How to Fight the Fat and WIN!
People tell me their fitness struggles often. They explain how they struggle with their weight, struggle getting to the gym, struggle making time, struggle eating right, struggle feeling motivated, struggle knowing what to do – the list of struggles goes on. My answer is this: “If you’re struggling, that means you haven’t given up yet, so that’s a good thing. It means you are a FIGHTER.”
I can work with someone who hasn’t given up. I can’t work with someone who doesn’t even try to fight it out.
The question I have next is what type of fighter are you.
1. The Beginner: Round one. Beginners have no clue what they are doing, but they know they want to be a champ someday. They show up and do what they are told. They’re punches are weak and their form is off, but if they keep showing up they’ll improve day after day. They just need to realize becoming a champ doesn’t happen overnight.
2. The Dancer: Dancers prance around the ring dodging anything that might hurt. They want to be in the ring, but they don’t want to fight. They want to have a body of a champ, but they resist doing what they must do to get the results they want. At first glance, this person appears to be doing all the right things. They train hard, they go to the gym often, and they play the fit part. But when push comes to shove, they prance around the issues they need to hit the hardest. The same way a boxer bounces around the ring hoping to wear their opponent out, a Dancer in the fitness world hopes to just work the fat off without taking any blows to their diet or to their comfy fitness routine. The do the workouts they like, not need – and refuse to give up the things that are holding them back. In the end, their sloppy theory and cockiness gets them in trouble, and they normally always lose the fight.
3. The Spectator: This person sits ringside, and will tell you every punch you need to throw and every move you need to make – but they’ll never get in the ring. They know all the right things to do, but they won’t do it themselves. Whether it’s fear of failure or that they’re just not ready to commit, if this person ever wants to raise their gloves in the air, they’ll have to be willing to be step outside their comfort zone and step into the ring with the best of them.
4. The Fighter: Fighters are the pros – they actually work hard every day to eat right and workout, they just aren’t throwing the right punches or they’re leaving themselves open for bad hit. If they ever wanna be a champ, they have to keep getting back up after they get knocked down, figure out what they are doing wrong (and I promise, no matter how great they are, if they are losing the weight loss battle, they are doing something wrong), and they have to be patient. They surround themselves with the best athletes and coaches, and avoid distractions at all cost. They are focused, they are determined, and they will become champions.
Ideally, we should all be fighters – but we should be fighters that keep improving. A good fighter trains often, has a good coach and never, ever, ever gives up.
Inspire Someone:
Bonnie Pfiester
Owner of Lift Vero and motivational "pfitness, pfood and pfaith" blogger in Vero Beach, Florida.
10 Comments
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tracye1
Bonnie, this is a super helpful article. I’m a combo dancer–not wanting to push into the “hurt/work” zone and a spectator…I know WHAT to do, I just need to do it. I’ve re-blogged this on my site as I am focusing on working towards “fighter” and get through the remainder of the year as healthy as possible! Blessings!!
Jody R. Goldenfield
I will fight on forever!!!! Turn 55 tomorrow & not letting it stop me! 😉
Bonnie Pfiester
HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYY!!!
bryanadamson
Bonnie, I have lost eighty pounds in the last year and I have also gained a good amount o muscle. What I am still struggling with is the lack of movement on the weight scale but losing body fat percentages- I am at 18% versus 39%. I have a muffin top that bothers the hell out of me and I am doing crazy sprints. I am also on the paleo diet, lifting weights via the high intensity interval program and I just had that one piece of fat that I absolutely despise which is the muffin top. Any suggestions?
Bonnie Pfiester
That just means you are eating well (balanced) but still eating too much. The # of calories you eat determine your weight. Where you get those calories, determine your shape. Sounds like the “where” is right and the # is too high. Get the LoseIt app and start tracking calories, if you aren’t already. It will catch any high-cal mistakes. We both use it when we are needing to break plateaus or aren’t losing it fast enough. Works every time! 🙂
Bonnie Pfiester
Sorry for the delay in response – I tried to write you on the road and it wouldn’t post. 😉 It sounds like you are eating the right things, but just too much. I’d keep doing everything you are doing, but just start measuring food and counting every calorie. Your shape is determined upon WHERE you get your calories (which sounds good), but your weight is determined on HOW MANY calories you eat. So, if you haven’t counted calories, I’d start doing that to help you reach your goal a lot faster – and you don’t have to do it forever. You just need to do it long enough to break your plateau and expose your mistakes 🙂
Bonnie Pfiester
OK, now I see that it DID post. Ok, so you got a double whammy reply! haha
IHeartVegetables
That first picture definitely describes how I feel about the fight against fat haha. It’s like, you turn your back for one second and it knocks you down! this is JUST the post I needed to read!
Bonnie Pfiester
YAY! SO GLAD!! (about it being the post you needed – not fighting fat) haha 🙂