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Physically Tweaked by Cat Smiley
Perhaps your recent New Year’s resolutions emphasized
that in 2003 you will get ripped, stick to a regular fitness
plan and stop eating nachos at midnight. This year will
be different from others. No more waiting around for the
‘get in shape for summer’ deals--you even bought
yourself a heart rate monitor for Christmas.
Fast forward into the future. Imagine it’s March
and things, let’s say, have been going according
to your plan. Perhaps you’ve lost a few pounds, feel
more energized and look forward to skiing or some outdoor
activity every chance you get.
Then, bam! Your best friend from college rocks into town,
the one that makes the best cheesecake, parties all night
and has dibs on all the hot movie releases perfect for
hang-over recoveries on the couch. She stays a week, extends
it to 10 days and before you know it--you’re out
of whack on your good healthy intentions.
Sound familiar? Preparation for roadblocks in the horizon
can be a lifesaver in your long-term fitness plan. Most
of my clients, after ‘blowing’ their exercise/food
plan, don’t realize that the most damage happens
when your worst inner-voice enemy starts yelling derogatory
things at you in the microphone. “Well, I screwed
up my diet so I may as well finish the cake. It doesn’t
matter anyways, who was I kidding to think I could stay
fit this year, pig, fat-boy loser.” Does this negativity
honestly inspire you? Of course, your social group thinks
you’re great the way you are, but if someone said
those things to you it would probably start smack down.
So aren’t you supposed to be your own best friend?
Turn this self-criticism into self-coaching, get over it
and inspire/encourage yourself to keep up your good work.
We love the media for showing us ‘real’ photos
of our favourite celebrities being fat--perhaps it breaks
our illusions of what we could be looking like or makes
us feel like no-body is perfect in reality. An example,
Mariah Carey showing up gorgeous in a men’s magazine
but then caught off guard, obese in the tabloids in the
same month. The shocking truth I have learned working with
actors and models is that these people usually need to
go on boot camp a month before their photo shoot. This
means even stricter diet, heavier workouts and concentrating
almost entirely on their physical state -- to the point
where their personality often becomes unbearable.
For people, especially women, who pride themselves on being
the outdoors type, it can be hard that they have tried
year after year to look a certain way, yet their lifestyle
and environment naturally bends them another physical direction.
Let’s say you work in a café -- are you realistically
going to stop testing goodies, or are you going to get
positive vibes on keeping fit, strong and balanced? Being
too small to be able to last a full morning of fresh powder
skiing is just as frustrating as being too fat and unfit
to run after the bus when you’re late.
When you are on track with your exercise, try to not to
think you deserve goodies after your workout. Differentiating
between ‘no exercise is bad’ (and getting mad
at yourself because of it) is equally detrimental to rewarding
your good efforts with over eating. Making healthy choices
in your diet and lifestyle is not unfair -- you are not
three years old -- you don’t need to be rewarded
for taking charge of your good health.
Keeping fit can be achieved in only four hours a week,
combined with a sensible eating pattern. Remember that
consistency is the key factor -- building an active lifestyle
incorporating strength training and cardiovascular exercise
will help keep you permanently fit. (Obviously, the best
way to get in shape is not to allow yourself to get out
of shape!)
Keeping on track with your good intentions this year means
having the tools to coast through rocky periods -- breaking
up with your boyfriend, breaking your arm, losing your
job. Recognize now the things in your life that make you
happy, besides food, and keep your fitness and diet plan
in balance with the rest of your life. This way the deserving
attitude you will get will be entitlement to play hard,
maximize your environment and bounce through your day.
Cat Smiley is personal trainer and pro-athlete. Her
company, Cat Smiley Personal Training, helps people of
all abilities maximize their athleticism. Hear her new
internet radio show on www.catsmiley.com.
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