You Already Know What You Need to Know

Did you ever just wish you could pop a pill and lose unwanted weight?  Or drink a solution to help you build lean muscle fast?  Oh gosh, then you could just keep doing all the things you do AND look like the fitness models in the ads!  [spoiler alert – fitness models don’t look the way they do because they use the products they sell]

Or have you been searching for the perfect meal plan, diet, or exercise program?  Dabbling here and there, trying new things whenever one program doesn’t seem to do the trick for you?  It’s kind of exhausting, always searching, always pursuing what others tell you is best even if they don’t know you.  Well, let’s put the imaginary genie back in its imaginary bottle.  You don’t need a magic because

…you already know what you need to know.

Trust me on this.  Just like Dorothy learned in The Wizard of Oz, all the power and knowledge you need is lying within you.  You don’t need a magic pill, a quick fix solution, or an expensive detox.  You don’t even need the ruby slippers.

Are the angels singing yet?  Did a rainbow just come out with the sunshine?

You’re smart. You know you’re supposed to eat fruits and veggies, limit your intake of processed foods, and burn more calories than you consume.  And you know a little bit more exercise and movement can make a big difference in how you look and feel.

Still not sure?  Which is healthier: an orange or an oreo? Binge-watching a show or playing outside?

You know this, and I know you know this! Which begs the question:

If you already know what you need to know, why do you feel the need someone to tell you?

Overwhelm: there is too much information available to us.   Google is a blessing and a curse.  On one hand, we can find almost anything we are looking for, and on the other, access to so much information highlights just how challenging it is to distinguish reliable and trustworthy information from the fake.  The volume of information available on fitness and nutrition is overwhelming:

Google “weight loss” if you want to wade through 296,000,000 results.

Google “nutrition” and 494,000,000 results appear.

Google “health” and an incredible 3,280,000,000 results appear. 

The weight loss and fitness industries make billions of dollars each year convincing people that they don’t know enough, aren’t doing enough, and will never reach an ideal body without their help or their products.  And we have ALL bitten at their messages at one time or another.

Fatigue: It feels easier to listen to outside voices rather than your own intuition.  Who has time to filter 3 billion results?  We’rebusy and stressed and focused on everyone and everything around us.  I know, it just seems like it would be easier if someone told us what we need to do and kept after us until we did it, except that we’d probably hate someone nagging us, right? 

So why aren’t you doing it on your own?  Plenty of very busy people stay fit and healthy and it’s not because someone is telling them what to do; it’s because they make it a priority in their life.  When raising kids, caring for parents, pleasing the boss, suffering post-election stress disorder all become reasons for ignoring your own health, that’s a problem. 

Tell me if it isn’t…I’m waiting.

What’s the saying? If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of those around you.  You have to put your own oxygen mask on first.

Give yourself permission to seek support…and to decide if the support is helping or hurting you. 

External motivation only gets you so far.  When life is roaring past and someone promises only 8-weeks to a transformed body if we just do exactly as they say, the appeal is enormous.  It is easy to want to believe we can quickly undo what probably took years to develop.  But when the diet/workout/detox effects don’t last, mostly because you can’t keep committing to the time or the restrictions, you try again.  Then the cycle repeats, building your dependence on external sources for motivation and reinforcing that it was you who failed because you couldn’t keep it up, not the program you were on. 

Kinda crazy, right?   Do you ever find yourself thinking:

I don’t know what to eat.

I don’t know what I’m allowed to eat.

Is cardio even good for me?

I can’t stand counting calories or points anymore.

I’m just going to do a cleanse to I can detox my body and start over.

You’re not alone.  It’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, world out there. 

It may well be easier to follow a trend because others are doing it.  And in the short term, the motivation that comes from being part of a shared experience may be exactly what you need to jumpstart your journey.  There’s a lot to be said for social accountability in sticking with a plan!

If a short-term effort gives you lasting insights and benefits that help you really take care of you for the long term, that’s awesome! You’ve found a terrific program!  But if you’re spinning from one meal plan to the next or one exercise program to the next, slow down. Take a deep breath.  Know you are not alone, and you don’t have to struggle. 

If you can’t count any more calories or points, are ready to ditch the liquid diets, are tired of trying weird new foods, or are looking for a sustainable way to look and feel your best with whole foods, it might be time to get a coach to help you embrace the things you already know so you can start doing what’s right for you.

Taking time to learn what your individual body needs to thrive will give you back precious time, reduce your stress level and help you reach your goal. 

Rest assured, you already know what you need to know.  And I trust you know what you need to do.  So why don’t you give it a go?

Read more on the doing, and try a little experiment, in part 2 of this article, coming soon.

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If you’re ready to take it further, let’s talk!  You can schedule a free midlife fitness and nutrition action planning session with me here.