By Neil Anderson
One of the biggest detriments to your health and fitness success may be your cockiness. No, you may not seem cocky to others. You may not strut around like you are the "stuff." But, if you are only 5-15 lbs. over your ideal weight AND you have been there for a LONG time, friend – you are probably COCKY!
You need to own this.
You and I both know what is going on here. The problem is you absolutely KNOW that if you put your mind to it, you would lose those 5-15 lbs. in 1-3 weeks. You have done this many times before. In fact, you have done this so often that becoming your ideal weight is more of an afterthought than a real challenge. It is why you haven't done so.
THIS is a dangerous place to be.
Those of you who are in this mode will have an increasingly harder time switching back to work out mode every time you need to. This is because you have lost weight and gained weight so many times in the past, every time you call upon your body to shape up again it becomes a longer, more arduous process. After several years of this you know you can still attain your ideal healthy image, but you become less and less up to the task. This makes you more and more accepting of your current weight, which is not up to your previous standards at all. Am I right? Yet you still rationalize your imperfections by saying to yourself,
"It's OK. I still have a couple more weeks before my (class reunion, trip to Los Cabos, wedding, anniversary, etc.). I have easily lost 10 lbs. in two weeks before. I know how to get the weight off. I can do it later."
See what I mean by COCKY? To the uninitiated, the phrase above simply looks like procrastination. IT IS NOT. It is sheer and utter cockiness and it keeps this person from being comfortable in their own skin and as healthy as they ought to be.
It is also a shame.
Those who do this, more often than not, put it off so long that it becomes too late to pull their body together before the big event. These are the people you see at the beach who, when you and your friends see them you think to yourself (or out loud if you are a jerk), "Man…I'll bet she used to be in great shape." Or, "That dude would be ripped if only…"
Have you ever noticed that it is the cocky who wear their swimsuits and clothes too tight? I wonder. Is this because they refuse to buy new clothes or do they do this as if to say, "This is what I would be wearing if I were at my REAL size?"
If you are one of these people - GET BACK INTO SHAPE – and STAY THERE! For –FRICKIN – ever!
Ask yourself this…"How long have I been at my present weight?"
If your answer is: "A long frickin time." You need to know. Your body will adapt to a smaller, leaner, slimmer, trimmer, and more toned you with the same amount of effort you are putting into your present body NOW! You may have to walk through fire for a few weeks while your weight adjusts to a new set-point. But, it WILL happen. All you have to do is force the issue for a few months. NOT a few days like you have been used to doing with your standard crash diet and workout program you have concocted to help yourself lose weight – FAST!
What to do if you have this "cockiness malady?"
It's simple. It is time to realize that, although you can change your body on a dime and become bikini worthy at any time…you are actually spending more time at a higher weight than you are comfortable with. Cocky or not, you and I both know you are hardly ever truly satisfied with your health and/or your physical appearance. The sooner you come to terms with how it is you truly feel about your health and appearance, the sooner we can begin to do something about getting away from this feast or famine lifestyle you are leading.
So let's do this. Take the next couple of months and begin to make some PERMANENT changes in your lifestyle. Commit to exercising 5 times per week – NO MATTER WHAT. Then clean up that diet. You will have to be PERFECT for the next couple of months. Cut out sugars and most starches. Eat more meat, veggies, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Eat more of these and you will see changes.
Healthy – Lasting – Changes!
After a couple of months you'll be able to relax a BIT on your diet. But, the days of going crazy with foods you know are bad for you are OVER!
Put away your thoughts of your super crash diet and over-exercising. Although these have served your purposes in the past – they haven't served you well. And they are at the root of your problems NOW.
We BOTH know you are great looking. We BOTH know you are very fit. Now…how about getting after this and taking the time to uncover what it is we both know is under there. Why not push yourself like you already know how to do and actually give yourself a body worth being cocky about for the long term?