The 3-day hiatus from INSANITY was not my friend. Moves that were easy on Thursday I could not do today. I foresee aching muscles and hobbling. And I wasn't careful enough doing the pushups-my right wrist and elbow are a bit achy. I guess I'll be buying sports tape. And making sure I've planned for the worst-case scenario: carpal tunnel. Again. If that happens I'll substitute the workouts that don't incorporate pushups. Not ideal, but better than quitting.
And that brings me to my sermon today. Never, ever, ever, give up. When you are beginning your journey towards fitness, towards better health, or whatever, keep the big picture in mind. Do you want to be healthy for your kids as they grow up, go to college, and have grandbabies that you're gonna want to play with? Then don't be overly concerned about small failures. One missed workout is not a big deal. It's a part of life. Are you trying to lose weight? Then remember that-hopefully-your goal is to become a lifetime healthy eater. If you're trying to get in shape for beach season and are employing the lose-weight-fast gimmicks, well, research shows that most people gain back that weight + more because they did not learn for themselves how to eat right. Anyway, over a lifetime of healthy eating one week of eating out because your house just sold and you're trying to move into a new one and there is NO WAY you're cooking ANYTHING so you go out to eat and your dad manages to lose weight eating GIGANTIC portions yet you gain weight-well, it just doesn't make that big of an impact over the course of your lifetime. True story, by the way. My dad loses weight when he's stressed.
So to reiterate-keep the Big Picture in focus. Then, strategize how to accomplish that Big Picture. And keep it realistic. Too many times I've run into people-usually overweight-who have grandiose plans of getting back into shape. Or they've decided to use some crazy weight loss scheme. In most cases, they will fail. Not because they don't have discipline or because they aren't good enough, but because they didn't realistically plan. If you've never exercised before or it's been awhile, talk to your doctor. After that pick an exercise that you think you can stick with. And then, baby steps. Walk for 10 minutes. Increase that amount slowly. Change what you eat for breakfast. Skip one dessert. Slowly change how you approach food and fitness, keeping your Big Picture goal in mind. Always aim towards that. And once you reach that Big Picture goal? Create a new one. Always be going towards something. Make it new and interesting. Don't stagnate.
My disclaimer: I'm merely someone who has been interested in nutrition and exercise her entire life. I don't have a degree, I am not a professional, I am not qualified to give medical advice. I don't have the perfect diet or the perfect exercise routine. I love bacon cheeseburgers slathered with mayonnaise and fries smothered in ranch dressing far too much to be a completely "clean" eater. But I've been at almost every point in the fitness journey-slim, beach-body perfect; overweight and sedentary; overweight and active; anorexic; binge-eater; compulsive exerciser; marathon-running shape; 10-K running shape; and moderately in-shape. And the key to any success I've had is to think long-term (Big Picture), set realistic goals, and then indulge in daily discipline, using the Big Picture to keep you motivated.
And that is your Wulfa wisdom for the day.
Comments