Motivation
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"We all deserve the right to indulge from time to time; just consciously ask yourself first, "Will taking this action rob me of the future I desire?" -Debbie Ford
How true. But what happens when we feel like we deserve the right to indulge more than our body can metabolize? We all know that answer- our bodies store the extra as fat. A few pounds of fat can hardly rob me of the future I desire. But here's what can happen.
I overindulge and promise myself I will work extra hard tomorrow to burn it off. Tomorrow comes and life happens and I don't work out. I store the extra five hundred calories as fat. I beat myself up for not making time to work out. I regret saying yes to something I really wanted to say no to. I feel like I have no control over my time. I feel stressed out and tired. So I overindulge and promise myself I will work extra hard tomorrow to burn it off. Tomorrow comes and life happens...
If I get stuck in this cycle, a week goes by and I have gained a pound. Two weeks, two pounds. My clothes feel tight and my energy dips. Three weeks, three pounds. I start to feel bad about myself. Four week, four pounds. I start to pick on little things about myself in the mirror. Five pounds. I put away my cute clothes and pull out the oversized hide-me clothes. Six pounds. What's the point of working out?
The same thing can happen when trying to lose weight. I might work really hard at my training session. Because I worked so hard, I feel the right to indulge so I do and promise myself I will work extra hard tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and life happens and I don't work out. If I am stuck in this cycle I can be working out really hard but never losing weight.
That is why every moment counts. Every calorie counts. Being conscious of these things and being honest with yourself about what and how much you are eating is crucial to weight loss and overall fitness.
One of my clients recently told me that she heard me say that I had eaten crappy over a weekend so I couldn't wait to work out and burn it off. That is something I would say because I know that if I overindulge, I have a very small window of opportunity to burn it off before it's stored. For me, having lived a significant portion of my life stuck in these cycles of broken promises and being dishonest with myself, I know I have to. I don't have a choice.
But when I do, I am living consciously and choosing the future I desire. One in which I am healthy and fit, enjoying clothes and shopping, hiking and running, and feeling good about myself. No overindulgence is worth giving that up for. Ever again.
Now get moving!
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