Our very good friend David Ames posted this today in #LetsGetHUGE and I was so impressed with it, I wanted to share it with all of our followers as well. ?David is the real deal and this is some very strong wise material. ?We can all use to hear the voice of real experience and all we need to do is look at his pictures to see that he knows what it means and how to get real results!
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David wrote:
The other day I obliquely referred to over obsessing about this gym thing, and the effort to look my best. Over the years I’ve struggled to attain a balance with working out, and I’ve found a few tips to keep in mind that help me. This obviously doesn’t apply to all, but here we go for what it’s worth:
1) This is a long haul game. I frequently advise people to not look at the mountaintop in the distance, and rather to simply focus on the pathway in front. Wanting too much too soon can lead to irrational behaviors and distance those closest to us.
2) Don’t get angry when you miss a workout. Look at workouts from the perspective of a week or fortnight. Don’t miss too many, but don’t let a missed workout ruin your day. The gym will still be there, and you’re not going to lose it all in a day.
3) Judge only your own progress, and not that of others. We all progress at different rates, and all have different levels of intensity when we walk into the gym.
4) Recognize and appreciate that others will simply not understand your level of dedication to exercise and diet. If people put that down, then move on. You don’t need the negativity, and it’s jealousy on their part that is speaking.
5) Plan to be social and go out on the town now and again. It’s okay to let yourself go have a good time. It shows those closest around you that you’re not just a gym freak, and can only do one thing. Those social times bring in that sense of balance.
6) Track your progress and help others. It may not look like you’re moving forward, but if you’re trusting the process, you will. Helping others is a nice way to be “in the gym” when you’re actually not. It helps with the motivation, but it’s an outward, social activity, rather than just pushing iron in isolation
7) Give yourself breaks – from diet, from exercise. I scheduled a week out of every 12 for no gym time. It helps me recharge mentally, and look at things in a new way. It also makes me a happier person, and takes away the sense of frustration that may occur when I miss a workout.
I hope a few of these things help one or two of you. It took me some mistakes a long the way to learn these things. And support from those closest to you is a huge help, but even those closest don’t always understand. That’s when it’s time for you to step back and evaluate if your over-obsessing or not.
Cheers all!
