Aligning Your Goals and Fitness Lifestyle

I just got back from vacation a couple of weeks ago and in all honesty, I couldn’t wait to get back home so that I could get back on track with my exercise & nutrition plan. There’s something about being thrown out of your element whether it’s being sick, traveling for a few days, or as in my case being on a weeks vacation, that causes a sense of disruption to our every day routine.

The obstacle that I faced was having no access to a gym/fitness center (since it was being remodeled) and limited choices with my nutrition. What’s a guy like me to do when he faces with such a dilemma? I had to ‘think outside the box’ and take drastic measures to make sure that I held my own in keeping myself aligned with my health, fitness & fat loss goals. I cranked out my body weight workout in my room, drank lots of water, packed plenty of snacks - protein bars, beef jerky, nuts & seeds - and made sure I had optimal recovery….laying out by the pool that is. Hey, this is physical & mental recovery at its finest if I must say!

The deal is that people tend to make poor choices & exhibit careless behavior when it comes to their health, fitness & fat loss goals which are directly tied into their LIFESTYLE. Examples may include massive intake of sugar, starches, processed & junk foods, poor sleep habits – not getting enough sleep, increased stress, skipping workouts, doing too much aerobic exercise (yes, you heard me right – long, steady state cardio isn’t all that it’s made out to be for optimal fat loss - here's a study that proves it), or hanging out with the wrong crowd – people who either distract you from your goals or are always putting you down in a negative way.

So how do we fix this so-called ‘problem’? The solution will vary from person to person but one thing that we must always ask ourselves is - “Is my the choice I’m making & behavior that I’m displaying getting me closer or further away from my health & fitness goals?”

We have to be completely honest with ourselves and analyze the things that must change in order to see positive change. Next time you’re in front of the mirror, take a long hard look at yourself for 2 minutes and see if what’s being reflected satisfies you.

Do you like the person you see in the mirror?

Are you happy with where you are right now?

Do you like the way to look & feel?

Chances are some of you might only be able to do this for a few seconds. Trust me, 2 minutes is a long time as I’m speaking from personal experience. I found myself looking in front of that mirror and I knew I had to make some major changes in my life. I knew that in order to improve and get better each and every day, I had to create change. It just wasn’t going to a happen on its own or at someone else’s will.

If the change you seek relates to poor nutrition, eliminate the sugar & starch and start eating more veggies & fruit.

Increased stress? Learn to take a mental & physical ‘time-out’ to clear the mental clutter and alleviate tension – try mediation, deep breathing, listening to music, reading a book….the possibilities are endless. 

Are you feeling tired all of the time and have no energy? Eliminate the caffeine in the evening, eat whole foods, drink lots of water (at least half your body weight in ounces each day), exercise and get to bed at a decent hour.

If you’re an aerobics junkie who is stuck in a plateau, you ought to highly consider interval training - HIIT.

If it’s negative people, the honest reality may be that you may have to find a new influence of friends who can relate and support your lifestyle goals and commitments.

In a nutshell, everything about your LIFESTYLE must align with your goals if you plan to reach them. As I coach people in their quest to improving their ‘Life, Health & Wellness’, I remind them that their LIFESTYLE can exponentially increase their RESULTS as long as they take the proper measures and make the right decisions that will identify with what they’re trying to achieve.

-AR