Asking the why's about your fitness level can uncover the answer to your weight problems as well as your happiness level. By taking most of this year to figure out how my body interacts with certain foods, with or without alcohol, and gym activity, I have come closer than ever to unlocking the answer to achieving optimal health. Unlocking what works also will translate to how you feel day to day and can help reduce depression, stress, and also your waistline.
Food is a necessity for your body and for some a battle with every bite. It's easy to say I won't eat cards, sugars, high fattening foods, but look at food a little differently. Eating just veggies and lean meats doesn't mean you'll see results immediately. Take time to learn your palette. If pizza is your calling on a Friday night, try to substitute that for a 1/2 cup of brown rice and a lean meat (chicken,turkey). To get your optimal flavor, try different spices. Sriracha to kick things up, rosemary to give it some flavor, or even try to pan fry with a bit of olive oil for that acquire that restaurant taste. It's easy to indulge and think your not full after a healthy meal, but it's always good to wait (about a half hour) after eating a moderate portion then take it down with water. This may not work for everyone, but hopefully you can begin to see that there are options. Food can be translated to a feeling. Junk food will have you feeling shitty. Over eating triggers that depressing feeling. And eating healthy, even though you don't see the results immediately, you start to feel good about yourself and your beginning to think long term for your overall health.
You may hear that you have to give up those Friday nights with the guys/gals or that here and there nightcap to see the weight fall off. You don't have to scrap it completely, but you must be cognizant of the effects it has on you. Alcohol is a depressant, so it's not ideal to go out and drink like a frat boy every week. If you want to be at your sharpest and lose weight fast, drop alcohol all together. Period. You'll feel better and the body and mind will reflect that. If you want to knock one back every now and again, stick to one or two drinks and learn how to be social without the liquid courage.
Now that you have your intake under control, how about the output. You're feeling good, happy, and your mind is clear. Start to be an example of how you feel and rub it off on others. Stay positive, resist thinking that you can't and say you will. The stress that you build can be lowered with your focusing on your fitness with the right amount of exercise. There is no one thing you can do at the gym to achieve that perfect body. You have to work for it. Some of my regimen includes arm raises (55 lbs. dumbbells in each hand) and pull ups with three sets of ten. Not in this order and spread through out the week, I put in some leg raises with 25 lbs pinched between my shoes, squats, dead lifts, rows, free weights, and a few machines to work out arms, back, and abs. I know I'm being general, but the point is - you can create what works for you. In addition to gym time, I also add in cardio. Box jumps , lunges, or a good jog/run all work for cardio. As long as you can keep 30 minutes of straight cardio going in addition to weight training, you can put a stop to those growing love handles. May be a little excessive, but who said looking great physically is easy. I'm still not there, but all in due time
Once you start to treat your body better you can achieve happiness. Take that work etiquette and put it into that project you've been putting off. Unhappy at work, not enough time for that special someone, start to look at these opportunities like you do on healthy eating v junk food. You begin to see a link between different things in your life. There are always opportunities to better yourself. Start to write down what makes you unhappy and the goals you've had in the back of your mind. Now put some focus, research, and hard work into reaching that goal. Easier said than done, but no one said it will be easy.
Be Awesome.
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