Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Hello Folks,
I am sure there are a few of you out there who understand this weight loss dilemma. Why do we lose more weight in the first few months of making an effort to lose weight?
I have thought about this a lot and here are the top 5 reasons I came up with...
MOTIVATION
When you first start making changes you have so many reasons why you want to lose weight
Want to wear a bathing suit in public and look good
Want to have more energy when you hang out with your highly overactive kids
Want to look more attractive to that potential mate
You might die if you don’t
You feel really bad about yourself and how you let your body go
Anyway...I am sure you can think of many more reasons. There is something really motivating about the possibility of improving your current situation, which brings me to the second reason...
HOPE
You know someone who has done it and think “if they can do it, so can I”
If you have lost weight before, you have it engrained in you that life will be better for you if you do it again
All the folks who are thin look happy (which, we know is a big lie, but anyway, it works)
You will feel better, more confident, healthier....etc. (do you know any skinny people who aren’t healthy or confident and feel like crap?) I do
It is all in the mind...if you think so...then so be it
TOOLS (next to motivation, probably the most important)
You know how to lose weight
Exercise, eat clean, drink lots of water, eat consistently
You have all of the tools to do it
How to eat healthy
How get the most out of exercise
You have read every subject on it and study religiously every day (is that too much?)
BIOLOGY
Your body is built to respond to its environment
Use muscle-gain muscle
Eat clean-feel clean
It is possible to lose weight when you follow the rules
When you are in motion, you can stay in motion
Two weeks to adapt the body to exercise...why do you think you are so sore?
Seriously....I am thinking, why were jumping jacks making me breath heavy back then, but not now.....clearly...it is more work at first and probably takes more calories to do it
FEEDBACK
That’s right, your body is giving you a lot of feedback
No pain no gain sometimes feels good? There is something about having DOMS that makes you feel like you “really” worked out.
Your muscles feel like they are popping (even if you can’t see them), because you are constantly being reminded that they are there (which might not have been the case before)
You actually feel differently as you start to move your body more
You lose weight quickly (water weight...etc...who really cares as long as those numbers go down, right?)
You can finally walk up those stairs with out huffing and puffing
Your friends, family and co-workers comment on how good you look....but can’t always point out why? (why is that?) Perhaps there is some warped sort of mechanism for our brains not to be able to notice until we have something to compare you to...like not seeing you in six months. I suggest bringing in a before and after pic if you want anyone to notice.
And by the way....why does losing weight and LOOKING GOOD always go together...I think it is a twisted part of our society. I think it should be looked at more closely. I know some very good looking folks of all weights...so I am not supporting that type of belief. It should boil down to “are you happy with yourself?”
Here is a video of today’s workout by Craig Ballantyne. I decided to really challenge myself and do his Bodyweight 500 workout. It was much better for where I am at in my fitness level.
Here is the video...
Here are my pictures…
September 1, 2009: Day 184
Exercise: bike 30 minutes, turbulance training, ankle stretches (it never ends)
Menu: Protein and veggies
Until next time…
Think, Believe, Act, Adjust, Never Give up
Dakota
Today’s Mantra: Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them....Zen Quote by Alan Watts.
