I wanna get in shape...

We hear that all the time in a commercial gym setting.  Of course, one mentor of mine was fond of responding with, “What sort of shape?   Rectangle?  Circle? Triangle?”

What does “…getting in better shape,” mean?  Here is where the fitness industry gets derailed trying to cater to the mass of the public.  Getting in better shape means something different for every person.   Or does it?

The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that as late as 2008 over 33% of Americans are obese.  Obesity is often defined as someone who has a lean to fat mass index of 30% or more.   That’s 1 in 3 of our youth from ages 20 to 39.  To compound matters, the CDC discovers that within the same age group we have 34% who are overweight.   By my math, that means that 67% of our population aged 20 – 39 is overweight or worse.   Despite the fabulous beauty of the human form, it seems the shape of our culture is a circle.

Why? 

We could say that our culture is a culture of immediate gratification.  We want things and we want them now.   I want to look good now.  I want to eat now.  Fast food.  Fast everything.  

Another reason is that because we are so short term focused, we lose the ability to see the big picture.  A bunch of “nows” pretty quickly turns into a long road of time passed by.  

Recently I saw a friend blog about how he lost 15 lbs. in 12 days using an uber protein diet.  I’m willing to bet in 12 months that same friend will actually weigh more than he did when the diet started.  Why would I say that?  Because that short term thinking of torturing himself for 12 days is the same as reaching for a big mac for lunch:  long term it’s not going to get healthy results.   Especially if you torture yourself in the short term, sooner or later we all burn out.

What can we do?

Let’s be aware of short term and long term goals.  Gordon Gecko in “Wall Street” (the first, not second film) said in a shareholders meeting that ,” Greed is good.”   Actually he wasn’t completely accurate.  Long term greed is good.  Short term greed is bad.  Why?  In the short term, the ends justify the means.  Results, not process take precedent.  This is a mistake long term.  And as we are all living longer lives we all have a long term to consider. 

Here’s the unsexy truth: 

If you intake (or eat) less than you expend (exercise / activity) you will drop weight.  It’s a simple Truth!

Here’s a reasonable rate of return for weight loss:  ½ to 2lbs of weight a week.  This weight is Gone forever, if you maintain your activity level and nutrition.   

As many of you know, my mother died because she was COMMON.  Her perspective was to “live for the now,” which usually translated to mean to eat something that would upset her delicate diabetic balance. 

I often heard my mom say, “Carpe Diem.” Pretty inspiring, right?  "Carpe Diem,"(seize the day) was a smaller part of a larger phrase in a poem by Horace.  The full phrase, “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” is translated to:  Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future.  

Wow.  We don’t talk about the rest of that phrase very often, though, do we?  Context my friends is everything. 

I’m often heard to say in the gym (in particular) we are MORAL Relativists.  Specifically what is good and bad for us is relative to 2 key elements:

1.        1.  Our current fitness level

2.       2.  Our goals.

 

 How do we keep the long term in mind?  Easily:  Set SMART goals.

S.M.A.R.T.  Goals:

Specific: be detailed about exactly what you want to accomplish.  Why are you working out / doing whatever you are doing?  What is exactly the goal?

Measurable:  Find some metrics that will indicate whether you are on the right path or not.  Measuring miles run for a better squat will not get you a better squat.

Attainable:  Keep it within your ability but challenge yourself.  The beauty is that you can progress.  Our bodies are designed to get better with use. 

Relevant:  Find the things that will help you attain your goal. 

Timely:  A goal is a dream, with a deadline.  To create urgency, the deadline is necessary.  Put a time to when you want to achieve your goal. 

Let’s stop being a culture of circles.  Let's get off the "Crazes" of short term gratification and make a long term commitment to ourselves.  Let's reach for a sleeker geometric design:  a straight line.

Mo-tate. 

Motivate your life.