Many people begin a new workout plan with the idea of getting in better shape. Their main focus is weight loss, but in their mind they plan on eating better, feeling better, having more energy, less body aches, and generally becoming more fit and healthier. Within a couple of months I have seen people get so frustrated that the weight is not just falling off of them. They start thinking that all of their hard work is not paying off. They can usually point out things they couldn’t do before working out. However, fixated on the lack of weight loss they get discouraged. I remind them that often times body fat loss and muscle gain can result in no body weight loss. Some of these people even are losing inches and having to buy new clothes because they are dropping sizes.
The point is don’t forget all of your other goals. You wanted to feel better, you’re stronger, lost body fat, dropped clothes sizes, you have energy to chase your children.
I generally ask people upon meeting them to list long term and short term goals. NONE have said “lose a lot of weight in a short period of time so they can stop working out and gain it all back”. NONE have said “get an amazing body at the risk of future knee, shoulder or back surgeries”. Your fitness and health should be an ongoing endeavor. You should think is this a sustainable lifestyle choice. Yes, there is a risk with working out, but does this compromise the safety of my joints (shoulders, back, knees)? Is this workout routine designed to correct muscle imbalances to prevent expensive surgeries of tomorrow?
Think of these things the same way many think about their cars. You put gas in it to get you from A to B. You do routine maintenance to ensure the life of the vehicle. You should think of your body in the same manner. How can I maintain my machine at it’s optimal level throughout the life span of my body.
Chika Christenson, MS Human Movement, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist
