Health and fitness: Hi Sir,
Winter is one of the hardest times to lose weight while you keep on gaining weight, as you tend to eat a lot. What can I do to inspire myself to hit the gym or go jogging? Please help.
-Tandin, Thimphu
Hi Tandin,
Winter is indeed a time that most of us pile on extra weight, perhaps because of the long and cold night when we seek refuge under multiple clothing as it hides our weight. The cold forces us to enjoy being tucked under a warm blanket. Truth to be told we can find a million excuses, and most of us do just that; justify and console ourselves.
It begins by gaining a few kilograms of extra weight, which is soon followed by a host of problems such as the clothes doesn’t fit anymore, we suffer from high blood pressure, knee pain, back pain, and a final wake up call when one is bed ridden. Not to mention how becoming fat makes one less productive, antisocial resulting with low self esteem issues.
What can you do to inspire yourself to exercise?
1. Ask yourself why?
Note down why and what you want to achieve, also note what it would mean for you to achieve those goals. Paste it in your bedroom wall or the refrigerator to remind yourself each day. Make sure you see it every day. It may seem childish but believe me it does wonder.
2. Set a realistic goal:
Start by losing five kilograms instead of setting an unrealistic and vague goals. To look like a fitness models, one requires discipline, strong work ethic and also god-gifted genetics.
3. Give a time frame:
It is important to set a deadline, so one will not lose track of one’s progress and act accordingly to achieve them. Without a deadline, many starts losing focus and motivation to stay disciplined.
4. Seek advice or help from a professional:
If one can afford to hire a nutritionist or a trainer to help educate and guide, doing so can eliminate many mistakes one is bound to make and save a lot of time. But if one doesn’t want or cannot afford a professional, than read reliable materials on exercise and nutrition available online, and make an informed decision.
5. Visualisation:
If one can dream it, one can achieve it. Don’t waste time on negativity, it will only beget more negativity, instead empower by being positive and visualise what, how and by when one wishes to achieve the goals one has set.
6. Where there is a will, there is a way:
Exercise can be done anywhere so cold winters should be the least of the problems, just read an autobiography of a successful person, and you will realise how their consistent hard work and discipline conquered every obstacle.
