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 By: Steve Willis
If you were alive in any other era, you wouldn't need to read this. But when you look for fitness answers today, you are likely to drown in an overload of information. There is entirely too much conflicting advice to be found on the internet, in books, and via infomercials. To compound the problem, a significant amount of this information comes to you in the form of tantalizing get-fit-quick schemes. It is only natural, especially if you are a fitness novice, to be sucked in by the promise that you can quickly and easily obtain the fit body that you want. The truth is, you can obtain that body. The lie is that it will come to you quickly and easily. What you need is a source of truth. Simple truth. A way to get from where you are, to where you want to be, without all the interference that typically comes at you in the form of smoke and mirrors, over-complication, and unbalanced philosophy.
  Click Image To Enlarge.The Lie Is That The Body You Want Will Come To You Quickly And Easily. I am here to guide you through all of this. I am here to cross you over, so to speak, into the light. Follow along in this series of articles as I do my best to show you the way.
Believe it or not, people used to apply and depend upon timeless principles when they wanted to accomplish something. Now, these same principles are too often considered outdated. If you're like most people, you've at least once become enamored with one of the new and improved methods to get the body you want.
However, the wheel to get you where you want to go has already been invented. Heed this warning: "Don't mess with the wheel". The basic "wheel" of fitness has been in place for a long time. And it works well. You've heard the phrases "caloric balance" and "use it or lose it." They are the foundations of fitness. The number of calories you consume must equal the number of calories you expend in order to maintain your current body mass. Start eating more calories than you burn off, and you will gain body mass. Simple, right? The opposite is also true. If your base metabolism and your exercise, together, burn more calories than you ingest, you will lose body mass. This is the caloric balance.
 Click Image To Enlarge.The Wheel To Get You Where You Want To Go Has Already Been Invented. Needless to say, if you want to lose weight and get in shape, you are looking for ways to burn more calories than you take in. For now, let's not take this any further. This will suffice. To touch on the "use it or lose it" principle - your muscles and their support network of the cardiovascular system, tendons and bones will only increase in strength, size, or efficiency if you consistently put them to work. Within reason, the more you work your body, the more it will respond by growing stronger, larger, or more capable. Again, let's not further complicate for now.
Along with a small dose of common sense, applying these two principles are all you need to obtain the fitness goals you are after. Looking for an alternative? Stop! There is no more direct route to lasting fitness. Instead, make sure your wheels are custom fit to the mind and body that you drive.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Make Sure Your Wheels Are Custom Fit To The Mind And Body That You Drive.
Weight loss and fitness fads are just that - fads. The definition of a "fad", according to dictionary.com is, "a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group." Keyword: temporary. There are fad programs out there that work. The problem is, most will not work for the long term. They are flawed, and take advantage of your enthusiasm. You only need to consider the source to understand why.
Most fad fitness programs are conceived by someone who wants to make money. Period. And they've done their research - they know there are millions of people out there looking for quick and easy solutions to their problems. Likewise, there are millions of people who are out of shape and overweight. Let's look at an all too common scenario. Harry is in a hurry to look spectacular. Beach weather is fast approaching. Harry has quite a few pounds to lose, and several sags to cinch up. Rather than fall back on basic fitness principles, Harry buys into a radical approach.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Most Fad Fitness Programs Are Conceived By Someone Who Wants To Make Money. He adopts a fitness program that promises results fast. A program that tweaks those time-tested principles by being more restrictive, manipulative, or lopsided than necessary. Which program? Other than being unbalanced, the particulars are irrelevant. Suffice it to say he's on the program that calls for no carb intake except for pineapple on Tuesdays and performing ten daily sets of Willie Wonkas while standing on ones head. Or... something like that. Harry thinks that any change to the stale methods of yesterday must be an improvement. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many overweight and out of shape people. Right?
Harry, just like most of us, will burn out long before he reaches his goal. He is trying to accomplish too much too soon using unorthodox methods. It is too much of a change to his lifestyle for him to be able to maintain.
What you're really looking for is something that's going to stick. Something you can stick with. We're not talking 30 pounds lost in thirty days, folks. Let's look at another definition: Incrementalism - the idea of making changes in small degrees. When applied to fitness, this means - are you ready? - gradually losing weight and toning up.
It sounds simple because it is simple. And therein lies the beauty of it. Don't be fooled. Making small, cumulative changes does not equal small results. We're all after big results, results that will wow us and those around us. The great news is that you can have that physique that will have others asking how you did it. Are you excited now? You should be. You're primed to avoid the scams in the fitness industry today and make the most of your limited time. You want to follow a program with a high success rate, and forego the false promise of immediate results. You're ready to cross over into the light.
 Click Image To Enlarge.We're All After Big Results, Results That Will Wow Us And Those Around Us. Here are some tips to help you customize the "caloric balance" and "use it or lose it" principles to your own life.
Come up with a detailed description of what it is you want. Write it down. Review it frequently so that you can instantly recall exactly what you want. Make it a part of you.
It is critical that you do not force too much upon yourself. Extremely limiting carbs is a force fit. Allowing yourself too few calories is a force fit.
 Click Image To Enlarge.It Is Critical That You Do Not Force Too Much Upon Yourself.
Decrease your caloric intake by a modest 300-500 calories per day. See where that gets you after a few weeks, and then adjust as necessary. Pay attention to how "fed" your body feels compared to how much you ate.
If you're already into walking, jogging, or biking, go an extra half-mile. Give these changes time to become habitual. Then step into your next batch of small changes.
Most of us do not like to be burdened with things that are complicated, especially things that we are not already familiar with.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Most Of Us Do Not Like To Be Burdened With Things That Are Complicated.
If you are a detail oriented person that enjoys documenting your activities, then by all means start a detailed fitness journal to track your progress. Related Dedication, Consistancy & Focus Articles:
Simply monitoring how you look in the mirror, or how much looser your clothes are getting, can be more than enough motivation.
For every person that achieves their dream body, there are hundreds of others who are wishing they could do the same!
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