Christa teams up with with a Kelli von Heydekampf for a special Interview/Mind Zoning® combo which will give you the courage to tackle change head-on. In addition to being one of Fitlandia’s practitioners, Kelli is a certified hypnotherapist running West Metro Hypnosis in Minneapolis.

The Courage to Change

Making a lifestyle change is similar to going through the stages of grief, people are faced with uncertainty, worry, and judgement. Generally, it’s easier to simply stay the course, so change isn’t something that people tend to embrace or run towards. While Fitlandia focuses on health, “the courage to change” isn’t restricted to diet, it can be applied to your professional life, your personal life, breaking out of addiction, literally anything that needs to happen.

Often we have an inner conflict with ourselves regarding change. We recognize that we want to be better, but question whether we’re “enough” in our current form. Strong enough. Healthy enough. Ready enough. We are not looking at the word ‘better’ from a comparative sense: it’s not about competition, but evolution. It’s about discovering what our true essence really is.

As humans we have a perpetual desire to see what we can evolve into, and for many people that starts with our physical representation. Letting that focus be on health instead allows us to properly evolve into a sustainable, long-term lifestyle.

Who wants to Play?

Whenever we look at change or self-improvement we tend to view it as work. We see it as one more thing that we have to do. Meal Plan. Workout. Journal. It just seems to add on to our already busy lives. About a year ago Kelli joined an improv group, and they always begin by asking the group “who wants to play?” That surprised her. She hadn’t been asked that in decades, and it became a revelatory phrase for her. Now she approaches wellness in the same way, with a sense of play, curiosity, and wonderment. It doesn't have to be work.

“Pay attention to when your beliefs become your excuses. Your negative thoughts are protecting you.” - Kelli von Heydekampf

Your negative thoughts are protecting you. That aspect of your brain is there for a reason, but sometimes the behaviors that it chooses are not beneficial. You simply need to update those thoughts into ones that will benefit you.

Our thoughts manifest our realities, so would any of us consciously choose negativity? The brilliance is we get to choose. It may not always be easy, but we get to choose. What allows us to be successful is small successes continually built over time. Look at what you’re already doing well and want to maintain, and build on that every day. Even if it’s just drinking one more glass of water than the day before, it all adds up.

“Long-lasting change in an inside/outside job.” - Kelli von Heydekampf

With all that in mind Kelli leads a Mind Zoning® to help us find the courage to change. That’s what this gratitude Mind Zoning® is all about, tapping into the power of the mind and giving you that determination, gratitude, and thankfulness to help you reach your wellness goals. As with our other episodes, this Mind Zoning® is broken down into four key parts:

1. First, we use a progressive relaxation technique which will help you relax your muscles and ease yourself into a relaxed, inward-looking mental state.
2. Next, we invite you to enter your safe space to feel relaxed. Letting your thoughts pass through your mind as you progressively look deeper and deeper.
3. Then we sink deeper you’ll notice as your body becomes more relaxed, your mind opens to new learning, suggestions and insight. In this state you’ll harness the power within yourself to embrace change and become your healthiest self.
4. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, invigorated, and ready for your next healthy step.

You don’t have to be “good” at meditation, this is simply a relaxing method to help you along your fitness journey and aid you with making a healthy lifestyle change. Just let your mind follow the voice and allow yourself to take this step in your fitness journey.

Learn about our free 2-week trial membership at www.fitlandiafitness.com

 

Think you don't have time to workout? Think again! Megan Benedict and Loren Castillo, two of Fitlandia’s partners and the creators of Fit Kitchen Direct join Christa for a breakdown of the HIIT workout.

HIIT

HIIT stands for “High Intensity Interval Training” and is a workout style that’s gained massive popularity in the past few years, and for good reason. Christa, Megan, and Loren are all entrepreneurs which means (among other things) they lead hyper-busy, always-on lives. Unfortunately that also means that simple things like cooking and exercise can fall by the wayside, but HIIT serves as a solution to that problem.

HIIT is a workout you can do at the gym, at the park, or even from your home. HIIT entails the exerciser doing one sort of movement at the highest intensity they possibly can followed by a short period of rest. According to Megan, who is also a personal trainer, “you should be doing it to the point where you cannot talk.”

Megan says that for beginners it’s okay to start out at 30 seconds of high interval training with a minute of rest. Doing that for a max of ten minutes is enough to constitute a rigorous exercise that will keep your blood pumping. In addition to it’s time-saving nature, the great thing about HIIT is that each exercise is extremely customizeable to the individual which means you can build up your timing as you get better. The  7 Minute Workout is an app that’s gained popularity over the past several years though there are plenty of other HIIT-specific apps in every phone’s app store.

Specific Exercises

Mountain Climber

Burpee

High knees

Kettlebell Swings

Jog Sprints

Air Squats

Push-ups

Whatever You Start, Finish it.

Megan’s biggest tip is to make time for exercise and don’t overthink it. The great part about HIIT workouts is that you can do them anytime, anywhere, and without equipment. There’s a wealth of different workouts, apps, and knowledge available online, the only thing stopping you is you. Starting out slow, doing research, and knowing what you’re doing is key. Soon you’ll find movements you like that you can integrate into your routine and you’ll be crafting your own HIIT before you know it.

Special Offer

Megan and Loren also come bearing gifts in the form of a free Fit Kitchen Direct meal on them. Using the code FITLANDIA will get you one free meal out of FKD’s 5, 10, or 12 packs. Check out their delicious meals here and #EatCleanIn2017

Need the perfect complement to your workouts? Get a free, 2-week membership at Fitlandia today.

In the 17th episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa is joined by Allison Nichols for a discussion on gut health and how it can impact your wellness.

Healing yourself from the inside out

Allison is a holistic nutrition counselor who works with people to improve their gut health and help them break free of the diet cycle, “healing yourself from the inside out” as she puts it. After graduating from college Allison existed on a diet of Kashi cereal, yogurt, and fruit in an attempt to be as thin as possible. Meanwhile she was struggling with horrible digestion problems to the point where her gut began to control her life. She started to notice that no one else was acting like her. Nobody else was in constant pain, or feverishly keeping track of restrooms for future reference. Allison realized what she was doing for weight loss was actually negatively affecting her body. She realized that there’s more to health than weight, and there’s a connection between what you eat and how you feel.

After discovering Mark’s Daily Apple and she began experimenting with a more primal diet, avoiding grains, legumes, and dairy. She didn’t lose any weight, but she noticed that she was feeling better day by day, and eventually most of her digestive issues faded.

“Realizing that I could eat whole foods and foods with fat in them and not gain weight was a life-changing experience.” - Allison Nichols

No One Size Fits All

No one way of eating works for everyone. Respecting the biochemical individuality of each person is something that’s impossible to fine-tune from a company’s broad dietary plan. That’s why people get frustrated because they try one or two diets and they don’t line up with their bodies or their lifestyles. Fitness is a journey of coming to understand your own body and finding a dietary style that works for you.

Through this realization, Allison realized the importance of food journaling, and removing the attachments that she had with food. Recognizing the consequences that different types of foods have is important, and coming to that understanding is a vital step in the fitness journey.

Once she sorted her own digestive and dietary problems out, Allison wanted to help other people break free from dieting. She set out to help others build a healthy relationship with food and start that process from the mind rather than with the body. It’s an uphill battle because in today’s culture of digital entertainment and on-demand gratification, people want instant gratification and instant results.

Fitness is a Journey, Not a Destination

Together, Allison and Christa outline a few tips for long-term success:

1. Everyone is different, finding out what’s right for you is a learning experience.
2. New Patterns. Bacteria in your gut causes cravings, you can reprogram your mind to crave alternatives like exercise.
3. Be a Mindful Eater. Food is comforting, and you can feel better when you eat certain foods. If you’re eating from a conscious place, then it’s okay.

Allison also helps Fitlandians by providing one of the many questions that she asks her clients. Before indulging in a rich dessert, or even eating in the first place, ask yourself “am I physically hungry, or do I just want to eat?” Being able to determine actual hunger and emotional hunger is huge. Sugar, processed foods, and poor diets can muffle our feelings and skew our perceptions of what fullness and hunger feel like. If you are physically hungry, opting for a healthier option is more fulfilling, but the hard part is making those options accessible. If pre-prepared, pre-packaged, processed foods are already there, it’s easy to default to those.

 “There’s no such thing as mistakes, only learning experiences.” - Allison Nichols

 The two wrap the episode up with a few helpful tips to improve gut health:

1. Slow down your eating experience
2. Hydrate, but don’t drink water with meals
3. Keep a food journal to learn about yourself 

Explore more on our site at fitlandiafitness.com and get your free 2-week trial to unlock all members benefits today!

On this very special episode of the Fitlandia podcast, Christa pulls inspiration from real-life as she recounts her tale of a recent speeding ticket and how it impacted her life.

Slow Down

During a trip from Portland to Bend, Oregon Christa was stopped on the highway for going about 20 miles over the speed limit. During the seemingly eternal period while the officer was running her plates, Christa was shaking, her heart was racing, and she was worried about what would happen next. She then took a moment to pause and reflect on what had just happened and she owned it. It was her responsibility, and there was nobody to blame but herself. It then occurred to her that she had an opportunity to check her own perspective, so she took it as a message from the universe to slow down.

After handing Christa the ticket (and giving her a hundred dollar break) the policeman told her “I hope your day gets better” in an apologetic tone. What Christa wanted to say (but didn’t realize until after the exchange) was that her day was awesome. She was alive, the policeman showed her kindness and generosity, and she ended up with a great message from the universe to slow down.

Trying To Find A Balance

So how does that relate to fitness? This experience served as a reminder to Christa that we have choices. Sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control, the only thing that we truly have control over is our reaction to those events. Fitness is no different.

“Life is an experience, but we can choose what our perspective of it is.”

You can look at your body and default to a doom and gloom mindset of ‘this will never get better,’ or you can look at yourself with compassion and mercy. Having the perspective to realize there’s imbalance is an invaluable tool. Sometimes it’s an imbalance of driving too fast and working too hard. Sometimes it’s an imbalance of food and exercise. Sometimes it takes a speeding ticket to grant you that perspective, but the important thing is to recognize it and ask “what can I change to get back into balance?”

Find a way to turn negative experiences into something positive, don’t let them hold you back, let them strengthen you. Learning experiences like these can completely shift how you live your life. If you’ve ever found yourself unhappy with your body or your life, you’re already on the first step towards this shift, and what you do with that new perspective moving forward is the real question. 

Explore more on our site at fitlandiafitness.com. Start your free 2-week trial and get unlimited access to all member benefits today.

On this episode of the podcast Christa attacks 2017 head-on. Listen and ready yourself to harness the full power of intention for your New Year’s Resolutions.

The Transtheoretical Model of Change

Before the Mind Zoning®, Christa discusses the The Transtheoretical Model of Change and the stages that it is comprised of. In order to deal with change of any size, this widely-accepted scientific model explains how we prepare, accept, and ultimately integrate change into our lives. As depicted in the above link, the five stages of change are:

1. Precontemplation (Not Ready)
2. Contemplation (Getting Ready)
3. Preparation (Ready)
4. Action
5. Maintenance

While it’s easy to look at a model like this one and see how change works, the actual application is much more difficult. Change of any kind can be daunting. Whether it’s your New Year's Resolution to lose weight, moving to a new city, or dealing with the loss of a loved one, the initial shift is always hard. Because we’re dealing letting go of our old patterns, that can be scary.

Because the model is so multi-layered, this episode specifically addresses the first stage of the model: precontemplation. In this stage you’re just starting to think about healthy behavior, but  it’s still further down the road, not an immediate change. At this point in your journey Christa recommends creating a pros and cons list. The “cons” side may be extremely long because there’s that fear associated with the change, and the “pros” may be short because you don’t know or realize the full benefits. Looking at those two side by side you can see how it’s easier to take the “easy” route and not make the change, but as you take in more information (like this podcast 😉)  the benefits become more apparent as your knowledge grows into a beautiful state of readiness.

You didn’t fail the diet, the diet failed you

Another symptom of the precontemplative stage is a period of reflection and looking back at past “failures” and patterns. When viewed from a historical perspective like this, it gives us another reason to avoid change because we don’t want to “fail” again. If you’ve visited our website, follow us on social media, or have listened to any past podcast episodes you know we’ve said it again and again: You didn’t fail the diet, the diet failed you. Most traditional dieting platforms aren’t set up for long-term success, and that’s why Fitlandia approaches fitness from a mind-first perspective. That’s what this Mind Zoning® is about, letting go of past judgements and failures that are keeping you locked into old patterns. As with our other episodes this Mind Zoning® is broken down into four key parts:

1. First, we use a progressive relaxation technique which will help you relax your muscles and ease yourself into a relaxed, inward-looking mental state.
2. Next, we invite you to enter your safe space to feel relaxed. Letting your thoughts pass through your mind as you progressively look deeper and deeper.
3. Then we sink deeper you’ll notice as your body becomes more relaxed, your mind opens to new learning, suggestions and insight. In this state you’ll harness the power within yourself to embrace change and become your healthiest self.
4. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, invigorated, and ready for your next healthy step.

You don’t have to be “good” at meditation, this is simply a relaxing method to help you along your fitness journey and aid you with making a healthy lifestyle change. Just let your mind follow the voice and allow yourself to take this step in your fitness journey.

New Year’s Savings

This episode also comes with a coupon code to receive Fitlandia Premium for 40% off: Use NYE17 until January 7th at checkout to save.

 

This episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa talks to Caren Marre who has been a part of Fitlandia since before the platform’s official launch. Caren has long been conscious of health and fitness, but (like so many of us) life got in the way and her self-care ended up taking a backseat. After a long period of feeling sluggish following a series of surgeries she started gaining weight and ended up in a spot ready for change. She was ready for a new start and eager to get her first step going. At that time Christa came to Caren with Fitlandia and offered the guidance, structure, and healthy path she needed.

Mindfulness

When first starting out the single word that helped Caren was “mindfulness,” keeping track of what foods went in, and how your body felt after that. When Caren started out, it was a simple two-second filter to ask herself if she should eat something, and now it’s become a habit and she barely has to think. Just by paying attention she started to notice things and was able to successfully get healthier. It’s truly a lifestyle change.

One of her biggest hurdles, in the beginning, were the physical cravings. We so often default to “oh, I’m hungry, I want something” but to remind yourself “I’m trying something new” during that introductory phase is definitely a block. She used self-talk “remember, you’re doing this for yourself, Caren” to keep herself on track and leave her previous bad habits behind.

Mind Zonings®

Caren goes on to explain how influential Fitlandia’s Mind Zoning® Recording were in her journey, and how she couldn’t wait to get to bed just so she could set her daily worries aside and take a moment of relaxation and reflexion. Taking time for yourself is huge, and it seems hard, but they allow you to be more efficient, more effective, and more energetic. You’ll use your time better when you have the time to eat better, relax, and move more.

Something Caren did when she was starting out was to integrate her new changes into parts of her life that she was doing already. She went to bed half an hour earlier just to listen to Mind Zonings® and have that time of reflection. What she found was that when she started to self-assess her life and think ‘where could I possibly fit this in?’ she found that she was collectively wasting a good amount of time throughout the day. Whether it was zoning out watching TV or absent-mindedly scrolling through Facebook, she realized that she was able to trim out that excess and find the time.

Priorities

As  “Queen Bullet point Listmaker” Caren has an ongoing list of things that constantly need to be prioritized, and now that she’s incorporated these healthier tasks into her life it’s much easier to get everything done and lead a healthier lifestyle. Everything gets easier as you build that skill of paying attention to the priorities in your life.

“What resources do I have within myself that I don't even acknowledge?” - Caren Marre

Caren ends the episode by sharing her mantra “I have everything to look forward to.” The best is yet to come, and harnessing your energy, health, and spirit to take the fullest advantage of each day is the ultimate motivator.

 

On the lucky 13th episode of the FItlandia Podcast Christa is joined by Carrie Billings of carriebillings.com for a discussion on goal setting. Carrie is one of the expert practitioners on Fitlandia’s site as a behavioral health counselor and a certified health and wellness coach.

Goal Setting

While some resent the idea of New Year’s Resolution quick fixes, there is simultaneously something beautiful about the collective intention to better ourselves. Goal setting is important because it’s having a plan. If a resolution is broad (eat healthy, lose weight) it is possible to get there, but planning it out in little steps is a necessity.

“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan” - Pablo Picasso 

When setting goals, it’s important to think about what you will do as opposed to what you won’t do. A goal like “I’m going to stop drinking soda” or “I’m not going to eat sugar” are very hard to measure, but even harder to stick to. Instead, Carrie recommends positive goals replacing “I’ll quit soda” with “I’ll drink a glass of water instead.” Don’t come into your new healthy lifestyle viewing it as deprivation, because that isn’t sustainable.

How Do I Make This Happen For Myself?

It’s easy to set goals when you’re excited, but if they’re vague and without planning, it can “fail” and lead someone directly back into their old lifestyle. There’s good in resolutions because they help you get in touch with what you want deep down, but they if they lack a plan then you’ll end up fumbling around. Asking ‘how do I make this happen for myself?’ is important.

Components of Effective Goals

Carrie follows the SMART Goal framework which stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timley

Once you’ve set a goal it’s important to take a look at it and evaluate it based on your confidence that you can achieve it. The next step is figuring out how to improve your confidence in those goals you’re not sure about, and making sure you’re gentle with yourself, not beating yourself up if you don’t do something perfectly. The great thing is that once you start eating healthier and moving more, you’ll be amazed at how more efficient you are at all of your other tasks, and then you’ll be able to handle everything with more confidence.

Another strategy Carrie recommends is to have multiple timelines. Have a goal for where you’d like to be three months from now, and then set smaller weekly goals that will all help you get there. Reevaluating every week, enjoying something different, and feeling progress every time until you reach that bigger goal is the key to keeping your forward momentum.

Trial and Correction

One final piece of advice is to stay away from viewing our efforts as failures if we don’t reach our goals. Often people view goals and resolutions as trial and error when it should be viewed as trial and correction. Looking back at your challenges, seeing what worked, and what didn’t allows you the chance to rewrite it into something different and make it work for you.

“It’s a learning experience every week.” - Carrie Billings

Carrie ends on a note of bite-sized goals. She says starting small (but stretch a little bit) is the single best way to approach your goals. You don’t have to jump straight to running a marathon, a walk around the block is a great goal. Additionally, writing your successes down, and keeping yourself accountable to at least one other person are great motivators for keeping yourself going.

On the 12th episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa sits down with Larry Dukes to discuss his story of fitness transformation. On discussing his tipping point, Larry talks about how he reached a peak weight of 315 pounds, but didn’t even realize how big he’d gotten. After a trip to Thailand last year the heat started to get to him, and he wasn’t able to do some of the same activities that other people were. In November of the same year he was visiting friends in upstate New York when they got caught in traffic following a Giants game. As they tried to push their way into the train someone yelled “better watch out for the fat guy!” He turned and said the only thing he could think of which was “you’d better be careful kid ‘cause the fat guy is hungry.”

That experience stuck with him, and eventually he got home and it really began to sink in. He wasn’t able to wear a lot of the clothes, he had trouble fitting in airline seats, and his own weight was keeping him from doing things he wanted to do. His family had a history of Type 2 diabetes, but when a doctor diagnosed him with gout he decided then and there that something had to change.

See Ya, Sugar!

By January 14th he started, and the biggest thing was cutting sugar. He was drinking 64 ounces of soda a day, and decided to flip that relationship and replace that with 64 ounces of water. He got a Fitbit and became obsessed with it. From there he got rid of cookies, brownies, and sweets and completely changed his relationship with food.

 “This is not a journey you can take with somebody else forcing you. It doesn’t matter who’s nagging you, if you haven’t bought into it nobody can get you in that frame of mind but yourself.” - Larry Dukes

Larry goes on to discuss his weight loss and how the initial wave of losing so much water weight was a great motivator. That slows down and plateaus, but he says instead of continuing to try to lose weight he focuses on maintaining that weight and lifestyle. There’s tons of great food out there that’s unhealthy, and he still enjoys them, but it’s now all about moderation. That’s key for him. It is about a healthy change, but “sometimes ya gotta eat Grandma’s cake.”

The important thing is being able to maintain your choices. There’s all sorts of pre-packaged food diets, but what happens when you have to go to a party, or a restaurant, or stop your subscription? Are you going to be able to do that? You have to make smart changes that you know you’ll keep. Food is still going to be a part of your life, so make sure it’s a change you can make.

Larry’s life has changed since that diagnosis, he’s lost 80 pounds, his resting heart rate and cholesterol are way down, his blood pressure is impeccable, and his gout is nearly gone. His doctor is “jumping up and down” with his changes. Larry is now feeling better with himself, feeling better physically, and feeling better emotionally. His story is a prime example of seeing a change that needs to be made and committing to it wholly. Change is possible, you just need to want it.

Ready to learn how you can make your own transformation? Visit www.fitlandiafitness.com today and start your free trial. Podcast listeners using the code PODCAST at checkout get 30-days FREE and 10% off for the life of their membership.

On this episode of the Fitlandia Podcast we’re looking forward to 2017 with this third installation in our series on New Year’s Resolutions. Joined by Rebecca Van Damm of Food Mood Coaching, this episode focuses specifically on getting yourself into a good mood for resolutions.

Starting Small   New Year’s Resolutions tend to bring mixed emotions, we’re part excited for a fresh start, but also pessimistic because it’s a system that has not worked in the past. Rebecca’s number one tip is to keep it simple. People have a tendency to want to overhaul their entire lifestyle, but trying to do so much in such a short period of time just means it’s that much harder to achieve, and also that much easier to give up when you hit a bump. Instead she advises people to look deep within themselves and find your own intrinsic value, the thing that will make you a little happier. When you knock that out, then you move on to the next thing. It’s about working toward enjoyment.   “When people focus on having more fun, especially when it relates to diet, exercise, and lifestyle, they’re going to get a lot farther than if they were trying to relegate themselves to practices they don’t enjoy.” - Rebecca Van Damm   Rebecca goes on to list some other small tips related to food and movement that are simple and easy-to-execute. If you want some ideas for simple resolutions, these serve as a great starting point.

1. Eat breakfast
2. Drink water
3. Sleep
4. Nutrient-dense meals
5. Cooking at home more

Receptive to Change

Another thing to notice is how you’re consuming your food. After talking health tips Rebecca brings up the fact that being mindful and enjoying your food slowly is paramount. Additionally, noticing what else you're consuming while you eat is important. You’re putting your body into a receptive mode when you’re eating, and everything is being digested, experiences, conversations, media, etc. so when you’re putting your body into that mode, make sure it’s something that’s supportive and positive.

On Compassion

Whenever New Year’s comes around, there are also a lot of resolutions naysayers, people that say they never work, or complain about the influx of people at the gym. Harnessing that power of intention is a beautiful thing and only serves to build the greater fitness community. Embrace the fact that these people are trying to be as healthy as possible, be a part of their journey.

Rebecca says that it starts with self-compassion. If we’re attacking others there’s something deeper, some kind of shame point, something we’re not proud of. She asks the listener to notice those thoughts and look within themselves to find what that is. What is it that you don’t have compassion for? Where can you give yourself more compassion? It’s easier to have compassion for people around you when you have compassion for yourself.   Love yourself where you are. You’re perfect, and whole, and evolving into whatever goals you have. Be gentle with yourself and the body, and the mind, and the spirit that you are today. Embrace the fact that this is a journey over time. Rebecca ends with one final bit of advice on upcoming resolutions: think of New Year’s Resolutions as a way to do something a little better, not a time to overhaul. Focus on doing better, don’t focus on trying to be better.

Episode 10 - What it means to be a Fitlandian?

In this TENTH episode of the Fitlandia Podcast Christa is flying solo as she answers the question “what does it mean to be a Fitlandian?” As we’ve talked about in every episode prior, Fitlandia is about putting an end to dieting. People have come to hate dieting (rightfully so) because it is a flawed system that’s set up for short-term results, not long-term success. We like to think of Fitlandians as “recovered dieters,” anyone who has tried to get healthy, but who the dieting industry has failed. Fitlandia wants to be your end to dieting. The solution. The start of a truly healthy life.   Why is it important to be a Fitlandian? We are three times more likely to reach and maintain our goals when we are connected with a community. Being a Fitlandian is about a sense of place, and connection, and community. To build a safe space and having that network of fellow Fitlandians to support and inspire you in your journey.   “Sometimes we do more for others than we do for ourselves. Here at Fitlandia we’re continually looking at ways to make ourselves the priority, but also harness the power of wanting to support others” - Christa King

What does it mean to be a Fitlandian?

It’s about a sense of place, an embodiment of what it takes to achieve your goals. What it takes to give up dieting, to be conscious of mindful eating, and be loving of your body. There are ten key things that makes up a Fitlandian:

1. We are Positive (we get better and better at catching our negative thoughts)
2. We are Resilient (whenever we find ourselves in a rut we come back to our resolve to be healthy)
3. We are Committed (committed for the long haul. For Life.)
4. We are Strong (we are strong mentally and physically)
5. We Inspire (openness to share our struggles and how we overcame)
6. We Motivate (we motivate others and ourselves)
7. We Connect (honest, open, vulnerable, connection)
8. We Give (we give up ourselves, we give our experiences, we give our support)
9. We Receive (we are open to ask for help and open take it in)
10. We Thrive (how does your body feel when it’s thriving? How is your mind operating when it’s thriving? We identify that state and fight relentlessly to get there)

Fitlandia’s Core Values What do you want out of fitness? At Fitlandia you get to define that, and we accept you just as you are. There’s a shift happening in the fitness industry. A movement away from body image (or obsession) and towards having a healthy lifestyle. Health doesn’t mean “Size 2,” we are all built differently, and true health is about finding what’s best for you. First and foremost, Fitlandia’s is on a mission to end dieting. There are 108 million people in the US alone who are currently on a diet, and 67% of them are projected to fail at reaching or maintaining their goals. Fitlandia is about creating the right mindset for weight loss by starting with your mind and working from there. It’s about creating a change that is sustainable.   We also see Fitness as an individual journey. You’re in full control of the choices you make or choose to not make. It’s up to the individuals to decide what’s right for them. Fitlandia is body positive for all. We are 100% inclusive and see every body as a beautiful body being formed in health.   Fitlandia supports permanent, healthy lifestyle changes, not quick-fix rapid weight loss. We want you to run optimally and efficiently. Our mantra courtesy of Dr. Jerome Craig is “we get healthy on purpose, and we lose weight as a result.   We also respect that there are different fitness modalities, practices, perspectives and philosophies. Fitlandia also promotes an environment for you to be vulnerable. There’s power in vulnerability, and using that to get to the root of what you want to change is vital for your journey.   Love, Respect, and Positivity.   Visit www.fitlandiafitness.com to become a Fitlandian today and start your free 2-week trial.    Download each episode of the Fitlandia podcast so you can listen to us anytime, anywhere. Leave your candid comments for us and we'll read them on a future podcast!