Taking Responsibility
Posted: March 17, 2015
A friend recently sent me an article about exercise and dieting. The well known fitness blogger’s point was simple. Within 30 seconds of meeting someone, he could tell if they were going to be successful.
Here’s how he figured it. If people started making excuses for how they got that way, they’d make excuses later too. If they couldn’t take responsibility for the way they were, they wouldn’t take responsibility during their training.
I think he was right. Shifting blame never fixes anything. Even if you won’t own the reason, you still own the problem. And if you’re not willing to own the reason for the problem, you’ll probably just do it again anyway.
This is as real as I can make it. If you don’t take responsibility for what you put in your mouth, you’re going to stay fat. Unless you’re a baby, nobody put that food in your mouth. It was you.
I have a cookie problem. I love em. I’ll eat them all. If it’s crunchy, I chomp it. If it weren’t for cookies, I wouldn’t have to workout all the time.
But nobody made me eat those cookies. I can blame my wife for buying and bringing them home, but she’s not the one tiptoeing into the pantry in the middle of the night. She’s not the one who made that trail of cookie crumbs!
Get control of your eating and you’ll get results. That’s what all those diet and nutrition plans really have in common. Most anything will work if you’ll just start and then stick to it.
Knock off the junk, eat more salads, fruits and vegetables, and eat lean cuts of meat and poultry. Avoid processed foods and go for more whole grains. It’s pretty simple.
Track your food for awhile, too. You can do it easily on your smart phone. I’m using the free app from MyFitnessPal.
Get an activity tracker. I have friends who love the Garmin tracker and it really helps them keep track those calories out. I kind of like the newer FitBit.
Finally, if you don’t take responsibility for your schedule, you’re going to get fat, or stay fat. You have to make time for regular exercise. Start with 20 minutes a day and go from there. You can certainly find 20 minutes. Find a way!
We all have problems, sometimes we ARE the problem. But sometimes we can be the solution too. It starts with owning up and taking responsibility! I’m ready. Are you?