subject: Are You Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired? [print this page] As a fitness professional, I am always struck by this instant gratification mentality that so many people are afflicted with. No wonder we have a weight problem in this country. Years of abusing your body, eating garbage, sitting on the couch, taking the escalator instead of the stairs and all of a sudden the weight is supposed to magically disappear? Read my lips, "That's not how it works." There is no magical pill. Commit to the process and wrap your head around the fact that it will be tough journey, filled with ups and downs, victories and some setbacks. This is a process that becomes a lifelong journey not a destination. People who truly embrace this fact actually find it easier to stay on track. When you define yourself as a healthy person who just has some new fitness and weight goals your subconscious will manifest the results that you expect. When you define yourself as a fat, lazy or heavy person (I actually have clients tell me they are all of these things), your subconscious will manifest those results too. You become what you focus on most.
"You cannot consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself."
- Zig Ziglar
Let me give you an analogyMy beautiful wife was a smoker when I met her. Once we started having kids, she would quit smoking because that is what the doctor said to do. After the baby was born she would start smoking again. She "quit" three times when she got pregnant with each of our sons and then 6 months later she was smoking again, much to my chagrin. This mainly happened because she defined herself as a smoker that had to quit for the baby's sake. Then eight years ago, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and that scared her enough that she decided that she really needed to get healthy. She set about becoming a healthy person. The first thing she did was to define herself as healthy and then checked her behavior against what healthy people do or how they act. It was clear to her that healthy people aren't smokers or overweight so she then went about changing her behavior not how she defined herself. She quit smoking, started exercising daily and journaling her food intake. Eight years later she is a non smoker that was so successful at getting in shape and getting healthy that she has become one of the most sought after personal trainers from Calabasas to Camarillo.
There are differing views on how to make a major life change like deciding to get healthy or get in shape. Some will tell you to make small sustainable changes while others will tell you to make big dramatic sweeping changes. I personally subscribe to the latter category. If you are going to change, make it a big, grand gesture. Get the junk food out of the house, start moving for at least 30 minutes every day, hire a personal trainer, start reading books about why we gain weight, set a well thought out goal, layout a plan to get there, be realistic and embrace the ride.
