Are You Running on FAITH, Or Feelings?

Here is a typical post I see on the guestbook. “Hi, I’m new here, and

really ready to give this all I have, but I have a question first. Do

any of you really think the 20 minutes of cardio is enough? I’ve heard

that many of the champions did more cardio than that and

they……….”

This type of question reveals that our newbie  has not thoroughly read

or understood the book, that he is not ready to wholeheartedly adopt this

program, and that he  is still comfortable hanging onto his old ideas

even though they didn’t work. It is also almost 100% certain that the

same person who asks that question will be wondering why they haven’t

seen a bunch of scale weight loss after the first week. The most

important thing this question shows is that this is a person letting

their feelings make their decisions, rather than their faith.

Many of you are now completely comfortable with the idea of 20 minutes

of high intensity cardio three times a week.  Others are still

struggling with it. Many of you are completely comfortable with the

notion that the scales are a lousy predictor of successful fat burning,

because you are gaining muscle at the same time as you lose fat. Some

of you are still struggling with the idea that it’s how you look, not

what you weigh, that makes the difference.

What ultimately makes the crossover happen is faith. You might say,

“No, it was seeing the results after doing only 20 minutes of cardio.”

But I think that’s not entirely accurate because many people who see

results with 20 minute cardio still sneak extra cardio simply because

they “feel” that if 20 minutes works, 30 minutes will work even better!

So, you actually came to a faith driven decision that has changed your

feelings about the parameters of this program.

Faith is a simple word, but it is a profound concept that makes all the

difference in the world as to how your life efforts turn out. People

who are naturally pessimistic or who are continually doubting or second

guessing the experts–they rarely are successful, and they are most

often miserable as well. Misery is usually the end product of a life

that is lived based only on feelings, rather than time-honored

principles. With faith, it can all turn out differently.  That is the

beauty of faith. Faith cannot exist apart from joy. A person filled

with faith is not an empty headed optimist. Rather, they are naturally

upbeat and expectant, because they know that faith is rewarded both

here and in the hereafter. A faith-filled person is happy because all

the inner turmoil is gone!

No, Bill Phillips is NOT God! But, placing your faith in Bill Phillips,

when it comes to fitness, is an excellent idea. If you do this program

as written, with faith that it will work, you’ll see your confidence

level and your daily attitude soar. Just that present expectation of a

future reward will change you enormously–not at the end of your

challenge, but the moment you acquire it!

How do you get that kind of faith? In my case, it was simply an act of

conforming my will and my mind to the notion that THIS was the vehicle

I had been given to get where I wanted to go, and that if it worked for

hundreds of thousands of other people it would work for me. When I 

quit doubting, and started acting like the successful transformer I

hoped to become, things changed inside dramatically. Those inside

changes fueled the transformation to the end. In your case, it might

require making a contract with yourself at the front of your journal,

that you WILL give this all you have, and that you WILL NOT cheat or

add to or take away from the program.

Take that leap of faith–all you have to lose is doubts and difficulty.

And what you have to gain is–everything!