Most individuals lack self-discipline.
As a trainer in the fitness industry, I have seen years' worth of shit choices by individuals time and time again.
They hit snooze in the morning, they miss workouts, ice cream again, poor dinner choices, extra cheese, all that crap.
Yet, when I run their body analysis, or they check their body weight, they wonder why everything is elevated.
Human behavior is an interesting thing.
From there, sure, maybe better choices happen, or over the next week some clean meals are made, but they always fall back into the chain reaction of poor choices, both mentally and physically.
I once read a study on the addictions to sugar and the serotonin released in the brain post consumption.
In this study, scientists compared the data on 2 different rats and the different brain patterns that came about as they slowly fed the rats' sugar. They then did the same process with the drug heroin and compared the data.
The results were the same.
In order to get the same dopamine release in the brain, more and more sugar was needed.
The tolerance to the drug grows each time consumed.
Once you try to quit the drug, all hell breaks loose.
Have you ever tried to quit caffeine, multiply that with something like heroin.
Anyways, all I am trying to get across is the sequence of events that lead individuals into unhealthy levels.
Have I made the same choices? Absolutely.
I cannot tell you how many times I have regretted a decision in my life (who can) with both big and small decisions.
But over time, my regiments have become more and more strict to make my life operate as efficient as possible.
Racing endurance events, you start to learn how to read your bodies signals thoroughly. My last season, I kept a journal to log exact thoughts, feeling, emotions ect after almost every single workout, each meal, supplements and daily activity. Everything got tracked with one goal in mind. Become faster, recover quicker, train harder, optimize EVERYTHING.
Now sure, I am no longer trying to be the greatest triathlete in the world, but those habits just don't fade away.
I have a great idea on how each meal I consume is going to make me feel afterward.
This is especially helpful when dining out, don't order with what 'sounds good,' order something balanced, with a decent amount of protein, ask for no cheese, swap the fries for veggies, light on the oil and fill up with more water.
The energy systems work just like a fine-tuned car (another metaphor).
If I keep putting the cheapest oil in the engine, cheap gas, keep the coolant levels low, don't check the PSI in the tires, after a short while, the car is going to dwindle, clank, under perform and eventually break down.
On the flip side, weekly maintenance, top shelf premium oil, a few upgrades, she will be running like a dream.
The same concept applies on such a bigger scale with our bodies.
I do recommend to start logging all of your thoughts and feelings day to day post meals and after workouts to begin understanding how things affect you and digesting the information over time.
So where do you fit in with all of this? Do you tend to have discipline then fall right back into old shitty habits, or do you need to alter your lifestyle right now?
Everyone is different, and everyone will operate with various levels of their choices, but STOP making bullshit excuses, I have heard them all, their just noise.
Some of my favorites are;
- I was on vacation.
- It was the weekend.
- My kids stress me out.
- I did not have the time.
- Too tired.
- Free food in the break room at work.
Forget that, start now, slow steady lifestyle changes over a long period of time.
Begin the chain reaction of events to becoming the most optimal version of yourself.
I guarantee that within the next week, you will have 100's of choices that you make weather or not to elevate your decrease your overall health and fitness level.
There is more than enough time in the day, get off your ass and wake up earlier.
Get into the gym and embrace some suck in your life.
"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."
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