Lose weight and inches guaranteed while doing ‘other’ activities! Watch TV, knit, read, lounge by the pool and all the time be working up a sweat!!
*Cough* What? When did we become so disconnected as a society that we won’t even allow our minds to connect to our bodies to fully enjoy the exercise experience?
There are so many things wrong with statements like this. First and foremost they show an unrealistic timeline for weight loss. Generally speaking they indicate that you can lose some radical amount of weight in 30 days! Permanent weight loss takes time, patience and dedication.
Secondly these statements imply that somehow this magical tool has been created that takes all the work out of working out for you. It allows you to do virtually nothing….but you will be bikini ready! This tool does not exist. The only tools that work are the oldest in the book ~ your body, your mind and your heart.
The only guarantee I can give you is that there’s no substitute for hard work no matter if it’s in the kitchen making healthy choices or in the gym challenging your limits.
I love the feeling of connecting with my body when I workout. Every so often I catch a glimpse of my arm when lifting a weight and I see the way the muscles move and watch a bead of sweat trickle down (remember, I don’t glisten or shine, I drip with sweat and that makes me happy). I look forward to feeling my labored breathing when I run because it reminds me that I’m able to run, that I’m able to push my body.
When you connect mentally and physically within yourself, you’re not only reaping an instant reward of a more effective workout because you’re aware of your movements and your form but you also end up preventing potential injury.
The simple truth is results do not lie in a device that shakes fat off your belly, in the bottom of a pill jar or in harming your body in the hopes of seeing drastic change.
Results are found in loving yourself, accepting your differences, realizing your potential and running with it. They are found in early morning workouts, late night runs and everything that falls between. You will find success in allowing yourself to find joy in movement.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing I hope that you’re not allowing yourself to accept any substitutes.
Love D.
Photo Credit: Armando Tura