How to get started?
I want to lose this extra 10 pounds I have put on over the past couple of years, recently I have noticed that my clothes do not fit me anymore and my pants are digging into my belly. My shirts seem really tight and you can see my belly protruding through my shirt. I know that I need to start exercising and eating healthier but Friday night I have dinner plans with my friends so I might as well wait until Monday. On Monday I had every intention to go to the gym after work but I left my headphones at home, I will have to wait until next Monday to start because the workout plan I downloaded is a Monday, Wednesday, Friday split and I have to stick to the plan….
This was my exact train of thought before I made fitness a priority in my life. I always had an excuse to get out of working out and eating healthier. I didn’t want it 100% and that was the problem, it was not a priority. There was always something else to do, there was a TV show I wanted to watch, a movie I wanted to see, watch videos on YouTube, go out drinking with friends, etc., etc. When I changed my priorities I got into the best shape of my life and I am maintaining it because I choose to exercise instead of watching TV and I choose to eat a healthier lunch instead of going to out eat with co-workers.
The best way to get started is to just start, today, right now. You don’t have to wait until Monday, if its Thursday afternoon then start right now. Go for a walk, take the stairs, park in the back of the parking lot, every hour get up from your desk and walk around, find a bathroom at the other end of the office, put down the soda and drink water, and eat nuts instead of a bag of chips. It doesn’t have to be complicated, its actually very easy, just start with small incremental changes. I tell my clients to start the first week drinking one more cup of water every day, the next week cut out a little bit of sugar every day, the next week swap a highly processed meal out for a nutritious whole food, home cooked meal. I don’t believe in the cold turkey approach because I believe this is setting yourself up for failure. When life happens and you can’t cook at home and you have to get drive thru it won’t be the end of the world, just get back on your routine the next day and enjoy that burger and fries, savor every bite.
The biggest obstacle you are going to have to overcome is yourself. If you really don’t want a healthier life and you are content with how you look and feel then you are never going to stick with any exercise or nutrition plan. It will get hard and it will be difficult, it’s boring eating the same healthy stuff during the week, sometimes I would much rather sleep in than wake up at 4am to workout. Some workouts are brutal and it hurts to walk for a couple of days afterwards, but to me it is worth it. I like looking at myself in the mirror even though that sounds vain it’s the truth and everyone wants to be happy with what they see in the mirror. I like people telling me I don’t look my age, I like feeling in control over my body and feeling confident, I like going to the doctor and getting a clean bill of health, and I love being able to play with my daughter without getting winded. All of these and many more are the reasons I live a healthy life.
If you are truly ready to get started and you just don’t know where to start, I can help get you there. With my fitness and nutrition coaching program I will be with you every step of the way in your journey. Learn more about how I can help get you started by visiting orionsfitness.com/coaching. Email me at orion@orionsfitness.com or call 832-794-2195 to schedule your consultation.
Watch our short video to learn more about our Fitness and Nutrition Coaching program.
Talk to you soon,
Coach Orion
