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STOP THE INSANITY

By Babe Mooney

Have you been doing the same thing over and over and getting the same results? Or lack of results? Well, that is the definition of insanity? Maybe it is time for a change. But before we go there, we better discuss the problem so you will appreciate the solution.

Have you heard the saying that, “our bodies are machines”? It’s true in that you can program your body for results, but you have to have a good programmer; otherwise it will be a lot like watching a child’s toy that you wind up, let go, and when it reaches the wall it is stuck, but keeps running until it runs down.

Take Tommy, the treadmill runner, for example. Tommy joined the gym weighing 225 lb at 5ft 8in. He is 55 years old and has never really exercised before; his doctor finally scared him enough to motivate him. Since he had no exercise experience, he did what most people do, he joined a gym and went straight for the treadmill (to most people this is the least scary piece of equipment in the gym). He started walking 20 minutes 3 times a week and within 2 weeks he was up to a very fast walk for 40 minutes. At the end of 60 days he was running and had lost 18lbs. Tommy was ecstatic!! But then something happened; he kept running for 40 minutes, still 3 times a week and at the end of his 3rd month he had not lost any more weight. He decided he was in this for the long haul so he kept up the running. Another month went by and still no more results; he was stuck, he had hit the wall. So he started eating less, but that made him too tired to keep running so he cut back on the running. (Can you see where this is going?) Soon Tommy ran out of steam and stopped running and of course within a short period of time regained the 18 lbs plus 5 more.

He started on a program, and like the child’s toy; he ran into the wall and stayed there until he ran down. What was he doing wrong? The answer is quite simple, but most people don’t have a clue. Our bodies need change!! Most people get bored with the “same ol’ same ol’” and we want things to be shaken up a bit or we get bored. Well just like our spirits and minds need change; so do our muscles, otherwise they adapt to the work out and the results stop.

Tommy needed a better programmer for his machine (body). If Tommy had been working with a quality certified trainer they would have known what to do long before Tommy reached the wall and would have changed up his program after the first 4-6 weeks and Tommy’s results would have continued. His trainer would never have allowed him to reduce his caloric intake, diminishing his energy. Dieting does not work. His trainer would have put Tommy on a properly balanced nutritional plan to help him lose weight yet maintain his muscle mass. Once Tommy’s fitness level had increased, a trainer would have put him into a resistance (weight lifting) training program in addition to his aerobic program. Unfortunately, Tommy’s story is all too common yet totally unnecessary. Anyone serious about getting healthy can and should hire a trainer even if it is just to get a proper start and an education on how and what to do to succeed. When considering if you can afford a trainer; I recommend you consider the cost of not succeeding. So stop the insanity. Start getting results and stay away from the wall. A trainer does not cost too much; a trainer is priceless.

About the Author:

Babe Mooney is the owner of Fitness Together Arden Arcade in Sacramento, Ca. and is the feature writer for Health and Fitness Sacramento. Her website is http://www.ftardenarcade.com