Want to get in better shape? Don't bother reading this, you
already know how to!
Okay, so there are about a million books out there on the topics
of health, dieting, exercising, looking better, etc....and I
should know since I feel like I've read most of them myself!!!
Most proclaim to hold the magic secret or formula for improving
your health. I must admit, it's tempting to buy these books by
the dozen. Don't get me wrong, there are some exceptional books
out there, but do you want to know the true "secret" behind
creating better health and being in better shape? Well here it
is in 7 super simple stages (the funny thing is you probably
already know all these, but maybe haven't thought about it this
easily):
1. CHANGE YOUR FRAME OF MIND
Everyone says the same thing: "I need to LOOSE weight". That's
the first problem. As humans, we are psychologically hardwired
to think of LOOSING as a negative. Subconsciously we do not want
to LOOSE and therefore our brains will sabotage our own efforts.
Solution: think of it in terms of IMPROVEMENT or GAIN. Tell
yourself "I want to GAIN better health". Even if you succeed in
loosing your desired weight, eventually you'll think "okay, I've
lost enough weight" and then my friend, you're in trouble.
However the more health you GAIN, the more you'll want to keep
going. Hey, we're all greedy by nature.
2. A LITTLE MOTIVATION NEVER HURT ANYONE
Simply put: people don't achieve and maintain their goals for no
reason. So pick one. But make it a good one; one that will be
sustainable. Saying "I want to fit in that new dress by my
birthday" may work in the short term, but could soon fade after
the big day. Try to think of one that will keep you going in the
long run. Some examples that just popped into my head could be
"want to set the right example for my kids", "want to live
longer", or simply "want to feel confident about myself".
Whatever your reason, choose one that will last. And if you need
a little extra motivation you can always turn to others for
inspiration in books as Michael Ruge's: Quote-A-Quote: to Your
Success (www.quoteaquote.com).
3. THE BIG "SECRET"
Hopefully you noticed I was mocking the "secret". You want to
loose weight (or should I say improve your figure), BURN MORE
CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME!!! That's it. That's the entire
formula. "How do you do that" you ask? The best way is through a
"healthy" mixture of eating right and exercising. How much of
each is up to you. You eat like a pig...well you might want to
exercise a bit more. You're extremely lazy; eat more sensibly.
Bottom line: evaluate your lifestyle and react/adjust
accordingly. You don't have to "count calories", but use your
best judgment and the results will follow. I trust you.
4. GETTING STARTED
Now that you know the big "secret" you can get started right?
Hold on. As a business consultant, I know one thing's for sure:
every successful business is built on a solid plan. Likewise, so
should your goals. It's one thing to know what you want; it's
another to know how you'll get there. So make a plan. This isn't
rocket-science and certainly doesn't need to be. The simpler,
the better, as you are more likely to stick with it. "I want to
bike to work"...there you go; your plan can be that simple. Know
your goals, and establish a REALISTIC way to achieve them.
5. KEEP GOING!!!
I find it funny (maybe funny isn't the right word) how many
people pack the gyms in January compared to February. With the
New Year, everybody is determined to get in better shape. A
couple weeks later, most revert to their old routines. In the
paragraph above I emphasized to "establish" a REALISTIC way to
achieve your goals. This means not only creating and executing a
plan you can work with, but MAINTAINING it. You can't win the
race if you don't cross the finish line. Achieving better health
or shape isn't something you can or want to do in a weekend.
This should be a long term ambition so think accordingly.
6. TREAT YOURSELF
Don't know about you but I enjoy the occasional beer and
cheeseburger. Getting in better shape doesn't mean you have to
give up all your favorite foods and spend 4 hours in the gym
everyday. On the contrary, doing so will only make you stop.
There is a big difference between cutting back and going cold
turkey. You know yourself. You know how much of something
depending on your activity is good for you. So if you've
exercised like crazy all week....have that piece of desert (but
not the whole cake). And remember there is also a difference
between treating yourself and cheating yourself. Just because
you walked from your house to your car doesn't mean you burned
enough calories to have the extra-large triple combo! Lastly,
healthy food CAN taste good. So try one of the recipes in this
book and see for yourself: Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just
You): Low-Fat Recipes with Half the Fuss and Double the Taste.
7. LEARN FROM OTHERS
Everyone makes mistakes. Use that to your advantage. Learn from
others who have made mistakes and still found a way to succeed.
It will help you avoid them altogether or at least may provide a
solution to the ones you do make. In my opinion, those are the
most valuable health books. Courtney Rubin's The Weight-Loss
Diaries is a prefect example
"Take care of your body, it's the only place you have to live"
-Jim Rohn, as included in the book: Quote-A-Quote: to Your
Success.