Find Your Why

Have you ever heard someone say, "I know what I’m supposed to do to be healthy, I’m just not doing it", maybe you’re even saying it to yourself. As the obesity epidemic continues to rise at alarming rates, there are literally thousands of people saying that exact phrase each and every day. If we know what we need to do, concepts that are honestly quite simple, then why isn’t change taking place? A well-known quote that is used by many on a daily basis when referring to change says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”. We use this logic in everyday life, so why, when it comes to fitness, do we fail to understand that the concept is the same? The truth is, if you want to change, and move in a different direction than you’re currently headed in with any degree of success, there has to be a reason, or as I refer to it, “finding your why”.

When I work with clients, my goal is always to create a system, or mind-set, that will provide the opportunity for that individual to learn how to make their Health a Priority. I don’t show people how to use “fad diets” to quickly lose a bunch of scale weight they'll regain as soon as they start eating again. Instead, I use methods to teach individuals how to incorporate change that will last much longer than the 3-4 months they are working with me, that way, the changes will become a permanent part of their lives.

Know Your Why

Spending time in the gym, and eating foods that not only fuel your body, but also give it the nourishment it needs are huge parts of any healthy lifestyle, but before any of that begins, there is a step that determines whether or not you’ll reach your fitness goals, whether or not you'll find the success you're looking for, and that’s finding "your why.” Once you discover the reason you want to change, it will be the driving force that motivates you, it will help you remain consistent, and will help you through the days when it is so much easier to pull up to the drive-through window at a fast food restaurant, then it is to go home, and prepare the meal you have planned for the day. Everything we do has a cost and a payoff, risk or reward, and “your why" must be strong enough, it must mean something to you personally in order to keep you focused on your goals, and help you stay on track as you move through moments of difficulty. It is not easy, there will be struggles, and there is a cost to living a healthier life, but the benefits far out-weigh the cost.

Today is the perfect day to start. Why put off until tomorrow, what you can accomplish today? Regardless of your reason, whether you want to get your “pre-baby” body back, or you're trying to turn that party-ball you’ve been carrying around back into a six-pack, or in some cases, you have health problems and your life depends on it, find “your why”, and make the changes. We all have busy lives, it’s time to set aside some of the things that aren’t quite as important, and make time for your health.

You Can't Spot Reduce Body Fat

I have recently been asked by a number of individuals which of the belly fat reducing gadgets, and diet pills that are flooding the market are best for getting rid of the stubborn body fat that can be extremely difficult to lose; my answer, NONE of them. It is not possible to do an exercise that will “spot reduce” body fat, no matter where it is on the body. You can do 1,000 crunches a day, but you will not see your abs until you eat properly, without a proper diet, you will never uncover the muscle that is hidden underneath your stored body fat. There is a fairly popular saying that is absolutely true; “abs are made in the kitchen.”

It is extremely frustrating to see the claims made by diet pill companies that claim a nice six-pack can be obtained by taking the “magic pill” they’ve created. You can take a boat load of cortisol, or other products that claim they will raise your body’s internal temperature, creating an increase in metabolism, and before you know it, you’ll wake up one day, and your abs will be visible. It’s a nice thought, but completely un-realistic.

Even more ridiculous, are the claims made by companies stating all you have to do is attach a neoprene belt around your stomach, sit on the couch, watch TV, and within a couple weeks, once again, your abs will magically appear. Just today, I read one of the ridiculous claims made by one of these products that has made millions of dollars preying on the desperation of individuals that are confused about how to get the results they desperately want. The claim; “our device can actually give the body a Stomach Fat Workout without the wearer doing any sort of active exercise routine. Our device uses Electric Muscle Stimulation or EMS technology, a method that involves repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles through the means of tiny electric micro-currents. It is difficult to think of a more convenient way to reduce Stomach Fat than a belt that gives your abdomen a workout while you go about your daily activities, but there are EMS products that can really do this.” This claim can’t be further from the truth, and when we stop looking for the easy way out, we might actually get the permanent results we are looking for.

If being healthy and having the body of a competitive athlete was easy to get, we would not be the fattest nation in the world, and everyone would have a “nice” body. The reality is, it takes work, but then again, anything that’s worth getting is worth working for. Hit the gym, and eat healthy, you’ll be glad you did.

Personal Demons: Make Today the Day of Change

I have often been asked, both as a psychologist, and a health and fitness professional, “how do you do it, or why is something that adds so many positive benefits in life so hard to achieve?” There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, but the story that surfaced about Josh Hamilton this week shows that no one is immune to difficulties.

Josh Hamilton, a 30 year old All-Star is the perfect example of why we have to keep trying, why one day of healthy eating, one good workout, or one “good day” just isn’t enough. A temporary slip doesn’t always represent weakness, and is, in many instances, a symptom of an addict’s unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or their behavior, those moments that are the toughest for every addict to confront. Some reach that point and stop, others continually fight, claw and battle the very addiction they wish wasn’t such an enormous burden to bear. Hamilton has seen some lows, like the time he fell asleep in a ditch, whacked out on crack, all the while being immortalized in a Dead-spin photo montage. Hamilton has what some would consider to be the greatest job in the world, a newborn daughter and so many “things” that most will never even begin to understand, but that doesn’t change the fact that his addiction is real, and will eventually, probably long before it should, end his life.

We all have our own “personal demons”. Not all of them are as evident as an addiction to drugs and alcohol, but to the individual, the addiction is just as daunting. There are those that truly want to live a healthy lifestyle, those that look in the mirror every single day, and dis-like what they see staring back at them, continually making a promise to themselves that this will be the day they will make a change, but in most cases, that change never comes.

There is no reason to put it off any longer, to use the, I’m going to start my new healthy lifestyle on Monday excuse for yet another week. Start today, even if you skipped breakfast, and ate fast-food for lunch, promise yourself you will do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, and “just do it”. Putting off until later what you should be doing today, might be the very thing that keeps you from having a tomorrow.

Joe Milham

Certified Nutrition Specialist, Master Trainer, and Life Coach