Commit to Change

This week I decided to begin a series of posts explaining my tag line. I wanted something that captured my philosophy about training. The first sentence I chose was “Commit to Change.” I chose that first because it’s crucial to commit before you will ever see any real or lasting change. I want you to really think about commitment. Commitment means action! Think about what it’s really going to take to achieve your health and fitness goals. It’s about so much more than exercise. It’s also about diet and sleep, as well as how you think. All of these things affect your health. I’ve encountered many people over the years who wanted to change their bodies, but they were not willing to commit to all the changes in their lives necessary to achieve the changes they wanted in their bodies. They wanted complete change while only giving partial effort. They wanted to join a gym, write me a check to meet with me two or three times a week, and then never think about fitness again until they walked back into the gym. That strategy does not work. You can want something, think about it, wish for it, dream about it, and even write a check for it, but unless you truly COMMIT by taking correct and consistent action, no significant change is going to happen. If you want to see a change, YOU have to be the change. Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Commitment is an act, not a word.” How are you going to act in order to affect the change you are seeking? What are you willing to start doing and stop doing in order to start making strides in the direction of your goals? Making real and lasting changes in your health and fitness requires DAILY commitment, not just when you see your trainer or instructor at the gym. Exercising regularly is a step in the right direction, but it is only a small part of the equation. Real change happens every time you pick up your fork or glass. You can never outrun your fork or the empty calories you get from alcohol. You don’t exercise in order to be able to eat and drink whatever you want. Get rid of that false notion right now. I don’t care how many times you’ve heard it, it isn’t true. If you want real and lasting changes in your body, you not only have to exercise, you have to give it premium fuel as well. That means a whole foods plant-based diet. Dr. Joel Fuhrman says we should have “G-BOMBS” every day; that’s an acronym for Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries,and Seeds. Of course, fruits and nuts are part of that as well. You also have to commit to getting adequate water and sleep. More commitments, I know, but you are worth it! Please think long and hard about the S.M.A.R.T. goals you have set for yourself and contemplate the actions you need to take in order to really commit to them. This is the first step after setting your goals. Next week, I will address “Challenge Mind and Body,” but you are not ready to do that unless and until you have truly committed to change and have begun to take action. I’d love to hear your comments about changes you have made and how they have helped you be more committed. Please share so that others can benefit from what you have learned.