Holiday season is the time when everyone easily gets in shape... NOT. Frequent parties, family dinners, endless cookies at work and other delicious issues are blocking that abs flatness. In addition to that, winter is the season when people tend to hibernate slightly, so there is more comfort food daily, more calories daily, and less movement daily.
Even though it sounds like a bad situation, not everything is really that bad. I mean, if you are really consistent with your nutrition habits and your workouts, then you fine and don't need to read any further. However if you are on the other side of spectrum and this is your 1956732194th promise to start New Years resolution with losing fat and getting active, then we have to talk. Seriously, lets discuss this issue.
First - if its been few years in a row when you promised yourself to start fresh in New Year, then you should realistically know by now - a promise stays a promise, but it never turns into action. Whoever acts, doesn't promise, but develops a plan and follows it. And the plan has to have built-in way to check the compliance.
Second - make sure that you get rid of all of the emotional garbage that sidelines you. Remember, it is a foundation of all sales techniques - people don't buy based on information, but based on emotions. So go through a very serious screening what kind of emotions will sideline you and won't let you follow the plan. Examples:
- Specific - just saying "get in shape" doesn't cut it. In fact, it actually gets me angry. Do you know that getting in shape is as variable as there are people? Define the goal, for goodness sake! "I want to lose 10 pounds". See? Face that fear, record it and move on!
- Measurable - 10 pounds. Or 3 inches off the stomach. Or get into your skinny jeans. Or be able to squat your bodyweight. Or do a three perfect chin-ups. Doesn't matter what it is, but make sure you can measure it consistently. Otherwise you don't know if you are getting closer to you goal or further from it. "If you are not assessing, you are guessing" - I've heard Bill Hartman saying it once and I stay by it. Amazing approach
- Attainable - plan your step to achieve your goal wisely. Plan to succeed by breaking down one big goal into series of smaller ones
- Realistic - If it is 10 pounds you need to lose, then there is no need to lose 30. It will not make you any better. And chances are, it impossible to do healthy. So be sober and frank about your goals
- Timely - "Lose 10 pounds by 25 of June 2013" - that is he goal that is specific, realistic (perhaps, I don't know what exactly your issue is), attainable, measurable and timely. Without the pressure of a deadline, you will procrastinate. Deadline will bump this goal up in a priority.
Fourth - what are components of a plan for getting in better shape? Answer - a) fix the food intake; b) manage sleep and stress; c) fix the exercise part. And in this exact order.
So next post is about fixing your food.
Even though it sounds like a bad situation, not everything is really that bad. I mean, if you are really consistent with your nutrition habits and your workouts, then you fine and don't need to read any further. However if you are on the other side of spectrum and this is your 1956732194th promise to start New Years resolution with losing fat and getting active, then we have to talk. Seriously, lets discuss this issue.
First - if its been few years in a row when you promised yourself to start fresh in New Year, then you should realistically know by now - a promise stays a promise, but it never turns into action. Whoever acts, doesn't promise, but develops a plan and follows it. And the plan has to have built-in way to check the compliance.
Second - make sure that you get rid of all of the emotional garbage that sidelines you. Remember, it is a foundation of all sales techniques - people don't buy based on information, but based on emotions. So go through a very serious screening what kind of emotions will sideline you and won't let you follow the plan. Examples:
- You went shopping for a new dress for Christmas party, and, even knowing that you are out of shape, you became very upset and depressed about your body. Don't do it. Be sober and realistic about this - if you don't control your food, your movement and your sleep, your body will look accordingly. Becoming more depressed about it will not make it any better, but often it will lead to opposite - it will make you go home and kill a box of chocolates "just because chocolates makes me feel better". Don't lie to yourself, tomorrow you will look in the mirror and feel even more emotional about it. Learn to accept yourself the way you are, ,good AND bad. And gradually improve imperfections.
- Same situation - shopping revealed unwanted inches, or company's team picture showed that you don't look like a fitness model... but your reaction can be exact opposite from above. As soon as you realize that you are out of shape, you tell this sacred promise "Starting tomorrow (Monday, next week, next month, next year, next decade... you get it) I will hit the gym, will never put another piece of cake in my mouth and will go to bed at 8 pm sharp". Now... Stop for a second and listen to your body reaction. I bet this determination makes you feel good, because you are about to do something that will make you happy. BUT!!! Beware of that reaction. It is the same emotional garbage reaction as in the previous situation, except its not negative, its positive. Listen, 10 times out of 10 people give that kind of promise, it makes them feel so good, as if they already made some steps towards the goal... and they move on with their life without changing a single damn thing. I repeat - its exactly the situation where you sell yourself on an idea instead of actually performing actions towards the goal.
- One more example - you started very well, cooked your food for two days, performed two workouts and went to bed at 10 pm. But then you had a early January meeting and stayed late at work until 8 pm... Guess what? Food is out of control, you missed the workout and after that meeting you couldn't fall asleep until 1 am. I bet it happened to you before. And again, way too often emotional garbage reaction overrides true situation. What does that mean? It means that after one disastrous day you are certain that you will fail and you realize that you have no desire to continue. Remember - its not a reality, its what your emotional garbage tells you to do.
- Specific - just saying "get in shape" doesn't cut it. In fact, it actually gets me angry. Do you know that getting in shape is as variable as there are people? Define the goal, for goodness sake! "I want to lose 10 pounds". See? Face that fear, record it and move on!
- Measurable - 10 pounds. Or 3 inches off the stomach. Or get into your skinny jeans. Or be able to squat your bodyweight. Or do a three perfect chin-ups. Doesn't matter what it is, but make sure you can measure it consistently. Otherwise you don't know if you are getting closer to you goal or further from it. "If you are not assessing, you are guessing" - I've heard Bill Hartman saying it once and I stay by it. Amazing approach
- Attainable - plan your step to achieve your goal wisely. Plan to succeed by breaking down one big goal into series of smaller ones
- Realistic - If it is 10 pounds you need to lose, then there is no need to lose 30. It will not make you any better. And chances are, it impossible to do healthy. So be sober and frank about your goals
- Timely - "Lose 10 pounds by 25 of June 2013" - that is he goal that is specific, realistic (perhaps, I don't know what exactly your issue is), attainable, measurable and timely. Without the pressure of a deadline, you will procrastinate. Deadline will bump this goal up in a priority.
Fourth - what are components of a plan for getting in better shape? Answer - a) fix the food intake; b) manage sleep and stress; c) fix the exercise part. And in this exact order.
So next post is about fixing your food.
