Who we hang around says a lot about the type of people we are. While some prefer to spend time with friends shopping or going to the movies, others join book clubs. On the other hand, some people prefer family to friends, and tend to focus more on activities within the family as oppose to those outside of it. Whatever the case may be, those who we associate with often impact the way we see ourselves. So take a moment and look around. Are the people you spend the most amount of time with examples of where you want to be?
Are they living out the principles and values that you aspire to? Are they doing the things you would like to be doing? If you want to be fit, you might ask yourself are the people you hang around with fit. If the answer is no, you might consider re-allocating your time. While your friends may be “trying to lose weight”, so is 65% of the current U.S. population. Trying to lose weight is, as we all know to well, not the same as being successful at weight loss. Certainly, it is not the same as being fit. Where fit people exercise consistently, and often participate in sports or events (5K, 10K and marathon races, bike races, or triathalons), people who are trying to lose weight often struggle with consistency. Additionally, where fit people generally eat healthy, and do not abandon their entire training program if they fail to for one meal, or even day, people who are trying to lose weight often view nutrition slipups as catastrophic setbacks that derail their entire program.
One salient truth we know about groups of people is that the more time we spend in a group, the more we adopt the beliefs, values and behaviors of the group. If you spend enough time with people who give up on weight loss, you will to. Looking at the differences then between those who are fit, and those who are trying to lose weight the distinct beliefs, values, and behaviors of each of these groups are elucidated. For one, fit people believe that weight loss is possible. They are living examples of this belief. Even if they never struggled with weight loss per se, they did have to work to move from unfit to fit. People are not born fit, so in order to, say, play basketball for 30 minutes, one would have to work to build cardio-respiratory capacity, muscular strength and endurance, balance and agility, along with all of the other skills needed to play basketball. The point is that fit people believe that it is completely possible to do these things, perhaps because they have done them, or perhaps in order to do them. Whatever the case may be, the do not question the ability to lose weight. For those trying to lose weight, the belief that weight loss is possible is something that is clearly up for debate. The numerous amount of books on weight loss is a fantastic example of this. It seems as though the current belief is that in order to lose weight a magic bullet must be found. It is as if, weight loss cannot occur without this magic bullet. To be sure, many people who are struggling with weight loss often believe that their bodies are somehow different from those who are fit in their capacity to lose weight.
In terms of values, the differences between fit people and those who are trying to lose weight, are must easily understood when they are centralized to the treatment of the body. Fit people place a high value on treating their body well, and while the definition of well may vary, they are not neglecting the condition of their body. For some this may mean pushing their bodies to the extreme, for others this may mean keeping a well balanced program. Conversely, people who are trying to lose weight tend to neglect their physical condition. Often they are much less aware of their physical state, physiological condition, or nutritional needs. Where a fit person can tell you how far and how fast she can run, or what level of yoga she can do, often those trying to lose weight have no idea how to position themselves physically. Additionally, fit people can tell you approximately the amount and type of food they need to do the things they do, whereas people trying to lose weight what often struggle with what they really need, and jump from program to program frequently.
Clearly, the behaviors of fit people vs. people who are trying to lose weight are different as well. Fit people exercise consistently, people trying to lose weight exercise sporadically. Where a setback, such as an injury, or unexpected life circumstances, may cause a fit people to change activities, they will not stop exercising. However, people trying to lose weight may exercise to lose the weight, and if it doesn’t work, they will stop. If they don’t see themselves as fit people, they will not continue to exercise.
So how do we change this? Well the first step is that we have to begin to see ourselves as fit people. We must do what fit people do, and therefore, we must be around fit people. One way to do that is to join an online fitness club. Why online? It is immediate access. As most online fitness clubs consist of a professional offering workouts, suggestions, advice and tips, and members offering support, camaraderie and connection, they are available at any time. Blogs are posted by members as forums where questions can be asked and answered, workouts are accessible 24 hours a day, events are scheduled, and most hours of the day, there is somebody else online as well. Surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you aspire to do can go a long way in the world of weight loss.
