Getting Back in Shape: 3 Key Considerations After a Long Layoff
Getting Back in Shape: 3 Key Considerations After a Long Layoff If you’re planning to get back in shape after a long break, there are three essential factors to keep in mind. Surprisingly, two of these considerations don’t directly involve exercise but are crucial for the success of your fitness journey. In this blog post, […]
GOOD, FAST, CHEAP, BUT NOT ALL THREE
In 2016, my gym, Activate Body, was getting ready to expand. We were moving into a new space that used to be a wood working shop. At the time, the space had no air-conditioning, no finished floors, it didn’t even have a bathroom. Needless to say, the build-out would be extensive. Friends who had hired contractors for similar build-outs cautioned “When searching for your contractor, you can find a crew that can do quality work, a crew that can do timely work, or a crew that can do low cost work, but you’ll never find all three qualities in the same crew.”
ON THE VIRTUES OF ASKING FOR HELP
One of the more challenging aspects of exercising is that it appears to be intuitive when it’s actually not. When you decide to start (or re-start) an exercise regimen, it might seem easy enough to figure out on your own. “I’ll start going for walks!” or “I’ll get a gym membership and do some machines.” And any of these are certainly better than doing nothing at all, but doing your chosen exercises with consistency and intensity really has little bearing on how effective (or safe) your regimen will be towards your goals.
WEIGHT LOSS IS LIKE A BRIGHT RED FERRARI
There’s a big difference between wanting to lose weight, and feeling like weight loss should be a priority in your life. The distinction can play a big role in your long term success.
WHEN YOUR GOAL PREVENTS YOUR GOAL FROM HAPPENING
Whatever your fitness goal, it’s going to require some degree of sacrifice and patience. No shocker there. That can often end up the reason why we don’t pursue them. If you want to drop 15 pounds at a rate of one to two pounds per week, you’re looking at summer’s worth of time of minimal ice cream, alcohol, and fun. That’s a big sacrifice, and quite possibly enough to dissuade you from the endeavor altogether.
HAVE WE BEEN WASTING FOOD THIS ENTIRE TIME?!?
Growing up, I was a card-carrying member of The Clean Plate Club. My parents insisted. In my house, we did not waste food. Ever. And as an adult, this mindset remained etched into my ethical code. It feels horribly wrong to throw away perfectly good food left on my plate. I’d sooner just eat it, even if I’m not really that hungry for it.
EVERYTHING IS GOOD. NOTHING IS GOOD
As a nutritionist, I’m often asked “Is this a good food for weight loss?”. And the answer is always “Compared to what?
ON THE TOPIC OF EATING PIZZA WHILE LOSING WEIGHT
You might not be surprised to hear that no one is perfect when it comes to following their nutrition programs. What might be a bit more surprising is that some people can be imperfect with their nutrition and still see stellar results, while others seem to have their results completely stalled by their meals that are “off-plan”. So how can we make sure that when you don’t follow your plan that it’s the type of indiscretions that don’t interfere with your progress?
THE RIVER IS ALWAYS FLOWING, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS PADDLE
Imagine you’re on a raft, which is meandering down a gently flowing river…
FAT LOSS IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU, BUT HAVING LOST FAT IS
Have you ever found yourself perpetually kinda sorta trying to lose weight? For the past six months you’ve been cutting back on sweets and seconds, but have a hard time saying no to drinks with dinner. Or you’ve been diligently tracking your food four and a half days out of every seven. During this time you may have seen some progress, but not enough to get you to your goal.
