BE PART OF THE 9%

Gingerbread houses. Watching It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. Eggnog. Kissing under the mistletoe. The holidays are a time of traditions. And as the calendar rapidly closes in on 2015, another tradition creeps into out minds...the New Year's Resolution. It's the time of the year to assess how well we did in keeping those promises we made to ourselves last January 1st, and to look forward to the lifestyle improvements we desire for the upcoming 12 months.

 

 

 



 

With an all-or-nothing mentality, more than half of the people in the U.S. vow to lose weight, stop smoking, spend more time with their family, and so on. Virtually every bad habit we presently have is fair game to be replaced by something better. I am always somewhat cautiously optimistic when people tell me of their desires to finally get in shape. My reserved nature is with good reason: almost 1 in every 4 people who made a New Year's resolution reverted back to their old habits within a week. And only slightly more than half of resolutionists were able to maintain their pledge until January 31st.

 

In fact, only about 9% of the people making a New Year's resolution see their goal through to completion. Why do so many people fall short in their attempts for self-improvement? I believe there are 3 key reasons:

 

1. Most people know the general outcome they want (to lose weight, for example), but they don't have a systematic plan in place to execute their goal. What do those successful 9% do? They learn the necessary steps that need to be followed from someone who has a proven track record of accomplishment. In other words, they seek the advice of experts--those people who have "been there, done that, and are still doing it!" If you truly want to improve yourself, find the most qualified professional you can. Just because your boyfriend's best friends' nephew likes to lift weights does not mean he is the best person to assess your abilities and build a plan to fit your unique lifestyle.

 

2. Not having a support system in place to help you when the going gets tough (and there will be tough times). Start by recognizing that your plan will not go as smoothly as you like. Life happens. Kids get sick. Your boss needs you to work late tonight. Friends plead with you to go out with them on Friday evening. Once you accept that you will occasionally miss a workout or have to alter your carefully-designed meal plan, you can have contingency plans in place to help keep you from straying too far off course.

 

3. Their reasons for achieving their objective are vague and not rooted in what's truly important to them. Knowing WHY your goal is meaningful to you is crucial to succeed. If your "why" gets you emotional, enough to move you to tears, your chances for success are increased exponentially. If you're exercising simply because your best friend wants a gym partner, you're heading for disappointment again.

 

Once you have addressed these 3 issues, TAKE ACTION! Don't wait for Monday or January 1st. Great achievers like Sir Richard Branson, Maria Shriver or Donald Trump strike when the time is right. And the time to start your next resolution, to make that phone call to a fitness coach, to seek a qualified nutritionist, to be in the top 9%, is today.

 

If you want to get a jump on your 2015 fat loss goal, sign up for our 8-week NEW YEAR, NEW YOU event. This is not the typical Eat-500-Calories-A-Day diet plan promoted by most gyms, infomercials, and diet books. For only $149, you'll receive a complete, safe experience that includes all of the following:

• 16 sessions with a certified nutrition and fitness coach
• a full medical, lifestyle and movement assessment
• soft tissue work
• core stabilization programming
• sound resistance training to increase lean muscle
• energetic cardio routines
• a guarantee you'll lose 2 jean sizes or your money back!
  

To register for this event, or if you have any questions, call us today at 775.432.1356. Don't procrastinate...you must sign up by January 25th as this event begins on February 2nd, and we only have room for 40 life-changing individuals.

Move Better. Eat Better. LIVE BETTER IN 2015!

ESCAPING THE CRAB MINDSET

I have heard the following story a few times in the past 30 or so years, but it has come my way twice within recent weeks, so I thought I would share it with you.

 

If you've ever been crab fishing, you'll witness a phenomenon known as the crab mentality. This also goes by the "If I can't have it, neither can you" attitude that is so pervasive in today's jealous and selfish (I was tempted to write "shellfish") society. When crabbing, fishermen will lower a huge cage containing crab food into the ocean. Dozens of crabs will scramble into the open-top crate to feast on the cuisine at the bottom.

 

Frequently, one or two crabs, when finished chowing down, will begin to climb out of the barred enclosure so they can swim around or just lay on the beach for a few hours. But the rest of the group are content being fat and lazy, and watching life swim by. And they also think that their way of "life" should be observed by everyone else. With this way of thinking, the gang of crabs engage in a sort of pointless "king-of-the-hill" competition to pull those two back in so all of them will experience the same fateful demise.

 

The content, unmotivated crabs will actually jump on those climbing the walls in an effort to pull them back down. If the freedom-seeking crabs persist in achieving their goal, the others will start tearing off their legs so they can no longer ascend to the top. And if the independent crabs continue to exert their will, the group will actually kill them, along with their hopes of reaching their dreams.

 

I see this short-sighted, destructive behavior frequently when helping clients with their health and fitness goals. Friends and family members, satisfied with their own status quo, will sabotage their colleague or loved one. Sometimes it's done intentionally. I've had numerous females come to me seeking assistance, only to have their overweight, directionless husbands, boyfriends or significant others disallow them to work out. Sometimes it's done more covertly. Friends will constantly badger others to "go out for a few drinks", or will bring home fast food under the guise of "do it for me". But the underlying objective is still the same: to keep them from achieving a better life.

 

If you're in a relationship, be it personal or professional, where somebody is constantly attempting to derail your hopes and aspirations, GET OUT...NOW! Be relentless in your climb to the top, and don't allow anyone to pull you back down into their cage of complacency and inferiority.

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!