Urban Thought Collective

Dear UTC Readers,

‘Tis the season for New Years’ Resolutions. So in that vein, please allow me to highlight the main points of what I have found to be the key to success, not only in life, but in specifically in achieving and maintaining fitness related goals and aspirations.

It is what I call The FIT4 Principle™, a way of getting your mind right. A way of getting mentally and emotionally prepared for the biggest battle in most American’s (especially African American’s) lives; Getting in Shape!

I began previously by breaking down each of the elements one by one, but given the timing, I think it’s apropos to share the bullet points of The FIT4 Principle and continue to expound on those points as the year progresses.

I hope this helps and may 2009 be: “The Year of No More Failed Resolutions!”

The FIT4 Principle

The Key to Finally Reaching Your Fitness Goals, Once and For All

F – “FIND YOU” – Find who you are, what you are and where you are

I – “ILLUSTRATE YOUR GOAL” – Create a colorful vision of where you want to be

T – “TAKE ACTION” – Do what it takes to get there, follow your program

4 – “4PLAY” – Find new, innovative and exciting ways to make exercise fun

4 – “4GIVE” – Don’t beat yourself up when you slip up

4 – “4GET” – The past, put disappointments, previous failures, behind you

4 – “4GE ON!” – Keep your eye on the prize no matter what, even when you mess up, keep going.

F – “FIND YOU” – Find who you are, what you are and where you are

FIND who YOU are, what YOU are and where YOU are. It’s okay to want something more or different for ourselves, but in order to accomplish that, we must take a realistic look at our current state. We spend so much time trying to fit ourselves into notions of who we “should” be but don’t spend enough time figuring out who we actually are. We must know our starting point before we can get to our final destination.

I – “ILLUSTRATE YOUR GOAL” – Create a colorful vision of where you want to be.

Have a goal; you can’t achieve what you don’t set out to do. Illustrate the perfect picture of what you want for yourself. Make it big and colorful and happy so that you feel good every time you look at it. This will help keep you attached to the positive side when the going gets tough…and it will.

T – “TAKE ACTION” – Do what it takes to get there, follow your program.

This is where Nike’s far overused slogan (second in over utilization only to the American Dairy Board’s “Got Milk” campaign and subsequent spin-offs) “Just Do It” comes in handy. The more you can practice that thought and make it into a way of life, the faster and more easily you will attain your goals. If you wake up tired, “Just Do It.” If you don’t feel like working out, “Just Do It.” If you have cramps, “Just Do It.” If you feel a little under the weather, “Just Do It.” Basically unless you’re on your deathbed or have a major injury, there is no excuse for not “Doing It.” What ever “It” might be, whether it’s running on the treadmill, drinking your meal replacement shake, doing that extra set of lunges, avoiding the temptation of cheesecake ever so gently calling your name…”Just Do It.”

4 – “4PLAY” – Find new, innovative and exciting ways to make exercise fun.

Exercising should not be all drudgery. There are plenty of ways to make it fun; exchange jokes with your workout partner, make funny faces while you exercise, have your trainer create new exercise games, reward yourself after working out. You get the idea.

4 – “4GIVE” – Don’t beat yourself up when you slip up

We are all human; temptation gets the best of us from time to time. The key is to not spend any extra time beating yourself up over falling off the wagon. Be kind to yourself. Dwelling on a slip up only gives way for the pity party to begin. Once the pity party starts, it can give way to a vicious cycle of depression and inaction, or worse, destructive action, such as drinking, binging or “couch potatoing.” (Yes, potatoing)

4 – “4GET” – The past, put disappointments, previous failures, behind you.

If you tried to lose weight before and it didn’t work, it doesn’t mean it will never work. The past does not equal the future. Don’t dwell on the past, take note of what worked and what didn’t and keep it moving. Forgiving and forgetting are probably two of the most valuable skills in achieving and maintaining a higher level of fitness.

4 – “4GE ON!” – Keep your eye on the prize no matter what, even when you mess up, Forge On!

Say you gave in to temptation and ate a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream in one sitting. What’s the typical response? “Oh, I screwed up my diet, so I might as well not exercise either.” Don’t give up!! 4ge on! Work through mistakes, mishaps, missed days and just get right back on track. I liken the attainment of a fitness goal to climbing a mountain made out of sand. The only way to get to the top is to keep moving. If you stop, you sink and it’s harder to pull our feet out of the sand, regain your footing and start climbing again. You might go sideways and even back a few steps, but for goodness sake, keep climbing. Don’t stop!! The longer you stop, the further you sink and the harder it is to unstick your feet. If you stay focused on your goal and keep moving towards it, one day you’ll look up and you’ll be there.

One last note and possibly the most important:

SLOW IS THE WAY TO GO!

Gradual weight loss is the only way to achieve sustainable results. If you lose too much weight too quickly, you shift your body so far out of equilibrium that it does everything possible to regain that equilibrium. That’s why you hear of (or possibly know personally) people who go on these extreme diets, cleanses, bootcamps, etc. and they lose all this weight, only to gain it right back. Check out the current stats of the people from the famous TV shows (Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, etc.). A study in TIME magazine showed that 95% of the contestants went back to their original weight. Some even gained a few pounds extra!

It is because they underwent such extreme conditions in such a short period of time, it is impossible for the body to maintain. Medically speaking, it is safe to lose 1-2 pounds a week. This allows your body’s equilibrium to shift gradually. Your body’s systems must adjust and adapt to the physiological changes going on. This takes time. The bigger your goal, allow yourself more than enough time to get there. Unrealistic goals yield unrealistic results.

Anything is possible, yes, I said it and I’ll say it again, Anything is possible. You just have to have the dedication, commitment and patience required to attain your “anything.” The truth is most people give up before they get theirs.

Don’t let that be you. Let’s make a commitment to make 2009 the year of “No More Failed Resolutions.” We can do it, “YES WE CAN!”

Think about how wonderful it will be to finally scratch that resolution off the list, once and for all, and sit back and say, “YES… I DID!”

Look out for me on Oprah in January! All the best in 2009! Be well.

Lanre Idewu, B.S., C.P.T. is a Celebrity Fitness Trainer and founder of Fit4LA.com,whose mission is to make fitness accessible to everyone. His carefully customized tips for living fit are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.