Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight loss for over a decade!
This is a biggie, folks. Ignorance!
All roads that lead to excuses usually wind up in compromise and how we eat is no exception.
I have consulted people’s nutrition and exercise numbering in the thousands, let’s focus on food for a moment.
So we sit down at a table for your fitness consultation and you begin telling me everything you want to change about your body, how you have tried and made so many efforts and that you really want this, etc…
My first question will be: “how many calories do you average per day?’
“Oh, gosh, I don’t really know, but I try to eat healthy.”
Here is the deal; I do not advocate counting calories religiously, but you havegotto at least know what your tipping point for losing/maintaining body weight is. So, what many people resort to is the commercial diet programs we see so many B-list celebrities endorse, because, after all, the program does it all for you and there is no thinking or weighing to do; andthat,my dear yo yo dieter, is exactly where the problem lies. Wedo notthink! So we go on some diet program with pre-fab boxed meals and are amazed at what happens when we come off the boxed food; BOOM, it all comes back and then some. Besides, can you actually commit to being on pre-packaged boxed food for the rest of your life?
I hear you:“I am just going to do this until I hit my target weight.”
Oh no, you’re not. You’re going to hit your target, come off the boxes and wind up with a whole new weight loss goal, but this time you will have to account for an additional 20-25% body weight.
Then of course, there are the famous, I call them infamous, point based programs. Ask yourself; what are you learning about the food you are eating? You may be staying within your prescribed point system, but what if 2-3 of those points are coming from foods laced with trans fats or lard? Are you really any further ahead, or is it just about a temporary dip of the scale? What happens when the food choices on vacation is not on the point system?
The bottom line is this, if you are not going to think about what you are eating, there are plenty of bogus food and diet programs who will do the thinking for you. You will pay them, they will continue to make billions and you will remain ignorant and on the dieting roller coaster.
Be prepared though; it’s going to cost you a lot more than just your health. Some of these programs run into the thousands of dollars.
What a price to pay for not having to think… actually, no; what a cost.
Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight loss for over a decade!
Great, You Are Exercising… I think.
In this second part of my 5 part series on “Why You Are Not Losing Weight,” I will look at exercising.
Let’s get one thing straight; everyone reacts to certain exercises differently. Just like a “one size fits all” diet will not work, neither will a generic approach to exercise. I used to tell people who were just getting started on their weight loss journey to simply “move.”
Although movement is important, like in any other area, people define this differently.
“I went for a walk today.”
I hear that a lot from people. Fully remembering that for me just over a decade ago that was big news, we always want to progress. So I am suggesting you still do move, but do so with purpose. Your poodle will probably not pull you along quickly enough to generate a metabolic shift, but pushing a stroller uphill, might. A leisurely walk around the block might be a great thing to do following dinner, but a vigorous walk will yield better results.
At the gym, if you are training for weight loss, doing a set of exercises with medium to challenging weights followed by 3 minutes to get to a water fountain will not get it done, but circuit training in 3 minute intervals at 80-90% intensity and a 1 minute water break will.
What will definitely not get it done is you doing things incorrectly. This is where I have to stop, no, stomp all over the objections “I can do it myself/I can’t afford a trainer.” Most of us have had financial challenges, but I encourage you to closely examine where your money is going. Are you spending a lot of money, and calories, on expensive “designer” coffees? Weekly visits to the salon? Guys, the beer nights with your buddies and just eating out in general? That social outing drink(s) or buying lunches and snacks at work? Your monthly VIP movie channel packages… these all add up.
It all boils down to one thing; what is important to you? The amount of overweight people I consulted who refused to get a trainer, nearly all had perfect hair, Michelangelo level nail detailing and $500 Gucci glasses, and not just the guys 🙂 Nice things are wonderful to enjoy, I am just challenging you to examine where you might be putting money that could better be used to help you on your fitness journey.
What costs more than anything is doing things incorrectly, which can lead to injury and then you, sitting back on the couch thinking, “wow, I am never going to lose this weight”, and being in a very discouraging place. If you have been hurt in the gym or still don’t know what kind of cardio to do and whether or not you should be doing it before or after weights, do yourself a favor; stop wasting your time just moving, and move with purpose instead.
Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight loss for over a decade!
Okay, there can be many reasons as to why that fat won’t let go.
You are exercising, eating “right” and making an effort. So what gives?
In my debut series I will touch on several areas from food planning, mindsets and other pitfalls and successes.
After losing over 150 Lb and keeping it off for a decade, I can say with meekness and surety, that I “get” weight loss. What I am working on these days is the sculpting, so to speak. Those last 15-20 Lb. are fighting for me because they “love” me. Which brings me to my first point:
Your Fat Loves You
Have you ever hard of what happens when a mother bear senses her cub is in danger? Well, God help the cause of that danger, because momma will put herself between it and her baby, defending it to the death, if necessary. That is how our fat works. It is a strange type of love hate relationship, but maybe looking at it this way will make it a little clearer. When our bodies are underfed, especially when we have been at a particular weight for a long time, our “weight set point” senses a shift and, like momma bear, perceives this as danger and then it’s fat to the rescue! Fat exists for a number of reasons and one of them is to be our protector. If you were stuck in the wilderness without food or water, your body’s metabolic rate (the speed at which you process and burn calories) would slow down to “save” you, so to speak. The result? Our systems go into a protective mode and the body begins to resist weight loss and store fat. I like to say it does this because “our fat loves us.”
The Fat that Fought Back
So, how do those low cal diets look now? Just ask anyone that has ever been on one, because invariably the body rebelled and the fat fought back. Hey, I did call my book “Starving to be Fat,” for a real reason folks! At my heaviest weight, I was barely eating. It was not until I began to understand the concept of stoking my metabolism through regular intervals of eating, that the fat came off and stayed off. Now, I am not saying we should get stuck on a rigid number of calories, but consider this; do you haveanyidea at all as to how many calories you consume daily and from which food groups? Don’t you think you should? A guideline, at the very least is essential. Find a facility, perhaps a nutritionist that can calculate your BMR, Basal Metabolic Rate. The BMR is an equation based on a number of factors, such as percentage of lean tissue etc…that will tell you at what rate your body burns calories. Go over that amount without being active and you will gain weight, go under it dramatically and you will lose, then gain.
Remember; fat will always fight back, it is engineered to adapt to varying circumstances and to protect you. Don’t starve your body into gaining fat!
Susan Arruda is a 6 Time Figure Champion and mom of 2.
Having a fit and healthy body doesn’t necessarily correlate to always feeling the part.As individuals, we set a precedent and a standard for ourselves to succeed and excel in many different areas of our lives.
“Self-esteem is more than a number on a scale; that number can often fluctuate. Your self-worth must be rooted and grounded in something far more substantial.” – Susan Arruda
If you’re a perfectionist, continually striving for excellence and progress, that is an often enviable trait, (Essential for a surgeon!) however, it does present a double edged sword, in some instances.
When pressure to maintain a standard exceeds the point where balance and enjoyment of our everyday lives is seriously affected, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate. Perception and outlook are directly associated with how we feel, which can impact how we act. Negative feelings implicate our mood, no question about it!
In my case, If I have overindulged and missed the mark on a particular day, the next day can present very negative consequences if I don’t steer my mind into thinking the right thoughts. This scenario is a perfect set-up for a ‘fat feeling’ day. “I feel fat. I feel bloated. I feel gross.” These feelings can also just seemingly surface for no apparent good reason. (Time of the monthly cycle can trigger these emotions as well as just having a ‘bad’ day.) Many of us have heard the above phrases uttered by someone we know, or have indeed, spoken them ourselves, no matter what our fitness level.
Missing the mark, whether it be in the eating or exercising department, can negatively affect our mindset and make event the fittest person feel like the fattest person in the room. Been there, done that. Do it more often than I want to, actually.
Body dysmorphia is a term often used to describe this condition and it basically refers to having a distorted perception of one’s own body and it can affect both men and women. What you see in the mirror doesn’t line up with what is truth. In serious cases, this can cause severe stress and result in a highly diminished quality of life and can even lead to requiring professional help. Societal pressures may often have a large impact here.
Let’s get a reality check; one bad day doesn’t undo all the good you generally put into practice on a consistent basis. Ask yourself, “are you really all of a sudden fatter today, or just feeling the part?” The healthiest thing you can do for yourself in these circumstances is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track ASAP. Don’t beat yourself up and lament about the past. You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about it. Clean it up and balance the damage by doing more exercise, adequate hydration and eating right. Move ahead and get beyond the incident.
You can never get away from yourself, so practice being a best friend to yourself instead of your own worst enemy. Make a decision to move forward and stay in a positive mindset, despite the slip up.
Nobody is perfect and fat days happen to fit girls too!
Susan Arruda is a 5 Time Figure Champion and mom of 2.
Abdominals are at the ‘core’ of it all and as a result, involved in everything we do. Refer to the article, The Deep Truth About Abs which discusses the four different abdominal layers. Strong abdominals are necessary for maintaining good alignment and having a strong healthy back. Did you know that the first muscle to fire when almost any limb movement occurs (according to Australian research) is the deepest abdominal muscle, the transversus abdominis (TVA/aka TA) and that the muscles of the TVA are connected to the lower back? My TnT Ab DVD, Core Galore – Fit Foundations, discusses this more in depth as well as provides you with three effective workouts to develop and strengthen your abs to become stronger stabilizers and challenges all the muscles of the core. I’m very passionate about this as I am keenly aware of the importance of solid foundational building principles for long term health and injury prevention.
Keeping good posture is a crucial and overlooked component of overall good health and the longterm consequences of poor posture runs a very lengthy list; from weak muscles, tight and stiffness that may be highly predominant upon waking, muscular imbalances, leg pain with numbness, tingling and weakness, breathing problems, spinal dysfunction, joint and disc degeneration, decreased quality of life, and more! Yes, somethingso seemingly simple and insignificant as posture can really amount to big trouble long term. Some of the more serious health problems people experience can very well be the simple result of poor posture and the effects of erosion on the body over time, but we’re often in search of a more complex reason. In observing adults and working with students ranging from 11-14 yrs. old has brought fourth a strong awareness on the mass proportion of poor posture as an epidemic and the lack of knowledge surrounding it.
The literal meaning of posture means to put or place. Keeping our body position in the most favourable anatomical position to avoid undue stress and muscle imbalances is crucial for long term health, not to mention, it’s aesthetically more appealing and yes, looking good in addition to feeling good, go hand in hand. Engaging the abdominals is required to keep proper upright alignment and more specifically, learning to recruit and engage the deep transverse abdominals.
The TVA/TA works as stabilizers to support our back and pelvis and provide us with good torso alignment. The transversus abdominis is involved in every single movement we perform; it’s the first muscle to fire when almost any limb movement occurs. When we are not in the practice of actively engaging our abdominals with the abdominal draw in (aka, abdominal brace, abdominal hallowing) while maintaining a neutral spine, it puts extra strain on our lower back and contributes to poor posture. We need to actively practice this isometric abdominal contraction throughout your day by consciously pulling your navel into your spine and holding this contraction for 20-60 seconds intermittently throughout your day. Make sure you don’t raise your rib cage as that engages other muscles other than the TVA. This draw in or vacuum exercise becomes easier with consistent practice and ultimately, you want to do this co-contraction with every exercise. It also automatically sets you up for having better posture.
Sitting in your car is an ideal time to capitalize on putting this into practice. You want to strive to maintain natural alignment of all three curves in your spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar). Sit as upright as possible, press your head back against your car headrest to counter the common protruding chin, have your butt all the way to the back of the seat while keeping your shoulders down and back and tighten and draw in the abs. In maintaining the natural curve of the spine, there will be a curve at the neck and lower back. Good standing posture requires engaging the deep TVA muscle (this supports and stabilizes the spine) along with alignment and positioning of the pelvis. Cue an imaginary line that aligns the shoulders over hips, and knee to ankle alignment. Standing for prolonged periods can produce fatigue and put undue strain on the low back. To alleviate this stress, raise one foot up onto a platform (the very reason for a bar stool) which automatically shifts the pelvis forward to reduce this strain and/or shift your pelvis forward by contracting your glutes and resetting your posture. Do a visual posture check as well as perform the draw in along with scapular retraction (press shoulders down and squeeze shoulder blades together to counter stooping and rounded shoulders) to reset your alignment. Having strong, more defined abs are a result of training them consistently (30% training, 70% diet) as well as eating right. This will not only yield a sleeker appearance, but will provide you with a solid strong core and healthier, better looking posture.
Get in the habit of training your abs around the clock; you’ll be amazed at the results!
Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight loss for over 10 years!
One proclamation that we repeatedly hear is “well, I know what to do, the problem is doing it.” Well, I am going to challenge you on that, because the truth is most people actually think they know what to do, but they don’t!
To help gauge how accurate your statement is, here are a few questions that will quickly tell us if you really do know what to do, and are just not doing it.
What is your Basal Metabolic Rate? (Basically, at what rate does your body store or process its calories?)
How many calories did you take in today and from what food groups?
At what heart rate (beats per minute) should you exercise in order to burn fat and preserve muscle?
The list goes on and on, but if you do not know the answer to these three questions, here is some tough love; you really don’t know what you are supposed to be doing. What you have is the general 98% failure rate de-facto mantra : “I just need to eat better and exercise more.”
Okay, let’s say I give you the part about exercising more. Can you tell me how many of the foods in your kitchen right now are laced with trans-fats, have hidden sugar or contain more chemicals than they do nutrients and whether or not those labels like “fat free, low in sugar, or part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle” actually help or sabotage your weight loss and health goals? If you do not know, then again, you simply think you know, or you cannot be bothered to take the time to know. If that is the case, I must ask you the golden question; who are you going go trust to give you the information you need to succeed? Who do you trust to feed your children? Take it from a single dad who coached his son to a 17 LB weight loss; the responsibility falls solely on you.
All that we can do is educate you, but you have got to want to take matters into your own hands. If you don’t I will give you a list of commercial diet programs and “health” food manufacturers who are making billions of dollars on our blind faith.
I challenge you to educate yourself and stop handing your health and the health of your family over to brands and convenience. Do you remember that exam you had to pass? How about that job you wanted so badly or that sporting event you wanted to excel at? What did these require in order for you to succeed?
Like anything worthwhile, proper nutrition and weight maintenance require knowledge, discipline and action.
We’re all too familiar with the traditional abdominal exercises that involve variations of forward curls and crunches but many people are simply performing these incorrectly. The focus seems to be on quantity rather than quality. It’s a busy life folks, and I’m all about efficiency of movement and making it count. I’m surprised when I encounter people who are still resorting to doing 100 repetitions of full/old style sit ups. My question is, “when you’re performing this exercise, where are you feeling it most? What exactly are you trying to target? What is your goal?”
The full sit up actually places a lot of stress on the lumbar spine (unless you have really strong abs and can articulate every movement of the vertebrae), involves a lot of the hip flexors/iliopsoas, and there is usually momentum involved. If the muscular fatigue or stress is felt in parts of the body other than the abs, that’s an indicator that you may be doing it wrong, or the primary working muscle is not actually what you’re hitting, and it may simply be the wrong exercise selection for you. The fact is, you need to isolate and concentrate on the muscle you’re trying to work.
In a crunch, your head is along for the ride so try to keep it as relaxed as possible. A cue to help you with this is to ensure you keep space between your chin and chest (imagine a baseball under your chin) and allow your head to rest back onto your hands like dead weight and keep your elbows as far back as possible. When we perform a crunch, that move which targets the superficial, rectus abdominis only occurs when we’re lying on our back and the abs are working as prime movers. The fact is, our abs spend more time acting as stabilizers to support our back and pelvis in all movements of everyday life.
Susan Arruda pictured at 38 yrs. young!
We’re missing a vital component of abdominal training which targets the deep transversus abdominis (I refer to it as the TVA/ aka the TA). Your ‘deep’ TVA is involved in every movement you perform and in fact, the TVA is actually the first muscle recruited when almost any limb movement occurs! (Reported by Australian researchers, Richardson, Jull, Hodges, and Hides) This muscle is involved in flattening the abdominal wall and acts like our natural ‘weight belt’ or ‘girdle’. If you overlook strengthening this muscle, it can set you up for back pain and injury. Many people also don’t realize that the abdominals can be developed to push out or to pull in (DVD workout with detailed “how to” and breakdown of all the ab muscles, now available!) and clearly, we want to train them to pull inwards.
Learning how to recruit the deep TVA is the first step. The challenge is to do so without getting other neighbouring muscles involved and to breathe naturally through the process.
To activate the TVA, pull your belly button in towards your backbone to narrow the waist without expanding the chest and recruiting other muscles. The next challenge is to maintain that draw in contraction for a few seconds (start with 10) and continue to breathe naturally; not so easy! Visualization is helpful in getting this point across: Imagine putting on a pair of very tight jeans, zipping them up and yes, of course, breathing. That’s the gist of it but it’s a training practice that requires a great deal of mental focus when you’re first learning it. Start slow and gradually progress over time to increase the draw in to 20 and 30 second holds intermittently throughout your day, whether sitting (car time) or standing as this will also assist in achieving better posture as well as a stronger TVA. Ultimately, the goal is to perform the abdominal draw in as a co-contraction to any/all exercises. The bottom line is, we need to train the abs to become better stabilizers and ideally, we need a combination of both; exercises that train our abs as prime movers (crunch variations) and deep abdominal training (draw in) for stronger stabilizing abdominal muscles for a balanced core.
Integrating movement with ease while maintaining the ‘deep’ TVA draw in contraction is ultimately, your long term goal.
Consistent and conscientious practice will help you achieve that!
Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight loss for over 10 years!
The commercial diet programs now advocating “no calorie counting, no weighing and basically no thinking,” these are the companies who do not want us to think for ourselves. They just want us consuming their product. Permanent and safe weight loss requires thought and knowledge. Take it from me, you do not drop 160 Lb. and keep it off for 10 years by not thinking.
We blame the fast food industry a lot. Yet, I have never seen someone magically be pulled into one of those establishments by force while walking down the street. We make choices and these companies, whether fast food or “diet” meet the consumer demand based on that. If we “tell” these companies: “I don’t have time to exercise, nor figure out what I need to eat, weighing myself once in a while bugs me, I don’t want to know how many calories will help me gain/lose…
I just don’t want to do this and and…” Well, those companies are going to give us exactly what we are looking for! The QUICK, NO THINK FIX! It will be customized to makes sure that they address all of our peeves.
Don’t just eat something because it’s in a diet or weight loss program you are on. Many of the prepackaged diet system foods contain trans-fats and HFCS, among other harmful ingredients.
Let me ask you; do you run any other part of your life just guessing like that, or just the part about what you are putting into your body?
Look, I realize that the allure of a lot of the “commercial diet” programs is the support group piece, and I am all for that. I am talking about taking control and being as aware as possible of what we are eating. If I were to ask you a question like; are you eating 7000 calories a day, or 700, do you have any idea? It would really be good to have a slight idea, don’t you think?
When I first started out to lose weight over 10 years ago, I would just stand in the shopping market aisles for hours reading ingredients, trying to understand what it all really meant. It was a daunting task which sometimes bordered on frightening however what was really frightening was finding out just what was in the stuff I was eating. Trust me, it’s not just the obvious junkier food, a lot of the so-called “health-food” is just as bad if not worse.
Commercial diet programs don’t want you to think for yourself because they want you to buy their products and services, it’s that simple. If, for example, you are using a point system, or a card or color-coded system I understand this is based on caloric intake, but what if you actually knew what the ingredients in these foods were? Are the calories then all that important, isn’t it more about the quality of the ingredients of those calories? I’m often said in presentations that I believe turpentine has zero calories as well. So if I put a bunch of sugar into turpentine and told you it had zero calories because I used sweetener and told you it may help you lose weight, would you buy it? The answer is probably yes if it tasted good and you thought it would help you lose weight and it fit into a “quick fix, no think” diet. “They just told me I could have that, so I did.”
Oh boy.
There’s no substitute for knowledge. However, it seems to all come down to the quick fix, doesn’t it? Everybody wants it as fast as possible, but very few want to do the work that is involved to get there properly, even though it’s going to take them a little while longer. If you’re not in the habit of reading labels, it’s pretty simple to start.
Here are some tips to get you, umm… thinking!
Start reading food labels more carefully. Pay close attention to the serving sizes
Perhaps more importantly, it is all about INGREDIENTS! Read the ingredients list. If there is something you do not recognize, DO NOT blindly assume it is okay to eat it, ‘cus, after all, “they” allowed it. Copy the word down and FIND OUT what it is! What you discover may shock you!
Stop “free pouring” “lite, light, low cal…” (whatever “sell it to you” terms the company is using to lure you) salad dressing! Did you know there are over 100 different types of and names for sugar?
Realize that many people plan their TV time and what shows they will watch, how to PVR and time shift so as to not miss them. They will program their recorder for an entire week, BUT… do they give a moment’s attention to what to eat when, or do they just show up and see what’s available at any given moment in the fridge or the food court?
Once you get into the practice of reading food labels you’re going to notice what I call the usual suspects, or, the repeat offenders. They seem to show up everywhere in the form of hydrogenated fats and oils, high fructose corn syrup, or what I like to call the “ose’s,” just about everything that ends with an “OSE” is a sugar! Have a look around the house right now and in your cupboards. Pick up a few bottled or boxed items and read through the ingredients. There are a few things that you may notice immediately, 1) you probably need a science or language degree to get through the pronunciation of some of the ingredients and 2) that you’re going to see the same names over and over again.
If you’ve got any of those so-called gummy vitamins in the house, you should really have a close look at those as well because they are some of the worst offenders.
Then again, you wouldn’t know that unless you have knowledge as to what the ingredients are.
Don’t you think it’s worth the investment in time to do some learning?
Getting in the habit of reading food labels a few minutes each day is definitely one way to getfitfaster!
Why exercise? Why do you train so hard? What motivates you? How do you train for life and continue to push through tough seasons?
Susan Arruda is a 5 Time Figure Champion and mom of 2.
Exercising is an area I consider to be non-negotiable. It’s part of my every day life, an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and vital as a mood regulator.
Why train so hard? I was asked this question one day which took me by surprise and prompted some reflection and thought. Well, for starters, it helps to improve my mood, keeps me in balance, produces a feeling of accomplishment and especially after a successful and strenuous workout, it improves my overall mental and physical well being, keeps me agile, flexible and feeling strong. My thinking and philosophy is; if you’re going to do something, strive to do your absolute best to get the most out of it.
There are many other benefits, such as: it enables me to maintain flexibility and mobility, promotes better circulation, improves skin complexion, heightens energy levels, improves brain function, counters the decline in body functions which occurs with aging and especially becomes more noticeable and progressive after the age of 30, improves heart health, improves functional and physical capabilities for activities of everyday life, increases bone density, to name a few, and of course, the biggie; it helps me stay lean, look good and feel good in my own skin! After all, your body is your home and if you don’t take care of it, where are you going to live?
We should strive to take care and enjoy where you live; your physical body is your foremost “home” and is with you 24/7, and it’s a reflection of who you are.
The list of exercise health benefits is certainly an extremely lengthy one. We shouldn’t have to first lose our health, in order to realize how important it is. Scrambling for your health after you’ve squandered it can leave you with serious remorse and regret. How can you afford NOT to exercise, is my question? I passionately believe that our health should be top priority and unfortunately, I feel it is often the number one item in life that gets neglected and eliminated the most; it is the first thing to get ditched when time gets tight, and is the one thing we seem to take for granted the most; generally speaking, of course.
Many people view exercise solely as a last ditch “must do” effort used to lose weight. As we can see by the benefits outlined earlier, it is so much more than that.
ARE YOU GAMBLING, OR INVESTING?
I look at things pertaining to health as an investment and/or a gambling kind of approach. When you exercise, eat well, do all you can to ensure good health, you’re investing in your health. When you’re overworked, stay up late, neglect training, party hard, consume alcohol, don’t manage your stress levels, rely heavily on pills, get out of balance, then you’re gambling in a big way! The pay off for exercising, eating well are magnificent but the consequences, however, take time to manifest, and symptoms are often internal and hidden for quite some time before we get the reality of their magnitude. We push the envelope more times than our body can handle, until the problem gets so big, we can no longer ignore or avoid it. An alarming Doctor’s report is often the only reason some people will begin exercising. That’s a bit like treating your spouse with respect, only after you have wound up in marriage counselling; too little, too late.
FIND YOUR “WHY”
We live in an instant society, want it now era; want instant results in life with exercise, diet and training, and this simply isn’t possible. It isn’t a race, as many people seem to often view it; it’s a lifelong journey and a lifestyle. The serious problems take time to manifest and it is prolonged neglect that too often results in health hazards. I always say that knowledge is power. Know the benefits and the consequences, keep them before you, and get motivated to stay active. If you know you’re not strong in self motivation, invest in a personal trainer in order to follow through with your exercise plans. Due to the seasons of life, your goals will shift throughout the course of your life and are dependent on your desires, priorities, circumstances, and where you’re currently at with your health. Do you simply want to look and feel better, improve the state of your health, remain mobile, or is it at the point where it’s a matter of life and death? Lack of knowledge and not caring is a dangerous place. Find your “why.” Develop goals and get motivated and committed to work at it! You simply cannot afford to not exercise! HAVING to do something is much different than CHOOSING to do something and we shouldn’t let it get to the point where it no longer is a choice, but because the Doctor’s orders dictate that you must. I’m fond of the saying, “pay now or pay later.” Choose to invest wisely with exercise when you’re young and keep it up or you will be forced to invest in health care later on.
DON’T LIVE IN REGRET OF NEGLECT!
A close encounter with death can scare you into straight thinking but it shouldn’t have to come to that. Remember, it takes approx. 30 days to develop a good habit. Keep the momentum going, strive to do something active on a regular basis and don’t go longer than two days without activity (even if it’s just a short walk). It’s easier to stay progressive and keep moving forward than it is to stop and restart again.
Marco lost 160 Lb. and has maintained that weight oss for over 10 years
I have consulted thousands of one on one cases of people who wanted to lose weight and I have found some common, albeit startling beliefs, patterns and practices.
These common areas have nothing to do with whether I was consulting males or females. For the sake of my article, we are going to establish our client as wanting to lose 30+ Lb. and in their 30’s.
Not one person even had a general idea of how many calories they were taking in daily. I asked questions like: “do you think it’s along the lines of 1500 per day, 3000, 5000 or more?”
NO CLUE.
I can say this however, most of the people wanting to lose weight were all either:
1) Under-eating, or 2) under the impression they did not overeat, but were unaware they were taking in thousands of “hidden” calories. By this I mean processed foods, oils, so called “healthy meals,” and “healthier” meal choices they had thought they made in a restaurant.
2. Hardly anyone ate breakfast and proceeded to tell me they were not a “breakfast person.”
3. They were all doing too much cardio. They were also doing it in the wrong order; before resistance/weight training, instead of after.
4. Most women pointed to the fat on the back of their arms, or hips and legs as their “problem area,” while most men indicated their stomachs.
Additionally, they all were under the impression they could lose weight primarily/solely in that area, also known as “spot reduction.” Women thought triceps area exercises would rid them of fat in the arms and men thought that crunches, or even worse; sit-ups, would rid them of body fat in the mid-section.
5. Rounding off our top 5 and perhaps the most alarming; everyone thought they needed to cut carbs or go on a diet, and everyone who lost weight, gained it all back and then some.
There were other common areas of misunderstanding as well. Lack of proper exercise technique, or which exercises to do was also high on the list, but the one common denominator was lack of knowledge.
Get the right information and your chances of success will greatly increase!
“Self-esteem is more than a number on a scale; that number can often fluctuate. Your self-worth must be rooted and grounded in something far more substantial.” – Susan Arruda
