What’s your secret?
Over the past several months, I’ve been approached for fitness and health advice by many people. I’m always flattered by it and I am more than willing to share whatever I can in order to help them achieve their goals. However, it seems that the majority of the these people want an easy answer . They are searching for some magic response that will lead them to the results they want. They ask “what’s the secret,“ mistakenly believing that there must be an easy way out or some sort of mystery or puzzle to solve.
When I tell them what has worked for me and what my regimen is like, it seems that most of them don’t like the words that come out of my mouth. In fact, I can actually see faces change when I explain that fitness requires dedication, commitment, hard work, sacrifice, and a lot of time. For many people, especially those who have never been involved in fitness, achievement of their fitness goals requires a complete lifestyle overhaul. This kind of change is hard. I’ll be the first to admit that the journey isn’t always fun or easy. There are times when I’d rather skip my workout to sleep or replace my salad with a big piece of cheesecake. However, I’ve learned that the rewards make the sacrifice worth it. I’ve also found that I appreciate my personal achievements more because I have worked harder to attain them. These realizations motivate me to keep striving for more.
I try to explain these truths to the people I encounter, often just to find that revealing “my secrets” to fitness success seem to leave them disappointed, disbelieving, or simply no longer interested. Is it easier for some to believe that fitness and health can be found in a pill or 10 minutes on a new machine rather than with months of consistent training and eating right? As crazy as it sounds, I think, for some, it is.
While this certainly disappoints me, I guess it is to be expected. Watch TV or read a magazine for a few minutes and you are bound to be bombarded with quick fixes for every dilemma in life, not just weight loss and fitness -related issues. Due to this fact, it is absurd for me to believe that all the people I talk to will “get” the truth- that health and fitness gains only come through “good old-fashioned hard work.” However, that won’t stop me from sharing what I know to be true and hoping that I am able to get through to at least a few.
October 1, 2007 at 8:08 am
PERFECTLY SAID!
October 1, 2007 at 8:12 am
People think there’s still a magic pill out there that will get them in the best shape ever.. I am helping someone, or trying to, but i’m not sure if she will be able to commit to the hard work and dedication - she finds there’s alot of cooking involved and not sure if she has the time.. I say, if you want it bad enough anyone can make the time.
October 1, 2007 at 8:20 am
It is sad, but you are very right. Most people are very resisitant to change and even more resistant to HARD work. And it takes both to be successful in changing and maintaining your body… But for those who are willing to sacrifice, its hard to understand why others arent..
Nice post Nic..
October 1, 2007 at 8:30 am
From experience I know how it feels to want that magic pill or newest equipment that will change my body, they bombard you with before and after pictures of people that claim to have achieved it thru whatever they are selling (most of the time it is only someone in a bulking phase and then after their cutting phase) but you want to believe, that is why it is a billion dollar Industry. As for the time you have to take to make a difference not only at the gym, but everything from buying your food, research, meal preparation, having more meals a day, it is time consuming, but it is possible if you really want it, and then it is just part of your daily routine.
October 1, 2007 at 8:52 am
Amen to that! Too true. If it were that easy and magical, wouldn’t EVERYONE walk around looking like a fitness model??
October 10, 2007 at 10:00 pm
so very true. everyone is looking for the easy way out. well, not everyone, but it seems the majority of people just want the quick fix, which, even if it did work, would not be as satisfying as knowing that you accomplished something through your own hard-work and will.
October 13, 2007 at 4:42 am
That is one of the most well written pieces I’ve seen on Bodyspace. Excellent. Unfortunately you are righ Nicole. We do live in a society where people want it, want it now and if there is any work involved they simply say screw it.
Sad to say that because we live in a fast food society, people want everything NOW! The days that our grandparents grew up in with lots of blood, sweat, tears and very hard work are gone. My mom used to prepare dinner every night. It took her at least a majority of the afternoon to get it done since everything was from scratch.
Nowadays….people are so impatient that they tap their fingers on the microwave because the 3 minute popcorn takes too long. Funny thing is…….people will pay huge sums of money to get things now but the minute they have to put the work in themselves……they’re gone. They find something else in which to get instant gratification.
October 30, 2007 at 3:06 am
Yeah, Yeah…two veeks ago me and some of my friends came to the pub(I was drinking Juice instead of my usual beer). ANd two of em started to talk about fitness and fat loosing with me. So I talked about it with anthusiasm and I talked about how I’ve loose fat and started to gain some muscles. ANd this a bit feater guye who was siting with us, talking. He asked me how could he loose some fat, that some of his friend advices him to dress in alots of clothes and go for running. So I told him that he can do that. Sweathing could help. But I told him that mine thing in this is to eat right. ANd He looked at me with a sceared face and said somethin like:"But I don’t wanna hamper in my eating." So I laughet at him at told him that there is no way he could achive anythin like that…And he stoped asking further and looked other direction.
OH how are people stupid!! And lazy
March 26, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Well put. Even when people ask you for the information they may not be prepared to accept the reality. I know a few years ago I would not have listened to anyone, no matter how fit or encouraging they were. I wasnt ready to put in the time, research and effort necessary to overhaul my body and my life. So try to keep a positive attitude even when people do look disappointed when they hear how much work it is. Maybe someday they’ll remember you and be inspired. Maybe right now they just are not in the right place in their own development to receive your wisdom. Many of us have to fall down a lot before we get our balance, find what works, and what doesnt, I know I did. Keep up the good work. Keep being truthful when people ask. Eventually you will be asked by someone who is in the right place in their life and is ready for your knowledge and when that happens there can be an instant connection forged. Best of luck to you. -tilt