A Note to the Fitness Newbies

Hey guys, how are you all doing on this fine Tuesday? Hope all is well and your 2013 is off to a fabulous start!

I was at my Lifetime Fitness location for the first time since the Arnold last night and saw numerous new faces last night. I've also noticed new faces in my office building's gym in the last few weeks-- it seems there are some late New Year’s Resolutioners. Good for you guys!

I have known many people who have undergone transformations over the years (my own included) and there are many misconceptions about getting in shape that I feel people should consider as they plug away at their goals. It's better to begin thinking about these things now versus being blindsided by it later!

You Are Going to Screw Up-- Plan Ahead For It!

Plan your meals and cheats ahead and stick to them-- impromptu meals and temptation can be enough to throw anyone off. Everyone succumbs to Starburst and take-out pizza occasionally. The key here is to move on and start over on your next meal. Don't wait til Monday or the 1st of next month to start over.

Adjusting to a new lifestyle (diet and working out) takes some time. Baby step it and allow yourself a reasonable amount of wiggle room.

Changing Your Outside Won't Fix Your Inside

I have helped numerous people lose weight over the years. When they were heavier they thought "Gosh if I just weighed _______ then everything in my life will be okay and I'll be so much happier."

Nope!

If you don't like who you are before you lose weight, you will not really care for yourself when you're to your goal. If you're insecure before your weight loss, you will be insecure after your weight loss. If you're uncomfortable around people of the opposite sex (or same sex!) and find dating awkward and weird when you're out of shape, you'll still feel that way once you lose weight.

Getting in shape is not a magical Band-Aid that will ease all your wounds and psychological/emotional scars you've carried for years. That's what counseling is for, kids, and most of us need it.

Changing Your Outside Might Have Odd Social Side-Effects: The Positives

You are constantly going to get asked what you're doing because you look so amazing. You'll spend 30 minutes explaining it and then people will go "Meh. I don't want to do that."

You'll be bombarded with people who want to be your workout buddy or want your training program/diet. It's fun to know you're helping inspire other people, just make sure you refer people to the experts if you aren't sure how to answer questions yourself!

Motivating and helping other people feels amazing and helps you keep going in your own goals!

Changing Your Outside Might Have Odd Social Side-Effects: The Negatives

I've told a few people this before, but nobody warned me before I lost weight and got fit that there were a few unintended consequences: (And the reverse will likely happen for you if you're a man.)

· Women got meaner/colder/more skeptical of me.

· Men got weirder.

· Friends started distancing themselves.

Now, the fact that women are notoriously catty is not exactly a surprise. However, it has been a bit of a social experiment to see how people react to me once they find out I'm a competitor or if they just meet me the first time. I actually stopped telling people I do competitions or fitness modeling of any kind because of social stigmas associated with the word "model".  People instantly treat me like I'm a moron and not like a college-educated professional. Additionally, I've noticed people immediately get self-conscious of whatever they're eating or drinking-- as though I'm going to go home and write a judgmental, angry diary entry about them later. Truth: I don't care what you eat or drink. You're entitled to any lifestyle and as much fast food as your little heart desires.

As far as men, it goes without saying that you are in the public eye once you enter this industry. As some who really didn't date or get much attention from the opposite sex, it was very odd to suddenly be getting it once I lost weight and got in shape. And I can tell you right now, the weirdos come out of the woodwork. Holy cow! lol

Your friends who guzzle beer and go out a few days a week may slowly back away from you. They won't get your lifestyle changes at all. They will think it seems extreme. Truthfully, anyone who doesn't want to hang out with you because you have to be sober and can't eat 90 buffalo wings at Applebees is probably not your friend. It shouldn't be a friendship dealbreaker that you have to eat more veggies and meat than the average person. Make sure you know who your true support system is!

So don't be surprised if people react to you differently once you hit your goals because it is bound to happen to some degree!

It's Never Too Late

Fitness and health are ageless. I don't care if you're 20 or 65, you will benefit physically, psychologically, and emotionally from working out to some degree. I hear a lot of people in their 50s dismiss working out for reasons X, Y, Z and don't realize some of their physical pain problems are just due to inactivity.

Whether you've been off the wagon a day, a week, or 15 years, you always have the option to start up again. So few things in life are guaranteed to that degree-- isn't it nice to know that you'll have have a redo button available no matter where you are in the spectrum of life? Even better, it's a gift you can share with people you love. How cool is that?

Make it a great Tuesday!
Abby