JUST GET STARTED--AGAIN!

56 people made the weigh-in Friday night. We had four people missing—at least two couldn’t be there, but are still active. That’s pretty good for week two.

As you know, half the people always seem to find a reason to stop any type of diet or exercise program. So we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about how to keep going, even when things get tough.

The first and most important thing is to just get started. You can think about it, talk about it, but if you don’t actually start, nothing happens. You’ve got to actually do it. Just get started.

Once you’ve done that, the next most important thing is to keep getting started—each and every day. Things are going to come up. Life is going to intrude and knock you back. It’s tough. That’s why you need to keep getting started—again, and then again.

Do that enough times, and pretty soon you’ve got a habit going. Experts say it takes at least 21 times to make a habit. What we tend to forget is that if we stop going 21 times in a row, it’s now a habit to not go.

If you want to get what you want, you need to keep getting started. Make it a habit to get in the gym. When you don’t feel like it, just get started. When one part of your body aches, just get started again and go in and work around it. Do what you can. Keep getting started.

When you absolutely can’t get to the gym, work out at home. Go for a walk or for a jog. If the weather is too cold, do jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups and body squats in your living room. Do sets of 10 or 20 and see how many rounds you can do.

Get out that old Richard Simmons tape. Actually use that equipment you’ve got down in your basement. Do something. Keep moving. Keep getting started.

When something happens to throw your eating off track, fix it and move on. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Don’t use it as an excuse to just throw all that progress under the bus. Keep getting started with that too.

You know the old saying “slow and steady wins the race.” The turtle kept getting started, one plodding step at a time. It might not have been as fast as the rabbit, but the rabbit got burned out and quit altogether.

I like to do things a little faster sometimes—to get a better workout, and burn more calories—but I’m all over the steady part. It means that you keep moving forward. Keep working toward the goal. Staying focused on what you really want. Having a plan, and working the plan.

They used to say about Texas Rangers: “There’s no stopping a man who knows he’s in the right, and keeps on a-coming.” That’s what we need. That type of commitment. That sense of purpose and destiny in the things we do.

Attach that type of energy and emotion to your program, and you’ll get what you want. Have that working for you, and you’ll keep getting started.

This week, at least 56 out of 60 people kept getting started, and we turned it up in the Friday night workout too. Last week, they did 5 sets of 10 pushups, 10 sit-ups and 10 body squats—for a total of 50 each.

This time around, they did 60 each, but in a different way. The first thing was that instead of sitting waiting for things to get started, I had them get up and start walking or jogging around the room. This will be a staple from now on. There will be no more sitting. They’ll be moving.

Then they did 20 pushups, 20 sit-ups and walking lunges up and down the room. The second time, they did 20 more pushups and sit-ups and walking lunges backward.

Finally, they did their last 20 pushups, sit-ups, and then hopped around the perimeter of the room—probably 40 hops—great exercise!

After that, we did 3 rounds of sumo-wrestling—pushing each other to try to get them off balance. That’s harder than you think! Finally, they “ran the dots” and ended with stretching.

The goal is to keep giving them more and more ideas and things to work into their daily routines. Next week, we’ll turn it up again—but they’ll be ready for it.

The human body is fearfully and wonderfully made—it will respond to the work by getting leaner and stronger, and ready for the next time. That’s perfect, because we’re going to keep getting started.

The winner of Week Two was Bill Lewis, again. Last week he lost 13 pounds. This week, he lost 3.1% of his body weight and 7.4 lbs. Bill won a $20 Wal-Mart gift certificate from Terry Elston and State Farm Insurance.

Terry and State Farm also provided pedometers to all the participants. I’m hoping to tell you how many miles everyone is covering before we finish Biggest Loser “6.”

Bill also won a $20 gift card from our local Subway who just came on board as a weekly sponsor, too. My wife and I always have a “Subway night,” and it’s always a good choice for a quick, healthy meal.

Second place went to Dawn Hopper, who lost 2.3% of her body weight and 4.8 lbs. Third place went to Peter Petrowsky, who lost 2.0% of his body weight and 4.4 lbs. Peter (age 66) and Bill (age 68) are going a long way to prove that anyone can do this.

No picture this week—we’ve got to remember to have a camera—but we’ll get one next week for you. I’ll also tell you about the food part of things. Until then, just get started—again. And keep getting started.