Why a healthy, happy life starts on the inside

By, Stephanie Mitton

“Let go of the idea of who you used to be… of even trying to have the body that you used to have, because you are not that person anymore.” Wise words from this week's podcast guest, Alida Steele. As someone who has struggled with maintaining a healthy lifestyle (fitness and healthy eating) those words struck home. I’m older now and I’ve had two children - of course my body has changed, and I have changed too. I have grown leaps and bounds, and I need to work on my mindset to prepare for success on my path to a healthier lifestyle.

Alida Steele is a wife, mother, the CEO and Founder of Unitary Fitness, and fitness coach with Beachbody. It is not surprising that she is often described as a heart-driven, authentic and relatable leader. In our two part interview, Alida shares her personal story of learning to own who she is, overcoming addiction, becoming an entrepreneur, and what it takes to get started and stay on track with fitness. She is full of wisdom and inspiration!

Perhaps Alida’s most powerful message is this, “It does not matter how much you change your outside shell. If you don’t do the work on the inside... you are just the exact same person who looks different on the outside. You have to start and end with the inner work.”

Myrrhanada Novak the co-founder of WDDT recently wrote a blog post about how to Marie Kondo your mind, practical ways to let go of the heavy clutter in your head. Myrrhanada says, “Recognize that you are not your thoughts and that you can choose one thought over the other. Ask yourself, are these beliefs bringing me joy? If no, then say thank you for the lessons you may have learned, and let the thoughts go.”

Alida shares that as in life, so much of our fitness journey, getting started and staying on track, starts with mindset. She talks about how a slip up is not failure, but life. She encourages us to focus on going forward, getting rid of a black and white mentality, and focusing on progress over time. Every small step is significant. For example, if you don’t eat breakfast, you should, that’s somewhere to start!

She encourages her clients to adopt a daily practice of listing their successes instead of focusing on what might be considered failures. “It is really important for us to find the evidence and proof of all the things we are doing right so that we continue to maintain that positive self talk and continue to build on momentum and not see little things as slip ups but part of life.” I love this! Such a practical piece of advice, simple, takes limited time, but impactful. I have used this technique to instil positive thoughts after a busy day. What are three things I can thank God for today?

I hope that you have soaked up Alida’s wisdom and practical advice, and whether you implement it for more positive self talk or apply it to a healthier lifestyle, like I intend to, that you have been encouraged. For more, listen to Alida’s podcast, available for download the Wednesday following this post. And please share with us in the comments what mindset tools work for you!

Let’s end with a final quote from this fierce women, “You are in charge of it (your life), no one else, it’s time to step up your game, pull up your socks, step into your fears, and start growing through what you go through.” - Alida Steele

#WOMENdontDothat #mentalhealth #fitness #exercise #mindset #entrepreneur #nutrition