Working in a gym there isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear someone talking or asking myself, or another trainer, about dieting. It's true that most clients, and people that come into the gym for that matter, want some form of weight loss. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me they "just wanted lose a little weight and be more toned"...well, you get the picture.
We all want to know what the latest fad diet is and why it's different than the last South Beach/Adkins guy. The hard truth is that we live in a country where physical activity is in decline. I recently came across a picture of a swing set/jungle gym with the words "the Original Playstation" across the top and it made me think. We are the first generation of adults expected to outlive our children. Really think about that for a minute. Scary, right?
I'm going to tell you that it isn't about a diet. To me a diet is a temporary thing. You're coming to me, asking me how to change how you're eating for long enough to begin to make some changes. As soon as those changes start to take place you're going to go back to the way things were before. For me this really resonantes when my clients do all this work and make significant gains. They improve flexibility, strength and stability and begin to lose some real weight. Then, they take a vacation and come back to me as if we're starting over again.
Now, I understand. I have taken vacations myself. I know what it's like to feel tempted to eat all the wrong things. But we have to stop thinking as though the changes we wish to make are temporary. We need to think about making changes; Lifestyle changes; Behavioral changes.
Martin Rooney talks about the Mirror Test. He says before you go to sleep each morning look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you've done all you can today to move toward your goals. Take an honest assessment. Did you? Don't beat yourself up endlessly if the answer is no, just realize that tomorrow is another day and you should try harder.
Who do you want to be? Really ask yourself this question. It should take a while to think about if you've never honestly looked inside before. What are your dreams? Are you doing what you can to move toward them? How can you start making the change? Maybe it starts with replacing that bowl of cereal in the morning with a bowl of fruit, or that piece of toast with an egg instead. Maybe it starts with taking a walk around the block after work. What do you need to do to make your change?
