of all, the very sound of something like a Spartacus Workout sounds crazy to me. Doing it hurts like the dickens. But doing it alone? finding the motivation? That is just plain insane.

You see, I may like sexy hips & arms, but I also like not feeling like I'm going to die. Thinking about this workout reminds me that I will probably feel like I'm going to die if I do it. And that's exactly why I have to do it, at least once a week.

As you may or may not remember, I recently had to start at ground zero with two exercises -- pushups and lunges -- because my form was wrong. Bad form can cause problems like working the wrong muscle and can result in odd physcial structure and even pain. I was humiliated to have to relearn push ups after I prided myself on finally graduating to the "real" kind and not "girl" push ups. Alas, my arms were not bending deep enough, se la vie.

Knowing this, Betty the Meanie introduced a new exercise routine that only includes four exercises (the good news) that you repeat 5 times (the not so good news) in the span of 20 minutes. One of these, is a round of 10 push ups. Seriously? If you are quick with math, you'll catch that this means 50 pushups in 20 minutes.

Ah, but we are overcoming, are we not? So guess who cranked the things out -- me! And I'm ecstatic, because guess whose tatas are lifting -- that's right, me, baby!

For me, the major challenge associated with this little mantra, Innovate-Adapt-Overcome, is that it forces me to push into the unfamiliar and, truthfully, uncomfortable zones. It forces me to try something new when I feel very stupid, like the lunges Betty the Meanie has me doing across the width of the gym in front of everybody like a total yahoo.

It means recognizing that some challenges need to be conquered and others simply require an adjustment on my part. I love food and I don't plan to stop eating it any time soon or to replace it with disgusting things or fads or whatever. But I realize that there has to be some change, some adaptation.

I also realize that there are some things that really suck and just aren't fun no matter how you slice it, but that have to be done to get the results I'm seeking. At those times, I just have to man up (or woman up in my case) and get the thing done.

Adapt-Innovate-Overcome. I like this one & I hope it brings you some encouragement as well.

Until next,