The SECRET to “A Body You Will Love For Life”
Exactly 77 days ago, a buddy and I began a very low profile program called “90 Days to a Body You’ll Love for Life”.
If you’re wondering why its low profile… Well, we created it – and we’re the only two in it!
The idea was that we would email each other every day for 90 days. We would write down the exercise we did each day. And we would write down the food we ate each day. And we would not coach each other, give advice or guidance in any way.
The first 30 days were kind of strange. I sent my email to Jamie every day. But not a lot happened. My diet didn’t change and I barely worked out.
But I did get more and more conscious of the POOR food and exercise choices I was making. Day after day…
By day 21, I was living in China (I had moved to Beijing for 3 months) and I met someone who I’d first seen about 9 months earlier. His first words to me were have you put on weight? You’re looking big.
OUCH.
Man I was pissed.
Until I realized he was right.
For the first time in my life, my love handles met in the middle! I had a belly.
<This is a remarkably accurate picture of what I looked like!>
I didn’t know it was possible but I’d become a fat, skinny guy!
So by day 28 I found myself heading to a gym (no mean feat registering at a gym where the only language spoken is Chinese!) and I began to notice I was more and more conscious of what I was eating.
In fact, one day at a time I began a goal of working out five times a week. And I did this for the next five weeks and my belly began slowly shrinking…
But then my China trip ended and I headed back to the US and suddenly three weeks have gone by and I’m already back to eating poorly and barely exercising.
What’s going on? I asked myself.
I know HOW to eat healthily and I know HOW to exercise regularly…
So something is missing…
And then this morning I stumbled across this article by Adam Gilbert of http://MyBodyTutor.com
I enjoyed the article so much I emailed Adam and he immediately emailed me back and then called me for a chat this evening.
His premise is simple.
Most of us know HOW to eat healthily. Most of us also know HOW to workout.
But we don’t DO it!
What is missing is a secret ingredient: CONSISTENCY
Adam’s program is based around serious accountability.
He helps you create a customized lifestyle diet and workout plan. You then have weekly or daily phone calls as well as access to a Web Application with DAILY critique and suggestions to keep you focused, honest with yourself and most importantly consistent!
Here’s Adam on the left – clearly he has always enjoyed being healthy! But what I especially liked about Adam is that he used to work in corporate America. He was an accountant at Ernst & Young in their hedge fund and private equity practice and gave it all up to follow his passions to write and help people get create bodies they will love for life…
I love hanging out with people who do what they LOVE – so I already knew I liked Adam.
And in that moment I said to him, I’ll sign up in a couple of weeks when I’m back from a trip to the East Coast.
And then I caught myself. Why wait for two weeks. I can exercise on my trip (if I want to); I can eat healthily on my trip (if I want to).
There are ALWAYS excuses. There is ALWAYS a reason to say “I’ll start tomorrow.”
So I signed up. There and then!
If I was braver, at this moment I would post my before photos – but I’m not, so I don’t ask!
Instead, please ask – as often as you dare – show me your love handles, Rich!
I want to have a body I love for life. And when Adam and I set my targets tomorrow, I’m gonna tell him my goal to have a six-pack, for the first time in my life…
Hey Rich – I really resonated with this post. I got in the best shape of my life in my late 30′s by exercising … not radically, not every day, but CONSISTENTLY. For six months (OK, I worked with a trainer) I was in the gym only two days a week, maybe a third occasionally, lifting weights, and maybe two times a week for cardio. Weight lifting one hour. Cardio 30-45 minutes. But I NEVER did not do it. By the end of a six month cycle, I had people stopping me in the street and in communal dressing rooms asking if I was a professional dancer or athlete. Some things my trainer taught that inspired me:
1) Consistency – There’s always an excuse, so just ignore them all and exercise. I actually trained myself in consistency when I had a back injury and decided to do yoga for 100 days straight to see if that would help. People kept asking me where I found the time. I realized that I had plenty of time, because nothing else was as important. And the three hours I spent every day getting to and from yoga, and in class, would have been spent doing … what? Watching a movie or TV? Reading a book? Eating? Feeling sorry for myself and my injury? Nothing else seemed more important or life enriching than spending my time exercising. I think most of us have time to do this everyday if we are honest with our schedule. On another note, my trainer taught me the rule of incremental work outs. Every little bit helps. If you only have half an hour, don’t blow off your work out because you normally do 1.5 hours. The 15 or 30 minutes of cardio or squats or crunches or stretching or curls WILL count. As will the 15 or 30 minutes of binge eating or mindless web surfing – which do you want to feed you more? I’m also reminded of when I led bike tours – constantly hauling equipment, wood, etc. I never worked out, but all of those little movements every day (a rucksack here, a cord of wood there, torquing wrenches, pumping tires) added up to some serious guns by the end of the summer. Increments. They work.
2) Act now – It’s NEVER too late to have the body you want. Call BS on anyone saying “After 30, blah blah blah.” Your muscles are there, ready to work. Countless studies have been conducted on this, but I am always inspired by the weight lifting programs instituted in senior centers. People have abandoned their walkers, their medication, their loneliness after practicing a regular exercise routine. Sure, (perceived) demands on our time may be greater as we careen around adulthood, and it *may* take a bit more work to shed a few (although I am not entirely convinced of that), but again, what else would we be doing that would provide equal value? While I love film and art (consuming and creating), I can’t do either (well) if my body and mind are not fit.
In addition I’ve noticed through the years that when my body was not what I wanted it to be, I’d spend an awful lot of money on clothes, shoes, makeup, accessories trying to compensate for it. Hiding this, feminizing that. One day I realized that the best accessory I could ever have was a great body. I could wear Levi’s and a T every day and never want for more because health and fitness were the best expression of me, not all of the other trappings I was purchasing …
So, after experiencing a few more debilitating injuries, I’m back at it again to regain my fitness. In fact, right now I am going to celebrate Bastille Day: not in a bar or Patisserie … on my road bike in honor of France’s celebrated sport!
Thanks, Robin, for such a detailed reply to this post.
I especially love your message ‘its never too late…’
And ‘One day I realized that the best accessory I could ever have was a great body. I could wear Levi’s and a T every day and never want for more…’
Enjoy that bike ride!
Rich,
I’m not sure how I came across this article but you hit the nail on the head. I think it might have been a track back from ZenHabits?
Regardless, you are absolutely right!
Anyone who who wants to be in great shape but isn’t (but then again who doesn’t want to be?) makes excuses. And it’s so easy to make excuses! They are always there! And they always make sense!
I wanted to thank you for writing this article and your most recent one about wanting a coach versus needing one. We don’t need much in this life. But if you want success it’s important to be able to see through your own excuses. However, very few people can do that consistently.
So I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the push to contact MyBodyTutor. Adam got in touch with me immediately and he really is so passionate about what he does, his philosophy and his system. It’s very inspiring and endearing.
My wife joined yesterday too and we’re both loving it. Thanks again for the great recommendation and giving me the impetus to take action!
Sincerely,
Michael
Wow – thanks Michael – I love it that my article inspired you to join the program with Adam. He is great!
And he’s kicking my butt – and getting me in shape – its a very cool program.
Thanks for taking the time to post on my site, too.
Love. Rich