Staying on Track with Exercise

Trust me... I know firsthand that it's not easy to work out and especially to "want" to work out. Some people even claim to always despise working out, regardless of how long they have been doing it. Personally, I have found that when you get into a groove, it just clicks. Your body begins to "get it" and you begin to crave exercise. Through my ten years of on and off training and working with a multitude of experienced professionals, I have discovered that the only way you will come to appreciate exercise and what it can do for your body, mind, and confidence is by never stopping the routine. You have to create a lifestyle that includes exercise and eating properly. I truly feel that this is one of the biggest problems with America and why one third of our population is overweight.

Exercise has never been pushed as a lifestyle, as it needs to be. It should come as natural as eating, bathing, or brushing your teeth. Sure, you are tired. Yeah, you had a long day. I know you don't feel like it... But the bottom line is one day of excuses is going to lead to yet another. Treating our bodies with the respect and consideration they deserve will come back ten-fold... I promise. When you exercise, your bodies release feel-good endorphins... You know- the same stuff released by dessert, or alcohol, or drugs, or happy pills, or laughing. It makes you think and feel positive thoughts. It may not seem like it at first, but after you get into the swing of a routine you will notice a significant neurological change.

For years, I would get ready to compete in a pageant and think that hitting the gym hard and crash dieting 1 to 2 months prior to a competition would suffice and get me in shape just enough to win. Boy, was I wrong. For one, when you begin any new exercise routine, it takes your body a minimum of two weeks to see any sort of result. The toxins have to be removed from your body and your muscles have to comprehend the insanity they are being subjected to. You will be sore. You will probably even get discouraged. In all honesty, the first month is by far the most difficult and takes a ton of courage and determination to push through and overcome temptation and adjustment to stick to the plan. Most people will give up. That's a fact. 

You see this first hand around the beginning of EVERY year. Everyone and their dog makes a resolution to lose weight and finally get into shape. They hit it hard the first week... They are tired but determined to stick with it the second week... The third week is tough but they begin to see the scale drop a few pounds (which, by the way, is usually water weight) and by the fourth week they are so proud that they made the numbers on the scale go down or they notice their clothes aren't as tight so they were that they reward themselves by splurging... Which turns into an added bonus of a cupcake or a cookie. The next morning you feel guilty and bloated. As a result, you blow off the gym because let's face it, It's tough to work out when you feel mentally and physically gross. One day of slacking turns into a few days, and before you know it your routine is shot. This among other things is why the gym is much less crowded in February than January.  

Then there is the crash dieting. I can name a million and one reasons why you will never attain your goal weight for an entire year straight if you begin a regimen on a crash diet. It's called crash for a reason. You WILL burn out. The best way to lose weight and live a healthy life style is to make it a routine. Don't reduce your caloric intake lower than what is expected by your body (that is less than 1200 calories in a day for a female), stick solely to whole and live foods (that means unprocessed), avoid fast food, don't try fad diets or believe anything that seems too good to be true, and most importantly don't reprimand yourself when you slip... We all do. Trust me, it's NOT the end of the world. 

Photo credit to Dixie Dixon

Be good to your body. You only have one and it's a beautiful thing, regardless of what you may have been told or how you have seen yourself in the past. NO ONE is perfect. NO ONE is genetically made the same. And NO ONE can  maintain what we have all been unfortunately led to believe is real in magazines, Hollywood, or on TV. Sure, you can work your butt off for a long period of time and obtain the superstar appearance for a moment, but it WON'T last. It's not realistic and it's not healthy to assume that you can keep that up 24/7. After all, we are all human and can only physically take so much before we plateau.

Your body does and will need breaks. You do deserve cheat days. You should be comfortable with enjoying dessert. But, keep in mind, dessert is a "treat" for a reason. It is not an everyday occurrence nor should it make us feel guilty when we allow ourselves to indulge. You deserve to live and enjoy rewards. However, I personally feel that these rewards should only come when you are mentally stable enough to handle them and once you have become used to a routine. That way, you are less prone to slipping consistently or giving up on a plan altogether. Just to be clear though... Indulge does not mean eat everything in sight, all day. It means allowing yourself one "bad" meal or one serving of dessert at a time. You must learn to listen to your body and FEEL when you have had enough. If you cross the line, chances are you will feel guilty or sick or you will over-do the indulgence to the point that you fall out of your routine. It's a delicate task and you must constantly stay in touch with yourself to manage it.

We all have what it takes to create and stick with a routine. The first and most important step is the initial commitment. Get off your butt and believe in yourself. Lose the Negative Nancy attitude and push through the fight, one day at a time. No one is perfect, but the best way to obtain anything close to your goal requires a permanent, life commitment. It's a life change and it takes a lot of time and practice. By time, I mean at least one year. And by practice, I mean changing your diet, your routine, and your mentality to ONLY positive thoughts and for an infinite amount of time. It's not a "need to lost 15 pounds so I will do and be done in 2 months." it's a lifelong change. You have what it takes. It's not hard in the end though, I promise. The initial few months are the platform. Once you are off the ground though, you will be airborne. 

Just keep flying :)