Monday 19 August 2013

Reality check

This post is about the reality of weightloss/fitness journey (this is not to scare you but knowing these things might help you be prepared for your journey ahead)

It’s not easy : if it was easy, if it did not make your muscles hurt or if it did not take a strong mind start making the right food choices, I would have never been unhealthy. It is difficult because becoming a couch potato is easier than getting up and going for a walk or a jog, so if you start with thinking it is going to be easy you will not be able to keep up because you will not be prepared to put in the hard work.
Be ready to fail and make mistakes: Whether it is the first time you are trying to get healthy or the nth time you are getting back on track you need to be prepared to fail, you need to be ok with making mistakes and ok with knowing that sometimes it will take longer than expected to achieve your goal. Why am I telling you this? a lot of times just because I did not see the expected results I would give up , giving up always takes you two steps behind instead if I would have moved ahead, pushed harder, I would definitely be in a better state.
There is no other way but hard work and being prepared to get up as soon as you are knocked down
Don’t expect everybody to understand : having support is a big part of everybody's fitness journey, I know that because I used to be one of those people who could not enter the gym alone because I was so uncomfortable about my weight but expecting everybody in your life to understand and be happy about the changes you are making is crazy, just because you choose not eat out or plan not to have a fizzy drink doesn’t mean everybody in your family has to follow your plan, if they do good for you but if they don’t you still have to focus on what you need to do instead of blaming them for your bad choices or waiting for them to join you.

The biggest support you will ever have is yourself; you have to be willing to be strong enough to support your fitness journey
Fitness is a lifelong journey : If you are looking at a fixed goal or time line, I am almost 100% sure you are going to get back to where you started from, you can’t say I have reached my goal weight I am done, you have to be willing to make this change for life, constantly working towards improving. You might have reached your ideal weight does not mean you can stop, the minute you go back to your old habits you are going to go back to your old self . I feel you should always look at this as a long term plan in which reaching your optimal weight is one of the milestones but not the final one.
It’s like if you can run a 5k you move towards a 10k then half marathon then marathon, then improving your time and you keep going, changing your goals and constantly improving.

Be ready to make healthy living a normal part of your life and not a temporary solution to your weight
T said this was little harsh and would scare people but it is the truth and I am sure all of you are strong !!!!
Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 
Tanvee

12 comments:

  1. Hi Tanvee! No, it is not too tough for people who are very serious about changing their lives. It's truthful. Truth helps a person do better.

    I like the "be prepared to get up as soon as you are knocked down." This is really the major key--to not wait for motivation but just get up and start again no matter what you feel like. Lots of times, the motivation isn't really there. And you just keep going.

    I LOVE the new look of your blog. Only--could you make the slideshow the next size bigger? On the slide show I did, there was a size option. I actually got it too large the first time I tried because it takes a little trial and error. I just think that people should see you well because you are definitely a beautiful fitness success. :D

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    1. Hi Marion, I think so important for people to know these things, because a lot of time you read articles about how how eating healthy makes you feel better and how exercising lifts your mood, so you expect evreything to be easy and comfortable but that's how you ever start...and even the part where people think once they reach their goal weight there are done..that's just a way go back (I have seen so many people focus only on that and then go back)
      thank you for appreciating the new look, I wanted to include some fun images :) and make it more interesting. I think my blog is very serious...I am going to look at the slide show over the weekend, I can't seem to increase the size, I don't get any option :(

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  2. I don't think this is harsh at all. I think it's very well written and honest. It's what people need to read and absorb so that they can take that first scary step towards living a healthier life. :)

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    1. When I was telling T about the article his first reaction was you will scare people...but I was so keen on sharing this..I just went ahead, I am glad you don't find it harsh, the first steps are always scary..

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  3. You are so right. When you make a commitment to your health and fitness, it's indeed a lifelong commitment (unless you want to yo-yo with your weight and physical abilities!)

    Some people don't understand, or they judge. But they often are the people who complain about their weight or some pains and aches or lack of energy... like they cannot make the connection between effort and result!

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    1. yes it definitely is a lifelong commitment and if you don't believe in that you will constantly be a yo-yo, I know so many people who are waiting for the day they reach their ideal weight just so that they can eat a box of chocolates and never go to the gym again...I keep trying to tell them but its difficult to get through sometimes, I get how they feel because I would feel that way in the beginning but I also know for sure they will be the ones going back to their old self real soon :(

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  4. Yeah . what u said is right. Its a journey rather than a goal.

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    1. thanks Gopinath, many people don't look at it as a journey and that is usually a downword spiral

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  5. Wonderful thoughts!! You are right in that it is a journey and one that lasts a lifetime. Well, the weight loss part doesn't, but the attention to your health/fitness sure does!

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