About The Fitness Buddy
The Fitness Buddy Philosophy –
Unlock Your Potential
So what does this actually mean? We all have the potential to be fitter and healthier. The reasons why so many of us fail time after time is we have no idea on how to get over, around or through the fitness and health locks placed in front of us. The following are tips on how to unlock those locks.
LOCK #1 – You see the latest and coolest diet, machine or craze that promises you. They are missing the most basic of all basic elements in making this journey a success, a solid foundation. They promise a lot of hype but somewhere in their message it states "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL". They know what they are missing but play to a person's desperation of getting results fast.
UNLOCK #1 – Our philosophy is to start from the ground up, focus on building a foundation.
- This foundation is a Lifestyle NOT a quick method of losing weight.
- This foundation will be with you for the rest of your life and others will take your lead.
The Fitness Buddy 16-week program can be used in many different ways and you can always come back to it anytime. After completing the 16-week program binder, you can change the program up, switch things around, and move the pages creating a totally new program at no cost.
A side point to why The Fitness Buddy shies away from the latest diet, coolest machine or craze. Two examples:
- The Dieter – Ever notice someone who has lost tons of weight, but looks worse? Dieting alone does not mean fitter and healthier. In fact in dieting alone, you will lose muscle mass faster than losing fat. Muscle is leaner and easier to burn than fat.
- The Gym Rat – You would think going to the gym automatically means you will lose weight and it does in the beginning, but fitness alone does not cut it either. Remember my story about my training for marathons but the weight kept creeping up? If you think going to the gym alone means fitter, ask an "Arnold" looking guy to jump of a treadmill and run a mile. See how far they get before they hit the wall.
The answer is a balanced Lifestyle with a foundation of eating properly and proper exercise. This will lead you down the correct path of fitness and health.
LOCK #2 – You might say, "I want to lose 15 lbs. by the holidays."
UNLOCK #2 – Our philosophy, STOP focusing on a number as a goal. We encourage goals, not just goals that include "lose an X number of pounds." Goals we suggest are:
- Complete a 5k race this spring
- Drop a couple of shirt sizes
- Being able to keep up with my kids
A "goal" of losing 50 lbs. just leads you down a very familiar path. If/when you do not reach that goal, what happens? Frustration. You start to lose focus on what is really important, fitness and health. Who says 50 lbs. is that magical number anyway? Why not 67 or 127 lbs. or maybe 22 lbs. is enough? The loss of weight is a BY-PRODUCT, NOT A GOAL! Your body will tell you when it has lost enough weight. If not your body, it may be your pants or dress size. Better yet when you are able to do more, have more energy and be happier overall, you will know. When people ask you about the changes they see not only physically, but overall, YOU WILL KNOW.
LOCK #3 – To lose weight I should just eat less.
UNLOCK #3 – Our philosophy, simple WRONG! Eat more. What did you say? I want to lose weight, not gain. What most people do not understand is the body is a remarkable machine. If you eat less, you will lose some weight, but the body adjusts and slows everything down. WE MEAN EVERYTHING! That means weight loss too. When we say eat more that does not mean eating two 1/4 lb. burgers, large fries, and an extra large soda at lunch. What we mean is smaller meals throughout the day, with healthier choices. Change your "typical" three meals up to five or six smaller meals throughout the day.
- You will be less hungry
- You will be less likely to binge when it comes to meal time.
- You are working out; the body needs fuel to operate correctly.
One last thing on food, EAT BREAKFAST! This does not mean getting breakfast from your local drive-thru. You body just went six to eight hours (most of us) without eating, it is hungry. Mom was correct in saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
LOCK #4 – I can't eat what a diet wants me to eat, it does not taste good or it is not enough.
UNLOCK #4 – Our philosophy, we do not want you to eat small portions of bad tasting foods.
- Indulging once in a while is necessary to keep you focused and happy.
- Over time you will enjoy this over-indulgence going in, but in 15 minutes or so your body will remind you why "once in awhile" is a good thing.
- Just remember everything in moderation.
LOCK #5 – I love (energy drinks, coffee, soda) they pick me up when I am sluggish.
UNLOCK #5 – Our philosophy, WATER!
- The body is made up of approximately 70% water, not 70% energy drink, 70% lattes, or 70% sodas.
- The reason you have felt sluggish in the past is due to the shape you were in.
- Going through this journey, the fitter and healthier you become the less sluggish you will feel.
In fact, the reason you may be sluggish is you are dehydrated. Drinking more water will keep you hydrated and help prevent you from feeling worn down and hungry. Energy drinks, coffee and soda are temporary lifts but what happens after? THE CRASH! The fitter and healthier you are, the less chance of THE CRASH!
- A 12 oz cup of water has ZERO calories.
- A 12 oz. can of soda has typically 120 calories.
- It takes a 180-lb. person approximately eight minutes to run off that can of soda, which means running 8-1/2 minute miles.
- Most energy drinks and coffees are much larger than 12 oz. which means more calories.
Ask yourself: is it worth it? Answer – Sometimes yes, but most of the time the answer is no.
LOCK #6 – I am too busy to eat properly and exercise.
UNLOCK #6 – Our philosophy, health before everything else. You are saying here we go again, what do they know? You are right, we are all busy.
- One question; what is more important than your health?
- Kids...okay, but think of it this way – Living your unhealthy Lifestyle impacts not only you, but also think of the impression you make on your children.
- Job...okay, having a job is important. It helps pay the bills, helps you maintain a certain lifestyle, and so on. But without your health everything you do in that job becomes more difficult – not only physically but mentally and emotionally. We did not even mention health care cost...
- The answer is RELAX! Family outings are important.
- When eating out order one appetizer, split an entrée, and drink water.
- Little Timmy's soccer game is important; while he is running around do laps (walking/jogging/running) around the soccer field while watching Timmy.
- It took you sometime to get into the shape you are currently in, correct? Guess what...it will take to move the needle back the other way TIME. RELAX!
WARNING: This fitness and health journey could turn into an obsession. Relax, as the saying goes – this is a marathon not a sprint. Once you reach your goal the journey does not end, that was just one chapter. You have an entire novel to write, this is a LIFE LONG JOURNEY.
One last bit if advice:
Keep track of your progress. That is why when you purchase The Fitness Buddy; it includes three 30-page workout logs specifically designed for this booklet. Additional workout logs are available for purchase, once you have used yours up!
Track your progress in these exercises; also track your cardio and even what you eat. After a while you may want to set a goal to test your fitness level, try a 5K (3.1 miles) as a good step. Remember, no one says you have to run the whole thing, especially if it is your first one. Just keep pushing yourself. You might just amaze yourself. Who knows, maybe a marathon or a triathlon may be in your future.
Visit our web site frequently for many useful topics to keep you motivated and on the correct path.
Remember, we created The Fitness Buddy to be an actual fitness book you can use in the gym, home or traveling. Use it. The only person that can change this around is YOU. We can help, but if you do not use The Fitness Buddy it cannot do the work for you.
Ready for the next step? Click here to order your copy of The Fitness Buddy >