Let it Marinate

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  There are many times when we quickly become impatient with the time it takes to see the results we are looking for after starting a new exercise routine or eating plan.  After being motivated to start something new to achieve your goals, there is this excitement to reach a fitter new you.  But when the results don't appear over night, or in the time frame we were expecting, it is easy to become discouraged and want to quit.  I think this expectancy comes in part from a lack of knowledge in how the body actually changes, and also in part because we are becoming a society that longs for instant gratification.  Another reason why I believe people expect results to come so quickly is that many people are looking for the "magic pill" to fix whatever it is they are looking to fix.  Unfortunately, body change doesn't happen over night.  I know there are people out there that truly believe that if they eat a donut that it will "go straight to their hips," but this is simply not true.  The good news is that there is truth to the saying "good things come to those who wait."  If you are looking for a real, substantial and lasting body change, you need to give your new exercise routine and/or eating plan sometime to adequately affect your body.  So do not be discouraged if you are not seeing the results as quickly as you would like.  Rather, be encouraged that the changes will be lasting ones as your body adjusts to your new healthy lifestyle!

          I tell my students that the information age has been both helpful and hurtful to society.  Even though I might come across to them as the old man yelling "Get off my lawn!" I tell them that having information at our finger tips is both beneficial and detrimental all at the same time.  It is great to be have such easy access to information and to be able to communicate with one other, even those across the globe instantaneously, but it also has caused a good deal of the population to become impatient.  People become anxious if they do not get an automatic response after sending a text, message or email.  I also believe that there is a lack of appreciation for the ability to acquire information so easily, instead of having to physically go to the library and search it out.  The fact that cars can be fully restored and homes completely renovated within a half hour's time to the viewer's eye and a full season of a television show can be consumed in a weekend also contribute to this thought that things happen more rapidly than they require at times.  So when someone starts a new fitness regiment, they often think their results will occur as immediately as they have started.  Although the moment you decide to start working on your health and change your behaviors to help you achieve your fitness goals you have initiated the body change you are seeking, you will most likely not see immediate results.  However, if you give your body the time it needs to adjust to your new lifestyle, you will see changes that last!

          When you make changes to your physical activity and eating habits, your body and its metabolism need some time to adjust.  The brain needs time to know that the new things that you are doing are not just flukes and that it should adjust to the changes.  In order to see the body change results you are looking for, you need to be patient.  You need to let the changes marinate!  Think about some of the finer things in life, cheese, wine, bourbon...they all become better as they are given the time to age.  Meat that is put into marinade is better when it is left to sit overnight.  You too will get more out of what you are doing if you give it the time to take its course.  Don't expect immediate results; and don't get discouraged when they do not happen immediately.  Let your new routine marinate, give your body the time it needs to adjust to the change.  One workout will not cure years of inactivity.  But your body will in fact change to the changes you make...just be patient and keep up with doing what is good for you!

          It is never too late, and no one is ever too far gone to start adopting healthy habits in one's life.  And the moment that you do decide to take control over your health and fitness is the moment that you start the journey to a fit new you!  Just don't be dismayed if you are not seeing the dramatic results that are akin to a home renovation or a car restoration that is edited into a half hour show when it takes weeks and or months in reality.  Transformations are possible, they just take time.  If you continue your efforts, your body will benefit in the long run like many of the finer things in life that become better over time.  Do not be discouraged!   Results will come!  Letting your new health routing marinate is realistic and lasting way to reach a fit new you!

Spring has Sprung

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today is the first day of spring and it is a day of importance for a good number of reasons.  As it is one of the two equinoxes we have 12 hours of sunlight with the sun being directly overhead at the equator.  However the day has some other meanings that are more important for those of you who are reading this.  First, it is a great day to assess how you are doing on the resolutions you made for New Year's.  We are just over two and a half months into the new year, and I wonder how many of us have kept up with those goals we set a relatively short time ago.  In my experience, many people have falling off of their fitness goals by now.  But, there is still plenty of time to get back on track.  The start of Spring is also an uplifting time for many, with the increase in the amount of daylight, the warming temperatures, and the budding flowers all contribute to people feeling more positive and getting more active outdoors.  Spring reminds us that summer is just around the corner and we need to get back to working hard on our fitness goals.  So let's use today to assess where we are and what we need to do to achieve the body, health and strength we are striving for!

          Most gyms do the most of their marketing around the start of the New Year.  It is easy to understand why they time their specials and incentives to join their gym when people are motivated to start the new calendar year off on the right foot.  The number of new gym membership subscriptions are highest during that time.  And when people sign up, they do so with the intention of continuing all year and working harder than they ever had.  However, by this time of year, the start of spring, most of those people have fallen off of their fitness quest, and are no longer getting to the gym as often as they were at the start of the year.  Maybe you fall into that category as well.  Believe me, I know its hard to stay motivated.  But the New Year didn't start all that long ago...less than three months!  So whatever it was you were motivated to do that you made a resolution for is still more than obtainable this year.  Your goals may not have changed, but if you look back on them, you probably can see changes that you need to make in order to achieve them.  Use today as the day that you look back and check on your progress.  Have you been making progress?  If so, is it possible to ramp it up?  If you haven't been, what can you do to get back on track?  In most areas of life, Plan "A" doesn't work; you often need a Plan "B."  Let the start of Spring help remind you that you had goals for the year a couple of months ago, and that you still have plenty of the year left to still reach them.  Reassess your initial plan of attack and make the changes necessary to achieve them.

          For most people, the resolutions at the start of the year include improving upon their health and fitness in some form or fashion.  This is because the majority of us know that being healthy and fit is a good thing.  Even though we know this, it still becomes a challenge to so many to actually work on their goals.  Most people need some sort of extra push to keep them on track with attaining the level of fitness that they are striving for.  Finding motivation is easier with significant events such as the New Year, or an upcoming wedding or school reunion.  It is definitely harder during the more mundane times of the year.  Without the carrot of an upcoming an event dangling in front of you, it is easy to become lazy.  So welcome spring and today's equinox as a motivational day.  Spring means that summer is only a few months away.  And if your goal includes looking good in your beachwear then you need to put the gym time in now!  We know that body change doesn't happen over night.  You need to work hard now during the spring in order to achieve the body you desire in time for the summer.  Just as the budding flowers and plants will look better after a couple of weeks when they have been able grow, you will look better too in a few months...if you put the work in!

          Spring has sprung!  The winter is over!  Its time to shed those heavier clothes that hid our imperfections so well.  The summer and even lighter clothes are a just a few months away.  Are you ready for the spring?  Will you be ready for the summer?  If you have been keeping up with your fitness resolutions set just a couple of months back you should be.  If you're not ready, what can you do now to get there?  It is not too late; it is never to late to start working on your fitness goals.  Let the warmth and signs of new life reinvigorate you to attain the health, strength and body that you desire!  Spring is a reminder that like a bulb planted in the ground that turns into a beautiful flower, that it is the time of year to find a fit new you!