Getting Back to Basics...
If you can see it, you can be it. Abs are made in the kitchen. Getting back to basics. We’ve all heard these sayings and thought them to be nonsense. No one wants to go back to the beginning of a path to get further down the road. But what if these are necessary mindsets to ensure success? As of this point in our society’s wellness research we know one thing for sure, and that is that no one seems to agree on anything when it comes to how to be healthy. Most every concept has been proven and disproven through every conceivable study. But what if we just do what we’ve always known to be true?
Losing weight is easy. That’s right, I said it. It’s not complicated, and all it takes is consistency. It goes back to abs are made in the kitchen. Are you currently at a weight that you are happy with? If you can say yes to that question, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. Still reading, aren’t you? Abs really are made or destroyed in the kitchen. I have a number of rules about eating. I like rules because they are boundaries, and in my experience all humans function better when they have boundaries to work within. Even if they periodically go outside said boundaries, they did it because they wanted to and not because they didn’t know any better.
Saying I “don’t” do things is empowering; saying I “can’t” do something is demoralizing. Boundaries. Don’t eat anything that can’t nourish your body in some way. Before you eat something, look at it and make sure you are eating it mindfully, no matter what it is. If it’s a candy bar, then you aren’t actively trying to lose weight. If it’s fast food, your goal isn’t to be healthy. You can give all the reasons, also known as excuses, you want but every bite, lick and taste you put in your mouth has a purpose. It’s either fuel or fuel for later (fat). Make your choice.
What kind of fuel is just as important. We tend to take better care of our cars than our bodies. If you were to buy a new expensive german vehicle, would you put regular unleaded gasoline in your tank? You can always buy a new car, but we only get one body. We need to treat it at least as well as we do our vehicles. If you treat your car like a garbage can, it’s because it’s not important to you. If you knew that it was your forever car would you change how you treat it? Think about that for a minute. Look at yourself in the mirror for a second. This is your forever body.
Getting stronger takes practice. It also takes visualization. “If you can see it, you can be it”. Our bodies don’t speak English. When I am coaching people, I have to find words to cue people to get them to move the way I want them to. If more than one person in my session isn’t getting the movement I am coaching, it isn’t their fault it’s mine. All I have to do to get someone to move better is say something in a way that causes a visual response. So if there is something you really want to do, visualize it. Take your time and don’t just visual the outcome but also what it realistically took to get there. Now make a plan based on the visualization drill. It works. Every time.
The last truth is “getting back to basics.” It could be my favorite. We’ve all heard it, but how often have you actually thought about it and done it. You should and can get back to basics in every part of your life. Want to lose weight? Get back to the basics of food. Good basic forms of proteins, carbs and fats. Want to move better? Start on the ground learning to roll around and crawl before load-bearing movements. The basics you learned as a toddler. It’s the same with health and fitness as it is with finance, studying, or even just trying to be a better person in general. Most common, time tested sayings or cliches came from somewhere. Most everything we need to have a better life has already been found, invented or discovered. Sometimes, all we need is simplicity.
