“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not do.” Mark Twain
Growing up, I was always overweight. I got picked on a lot as a kid, and some of that has stuck with me. I still get insecure about taking off my shirt at the pool! As far as my physical fitness is concerned, I’ve always had one goal: To look good with my shirt off! Even though I workout 6 days a week, I’ve run marathons, and I am pretty active,
I’ve never been able to get there!
I’ve been doing P90X for about a year now. I thought I was in the best shape of my life and I was excited to take off my shirt at the pool! Well, I got my opportunity in front of some of my family. I thought they were going to stand in awe of my fantastic physique! Little did I know, I was in for a reality check!
The next day, one of the people that was with me, who I respect very much, confronted me. He said, “Bubba, one area you need accountability in is what you eat, because you don’t look so great!” After a little self evaluation, I recognized that he was right, I wasn’t anywhere near where I wanted to be. That conversation was a catalyst to change in my life.
My theory before that was I could eat whatever I wanted because I worked out that day. Not true! You really only burn off about half a meal while working out! I started tracking my calories and came to the conclusion that I was consuming 4,000-5,000 calories a day while only burning 300-600!
After studying out the P90X diet plan, I’ve come to the following conclusions:
Working Out + Bad Eating Habits = No Results (Look like Crap)
Working Out + Good Eating Habits = Results City (Look awesome)
It’s about developing healthy eating habits. It requires discipline, but they payoff is awesome! It’s been a little over a month of me tracking calories, following a strict diet, and working hard, and I’m starting to see some great results!
I’m so glad someone was willing to speak the truth in love to me. I’ve now made a healthy lifestyle change.
If you struggle with weight issues or are looking to get in better shape, I’d encourage you to get educated on the BeachBody Forums – great information on here about working out, nutrition, etc.
Hope this helps you get physically fit!
Thoughts?
3 Responses
Hey Doug! Great post! I am exactly where you are. Since last June I’ve done X3, X3 Lean, P90X, X+ and just finished day 2 of X2.
Like you, I workout six days a week, but I don’t like to take my shirt off at the pool either, and like you said, it comes down to diet. Since I’m the only one in my family on this health kick, it’s hard to eat right, but I find the real problem is my carb load. I eat fairly lean meats, but I find myself having way too many carbs!
I keep telling myself it’s not about having that perfect six pack, I’m healthier and able to perform like I’ve never done before — but I still want to take my shirt off at the pool.
I was also picked on as a fat kid — our stories sound very similar. Check out my post I wrote a while back: http://wp.me/p3VKwA-6D
Will,
Thanks for the comment! Congrats on your progress. You look like you’re in great shape. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to serve you!
Have a great weekend!
Doug