Losing weight is not rocket science. I've lost weight by taking diet pills, following diet fads, attempting to starve myself, wearing contraptions and devices, even weight loss surgery. All these methods can work to lose weight, but once you get back to real life you tend to find all that weight you lost. The problem then, is not losing the weight (I actually prefer the term "shedding" instead of "losing" because when you shed something you don't get it back). The problem is maintaining a lifestyle to never get it back.
I remember back in the fall of 2009 I had to make the hard choice to give up my YMCA membership because I just couldn't afford it anymore. At that time I was about six or seven months post surgery and was probably around 280 lbs and I was scared of gaining back whatever weight I had lost. I was also scared of not losing anymore weight. It seemed like everytime I got into a stride with the whole fitness thing life would throw me a curveball and I'd end up back in the dugout (I know nothing about baseball so that's the end of that metaphor!). I thought about how I could be active without depending on a gym, an instructor, any eqiupment, etc. The answer: running.
My first attempt at running was based on an article in Muscle&Fitness Hers that talked about interval training. I made up my own version of interval training and would hit the pavement in the evenings after putting the boys to sleep. . .then it got cold. It would be another six months or so before I ventured back into the world of running. I didn't know much about running so I read a few articles on Runner's World website and put together a training plan based on Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway's plans. With my goal in mind and a little bit of knowledge I set off to make it happen. Along the way I have picked up nuggets of knowledge and put them to use.
Why am I telling you this? I'm telling you this because the lesson I learned is that knowledge is useless without the application. I also learned that you don't have to every detail in order to DO something. So, again, why am I telling you this? Because too often we start our journey at a breakneck pace and get all this information on exercise, dieting, superfoods, supplements, etc and we go hard for a week. What is the use of all that knowledge if you're not doing anything with it?
The most effective thing you can do to get on the right track to fitness is to GET ON THE TRACK. Once you're on it you will pick up nuggets along the way to help you move more efficiently. So what that your sister is all into eating clean. For now, you just need to focus on eating better and clean it up as you go along. Mature in your journey before you start getting fancy. So what that your cousin does Crossfit five days a week. For now, you just need to focus on being ACTIVE on a consistent basis before you drop the deniro for something like that.
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| (No, this is not my foot.) |
Do what you can with what you have, right where you are. My first jogs were in shoes that I bought from Goodwill that were about a half-size too small for running; my toenail turned black and fell off. Freaked me out! But from that I learned the importance of proper fitting running shoes. My first forays into preparing healthy meals for my family included a lot of processed foods. But along the way I've learned how to make better choices and how to eat healthier on a budget.
Your actions will net you results. If you stay on the track you will get better at it. I have people asking me for help all the time and my first suggestion for them is to exercise 3-4 times a week for 30-45 minutes a day for three weeks and track what they are eating (with adjustments made accordingly). Why? Because I want to see if they line up their actions with their words. I want to see if they are willing to invest the time in themselves. Are you ready to do something different to BE something different? It's not rocket science. . .it's applied science.
