Will You Do It, or Will You Just Talk About It?

I have spent a lot of time catching up on reading the guestbook and looking over on Bill Phillips’ website where lots of people are starting their newest transformation efforts. It’s exciting to see all the new people, all of whom are also excited and filled with both hope and energy as they set out to change their lives. Most have lofty reasons for their intended transformations, health problems, family histories of obesity-related illnesses, a health crisis of their own, a personal crisis. The reasons go on and on.

But, you know what? If past history is any indicator of future performance, only  about three weeks from the time these folks started, fully three-fourths of them will already have messed up their efforts to the point that they have effectively given up. And only about 10% or less will who have registered for the challenge will actually end up turning in a completed entry.

Why? What happens between the enthusiastic start and the wimpy ending that turns something desired and valued into a complete failure?

Personally, having done several challenges, and having failed to complete a couple of them, I think it generally boils down to what Porter Freeman said are the priorities; 1. You have to “want it;” and, 2. You have to make it a priority.

Yes, everyone thought they wanted it, in the excitement of the moment, but as soon as they got started they began to see that they also wanted lots of other things that were not necessarily compatible with the challenge. Many wanted to also drink and eat with their friends after work, or to continue their sneak-eating and bingeing. Many wanted to sleep in even more than they wanted to see that fat burn away. Still others wanted to keep peace in the family so bad that they just stopped even trying to take care of themselves. In that kind of a conflicting and confusing atmosphere, even pretending to make the transformation a priority is too much for most.

So, that’s how it goes for most. The key for YOU, the reader of this blog, is to be one of the 10%, not one of the 90%. And to do that takes showing yourself how bad you want it, by planning ahead all 84 days, or 126 days if you’re doing one at  the Transformation site, preparing ahead one week at a time, and executing to the best of your ability, each day as it comes along. It means staying in today, refusing to fail, and refusing to sell out cheaply. It may even mean getting new “friends” if your old ones are the ones trying to put you in with the 90%. It means carefully formulating the real reasons behind your efforts, and empowering yourself by writing them down in detail.

This will be the hardest thing you ever did. But, it will also be the best thing you ever did as well. Want it; make it a priority, and just do it!

While we were on a short holiday in two resort communities in Northern Michigan, there was plenty of time for me to cool my heels while Ruth shopped for the “perfect souvenir sweatshirt or T-shirt from one of these places.

So, since there were no “real” hardware stores within walking distances, I always walked into the nearest book store and checked out what was on the shelves these days.  Checking the “diet and exercise” section of several different stores, including a couple of the big box stores, I found the new book, “Champions Body for Life” in stock and prominently displayed. A couple of these book stores were very small, with limited inventories, and even they carried the book.

I’m still reading mine, believe it or not! There is a ton of information in there, and no small amount of it actually came from my own little blogs and missives that I sent to Art Carey, the author of the book. Given the fact that the suggested retail price is $26.95 and most places sell it for a bit under $20, the book is certainly worth taking a place on your shelf of fitness and diet information you use regularly.

Ruth (my wife) and I really like the entire book but are especially pleased to see that the exercises that are depicted show clearly that every body part can be thoroughly worked with just dumbbells, a fitness ball, and some exercise bands. There are no machine exercises depicted, and that’s great, because machines all differ, and the instructions for them are right on the machine, so there was no need to waste the space on them.

The “top ten” lists throughout are fun and for the most part contain some great tips for the serious participants. Another thing I really like about the book is that it recognizes the accomplishments of some featured challengers and others who have not yet been crowned champions.

Are there some things that one could be negative about? Sure. Some of the photos in the B & W sections are not as crisp as they might have been, but when you get contributions from all the participants and many are really designed to have been printed in color, they can look a bit muddy when changed to black and white.

All in all, though, it’s a great read with literally tons of information in it. It’s a welcome substitute for the original book which was written nearly a decade ago. It was high time that the collective experience of all the champions and challengers since that time was updated and put into a special focus to help others.

Give it a shot and pick up yours today. In fact, pick up two or three. You know you’ll end up giving away one to somebody who thinks that you are taking steroids or something! And the other will make a great gift for that family member or friend who could use a boost.