And Another Thing....

[shanmonster]

I had an client who used to show up at the gym. She came to classes religiously. She boasted to me about how she'd cut out all sugar from her diet. She counted calories obsessively. And she worked extremely hard.

When four weeks passed, she was depressed that she hadn't lost a single pound. She was miserable. She wasn't allowing herself to eat any of her favourite foods, ever. She was treating her fitness regimen as a prison sentence.

I told her that it wasn't a terrible thing to have a "cheat" food every now and then, as long as she is otherwise eating healthily on a regular basis.I told her that muscle weighs more than fat, and that she shouldn't judge her progress by the progress of other people. We all have different metabolisms.

I told her to have patience. It had taken all her life for her to be the weight and size she is now, so it would take longer than a month for her body to show large changes.

I pointed out the progress she had made in this short time. I took her measurements. There weren't big changes, but she was a bit smaller in the waist and hips. And I noted that her endurance had increased, and she was able to jump rope longer and hold a plank position much longer than when she'd first shown up.

But it wasn't enough. She hadn't met her self-imposed goals.

She stopped coming to the gym. Her expectations were unreasonable and too high. Patience is a virtue, even for getting in shape. Proper exercise and diet should never be a quick fix, or treated like a punishment, but a way of increasing your enjoyment of life. You don't do your four weeks or eight weeks or whatever of training and end up with something that will look good for the summer. You exercise and eat properly because you only get the one body, and it's going to have to last for your whole life.

So cut yourself some slack. Don't expect instant results. Take care of yourself and have a great bod and a great time. You deserve it.

Comments

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

But it wasn't enough. She hadn't met her self-imposed goals. She stopped coming to the gym.

That's really sad.

And it's why I don't set solid, identifiable goals for myself anymore. Fitness goals, anyway. I think it was miischelle who said on her LJ recently--as long as I'm better than I was yesterday, that's progress, and that's the best goal I can think to have.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Yes! And you have to give yourself the understanding that sometimes you won't be better than you were yesterday. Some days I'm stronger or more flexible than others. When you focus on one area, others might fall behind. But over all, you'll live so much better if you keep plugging away.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Some days I'm stronger or more flexible than others

Good point! Some days are just bad shimmy days. Or bad hamstrings days. Or bad balance days.

But over all, you'll live so much better if you keep plugging away.

A-yup.

[kiaramoon.livejournal.com]

Four weeks isn't long enough at all!

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

Damn, I wish my former trainer had given me this talk. Thank you.

[silverfae.livejournal.com]

I'm liking these gym posts a lot.
I know this stuff, but I need to hear from someone outside my own head.

well spoken

[(Anonymous)]

nicely spoken... i recently lost 12 pounds in 6 weeks, but have been turtling (no change) for the last 2 weeks... losing weight is tough and shanmonster's advice is solid... eat right and let the knowledge that you are doing the right thing sustain you... to me, sugar is a drug and total abstinence works best for me... larry hochhaus, tulsa, oklahoma