Reality Sets In
I wish I had a dollar for every time that I said that I would “get in shape” before coming to David’s Way. We tend to feel like there’s something magical in that statement. We say, “I’m going to lose some weight!” and believe that somehow that statement alone will make it happen. We join the clubs, download the apps, buy the workout clothes, special food and a new water bottle and wait. We might even opt for a more expensive prop like a smart watch or heart monitor. Sometimes all this prep takes weeks to accomplish which is actually just a way to stall.
Although we know that there’s work involved, we are always looking for that magic bullet that will just make the pounds melt off and get us into fighting trim in the process. Oftentimes, we are asked, “What do I need to do?” or “How do you do that?” and when we answer truthfully, we are met with a blank stare. We will always tell you, 1-Don’t eat sugar or anything that has it added to it, because it’s too many calories that provide little to no nutrition. 2-Count your calories after consulting your doctor to see how many you need. (You can also use our Calorie Counter Pro or My Fitness Pal app to determine this.) 3-Exercise in a way that your doctor approves, and you will do.
This is reality. There’s WORK involved and WORK is a four-letter word.
Quit Avoiding Accountability!
I well remember the days that I spent counseling people in a weight loss club. They would come to me complaining that they were not losing weight or had even GAINED! As I began to look at their food and exercise records, it was easy to see why. IF they had them at all, they were usually sketchy. There would be meals, snacks and entire days missing. There would be massive numbers of “calories burned” awarded for very little exercise. Without fail, after awarding themselves an incredulous number of exercise calories, they would EAT THEM. It was as if once they decided to lose weight, they were finding every excuse in the world to overeat and refused to be accountable. As soon as I asked them if they were keeping accurate records, they would say, “Well, sometimes…” or even worse, “Well, I’m not writing it down, but I know pretty well what to do.” Well, heck! We all know what to do, eat fewer calories and move more, but unless we DO it, the knowledge alone is useless. Accurate record keeping is essential. If you are discouraged, which is common right now after all those New Year’s Resolutions, quit lying to yourself and keep accurate records.
Focus!
As nice as it would be for us to be able to sorta, kinda wanna lose weight, that won’t make it happen. Most of us live in a place where food is abundant. Even if we don’t have a lot of money, cheap food is plentiful, and we use the lame excuse that we can’t afford “good food” to keep buying junk. Oats, eggs, chicken thighs, canned salmon, beans potatoes of all kinds and apples are all cheap. If you want to eat healthy on a budget, you can. If you focus on what you CAN’T do, you will decide that you CAN’T afford trendy, expensive “healthy foods” and use that as an excuse to stuff yourself on macaroni and cheese and rich desserts. Look at grocery ads and buy healthy food and cook it. Focus on your goal.
Nobody is busier than me. I am the sole supporter in my home. I work full-time, shop, cook, keep house, do laundry care for two dogs and a special needs adult son, work on this website, a book, a Facebook Group page and a Facebook Business Page and WORK OUT REGULARLY. When you FOCUS on your goal of health and fitness, you will do the things you need to do to make it happen. It’s as simple as that.
Quit Being Erratic!
Changing habits can be so stressful that sometimes we will push really hard to change them for a while, and then coast. While we’re coasting, we tend to pick up our old bad habits and begin to lose progress. Commit to a regular schedule of recording every bite that you eat. You can record your calories before you eat them if you plan good enough. Some people call that “pre-tracking,” and it works very well. I have had better results with pre-tracking than tracking after I eat. If you do wait until after you eat, do it immediately. If you wait, you may forget part of your meal or neglect to do it all together.
Exercise on a regular schedule as much as possible. As David told me when he started training me, “Choose the days that you will work out and make it your job.” Commit to your workouts just like you are committed to going to work each day. Take your health that seriously. Looking good in a swimsuit is great but having great lab results is better! When you develop a regular routine that is centered around getting and staying healthy, you will have both aesthetic benefits and improved health. In the busy world that we live in, there is always something to interfere with your workout. That’s why a set schedule is so important. If you absolutely must miss exercising on a designated day, find a way to get it in on another day. Make the number of workouts that you are dedicated to doing each week happen. Consistency is key to achieving all of the benefits that exercise has to offer.
STOP!
Quit eating anything that has sugar added to it. Even after you have had a measure of success, it’s imperative that you do not “cheat” and eat sugar. If you have gone without it long enough to lose some weight, you have most likely withdrawn from it just like you have to withdraw from alcohol or drugs. If you reintroduce it into your diet, you will have to fight that battle all over again and very well may lose that battle. I went through that cycle a couple of times in years past. Just take my word for this. You CANNOT learn how to eat “just a little bit”. It lights up the reward circuit of your brain and once you get that party started again, you may never regain control. Many people are dying due to this simple, common addiction. The excess calories found in foods with added sugar will make you fat and do nothing else for your body.
Remember, your journey into a healthy lifestyle is just that. It’s a gradual accomplishment that results in a new body, mindset, habits and priorities that will carry you through your life in style.
You will discover new ways to enhance your life all along the way. You will discover what makes you strong, peaceful and happy when you commit to being the best you that you can be.