It’s probably obvious, but this a fill-in-the-blank session.I had a revelation recently. I had been working out with a buddy of mine for couple of months. He had this ‘great’ routine that helped him really lose weight and get in shape.
After a couple of weeks, I started waking up in the morning hoping like hell he’d tell me he couldn’t make it to the gym.
This was new to me. I’ve always, more or less, liked working out. His workout, however, started me down a path where I found myself just not wanting to do it. Nike would be disappointed.
The particular workout isn’t important but, suffice it to say, there was much pain, some mild sobbing, and I think even some small animal torture involved at some point. Bottom line, I didn’t like it but he did.
He got results and I was beginning to do the same. However, without him, I would never do it because I found myself hating it.
So here’s a few words you can fill in the blank above with:
- Hurts – working out should push you and you will be sore. Dieting also has mild discomfort. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about pain. I’m talking about popping some ibuprofen on an hourly basis even after you’ve been at it for a month. If it hurts, don’t do it.
- Costs Too Much – you may be able to buy your way to a thinner and more healthy you, sure. When times are tight, though, what’s the first thing you’re going to do without? This goes for exorbitant gym rates, personal trainers, pre-made meal plans, supplements…anything, really. If it costs too much, don’t do it.
- Isn’t Enjoyable – for goodness sake, if you don’t like what you’re doing, how long do you think you’ll do it? I’m not saying you have to love it. You might but, at the very least, you should probably not prefer losing a limb to working out. Not very. If it isn’t enjoyable, don’t do it.
- Isn’t Sustainable – Avoid anything with a time frame around it. Some examples: “Six Pack Abs in Six Weeks”, “Drop 323 Pounds in 32 Days”, etc. You get the picture. Use common sense. If you could even manage to get “Six Pack Abs in 6 Weeks”, what do you think it is going to take to maintain them? If it isn’t sustainable, don’t do it.
You can fill in the blank however you want. There are a lot of reasons for not doing something but those reasons should, in the end, serve to help you reach your ultimate goal and not be an excuse for not trying.
