Almost every weekend my wife and I have a date night. It is either on Friday or Saturday night. We have come to really enjoy our weekly outings. And, I believe that it really makes us better parents to just get away from our 4 kids and our business for a couple of hours a week .
More often than not, I will have some kind of a treat or something I would not normally have in my weekly routine. But this past weekend I was really exhausted and I guess you could say I took it quite a bit further and completely went off the deep end.
It started off with a yogurt with candy toppings, followed by nachos & cheese during the movies. That was BEFORE dinner. Then I followed it up with a nice, delicious dinner! Oh yeah…it was good!
As I said, I was really tired from the week and I’ve noticed that when I’m really tired, I tend to eat more and I tend to eat more sugary or starchy carb type foods.
About half way through, I was feeling way too full and uncomfortable but I kept eating until I was MISERABLE! I obviously IGNORED my body’s signals that I had had enough (which is a perfect recipe for gaining weight)!
I did not feel like doing anything after our movie and dinner. I was so full that all I really wanted to do was crawl in my bed and watch TV. I physically felt like crap.
The funny thing about the “eating clean lifestyle” is that when you don’t, your body gets really sensitive. It is kind of like if you don’t drink much but you go out with your friends and drink way more than you are used to and you feel like “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” the next day.
Anyway, the next day I got right back on track. I got up, ate really clean, trained and blasted out those processed carbs and sugars.
So after this particular eating disaster, one of our awesome and fabulous campers, India Daly, said to me today “John, you look so vascular. You are just so consistent.” (So while I was flattered, I knew that she obviously didn’t know about my dirty little secret weekend escapade… LOL)
So really, the truth is that I may be consistent but I am surely not perfect. And you do not have to be perfect either. It all brought me back to one of our main principles we teach in camp:
“It’s not what you do all the time, but what you do most of the time that counts.”
I’ve been in the fitness industry for about 14 years now and a common story that I see over and over again is how many women never get started because they’re “not ready”. They have the false belief that everything must be just right or that they must be perfect before they can start. Or they think that they can never be perfect or eat clean, so why try?
I can tell you that there’s never the perfect time and you’ll never be perfect and you don’t need to be so why not start now? Today? Right this very moment?
If losing weight, being healthy and performing your best are your goals, then there are 10 main “habits” that you should focus on. If you are in our women’s fitness boot camp, then you already know what they are. (If not, you can sign up for my free video e-course on my website, where I give you the top 5 strategies/habits and coach you through the implementation of them. Just enter your name and email in the sign-up box on this page and you’ll start receiving them right away!)
And, you don’t (and shouldn’t) try to implement them all at once. Pick 1 (maybe 2) at a time and focus on making them habits that you are consistent with. Once you are 90% compliant with the habit(s) you have chosen, pick your next habit and so on.
At first it may seem like you’re rolling a log up a mountain. But once you get to about habit 5 and you are doing enough things right for a long enough period of time, then momentum will start to take over. Then, the log starts to roll down the other side of the mountain.
With consistency (not perfection), you’ll start losing weight, looking better and getting compliments. Then, even when you mess up once in a while it is like the log hits a bump going down the mountain but the log just pops over the bump and just keeps steam rolling down the mountain.
Again it is about consistency. It is not what you do all the time; it is what you do most of the time that counts.
Look for progression not perfection.
And remember, please feel free to leave me a comment below, I’m here for you!
John
PS – Will you be joining our group at the I Love Mother’s Day 5K this Sunday? I’d love to see you there. If so, please be sure to click here and let us know by leaving a comment.
John It’s obvious by looking at you that you are consistent with your training and diet. I think your REAL secret is you are intrinsically motivated, CONSISTENTLY! Now that makes you a real superstar my friend. P.S. everyone needs a ooey gooey cheat day now and again! 😀 😀
Hey India! Thanks for inspiring this post today 😉 It is sooooo good to have you back in camp — your positive and uplifting attitude is infectious! See you tomorrow, rockstar!
Great post John. The first camp I attended, I didn’t miss a day. The second camp, I had a conflict and had to miss a day, and I did my usual hand wringing, and oh boy, it wasn’t going to be perfect attendance! Then I finally said to myself, if I’m going to stick with this long term, I’m going to miss days, and I have to be okay with that. So I missed. But I got right back to it. In every other fitness effort I’ve made, I would have quit. But, I resolved to just keep going. That was back in September of 2011. I’ve stuck with Bootcamp and I’ve missed days here and there. And the changes have come. Because I’ve been consistent. This is what I tell people when they ask me how I did it. I don’t quit. I keep going.
Now, since I was unable to workout for two weeks recently, after coming back yesterday….ummm…I can’t walk today. Feels good to be back! Bootcamp rocks!
Thank you, Shannon! Your consistency has definitely paid off — hence the awesome before and afters going from a size 10 to a size 6! Woohoo, girl! Pow!
Nachos and cheese! I don’t believe you! No seriously like India said above it is obvious you are consistent. I have to thank you for your motivation and inspiration. We are so quick to puts our selves down for not being “perfect”. I love that you stress consistency instead of trying to be perfect. Perfect is boring..and unrealistic. Consistency is attainable and is what makes you strive to reach your individual goals. Eating healthier has definitely had an effect on my body over the last 5 months. I still cheat but I feel like I pay for it the next day. It’s so weird how your body reacts differently now to certain foods that never really had an effect before. I enjoyed reading this blog and I look forward to camp and the challenging workout waiting for me.
I honestly have never felt better! ….even if I can’t walk today! Lol see you Thursday!
Thanks for the post Melissa! Yep, haha, there I was in the back row watching “The Avengers” crunching away. 🙂 But you got it right, consistency but not perfection is the way to lasting success. You did a great job today at camp! See you tomorrow. Let’s finish this week strong!