Has it ever puzzled you how one person can make a decision to lose weight and proceeds to do just that until they reach their goal, while another wakes up with the same goal only to sabotage themselves?
You could argue that our physiology is basically the same. We all have a heart, skin, a liver, muscles and so on. So why is it that one person can have great success while another struggles with the same challenges for a lifetime?
Weight loss is a 40 billion dollar a year business. We join gyms, go on fad diets and pay people to weigh us in, all with aspirations that this is going to be the quick, easy, magical solution. If all of the books, diet plans, miracle drinks and infomercial gadgets worked, obesity and disease would not be on the rise. So where does the real solution lie?
People typically associate weight loss with the fat blocker, the ab cruncher or the frozen food. Here’s the truth: The key to reaching your goal is a combination of mental and physical training. Mustering up the courage to eat carrot sticks instead of burgers is typically short lived. You can try and try to change things on the outside, such as making a salad, skipping the drive through and drinking more water, but they are typically short lived.
When change happens in your mind and you practice it in your actions, it becomes part of your nature, something you are devoted to, and it eventually feels effortless. When eating healthy, exercising regularly and taking care of your body are effortless, the outcomes are fantastic. Just imagine how you would feel if you were physically fit in a healthy body without any ailments. So how do you get there?
If you view weight loss as painful, having to give up things you love, endure brutal exercise and being sore, tired and hungry all of the time, there is a good chance you will never be successful in achieving any goal related to physical well being.
On the other hand, if you see physical activity and eating natural foods as a means to living in a lean healthy and fit body, you are more likely to adopt healthy habits as a regular part of your lifestyle.
One thing you can consistently do is notice your self awareness about what you are thinking. Everyone is an expert on themselves and tends to rationalize their behaviors. For example they may say, “I can have two more beers and sleep it off in the morning or I can have this cupcake because I will run tomorrow”. Use positive self talk and be your best cheerleader. Who better than you to build your own confidence?
Ask yourself, where is my mind? Am I thinking in the past? If so you can’t change it. If you are thinking about the future you may be worrying about what may be and that leads to anxiety and nervousness. To get in the present about your situation, use a technique called REM – Recognize, Evaluate and Modify.
First, recognize self talk. Notice if it’s negative (My belly is fat, my thighs are flabby.) or positive (I am strong. I have good posture). Next, evaluate if your self talk is helping or hurting you. If it’s hurting, modify it and change to positive self talk. Do everything in you power in the present to be better and achieve more.
If you are frustrated by your lack of progress when it comes to your health, weight loss and fitness, consider a program with a proven success record. Argyle Adventure Boot Camp incorporates both physical and mental conditioning as a supportive part of the plan. Coach Brad Jurica, the Men’s Coach is a Certified Mental Trainer (CMT) and a Certified Mental Coach (CMC), as well as the Director of Mental Training at Mental Training Inc. (www.mentaltraininginc.com). Brad works with elite, professional, and Olympic athletes’ helping them obtain their goals and is now applying these same successful strategies and techniques to the men of Argyle Adventure Boot Camp.
Brad uses years of experience in the field of sport psychology and a passion for health and wellness to help his Argyle boot campers enhance their performance. By concentrating breathing, utilizing flash visualization and positive affirmations, he gets the men to get present, to seek out and find the inspiration for one more repetition, set, sprint, or jump rope segment. Mental Training is truly the wave of the future; and can take the average Joe from where they are to where they want to be.
Lou Holtz, the ex Head Football Coach at Notre Dame once said, “Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Attitude is everything and Brad is great at helping recognize, evaluate, and modify the self-talk and attitude that is necessary in achieving your goals. I often hear Brad say, “The only difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary is that little something – extra.” Positive self-talk, flash visualization and controlling the “controllables” are just a few of the many “extra” techniques that Brad brings to the table each Monday through Friday at 5:30am. If your goal is to get fit, join in with other men and women who are seeing extraordinary results at www.ArgyleBootCamp.com or call Kelli at 817-490-1296.
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