JC: And are they afraid that this might not work out for them, or it is not going to be probably what they need. Does that come up also?
Julie Ann: It does. But it’s more of the idea of will I stick with it? They don’t trust themselves to stick with the choice of getting healthier. So, it’s more about that than it is about picking up the kale and putting down the potato chips. That’s really what the biggest issue is.
JC: And how do you help them get past that fear?
Julie Ann: Nobody does this perfectly. Nobody makes all the right choices all the time. There’s going to be a time when they think that they failed, or they end up eating the thing that they said they weren’t going to eat. And then they admit it to me, and that’s the first turning point when they realize that I’m not going to shame them because they’re being human and to help them realize that it’s normal for these things to happen. That doesn’t mean stop. It means look at, was there a reason why I chose to make this choice? So, you could be aware of it next time and stop shaming yourself.
Julie Ann: If you’re not aware, then you can’t ever change it. But as soon as you become aware of the things that trigger you, then you can walk into it with a game plan, or you can avoid the things that trigger you- sometimes. For example, if I’m going somewhere and I want to eat something, I might call somebody and say, I’m tempted to eat this. And by me saying that I won’t do it because that’s how I work through my trigger. It’s important to figure out ways to be around something without having to avoid it is the ultimate goal.
JC: Before you prepared a fitness plan, do you have a consultation to see what will work better for each client?
Julie Ann: 100%, there is no one size fits all. A lot of people think that, for example, using hit training is going to be the best way to lose weight. But if they have a neck injury or they have balance issues, it’s not going to be the best way. And people always ask me, what’s the best exercise? And my response is always the one that you do. The best exercise is the one that you’re going to actually do. So, it does depend on the person and what their goals are, because sometimes it’s not the thing that they’ve chosen for themselves that’s best for them.
Julie Ann: But I do think that most people should do some sort, especially women should do weight training. A lot of women believe that they’re going to look manly if they do weight training, they don’t realize, one they’re going to lose weight faster. If they have more muscle mass and two, they don’t have the right hormones to look like the Hulk so that’s not something that they need to worry about. You have to be at a more of an elite level to start worrying about whether or not you’re going to look masculine. So yeah, but that’s a misconception. I’ve never had a client, a female client end up looking like a man, it takes a lot more effort than what they’re going to be putting into it.
JC: Can fitness help businesspeople to achieve a goal even faster?
Julie Ann: Yes. It does actually help you achieve your goals faster. A lot of people tend to think that they have to focus all of their energy towards what they’re building, and their business and they let themselves go. What they don’t realize is they need to be well in order to achieve what they’re going to achieve. But the other thing that they don’t think about is one: it’s a stress reliever. So, it helps reduce their overall stress. Two: it’s a good way for them to get new, fresh and innovative ideas because they’re not directly thinking about their business. It’s kind of like their brain is still working in the background. They’ve got apps on in the background and that are still working away while they’re focusing on something else. And then all of a sudden, they have these brilliant ideas because they’re not solely focused on their business.
Julie Ann: So, it’s not that they’re taking away from their work. That’s a misconception. They’re not taking away from working on their business. They’re actually helping it grow because they’re making themselves healthy and they’re making themselves a priority. And it makes their brain clearer. They think better and that lowers their stress. So, this idea that they have to put themselves on the backburner or that they’ll do it later when they have more time is a bad idea. Sometimes they do reach their goals and they think it’s because they put themselves on the back burner. But usually, it’s in spite of that fact. You don’t get spare parts for your body. It’s not on lease.
Julie Ann: Ultimately you have to live in this body for the rest of your life and if you want it to be long and healthy and you want to feel good in your own skin, then you have to take care of yourself. You can’t think of yourself last because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
JC: What’s the role of sleep when pursuing our fitness goals?
Julie Ann: People really underestimate the power of sleep. I hate the saying I’ll sleep when I die, because you’re going to die quicker if you don’t sleep enough. People don’t realize that their brain builds up plaque and while they’re sleeping, and while they are sleeping their brain clears out the plaque that builds up. Sleep helps with early onset dementia; it helps with Alzheimer’s. It helps with, just being able to problem solve and with thinking clearly. People don’t realize how much lack of sleep affects their brain, let alone their entire body.
