If there is one thing I could imprint into your mind today, it’s…consistency is key to success! As much as I appreciate the television show, The Biggest Loser, and how inspiring and motivational it is, it tends to leave the average audience member a bit jaded about reality. Actually, it has even left a few of The Biggest Loser participants jaded after they returned home and entered back into their daily lives. You see, the average person doesn’t have the entire day to workout and doesn’t have someone looking over their shoulder to see if they’ve been eating properly. 

Reality is…the average person is going in many different directions within the course of the day to find that they’re literally falling into bed at night with exhaustion. No wonder people are looking for speedy results; they don’t make enough time in their day for themselves and yet still desire to reach their wellness goals. 

A client with whom I've been training recently exclaimed, "Nothing tastes as good as my loose fitting jeans feel!" To wake up feeling light vs. bloated from too much food the day before is indeed a joyous experience! Feeling the ability to move more quickly, lift heavy objects more easily, take a set of stairs without running out of breath…these are some of the many joys of becoming more fit.

Another wonderful benefit of a commitment to a healthy eating and fitness routine is the esteem that comes from staying disciplined from saying "NO" to the cookie and "YES" to the 5-minute exercise break instead. Someone once said,

"Discipline is the guardrail that keeps you on the path of self-esteem." This is so very true.

 

The peace of being healthy and fit is felt when you leave the doctor's office after your annual check-up and you are given a great report…one that shows that your blood pressure is in excellent range, your weight is down from your last check-up and your blood work revealing a change in eating habits. There is great peace of mind in knowing you are on the right track, doing the good, healthy things for yourself.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Tamilee Webb of the Buns of Steel video series. The series includes close to 20 different videos for different body parts. She's in her mid-50's now, but I still remember popping in my VHS tapes and sweatin' it out with her in the 80's. She's sold over 14 million copies of her workout tapes and is probably best known for the "Buns" video. I even took a fitness class from her over the weekend and she's still got the goods! It's proof that health and fitness is a lifestyle and is to be maintained and challenged on a daily basis for better tomorrows. It doesn't matter what type of program you do....do something!!!! The mentality for most people is that they want to hurry and get in shape and then stop doing the things that got them there. Just because you cross the finish line of your goal doesn't mean that the race is over. The "hard" part of the race is complete. It now becomes a race of pace for life. Crossing the finish line only means that a new goal and finish line awaits. There are more rewards ahead. There is always room for improvement whether you are just starting a fitness program or you're a professional athlete. Sometimes you just need a challenge! Take one!