No Big Secret
Charlene Circele
Ok. Now that you’ve finished that box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, it’s time to re-assess. Did you jump into the New Year with visions of dieting like crazy, working out every day, and ending all of your bad habits? If so, that’s probably the reason you ate that whole box of chocolates. The all-or-nothing approach rarely works simply because it cannot be sustained for too long. Not only do you burn yourself out mentally, but it’s likely you will injure something in the process.
I know I sound like a broken record here (what’s a record? Mmm…maybe a broken cd?), but the key to long term success in anything is simple: consistency and moderation. If you endeavor to exercise moderately (walk, bike, jog, weight train) thirty minutes each day, and moderate your eating, you will lose weight and be in much better shape than when you started. And figuring out what to eat is not as hard as it sounds, because I think everyone knows what good foods are and what bad foods are. Just pick the basics – chicken, fish, turkey; salads, vegetables, sweet potatoes, egg whites, oatmeal, apples, berries, and nuts – and work around that. I hate these diet books that give you recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three weeks, and every recipe is different. Are you really going to make your eggs and oatmeal 21 different ways? Keep it simple, use your favorite spices, and don’t stress over it.
I met a woman the other night who told me that three weeks ago she started taking a cardio-kick boxing class a few days a week, and was jogging the other days of the week. And, of course, at the same time, she started a diet. When she told me what her diet consisted of, I actually had to ask her if that was one meal or a whole day, since it seemed like an unbelievably small amount of food. She said that was what she consumed in an entire day. She also told me that in the three weeks since she started, she had gained 6 pounds! That’s the truth. I’m not sure if she believed me when I told her it was too much exercise and too little food, but if she keeps gaining weight, she might come around.
So the moral of this story is – Simplicity is best. Simple eating and simple exercise. Find an activity you love and do it every day for at least 30 minutes. Keep your diet simple and uncomplicated. And most importantly, just do it!