3 Motivators To Help You Commit To Getting Fit
I'm overweight.
I go for seconds because sometimes I don't know when I'll eat again. I stop by greasy food trucks for the sake of trying something new and I had Caramel Macchiatos every day during finals week.
My consumption habits have earned me voluptuous curves made of mozzarella sticks. Carrying around late-night pizza slices in my trunk doesn't exactly feel good, so I've made the decision to set some time and energy aside to turn all that into muscle and slim down.
It's not easy taking X hours out of your day to head to the gym, doing a routine and freshening up after.
Sweet tooth cravings and the urge to grab seconds never really go away, and there are never immediate physique changes.
However, committing to my fitness did instill these three necessary traits that have done more for me than just drop a dress size:
1. Persistence From "Just One More Rep"
Your calves are shaking, and there's enough perspiration for the weights to slip and release you from the strain. You tell yourself you will exert a greater force on that weight than it does on you, so you push through just one more squat.
You did it. Now you know a little more about your capability to endure, to push and to fight.
There's something about one more squat, one more lap, and using your body to show you know how to take a little pain when everything else is telling you to give up
2. Willpower To Say No
A new fitness plan requires a change in lifestyle. Old habits, comfortable daily routines and destructive eating patterns are to be adjusted so desired outcomes will follow.
Saying no to what you used to do, what everyone else is doing or the cookie you think you need at the moment delays that immediate satisfaction for a greater reward later.
Sure, delayed gratification isn't typical for us 20-somethings, but practicing it for the sake of your fitness relates to similar components for awesome character. You learn patience, how to control impulses and the true meaning of willpower.
When you decline that extra side of fries because your thunder thighs are under construction, you're learning what obtaining all of your future successes (academic, health, career and other dreams) demands from you, even if you can't have it NOW.
3. Practice Makes Perfect
People acquire skills by exploring and practicing the craft. To lose the fat I put on, I started strength training with weights that didn't make me cringe, yet were challenging enough to where I couldn't talk to someone during a set.
These once intimidating weights get easier the more you push your limits. Next thing you know, what you thought was too heavy or impossible is now within your capacity.
All experts started out as beginners; apply this to anything and your improvement and expertise should be no surprise if you put in the work.
Anyone can be as fit as they want to be depending on the effort put in, and losing fat is living proof of this. After all, what is gained, learned and endured brings about a longer-lasting satisfaction than the junk snacks from the corner store.
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