Have you ever wondered why your best-intentioned health resolutions fail? Every year in January we all begin our year by getting into better shape, eating better, making more money, and having better relationships. Year after year, we write down, or at least think about, our goals for the year. Sadly, by February most of the glimmer of a new way of life has ended. Why must this happen? Are we just doomed to fail? I believe we are not just doomed to fail. There is no reason for you to fail. In fact, if you succeed, the world would be a better place. Most importantly, you would live a happier life!
Let’s look at why health resolutions fail
So many times rather than succeed. Anytime we make changes, it will be hard at first and sometimes, for a while. In 1996, I weighed 315lbs and according to my doctor, my vitals were in a terrible place. I can still hear her say, if you don’t change your life, you may not live past 40. Imagine hearing that at 36. I couldn’t believe it! I was once a three-sport athlete.
My doctor had just finished a degree in nutrition and easy eager to help someone to change their eating habits and I, luckily, happened to be one of her first. I agreed and she changed my life. There were a few key things I learned which taught me why so many diets fail people. Actually the diets do help people lose weight. The problem is when you lose the desired weight, then what? That was the question too few can answer. What she taught me was a different way of life, a different way to think about food. I went from living to eat to eating to live.
Here are 3 important things to remember when choosing what to eat:
How does my body convert the food once I eat it?
Sounds complicated, but really isn’t. Carbs, not all carbs as I will explain, are not your friend. Simple carbs like breads, pasta, rice, and white potatoes convert into glucose (sugar) once they enter your body. The danger here is that your body will get used to fueling itself from the glucose and not the fat. Which means, there will be a crash once the glucose runs and no fat will be burned. Complex carbs are foods like veggies and fruit. The body converts differently because they do not convert to glucose. When someone says they are on a no carb diet and eat salads that is not a true statement.
Load up on carbs for more energy to work out harder
This seems like a great idea, but remember the afternoon crash I spoke of in #1, this happen here too. Again, you are burning the glucose that you put into your body and not the fat. Training your body to look for fat to burn and glucose will reduce the need for hard workouts. The average only needs 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week of resistance training then do cardio for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week such as walking or biking. When you take in all those carbs, the hard work out will only burn those calories you just put in. This is why so many fail to lose the weight even though they are working so hard. It is frustrating and worse yet, many suffer injuries that prevent them from working out anyway.
Understand warm-up and cool-down activities
Too many people believe that stretching is a warm-up and/or cool down. Warm-up and cool down exercises are like walking on a treadmill or riding a bike to increase the blood flow in the muscle tissue to make it more pliable. Many people do not understand why we need to stretch. Stretching improves the mobility of the joints, reduces pressure on the nerves and discs of the spine, and most importantly, reduces the risk of injuries. Stretching is very different mindset from strength training. Stretching is about relaxing and releasing emotional side of muscle as to improve the physical tension of the muscles.
Here’s how to succeed with health resolutions
When health resolutions fail, it is usually due to lack of knowledge and too many people focusing on symptoms instead of causes. Find health professionals that can help with nutrition, fitness, and stretching. There is so much to know and few of us have been given the information needed to succeed. All three phases are key to success. It is surprising how simple it was to lose the weight and get in better shape. I never thought it would be that easy.
If you would like to learn more about achieving a healthier pain-free life, schedule a 30 minute free consultation with Butch Phelps.
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