Change How You Think

Diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to weight Loss, but what happens if you are trying and not making the progress that you desire? Believe it or not, how you think day in and day out really does make a tremendous impact on your progress, whether it is weight loss or muscle gain.

If you think this is not a worthwhile pursuit, simply take a look at just about any champion in any sport in history. In almost every instance you will find one thing in common across the boards. That one thing is the absolute crystal clear visualization of their goals, right down to the sweat on their foreheads.

How many times have you seen someone in the gym or out running, or exercising that says something like, “It’s Monday….Uhhhhh I don’t want to be doing this.” What about, “Just a few more sets and I am done with this for the day.” Well, we have got a bit of bad news for you. Continue saying things like this and you are almost sure to fail at reaching your goal of weight loss. At the very least, you make your work a whole heck of a lot harder.

Have you ever noticed just how when you are having fun, the time seems to fly by. Yet when you are having a difficult time, the time seems to drag on to eternity? Well, think about it the next time you are going out for a workout and you are in a negative mood. How much harder is it for you to finish your workout? How hard is it when you are really happy and want to be there. Bottom line, practice being positive and you will not only speed up your metabolism and your progress, but the time will fly by.

• Take the time to choose your goal carefully
• Keep track of your progress toward your ultimate goal by creating tiny goals you can achieve on a regular basis
• Be as specific as possible about what it is you want to achieve
• Regularly go back and check in with your goals to see how your progress is going
• Read over your goals daily and say them aloud. Research shows that constant reinforcement is one of the best ways to achieve the goals you desire
• Maintain a positive attitude
• Don’t always use a scale to measure your progress, it is not accurate because of many factors. Instead, judge each day by how you feel, how your clothes fit, etc.

Muscle Recovery Time

How much time do you really need to recover from a workout to achieve the best result? Unfortunately, this answer is not as cut and dried as the fitness industry would have you believe.

Despite all the rigorous scientific research to find the optimum recovery time, the simple truth is that we are not robots. Now, do these guidelines help? Of course. The people who print these are trying to help the general public by setting up a regiment that they can follow. And yes, this is extremely helpful. However, if you are constantly hitting plateaus, or you are not achieving the results you desire, you need to step back and reassess if the regiment is right for you.

For example: I like running. I have no trouble going out and running 15 miles one day, and working out later in the day. Recently I ran a marathon. The next day I stretched, did a short run and worked out. The following day I was back to my regular routine of exercise. This is not abnormal nor is it bad, despite someone may want to say about over-training. For some this may be way to much, but for me it works. 

The mainstream idea of over-training has one fatal flaw…..over-training is done when the person training has no idea of what their body needs and so they just simply push it too far without thinking. And yes, if you over train, you will end up getting hurt, or slowing down your progress. However, the amount of time needed to recover differs with each person.

When you learn to listen to your body over-training becomes a thing of the past. The more you look, the more you find people who somehow are able to recover faster, do more, go longer than what the science says is possible. This is nothing but humans being humans. We as humans do not fit neatly into little boxes all the time. If you begin to listen to yourself you will find that sometimes you need far less recovery time and others you need more. Some people can constantly recover faster while some people constantly need more time.

The bottom line is this. Regiments are set up for the reason of helping you achieve the results you desire. That being said, you have to begin to listen to your body and know when it is ok to do more, rest less, and push yourself and when you need more rest and more recovery time.

Potential

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent. - A Bronx Tale

Today, god forbid I slept in. Usually I am up at the crack of dawn, getting outside while my eyes are still have glued shut, but feeling just a little bit more alive for it. Lying in bed, I wonder aloud why is it that many of us just can’t seem to find the time to start out our days on a positive and uplifting note. Does this one simple act change how we view the day? What about the course we take in our lives?

It is my opinion that in order to unlock your true potential, you must learn all facets of the equation. Yes, eating is one facet and exercise is another. But, if that is all there is to it, how is it that only the “extra-ordinary” people end up being envied or looked up to as role models or ideals. My approach to awakening human potential is simple, figure out the puzzle that is you. Sadly, our state of society teaches us to look for a quick fix, instant oatmeal, one hour photo solution, or shortcut in order to produce excellence.

Here is an example of several pieces of the puzzle that are seldom talked about due to the overwhelming power of the ideas of exercise and diet.

Habits

Habits are behaviors that you develop over a period of time. They become the backbone routine of different circumstances of your life. Engaging in habits, whether good or bad will lead to more of the same type of results. Simply put, if positive, they have the ability to greatly enhance your potential and if negative, they can limit your progress without you even being aware. Take the time to be sit down and write out your good and bad habits. Be honest and you will get a clear idea of how to improve yourself. This is something that no one can do but you.

Skills

Skills are unique to each individual. They are what allow a person to do something effectively. By analyzing your skills and your weaknesses, you can decide what needs improvement and what your strengths are. This allows you to gain a clear, accurate picture of your progress. For example, if you are weak in a certain area, you know that your progress will be a bit limited at first until you spend more time with this area. You now know not to expect the same fast results that you will get from an area of strength. This idea of recognizing strong points and weak points is a fantastic way to keep you on track.

Beliefs

Beliefs are the big one. Beliefs are one of the strongest determinants of success or failure. Here is an example: If you tell yourself over and over that it is difficult to lose weight, you are programming your body to listen to that command. It is difficult to lose weight. This simply slows down your progress. Believing something makes it true for you, no matter how outrageous it really is. By taking the time to analyze your core beliefs you open the door to your potential. Some beliefs you will find are a great hindrance to awakening human potential. Those who do extraordinary things are always people who actually believed beforehand that it was possible and that they were indeed capable.

Values

Finally we have values, which basically are your priorities in life. Values determine what you put first in your life. For example; if you value relationships more than anything else you will behave far more differently than a person who values making money above all else at any cost. Go through and make a top ten list of your values. This will provide insight into what is really important to you. By doing this you can steer your life in the right direction rather than the direction you have been conditioned to believe is the right one.

The ideas above can give you a clear path to follow in order to help unlock your potential, but it is all up to you. IT all comes down to one thing, consistency. Consistency is the most important element. Without consistency even the best values, core beliefs, or skills will never reach their true potential. People that are consistent almost always get what they want eventually, even if they start in completely the wrong direction. Why, because they are willing to fail and get up and try again until they get what they want.

Unlocking your potential is something that takes introspection. However, with a little bit of inner searching, you can increase how you perform in almost every area of your life.