Write it down!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to explain to you the importance of maintaining accountability to yourself and offer an easy way to do it.  Whether it pertains to what you are doing in your exercise routine or your dietary goals, it is easier to reach your goals if you are accountable to yourself.  There are plenty of sources of excuses to get off track, and it’s quite common to even make up your own excuses as to why you haven’t met your fitness goals.  Maybe you don’t have the time, you’re too tired, or someone at work brought in a dessert that just looked too good.  The ones you make for yourself are ironically the hardest to over come.  And these excuses will hold you back from reaching your fitness goals; that is unless you hold yourself accountable for your own actions.  Think about it, when you were in school if you wanted to do well, you wouldn’t want to miss an assignment, and to do the assignment well, you would need to write it down.  Treat the path to your fitness goals the same way; make yourself accountable for what you actually do.  The simplest way to keep yourself accountable is to put what you down in writing.  Keeping both an exercise and food log is an excellent way to see in “black and white” what you are actually doing to reach your goals.

Marvin is one of my clients that I keep an exercise journal with to track what he does in the gym.  It’s a great tool in itself as it both tracks his progress, and he can also take it with him on vacation to maintain his exercise routine.  But on a workout-by-workout basis where it helps the most is it spells out exactly how much weight and how many reps he has to perform.  It keeps him honest if he is feeling tired that day.  When I show him what the book says if he questions what I am asking of him, his response typically is “Ok, the book don’t lie!”

Keeping an exercise journal is quite common in the gym, especially amongst more experienced people who train.  But it is also very useful for beginners as well, as they tend to have a harder time remembering what they did the previous session.  And when it’s imperative that you allow the body multiple attempts at a task in order to adapt, it helps to know what you have done previously in order to select the appropriate intensity each session.  See my earlier post “Get it, Repeat it, Beat it” to see how to do this.

An exercise journal is akin to a nutritionist’s food log.  When following a dietary program, you are often asked to write down everything you eat as a food log.  This helps both the dietician see exactly what you are eating, but also reminds you of the choices you have made.  Having it written down paints a clearer picture of any particular food choice tendencies that need to be addressed.

Keeping and exercise and / or food log helps you to record the facts about what you are doing and what you are consuming.  It takes the excuses and emotions out of the equation.  And when looking back at the logs at the end of the day, you can grade yourself as to how well you did at staying on the path to fitness.  It makes you accountable and gives you the opportunity to see where you can make changes for the next work out and / or next meal.

Go out and buy a small pad or note book and starting writing it all down.  Keep an exercise log to help you plan your work outs appropriately.  Maintain a food log to help you find any negative food choice tendencies.  Having it down in black and white makes you accountable for your own actions.  Being accountable for your actions keeps the most important person in your fitness quest at the forefront.  Writing things down is an accountable, black and white way to reach a fit new you!

Walk the Walk!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to give you a tip on how you can burn a few more calories every time you go to the gym.  And as an added bonus to this tip, it will allow you to burn these extra calories while actually spending less time in the gym.  Seem too good to be true?  It really isn’t so far fetched of an idea.  All you simply have to do is walk to the gym.  After reading that, I am sure to have gotten at least one of three responses; the first being agreement, the second being disagreement because of lack logistics, and the third being disagreement because of lack of time.  I don’t need to prove my point to people who agree with me, so let me explain to those who think this would be a challenge that walking to the gym is an excellent way to burn a few more calories, and save you time actually being in the gym.

Steve is the owner of the gym that I have trained at for a number of years.  This mid-sized gym was the first of its kind in the area, and the first facility of this size that he opened.  Fortunately for Steve, the business became very successful in a very short amount of time.  But unfortunately for Steve, the gym was so successful that limited parking became one of his biggest problems; not only did limited parking aggravate current members, but it was a drawback for many potential new members.  To deal with the issue when finding another location was not possible, Steve had to come up with some creative solutions.  One of these was to have the trainers and staff park down the block, instead of in the lot, and walk the ¼ mile or less the rest of the way.  While this helped with opening several parking spaces, some of his staff were upset that they would now have to walk the extra distance.  His wise reply was to remind his staff that they were fitness professionals and the short distance required to be walked shouldn’t be an issue, and that if it was, they should reconsider the industry they were in.

While I can understand that one of the hardest issues people face with getting to the gym on a regular basis is finding the time to do so, and now asking you to walk to the gym would seem like adding more time to that endeavor, let me explain better just what I am saying.  Although it would be great for both you and the environment if you could walk, jog or run to the gym all the way from your home, I understand that may not be feasible.  It may in fact be too far of a distance or require too much time.  But if you are working out properly, you should be doing a short warm up before you get into your routine and a cool down at the end of the work out anyway.  I am simply suggesting that you substitute that same time in the gym, with a walk/jog/run to and from the gym from a safe distance in which you can park your car.

Although the way I am suggesting this helps to make this easy for you by substituting the same amount of time you would be active anyway, you will see that you will actually wind up burning more calories.  This will happen for two reasons.  First, once you are in the gym, you will often want to stay longer knowing that you have to exert some energy to get back to your car.  You will be more hesitant to end a work out early, or leave the gym so soon if you can’t hop right into your car.  Second, over time, you will see that the little bit of extra time getting to the gym will get longer and longer as the enjoyment from it will have you actually wanting to park further and further away.

            Think about why you are going to the gym.  Is it to burn calories?  Improve your endurance?  Improve your health?  Almost any reason you are going to the gym will only be benefited by adding a few more minutes of walking, jogging, or running both before and after your workout.  So don’t just talk the talk.  Walking the walk is an efficient way to reach a fit new you!

Be Inspired!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to talk to you about using inspiration as motivation.  Everyone needs a little push from time to time to keep themselves motivated and to stay on track to achieve their fitness goals.  One great way of doing this is to be inspired by someone else who can push you along.  Whether it is someone who has already achieved similar goals, someone who looks up to you, or a person who energizes you, having someone to inspire you is a great way to stay motivated and will help you reach your goals.

Chuck is someone I see at the gym on a regular basis.  Although he doesn’t train with me, he does like to ask me for advice every so often.  He comes to me for two reasons, first is because I train clients similar in age and body type as he is, and second because he respects what I personally do.  Chuck will watch and ask about certain exercises I do with my clients and then he incorporates them into his own work out.  He sees the results of my clients, and then is inspired to do the same things.  Chuck also gets inspired by my own personal workouts.  He once mentioned to me that he notices that when I exercise I use perfect form.  After I explained to him the importance that using proper form has, he was then inspired to clean up his own form.  But Chuck also inspires me.  Maybe it is his attempt to give back to me, but while I am working out, he will sometimes tell me to get one or two more reps during a set; or if I just finished a set he will tell me he thought I could've gotten two reps.  And that inspires me on my next set.  I want to get as many reps that Chuck thought I could…and maybe even one more than that.

In a very similar way, knowing that you are inspiring to someone else can help motivate you as well.  It makes me think of the saying “I want to be the person that my dog thinks I am.”  While a

pet might not consider your health habits, there are people who probably do.  The Jr. High students I teach Health Ed. to are often under the impression that I have the most flawless, healthy diet.  They are often shocked when they see me at a school event enjoying a dessert.  When I think about them when I am making a food choice it inspires me to eat healthier.  My food choice will be inspired by whether or not I think it fits their image.  You can look for someone in your life who is inspired by you to inspire you.  If you have children of your own they are also good sources of this type of inspiration.

One other way you might find inspiration from others to stay motivated is via significant others.  Whether trying to show an ex that they’ve made a mistake, or wanting to impress a potential date, or show your spouse that you’ve “still got it”, by keeping them in mind while exercising at the gym or making a food choice can help to inspire you to do that extra set and / or rep and make the healthiest food choice. 

With the billions of people in the world, it should be easy to find at least one to help inspire you to be your fittest.  Inspiration comes in different forms, and people can be inspiring for different reasons.  Whether the inspiration comes from someone that has achieved similar goals, someone who looks up to you, or someone that you want to impress, that extra motivation can go a long way to working harder and making better food choices.  Finding someone to be inspired by can be the motivation that pushes you to a fit new you!

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"

This week I would like to offer you a little saying that will help keep you motivated to make healthy food choices.  The saying goes “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”  This was said to me over ten years ago by two Phys. Ed. teachers I was working with.  And while I didn’t quite fully understand what they meant by it then, I can see more clearly now how this small statement can make an impact on your everyday food choices.

At the time, Kevin and Joe had been teaching Phys. Ed. for a long time.  While they were both fitness minded, they had gained a few unwanted, extra pounds that often come trying to meet life’s demands.  When we would go to lunch in the faculty cafeteria and were deciding what to eat that day, they would recite this saying to one another, “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels” and the other

would agree.  I found the whole routine a bit humorous at the time, and would question in my head, what they meant by it.  Fast forward to today, when now I truly get what they were saying, and I know better how to use this saying.

The saying should be used as a motivational tool.  If you understand, that no matter how good something looks and/or tastes, it would not be as good as the feeling you would have by being in the shape and reaching your fitness goals.  How many times have you looked at a menu, and made a selection based on the picture, only to be a bit disappointed with how the dish looked and/or tasted when you got it?  The food industry pays a lot of money to make their food look appealing.   We are constantly making food choices, and those decisions often hinge on what we think tastes “good.”  But if we allow ourselves to be motivated simply by the taste rather than what will lead us to our nutrition goals, there is a good chance we will make unhealthy choices.  The taste of the meal is important, but you should often consider how you will feel about that decision when you are done.  Another commonly heard phrase is “that tasted a lot better going down.”   Eating is a necessity for life, and it should be enjoyable.  But healthy choices can also be very delicious as well.  And more to the point, you should keep in mind that the time we spend eating is very short (too short sometimes) and whatever we put in our bodies will affect us for a longer amount of time. 

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels should be a saying to remind you that you will be much happier with what you are eating if it is contributing to your fitness goals.  It isn’t worth making a poor food choice just because something looks good.  On the other hand, think about how you will look through following a healthy food plan.  Making food choices that will help you reach your fitness goals, and that encourage a positive self-image is the best way to achieve a fit new you!

You're in the driver's seat

This week I would like to remind you that when it comes to your own health, you are in the driver’s seat.  There are times when people become discouraged or lose their motivation to work on

their health because they feel that they have one limiting factor or another in their life holding them back.  These factors usually include genetics, family history, an injury, a preexisting condition or disease, or simply a lack of time.  While these conditions do exist for many people, if not most people, you should be reminded that you still have control of your health, and these limiting factors can be worked around.  You just need to be in the driver’s seat and control what you can.  If you think about it, you will see that you are in much more control than you might initially believe.

JT and Lloyd are two clients of mine who have had health conditions affecting their fitness goals.  JT is the self-proclaimed “oldest man in the gym” and while we agree he says it as joke, being in his 70’s he has some health considerations to account for when training.  He even had a freak eye injury recently that had limited his training for a brief period.  And, Lloyd needed to have his leg amputated during a very long, emergency surgery needed to save his life from a heart condition.  He had and still has several red flags for heart disease.  With these very real and serious health concerns, they have both been able to successfully work on their health for many years with me in the gym.  But they do need to be reminded from time to time that despite having these bumps in the road, they are still in the driver’s seat and are in control of their own health.

I love the analogy of being in the driver’s seat to emphasize that we are in control of our own health.  Yes, we all have some limiting factors, some more serious than others, that can be a road block to navigate around in order to achieve our fitness goals.  But just like being at the wheel of a car, we are still in the control the majority of the time.  Think about how often you get in a car and drive somewhere.  There are many things that can happen to hinder you from getting to your destination; you can be in an accident that was someone else’s fault, that wasn’t in your control; you can get a flat tire; you can simply hit traffic.  All of these events may happen at some time, and they are all out of your control.  But we don’t just stop there, or never get started for fear of them.  We find a way to best fix the situation, and then we move on.  We don’t give up on driving.  When the car is fixed, or traffic starts moving, we continue on our journey.  Anyone who faces a health road block needs to understand that it might slow you down a bit, but you are still in far more control then you think.

            Most of the time you are driving a car, you are in complete control.  Minor challenges like bad weather may alter how you drive, but you adjust and keep moving.  A more serious condition like an accident can put your car out of commission for a few weeks, but I am sure you find a way to keep getting to your destination.  The same is true for your health.  Minor challenges like having a cold, or minor injury can be worked around with small adjustments to your routine.  A serious injury may take some more time to recover from, but even a physical therapist has the goal of getting you moving again.  Remember, the vast majority of the time you are in that driver’s seat and you are in complete control!  The same is true for your health and fitness.  Look past the road blocks.  Remember that you are in the driver’s seat with your hands on the wheel.  And better yet, keep your foot on the gas pedal!  If you have a knee injury, train your upper body;  if your shoulder hurts, do some legs;  muscles are sore, do some cardio.  Just keep going!  You can navigate around most roadblocks with minor adjustments to get to a fit new you!