A Workout for Photographers
{and why I LOVE the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program}!

 

Today, I’m going to introduce you to my favorite workout for photographers!  Our jobs are hard and we don’t always do it because we have to, but because we want to.  As a result, we spend hours in front of our computers and working on our businesses.  This type of work ethic is a blessing because it helps us serve our clients well, but it can also be a curse. All too often, that work comes at the expense of time with our families, our OWN health, and the things that truly matter most in our lives.

So, my little sparkles, it’s important we get our priorities set so we can order our lives accordingly. This starts with taking care of ourselves so we can do our work with sparkly excellence while pouring into what matters most.  Today, we are chatting all about how you can take care of yourself well: not for selfish reasons, but so you can be at the top of your game in your business life and in your personal life!

We’ve learned how to take better care of our clients with Iris-Works, better care of our families by making home-cooked meals with Once a Month Meals, and today – we’re finally going to talk about YOU and how we can take better can of you.

 

Why does having a workout for photographers matter, anyways?!

 

Oh my goodness, I have lived out this struggle firsthand!  I have always been physically active and “in shape.”  But, when I quit my full-time teaching job to pursue photography full-time, I suddenly went from being super active to super sloth-like.  Let’s just call that my freshpreneurial 15…  mmm kay?!

Fast-forward two years, and suddenly, I had gained 15 pounds, lost most of my muscle tone and had acquired a “fun” array of back and neck issues that left me visiting the chiropractor, massage therapist, and Arrosti treatment centers weekly.  Not only was it painful, it was expensive!

 

Suddenly, this “self-sacrifice” and lack of self-care wasn’t just affecting me… it was affecting my family, our budget, and my ability to serve my clients well.

 

Let’s not kid ourselves: a photographer’s job is pretty physical. We are always twisting and contorting in all kinds of ways to get the best shots. We spend hours on our feet, then hours behind the screen. So, if you neglect your body and don’t have a good workout for photographers, you’ll probably find yourself adding on some back and neck pain, too.

If you aren’t feeling your best physically, it affects everything else!  While the physical effects of an entrepreneurial life can vary, they are almost always the result of working too much and neglecting things like rest, sleep, exercise, and good nutrition.

Sound like you? Yeah… I thought so!   No judgment here, friend… but now it’s time to do something about it.

 

What are the first steps to starting a workout for photographers?

To answer this question, I turned to my coach Amanda Tress, creator of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, to get the details!  Here are the essential starting points she suggests:

 

Skip Breakfast

This may seem contradictory to everything else you read or hear, but grazing all day long actually isn’t the best for fat loss.  Your body is, generally, doing one of two things: digesting food or healing itself.  When you shorten your feeding window to 8 hours {instead of eating morning until night} you still eat the same amount of calories, but in a shorter time period.  So, in essence, you’re not skipping a meal… you’re just pushing it back a few hours!  I personally LOVE eating this way because I get tons of stuff done in the morning, and once I start eating around noon, I get to continually eat for hours – so I’m RARELY hungry!

Work to Improve your Sleep

As photographers {who are often night owls} this can be tricky!  But if your body isn’t rested, it won’t have enough energy to effectively burn fat!  So get your sparkly butt to bed on time!!!  This is definitely the thing I struggle with the most – but it’s a goal for me and I’m making progress!

Integrate Probiotics

Having a healthy digestive tracks {aka: gut flora} is so important to helping your body effectively burn fat!  It also boosts your immune system and, surprisingly, gives you more energy!  I love Doterra’s probiotics, but use what works for you!

Pair Your Workouts with Macros

What the heck does that mean anyways, right?!  Well, “macros” are the carbs, fats, and proteins that we consume every single day.  I use an app {My Fitness Pal} to track my macros.  Why is this effective?  Well, when you pair the right type of nutrients with the right type of workout, you burn more fat, more effectively!  For example, on our cardio day we eat a low-carb menu – instead of fueling our workout with carbs, we fuel it with all that extra fat we’re {unhappily} storing in our bodies!  See how that works?!

 

How do you know when it’s time to find a workout for photographers {or join the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program}???

 

Well, if you’re like me, after countless trips to the doctor, tears over pants that no longer fit, and discontentment with the photos and videos I saw of myself I saw online, I realized it was time to start working out and eating well.  And not just do a diet {those are NOT sustainable in the long haul}, but to actively change my lifestyle.

But, knowing that I struggle to stick with clean eating and thrive with accountability and support, in January I joined {and mentally committed} to the FASTer Way to Fall Loss program with Amanda!  While I’d done the program in the past, I wasn’t mentally committed.  This time?  I was motivated and committed to a change!  This is a great workout for photographers and it’s really helped me improve my health!

I’ve done two back-to-back rotations of the program and I’ve worked SO HARD, but have lost 8 pounds, 5 inches around my waist/hip/booty, and gained SO MUCH confidence in just two months!  Plus, I feel stronger and am starting to see real muscles develop!  WHO AM I?!?!?!?

This super easy to follow online bootcamp tells me how to eat and how to work out {cause ain’t nobody got time to be thinking about food and exercise all day} and is THE ONLY thing that has ever worked for me.  Plus, because your membership gets you both versions of the program {home and gym workouts}, you can really do it whenever and wherever you want.  I mean, shoot.  My naughty puppy stole my weights in the middle of one of my workouts!  If he can do it, you can do it too!

As I said before, this program has gotten me some incredible results in terms of weight loss, but has also increased my energy, helped me feel stronger, and WAY more in control of the way I eat!  And yes…. that DOES include the occasional trip to Chipotle, glass of wine, or Survivor and ice cream date with my stud.

 

{Spoiler alert: leg day is the most brutal workout, but is HANDS DOWN my fave….
because it’s when we consume our beloved “discretionary calories!”  HA HA HA HA!}

 

If you’re looking for a way to incorporate healthier habits into your life… I HIGHLY recommend you check out Amanda’s program, the FASTer way to Fat Loss! If that doesn’t quite float your boat: join a gym, buy some dvd’s, or start training for a race. Do something that gets your body moving, your endorphins flowing, and your muscles working!  It’s been such hard work for me over the last few months, but I’m super happy with the progress I’ve made and am finally gaining back all that confidence I’d lost over the years.

 

Another workout for photographers that will help you succeed {and don’t involve the gym}!

The last piece of the self-care puzzle is your mental health. That’s pretty important for those of us juggling business, home and family. It’s super critical that we have our minds mentally focused on what matters most. For me, that means spending time with God: daily reading my Bible, praying and reading devotionals.

For you, that might mean practicing yoga or meditation, getting massages, or spending some time reading and journaling. Whatever it is that helps you focus your mind, be sure to incorporate that into your daily life!  This is probably the MOST IMPORTANT workout for photographers!  Take time to take care of you, it’s worth it…. I promise.

Do you have questions???

I know I threw a lot at you about carbs, macros, and intermittent fasting {that’s the whole skipping breakfast thing} – so if you have questions, throw them at me in the comments!  I’m happy to help you out!  I’m a long-standing member of this program and now enjoy VIP access, but you can start today for her next round and eventually join the VIP community – register now!  It’s time we stop neglecting ourselves and start taking care of ourselves the same way we take care of our clients and families.  Go #glitterdone, my loves.