Getting Into Shape Is Really Hard
Maintaining your fitness is one of the great joys of life. You have an abundance of energy, you feel great and life just seems a little bit easier.
However this can all change in a few weeks, a nice vacation away by the sea: Beer, pizza some dessert here and there. And all that hard work before turns into a dilemma of getting back into shape, something which most people dread.
I am no exception to this, I really hate getting back into shape. I know that some people take great pleasure in climbing this uphill mountain. But I would much rather stay in good shape, by simply maintaining it with a little self-control.
This means staying away from too much junk food, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and doing at least 3 days of intensive exercise during the week.
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However life has a way of creeping up on you, and next thing you know you are left with a pot belly and pictures online of your old immaculate self.
I am no expert in the field of exercise or weight loss but these are just some simple things I do consistently to stay lean, without over-exerting myself.
1.Fitness Schedule:
When you start a new job you need to sign a contract on the hours you will work and how much you will be remunerated for your hours. That’s why it’s essential you take your exercise plan serious. Your contract is an agreement with your self on how many days you will exercise (minimum) anything else is just a bonus or overtime.
But you have to do the minimum, even when you don’t feel like it. Just like going to work even though you would rather stay at home and binge on Netflix.
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Your reward for going to work even when you don’t feel like it, is the salary you receive at the end of the month. In exercise terms your salary is all the weight you have managed to shed off.
The same way you don’t check your bank balance every day to see if you’ve been paid. You don’t have to check your weight everyday to see how much weight you’ve lost, your reward is waiting for you at the end of the month.
2.Light Dinner:
This is something I learned about when I travelled around South East Asia, and joined Meditation retreats.
Monks only eat two meals a day, one in the morning and another before noon.
After that they don’t eat solid food and spend the rest of the day only with liquids while studying, practising meditation, and other activities related to the temple, community, and self-development.
When I stayed in an Ashram for a few weeks in Burma, I complained to the Sayadaw that I couldn’t sleep because my stomach was rumbling from hunger. He laughed and casually reminded me that I was allowed to drink smoothies if the hunger became unbearable.
So there I was with my big bag of mangoes which I purchased from the local market; blender roaring like a Harley-Davidson making smoothies all night to quiet my stomach rumblings.
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But as time went by, I slowly got used to not eating after noon and saw the benefits of it. A heavy meal at night isn’t good because our digestive system slows down and the food is unable to break down which causes excess fat, and it also makes it difficult to wake up early.
Monks are required to wake up early to meditate and a heavy meal would disrupt this routine.
However you don’t have to be extreme, and starve yourself like Buddhist monks. A light meal a few hours before bed is good enough, a handful of Protein and some vegetables or salads.
3.Fun Activities:
Combining things you enjoy with fitness. E.g. Taking a long walk listening to your favourite Podcast or even music you enjoy.
If there is a series you really like, set a rule for yourself that you may only watch it while you are using a treadmill or a cycling machine.
30 minutes of exercise while watching your favourite series sends positive signals to your brain which associates exercise with something pleasurable.
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We don’t have much time during the day to do some of our favourite activities, mixing it up with exercise helps you associate something you enjoy with something you don’t like to do.
In Conclusion
So, before you lose all your self control and neglect your exercise regimen and stuff yourself with all the sweet treats that life has to offer. Make a mental note of the pain and suffering you will experience when trying to get back into shape, it sucks… It really does.
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As the saying goes, “Prevention is better that cure” So don’t go down that road of perpetual misery.
Maintain your shape with intensive exercise, light activities and a dash of self control. It doesn’t require a lot, and the benefits are exponential.
