Here's the next installment in the series on achieving your body fat percentage goal (15% for boys, 22% girls). For the record, I'm really targeting these messages for those of us who are in the 0 mph category or at least those going 25 or less. Those of you already cruising along at 60 should either get back to work, exercise, or sharing this with others - who are stuck in neutral.
For those still tuning in to my preaching on the topic, I'll start with two questions. Have you recorded your vitals on the 10:10 Biography page? Have you set any goals? If you answered no to these, and you really want to make some progress, allow me to "poink" you in the eyes like Moe of the Three Stooges. And then hear Moe yell "Come on! Whad-a-ya waitin' for?!"
Did that help? If you're not where you want to be, you're gonna have to do something different. No argument there. Recording your current condition and desired outcomes can be a very powerful way to engage more of you psyche in the pursuit of your goal. It's like putting a point on a map that says "you are here". With regard to exercise most then proceed to put a destination point on the other side of the map. Without some other points along the way you'll likely wander and abandon the trip. Too bad - 'cause that destination is amazing.
Some people have absolutely no idea how much better they'll be and feel if they achieve the goal I'm suggesting. No frickin' clue. I'm standing on top of a majestic, breathtaking mountaintop, with many others, and I'm screaming "come here and check out this view!". You know the responses I get? "I'm too busy for that right now". Or "I'm too old for that". Or "I can't afford that stuff". There's also the "my joints hurt". When their bodies begin to deteriorate as they must with any piece of machinery that's abused or unused, they now respond with "I can take a prescription to handle that". Say what?!?! That's just throwin' in the towel.
Did I just rant? I think I did. Sorry. What I meant to suggest is that after you've recorded your vitals and destination (15% or 22%), write down some intermediate points (goals) that you can very realistically achieve. What I suggest here though is something quite different. Allow me to show you how to achieve your goals without taking anything away.
Most nutrition programs, commonly referred to as "diets", which by the way sell lots and lots of books, involve some degree of sacrifice. The Atkins/low carb approach pulls that piece of bread away. The Mediterranean Diet also restricts carbohydrate intake. The Zone diet limits intake of the macronutrients (protein/carbs/fat) to very precise amounts. Exercise programs can follow the same pattern where you're now expected to engage in certain activities a fixed number of times per week for a fixed amount of time. And these can all be good, but if you're still stuck at 0, or if you find yourself racing to 60 then stalling back to 0 then they're not completely helping.
Allow me to lower the bar for you. At the bottom of the Personal Biography page I want you to list 3 goals. If you buy the 10:10 Quarterly Training Manual, there's already a place for you to record them. But for now, save the $10.10 and just write them on your biography page. Here's what I want you to do. We're going to set "activity" goals. I don't want you to set a goal like "lose 30 pounds" or "run a mile in 12 minutes". Those are destination goals. Destination goals, while they can provide a good visual, are really not in your control. You have to do something to achieve them. We're going to set goals on that "do something". Make sense?
So for goal #1, I want you to record an exercise goal. I definitely want your top priority to be exercise related because as Jack LaLaine, possibly the greatest wellness expert of our time says: "Fitness is king. Nutrition is queen. Together they make a kingdom". Make this #1 goal something that will require change. My only requirement for you at this point is that you do it 5 days every week. I'm asking you to add something to your life that you can accomplish 90+% of your weeks. And make this goal very attainable. What you want is something(s) you know you can do 5 days every week.
Some examples:
Walk, swim, or cycle 5 minutes (or 10, or 15, or 30, etc.)
Do 5 (10, 15, 30) minutes of calisthenics (stationery exercises) or weightlifting
For goal #2, I want you to record a nutrition goal. Instead of the typical diet approach that expects you to stop eating certain things, I'm only going to ask you to add something to your diet. This something should be a fresh fruit or veggie. For starters this might be an apple. Every day. That's it.
Once you've mastered these goals (we say it takes 3 weeks to form a habit, right?), and when you feel ready, raise the bar. Move from 5 minutes/day to 10, and have a carrot in addition to that apple. As you keep this up do you see what you're doing? You're pushing all the crap out of your life. Crap food and crap time (and I'm not referring to time on the potty).
Don't worry about how long it will take or your results. If you do these things the results will take care of themselves. It's amazingly freeing.
While this seemingly effective, simple approach may be different than your previous attempts, reality and statistics tell me that most will fail with even this modest effort. And the number of overweight Americans will continue to rise. That's where goal #3 comes into the picture. Though I don't have any results, I predict that those who employ goal #3 will find it hard NOT to succeed. How's that for a set up?
The concept for goal #3, comes from a couple things in the bible. King Solomon, after a lifetime of experience, said "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up." In another story Jesus tells his team, which had two players bucking for trophies before they even took the field, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all".
You already know where I'm going with this. Smart bunch you are. Instead of a "me goal" for #3, you're going to create a "friend goal". Make that a "10:10 friend" goal. This goal now becomes your most important of the three. You're #3 goal (but really #1) is a name and a commitment to make sure your friend is achieving their #1 and #2. How do you do this?
There's lots of ways. You plan workouts together. You send emails checking up on them. You send text messages checking up and encouraging. Heck, you could even call them on the phone and have a real conversation. You forward information (emails, web material, blog stuff, books, magazines) that you think will be helpful. And if you're a praying person, then by all means pray for them. Especially when you're exercising alone, make your 10:10 friend the focus of your thoughts and prayers. That's powerful stuff!
For those of you who're already cruising at your desired altitude, I challenge you to invite someone to become a 10:10 friend, and exchange goals. Lead someone you care about to that mountaintop experience you enjoy. Drop me a line every once in a while and let me know how you're doing. And as my friend Zig Ziglar says "I'll see you at the top!"
