COMMITMENT!
Ok not THAT kind of commitment but it is kind of funny. I am talking about commitment to your plan. You individual plan for fitness. For some it could be as simple as going to gym three times a week and "watching what you eat." For other like me, it is more of a strict regimen of counting and measuring foods down to the gram and hitting the gym twice a day for very specific, rigorous workouts to achieve an optimal physique. Then again I recognize we aren't all freaks. My point is this, we commit to things we want (desire not need) such as homes, cars, and jelly of the month memberships for YEARS. If you own a 1997 Ford Taurus that slightly resembles a demolition derby car and has mileage approaching a nice income you would dream of having then you probably wouldn't say something like this: "You know what, I am going to buy a brand new 2013 Dodge Charger and I'm going to go on the 8 week plan to pay it off." That's right 8 weeks is all you are committing to the car and then it is yours to keep. Sadly, that isn't how it works. If you want that car and you are in with the majority of the population in the working middle class, you have to commit to that car for YEARS.
Along the same lines, let's consider the gym. Why do the majority of gyms not sell 3 month memberships? I know there are some out there, but let's consider the majority. Two reasons here: first, gyms want to maximize longevity of memberships to ensure profit (it's a business), but second the gym knows that if by some miracle you actually DO utilize your membership you will need longer than three months to actually experience RESULTS. And results = retention = revenue (again, it's a business).
So here is the questions I pose to you. Have you ever committed to a diet or workout plan for 1 YEAR with at least 90% adherence? Let's be honest! Before you answer consider this hypothetical situation.
AVERAGE JANE
Diet plan: Zone Diet
Duration: 6 months
Cheats: She always followed the diet 100% every week so on Saturday's she would go out and treat herself. But back to strict diet on Sunday. Also in the 6 month time frame was her birthday, one random day of weakness each month (LADIES!) and some major holiday so that's another 9 days of cheating (1 for your birthday because you HAVE to have a drink, 6 "weak" days in 6 months, and 2 for the holiday because you CAN'T eat healthy when family is in town).
Math:
Let me break it down for you since most don't like math.
6 months = approx. 180 days
24 Saturdays + 1 birthday + 6 "weak" days + 2 holiday cheat days = 33 cheat days
AVERAGE JANE cheats 33/180 days or about 18% of the time.
This means she stuck to her diet 82% of the time. Psh just another example of Americans putting out "C" effort and expecting an "A+" result!
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| But I don't know WHY my diet isn't working?! |
But let's look at the bright side. I know many of you were reading that and thinking, wow that is just like me. Good news is this, if you are 82% effective, you are MUCH more effective than the majority. And, you WILL see positive changes OVER TIME. How much time will be totally dependent on how long you stick to it. Most people would be inclined to give up completely after 6 months if they only saw 10 pounds of fat loss because hey, it's only 10 pounds right?! But in reality, that 10 pounds could be 15-25 pounds if they were 95-99% effective.
In conclusion, what I want you to take away is that it is less important what you are doing, but rather your consistency. Don't waste your time on cookie-cutter, fad diets. Do your research. Your individual "diet" will be one that is about you finding what foods and in what combinations work for YOU. Find a plan that works, one that you can maintain, and STICK to it. Fad diets will come in and out of popularity and you will no doubt experiment with different things. How do you know that your plan isn't working unless you adhere for an amount of time such as a whole year? You will never know until you try.
What are my recommendations?? Well you have to keep reading to get more info on that but if you have scrolled through my blogs you will see that I generally consume a diet high in lean protein with balanced carbohydrates and fats. Keep in mind, I use carbohydrates to FUEL and REFEED workouts (rather strenuous ones at that) so if you aren't hitting the gym very often and lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, you should probably limit your carbohydrate intake, especially complex, high calorie sources i.e. bread, pasta, cereals, rice.
Remember, consistency and commitment are the keys to building the body you want in your nutrition and gym programs. So grind it out, and don't sweat the small stuff. Get 1% better every day, that is what it is all about. One simple YES could change your life forever!
