My Body Tutor : No More Excuses

I feel bad for Lebron James.

Yeah. I said it.

No self-respecting NY Knicks fan would ever say such a thing.

But I do.

Here is why.

(And if you’re not into basketball don’t worry – this still applies.)

The Miami Heat have made it to the NBA Finals three years in a row. I don’t care how good you or your team is, that’s not easy to do. So many things have to go right for that to happen.

People say anything less than a championship for the Miami Heat is a complete failure. In fact, the head coach of the Miami Heat has said that many times.

THAT is a lot of pressure. A complete failure?

I’ve read that Lebron James doesn’t sleep during the playoffs. I’d guess it’s because of the pressure he feels.

Lebron James is arguably one of the best basketball players ever…

That is until he wins multiple NBA Championships, so the critics say.

Unfortunately for Lebron he has to be perfect.

Anything less than perfect is…apparently a complete failure.

Thankfully, we don’t have the kind of pressure Lebron James faces…from the critics and most likely himself.

Yet, many of us put that kind of pressure on ourselves anyway…

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Too often we think:

“If I can’t be “perfect” why bother?!”

Soooo, we let one indulgence turn into a whole day or week or weekend of indulgences.

Let’s talk about the reason why us healthy and fit people are notorious perfectionists.

If we understand WHY we are perfectionists, it’ll be much easier to stop the behavior.

The obvious answer: because we don’t like to fail. So by creating unreasonable expectations it gives us an easy way out (aka a perfect rationalization) to stop taking action and quit the program before we can “fail”.

But here’s why most dieters REALLY do this: because change is uncomfortable. That’s also why most people never do actually change.

And by creating unreasonable expectations it gives us an easy way to remove that INEVITABLE discomfort we’re going to face. (This is why I’m such a big believer in accountability, support and having a system to monitor and track our progress. Because it makes the discomfort a lot more tolerable – or dare I say, comfortable.)

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I have to admit it.

My name is Adam Gilbert, and I am a recovering perfectionist.

And being a perfectionist is not a good thing.

I still have tendencies but I’m getting better…I’m progressing.

Having the attitude of, “I ate really well so far today but since I just had something that’s not MBT approved, I’ll eat unhealthy for the rest of the day,” is very irrational.

If we play the all or nothing game, we always end up with nothing. Every single time. It’s why I don’t like making absolute statements such as, “I’ll never do xyz again!”

Instead, let’s focus on doing xyz LESS.

There is no such thing as perfection…

There is only progress!

And that’s what life is about. Moving forward, growing, and evolving.

In fact, being a perfectionist is a childlike way of living.

We are not children. We are adults in control. We are more powerful than we think. (I know – I sound like a corny motivational speaker but it’s the truth!)

Being a perfectionist and having the “If I can’t be perfect, why bother” attitude suggests that the only position worth having in life is being the winner.

Unless you’re trying to become one of the best basketball players to ever play the game this doesn’t really apply to us.

Besides, no one likes playing games with a sore loser.

So, if we can’t be the winner, we shouldn’t bother playing the game?

That is a childlike way of thinking. It means that any small improvements in our weight, shape, mobility, and breathing are unimportant.

It means that any changes in the way we think, react, and act around food don’t count.

It means that any changes in the way we think about exercise don’t matter.

No one created the body of their dreams overnight.

Day by day. Meal by meal. Workout by workout. Improvement by improvement. Choice by choice. Daily Feedback by Daily Feedback.

Progress. NOT perfection.

I repeat…

Progress. NOT perfektchin.

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Tonight, Lebron James and his Miami Heat are facing elimination. The San Antonio Spurs are leading the series 3 games to 2. The first team to win 4 games wins the NBA Finals. He has to play perfect for the next 2 games for the Miami Heat to win.

We don’t.

So let’s focus on progress this week. Not perfection. Leave that to Lebron.

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Did you know MyBodyTutor was featured on Good Morning America, AOL.com, Yahoo!, and countless other national media because of the results we get for our clients? Sure, that makes my mom proud. But what I really care about is what our clients are saying. Check it out by clicking here. And if you have any questions, at all, always feel free to message me. I’m here to help. Actually, I live to help!

You know how in the movies the volume gets louder and louder as the actor is thinking through their list of what needs to get done faster and faster, until finally, the persons head explodes because they’re so overwhelmed?

Well, it seems as though many of us feel like that because we just have so many things to do.

And we’ll wind up doing a majority, if not all, of the things we commit to do. Why? Well, because we’re very good at keeping our promises to other people.

BUT when it comes to ourselves? Forget about it.

We all have great hopes for the day. For the week. For the month. We start each day with promises that we intend on following through with.

Yet, statistically many of us aren’t going to.

So what can we do?

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their book, The Power of Full Engagement, describe a study in which a group of women agreed to do a breast self-exam for a period of 30 days.

100% (yes, 100%) who said when and where they were going to do it completed the 30 day exam. Only 53% of the others did.

In another study, drug addicts in withdrawal (can you find a more stressed out population?) agreed to write an essay before 5PM on a certain day.

80% of those who said when and where they’d write the essay completed it! In this case, NONE of the others did.

That’s pretty amazing.

If we want to get something done, decide when and where we’re going to do it. Otherwise, don’t expect to do it.

Why not give it a shot? (Right now, wherever you are!)

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Without fail, whenever I meet someone and I tell them what I do, the conversation turns to all of the diets they’ve done in the past, including the one they’re currently on.

We all know people like this…

One month they’re eating ONLY xyz. “Nope, I can’t eat any of that. It’s not a part of my plan!” The next month, they’re eating only what they were just avoiding the month before. The next month, they’re only eating grapefruits.

“This is working so well! I lost 2 pounds in the first 2 days! Can you believe this?!?!”

The next month, “The best part about this is that I can eat as much fat as I want AND lose weight?!” as they’re chomping down on a triple bacon cheeseburger.

The next month, “Ya know, I’ve decided I’m going to become a vegetarian. I’m never going to eat meat again!”

The next month…

I can keep going if you’d like??

We all know these people…

…they go from one shiny new fad diet to the next without ever sticking with ANYTHING.

Why?

Few reasons:

1. Consistency isn’t sexy (but it’s ridiculously effective). And because it’s not “sexy” or the “it” diet of the moment, people might feel bored or even left out while some of their friends are eating “cookies” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because of this, they’re always in search of the newest fad diet, instead of focusing on what actually works.

We all know deep down, the secret to success is —-> doing the right things over and over and over and over again. And doing the right things over and over and over and over again.

No matter what diet we follow, or what ‘magic pill’ we take (they don’t exist!), if we want to be successful, eventually, we’re going to have to do the actual work.

And the actual work means eating right, eating less, and moving more…consistently.

There is no escaping this!

We can’t escape the work if we want results. While the majority of people are searching for the “latest and greatest fad diet” we’re doing the right things day in and day out. While the majority of people are searching for the “new and shiny diet” we’re staying consistent week after week.

2. The temptation to quit is greatest right before the results happen.

Why? Because right before we see results, we have to push through some discomfort. (And our natural tendency is to remove that discomfort. How? We quit the program! “Eh, this isn’t working two weeks into a program,” we rationalize. “I’m too busy!” we rationalize. But then we’re right back to square one, of course.)

3. Change by nature is uncomfortable.

If we’re doing what we always do like give into those cookies (that aren’t even good!), we won’t feel any different. But, if we don’t give into those cookies, we’ll feel discomfort. Discomfort means we’re doing things differently. It means we’re changing, and therefore getting closer to where we want to be.

Hence, discomfort is our compass.

We can’t escape the discomfort, we just can’t. Change by nature is uncomfortable. Nor can we escape the day to day consistency, which isn’t sexy whatsoever – even though, it’s ridiculously effective!

And because it’s so easy to avoid the inevitable – being consistent and sticking with a sensible eating and exercise plan – I know (in fact, I’m 100% convinced – though I’m admittedly biased) daily and personal accountability and support is what makes all of the difference. It makes the discomfort way more tolerable and dare I say – enjoyable. It makes the consistency very doable.

So let’s embrace the consistency for the rest of today and this week.

And when it feels a little boring, that’s our time to lean in even more and make more change happen. Because like our moods, we have ups and downs. And when we’re up, it feels easy.

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth. Not going all the way, and not starting.” – Siddartha Guatama

Next time you’re tempted to jump on the “it” diet of the moment, remember nothing beats the tried and true. We all know this, but our short term / irrational mind will always trick us into taking the path of least resistance.

Trying to take a path of least resistance when it comes to our health and fitness always leads to way more resistance later on.

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When was the last time you stuck with a diet?

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Ever notice how in movies like “This is 40” or “Knocked Up” or one of my favorites, “American Beauty” – the common theme is something along the lines of the main character is feeling like a “loser” and he can’t believe where he is in life?

There’s always one scene (if not dozens) about how out of shape they are  – whether it’s in the form of buying healthy food for the first time and having no idea what to buy, trying to exercise, looking in the mirror and hating what they see, being attracted to someone they think is out of their league, trying to cut out junk food, and on and on.

There have been so many of these movies about what is essentially, a quarter or mid-life crisis, disguised as a comedy.

Where do these “crises” come from?

DISAPPOINTMENT which can lead to regret, a very powerful emotion. We feel way worse about the opportunities we don’t take versus the opportunities we do.

They feel disappointed with how their life is turning out. They can’t believe “this is it”. They can’t believe how out of shape they are. They can’t believe who they’ve become.

We don’t live in Hollywood though.

I’ve noticed it in real life too.

So many of us, who have, in their words, “let themselves go.”

“Letting ourselves go” and getting engrossed with our life seems par for the course once you’re in your late 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and onward. This is normal.

“You’re busy with work, you’ll focus on your health later on!”

“You’re married now it doesn’t matter, who you trying to impress?”

“You have kids now! They take up all of your time!”

“You’re busy with work (again), you’ll focus on your health later on!”

The excuses and the rationalizations for these excuses are endless.

This is where feelings of unfilled potential, disappointment and emptiness stem from because we stop taking care of ourselves. We feel like we have no control over our lives anymore. Instead, we focus on everything else.

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The Solution: Realizing your body’s full potential so that you’re able to realize your overall potential.

What I’m saying that is change in whatever aspect of life it is (career, love, social, etc.,) starts with YOU, no matter your age.

The challenge is that being out of shape, overweight and tired all the time wears on us. It erodes our self-esteem.

We don’t trust ourselves to be able to go after what we really want. We lose confidence in ourselves.

In other words, we feel stuck in life.

That leads to so many uncomfortable feelings like disappointment, feeling like a failure, and unfilled potential,

What is the easiest way to get rid of these uncomfortable feelings?

Besides overeating, which I talked about last time (and what happens when we do), it is blaming our situation on everyone and everything else beside ourselves aka work, kids, schedule, etc.

It’s much “easier” to blame things that are out of our control. Otherwise, we have to step up to the plate. And that can be scary.

Overeating never, ever, gives us what we really want, though. It only suppresses the desire (for a short time) of what we really want.

This is human nature. It’s what we do…because tension relief is what we’re after.

It all starts with OURSELVES.

There is no better way to exert the control we do have than on our health and fitness.

Change your body, change your mind, change your life.

Yes! It does sound so corny and cheesy but it’s so true and powerful.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of my clients have changed careers and went after their dreams. When you take control of what you’re able to – yourself – it allows you to better handle everything else.

No, I’m not saying that being in great shape is going to suddenly make your life perfect.  But it will change how you think about yourself and that can change everything.

For those of you who are VERY happy with your life…

For many, the ONLY nagging feeling they have IS this feeling that they let themselves go. That they’re not the best physical versions of themselves. This can lead to so many uncomfortable feelings as well. They see an old picture of themselves and shrug, “The Good Old Days!”

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Sure, it feels awesome to have a flat stomach and get into those tight pair of jeans and notice yourself looking good – but it’s so much more than that.

Being healthy and fit and taking care of ourselves is a signal to others – and most importantly, ourselves that we’re after excellence. It’s a commitment we’re making to being the best version of ourselves we can be. That feels freaking awesome! And it certainly feels way better than the alternative.

So many clients report feeling so much happier after even a few weeks because they’re finally taking action (eating right and exercising, consistently) on something that has been so important to them for a long time (their health and well being) – and are no longer suppressing that desire.

Other clients, reach their health and fitness goals…and ask, “What’s next? What else can I conquer?” Bingo. That’s exactly the idea.

What I’m suggesting is that before you change anything in your life, change yourself. Focus on what you can control.

Once we do that, and as we do that, you’ll notice how powerful you feel.

We’re all juggling a million balls. One of those balls is our health and fitness. If we drop that ball, eventually, everything else is going to drop too. Everything impacts everything.

The more we take care of ourselves, the better we’re able to take care of everything else.

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Question: If you’re in agreement with what I wrote above what are you going to do about it? We all know our health and fitness is so important. We all know the transformative potential it has. Yet, we all play the “I’ll start fresh on Monday game”. Don’t you think if you could “Just eat healthy and exercise consistently” you would have already? It’s not easy…

That’s why I’d love for you to consider joining my proven program. I offer a 100% money back guarantee because I know what I offer works better than anything else out there. I believe in that much. Try my program for a full month. If you don’t feel or see results you get your money back. It’s as simple as that.

Learn more about it by clicking here.

Have a great weekend!

I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully getting the opportunity to work with you!