Behold! My magic forumla for losing weight:
Increase physical activity and reduce calorie intake.
Sorry to disappoint.
I know it’s not what anyone wants to hear. I see the disenchantment in my new clients’ eyes when I tell them this is the only recipe for long-lasting weight loss and health.
They hoped I might pull them aside and confide that this new, outrageous fad diet or weight-loss supplement works wonders, and in no time.
New clients also frequently ask what single exercise will flatten their abs, thinking that’s all they have to do to achieve their fantasy midsection.
I totally get it. I spent a decade of my life trying every “Get thin and toned with minimal effort” scheme out there.
I took appetite suppressants, fat burning supplements and more, with no lasting results.
I performed the “8 Minute Abs” video daily until blue in the face, and was frustrated when I did not achieve the body I wanted, never mind that I ate junk food and led a mostly sedentary lifestyle outside of those eight minutes.
I’d hop on an elliptical machine two to three times a week for 20 minutes, pedaling comfortably, and later lament to my best friend (over a pepperoni calzone) that I wasn’t shedding fat.
So, I have been there.
You must do as I did: Accept that there are no shortcuts to a lean, healthy body and life. This is the first step to success. It takes consistent, repeated effort, day after day, year after year.
The more often you do it (eat clean and exercise), the more habitual it becomes — but always, it takes effort. I’ve been in the fitness and health industry for almost 20 years and I am still as tempted by a jelly bismark or pint of Ben &Jerry’s as anyone else.
The difference is, I developed the habit of passing them up, and my appetite and sugar cravings are nowhere near as overwhelming as they were when I ate sugar regularly.
The same goes with working out. Once I finally committed to regular exercise, it took about five months for my workouts to become non-negotiable and habitual. Sure, there are still times I don’t want to work out, but I do it anyway.
My exercise routine is as much a part of my daily life as work, grocery shopping, or doing laundry. I stopped coming up with excuses and accepted exercise as a normal, daily part of life, whether I felt like it doing it or not.
Added bonus: I became strong, empowered and confident through exercise, and grew to love and appreciate my workouts.
You can, too.
Catherine Bongiorno, info@lifttolose.com is a Mukilteo personal trainer and nutritional therapist who owns Lift To Lose Fitness &Nutrition, www.lifttolose.com.
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