Good Morning Fellow Fitness Enthusiasts!
I hope everyone is well and had an amazing weekend. I for one am looking forward to the week ahead as last week was one that I would like to forget and leave in the past. Actually come to think about it these past few weeks have not been the greatest for me either. Don’t worry, I’m not going to sit here and air all my dirty laundry or treat my blog like a public toilet – That’s what Facebook is for…… Oh SNAP!
In all serious though I’ve been feeling fairly drained these past few weeks both mentally and physically. Now one might think that the 12-14 hour work days have finally caught up with me or that my two hour workouts have something to do with it. However, I’ve been doing those work days and workouts for well over 10 years now and feel that my body has become well accustomed to them both.
So what is it then?
Working in a gym surrounded by fit and highly motivated individuals on a regular basis gives me a high and surge of energy that no shot of espresso or pre-workout mix could ever provide me with. I constantly feel driven and determined to become more successful within my own career and personal life. However these last few weeks I’ve kind of been just “drifting” or “coasting” through my days which is completely unlike me.
It wasn’t until last Friday after finishing up a few nutritional plans for some of my clients that I realized what was actually bothering me. You see one of my jobs as a Personal Trainer is to help clients by designing them with safe and effective nutritional plans that will help them reach their target health and fitness goals. I find this particular job to be very rewarding and a challenging one as I get to work with all different types of people.
Sure, I get the occasional person who needs to lose 10lbs or a bride who has only 8 weeks to look her absolute best on her biggest day. I’m even lucky enough to work with many fitness competitors who trust me to get their body fat levels down to extreme and unhealthy conditions for just a few minutes spent on stage for the day of their fitness competition.
Where this particular job can sometimes become more of a challenge is when working with clients with thyroid conditions or who are diabetic or suffer from Celiac disease. Nevertheless every nutritional plan that I design I put my utmost energy into and customized it to the individual’s needs, goals and lifestyle.
So what’s up? Why do I feel so tired? Unmotivated? Even bored perhaps???
Lately I’ve found myself engaged in numerous conversations about diet and nutrition with people who are not even my clients. I’ve had local competitors complaining to me about low energy levels, regular people experiencing binging disorders and in one case – severe constipation that turned into a medical emergency!
Ugh, ENOUGH! EAT A DAMN CARB!!!!!!
I know that most of us care about our bodies and what we put into them and I think that’s great. But some of these wacky diet plans that I see or read online and hear about people following are… well….. just plain…..ummm….MORONIC!!!!!
“No Carbs” this, “Low Fat” that. “I’m on a Cleanse”, “How Many Macros?”
Seriously, enough is enough! My Dad (who I respect the hell out of by the way) doesn’t even know what a macro is!!!! I think I might even respect him a little bit more for not caring.
I’m sorry if this sounds more of a rant then a blog but the message I guess that I’m trying to deliver is to just live your life. Don’t obsess over every little carb, or how many calories are in that piece of apple pie. If you want a slice of pie then eat it! If you workout on a regular basis you will burn it off anyways. If you know you need to lose a little bit of weight then perhaps refrain from eating the pie but don’t deprive yourself completely of life’s little joys.
I actually eat whatever I want whenever I want to. I have a fairly healthy relationship with food. If I feel I’m looking a little soft, I get a little bit more strict with my diet. If I’m working hard in the gym and I’m seeing results with my body, I ease off and have the occasional beer or slice of pizza.
As I mentioned earlier I design NUTRITIONAL PLANS not “Diet Plans”. I actually try my best to avoid using the word “Diet” in my programs. One of my goals when working with a client on their nutrition is to help change their eating habits for life, not just for a few weeks. Yes, my programs come in 12 and 16 week plans however rarely have I ever had a client go back to eating the way he or she was eating prior to when they began the program. This is because they have learned how to develop a healthy relationship with food rather then a negative one.
A good, solid nutritional plan should provide you with lots of energy, allow you to sleep regularly and for God sakes keep your bowels functioning properly. There may be the odd time that you feel deprived but you should plan ahead for this and allow yourself room for the occasional cheat meal or dessert.
By the way, incase you’re wondering I am feeling much better this week. I recently completed a program with a client who is in fact diabetic and was overweight. After following my 16 week program she’s lost just over 30lbs and feels more energized and healthy then she ever has in her entire life. Rather then stop because the program is “over” she’s decided to move forward and do another 16 week program with me.
As I’ve said before, diets plan are short-term and quite simply end up causing more harm to your body in the long term. Developing a solid nutritional plan can be life changing thereby continuing to produce results for a lifetime.
Looking good is important. Feeling good is more important. Living your life to it’s absolute fullest and remaining healthy and strong is in my humble opinion what’s utmost important.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
President
Forever Fit