Monday, October 20, 2014

There are no shortcuts

It will not be easy! If it were, we would all be fit. 

The truth is, we as Americans are one of the most obese and sick nations in the entire world! We live in a society that promises us quick fixes and fast solutions to long term problems.  We are quick to take a pill instead of doing the work needed to fix the solution on our own, even though we are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. We want to reap the benefits without putting in the work: immediate gratification.
Those of us who live a healthy lifestyle have made a concerted effort to fit exercise into our daily schedule. We all have the same 24 hours  in a day but what you do within those 24 hours is your own choice. We too can make the excuse that we are too tired to exercise due to working a 8 or 10 hour shift or that there's a TV show that we need to watch, but we, on our own, decide that being healthy is more important than Keeping up with the Kardashians. I have no sympathy for people who make excuses like "I have no time" you can get a workout in just a few minutes using a tabata method (which is a 4 minute high intensity interval workout).

 I also don't like hearing people make excuses for poor nutrition and blaming it on lack of time, you can easily make a healthy meal and bring it to work with you instead of going to a fast food joint or eating microwave meals. Good eating starts with a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as some good snacks and then eliminate as much wasted calories as possible. A simple example could be substituting water (with lemon) for soda or drinking regular coffee (no sugar) instead of a 1200 calorie sugar and syrup (and chemicals) filled specialty coffee drink from an expensive barista shop. There are so many ways you can make small changes that together add up to a large change over time. Stevia instead of sugar, Greek yogurt instead of sour-cream, and in some cases, mayonnaise are just two very simple swaps as an example. Yes you will have to consistently watch what you eat to truly be healthy, you will never be able to out work a poor diet, you also have to make sure you have healthy, consistent sleeping patterns as well as proper, consistent exercise routines. 

Did you notice the word consistent? No amount of exercise can outwork poor nutrition. Set aside a time of the day that you KNOW you can be doing something to better yourself and schedule that time to fit in a workout or some sort of exercise. Most of us fail because we fail to plan. You will not get fit in a day, just like you didn't get fat in a day, this is a lifestyle change for the truly committed if you want to be healthy. The way I see diet and exercise is "healthcare" we make the choice to better ourselves, increasing strength and flexibility while increasing the efficiency of our immune system to avoid the need to visit doctors so often, which is what I consider "sickcare". Those who workout regularly tend to get sick less than those who do not. Get the blood flowing, release those endorphins and start feeling great. The first week or two is the hardest. Your body will reject the extra work, you're going to be sore...but push through! Workout even when you are sore, and your body will not only begin to accept the workouts but start rewarding you. More endurance, increased strength and best of all: CONFIDENCE! Your confidence levels will soar higher than ever, and your immune system will reward you with a new vigor that fights off sickness better than you've ever seen. So just stop the excuses, get through the work and in a few months you'll look back at where you began and be proud of where you are. Just don't quit!

 Start slow or start fast,  just start now! Just make sure you stay consistent!  Consistency is the only way to reap the rewards and benefits. Otherwise you will be on the perpetual roller coaster ride of ups and downs...two steps forward two steps back getting nowhere fast. Commit to this lifestyle and be prepared to put in the hard work necessary  and you too can be fit and healthy. You don't have anybody to compete against other than yourself. Every day you should strive to be just a little bit better than you were yesterday. 

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress"






If you're ready to start your fitness journey and would like our help feel free to contact me: Dave@metahumanfitness.com 
or call me at (760) 270-0206

No comments:

Post a Comment