by Chad Passman, Ironman Triathlete and Personal Trainer
Chad Passman, Ironman and Personal Trainer
It’s one thing to decide to get moving. It’s another to stick with a program that works for life. We have all learned short-term food deprivation or extreme fitness goals are a setup for failure because no one sustains a diet on grapefruit for long and keeps his or her plans to climb Everest. The question always becomes: How do physically fit people get, and stay that way? Here’s what I know: there is no silver bullet. But over the years, successfully fit people exhibit the following healthy habits:
Know and remember your “Why.” What is driving your determination to get active? A doctor’s diagnosis? A scary cholesterol test result? Want to stay strong to keep up with the kids? We all need a compelling reason to reach our goals. What is yours? There are days when it takes true grit, determination, and fortitude to stay strong in the never-give-up thought process. Be committed to yourself and the successful completion of your goals.
Get real about your relationship to food. Staring thinking of food as fuel. Eat for the right reasons. Food is to be an enjoyable way to fuel the body. Junk in = Junk out. But, if you find yourself tempted or blowing it on the weekends, see point #6 about your new attitude toward failure, then get back on your feet. Tomorrow is another day.
Make appointments, and then keep them. We book our most important meetings, why do we cave in when it comes to exercise? Basically, it boils down to a defined plan. Plan your days the best you can, and schedule in your activity (gym time, run, dance lessons, walk, yoga, etc.). Now that you have set aside some time to get in the workout, keep the appointment! It is the most important appointment because it is time for YOU!
Set small realistic goals, and then hold yourself accountable. Create a plan with checkpoints. “I should weigh X on date Y. I will be able to run a 5K by date X.” Putting a date on your calendar helps on the rainy Tuesday morning you don’t want to hit the gym. A schedule keeps you on track.
- “If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail.” - Tariq Siddique
Measure, but don’t be a “scale slave.” Head to your local YMCA or gym, and take baseline measurements (total body weight, circumferences of the upper thigh, arm, and waist). You’ll then be able to track and visually see the results. One tip about measuring your weight: don’t be a slave to the scale. I recommend my clients weigh themselves weekly in the morning. The body will put on muscle (which weighs more than fat) while it is shedding fat. In essence you may be losing fat while your weight stays relatively the same.
Stay positive. Accept failure. Be humble. Laugh at your mistakes. I find that many clients expect ridiculous diet and exercise goals and then, when they fail, they give up. If you skip a workout, reschedule. If you eat 4 cookies, lighten up on dinner. Accept that you are not perfect, and don’t give up on the day or week because of a perceived “diet or exercise failure.” Remember to smile at how hard it is to accomplish seemingly small feats, and never forget that almost any situation we find ourselves in is loaded with humor!
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”- Thomas Edison
Get smart. Have fun. Gain as much knowledge about your body, foods, rest, recovery, new workout ideas, and knowledge about yourself as possible. The better you understand what you like or dislike as well as your options for activity, the better you can plan an lifelong activity that is enjoyable! No one sticks with a plan or sport they hate. Know what will make you better or stronger, so you will keep on having fun getting fit.
Read Chad’s other blog posts about living the active life:
- Beat the heat at this year’s Bix. Check out Chad’s five tips for keeping your cool during the Quad Cities’ premier road race. (July 22, 2010)
- Want to know what motivates people to stay active? Check out Chad’s top six reasons that motivate all of us (VIDEO included). (June 30, 2010)
- Chad answers some questions about his experience from the MVHNews staff. (May 21, 2010)
- Chad wraps up his first week of biking to work with a handy review of what he learned and how much money he saved (VIDEO INCLUDED). (May 21, 2010)
- Chad faced rain and lousy weather on his third day of riding his bike to work (VIDEO included). (May 20, 2010)
- Chad hit a headwind on Day 2 of his Biking to Work experiment, but he’s none the worse for wear. Read about it and watch the video. (May 20, 2010)
- Read about Chad’s first day of biking to work. (May 19, 2010)
- Chad helps us celebrate QC in Motion Week and passes along his tips for biking to work (VIDEO included). (May 17, 2010)
- Meet Chad Passman, MVHN Online’s fitness blogger who writes about Living an Active Lifestyle.
Chad Passman, 28, is a Quad City ultra runner and Ironman triathlete. He has spent years personal training Quad Citians of all ages, shapes, and backgrounds. His personal mission is to inspire those around him to make their life goals a reality through a positive outlook and unwavering commitment.
