What is wrong with our society?
I was discussing fitness with my doctor the other day and he said that the number one thing he is telling his patients is that they need to lose weight. He says that they then ask him the best way and he tells them they need to eat a number of smaller nutritious meals rather than 2 or 3 big ones, lift weights along with doing cardio. He then says that about 9 out of 10 of his patients then ask if there is an easier way to do it. They usually ask if he has any recommendations for pills for them and some even ask about gastric by-pass surgery, anything other than changing what they eat and exercising.
What is wrong with our society?
Using my wife (bodyspace: judimax) and myself for examples it took us 12 weeks (using the Body for Life program) to get our body transformations. Out of those 12 weeks we went to the gym 3 times per week for a total of 36 workouts. These workouts consisted of lifting weights for 1-hour maximum followed by 20 minutes max. of cardio, for a total of 80 minutes spent in the gym 3 times per week.
We ate 5 to 6 high protein, low carb, low fat meals per day with 2 to 3 of those meals being in the form of either a protein shake or a protein pudding (that my wife made). Following Body for Life allowed us to have one built in “cheat” day per week so that if we had any cravings we wanted to address or an event or party to go to we could eat as we pleased rather than just pick at some vegetable so out of the 12 weeks of eating correctly we also had 12 cheat days where we could eat anything and everything we wanted.
So by going to the gym and doing both weights and cardio for 80 minutes per session we had 4 days off from working out every week plus 1 cheat day every week. At the end of the 12 weeks I had lost over 50 pounds and gone from more than 36% to about 10% bodyfat and my wife had gone from a size 12/14 to a size 4/6.
I don’t say this to brag but to showcase how easy it actually is to change our shapes and achieve a complete body transformation. I do not believe that my wife and I are special human beings with an extraordinary ability to lose weight and get into great shape. I think we are just two ordinary folks who made fitness a priority and followed a proven program that took us step by step through the whole process over the course of 12 weeks. I have gone on to use the Body for Life program with a number of my clients and only 1 out of about 20 did not see the same kind of results as my wife and I did. The 1 person who did not respond was someone who did not challenge themselves while lifting weights and did not follow their meal plan. They would work at cardio but with all else no matter how I tried to get them to push themselves they just basically went through the motions and the end result was they got out of it exactly what they put into it. The other 19 all had from good to absolutely astounding results.
So my questions to you is, if it really is as easy as I have proven it is, then why won’t people try it rather than looking for the magic pill or an operation?
March 27, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Like most things in life…it’s all psychology. Backwards thinking and years of poor habits are hard to break without some serious soul searching.
March 29, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Thanks for the information on the protein powder. I will check it out! Great blog! You nailed it. Take care.
April 2, 2008 at 8:05 am
i agree with you ALMOST totally, you and your wife are GREAT inspirations to all. I am more like you guys, if i really put my mind to it, i know i can make great changes. My wife on the other hand, has always ate well and exercised quite a bit. Over the period of about two years, WITH working out, (ok i will admit she still drinks soda) she gained almost 90lbs. Hey thyroid completely shut down. I think it is me honestly as my mom went through the exact same thing with her thyroid…but they went as far as removing hers. I am NOT making excuses for anyone, but just stating that for some people the gastric bypass is a necessary thing. My wife goes in on the 28th of april for hers, if she does not get it done she will be a full blown diabetic by the end of the year. Just annoying that i do the wrong things and dont have many problems when she does the right things and has horrible results. I never thought about that until now.
BUT to agree with most of your point, i am part of that lazy crew that usually tried the easy way, but i am done with that, well as soon as i can walk again..lol
April 3, 2008 at 7:22 am
I agree with you also. Sad to say but I was one of those people looking for the easy way out. Didn’t want to exercise and was waiting for the "magic pill". Well it’s not out there and even though I have only just started my journey I beleive that exercies and proper nutritiion is the way to be healthy and feel better. It is just so hard changing those bad eating habits.
April 5, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I know I’m guilty of not putting the effort into being more fit. Sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed and everything I read is a contradiction to something else I read. As someone who never was taught proper nutrition at home as a child, trying to figure it out now is exasperating! Add that to the self-conscious feelings of exercising in front of people and I’d have to admit that I’m scared I won’t follow through this time.
April 6, 2008 at 3:48 pm
No substitute for a solid plan…eating, wts, cardio and a relentless desire to make needed changes permanent and just good ole hard work and discipline. I don’t believe there are any shortcuts…that last. And ones "that last" require the discipline and hard work. Helen Kelller said it is sad to have the ability to see but have no vision. Visualize it…plan it out…work for it…and keep working for it and it will happen…and keep happening. Great post Captain. Keep up the great work my friend.
April 9, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I agree with what you said. You hit the nail on the head about making fitness a priority. Also doing it consistantly. I know that’s what helped me.