2020, Health, and Bitchin’
There was an individual that I worked with years ago that spoke, whined, complained and griped often about his need to lose weight and the impact it was having on his body, but would never walk to a meeting on the university campus. He would actually drive his car 100 yards across the parking lot just so he didn’t have to walk to the meeting. He desperately needed to lose weight, but would never do anything about it. It was sad, frustrating, and funny!
You see, too often, we simply talk about our need or desire to change. We know what needs to happen, but the action required is not always easy. When in fact, this may be the most important decision that any of us make.
Do not stay in the same place. You don’t have to accept your position or place. MOVE!!! ACT!!! DO SOMETHING!!!!
Do something is the theme and motto of this blog. While I’m using it specifically for health, it applies to everything. I should, and can, do something if I don’t like my health, my place, my job, my boss, my career, etc. You can act and work to make life better. Don’t stay stagnant.
Lifestyle choices are key
As we start this conversation about health, let me say that simple lifestyle choices can make a huge difference initially. You really do not have to do much to begin to see results. The most important thing in this moment is to make choices that can be easily implemented in your life. If you can’t sustain your choices, then eventually you will fail. Healthy, sustainable choices are key to long-term success.
Have a plan
Make a plan before you begin. If you need to join a gym, buy new shoes, throw food away or purchase healthy stuff, then make a plan for it. Write it down.
I know what kinds of food tempt me and what kinds of gyms I work best in. For instance, I can’t shop for food when I’m hungry or I will by Cheeto’s, Dr. Pepper, Twinkies, Oreo’s, Chocolate milk, candy, and all sorts of cereal (with toys in the box). I won’t even venture down the fruit and vegetable aisle.
Again, I know that I hate running. I am only willing to run when I am being chased. There is nothing appealing, energizing or exciting about running long distances. I don’t believe that the runners high really exists. I actually believe it is something that my wife and her friends made up just to try to get me to run further. Running is not fun. It’s punishment in the world that I live.
So, I have to make a plan for me. I have to write down what I need from the store. I have to have healthy snacks in front of me or I will go straight to the M&M’s. I have to go to the CrossFit gym because I need someone who I pay to boss me around or I won’t work out.
It works for me, but a different plan might work for you.
Make small and reachable goals
This one is important. I hear people say things like “I’m going to walk/run every day for a year.” I’m like “WHAT??!!!” That’s not reasonable or reachable for the vast majority of us. It certainly isn’t for me.
Or I’ll hear someone say “I’m going to be at the gym every day at 5AM. That works for some, but not for everyone. I did it for a while. It’s hard. 5AM is early and you need to be in bed early every night to make this work.
Instead I say, I’m going to be at the gym 4-6 days a week. I’ve paid for an unlimited membership, so I need to show up 4-6 times a week to make it worth my expense. That keeps me motivated and I don’t feel like a failure if I only make it 4 days one week.
Maybe your goal should be to walk 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week. You would be amazed at how quickly you would begin to see results.
Make reasonable diet changes
This one is just as important as the previous. Most of us start a diet and determine that we are going to attempt something that is not healthy or manageable long-term. We will decide that we will only eat 1000 calories a day. Again, I always want to say “WHAT???!!!” You can’t maintain that, and it simply is not healthy.
Or someone will tell me “I’m only going to eat meat (The Adkins Diet)” or “I’m going to do a similar low carb diet (The Keto Diet)”. My experience is that many of these diets are not long-term lifestyle choices. They are simply short-term decisions that mess with my body and leave me frustrated that they didn’t really work.
So, what would I suggest? Thanks for asking…
Make a decision to do something!
Don’t just talk, whine, complain, gripe…DO!
Look closely at your lifestyle and consider what you could change.
Are you a night person, morning person?
Where can you fit exercise in your life? Schedule it. Do your best to make sure that nothing interferes with it. Get rid of all the junk food, cokes, and sweets in your house. Make an appropriate grocery list and GO to the store.
Identify and make a plan.
The truth is that achieving good health is difficult without a plan. I personally recommend Arbonne’s 30 Day to Healthy Living. It is awesome! It is the very best at helping you to eat healthy and discover the impact that unhealthy foods have on your body. You would be amazed at how much unhealthy food impacts you physically. Arbonne’s program doesn’t require me to count points, weigh my food, etc. It allows me to eat as much as I want as long as it is healthy. What Arbonne has found (which most of us knew already) is that most of us are eating the wrong things. We’re putting stuff in our body that is actually bad for us and works against our ability to achieve good health. On top of that, they provide a meal plan, grocery list, and recipes for my meals. And the meals are good!!! If you want more info on this program, Katie or I would be happy to share more about it. Just reach out!
Determine your goals
Set goals. It will give you something to work toward. Write it down and put it somewhere you can see it. Tell others about your goal so they can hold you accountable and celebrate with you.
Make it reasonable
Make the goals reasonable, something that you can actually achieve and something that you can feel good about at the end of the day.
If you’ll do these things, you’ll start to see results. I promise!
One last story: I have a life-long friend that was kind enough to listen to me one night when I was wrestling with a decision and venting about my problem. As we talked that person very clearly helped me to see what the best decision would be in regard to my problem.
As I sat there for a moment consider if I would actually follow through and do something, they said “That’s the answer. That’s what you need to do. Do it or don’t, I don’t care, but if you don’t, I don’t want to hear your bitchin’ about it. No complaining. No whining. No bitchin!”
It sounds harsh, but it’s true. It is the place where most of us live today. We know what we need to do. We know what needs to happen. We even have the tools at our disposal. We just don’t want to do it. It’s more fun to bitch. Perhaps we should stop bitchin and actually do something.
Happy Health! Happy Life!
