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A Perfect Fit: Reflecting on resolutions
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Who do you see when you look in the mirror? What do you see? No, this isn’t Philosophy 101, but those are probably two questions we all have asked ourselves at least once in our lifetime.
If you care at all about how you look or feel, these are thoughts you might have almost daily. This is especially true if you don’t like what you see.
Maybe you have gained a lot of weight since high school. Perhaps you used to keep in fairly good shape but have “let it go.”
Some of you were athletes at one time, and had a reason to workout. But now it’s work, home, spouse, kids, sleep, work, and begin again. Over time, this lifestyle has caught up with you, and you don’t like the mirror.
Then there are those who could eat anything, do nothing, and look good all the time — until now. What happened? Yikes! Now they look worse than you do. Hurray! Uh, I mean, sorry to hear that.
As with many things we face in our lives, we can either worry and complain or do something about it. It’s unfortunate that, due to physical problems, some people can’t do much about their situation. But as for the rest of you whiners, we have a saying in powerlifting: “Shut up and squat.” In other words, nothing changes unless you get to work.
First, you need a basic eating and exercise plan. No, you don’t need a spread sheet. The more complicated you make it, the more likely you won’t stay with it. Since it took you a while to get out of shape, it will take the rest of your life to get back and stay there.
Start by writing down everything you eat every day for one week.  A general rule of thumb is that the later it is in the day, the fewer carbs you should have. Most people will respond well to simply dropping simple carbs and sugars and increasing protein with complex carbs. Add in plenty of leafy greens and water and you have your basic — and usually very successful — fat-reducing diet. Your end-of-the-day meal should consist of protein, leafy greens, steamed veggies and water. Just that one change alone will, in many cases, be all a person needs to drop waistline inches.
Next, decide where and when you are going to exercise. Try to pick days and times that you will absolutely not miss. It is better to start out with five minutes a day and not skip than it is to try to get in three 45-minute workouts per week while dreading the whole process. You might succeed for a couple of weeks, but the odds are against your sticking with it.
I have said this before, but it’s worth repeating: It is more important for you to develop a workout habit than it is to do the work in the beginning. This could start out as a simple walk around the block or just down to the corner and back. Not much, but a great start.
Maybe you are shy about going to a gym to get on the treadmill. That’s OK, do some light stretching and bending exercises out on the patio (weather permitting). If you already own some home gym equipment, dust it off and use it. Again, start with just a few movements and just a few minutes a day or every other day. If possible, team up with a friend and do things together. Don’t worry about what you do first or what muscle groups need to be worked together, just move.
If you do choose to go to a gym, start with the basics there as well. Some gyms might try to hook you up with a trainer, and that can be good or bad. Good because it reduces the learning curve, bad because it might take more time in the beginning, and you might not be willing to give up that much time at first.
If you go it alone, just get in what you can during the amount of time you have. I suggest in the beginning no more than 15 minutes. Yes, 15 minutes not 45 minutes. Make it so easy that you have no reason to not stick with it.
Repeating myself here from previous articles: it doesn’t matter what you do when you’re there — cardio, circuit training, free weights or a combination of all three — just get started. I completely guarantee that if you develop the habit, you will succeed at reaching your goals.
If you develop a habit of regular exercise, if you develop a better pattern of eating, and if you stick with it, your biological self will in fact change shape. You will get healthier and you will feel better.
Who and what do you see in the mirror? If the reflection doesn’t look so good, what are you doing about it? Who are you blaming for your lack of success? Have you spent more time making excuses than actually making an effort to change? Maybe you have decided to blame it on society and how they just don’t understand how hard it is for you to change. Hey, it works for a lot of folks, why not you, too?
Sometimes customers tell me, “I don’t want to buy a treadmill and not use it, I just want to make sure I use it before I buy it.” Not to be disrespectful here, but how are you going to figure out if you will use something or not? How are you going to figure out if you are going to stay with anything or not unless you start?
What about you? You might not be a powerlifter or an athlete, but so what? Are you as physically fit as you want to be? If not, what are you doing about the reflection you see?
Remember, only those who quit will fail.

E-mail Ken at: wheelersfitness1@sbcglobal.net

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