There are two distinctly different approaches to losing body fat and getting into amazing shape.
One of these approaches is your answer to sustainable weight loss and fitness results.
I call these the Fitness Short Game and the Fitness Long Game. Let’s see which game you want to play…
Fitness Short Game:
Those who choose to play short are looking for the quick fix. They are looking for fast weight loss in the shortest amount of time. They want results, they want it NOW, and they don’t think about what happens after they lose the weight. In fact, subconsciously, many of these people think that they can go back to their previous style of eating "once I've lost the weight", which is a recipe for frustration and struggle. They want instant gratification which is totally understandable. Unfortunately, a lot of people try short term approaches with some success, and then completely fall back into old habits and the short term results are gone quickly.
Now, you might be wondering why I offer short term programs like my 14 Day Fat Blaster, my 10 Day Detox, and even the Prolon 5 Day Fasting-Mimicking-Diet. The answer is that many people like to see results quickly, as it motivates them to continue on their journey.
AND, all of my short term programs are designed to be a jump start to your long term healthy lifestyle. My clients enjoy getting over their sugar cravings within a couple of days and jumping into a program where they see results fast, then continuing with a "less intense" lifestyle approach.
Fitness Long Game:
Those who choose to play long are focusing on making lifestyle changes they can sustain for the long haul. They are working on steadily adopting healthier habits and putting in the time and effort to maintain these improvements. They are patient and focused on their end goal, knowing full well that some gratification will be delayed, but the trade off is results that are permanent.
There’s no question that playing the fitness long game is the way to successfully transform your health and your body and maintain your healthy and fit body with a lifestyle you love.
So, let’s take a closer look at how to play the Fitness Long Game…
1) Create a Long Term Vision
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step…and also with a specific destination. The first step in playing the fitness long game is to have a clear picture in your mind of what the success you are striving for looks like.
What will you look like when you’ve hit your goal? How often will you exercise each week to maintain your fit body? What foods will you eat to support your muscles and aid your fat loss? How many hours each night will you sleep? Who will you spend your time with? How will you spend your hours every day? With what thoughts will you fill your mind?
The clearer your vision, the steadier your path, and the more likely you will succeed.
2) Learn to Delay Gratification
As we both know, no one sustains a fit and healthy body through quick, miracle fixes. This means that as you strive towards your goal you will need to practice the art of delayed gratification.
Of course, there will be victories along the way to fuel your fire and give you a boost of motivation. Pay attention to every little victory, such as every single pound lost, each size down, and compliments from friends and family. Notice the "non-scale victories" like sleeping better, having more energy, eliminating cravings and being able to exercise more intensely. Learn to derive gratification from each inch of progress towards your goal, and plan some non-food treats into your program to celebrate your milestones.
Imagine how sweetly gratifying it will be to achieve your long term vision and lean into this feeling when the going gets tough.
3) Fall in Love with the Process
Many people get attached to the hours on the couch, the comfort food, the late night eating and the extra hours of sleep in the morning when they've stayed up too late.
Playing the fitness long game means getting attached to and even falling in love with the process of getting fit. Fall in love with the early bedtime, the refreshed morning wake up, the consistent workouts, the sweating, the feeling your muscles, the water drinking and the delicious healthy foods.
Remember, this process is part of your long term vision for your healthy life, and so accepting the new habits now, rather than resisting them, will get you to your goals faster.
Won’t getting and staying in shape be that much easier if you LOVED the habits and actions necessary for your success?
4) Take Notice of All Progress
On week 2 of a 12-week program you will not wake up looking like you've reached your fitness goals. You might even wake up a little bit sore, tired, and maybe even a little hungry. The scale will tell you that you’ve lost a few pounds, and you’ll mentally calculate the pounds left to lose. You’ve barely scratched the surface, you think.
But, I invite you to find half dozen signs of your early progress. Sure, these may be undetectable to everyone else, but it’s your body, so you can feel the change before anyone else can see it. Tummy is flatter, pants are looser, skin looks better, cravings are gone, elimination is better... what else?
Take the time to stop and congratulate yourself on every little inch of progress in your journey.
No step is too small to celebrate.
5) Focus Less on What You Want and More on Who You Want to Become
What you want is to look a certain way, to feel a certain way, and to have others look at you in a certain way. It’s easy to imagine what you want. However, it’s who you become that dictates what you get.
Spend time focusing on the kind of person who achieves the things that you want to achieve. What are their daily habits? What do they do differently? What can you learn from them? By focusing on the kind of person that you want to become, you will achieve the success that you want.
Transform your daily habits to those of the person who has achieved the things you wish to achieve. BECOME the person you want to BE by doing the things THAT person does (and avoiding those other things).
Are you ready to transform your life and body once and for all by playing the fitness long game?
Call, text or email me now to schedule a complimentary consultation and I'll help you find the right program to help you to be the person you want to become.
Rose
HealthyHabitsStudio@gmail.com
916-204-7729
