"Instant Gratification" and Reality
If you are like most Americans you made a resolution (again) this year to make amazing health and fitness goals and were set on keeping them! If you are like 92% of that population we got swept by the wayside in a few "YOLO" moments, are are stuck spinning wheels, or maybe kind of fell off the wagon or are just barely hanging on? You're not alone! But, here are 4 of my pointers to remember when you are pondering how you are going to make changes as well as how you are going to keep them when life starts giving you the 1, 2 punch...and then possibly a roundhouse to the face for good measure!
1: Get a "do-able" workout plan! Driving off to the gym and thinking to yourself you'll figure it out once you get there, or that you'll just hop on the cardio equipment if you fail to get creative is NOT going to keep you motivated to go in every day or see progress. Grab a great plan (there are so many free training programs on bodybuilding.com or a 6-12 week trainer available by many great PT's online) and you'll be set up and taken care of. And please keep your training routine at the same level of your fitness. Going all out on an advanced training routine will have you liable to injure yourself or the workouts are overboard challenging and you're too sore to return the next day for your workout. Not a great setup for success.
I actually did this to my husband who has been in construction all his working life, and carries a great deal of muscle naturally. I assumed he was more like an advanced individual due to his non sedentary, rather active lifestyle! I had him join me for some (Light weight) super sets with legs during one week and he couldn't walk for the next 7 days without looking like he was in mortal pain! And we weren't even lifting that heavy!! Grab a workout plan that is scalable or suitable for your level of training! Start off at the appropriate training level ;)
2: Don't try to make a 180 with your life and habits! This is where so many people go wrong. They try to give everything health and fitness 100% and this is where it gets too complicated and not fun and then you give it all up. Just focus on ONE thing to work on and make a habit, and then once you've accomplished this, try something else worth tackling and work on that. And so on and so forth! If you're not accustomed to eating anything that's not fried, sauced up or laden with chocolate your palate is not going to all of a sudden enjoy platefuls of chicken, veggies and sweet potato. Need to eat more protein and reduce carb intake? Buy a delicious protein supplement and swap out some fruit for those huge breakfast muffins in the morning. Simple and easy ;)
3: You need to realize your "why". I've had this conversation on occasion with some long-term clients and it really gets down to the core of why you are changing habits in the first place. Looking good naked isn't going to carry you through years and years of health improvement because life doesn't care about your goals! You have to ask yourself this question over and over to refocus you on your priorities that are going to drive your butt out of bed each morning to the gym, and keep you reaching for healthful foods instead of fistfuls of M&M's in the candy jar at work.
4: Rein in your expectations! After week one of giving something a go and the person doesn't see what THEY wanted in the mirror or on the scale the motivation drops like a hot potato and oftentimes the individual wonders why they tried it in the first place. A transformation involves more than simply a perfect workout program and calorie restriction. I get it, we all want results NOW. No matter the cost. And if it doesn't happen within (insert crazy unreasonable time frame) then it's not worth it. Listen. There's A LOT that goes into change. Especially if it means undoing lifelong habits and kickstarting completely new ones. These things take time! And it's not done all at once in the first week (or 2, or 3 or 6). Be driven. Be determined. Be Passionate. But most importantly be reasonable and patient. Expecting to look like you're weeks away from a show, or that you'll have visible abs and arm veins after a few weeks of starting a new diet and exercise program will only set yourself up for disappointment. I'm not saying this to be degrading to your work ethic or determination, or that you cannot do it, but as a busy working mom and wife with a social life and hobbies and interests I'm being honest with you that these changes take time. My transformation is still underway! And they WILL happen if you keep it simple, keep yourself consistent, and keep yourself positive that you will achieve your goals. Even when in the face of failure. Just get up, start each day new and keep focused on YOUR progress, not anyone else's!
The best approach to better health and fitness is the one that you can sustain over a long period of time and learn to embrace as part of your life. No crash diets, no fad diets. Eat for your goals and remember fitness is not an end road, it's a path we choose to follow for the rest of our life!
What's a fitness goal you want to accomplish, and how will you overcome the main hurdles that stand in the way of this goal? Comment below! And until next time, I wish you health, happiness and heavy lifts!
-XOXO, Brandi Bartmess, FNS
