Word Count: 685 NF Difficulty: Beginner
Last week, I received an email from a few NF readers who are on the bigger side of average and struggling to find the motivation to get healthy. To put it in nerd terms, it’s like playing Mario Kart as one of the bigger guys (Bowser, Donkey Kong, Wario). When you first start out the race, your acceleration sucks (unless you time it right, but that’s besides the point) – because you’re a big dude, it takes some extra effort to get you started. However, once you get going and your momentum kicks in you have one hell of a top speed.
Fitness is no different. When you’re overweight and you’ve been eating poorly and not exercising for years, it probably feels like you’re stuck at the starting line of DK’s Jungle Parkway. You don’t know the first thing to do; you want to make a change but you don’t know how, and this fitness thing seems like a lost cause by now. You’re wrong, you just need to step on the gas, dude.
Here are a few ways you can get started:
- Start eating a good breakfast – Read why this is one the best things you can do.
- Go outside and walk for 20 minutes each morning.
- Give up soda.
- Cut out the late night eating.
- Start doing push ups when you wake up – Try the 100 push up challenge.
Pick one of these things and do it. Obviously the more of these things you do simultaneously the faster you’re going to accelerate, but as long as you’re moving towards the finish line, no matter how slowly, you’re going in the right direction. Think of each small thing, each victory every day, as a step towards success. It might not seem like much, but it’s sure as sh** better than sitting on your ass eating Twinkies.
I could go on and on and on about WHY you need to step on that gas pedal, but I know you’ve heard it all before: you’ll live longer, you won’t have to deal with things like heart disease and shopping at the fat man store, you’ll look and feel better, etc. If you’re not interested in getting in shape, then you’re reading the wrong blog. I’m can’t really help you out until you’re willing to help yourself.
Now, the first few steps and your first few weeks might be tough; the pounds won’t come off as fast as you like, you’ll start to crave a Mountain Dew because you’re used to drinking a case a day, and maybe you’ll really want that microwave pizza at 2 in the morning while playing WoW. Think about it, if it was EASY then everybody would look like King Leonidas and Jessica Alba. It isn’t easy, and people don’t look like that, so you’re going to have to work for it. As you starting to pick up speed, those choices you used to struggle with become easier and easier. Get there.
Banana peel. Red shell. Stupid blue shell with wings (wtf?) – You stay out too late one night partying and eat an entire pizza. You get sick and take a whole week off from exercising. You drive cross-country and all you can find to eat is fast food. These things happen to everybody. You can complain about how Mario Kart (life) is unfair, how your green shell blocked the red shell, how the computer cheats, OR you can play the hand your dealt and step on that gas pedal!
Always move forward. If you hit a speed bump, get back on the kart and keep going.
Here are some other posts that might help:
- Fat man to Ironman: my friend, who hates dieting, lost over 100 lbs
- Baby Steps: build on small successes to get healthy
- Computer Programmer loses 33 lbs in 12 weeks
- Couch to 5k: A Running Guide for the couch potato
- 45 Year-Old Loses 200 lbs. in One Year
If you’re a bigger dude and looking for some help, hopefully this post gives you the motivation and the direction you need. Not enough? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll gladly help.
-Steve
