I see a lot of people working on their health and fitness on a daily basis, and if you work out regularly at a health club or gym, you probably have too. Some people will make noticeable progress while others always seem to stay the same. What's up with that?
That is probably the number one question I get asked. "I've been doing this for 5 weeks now and I haven't lost a pound!" My favorite is the person who has been doing it for a while, lost some weight and then plateaus. They literally get stuck for weeks, even months, at the same weight.
The body is a wonderfully created mechanism. Though frequently studied, it remains a mystery in so many ways. Before I continue, let me be clear that I'm not a doctor (although I play one at work sometimes) and I have no formal medical training other than taking some classes in biology, physiology and chemistry. I've always had a fascination with the human body from a very young age and I can't get enough of it. What I'm about to say should in no way be construed as advice based on scientific evidence. It is based solely on my own research, observation and anecdotal evidence. My comments also don't take into consideration accidents or some diseases (beyond our control).
First, let's look at what has happened over the course of your life. Well, let's not spend that much time, but suffice to say that you probably haven't been so kind to your body as you should have been. Getting married, starting jobs and moving up the ladder, having and raising kids...it all takes a toll on the body. When we were young, we were active, had lots of muscle and didn't spend all day sitting around.
As we moved through life, we got slower, weaker and fatter. Most people say that's the natural aging process. I really don't agree with that. It's what happens during the course of an 80 year life, but most people start showing signs of "aging" way before they should. There is really no reason that someone in their 50's and 60's can't be as active and fit as they were in their 30's and 40's.
Somewhere along the way we just stopped keeping up the maintenance on our bodies. As life became more complex, we had much more to maintain and take care of and that usually meant we neglected ourselves. It's a shame, but I've seen it way too often and there is really no one to blame except the person looking back at you in the mirror.
So after all the years of little or no maintenance we find ourselves looking back on our slow descent and wonder how we get out. Most of us will turn to exercise and start making better food choices. Some will go straight for the pills, while others will head to the plastic surgeon. Of course I recommend the first option.
What I believe we don't fully understand and appreciate is the resiliency of the human body. This is what allows us to "abuse" it and it just keeps working...until one day it doesn't. That can be several years to several decades. It takes time for the body to break down. That is a very key concept to understand because it impacts the recovery process.
It is fortunate that the body can take decades to decline. It is also very unfortunate that it can take just as long to properly recover. That's the hard part for most people to understand. They are grateful for the slow decline, but have no patience for the just as slow improvement.
So that brings us to the key ingredient for weight loss and performance improvement: consistency. It is exactly why we need consistency because it does take a long time to reverse the years of decline. Oh sure, you can do some radical things that will result in the weight loss or performance you seek, but when you stop doing those things, it is most common for you to revert right back to where you were. Again, I've seen it so many times...if the changes you are making aren't permanent, when you stop doing them, your body continues it's decline.
It's not a pretty picture but the earlier you start, the less time it takes to reverse. As I've said numerous times before: maintenance is easier than reconstruction. If you haven't started on an exercise program, start. If you are currently exercising, don't stop.
Next topic: Faster, higher and heavier.
