I know, I know, unfortunate but true.  There are all kinds of crash diets, supplements, crazy machines, wraps, detox drinks, etc. out there claiming to be a quick fix or promising rapid weight loss but in my experience the only real way to get healthy, lose weight, and actually KEEP the weight off is through hard work and consistent effort.  The key to that last sentence is the KEEP IT OFF part!

Sure, if you drink nothing but liquid for 48 hours you will probably lose a few pounds.  The same goes for if you pop a bunch of diet pills or chug energy drinks and don’t eat a lot of food you will probably also lose a few pounds (and possibly develop a permanent twitch from all the caffeine) but these “quick fixes” are not sustainable.  In my experience the rapid shedding of weight often leads to sort of a painful rubber band situation where the weight snaps right back on you and in many cases you end up gaining more weight then you originally lost.

Fad diets, as they are often called, usually have you doing something radical to lose a little bit of weight.  The problem is that once you go back to eating normally (which sooner rather than later you will have to do) all that weight is bound to come right back.  So now you have starved, shook and/or profusely sweated yourself silly only to end up right back where you started.  And that’s best case scenario….hopefully you don’t end up gaining more weight or worse have an adverse side effect from putting your body through such a strenuous, usually unhealthy ordeal.

So what is the answer?  If I had to pick one word for what I think the secret is it would be consistency.  Not much of a secret huh?  Also not shiny, or sparkly, or flashy but it works! Show up each day.  Make good choices more often than not.  Put the time and effort in on a regular basis and you will end up with a healthy, sustainable lifestyle where the weight will come off safety and you will be able to keep it off.  Wouldn’t you feel better achieving something anyway knowing you put in hard work to get it??  Ok maybe the answer to that question is not always yes, and sometimes it is nice for something to come easy, but when it comes to your health it is my feeling that this is something you don’t want to shortcut. Your health is the most important thing you possess.  You can have all the money in the world, a ton of friends, be super popular but if your health is poor you really can’t enjoy any of that.

Now I am not saying that there aren’t things out there that can help you while you are putting the work in.  I myself use a nutritional shake (all-natural), a pre-workout and even a post-workout/recover drink (both natural as well) on a daily basis.  These products don’t however take the place of me getting my butt moving each day.  They are meant to fill in the holes left by my restricted diet so I make sure I am getting the nutrition I need as well as the energy and to get through a workout and afterward replenish the nutrients and electrolytes I lose during a workout.  But again, these products do not take the place of good old fashioned sweat (I almost said blood, sweat and tears but that sounded a little dramatic/discouraging!).

Consistency is key you guys.  Make an effort to be active at least 5 days a week.  This doesn’t mean you have to go out and run ten miles everyday or be in gym lifting an insane amount of weight for two hours at a time but do make an effort to get your heart rate up about 30-45 minutes a day.  The program I am following currently has me working out intensely for 30 minutes, 4 times a week which is super easy to fit in to my crazy busy life but I also try to actively rest at least one or two other days during the week.  This usually takes the form of a yoga or pilates class or currently I jump on the treadmill to continue prepping for the next 5k I have coming up (September 1st) .

Like most things in life, you are going to get out of your fitness journey what you put in.  So what’s the good news take away from all this?  Well, I have found that what has ended up happening in my own journey is after I made the initial decision to get my butt back into shape and prioritize my health it became less of a chore and more of a routine.  Now I can say it is a full on lifestyle!  Even better, this all happened in the span of about six months.  Starting out my results were slow to come, but I showed up each day knowing they would.  Now I look in the mirror and I can barely believe the way my body as responded and how my life has changed for the better!  August accountability check-in picture below:

In the very wise words of Thomas Edison, “Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort”.  This could not be more true then as it relates to getting and staying healthy.  Will it require effort, yes.  Will it be worth it, ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Happy August y’all!!

xoxoxo,

Beth