10 Fitness Tips in 10 Days – Tip 10 – Never Give Up

This is one of the many reasons most people don’t stick to their New Years resolution of getting into shape.  Nothing is more demotivating than having to wait in line with 3 other people for a bench or a treadmill.  However, don’t let the high crowds in the gym end up being your downfall, instead use it as your motivation.

Gym attendance always spikes in January with New Years resolutions and then vastly tapers off in mid to late February.  If you can last thru the crowds, you’ll find that most gyms tend to thin out around the mid-February timeframe making your workouts more enjoyable and include less waiting.  It’s actually a comical joke among my “regular” gym buddies.  “Yup, just a few more weeks and things will be back to normal,” they say.  But don’t end up like one of those quitters they talk about!

Here are some additional reasons many people give up: (some of these are recaps of previous tips, which means they’re important)

1.  Gym too crowded – see above.

2.  I don’t know what to do. – Get help from a “regular”.  If you have a friend or relative who is a gym “regular”, solicit their help.  But be careful, make sure your friend or relative have proven results.  Nothing like the blind leading the blind.  Alternately, get assistance from a trained professional.  Many gyms offer trainer services.  Hire one.  They are probably less expensive than you think they are.  Want to give a triathlon a shot (it’s a great way to have both a goal and a carrot hanging out in front of you to keep training), then think about getting a coach.

One additional thing you can try is to do the research yourself.  I did and dug through a TON of books and articles to figure out what worked and what was just a fad.  In a previous tip I gave you some examples of what’s in my library.  It’s only a sampling of what I used as research.

3.  I don’t see results. – Folks, there are no miracle weight loss cures or magic pills that guarantee immediate or super fast results.  You have to work at it, and it will take time.  If you can commit 12 solid weeks to a proper (non-fad) diet and proper exercise, you will see results.  You cannot lose 50 pounds in a month.  However, health and fitness isn’t just a 12 week program.  If you want to keep off the weight that you lose, you must make permanent lifestyle changes.  If you think of a “diet” as something that you “go on”, you are already set up for failure.  With this assumption, you think that at some point you can “go off” the diet.  The minute you do, you will start regaining the weight you lost.  Once again, if you want to see results, it will take time, sometimes several months depending on your particular level of fitness.  If you want to see permanent results, you have to make permanent changes to your lifestyle.

4.  I lack motivation. – Find it.  Bikini by the summer?  Fit into a dress for a special occasion?  Want to lose a certain amount of weight before the next track day so you’ll be faster?  Want to finish a 5k run in under a certain amount of time?  Whatever your motivation is, take a picture of it and put it all around you.  Put it on your computer monitor at work, your mirror in your home bathroom, on the treadmill when you’re running, and on the dashboard of your car (not in front of the speedometer).

Having your goal or motivation in front of you will keep this on your mind all the time.  Every time you decide to reach for that donut or to splurge at lunch, take a look at your motivation (or think about it).  Every time you start to put anything in your mouth, think to yourself, “Is this going to help me reach my goal?”.  Every time you hit the snooze button when trying to wake up and go to the gym think, “Is this extra 5 or 10 minutes of sleep going to help me reach my goal.”  Every time someone offers you a beer when watching the football game, think.  Every time your relative, wife, husband, whoever tries to demotivate you, think.

5.  My wife/husband/significant other doesn’t support me.  – This can take many forms.  They can sabotage you in many ways.  Not wanting to eat healthy, not wanting to workout with you, telling you your crazy, or whatever. Don’t buy it.  Once they start seeing results, they’ll come around.

6.  I can’t do this by myself. – Find someone.  This could be a professional trainer or your buddy next door.  Find someone that will be just as dedicated to it as you will (if not more) and be accountable to them.

You have to be strong in your convictions.  This is not going to be easy or quick.  It will be extremely hard and it will take a long time. I know this may seem contrary to the “quick fix” philosophies of the weight loss and fitness industry that you see so much on t.v.  But this is the truth.  With patience, dedication and most of all, discipline, you can achieve your goals.

Hope this helps…  Keep up the great work!  I’ll keep the tips coming over the next couple of weeks, but they may not be every day (I have to get my workouts in!), so keep your eyes peeled and subscribe to my blog (see below), Facebook, and Twitter feeds!!

Marcus