Get Going: Creating Momentum to Get Fit

There is a great law of the universe that is simply stated: if you think in negative terms, you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you will achieve positive results. Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius stated it simply, "A man's life is what his thoughts make of it."

In other words, believe and you will succeed. I am not trying to be some motivational guru; I'm not trying to push "Stuart Smalley" positive self talk. What I am talking about is creating awareness about your beliefs. I want you to identify your limiting beliefs and proactively change them into beliefs that serve your goals. If you master this skill you will not only achieve your health and fitness goals, but you will have a system for achieving anything you want.

Before we go on, let me ask you a question. Did you just rationalize why this won't work for you? Did you come up with an excuse for why you can't lose weight or find time to exercise? If you did, you are absolutely correct! You won't improve your fitness of fat loss goals because you BELIEVE you can't and if you BELIEVE you can't, you won't. "As you believe so is it done unto you." Sound familiar?

Our beliefs can be so entrenched in our psyche that we often have negative thoughts and don't even realize it. Often our beliefs come in the way of questions. For example, "Why does this always happen to me?" Or "Why can't I get motivated enough to start exercising?"

A belief isn't a "thing", it is a feeling. When you feel certain, you will find a way to make it happen. If you feel uncertain, you won't even start because who wants to fail. The only way you can be certain you will achieve your fitness goals is by changing your limiting beliefs and creating absolute certainty that you will.

If we tell ourselves something over and over again with enough emotion, it will become our belief. On the flip side, if you are absolutely certain about your limitations, then you have a problem!

Don't continue to look for the latest and greatest solution, fad or gimmick. It is not the answer and will only reinforce negative beliefs about your inability to be successful. Right now, you need to recognize that the fad diets, exercise gizmos or 30 minute circuit centers are ineffective technologies and that is why you failed. It wasn't you, get rid of those negative beliefs right now. The answer is a well design and planned exercise and nutrition program. Seek the right guidance, get the right plan, get rid of limiting beliefs, and develop a new mindset with beliefs that get you closer to your goals. If you are a client of Fitness Together, you have the right plan. You only need to make sure your beliefs are not stopping you from getting into those jeans you like so much!

Let's look at some of the most common limiting beliefs and what changes we could make to get us closer to our goals:

1. "I know I am at an unhealthy weight. I never exercise, but I want to"

First, simple wants and desires usually don't provide lasting incentive A goal is only made when it must be done! What belief can you have that makes it a must?

New Belief: "I am losing years off my life everyday that I don't exercise."

2. "My weight's not that bad yet"

If you believe it is not that bad, you are assuring yourself it will get worse. Your belief is saying you are certain it will get worse and then you will make a change. What belief can you have that makes it bad enough now to make it a must to change?

New Belief: "My body is a reflection of how I view myself and my life."

3. "It takes too much time" or "I don't have enough time."

This is a classic statement, but do you really believe that the most important asset we have, our health, is not important enough to devote time to? This ridiculous thought alone should make someone change this belief! This is a big one for many. So big, I feel obligated to give an example of a positive belief: "I must take the time for myself everyday because it gives me more energy to give more to (my family, business, church, etc.)."

4. "I don't have the willpower"

Willpower is a feeling. What belief can you have that gives you enough emotional "Willpower"?

New belief: "It's just as necessary to exercise and eat healthy in order for me to be successful in other parts of my life."

5. "Food helps me relax and feel good."

New Belief: "Food is nourishment and not something to get feelings from."

After reading these examples some of your limiting beliefs may have surfaced or maybe some of the examples resonated with you. What is very important in shaping your new beliefs is not to use "softeners". In other words, make it a must and give it some emotional juice. For example, "I will never love myself unless I love my body" or "Exercise is the fuel that gives me confidence." Remember, if you tell yourself something long enough and with enough emotion it becomes a belief.

If you have read my previous articles you also know that a key to achieving your goals is Massive Action. Action today, not tomorrow or when I have time. Action right now! Here is your first action to changing your beliefs and therefore changing your body:

First, grab a pen and paper. Write down what current limiting beliefs you have that are stopping you from exercising, losing fat, eating healthier or whatever your goal is. Write at least four limiting beliefs.

STOP! WRITE THEM DOWN.

Okay, now write down at least four new beliefs you will have; beliefs that will give you absolute certainty.
I want to congratulate you if you did this simple exercise because you just did what many won't do. You took immediate action. Repeated actions create momentum and momentum gets results. Keep the momentum moving and schedule a time to read, memorize and reinforce these statements until they become your new beliefs!

Get absolutely certain you will succeed and GET GOING!

In Good Health,
Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.fitnesstogether.net

P.S. If you would like us to design a program for you, schedule your Complimentary Introductory Session and Consultation. We'll assess your current fitness level, ability level and personal situation, then give you a recommended program to get you to your goals. You can learn more here: www.FitnessTogether.net/freeconsult.html

Get Going: Get Leverage to Get Fit

Have you ever procrastinated on an office project or put off cleaning your garage? Why do we do this? Why do some people put things off to the last minute? The answer to these questions is also the secret to achieving your health and fitness goals. Knowing the answers will get you the leverage you need and the results you desire.

The answer is found with what I like to call the "Two Ps" or pain and pleasure. Human psychology tells us that we naturally want to avoid pain and are attracted to pleasure. This may seem obvious, but what is not so obvious is the battle between pain and pleasure. The questions I posed demonstrate how we often avoid the pain associated with starting a work project, cleaning the garage or anything that doesn't offer us enough pleasure to trigger immediate action. The fact is we do not associate enough pleasure with completing these projects and therefore are not overly enthusiastic to get started.

I don't mean physical pain, but the undesirable feeling we associate with having to do a particular task, change a habit, making a decision or even just thinking about how to do something.

Anything you struggle to motivate yourself to do is most likely due to you associating too much pain with the process. This is the biggest barrier to fitness and fat loss success for many. They associate too much pain with the process of exercising or changing their nutritional habits. They have not created enough pleasurable thoughts about how great they will look or how much energy they will have to play with their kids.

On the other hand, we can also utilize pain to our advantage. For some, an effective strategy is to associate enough pain to not acting and therefore action is the only option. It may be the painful thought of having to wear a swim suit on vacation or not being able to enjoy retirement because of physical limitations. The pain associated with this could be enough for someone to stay committed to an exercise program.

Either strategy can be effective, but in my experience the most effective strategy for health and fitness goals is the avoidance of pain. People usually do more to avoid pain than they ever will to gain pleasure.

What absolutely must not take place is lowering your standards and saying it is "not that bad". This is avoiding pain through acceptance and ensuring that you will stay the way you are. I am not saying beat yourself up all the time, but it is appropriate to listen to the pain you have and utilize it to create leverage.

Before you can create leverage, however, you must decide on what you really want. You must create a crystal clear vision for what you will look like, feel like and act like when you achieve your goal. An effective tool can be visualizing what it will be like when you achieve your goal. Drum up the emotions as if you already achieved your goal. And take the time to write a detailed personal vision for what will be the end result and read this once a week. After reading your vision, establish weekly goals that are in alignment with this vision. Each group of weekly goals will be steps towards achieving your ultimate vision. Both of these tools done repeatedly can create a neuro-associative condition that will guide unconscious decisions supportive of your goals. It's not enough to just say I want to lose 20 pounds.
After you have decided on what you want, you must create enough leverage to get yourself going. Desires without leverage are merely wishes and wants. Wanting is not enough to push you towards consistent action that will turn your vision into reality. You will make changes in your life when you see changes as important and urgent. This "must" feeling is developed using the leverage of avoiding pain.

I mentioned in last months issue how sometimes this leverage finds us. We have a heart attack or receive some life changing news. Let's not wait until the pain finds us to create leverage. We want to intentionally create our own leverage and be proactive in making positive lifestyle changes.

The question is how do we create intentional pain to gain the leverage we need. The following are examples that, if used repeatedly, can create your leverage:

1. Wear an article of clothing that is one size too small and uncomfortable. Possibly a pair of pants in the closet you used to wear.
2. Compare a picture of the skinny you and a recent picture.
3. Write commitment letters to a few people you respect
4. Get a personal trainer or workout buddy to hold you accountable to consistent exercise and health nutrition.

Utilizing these examples may work for you, but the most effective pain triggers are found by asking yourself some tough questions. What is it about my body that I don't like? How long has my weight been a problem? How do I feel about not being able to buy the clothes I would like? The bottom line is that change will only occur when you see change not only as important, but URGENT! Creating urgency starts by leveraging pain to force action and utilizing the pleasurable thoughts of your vision as the icing on the cake.

Utilizing these examples may work for you, but the most effective pain triggers are found by asking yourself some tough questions. What is it about my body that I don't like? How long has my weight been a problem? How do I feel about not being able to buy the clothes I would like? The bottom line is that change will only occur when you see change not only as important, but URGENT! Creating urgency starts by leveraging pain to force action and utilizing the pleasurable thoughts of your vision as the icing on the cake.

In Good Health,
Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.fitnesstogether.net

P.S. If you would like us to design a program for you, schedule your Complimentary Introductory Session and Consultation. We'll assess your current fitness level, ability level and personal situation, then give you a recommended program to get you to your goals.

You can learn more here: www.FitnessTogether.net/freeconsult.html

Get Going:Unleashing Your Internal Power

Would you like to make a few changes to your life-lose a few pounds...get in better shape...live the life you've always dreamed of?

In this blog entry I would like to share the "secret" or the most important factor in achieving your health and fitness goals. In fact, I believe it is the key to success in any of your life goals.

Probably the most difficult part of starting an exercise program for most is fear. The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure or the fear of not staying motivated long enough to get results. I have done hundreds of consultations with clients and the number one reason they choose personal training with us over a health club or gym is motivation. They need the accountability of a scheduled appointment with a trainer to exercise. And that is fine, but it is still not enough. We can't be with a client 24 hours a day. The people that get the greatest results unleash the power within. They have the motivation to implement the strategies and concepts revealed in this magazine.

Don't worry, it is not just a matter of having motivation or not having motivation. You can find the motivation or drive by simply understanding what motivation really is and knowing how to find yours. Simply put, you can master the science of achievement, which will lead you to extraordinary physical transformation.

The bottom line is that people have within them a force that is so powerful that once they unleash or tap into it, there is nothing that can keep them from accomplishing their goals. The force that makes successful people more successful, and happy people even happier, is the same force that makes unhappy people more unhappy. It's what causes the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. This force is the force of emotion. Learn the science behind emotion and you will find the secret to making a health and fitness lifestyle change.

Whenever people fail to achieve their goals-more money, a better career, a healthier, more fit body -- most of the time those people will tell you it's because of a lack of resources. They didn't have the time, the energy, the money, etc. They believed that they were missing something and that belief structure is what kept them from being able to succeed.

Think about it, if you really needed the money, if you were creative enough, could you find a way? You bet. Emotions of creativity, determination, commitment, love and vision are all examples of your ultimate force. If you want to know one of the differences between someone who achieves fat loss or improved fitness and someone who doesn't, it is emotional fitness, your internal force.

In some cases, the emotion finds them. For example, a new disciple of exercise and healthy nutrition may have been created out of a sudden heart attack or learning that they are diabetic. Unfortunately, for some it takes a life changing event or scare to give them the force to make a change in their life.

However, let's not wait for emotion to find us. Let me share with you a science to finding your emotional force, three steps to developing your "motivation" and making a health change in your life.

First, you must raise your standards and expect more of yourself. The most important step you take is expecting more of yourself. You can't accept that the way you are is the way you will always be. I suggest making a list of all the things you will no longer accept or tolerate. Write it down, you need to see it on paper and review it on a regular basis. Seeing this list will be a foundation in building your emotional juice.

I would also suggest creating a personal vision statement. Just as a company creates a vision for what it will achieve, you must know what your objective is, or how can you make the right decisions? All your decisions (exercising or not exercising) must be in line with your objective. These exercises are now your standards, but these exercises will do you no good unless you consistently review your standards to give you the emotional force you need to succeed.

Secondly, if you raise your standards but don't really believe you can meet them, you've already sabotaged yourself. You won't even try. You'll be lacking that sense of certainty that allows you to find the deepest of internal drive.
Our beliefs are commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, and what we can and cannot do. All of this occurs at an unconscious level and most of our actions and decisions are made at an unconscious level only to be supported later by our conscious thoughts. In other words, logic comes in after you have probably already made up your mind with unconscious thoughts.

Beliefs shape our actions, thoughts and feelings. Disbeliefs are ingredients for certain failure. Changing our limiting beliefs is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives.

The final step after changing your standards and beliefs is making a strong commitment. You must find a way to make a commitment that binds you to achieving your goal. Tell a friend, spouse, co-worker what you plan on doing. Tell someone who you wouldn't want to disappoint. This emotional pressure can help you find the resources (time, money, education) that you need to accomplish your objective because many times it is not a lack of resources, it is a lack of emotional force.

Don't rely on luck or chance. Get the right education and direction (Technology) you need to make a positive health and fitness change in your life, but don't stop there. Just as playing the piano is a skill and needs practice, so does developing your emotional force for success. Utilize these three steps to develop your skills, live life and be fit!

In Good Health,
Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.fitnesstogether.net

P.S. If you would like us to design a program for you, schedule your Complimentary Introductory Session and Consultation. We'll assess your current fitness level, ability level and personal situation, then give you a recommended program to get you to your goals.
You can learn more here: www.FitnessTogether.net/freeconsult.html