This blog is actually just a guestbook post I wrote recently on the Body for Life guestbook.   Its purpose was to inform others that anyone can do a championship level challenge, but that sudden enthusiasm or a quick attempt to catch up on missed opportunities is not going to work.

Whenever anyone does an excellent job, like [name removed] just did, everyone wants to know what they did “differently,” meaning how did they “tweak” the program. The inference is that because someone did it better than most of us, they must have some big secret to getting better results than the rest.

However, the 12 years of history of this challenge demonstrate rather clearly that there really is NO SECRET for an excellent challenge, and that the results are achieved by those who work harder, diet more strictly, and do not delude themselves and others into thinking that they are doing this “to the T” when in fact they are on cruise control instead of in a race. No amount of inspiration or excitement will last for long enough to produce results. Extra cardio, fat burners, trendy gym memberships, and all of those kinds of things might help just a little bit, for a very short while, but there is simply no substitute for rugged, gut-busting workouts, and for gritty determination when the going gets really tough. Doing a terrific transformation in just twelve weeks is simple–but it’s certainly not easy–and often it’s not even pleasant. It’s key to stay focused, to stay prepared, and to stay on task.

And the only way that will really work is to make the challenge the number one priority in your life for the next twelve weeks. Those of us who spend the 12 weeks bickering with family about our diets or our workout times, or who spend time telling themselves they are doing everything they are supposed to, while they are grabbing little nibbles out of the snack bowls at work, are really just wasting their time. This actually takes dedication that most people will not muster. We are ALL capable of it, but few are willing to put themselves through what it takes to excel. Stay strong, stay steady, and stay focused, and you’ll do fine. But if you try to stay enthusiastic for the entire twelve weeks, or you look for some instant miracle here, you’ll be joining soon the ranks of those who just thought this would be easy, and found out otherwise.

Just so you know, I’m not talking about ANYONE on the guestbook as I make all these comparisons between others and champions. I’m just drawing on my 7 years on the guestbook, and my own experiences in doing challenges prior to my championship challenge in 2006. So, don’t get paranoid and think that somehow I’m talking about a certain person. The problems that keep us from achieving a good challenge are just the problems that most of us who live disorganized and uninspiring lives pick up along the way. The cures for them are just hard work, focus and commitment.