Commencing Countdown.....Engines, On

"The point of departure is not to return."


There comes a point to a plane's takeoff roll where the pilot reaches something called the point of no return. The plane must takeoff no matter what. This is how I want you to look at your fitness plan. You have entered into an irrevocable commitment. You are going to do this no matter what. This is going to be as quotidian as bathing and brushing your teeth. (I pray you)
Let's have a look at what you need to do before you start this project.

- What is my body like now? Obviously I'm not totally happy with it, but what physical condition am I in? What do I like, what don't I like? What do I want to change?

- What factors might influence/hinder my ability to perform various exercises: heart issues, respiratory issues, medications, etc? There might be some contraindications to exercise you might not know about. If you are planning on using a personal trainer, they will need to know this information as well. These factors, combined with your present physical fitness level will help me determine what  you can do in the gym.

- Get a physical exam, blood work included, to establish a baseline. Have your doctor explain those numbers to you. Most of you can improve your cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose levels and blood pressure, through exercise and proper eating. This is where genetics can influence the type and intensity of exercise you can do. Granted, there are genetic issues which may put restrictions on your methods. The ok from your doc will allow you to make tracks, not excuses. No more, "I can't do this because..."

- Rule: The more overweight you are, the more important proper nutrition is.
The exercise is important, but you have to rewire your thinking and break the poor eating habits. We form habits, then habits form us. You need to turn those bad habits on their head and re FORM yourself. Not easy, I understand, and a lot of folks are on medications which actually cause weight gain. If this is you, you need to factor that into your plan. For those of you on medications, make it one of your goals, with the help of your doctor, to be able to wean yourself off them.

- Write in a diary everything you eat and drink. You are going to hold yourself accountable for what you consume. Ahhhh, responsibility, what a concept! This method alone is effective for many people. Every couple of days, in red ink, yes, red ink, cross out all you should not have eaten and write in what you should have eaten. Your goal is to have as little red ink in your food diary as possible. How do you know what you should eat? Purchase these two books; Eating Well For Optimium Health and The New Glucose Revolution. These books will educate you on nutrition, what to eat, and how to read and interpret food labels. Following the suggestions in these books, and adhering to them, is at least half of your battle, and half of your solution.



- Set reachable goals. Set your goals incrementally; short, medium and long term. "I will to lose this much by......I will workout 5 days a week....." If you don't reach a goal, evaluate where you are lacking; still not eating properly, exercise intensity not enough etc. You don't want to over reach, that sets you up for disappointment. That is one of the last things an overweight person needs. Being in this business a while I have noticed that if people don't see results quickly, they bail. We live in an "instant gratitude" society. Unfortunately for those folks their endocrine system still has patience. You must prepare to be patient. This not a short-term commitment, but a life long one. Remember, you are rewiring, forming new habits. A three day a week workout schedule with Sunday being Mooshu Pork and Cinnamon Buns day will not cut it. SEVEN days a week. Anything less than that, if you have not done some form of exercise each day and have eaten healthfully, your goals wont be met. If you do it right, read, learn, execute and be consistent, you will get results. When you reach those goals, you will set new goals.
Ok, looks easy on paper (on blog), now let's get back to the "core" issues.