Before I start this nice little rant, let me just clear the air and admit that though I have decided that home fitness and Shakeology are the best tool for me and my current situation, I don’t think that it is the only way to get HEALTHY and in shape. The topic of fad diets fires me up on so many levels.
Long before programs like P90X, T25, 21 Day Fix and Piyo, people were losing weight and living healthy lifestyles. I am a little bias of course because of the phenomenal results I have achieved over the last 5 years and after each of my last 3 babies (I have 5).
Do you know what the secret to success is? It’s consistency.
If you want results you have to do the things that are hard every single day. I have had many people ask for my help in losing weight. Far too often they want to lose weight for a wedding, reunion or beach vacation that is just WEEKS away. I confess that I don’t have the quick fix solution. I can get you results in a few weeks, but that perfect bikini body they have plastered on billboards and magazines…that takes months and years of hard work.
Don’t let that scare you though. I don’t want you standing at the bottom of the mountain, looking up and thinking that you can never make it to the top. I want you to just hold my hand and take one step at a time.
I’m not going to pick any one weight loss fad diet to slam in this blog. There are many that are awful and hazardous to our health and yet they are allowed to be marketed. In fact, most of us feel so overwhelmed by options that don’t work, we end up going back to the other option JUNK FOOD, in this hilarious parody video that went viral last month! It’s funny, because it’s reality for some many and a glimpse into so many American diets. We want to be healthy, but end up going back to what satisfies our immediate cravings.
It is kind of mind blowing to me and a big reason why I don’t base my health decisions on what the FDA says is okay. I like to see what is FDA approved and then do my own research and use a little common sense. There are MANY fad diets that are not healthy for your diet.
Fad Diets Kill Your Mojo
There are lots of things that are not FDA approved that are really awesome for you just as there are so many products that have FDA approval that are pretty terrible. I won’t speak to specific products. I will only speak on what I do know for absolute fact and that is that if you want long lasting results that will give you the body you want but more importantly, a healthy long life, you can put money on exercise and good nutrition.
What do I mean by exercise? Get your heart rate up. If running isn’t for you, then don’t do it. Find something that works for you.
I was a huge gym rat before I had kids. I love the atmosphere, I loved the friends and I loved secretly competing with the others around me. If they had 15 pound weights I’d try to go for the 20s. The best success will come when you find a program that works for you. When you enjoy something, you will be more likely to do it every day. It may simply start with grabbing a friend to go out for a walk each day, but you better darn well be sweating and breathing hard when you get done. Deal?
Before you give up on the exercise and healthy eating concept, remember this:
- This is the only body you will ever have. Treat it with love and respect.
- Exercise will give you results. You just have to keep doing it and trust the process.
- If you stop seeing results even though you are eating right and exercising, it may be time to pick a different kind of workout. It’s important to switch things up every 2-3 weeks. That is why the Beachbody programs come with multiple workouts and a calendar that keeps you doing different things.
- Nutrition shakes aren’t a bad thing. Even the cleanest eater has a hard time getting the nutrients they need in. Find one that is good for your needs. Be careful of the ingredients. Cheaper isn’t better and the opposite is usually true. I encourage you to take ingredients to a nutritionist or dietitian to get an unbiased opinion. My family has been drinking Shakeology for about 4.5 years now. We know how it makes us feel and value the integrity behind the ingredients and production. We asked lots of questions and did research of our own before deciding that it was the best option for us and our kids.
- If you struggle with fitness, get some accountability. That’s my specialty. I can get you into one of our groups that start each month. We share fitness and nutrition tips, talk about our workouts, share motivation and encouragement and really build a strong sense of community. It’s fun and rewarding and even helps me to get back on track when I fail (yes, I also fail and don’t always want to work out).
Take care of you! Be a skeptic when someone tells you that their way is the best/fastest/most effective way to lose weight and get healthy. There really are lots of options, you just need to find what is truly in the best interest of your health and then commit. Success in anything doesn’t happen overnight, in a week, in a month of even a year. It happens with commitment and daily consistency.
I know you can do this – now it’s time for you to believe!
xoxo – Rebekah
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