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Written by Vince
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Monday, 17 November 2008 14:33 |
I hear the term "lifestyle" being used by people who are normally referring to what they call the "Ironman lifestyle". When I think about lifestyle, I don't think about a brand, I think about how I've changed my life in order to create a healthier existence. I've cut out junk food, fast food, nearly all processed foods, I eat a well balanced diet which includes lean meats, fruits and veggies, and I've obviously incorporated a regular exercise program.
Did I start doing this last year? No. This transformation has taken place over the last 11 years. It started off easy at first. There are so many things to change, you can just throw a dart and pick one. I started off with fast food. I ate Jack in the Box, Carl's Junior, and In-N-Out Burger. I cut out the first two immediately and weaned myself off of In-N-Out slowly. Man, I loved their fries. Next soda, pop, cola, or whatever you want to call it. I started with a half regular and half diet mixture. Eventually it became all diet. And then it was gone. I drink water mostly these days... well... except when I'm not drinking wine or coffee. Speaking of coffee, I've cut my house blend with half caf/half decaf and my trip Starbucks is a tall and not a grande anymore.
In my 20's, I would (try to) impress women by telling them I could cook. Pouring a jar of sauce over pasta is not cooking. So when I started cutting out fast food from my diet, I was slowly learning how those kitchen instruments worked. Over time I learned some basic skills and started to rely more on my own meals rather than the crutch provided by fast food. The biggest excuse people make when it comes to cooking is "I don't have the time." As I stated, it's the biggest excuse. Cooking is not really any more time consuming than eating out; it just requires some planning in advance and some basic skills.
As you make these changes, over time you will find they amount to a much larger transformation which I call a "lifestyle". Because that's what it really is. A lifestyle is a way of living. Molding your existence into one that is healthier through a proper diet and exercise is a way of living and I see it as establishing something permanent.
Where does one start? Start with a goal and figure out what steps need to be taken to accomplish that goal. But make sure what you're establishing is a permanent path to a lifestyle rather than a temporary fix. What I mean is we are a society of I-have-to-have-it-now people. At some point we wake up and want to make a change but we can't wait. For a goal like losing 20, 30, or even 40 pounds, there are many steps that need to be taken in order to safely lose the weight and permanently keep it off. But with our impatience, we want to lose it NOW and will take drastic measures such as short-term starvation. In the end, you may reach your goal only to return to your original weight because all you've done is starve yourself -- you haven't made any lifestyle changes; you've just created a temporary fix.
It takes 21 days to create a habit. I know I'm repeating myself but let me spell it out. If you do something for 21 days, it will most likely become a permanent part of your routine. Identify problem areas and the changes you will make to address them, WRITE THEM DOWN, and then attack them one at a time if necessary. Commit to doing each of them for a minimum of three weeks. As they become a permanent part of your routine, you will be establishing the foundation for your healthier lifestyle.
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Last Updated on Monday, 17 November 2008 14:36 |
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