“Verrrrry Busy!” That’s how my sister and I answer the phone when we call each other. “Verrrrrry Busy!” Well it’s 2014, who isn’t busy? My sister is a prime example of someone making time to be fit and healthy. She has a full time job (and a half), two young kids, a husband, a house to keep up, two cars, etc., and she still has the focus and clarity to eat right and exercise! I’m a single guy living in the city, I also have a job (and a half), but the rest of my life is more simple than hers. It’s easier for me to arrange my workouts and my menus; no-one is at home counting on me (except for my cat, Norman). So what’s a busy person to do who’s trying to make positive changes? What do you do when you’re working a 40 hour (at least) week, taking care of the kiddies, the husband or wife, and all of that? When someone says to me, “Bobby, I don’t have time to exercise,” I say to them, “You have to make time.” I know plenty of people that do it, and so can you!
Losing weight is not as hard as you think it is! This is one of the first things I talk to my patients or personal clients about. One of my “pet peeves” is the pre-conceived notion that losing weight “sucks.” Where did this idea come from that losing weight is so miserable? Trust me as someone who has lived it, it doesn’t “suck” and it isn’t miserable. You gotta perceive weight loss as the positive and exciting change that it actually is! (More about this in my upcoming book “Lose Weight, Find Yourself! 6 Steps to Having a Healthy Relationship with Food…Bite by Bite and Pound by Pound.) I mean it’s no wonder people don’t want to lose weight when they think it’s going to be all bitch and no butter, it isn’t!
The fundamental idea behind successful and lasting weight loss, is to make small adjustments which amounts to big changes (without it making you miserable.) When it comes to physical activity, you can make 3 small adjustment without taking a lot of extra time from your day. (Granted these simple adjustments may not add up to 100 pound weight loss, BUT it will shift the way that you think and feel, and THAT will lead to the big changes and the 100 pound weight loss.)
- Move as much as you can! Your choice: walk, step, or ride!
- Park the car further away from the office and walk across the parking lot. Even better, park a block or two away from work and walk the rest of the way. Continue increasing your walking distance until you’re able to manage a brisk stride to and from. (Park in a well-lit and safe area, or carpool with a friend and walk together.)
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I can’t stress this one enough. If you work (or live) on a low floor there is no reason not to take the stairs! If you work (or live) on a high floor, take the elevator but leave yourself 5 or 10 flights and walk up the rest of the way. Don’t forget you can walk down also, it’s easier and it’s still effective.
- Buy an under desk peddler, these things are great! It’s basically a set of stationary bicycle peddles that fit easily under your desk. You simply place your feet within the peddle straps and peddle your day away. You don’t have to go hard and work up a sweaty scene at your desk. You just peddle at a continuous and easy pace which will keep the muscles and joints moving while consistently burning calories throughout your day. Some peddlers are cheaper, some more expensive with resistance settings and calorie counters.
Just so you know, I practice what I preach. I walk twenty blocks to work every day. I also take the stairs up and down to my 5th floor office daily. Whether you’re maintaining or losing the weight, everything counts. The most important part of the equation is to actually do it. If you read these words, but don’t take action, then there will be no benefit and no change. Just give it a try and see what comes. By doing something you’ve never done before, you will undoubtedly end up somewhere you’ve never been. Make today the beginning of a new way to think about weight loss.
Lose Weight, Find Yourself™