Post-Thanksgiving Fall-out
Canadian Thanksgiving happened to be last weekend. Most people had Monday off, which made for a greatly needed long weekend. Surprisingly for October, the weather was beautiful and I am sure a lot of people took advantage of it to take part on some outdoor pre-dinner snacking/drinking.
My husband and I, not originally from Canada, have always been lucky in the sense that a kind family has adopted us every Thanksgiving and opened their homes to invite us to join them in the celebration ever since we set foot in this country. Every year we have fully embraced the tradition of overeating and this past weekend was no exception.
Over the weekend as I realized how much I had overdone it, I couldn't help but to think of all the people that I am working with at the gym. I developed the theory that the coming working week was going to be a busy week for myself and the gym I work at, full of people with post-Thanksgiving guilt, working hard at those cardio machines and lifting many free weights.
I myself, went in on Tuesday and got my workout as early as I could. Taking advantage of the likely big reserves of muscle glycogen stored from my previous day combined with guilt, I did some heavy dead-lifts, chest-presses and pullups. However I couldn't help but notice how empty the gym seemed that Tuesday morning and throughout the whole day.
I dismissed my observation thinking that it could be the result of post-over-eating-sickness or simply, people just trying to extend the long weekend to a little longer.
To my surprise, this trend continued to develop throughout the whole week. Whereas on a normal week my work schedule consists on 25hrs, this past week it considerably dropped down to around the 15hr mark. So if my observation regarding the empty cardio machines were not enough, numbers don't lie: 10 hour estimate drop on actual working schedule.
I cannot help but wonder at this and propose a new theory: Are people giving up on their fitness goals and commitments because the year is coming to an end? Are they already thinking about starting fresh until 2012, for which they have given up on 2 months and a half of potential results?
Take a look at yourself and analyze if you are falling into this trap.
If you are missing out on 2 months and a half of work and your goal is to lose weight, you are potentially looking at missing out on being able to lose close to 10lbs before Christmas! Needless to say how good, happy and powerful you will feel in closing 2011!
If your goal is to put on some muscle, you could be looking as wasting the potential of gaining 4lbs of potential caloric burning furnace.
So let me give you some advice:
1.- Not because you haven't trained in 2 weeks or not done your cardio or not followed a clean eating lifestyle should you drop out at this point, on the contrary, its time to jump right back on it. Take a look at my theory of results diagram below, and analyse why you should jump right back and try your best (because life happens and the road to success is long and rocky) and long lasting results should not be achieved through a quick fix. :
This could be the reason it has been 2 months and a half and you have put on hard work, but you have only lost around 4 lbs!
Yes and let me be honest, this is table is based on my own training and lifestyle experience. In sharing with you why I haven't lost the 10 lbs I said I would, on the contrary, I stand totally stagnant, I hope this brings some understanding in your process as well.
2.- Find a bigger reason that yourself to keep you motivated. For example: someone you will see in that Christmas reunion that you want to impress (could be friend or enemy); a short endurance event (CN Tower Stair Climb, 5k run, 20k Bike Ride, etc) or creating a fitness dare or challenge with a friend to hold each other accountable to a training schedule (to make it interesting add a prize or bet, and make sure you sign a contract, so there is no way out)
3.- Do not forget the importance of adding muscle to your body. I have found so many people that gather the strength and courage to take the scary first step of deciding to lose weight and they make the mistake of solely focusing on cardiovascular activity, resulting in injury drop-outs, frustration or lack of results. I am not saying it won't shed away those pounds, what I am saying is that those pounds you shed away will not be sustainable for long if you haven't added some muscle to your body and embraced a clean nutrition to your lifestyle. Needless to say, cardiovascular activity is tough on the body without muscle acting as protective and cushion tissue to your skeleton, tendons and ligaments.
Last but not least I just want to say that I understand that for women, weight-loss and looking good is the main reason that brings us to the gym, because we tend to link our self esteem and happiness to our looks. However do not underestimate the power of working out for: stress relief, overall health, endorphines, mental health and being a role model for family and friends!
Keep going strong!
My husband and I, not originally from Canada, have always been lucky in the sense that a kind family has adopted us every Thanksgiving and opened their homes to invite us to join them in the celebration ever since we set foot in this country. Every year we have fully embraced the tradition of overeating and this past weekend was no exception.
Over the weekend as I realized how much I had overdone it, I couldn't help but to think of all the people that I am working with at the gym. I developed the theory that the coming working week was going to be a busy week for myself and the gym I work at, full of people with post-Thanksgiving guilt, working hard at those cardio machines and lifting many free weights.
I myself, went in on Tuesday and got my workout as early as I could. Taking advantage of the likely big reserves of muscle glycogen stored from my previous day combined with guilt, I did some heavy dead-lifts, chest-presses and pullups. However I couldn't help but notice how empty the gym seemed that Tuesday morning and throughout the whole day.
I dismissed my observation thinking that it could be the result of post-over-eating-sickness or simply, people just trying to extend the long weekend to a little longer.
To my surprise, this trend continued to develop throughout the whole week. Whereas on a normal week my work schedule consists on 25hrs, this past week it considerably dropped down to around the 15hr mark. So if my observation regarding the empty cardio machines were not enough, numbers don't lie: 10 hour estimate drop on actual working schedule.
I cannot help but wonder at this and propose a new theory: Are people giving up on their fitness goals and commitments because the year is coming to an end? Are they already thinking about starting fresh until 2012, for which they have given up on 2 months and a half of potential results?
Take a look at yourself and analyze if you are falling into this trap.
If you are missing out on 2 months and a half of work and your goal is to lose weight, you are potentially looking at missing out on being able to lose close to 10lbs before Christmas! Needless to say how good, happy and powerful you will feel in closing 2011!
If your goal is to put on some muscle, you could be looking as wasting the potential of gaining 4lbs of potential caloric burning furnace.
So let me give you some advice:
1.- Not because you haven't trained in 2 weeks or not done your cardio or not followed a clean eating lifestyle should you drop out at this point, on the contrary, its time to jump right back on it. Take a look at my theory of results diagram below, and analyse why you should jump right back and try your best (because life happens and the road to success is long and rocky) and long lasting results should not be achieved through a quick fix. :
This could be the reason it has been 2 months and a half and you have put on hard work, but you have only lost around 4 lbs!Yes and let me be honest, this is table is based on my own training and lifestyle experience. In sharing with you why I haven't lost the 10 lbs I said I would, on the contrary, I stand totally stagnant, I hope this brings some understanding in your process as well.
2.- Find a bigger reason that yourself to keep you motivated. For example: someone you will see in that Christmas reunion that you want to impress (could be friend or enemy); a short endurance event (CN Tower Stair Climb, 5k run, 20k Bike Ride, etc) or creating a fitness dare or challenge with a friend to hold each other accountable to a training schedule (to make it interesting add a prize or bet, and make sure you sign a contract, so there is no way out)
3.- Do not forget the importance of adding muscle to your body. I have found so many people that gather the strength and courage to take the scary first step of deciding to lose weight and they make the mistake of solely focusing on cardiovascular activity, resulting in injury drop-outs, frustration or lack of results. I am not saying it won't shed away those pounds, what I am saying is that those pounds you shed away will not be sustainable for long if you haven't added some muscle to your body and embraced a clean nutrition to your lifestyle. Needless to say, cardiovascular activity is tough on the body without muscle acting as protective and cushion tissue to your skeleton, tendons and ligaments.
Last but not least I just want to say that I understand that for women, weight-loss and looking good is the main reason that brings us to the gym, because we tend to link our self esteem and happiness to our looks. However do not underestimate the power of working out for: stress relief, overall health, endorphines, mental health and being a role model for family and friends!
Keep going strong!
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