YOU'VE STILL GOT TO DO IT

Last week, I had a couple people ask me when we were going to do our next Biggest Loser program (“18”). When I told them we’d probably do it in the fall, they were obviously disappointed, because they said they were hoping to get started now.

So I told them that even if Biggest Loser wasn’t until the fall, they could do it now. I’d give them all the materials the group gets. I’d feed them the workouts so they knew what to do each week, and we even spent some time talking about how to start tracking their food intake in a daily calorie log, online, or with one of the numerous phone apps available these days.

What they were looking for was some motivation and accountability. I told them they could weigh in each week, just like in the group. They could take beginning measurements, and if they were really serious, have someone take a couple pictures of them in some tight workout clothes (front and side view).

They could put a picture up on their mirror that would serve as amazing motivation. The truth hurts sometimes, and pictures as they say, “tell a thousand words.” Each month, they could take a new picture, and they’d be able to see the changes as they happen. Along with new measurements each month this would give them a chance to see their progress even if the scale wasn’t cooperating, which happens sometimes.

We also talked about letting other people know what they were doing so they’d have additional accountability. The more people you tell, the more pressure you have to get it done.

I even gave them some first assignments. They were supposed to do a simple first workout (go for a walk), and then get back with me so we could do their initial weigh-in, body fat, basal metabolic rate calculation (tells them their minimum needed calories each day), % of water, and other measurements. It’s been over a week and I still haven’t heard back from them.

What makes this frustrating for me, is that they’d already overcome several of the biggest obstacles facing them. They’d recognized they needed to do something. They’d located someone with a program (me). They even took the next step of making contact to get things going. One of them even joined the center. We spent quite a bit of time talking about it.

But somewhere along the way, they ran into something that got them off track before they could even get started. Both of them had already told me that motivation was their biggest problem. I’d told them that even if they were in a Biggest Loser group, they still had to show up and get it done.

I have a lot of respect for them for coming in and sharing their problem with me. That took a lot of courage. And hopefully, something will change for them, and they’ll be able to get things going. But in the end, it always comes down to getting started and sticking with it. You’ve still got to do it.

Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.