Let's talk about commitment.
The worst thing for commitment in health is January. If the words "I want to lose weight" came out of your mouth in the past, let's talk about how to get the results you said you wanted.
First thing, this can't be a sprint. Get a number out of your head. If you chase 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds, you are going to be in real trouble. You need to learn a few things, and slowly change the way you think.
Some people can change their entire life overnight. It's rare.
Most need time, and positive reinforcement. The problem is "human nature." We want and expect overnight results. It's not going to happen. Fitness and health is a lifelong journey.
I train pro athletes, and thanks to River City Ford in Winnipeg, I've been making training tips from some of the best in my hometown of Winnipeg. The point, see what they do, and start people working towards having fun and putting sport and adventure into their workouts. We do this slowly with big weight loss changes, and have a blast making adult rec sport athletes better at their game.
No athlete starts off talented and fit. It is daily choices, and it's also fun for them. The top athletes still love what they do and couldn't imagine doing anything else. In 2014 I will be putting out two blogs a week for Huffington Post. The first will be healthy living, the second will be following pro athletes and fitness competitors. This nation needs to see the difference, and what really goes into getting on the cover of a magazine.
You can be lean, fit, and healthy with out looking like a cover model. 2014 is going to be the year I clarify the difference. What's important? You love yourself, your body is healthy and full of energy, and you can't wait to get outside and get active. Looks have nothing to do with health.
Your decision to lose weight has to come from a desire to be healthy, make memories, and simply have more energy.
You have to remember you can do this. You can change your body, your health, your energy level, your entire way of living. It's just going to take time.
Use the New Year as your starting point, it's an easy day to kick this off. Make this checklist, and start changing your life.
- What is going to be your daily activity? Circuit training, yoga, kickboxing, running, fencing, walking, hockey, soccer. You need to be active daily. Your body needs to move
- What's in your cupboards? Food is fuel, it's not anything else. 80 per cent of your meals need to be eaten strictly to get the vitamins and minerals you need, as well as the fat, protein and carbohydrates required to live with energy. If you need to, get everything out of your house. Hire a registered dietitian, and restock your home.
- Who is going help you? Make a list and have at the ready massage therapy, personal trainers, nutrition experts, and friends to meet you for activities. Don't do this alone, there is no point.
- What are you going to fill your mind with? This is where people get lost. The mind is a mystery, and it's amazing how powerful it is. Start filling your brain with information on how to succeed in health. Read books, and keep magazines close by. Not sure where to start? Ask your fit friends, your trainer, and your massage therapist. If they don't read, they probably won't be giving you good advice. I write for Inside Fitness Magazine. It's a solid start
- Use social media. Follow fitness professionals, put out the odd tweet, Instagram photo, or Facebook post on your progress. Keep yourself honest with the tools that are out there. We need you need some love, it's nice to get "likes" on your progress statements. Just don't bombard us all with daily posts.
It's simple, really: Take a long term approach, and have a lot of fun watching your body change. Not just pounds lost, but energy gained. Your health is so precious, do something to make it a priority.
Eat, sleep, and be active with a better you in 2014 in mind. Not a weight loss number, but health, strength and a life filled with adventure.
Just an after thought: Once you get in a healthy groove, the way your body looks is kind of nice. It's the best pay off to changing the small things.
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