Getting fit requires a lot. It takes a lot of food, time and energy along with blood, sweat and tears. With all the different information out there on weight loss and health, it can be a confusing and frustrating feat. However, there are certain things that you REALLY need. This has nothing to do with workout clothes, running shoes, weights, or trainers.
First of all, you need to make up your mind that this is what you really want. You need to decide to do it for YOU. To make yourself happy and healthy. Make your decision that this time is different then all the times before where you tried and didn't succeed; or maybe you did succeed for a while then fell off track.
Make time for yourself and put yourself as a priority. I know this is especially hard for parents with kids. It's difficult to not think of your children as number one priority, however I think that kids can appreciate that mom or dad are doing something to better everyone's lives. You need to decide to MAKE time for workouts, cooking, etc. We are all very busy, and lets face it, the time will never just magically appear. I have a coworker that squeezes her workouts in at 5:30am before her kids are even awake, and I applaud her for it. It's great to see that she makes herself a priority in her busy life of kids, hubby, work, etc! With my crazy schedule of Ju Jitsu training, teaching, work, etc, I've had to make some sacrifices and squeeze my workouts in where I can. It may be hard getting up early to workout before going to work and then Ju Jitsu, but its worth it because it gets me closer to my goals.
Once you've made up your mind that this is going to happen, then you need to prepare yourself mentally for many things. Its time for a reality check. Plan your goals out. What do you really want to accomplish? Do you want to run a marathon? Be a bodybuilder? Get healthier for life? I like to use tournaments, Spartan races, etc as my goals. I like to feel like I'm always training for something. I sort of fool myself with short term goals over a long period of time.
When setting goals, you also need to ensure they are realistic. Are you going to get a six pack and a JLO booty in one month? No, probably not; but we can try to lose our first 5-10 lbs or be able to run a mile without stopping. Will you 100% stick to your diet every day, all the time? No, you need to still live your life, have a piece of cake once in a while and treat yourself. You will need to figure out a balance of work and play.
You have to mentally prepare yourself that fitness and health is lifelong. You always need to be working, eating healthy and training. Think of a musician. Does a musician like Keith Richards suddenly stop writing and making music after they feel like it? No, its what they do; they do what they love for as long as they possibly can. You need to dedicate yourself for life. It takes some serious brain power and will. I won't sugar coat it and say it gets easy, because it doesn't, but its worth every bit of frustration and hard work.
Lastly, and I am putting this one bluntly, you need to cut the shit. A lot of people fall into a looping pattern when it comes to weight loss and fitness. Go on one weight loss plan for 3-6 months, lose weight, and feel great. Then they go off of said weight loss plan, gain all the weight (and maybe some more back), feel like crap, be sad, then go on a different one because the last one didn't work. Hence why the weight loss industry is so huge. I went to a book store the last weekend looking for a no BS, no fad diet, nutrition book and I was lost for about a half hour looking through rows and rows of books on Gluten free, carb diets, no carb diets, protein diets, vegan diets, skinny bitch diets, eat what you want diets.... I was almost dizzy. I finally found a book that literally said no fad and no nonsense, written by a registered dietitian and a doctor; but it was one book out of probably two hundred!
I'm sorry, but to be fit and healthy for life, you need to cut the crap. Weight loss shakes, pills, wraps and liposuction are only good for short term. But they are not made to be for lifelong. Do you really think you're going to take those pills everyday for the rest of your life. No, you probably were going to take them until you reached your goals then stop and do what you did before. Cut the crap, for lifelong results, you need to do lifelong work. That's the truth, its something that I've had to learn the hard way. I've come to realize that short term weight loss is only that, short term.
Being fit and healthy for life can be done. It does take you making up your mind, dedication, and some serious mental preparation, but it is worth every bit of success in the end. Motivation will not always be there, but its forcing it to become a habit is what will make the difference in the end. You don't need fancy workout gear, shoes or a trainer to become fit, what you REALLY need is YOU!
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