Resolutions are for the birds. We spend so much time hyping up a goal or ambition without the slightest bit of understanding of what the steps necessary to make the goals come to fruition are. The problem is, the majority of these resolutions are simple; the journey to achieve them isn’t complicated or convoluted, it just takes one major factor that unfortunately the majority of human beings are unwilling to dedicate their time to; hard work. Nothing worth having or obtaining is ever achieved without putting in the effort, and this unfortunately causes weak minds to falter, excuses to accrue, and people to quit and give up on themselves. What starts as a strong commitment to losing weight by enrolling in fitness classes at the gym and taking the time to prepare our foods so we know what goes into our bodies and the nutrition we consume becomes all too tedious after a mere few weeks. But ask yourself this, do you want to be known as the person who quit on themselves and gave up when things got a little bit tough? Do you think it’s okay to throw in the towel when faced with challenges and adversity? Man, it is so easy to quit and create excuses for why you have failed. Are you honestly okay with the people in your life, such as the children who look up to you, seeing you give up over a bit of difficulty!?
Every year, as January rolls around and without fail, I get an influx of messages, questions, and genuine curiousity on how to reach goals at the gym I help run and teach classes at. So many new sign ups and all starting out strong and with goals to reach and persevere. But then, weeks pass, attendance dwindles, enthusiasm becomes less and less, and sure enough, the quitting pours in. It blows my mind because this is your health and happiness, one of the most important things necessary to achieve in order to live a long and fulfilling life, and people give up because it’s not a simple cure-all. I get it. It’s hard, you’re busy, life is chaotic, you’re dealing with stress, et cetera et cetera. But your health, mentally and physically deserves to be at the forefront at your mind. You won’t be able to be there for your friends and your loved ones if you don’t take the time to invest in what truly matters. Hell, I’m not even motivated to do this on the daily, but I prioritize the things that are important in order to reap the rewards. Your excuses are like my colon, full of shit.
I’ll let you in on a little secret everyone. People constantly ask me what I take to lose the 15-18 pounds I need to cut down to atomweight for my fights. Well, it really is no secret. Losing weight is all about calories in versus calories out and making sure you fuel your body with the right nutrients for your tasks at hand. Different foods and ways of eating effect different people, but a caloric deficit will always have you shedding excess weight. There is no simple pill. At the beginning of my camps, I start at 1800 calories, then drop to 1600, and then 1400, and then 1200. I drink almost 2 gallons of water daily in order to drastically cut that out at the end (water weight comes back immediately and is ideal for fighters). I follow a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule and stick to clean eating, meaning that if you can hunt it, fish it, gather it, or grow it then I can eat it. Nothing fried, artificial, processed, or with additives. Prepare your own meals if you can, read labels if you must, increase your water, and be mindful of your portions (meal prep really helps with this). Adding exercise on top of all of that is one of the best things you can do for your health and well being. Inevitably, someone always gets mad at me when I don’t have a magic pill to provide, but that’s just not how it works.
Anybody willing to bust their butts for results deserves all of my utmost respect. The physical changes are pronounced, but to me, the mental changes are the greatest gift of all. We have to be stronger than our excuses trying to hold us back. Yes, we are all tired. Yes, we all deal with feelings of inadequacy. Yes, we are stressed from life’s problems whether they be work related or in our personal lives. And yes, we all deal with varying levels of anxiety when it comes to stepping in the gym or taking that first step in trying something new or in a different environment. I refuse to let this bitch ass voice inside my head prevent me from reaching milestones. Slow and steady wins the race, and like the tortoise, I will learn to be kind and patient with myself. If I’m losing weight, 1-2 lbs a week is excellent and sustainable. If I’m trying to get better at Jiu Jitsu, simply showing up will increase my chances of success. If I want to excel in my studies, the more time I dedicate to research and reading will help benefit all of that. The problem is, we live in an instant gratification society and it can be exceptionally difficult to allow things to happen in their own time. Just like dieting, we tend to overestimate the calories we burn and underestimate the calories we eat and therefore end up discouraged when our results waver. Just got to reign it all in and keep on trucking.
Always remember, what the new year brings to you will depend on what you bring to the year. We are gifted with only one life on this earth, and I refuse to let things like doubt or anxiety prevent me from living my life. You can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up faster, basically meaning you need to go out there and do it if you expect any results to occur. Stop finding everything else in your life to blame and make excuses for and nut the fuck up. Anyone achieving results earned it by putting in the work, instead of quitting because it was hard, or they lost motivation, or anxiety told them to. Yes, this may be harsh to read, but I am sick of members of our society expecting results to be handed to them. You need to put in whatever you expect to get out of life, and I am going to make sure that I live my life with the best intentions to benefit wholly and fully. Life goes by entirely too fast, and I don’t want to depart this world with the regret of what would have happened if only I tried a little bit harder.
