Dear Friend,
As we get older it certainly does seem that time flies. It’s already December – and Christmas is almost here. This issue of the letter is dedicated to the days, weeks, months and years that go by in a blink.
A lot of times when someone decides to start a fat loss program they think “Wow, I can lose 2-4lbs of fat a week – it will take forever to get this off.” That is flawed thinking – and I’ll tell you the reason it is flawed…
Time Marches On Regardless...
The reason is because time goes by regardless. Regardless of whether you are going backwards, sitting still, or moving forward, time will continue to tick. You are either getting better, worse, or stagnating. Wouldn’t you rather be improving than stagnating (or even going backwards) when it comes to your fitness?
As each day passes you could be A.)losing fat, gaining functional, toned muscle tissue, and looking and feeling better daily OR… B.)you could be inching out the belt – slowly letting the dress sizes creep up – and huffing and puffing a bit more with every mundane activity.
Truly the choice is yours.
Since you are reading this blog; odds are that you are making an effort to march right on through to your goals. If, however, you are having a moment of weakness, self-doubt, or lack of motivation, you must realize two important factors:
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1. We all have periods like this, you are not alone. What separates the successful from the unsuccessful is pushing through these trials with determination, strength and sureness.
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2. It is indeed all worth it. Truly everything in life is better when you are lean, toned, fit and in shape. Everything.
You can never climb in vain...
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
This quote is fantastic because it shows that even if today didn’t go as well as you had hoped – if you learn a lesson from it and harvest the grain of truth from it, then tomorrow will improve because of it. No day of learning and experience is wasted, regardless of the full outcome. This applies to life, and it applies to fitness.
Did You Know?
Did you know that a packet of artificial sweetener is actually 4 calories, not zero? The filler in the packet is dextrose and maltodextrin – which are sugars – and that makes the packet come in at 4 calories.
Did you know that a completely level tablespoon (back of knife scraped over the top to remove excess) of peanut butter has as many calories at 2 slices of average wheat bread?
Did you know that an average size nut (almond, pecan, cashew, walnut etc.) has approximately 10 calories? That means 5 nuts = 1 average slice of whole wheat bread in terms of fuel.
Did you know that drinking a can of Mountain Dew (regular) with a regular sandwich (2 slices of bread) would be the caloric equivalent of drinking water with a sandwich that had almost 6 slices of bread?
Think about that one; you would probably never stack 3 slices of bread on each side of your sandwich, but having a sandwich and soda seems more reasonable. It’s not!
Hopefully this weeks blog has been enlightening and given you some food for thought (no pun intended). Many times we eat because we are unaware – unaware of what is hidden in the recesses of that nut, trail mix, peanut butter, or bagel. These calorically dense foods are perfect for climbing Everest, but they will only give you a mountain of fat to remove if you are somewhat sedentary.
The New Year is approaching – and you can either make it a fantastic one or a repetition of the past. You shouldn’t start working out January 1st, you should start now. Trust me when I say you will be glad you did – you won’t have the extra baggage to take off, and you’ll already be in the fitness habit. Most people don’t make it past February with their new fitness plan. Don’t be one of them – take action now and plow right into the New Year full force!
Keep your eye on the ball and I’ll talk to you next week – we are driving through the holiday season fast – keep your eyes on the goal and stay away from that Fruit Cake!!!
Jay Scott is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, NPC National Level Bodybuilder, Fitness Model, Author and Nutrition Coach. Jay owns CE-Fitness, a Personal Training business in Lexington, KY. Jay has been helping people lose weight and transform their bodies since 1998. Contact him at jay@cefitness.net or visit his site at www.cefitness.net for books, products, training options and more.
