So how is it that one becomes committed enough to their fitness goals to get up and go for it each and every day?
“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”
Don Wilder
We first must learn and accept that excuses simply will not get the job done. Exercise isn’t supposed to be drudgery; it isn’t supposed to take long hours and it isn’t supposed to leave you feeling like a wet noodle. It should invigorate you, charge you up and assist you in your daily tasks.
“But what if I just don’t feel like working out?”
That’s a very good question and I’m glad you asked.
People often do better in a “team” environment. Accountability is a tool many of us can employ to help us to “get over the hump” and get our health and fitness regimens back into gear.
A study done at Stanford University a few years ago found that the number one factor to a successful health, fitness and dietary control regimen was a strong social support network.
That’s right! Social support and interaction was the leading factor in determining the outcome of a structured, well oriented program. It was found to be more important than proper nutrition and more important than even exercise. Why?
The Bible states it this way, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)
Rudyard Kipling, in his poem “The Law of the Jungle”, put it this way:
“Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
There is strength in numbers and accountability has many benefits…at least to those who will be held accountable. For those who feel they are above such support, the perils and pitfalls of the human experience await them. What are the names of these perils? Temptation, deceit, a lack of motivation, follow-through or honesty are but a few that come to mind.
And why shouldn’t these infallibilities affect us; after all we’re only human, right?
The internal motivation to complete a task or follow-through on a goal such as fitness or fat loss will only take someone so far. Their degree of commitment to that task is determined primarily by their degree of understanding of the ease or difficulty of the particular task at hand.
In the case of fat loss, another of my colleagues, Craig Ballantyne, put it this way, “Fat loss is easy once you understand how hard it is.”
If someone undertakes a fitness or fat loss routine without taking into account the level of determination, perseverance, effort and consistency it will take to succeed, they may become quickly overwhelmed or frustrated and stop forging ahead.
For our purposes here, I’m going to discuss two basic types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Two Motivations, One Outcome
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
- Jim Ryun
Basically, intrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by internal factors, like a desire for a leaner physique or greater sports performance capability. Intrinsic motivation drives me to do things just for the fun of it, or because I believe it is a good or right thing to do.
As an example, most people's hobbies are intrinsically motivated. Notice the passion with which people collect small decorative bits and pieces or build detailed model cars. Sadly, few people carry that same passion into their workplace.
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by external factors, like the scale showing I’m approaching the weight of a baby elephant or a doctor’s report indicating that my blood pressure has elevated to a level where it will soon be shooting out my eyes. Extrinsic motivation drives me to do things for tangible rewards or pressures, rather than just for the fun of it.
A few simpler examples are supermarkets that use loyalty cards and discounts, airlines that use air miles, companies that use bonuses and commissions. Extrinsic motivation is everywhere.
There is a strange paradox of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Typically, intrinsic motivation is a far stronger motivator than extrinsic motivation, yet external motivations can easily act to displace intrinsic motivation in the short term.
This is what makes social support so important; the element of accountability to those whom you have designated with which to be held responsible. How does it work?
There are many examples, but let’s use this one:
Let’s say you’ve decided to get into shape and to lose 15 pounds of body fat by the start of the year; January 1. Let’s also say it is now September 1st. You buy some books on fitness and fat loss, join a gym and get started. For two weeks everything is going as planned. Then you wake up one morning and “WHAM!” you just don’t feel like you have it in you today.
Now what?
If you’re relying solely on self motivation (intrinsic) you may find yourself saying, “I can miss ONE day. What will it hurt?”
However, if you have the accountability of a spouse, close friend, business partner or perhaps a training group in whom you have informed your desires (goals) and have given permission to hold you accountable, the likelihood of your staying in bed just went way down.
That’s extrinsic motivation or what I call the strength of the pack in the wolf.
Hopefully, in the end, the outcome is that you get up, get to the gym and train. This is one of the secrets to both the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps and The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program.
If you’re ready to lose the fat, I have answers.
Steve
Steve Payne is San Antonio's premier fat loss expert. If you're really serious about fat loss, then please consider San Antonio's finest fat loss "boot camp", the Firestorm Fitness Systems Fat Burning Fit Camps, The 28 Day Miracle Fat Loss Program or you can e-mail Steve here for more information on his many GUARANTEED success programs.
