Small Changes Or Big Ones?

Sometimes, I wish there was a simple solution.

            -Drink more water
            -Eat more veggies
            -Do more cardio
            -Lift heavier weights
            -Put down the cookies

But if I’ve tried to impress anything on the people I interact with, it’s that trial and error is about the only way to solve the health and wellness puzzles. Not only that, but some people thrive and succeed in reaching their goals through small steps and changes which build on one another. Others need a drastic 180 degree overhaul.

Much of this is personality driven, some of it is genetic or environmental. On one hand, there is a lot to say for the person who can look at the beneficial changes they need to make in their life. They can then take the easiest change, attack it full-on, make it habitual and move onto the next. I’ve seen many clients succeed with this approach.

Others need something a bit more over-the-top. The all or nothing, cold turkey approach that throws their world temporarily upside down.

Or maybe you’re somewhere in the middle.

I’ve found, for myself, that the bad habits in my life had to come to a screeching halt. No more sticking my toe in the cold water at the pool, I had to jump all in. By the same token, the healthful things that I wanted to add to my life needed to take place in baby steps.

It should also be noted that while gaining control over food in your life is the most effective and efficient way to feel better and look better, some people need to just move first. So, exercising becomes the first good habit and then food comes later. Other people need that immediate gratification of pounds lost, so food control comes first and exercise follows.

If feeling better, looking better and gaining control over your body are important to you, make a list of what you can accomplish with drastic OR minimal efforts. Then decide which route you’ll take.

And should you need help…we’re here for YOU!

In conclusion, I’d also like to add some very special news: Megan, my partner in crime here at RevFit will be welcoming a baby boy into the world in July. While the clients here have known about this for a bit, Megan and her husband Nick were waiting to find out the gender of their first child before making a bigger announcement to the world. So, while she will definitely be missed around here as the big day comes, I speak for myself and all of our clients that we couldn’t be happier! The RevFit extended family keeps growing!

A Tale Of Two "Losers"

A couple of years ago, I would routinely document the journey of a client's weight loss here at RevFit. It was a way to remind readers of the realities (sometimes positive, sometimes not) of trying to lose weight. I always enjoyed reminiscing over how vastly different each person could be. Even now, as the pounds keep coming off and the word continues to spread about what we're doing here, I think it's amazing how very unique each person can be.

So as a way of ushering back in the real-life stories of clients here, I thought I would take a slightly different approach to a couple of guys who recently saw weight loss success here. Rather than tell the full story simply from my point of view, I set this up as an interview. Each client had the opportunity to answer the same questions and neither has seen the responses of the other (although they are aware each was put to the task!)

Before we get into the responses, allow me to give a short back story for each. Mark (a RevFit client for over 3 years), decided a few months ago to crack down on his goals. As he began to lose weight, he caught the attention of Jason (a RevFit client since January 2014) who got encouraged by Mark's initiative and engaged in some competitive weight-loss together. As a reference point, Mark's answers were given before his son's wedding (which was Sept. 6) and Jason's family has been in the midst of both selling their current home and buying a new one. In addition, Jason will reference my upcoming wedding as well!

What you'll read below are some insights from each (Mark first, Jason second) about how this all came to pass:

First, can you give our readers a little background on yourself (age, pertinent health history, what led you to RevFit initially) 

MARK: I am 64 years old, with a history of stroke and hypertension, and I was introduced to RevFit by my wife, Debbie. She was preparing for a long stay in LA and she dedicated herself accordingly.

JASON: Let’s see...I’m 39 years old. Prior to starting at Revolution Fitness, I was overweight, had High Blood Pressure, and borderline High Cholesterol. I was fairly healthy outside of that, meaning I rarely got sick. Up until two years ago, my lifestyle was always on the go, working 60+ hour weeks and traveling more than I would have chosen. With the travel came lots of restaurants and eating on the road, usually paired with a fair amount of drinking. When I was actually home, I spent my remaining time trying to be with my family. But I got to the point where I couldn't rationalize that lifestyle anymore. I was missing the things that mattered, and I wasn’t interested in doing that any longer. I left that job, and worked better balance into my life. I slowed down a little, rebuilt a relationship with my family, started working out, and started eating better. My stress level is at a long time low. And my life is both different and better now.

Recently, you decided to get more aggressive with your weight loss. What instigated that decision? 

MARK: There was a combination of things going on personally, sort of a perfect storm of issues, and I allowed it to be an excuse to resume bad eating habits and less than attentive exercise goals. Primarily, however, is my son’s wedding next month. I thought it important to improve my overall health for that event. Also important in this recent change is the recognition that I want to be well for as long as possible. There are no retirement plans on the horizon so being fit and active will clearly be a big part of my continued career.

JASON: I have a fairly competitive spirit. So I set a goal for myself to see if I could hit my target weight by Jason’s wedding. And jokingly, I have to beat Mark. But that is just a fun side incentive. The primary reason is that there is a concrete date, and concrete weight I want to hit. It isn’t just an ongoing effort with no end in sight.

What do you think has helped you this time around in keeping you committed to your goals? 

MARK: I was tired of nagging injuries and discomfort. Old sports related injuries teaming up with newly diagnosed injuries made for uncomfortable days and nights. Most importantly, I wanted to do this for my son and my wife so they can benefit from my improved health. But I cannot ignore the, let’s say “encouragement”, from Jason and other visitors to RevFit.

JASON: To be fair, I haven’t been great for the last week or so because of all the work and house stuff. Just haven't been home to eat, or couldn’t mess up the house for showings. With that being said, things are slowing down a little, and now I’m back at it. I’d probably let it slide longer, but I’m going down swinging to hit my goal by the wedding. Of course if I can beat Mark in the process, well that’s just all the better!

A lot of people may believe it's too late for them to start a weight-loss regimen or a strength-training program because of their age or medical history. What advice would you give someone who might have doubts or be on the fence about a lifestyle change? 

MARK: Back in the day there was an adage that summed things up: “if it feels good, do it!” Nike corrupted that with “just do it!” but the idea remains the same. There are no pills or overnight solutions to years of improper food intake combined with lack of activity. By expending more calories than one takes in, being mindful of the form of the calorie intake and learning not to be too disappointed too soon are some of the things I’ve learned to keep in mind. How will you know if you don’t try?
JASON: My life has truly changed over the past few years. I’ve started putting family before career and experiences over things. I’ve started taking care of myself, and the combination of it all has put me in a place where I feel really good. As A result, I'm truly enjoying the time I spend with my family. How can you argue with that?

It bears stating that Jason lost 27lbs in approximately 4 months. Mark lost 22lbs in 2 months. Whoever said it's never too late was right!

We're here to help!

The Stars Aligned

I know what you might be thinking. I’ll get started/re-started when:

I have more money
I have more time
The kids are back in school
I’ve gotten a few pounds off first
I can work out around other people without feeling embarrassed
I get back from vacation
I survive the eating temptations from that upcoming party
Etc
Etc
Etc

I would like to remind you of something: the stars will never perfectly align for you.

Don’t get me wrong. They may fall into place temporarily, giving you a glimpse of relief. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll actually get something started.

And then (cue ominous music)…life happens.

You get a bad night’s sleep
The scale doesn’t move at the rate you like
Your bonus check wasn’t as big as you had hoped
The kids get an unexpected snow day
You ate the cake you swore you wouldn’t touch, leading to the chips, and the cheese, etc.

Funny how easily we get derailed, right?

Allow me to take a slight detour with this…

The last few weeks of my workouts have been some of the hardest I’ve ever endured. They will only get harder with time as the cycle I’m on invariably must progress. More often than not, I find myself “almost” talking myself out of them.

Imagine that, a guy who makes his living from fitness who doesn’t relish every moment of lifting a weight?

Fact of the matter is: it’s damn hard.  But I get my head back into it, commit to the work that has to be done, lift the $%&#@ weight and then call it a day.

And really, that’s what I’m asking of you.

The results you want, in whatever manifestation they have, will not be accomplished without you being “in it”.

The exercise (for those of us with some semblance of sanity left) isn’t really the fun part. It’s hard. You might sweat. Your heart rate may elevate.

The food is ridiculously agonizing to dial in and behave with. In many cases, it can be so boring and redundant that it borderlines on painful.

But wherever you are, there is an end to meet.

I don’t fancy myself as the aggressive “Push Harder” type. However, I know there has to be a fire somewhere to not only start you but to keep you honest.

So, if you’re waiting for the stars to align, the heavens to part, angels to sing and a fluttery breeze to blow which signals your call to action…please don’t hold your breath.

There’s work to be done. And we’re here to help you do it. 

Still Failing At Change?

Currently, I would say 70% of our clients are here for weight loss. The other 30% are at maintenance weight and want to stay there or need to gain weight. No matter what the goal is: change has to happen.

Typically, a significant amount of the wisdom that can be offered happens during the initial consultation. That's when a client has the opportunity to talk about what's happening with their body currently and/or what's led to the current condition.

Depending on the individual, this is also the time when people are the most open-minded and accepting of the changes that need to take place. The interesting thing is, what we as trainers believe will lead to the goals and what the client believes does not always coincide.

Since every client is different, the path to success is not always crystal clear. Take any list of proposed avenues and one can find that Plan A doesn't work so well. That's where Plans B and C may need to be introduced. What helps at this point is the flexibility and patience to understand there is rarely a textbook protocol.

In my position, I always WANT rapid results for a client. Reason being, the sooner a client reaches their goals the better I look as their trainer. It's a win-win situation. Unfortunately, rapid is not often realistic.

So, we (as both trainer and client) have to look at what changes need to take place to get to the goal. In many cases, I can usually give a client at least 5 habits that need to change to get them going in the right direction. The assumption and hope is the sooner those changes can be adopted, the sooner the goal can be reached. Sounds simple right? Not really.

By time a potential client comes through my door, there is already some level of mentality that things have to change. Take a certain Type A personality, and that individual may be ready and willing to move mountains to get that change.

But we are all creatures of habits in varying degrees. And wherever we are, we didn't get there by accident.

So let's consider what a list of changes I offer might look like for a weight loss client:

-Drink more water
-Eliminate night-time snacking
-Consume more protein
-Eat out less at restaurants
-Consume more fiber

In and of themselves, no single item seems all that difficult. In fact, for most people they see a list like this and say: "Well, I could start this all tomorrow." However, this might be the worst mistake one could make.

My proposal is to not see how quickly you can conquer all of these changes. Find the one that serves as the path to least resistance and commit to it. Give it some time (which can mean days or weeks) to become habitual. Once you can perform the task without much effort, it's time to tackle the next item that also seems easy to implement. A list of 5 changes could EASILY take 5 months to become part of your every day life. Granted, it's not that I want it to take that long I just know that human nature is what it is.

Recently, a new client started here with a very small amount of weight to lose (less than 10lbs). Because the media can sensationalize what we do with our health, this client had been eating a low-fat diet for the better part of 20 years. Now, if you were to see this client, you might wonder (as I did) where she intended to lose the weight she was aiming for. Truth be told, if you had been accustomed to a particular weight and frame for most of your life, minor variations can make a big difference.

At any rate, I gave this client 3 changes to focus on: higher water intake, fewer daily calories, and more frequent activity. Seems fairly simple. The problem came when she tried to tackle all 3 at one time. The activity part was easy, she had already committed to a certain amount of sessions with me per month. The water intake spiked up for a few days initially as well. When she tried to reduce her calories, the problems compounded. She wasn't expecting to be as hungry as she was with the reduction. Next thing you know, the water intake started dropping and so did morale.

Fortunately, we had our chat about conquering one change at a time and I reminded her to focus on the easiest change first. Allow it to become the norm. It never matters to me which change happens first, as long as it's the easiest one to implement.

Many people know the right answers. Sometimes they need someone like a personal trainer to help with accountability or a fresh perspective.

If you find you're still failing at change, feel free to contact us. We can help!

All Or Nothing?

People do strange things when it comes to fitness. In a newsletter I wrote a few months ago, I talked about people who continue to do exercises they enjoy even though they continue to get injured with those activities.

One has to ask the question: Is the activity bad for the individual or are they suffering from incorrect form?

I like to use running as an example.

Few will argue that running is one of the best calorie burners when it comes to fat loss. Not to mention, it takes little to no equipment to perform it.

However, other factors contribute to the high injury rate associated with running. (Have no fear runners, I'm not picking on you. There are other suspects as well!)

-Does the individual have too much weight to lose, thereby adding excessive pressure on their joints when they run?

-Is the individual wearing proper running shoes (fitted appropriately based on gait, arch, etc.)

-Is the body given ample time to recover from a run before embarking on another or is the individual "fighting through the pain" to be able to exercise?

This list isn't comprehensive but rather a brief look at things to consider.

So I'd like you to consider something else as well:

The Extremist.

This person can float within different spectrums. They can be the obsessive dieter, the hardcore fitness enthusiast, the holistic wellness snob, etc.

Frequently what you see, is someone who will either completely embody something or completely abandon it, with no cognizance of a middle ground.

Examples like:

"If I can't work out 5 times a week, I won't work out at all."

"If I start the day with a bad meal, I might as well eat poorly for the rest of the day"

Or using our previous example

"If I can't run, then I just won't get to exercise"

I have to say, all approaches are incorrect.

If you've been sedentary for awhile or if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you just can't go from a base level of zero to 10 in the matter of a week or two.

Often times, it pays to start things off gradually and build a foundation for yourself.

Remember that for many people, drastic and abrupt changes don't work well. They have to be slower and with moderate progress so both body and mind can adapt without being overly taxed and shutting down.

To use a frequently heard phrase: burning out.

It bears repeating (as I've mentioned in other newsletters), some forms of exercise just DON'T working for some people. Maybe your body does really well with Zumba but not with Yoga. Unfortunately, you hate dancing but you love "downward facing dog". Sadly, you may have to give up on yoga or find a practitioner who is more flexible with instruction (or willing to give private instruction so you're not as likely to be injured).
Or maybe you like lifting heavy weights but your body is prone to injury and lighter weights for more reps are actually more beneficial for you.
And to use the running example one last time, maybe your inability to recover from long distance running is keeping you from being able to enjoy other types of exercise.

Your body is constantly sending you signals. You can prefer to ignore them and risk injury that may be difficult (or impossible) to recover from or you can listen to the signals.

Exercise, dietary adherence, and personal wellness should never be an all or nothing approach. You just have to be flexible with what works and doesn't work for your body so you can have a lifetime of healthy patterns and habits without making things more difficult on you than they should be.

We're here to help discern the difference!

When You Care, You'll Change

Where do you fall in your list of priorities?

Is your exceptional ability to please and tend to others among your best traits?

Maybe you're the loving parent who makes sure their children have everything: material needs, your physical companionship to their sporting or extracurricular events, etc.

Maybe you're the perfect partner: always carving out time to make meals for your loved ones, making sure you spend ample time at the end of the day with each other, etc.

I love being around "pleasers". They're so impressive with their ability to multi-task and accomplish everything they need to and then some, so that no one is disappointed or left wanting in their life.

So, what's the problem?

Well, typically pleasers take care of everyone but themselves.

Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a fantastic parent, spouse, significant other, etc.

But when you invest your 110% into all of those avenues, many pleasers get to the end of their day and realize they accomplished little for themselves.

It never ceases to amaze me, many of the pleasers I work with can cover the most intimate details of all the things they did for others.

Only to discover, they forgot to shower, brush their teeth, fix their hair, put on matching socks, remember to wear all the proper clothing, etc.

At a certain point, you have to stop, take pause, and realize that only YOU can take care of you.

No one can make you exercise, eat right, or sleep well.

The initiative starts and ends with you.

Sure, you might hire someone like a trainer or a dietitian or a doctor to help get you on the right path but ultimately you're the one making every step.

Sadly, the pleasers save themselves for last.

And what happens?

Try this:
Repeated bouts of illness (due to exhaustion, poor nutrition, or too much stress)
Excessive hypertension (due to lack of balance in the homelife since one person is carrying more of the load than another)
Weight gain (due to lack of consistent exercise or adherence to a food regimen)
Decreased self esteem (see any of the above)

And this is why I respectfully say, when you decide to start caring about YOU, then YOU will change.

Sometimes it starts with reconfiguring priorities, schedules, and lifestyles. No one could (or SHOULD) penalize you for taking control of your health.

But any hope of having some sense of balance in your life will come when you start to take control and start looking after the few things in your life that are within your power to fix.

The pleasers I train who haven't wrapped their arms around this concept see slower weight loss, higher likelihood of regaining weight which was previously lost, and the frequency with which they get sick is astonishing.

And you look at their lifestyle and say..."Well, it's no wonder".

We can't force you to care about yourself and make YOU a priority.

But we can help you once you've made that very important step.

The Pains of Perceived Perfection

Not sure where you are with your current fitness level, but most anyone can relate to this:

Let's say you've been working out for a while (weeks, months, years) and you've seen a measured amount of progress. Maybe you're leaner, clothes fit better, and/or you're noticeably stronger than you were the last time you checked.

But you wake up one day and you just don't feel right. Sleep was less than spectacular, the alarm clock went off much earlier than your body was ready for, and you're pushing it to get to work on time. You shuffle through work (extra caffeinated please) and it's safe to say you're not firing on all cylinders. You know that after work you're going to have to get in a workout and you're just NOT feeling it.

By time you lift the first weight, you're shocked at how a weight that was so easy a week ago feels like a ton of bricks now. By the end of your workout, you know you didn't make one bit of progress. Depressed, tired, and aggravated you beat yourself up unmercifully the rest of the evening.

If you've never experienced this, you can easily switch out exercise for diet. You know, you eat REALLY well for a few days and you're already seeing weight loss, then you eat that cheeseburger and order of fries you told yourself you weren't going to touch. The next day you're bloated and the scale is laughing at you.

All too often, people expect perfection from themselves. I see it here with my clients on a regular basis. The thing is, NOTHING is that easy to perfect.

Your job doesn't operate on perfection and perfect accomplishments, recognitions, etc.
Your marital/intimate relationship isn't happiness and sunshine every day.
You don't have days of perfect parenting.
And most certainly, you don't have infinite days of perfect eating or perfect workouts.

I have 3 words I will affectionately say: Suck it up.

You may have heard the adage, "If it was easy, everyone could do it"

This goes for really any aspect of your life: work, healthy relationship(s), parenting, workouts, diet, you name it.

It's time to get away from the guilt of your less-than-perfect days. Not only are they inevitable, they're necessary.

The people who can work through the proverbial valleys of progress are the ones who appreciate and enjoy the peaks.
The people who cherish consistency and can forgive the detours they make, reap the highest benefits.

Understand that your body due to age, genetics, and any other imperfections will see different peaks and valleys.

Perfection, while admirable, is a bit misguided.

Aim for progress.
Hold yourself accountable.
Stop blaming external stimuli for everything you don't get accomplished properly.
And then remove the guilt from your misgivings and trudge on.

The people enjoying the spoils of their efforts have already embraced these things.

We can help!