Have you given up on your fitness goals yet? "If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the wagon, the universe will provide one." February is the month that most people revert to their pre-New-Year's-Resolution habits. Oprah knows how it feels to fall off the fitness wagon; in the January issue of The Oprah Magazine she described her recent 40 pound weight gain. Her testimony was filled with valuable insights for anyone prone to relapse. There was a hidden cycle in her story - one that exposes the process of falling off the wagon.
1) You Fall
Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn out process. Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that will get you off the wagon. Once you're off the real damage begins. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising. What is your Excuse?
2) You Surrender
There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. This is the most destructive part of the cycle. You remove all expectations from yourself and as a result you plummet into an unhealthy realm. The progress that you've made toward your goals is lost and even more weight is gained. For Oprah this was a dramatic moment. "I started eating whatever I wanted - and that's never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress." What is your Vise?
3) You Hit Bottom
Inevitably there comes the moment when you hit bottom. Your body shows the new weight gain and you feel awful about it. While hitting bottom is never a fun experience, it is a necessary one. The pain must become great enough for you to turn it around and take the control back. For Oprah it was a sobering moment. "I felt completely defeated. I thought, I give up. I give up. Fat wins." She went so far as to say, "I felt like a fat cow. I wanted to disappear." Are you at the Bottom?
4) You Take Control
Now comes the good part. When you hit bottom you were out of control, now you're ready to once again grab the reigns. Oprah plans to get an hour of exercise five or six days a week, as well as eating healthfully and reordering her life to include time to replenish her energy. Her new goal is to be strong and healthy and fit. Oprah says that "These days I've put myself back on my own priority list." Are you going to take Control?
Now is the time to put yourself back on that priority list.
Now is the time to decide that you are worth it.
Committed to Your Health,
Heath Herrera, M.Ed., CSCS
HH Fitness
1) You Fall
Your fall off the wagon could take place in a single moment, or it could be the result of a drawn out process. Illness, vacation, holidays, changes at work or any other change in your schedule are all things that will get you off the wagon. Once you're off the real damage begins. Oprah described her fall as one that happened slowly as a result of health problems. These health problems became her reason for not exercising. What is your Excuse?
2) You Surrender
There comes a point after you fall off the wagon that you simply throw your hands up in the air and give in. This is the most destructive part of the cycle. You remove all expectations from yourself and as a result you plummet into an unhealthy realm. The progress that you've made toward your goals is lost and even more weight is gained. For Oprah this was a dramatic moment. "I started eating whatever I wanted - and that's never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress." What is your Vise?
3) You Hit Bottom
Inevitably there comes the moment when you hit bottom. Your body shows the new weight gain and you feel awful about it. While hitting bottom is never a fun experience, it is a necessary one. The pain must become great enough for you to turn it around and take the control back. For Oprah it was a sobering moment. "I felt completely defeated. I thought, I give up. I give up. Fat wins." She went so far as to say, "I felt like a fat cow. I wanted to disappear." Are you at the Bottom?
4) You Take Control
Now comes the good part. When you hit bottom you were out of control, now you're ready to once again grab the reigns. Oprah plans to get an hour of exercise five or six days a week, as well as eating healthfully and reordering her life to include time to replenish her energy. Her new goal is to be strong and healthy and fit. Oprah says that "These days I've put myself back on my own priority list." Are you going to take Control?
Now is the time to put yourself back on that priority list.
Now is the time to decide that you are worth it.
Committed to Your Health,
Heath Herrera, M.Ed., CSCS
HH Fitness
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