Healt greatist: quick fixes

Believing anything happens quickly is not realistic. Fitness is a process of small changes creating large results over time. No magic wand to instantly provide a chiseled physique or bikini body. We may want that, but not how it works. Quick fix thoughts only set us up for frustration and failure.

Achieve fitness one day at a time. Biceps don't suddenly appear after your first day in the gym. What does occur when you apply fitness daily is progress. The muscle will show up but let it work, grow and build. It's like a fine wine or great simmering stew. The journey will be rewarding but patience is required.

One of the worst things you could do is to jump into a fad diet or take unregulated fat burning supplements thinking this is the answer. Read the small print on any of these psuedo fitness deals. "Best results when accompanied with a healthy diet and exercise program" is what you'll find. All that needs to happen is to follow the small print which is the best advice on those bottles. In fact, any results achieved comes from implementing a healthy nutrition plan and exercise. You're the one doing the work, not what's in those bottles.

Fitness done daily will take time and effort but the lifelong results are the reward. It's also a journey and not a destination. There's no need to feel rushed or stressed about getting fit. It's really a simple process often over-complicated. Find healthy foods and exercise you enjoy and this is what keeps you coming back for more.

Avoid jumping ahead in your mind to what you want now and focus on today. What are you doing today to reach your fitness goals? Did you workout, eat healthy and get plenty of rest? Awesome! Celebrate your daily achievements. Write them down if it helps. Stay positive even when things aren't showing up as fast as you think they should.

We're all different in how our bodies respond to change. Comparing to friends or people we see at the gym is the thief of joy. We're not here to be or look like someone else. Our job is to become our best healthy self through daily choices. Who cares if your friend lost 5lbs and you didn't reach that mark. Fitness is not about who is faster at achieving results.

The goal is getting fit and loving ourselves through the process. The days are going to pass anyway so focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle the right way. Today is what we have, tomorrow isn't promised and yesterday is gone. Be in the now with your fitness and you'll get there one day at a time. Be well and Stay Healthy!

Are you living well or Verywell? Read my articles and others to help you achieve your fitness goals the right way!

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Darla Leal, Fit-over-50

No Matter What You Do, It's Still About the Lifestyle

Trying to achieve the so-called "perfect" body causes people to take drastic measures whether from detox cleanses, extreme caloric restriction, surgical change of normal organ function, to outward cosmetic procedures. All those methods don't mean a thing if a healthy lifestyle is left out of the equation.

No matter what you do, it's still about the lifestyle. Extreme measures without learning how to buy, cook and eat healthy foods combined with regular exercise will be wasted time and money. If you are currently doing one of those popular restricted calorie shake diets and the end of that program comes...what then? Let's say you have had some fat cells sucked out and after surgery you are still hitting the pizza and donuts...what then? If you have had a stomach organ band placed and still continue to eat fries and drink soda...what then? The point is what have you learned? The point is you will return to the weight and size (or larger) than you were prior to going drastic. This write is not to be judgemental or offensive, but to open your eyes to what it means to get healthy. Nothing inside a packaged shake mix or on an elective surgery table is going to provide health and fitness. What will create health is your daily choices about food and exercise and creating a habit that becomes a lifestyle.

The belief that quick fixes can stand alone to create the hot body of your dreams is a fantasy. If product companies or surgeons are telling you drinking some magic or getting something snipped will do it, they are wrong and I will go as far as to say negligent in feeding you a load of BS. Are you really so impatient to not gift yourself the time to learn how to eat right and enjoy awesome workouts? This is what it will take to get healthy and the desire is there, otherwise you would not be seeking out a way to get results. Regardless of what you do, you will need to maintain it with a healthy lifestyle.

If you are serious about getting fit and staying healthy, it is time to slow down and realize you will need to make changes in how you think and live. I would grab a piece of paper and begin a healthy lifestyle list. What are some simple things you could do right now to get you motivated and moving in the right direction? Build on your list and follow-through with your thoughts. Short-term goals could be replacing processed foods in your house with healthy selections, adding exercise 3 times per week, or losing 5lbs. Realize a healthy lifestyle is about daily progress and not perfection. Be patient, don't compare to others, and celebrate each daily victory!

Helpful articles are on my about.com site and will provide all the tools you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Check out my article on "What Newbies Need to Know About Getting Lean" or "5 Things You Can do Right Now to Reach Your Fitness Goals" . These are just a sampling of the great information at your fingertips.