Fast Food Fitness

There is good news…and bad news.

The good news is that summer is quickly approaching and we will soon be able to put away those turtleneck sweaters, scarves, and heavy winter coats!

The bad new is that we have to trade those heavy sweaters, scarves and coats for the unforgiving spandex bathing suit.

It is the time of year when panic sets in and we look for the quickest and, often, most painless route to shed the pounds we unfortunately discovered under the bulk of our winter clothes. The time of year when we will try almost anything to get our bodies ready for sleeveless tops, shorts, and that dreaded bathing suit.

There have been many spring seasons that I have felt the impending sense of doom set in as I try to accomplish the weight loss goals I set months ago… in a matter of mere weeks!

The hard lesson learned…success doesn’t come quick, or easy.

I came across this quote the other day that I would like to share with you, as I think it provides a little clarity in the maddening world of diet and exercise.

“In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.”- Henry Miller

The truth is that we have become a society obsessed with a need for instant gratification. We want everything…5 minutes ago! This is how many of us (myself included) have approached our weight loss goals. We want the best shortcut. The trick that will allow us to lose the most weight with the least effort and as quickly as possible! We see the answer in the magical diet cookies that, if we eat two of each day, will help us lose 20 pounds; the “shakes” that promise lost dress sizes if we drink them in place of certain meals everyday; and, my favorite, the new “exercise pill” that will help us lose inches by simply doing a single bicep curl with the glass of water it takes to wash it down. We want “Fast Food Fitness”.

Don’t be embarrassed if you too have been lured into one of these diet danger zones (to this day, I am still somewhat intrigued by the cookie diet…who wouldn’t be!). Chances are we have all tried one of these diet short cuts at some point in time. And, chances are that we have also discovered, unfortunately, that these shortcuts don’t work for us in the long term.

These diet shortcuts are much like the fast food feasts that got us in trouble in the first place. Sure, they may be quick, easy, and taste really good on the way down (with, maybe, the exception of some of the diet “shakes”!). However, that wonderful sense of gratification we feel quickly diminishes into a sense of frustration, discontent, and, even, hunger!

Please don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy an occasional visit to my favorite fast food drive-thru, and, with busy schedules, sometimes those trips are a necessity. However, we can not rely on “Fast Food Fitness” to equip us with the knowledge, tools, and will power it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We must take small steps and set short-term goals to help us achieve our long-term goal of a healthy lifestyle. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by the thought of having to lose a specific amount of weight or running a 5K race. More than likely, this will cause you to give up before you have even given yourself the chance to succeed. Start by making small changes that you can stick with. Set a goal to lose 5 pounds or walk 1 mile. Look at your long-term goals and then break those down into smaller, shorter-term goals you feel confident in and will be able to achieve along the way. I think you will find that those small changes will keep adding up until you, eventually, begin to see big changes in your lifestyle.

You may not even believe how easy it really was!