This is going to be one of those posts in which I shift from a rant to pure motivation. I hope you’ll bear with me. I’m going to try to convince you to start getting into shape… TODAY!
This means that you need to start working out and adopting healthy eating and lifestyle habits from this day forward. If you’re already doing so, good for you, check out some of the other posts on this site. But if you find yourself lacking motivation, always waiting for some better day to begin, even when you know deep inside that no such day will ever arrive, then this post is for you.
Early start, Early Finish
As with any other journey, weight loss abides by the simple rule which states that an early start equals an early finish. This stands to reason. If you think about the weight that you have to lose as the distance you have to cross in any journey, the earlier you take the first step, the faster you will reach your final destination. In this case, you don’t have to cross miles, but you do need to lose pounds.
But when you’re trying to lose weight, any delay may actually make the journey longer. Unlike the distance from one point to the next, which doesn’t change, weight loss can become harder and require more time to achieve the longer you postpone your initial step.
This has several reasons:
1. If you’re currently overweight, you must be doing something wrong or not doing enough of the right things. The longer you postpone taking action to get in shape, the longer you are likely to persist in these bad habits. This may lead to increased weight and will mean that your road to a great looking body has just gotten longer.
2. Weight loss requires a change of habits. This gets harder the longer you practice your current bad habits. Old habits are hard to break. The sooner you do so the better it will be.
3. As you age, weight loss and building muscle tissue becomes harder. Your metabolism naturally slows and your hormone composition changes. It never becomes impossible to lose weight. Your age is never an excuse to do nothing. However, the younger you are, the easier it will likely be to create a real change in your body and life.
This is why you should start getting into shape today.
Why Most People Don’t Take Action
There are all sorts of reasons why some of the people reading this article will not take any action today or any time soon. I say reasons even though they will most likely be excuses:
1. Lack of time – A lot of people feel that they simply don’t have enough time to workout. They’re swamped in work, chores, kids, and other obligations. If you also feel pressed for time, you should ask yourself whether this is indeed true. If you examine your routine, you may find that you watch a number of TV shows each week that you could do without. Why not use the time for working out instead?
2. Lack of energy – If you feel constantly tired and simply don’t have the energy to take action, let me ask you this: isn’t this sign enough that you must change your habits and your life? Doesn’t this show that there is something wrong about your routine?
A better diet and regular exercise are two excellent ways to increase your energy. You may need to “force” yourself at first but later this will become second nature to you, simply a more energetic lifestyle.
3. Lack of money – Do you really think that you need to spend a lot of money to buy healthy food? It doesn’t have to be expensive. You may even save money by sticking to fresh produce and avoiding pre-made meals and highly processed foods. Exercising doesn’t have to cost much as well. You can train at home using cheap exercise equipment such as a stability ball and a pair of dumbbells or doing bodyweight exercises.
4. It’s too late – Let me make it plain, it’s never to late and you’re never too fat or out of shape to take steps to get into shape. You can start at any age and at any weight. You just need to be healthy enough to workout and you’re good to go.
Now is the Time
I believe that in 99% of the cases, Now is the best time to act. There will be excuses tomorrow and the next day. Start the process of getting fit and healthy today. The sooner you do, the better you will be.
