Fitness: The Need for More than Motivation
I recently did a survey on facebook asking “What do you need most: Motivation or Education?” The answer was Motivation – hands down.
This speaks very loudly to me. As a girl who loves to motivate and encourage people to chase their fitness dreams and make it through each day, it made me wonder what I can do to help. Are my blogs and posts helpful? Do I make a difference? Can I encourage these people any more than I already try to do? What can people, like myself, do to motivate America? (Yes, I’m still working on world peace too) ha!
Well, one thing it does tells me is people know what they need to do. I know I write a lot of tips and educational blogs to help people “get” fitness, but the results of this survey tells me people already know they need to eat less and workout more. However, everyone overanalyzes things, searches for quick fixes, and waits for people to just ‘tell them what to do’, all to avoid the inevitable – actually WORK.
For example, I signed up a new member yesterday and I asked her when she wanted to start. She said “Monday“. Well, it WAS Monday, so obviously she was talking about NEXT Monday. So, I’m thinking to myself, “you were just crying to me about how you don’t like yourself and are tired of being overweight, but you want to wait a whole week to start getting fit?” This baffled me. I replied with “let me rephrase that, what time would you like to come in tomorrow?” Geesh! I wasn’t about to let her wait a flippin’ week to start working out. IT’S TIME TO START ‘PADDLING’!
This is how I think so many of us (me included) treat fitness. Instead of running to the gym, we decide we talk about getting in shape, we ponder it, plan it, and we even dream about doing it – but we often continue to put it off and make excuses. Maybe your need for motivation is based on the fact you are still in the pondering, procrastinating stagnant stage. Maybe you would want more education if you were actually DOING what needed to be done. Maybe you are working out but you have become complacent – avoiding new things or challenges. Maybe, just maybe, you are relying on motivation more than action to get the job done.
What are you going to do – just stand there?
Are you looking for an easier way? That ain’t gonna happen.
Are you looking for someone to practically do it for you? Pills & shortcuts don’t work or last.
Waiting for that special magical motivational moment? Don’t hold your breath.
Waiting for someone to PUSH you to the gym? It may happen, but do you really want to put YOUR body in the hands of chance and a friend who cares more about their own body than yours?
I can try to motivate you all day long but if you don’t actually DO something, all my blogging and posting are for nothing – just a waste of time and energy. I don’t post this stuff to ‘be seen’ or get noticed, I post this stuff for it to be applied so it can change YOUR life. This is what I feel God called me to do, knowing none of you can be good parents, workers or friends, etc if you are unhealthy or working at your fullest potential. I write to make you think, to encourage you, to inspire you, to educate you – all to MOTIVATE you to ACT on it.
Whether you have NEVER worked out a day in your life or you are a seasoned fitness fanatic, EVERYONE can do something more than they are currently doing. Maybe it’s not working out more – maybe it’s cracking down on your diet more or trying a new program. RIGHT NOW: Think of what you know you need to change in your life. Now, like Nike says, “JUST DO IT!“. (yes, it IS just that simple).
Fill in the blanks:
1.) I know I need to: _________________________________________…
2.) In order to succeed I must: ___________________________________…
3.) I have been blaming ___________________________… for too long.
4.) I commit to ______________________________________________…
5.) I am going to tell these 5 friends about my new commitment: ________…
Comment:
– Make your decision public. Comment below if you plan to make a change.
– Already made a change & working on it? Make it public & encourage others & post a comment.
– Comment topics you think would be helpful for people like yourself.
– Share your success or feedback if you feel blogs and posts, like mine, help.
– Share your ideas on ways we can all help to impact more lives to help America get fit.
Inspire Someone:
Bonnie Pfiester
Owner of Lift Vero and motivational "pfitness, pfood and pfaith" blogger in Vero Beach, Florida.
11 Comments
as found here
Howdy! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My web site looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4. I’m trying
to find a theme or plugin that might be able to correct this issue.
If you have any recommendations, please share.
Thank you!
Sarah
I absolutely love your blogs! I have been extremely motivated by your words of encouragement even when I need to hear the words, “Get over it!” 🙂
But mostly I keep coming back because of your CRAZY knowledge! For example, I’m a teacher. It’s easy to be motivated in the summer when I’m off of work and have all day to work out and monitor what I’m eating. When I go back to work it’s rush, rush with two kids, husband, and a house to maintain. Every year I end up getting stressed out and not being able to fit into my clothes by Labor Day. Not this year! The most important thing I will do, and I learned this by reading your blogs, will be to count each calorie I put in my mouth. Simple, yet life changing. Thanks!
Bonnie Pfiester
If you were my client, I would likely start you eating 1200 calories a day, unless you were obese. Industry standard for brand name diets for a women is 1200-1500 calories. In my experience, most people are actually eating more than they log or realize. They “guestimate” portions, calories and also forget things. Even the most accurate person, using an online counter will still need room for error. This is why I suggest aiming at 1200, because that gives you room for a couple of hundred calories without sabotaging your results.
Here’s what I’d suggest. Try to get 1200 calories a day, and get equal amount of calories from each substrate (another words, get 400 calories from protein, 400 from carbs, & 400 from fat. This would equal 100gms of protein, 100gms of carbs and 44gms of fat. This will help you to continue to preserve and grow muscle while losing fat. We’ve put thousands of women on this plan and there has not been one time it failed.
As for the “not eating enough” comment. This makes my BLOOD BOIL!! Our weight is just checks and balances. If you aren’t losing weight, I guarantee you are eating enough. That’s like not having any money in the bank account and someone saying “maybe you just need to spend more”. DUH!! arggggh! 🙂 HOWEVER, there is a small bit of truth in that statement. The fact is you may need to eat MORE OFTEN (not more). This means you should be eating 1200 calories a day, but eating 5-6 times a day (300 calorie meals, 100-150 calorie snacks). This will keep your body burning calories and not thinking you are starving it. It will only think you are starving it if you have big windows of not feeding it. So keep the food coming often to keep your body burning up those calories and metabolism revved.
HOPE THIS HELPS!!!! :))) Keep me posted!!
Gregory Schieffer
Eating less and exercising more or increasing your activity level is the only sure way to lose weight. Psychology plays a large role in your success also. Your recommendation about eating less calories is right on the money. Thank you for the information.
Katie
I have been working with a personal trainer for 8 weeks with little results. As you said in an earlier post there is something that is just not working. I am keeping a tighter rein on my calorie counting and working out 4 days a week (1 hours of weights with trainer followed by 45 minutes of jogging). I have been keeping my calories to around 1500-1800 a day. I asked my trainer to help me figure out what I’m missing and was told I just need to eat more.
What advice would you give? It is very discouraging to work for 8 weeks with no loss in inches, no loss in weight, but she said I gained 5 pounds of muscle. I’m never going to give up this fight, but it is hard to stay motivated when you feel like you are working hard for nothing.
~Katie
Dawn
I find you a source of motivation. I also have your blog in my google reader and you are under my folder “Motivation” a lot of people have blogs to vent and tend to be depressing and always down on themselves for different reasons….I need a place to go when I am looking for that extra push or motivation…you are doing a great job here. Keep it up.
Bonnie Pfiester
awesome!!! SOOO glad you enjoy them. I really do love to write. thanks for commenting!!! 🙂
Carrie
Great post on motivation! I came across it on Twitter. In the work I do with athletes I find what appears to be a lack of motivation is actually a lack of confidence. In addition to just overcoming inertia they are also overcoming fear and all of the “what-ifs” as well. I love the “get paddling” metaphor and your fill-in-the-blank questions!
Bonnie Pfiester
oh YAY!! SO GLAD!! After I wrote this I thought – you may need a car, are motivated to buy a car, test-drive a car, and fall in love with a car ….but there comes a time you have to BUY the car. CALL TO ACTION TIME!! (get paddling!) 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting!!! 🙂
Bonnie Pfiester
Awe, thanks Caleigh! Appreciate your feedback. 🙂
Caleigh
Bonnie… YOU ROCK!!! 🙂 I enjoy reading your posts everyday and THEY HELP KEEP ME MOTIVATED!! Keep em coming girl! xoxo