Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY: If there is one missing link that I find in people trying to achieve their goal of fitness, health and clean nutrition then the lack of con...

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY: If there is one missing link that I find in people trying to achieve their goal of fitness, health and clean nutrition then the lack of con...

THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY

If there is one missing link that I find in people trying to achieve their goal of fitness, health and clean nutrition then the lack of consistency is it ... and I know why ... because they think

that consistency is boring!
But lets break this down ..
Is eating pizza boring?
Is eating chips or cakes or pasta everyday boring?
Is drinking alcohol everyday boring?
Is smoking 30 cigarettes everyday boring?
Taking your kids to school, brushing your teeth, commuting to work, having a Starbucks, reading a newspaper, checking your emails, commuting to work, washing the dishes? ... okay you get the point.
Some things you do everyday are boring, some necessary but boring and some are a habit that you can't kick and some are fun. In other words its just life, so when I hear people say exercise is boring I always think, as opposed to what ?
All you are doing is applying a convenient label to something you don't want to do. But why?
Everyday I read more and more about the health problems caused by bad diet and lack of exercise, the statistics are scary and yet the majority just close their eyes (and ears) and ignore it ... or try to.

The problem that I see repeated over and over again comes in 5 phases.

Phase 1.
A client signs up for a gym membership, or PT sessions or Boot camp, full of enthusiasm to get fit and healthy. They clear out the cupboards of crap and go to the store to buy the right foods. This is it, a decision has been made and  a new healthy body beckons. They make sweeping statements that they are going to get fit and lose weight.

Phase 2.
 A few weeks later, the body has slimmed down a bit and they feel healthier and happy with their progress ... and decide that this is their new life from now on.

Phase 3
 About 4-6 weeks later, boredom, fatigue or a feeling of not improving anymore starts to creep in. But more importantly a feeling of missing out on a fun life with friends, drinking, partying, going out, etc. The person slips into old ways, misses a few sessions and slowly puts the weight back on believing that they will start again next week with renewed vigour ... but they don't. They make excuses, the list is endless but basically they stop eating clean and exercising consistently.

Phase 4
Depression, anger, a lack of self worth or comments from 'friends' and family that all health junkies are not normal and weird, assuring you that living 'normally' is the right way to go. ie Unhealthy.

Phase 5
You feel fed up, low, disgusted with yourself or just plain fat and then finally you decide to get yourself together and sign up once more to a healthy lifestyle program ... and the cycle goes on. What a waste of time and money and effort.

You may have done this or you may never have even begun to sort yourself out ... or you maybe you are already super fit and healthy. If you are in the last group then how did you achieve this? What was the difference between you and the ones who failed ... yes, failed?
The answer is always the same: the fit and healthy live a fit and healthy lifestyle consistently. They do not drop in and out or choose fad diets or crazy fitness schemes, they have simple clear guidelines that they practice on a daily basis. This may seem boring to some but it doesn't need to feel that way if your healthy regime is a habit.
If exercising 4 times a week or eating clean 90% of the time keeps them looking and feeling great then that's what they do. Sure they may have a blowout now and again but they will spend the next week pulling back to before the blowout by eating well and exercising consistently thereby re-setting their healthy equilibrium.
And you don't have to go nuts, I know many fit people who train maybe 3 to 4 times a week for about 30 minutes only! ... and they are in great shape. But they train with an intensity that might surprise you and they do it every week, no breaks, no ifs or buts or lame excuses its wired into their DNA that this is what they 'must' do to maintain their health.
They make consistently good food choices every day and its usually very simple and uncomplicated.... and again some would say boring.
 Some people find being consistent difficult or too strict, anal even but again its just a label that they apply to what they don't want to do. I find people who smoke, drink or eat badly on a consistent basis very boring. I mean is that all they can do to enjoy life? Surely there are better choices than that. Life is full of variety and challenges we just have to be consistent in our efforts to find them.