In twenty years of consistant exercising, maintaining a low percentage of body fat and working with thousands of successful stories in weight loss, here are three of the best attitudes to use for a weight loss and exercise program for the rest of your life. ATTITUDE #1: ITS NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS! The health clubs are always racking their brains trying to figure out why they have such a hard time keeping members coming back. Most owners would argue that cash flow and profit margins are the most important reason to retain membership. Yes, but what drives customers to these health clubs? These owners have lost touch with what matters most, the customer! Give the customer more than they expect and they will continue to do business with you. Selling a product or service is about people more so than numbers on a spreadsheet. SINK HOLES VS. POTHOLES I want you to think of this principle in your workout. You know it is very easy to get burdened down with all the details of an exercise and diet program. While guidelines are necessary, at times focusing too much on the numbers can and will set you up for failure. You may start to think all this counting calories, reps, and keeping track of heart rates are too much to accomplish. Unexpectedly, you start to lose sight of your goals and it becomes more of a job than a hobby or stress release. You may even quit exercising. This can be an immediate sinkhole for you. It would be unrealistic to think you are not going to have some tough days. Its hard getting in shape. It takes determination and discipline. More importantly, it takes looking over those down days to the end goal. Do not get too worked up about hitting all the numbers on the charts all the time. ATTITUDE #2: ITS BEING SOLD OUT! The only way you will follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out. The military calls them lifers. These are people who are committed to something for the long haul. Are you a lifer? Could you be a lifer? A lifer has a sold out mindset. He or she realizes that there will be potholes to go through; there may even be a sinkhole up ahead, but they get through it or they go around the situation. It may take support from others, but it gets done. You may not be a lifer today, but you could be if you dont make changes now! DECISION MAKING I was named Mr. Michigan in the statewide bodybuilding contest in 1988. When I competed in bodybuilding contests, it took me a good month to decide if I really wanted to go for that particular goal. The decision process was well thought out. I realized the days ahead would bring doubt, frustration, pain, and at times, humility. There is a sense of relief that comes with making a decision. Perhaps because once that decision is made, all the pressure is off. BEING SOLD OUT IS AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART! PERSEVERANCE
Having a sold out attitude helps you persevere through some of the down times. There were a lot of times I just wanted to quit. But I always remembered that I had made a decision to stay in it for the long haul. My workouts did not have to be perfect all the time, as long as I kept moving forward. I just had to persevere, no matter what! So I did. SELF- MOTIVATION
A small part of all of us needs to be self- motivated. You cannot do it alone. You will always need a good support system; however, somewhere inside a little self- motivation needs to be smoldering to keep the fire going. SELF DISCIPLINED
Having self-discipline is different than being self-motivated. You can be motivated, but not disciplined. However, you cannot be disciplined without being motivated. No one will or can exercise for you. Nor can they tell you what to eat for the rest of your life. Being self-disciplined requires you to consistently keep the main goal in mind. ATTITUDE #3: ITS THE BIG PICTURE Each of you is different. You will put into exercise a certain amount of effort and everyone will get something different from it. You cannot just package good intentions and say, If you do this or if you buy that, you will receive this in return. It just doesnt work that way. In a nut shell: While guidelines are needed, try not to get bogged down with the details. Make a decision to make exercise and eating right a priority in your life, even if it is not up to your expectations. Exercise and better eating will give back a very fulfilling life. But you have to keep your eye on the ball. Speed bumps and potholes will always be there in season. The process of avoiding them can be a lot more fun than you can imagine. |
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