EP 87: 5 Mindset Shifts That Helped Me Change My Body After 40

0:00Hello and welcome back to Becoming Her, Fitter, Better, and Stronger over 40. I'm your host and coach, Shauna. I am 47, a wife, a boy mom, and a fitness and nutrition coach, helping women over 40 become their best. Building your best body over 40 is not about knowing what to do. You likely already know that you should be eating more protein, strength training, drinking your water, getting in your steps. But a lot of times, those aren't the things getting in our way. Our mindset is. If you've been following me for any length of time, you know the biggest thing that transformed me after 40 was shifting my focus from small to strong.

0:31That one decision changed my body, my metabolism, and it honestly changed my life. It changed how I trained, how I fueled my body, and how I showed up for myself. And if you haven't watched my free Master Your Metabolism Masterclass, I will link it below because I teach you exactly what I just talked about. I walk you through how to build muscle and how to change your metabolism, how to train for the body that you want, and how to phase your nutrition for your goals to build a lean, strong, healthy body that lasts. But something I've come to realize is that knowing what to do is not enough. I still had to become the kind of woman who would actually follow through.

1:06Changing your body is not just a physical process. It's a mental one. And it involves having the right mindset so that you can stay the course. How you view your journey determines whether you're going to stick with it long enough to see the outcome. Looking back, I can see how my mindset was my biggest obstacle at times. So today I want to share with you five mindset shifts that completely changed the way I approached everything. And my hope is that you will leave today with two things. One, knowing how to physically change your body with my masterclass linked below. And then number two, having a solid mindset so you can lock in and become the woman that you want to be.

1:42The first mindset shift was that I stopped relying on motivation and I got connected with my why. And a lot of people skip this step, but I honestly think it's one of the most important things that you can do. Most of us think we need motivation, but motivation is a feeling that will always waver. So instead of relying on fleeting feelings, ask yourself, what's your motive? What's your why? Sure, maybe you want to lose a little weight. You want to feel better in your jeans. But why? What is the pain that you're trying to avoid or walk away from? Maybe you're tired of hiding in pictures. Maybe you're tired of trying on six different outfits before finding one that you feel comfortable in.

2:17Maybe you're afraid to not be here for the people that you love in the ways that you want to be here. Then flip that question. What are the opportunities waiting for you if you do reach your goals? Are you more confident? Do you have more energy, more strength, more freedom, longevity? Are you here for many years with all the people that you love? When you connect with your why, it becomes your North Star. When motivation fades, and it will, your why will keep pointing you in the right direction. For me, my why is making sure that I am here for the years to come. I was an older mom. I had my first son at age 39.

2:50So I want to be here, be present, be healthy for his life and hopefully meet his children. That's something that remains constant for me. It is my North Star. It is my driving force behind what I'm doing. I'm not always motivated. But when I think about my why, I get in gear and I realize it's not about how I'm feeling that day. it's about what my ultimate goals are and why I want to do this. And that drives me forward every single time. Now, the second mindset shift that changed things for me was that I learned to dress the part and romanticize the process. You know, it's so easy to get lost in the busyness of our days that our workouts become something that we just need to get done.

3:30It's just something else on our checklist. We're rushing through them. We're squeezing them in between kids, appointments, jobs. And if we're honest, sometimes we even resent them. But a quick mindset shift that always helps me when I'm feeling that way is that this journey, this process is something that I get to do. It's not something that I have to do. I get to do it. I get another chance to be healthy today. I get to build a strong body. I have the opportunity, the time, the help. Not everyone has that. Years ago, when I was a dental assistant, I remember meeting a man and he was tall, he was strong, but he had a limp and he had a cane.

4:05And as we sat and chatted, he shared with me that he used to be this collegiate runner. You know, he broke records. And as he talked and shared this story, his eyes lit up and I could tell he just missed that ability to perform and to be athletic. Then that moment that it clicked for me that none of the things that I am doing are things that I have to do. I get to do them. And I still think of him, you know, on the days where I'm having a hard day and I don't necessarily want to show up or do my workout. I remember it's something that I get to do. All of us have opportunities that not everyone does.

4:38When you flip those words to I have to into I get to, it's a completely different mindset shift. And it makes you feel so much gratitude about your journey and about the things that you get to do. When you can connect with gratitude and bring that with you into your journey, it's just going to create space for joy and allow you to truly enjoy the process. And by that, I mean dressing the part. When I first started my fitness journey and I was working out from home. I would wake up before my son and I would try to get my workouts in before he woke up. And a lot of times I would stay in my pajamas and that was fine.

5:12But I noticed that when I put out a certain outfit, something that made me feel strong, that made me feel confident, I just felt better in my workouts and I felt excited to show up. I went through this recently with a one-on-one client. She was feeling a little lackluster and feeling a little unmotivated. She's also a busy mom trying to fit in her workouts between a busy schedule of taking care of kids and working. And that's what I told her. You know, I know you're working out from home, but dress the part. Wear something that makes you feel strong like an athlete. And she did. And I will share her picture here because you can see the joy in her face and how much it really did help her mindset.

5:48Some other things you can do to romanticize the journey is when you're meal prepping, put on your favorite playlist, put on your favorite podcast, make yourself a cute little drink with some sparkling water, but have fun with it. Realize that you get to do this. You get to make this amazing food for yourself so that you can feel your healthiest and strongest. When you learn to love the process, you stop being so obsessed with the finish line and you can actually enjoy where you are right now. The next time you're feeling a little overwhelmed or you're catching yourself saying, I have to do these things, replace it with I get to.

6:19It may seem simple, but it will change the way you experience everything. Now, the fourth shift that changed everything for me was I stopped focusing on the outcome and I started to focus on my identity. I think a lot of us spend our time chasing the outcome. I'll be happy when I lose 20 pounds. I'll feel better when I'm in those jeans. I'll feel happy when I finally hit my goal weight. The problem is when we're only focused on the outcome, we rob ourselves of all the joy we can experience along the way. Not only that, but we constantly feel like we're falling short because we're measuring ourselves against a destination we haven't reached yet.

6:52So instead, I want you to start to focus on your identity. Who are you becoming? Because when you shift your focus from outcome to identity, you stop asking, how do I lose weight? And you start asking yourself, what would the healthiest, strongest, best version of me do today? She would get in her workout. She would nourish her body. She would prioritize sleep. She would go for the walk. She would give herself grace after she made a mistake and then get right back on track. And that's how you start closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. You're no longer waiting to become her someday.

7:26You're choosing to live like her every day. And when you start living from that identity, you naturally create values that guide your decisions. Those values become your foundation, your compass. Once you're rooted in who you are and where you're going, you don't get distracted and you're able to stay focused and stay the course. Try to connect with the identity of that best version of yourself. And think of three words that might describe her. Maybe she's strong, she's disciplined, she's confident, she's resilient, she does what she says she's going to do. And then design your days after that.

7:59You know, ask yourself with every little decision that you make, is this getting me closer to the woman that I want to be? Start focusing on who you are becoming and the outcome that you want will naturally become a byproduct. Now, the final mindset shift that I had to make was I had to stop talking myself out of my own potential because of someone else's limiting beliefs. When I started my new fitness journey, I was 39 turning 40. I had just had my son. Those were two things that I had always heard were going to ruin my body forever. If I had held onto that belief, I would not have taken the steps I did to be where I am today.

8:33I still have goals, but I wouldn't be here if I let those beliefs of someone else hold me back. Instead, I chose to look for women who were 40, 50, 60, who were mothers, who were busy, but still healthy and still strong. And I held on to the belief that if they could do it, then so can I. And if I can do it, then so can you. And I experience this with women all the time where their mindset is just in this place of maybe I'm too old, maybe it's too late. All of these beliefs that have them thinking building their best body isn't possible. But that's the biggest obstacle for you, not your age, your mindset.

9:10When you believe something is possible, you will show up differently. Don't necessarily compare yourself to anyone, but look for proof that it is possible to become fit, to become strong, to be healthy at any age. When you hold on to the belief that it is possible, it's going to change the way you show up for yourself. It's going to change the decisions that you make, the action steps that you take, and it will carry you forward. And you will be that fittest woman at 50, 60, 70, breaking the mold and changing what aging can look like. I know I want to be in that club and I want you to be there with me.

9:46I hope that what I shared today was helpful and I hope that these mindset shifts help you to look at your fitness journey through a different lens so that you can show up, become that best version of you and live the life that you are worthy of having. Thank you so much for joining me in today's episode. If you did enjoy it, I'd be so thankful if you left a rating or a review. And until next week, keep getting stronger and I'll see you in the next episode.