You! Yes, you! STOP dieting and exercising! If you want to see lasting fitness, you need to eliminate these two terms from your vocabulary.

This seems counterintuitive. If I don’t diet and exercise, how in the world am I supposed to get results?

Let me be clear: If you diet and exercise short term, you will see results. You will probably lose the weight you want. If you are looking to lose 15 pounds for your high school reunion or whatever and are comfortable gaining back everything you lost, then by all means diet and exercise. Or if you are comfortable being overweight and out of shape and tired all the time, you don’t even need to do that.

However, if what you are seeking is a LASTING change: more energy, permanent weight loss, better overall health, a more upbeat attitude… diet and exercise will not cut it. If what you are currently doing is not working for you, you need to consider a lifestyle change. For example, I have been an athlete most of my life (thank you, swimming). I have never had any significant weight problem, and I have been what most would consider “in shape.” But that was always very specific to whatever activity I have been doing. My goal was always athletic success, and not overall health and fitness. I wasn’t concerned necessarily about what I was eating, as long as it was enough. The quality of my rest was suboptimal. Even though I was an athlete, I needed a lifestyle change.

What a lifestyle change is not:

-extremely restrictive dieting

-obsessive exercising

-“health-nut” attitude

-depriving yourself of your favorite foods, drinks, activities, etc.

What a lifestyle change is:

-a focus on overall health

-making the right choice for your future self, not just your current self

-focusing on foods that fuel your body

-getting enough rest

-a commitment to regular workouts that move your body and your spirit (you don’t need to spend hours on the treadmill, or become a body builder) – go for a hike, go kayaking, sign up for a triathlon (I’ll do it with you), ride your bike, dance – anything. Just go move.

Making a lifestyle change is HARD. But if you are really committed to losing weight, getting healthy, and really LIVING, you can do it. And if you need someone to help you make that change, I would be more than happy to do that for you. Just reach out and let me know you are ready.

 

 

Change can be so difficult. As a person who deeply values routine, planning, and knowing exactly what’s coming, change is not something that I embrace warmly. But I have been trying to do an awful lot of changing lately. The reason behind that is because I know there is a whole bunch of good stuff out there that I am missing out on. I want to experience as much as I possibly can in the relatively short time I am allotted on this earth, and I want to help as many other people as possible do the same.

Wake up, go to work, come home, watch TV, go to sleep. Routine is so comfortable, because it is so predictable. Sure, we get surprises thrown at us now and again, but for the most part we can count on exactly how our days are going to be spent. Routine is safe. After all, it’s brought us to where we are now, which is a pretty good place, right?

Is it, though?

In my opinion, it can always be better. Lately, I have been actively trying to make myself better in areas where I am lacking; figuring out what it is that really moves me, (turns out it mostly related to fitness, who would have guessed?) and getting involved in what moves me (literally and figuratively) as much as possible. I am reading and listening to music instead of plopping down in front of the TV on my days off. Why wasn’t I doing this before? Music is one of the things that makes me happiest, so why wasn’t I spending more time listening to it, and letting it inspire me? Why wasn’t I learning about things that interest me when there is such a vast supply of information out there. The answer was because I was comfortable in my routine. I thought I was in a pretty good place.

I’m going to ask you to play a game with me, now. It’s called “The Why Game.” I read about this here (see previous paragraph, read, people!), and I think the results can be quite telling. We’ve all been subjected to the experience of a child who relentlessly will ask, “why?” When you answer their original question, they respond with another “why?” and this goes on and on to infinity and beyond until you become so fed up you just say “because!”

I want you to think of some area of your life you’d like to improve, or consider some aspect of your current reality that troubles you. “Why am I so tired all the time?” “Why can’t I get my diet under control?” “Why can’t I seem to get into fitness?” “Why don’t I have a better job?” Etc etc. Now, answer whatever question you’re asking yourself immediately and honestly. Don’t take time to hem and haw and make excuses. Be honest with yourself about why things are the way they are. “I prioritize TV, computer, other screen time over going to sleep at a reasonable hour.” “I don’t want to give up delicious, fatty, greasy foods.” “I don’t like to be uncomfortable.” “I don’t have the skills necessary to advance my career.” If you keep asking yourself “why” and responding with an HONEST answer, eventually you will come down to “because.” Once you reach the end of this game, you have found an area of your life worth looking further into, and working to improve.

So now that we have that out of the way, you have found an area in which you need, or want to make a change. Lucky for you, I have another exercise for you! If you find yourself resistant to this change, or willing to make the change but having trouble following through, list the pros and cons of making this change. When I made my list, the cons looked a lot like this:

I am afraid of what other people would think.

I am afraid I won’t be able to follow through.

I am afraid of looking like an idiot.

I am afraid of failure.

My entire list was based on fear! Take some time to sit and look at your list, written down in black and white. Chances are all of the cons on your list can be overcome when you act with purpose. Sure, you might not want to give up that greasy, delicious cheeseburger (for me it’s sweets, total weakness), but when you realize that the purpose of food is fuel, and maybe think about how you feel after the taste of that cheeseburger has left you (probably not very well..) it becomes easier to make that change. Maybe you’re afraid to ask for a raise, or a promotion, or the training necessary to advance at work. Realize that the purpose of work at all is to support yourself and those around you live life the way you want to so dang it, you deserve the best.

Find your purpose. Even if you are already fit as a fiddle, or landed your dream job, find out what moves you, what excites you, what really feeds your spirit. This is your purpose. If what you are currently doing, or how you are currently living does not serve your purpose, make a change.

If you need help making a change, let me know how I can help.

I want to help you live your purpose!