This week, Kelli asked a really important question. In typical Kelli style, she asked it in between a thousand girl-crush statements about Julianne Hough. Must interject here - I HEART Kelli's blog. It is the only celebrity info I ever read! And now I know who Julianne Hough is!
Kelly asked, "To trainer or not to trainer?" Do you need a personal trainer to get in shape?
Here, from the heart, is my off-the-cuff response which I originally began posting in the comments section to Kelli's blog:
You don't need a trainer. Will a trainer help? Yes. Do you need one? No. The desire to change your lifestyle and your body has to come from within. We could train together 5 days per week, but you're still on your own for the other 163 hours of the week. If you're not ready to commit to your change, or if the change just really isn't as important to you as you think it is, you can still flounder, even under a personal trainer's guidance.
The first step is to really visualize what you want from your body and write it down. Figure out why you want that body - do you want confidence? Do you want a better sex life? Do you want to be able to shop in different stores and wear different clothes? Do you want to be a role model to your children? Do you want to be able to play a sport you used to play? What is the pay off for you? Write it down.
Empty all of the crap out of your cupboards and fridge. Hubby wants snacks? Let him go buy them. Kids are whining? Too bad. They'll stop eventually, and they'll thank you 30 years from now for not allowing them to grow up obese. Stop buying it unless you're deciding that today you're going to watch a movie and eat popcorn. Or today you're having friends over and you're serving coffee cake. Otherwise, if it's not in the house, you can't put it in your face.
Begin moving. Every day. Stop eating all the time. Eat breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Eat lots of protein. Don't graze - you'll only overeat.
Keep a food journal. Write it down. Make yourself accountable.
If your budget allows, hire a personal trainer to see you as frequently as you can afford. A good, experienced personal trainer is worth the investment, but it is not a necessary investment. You can afford 3 sessions per week? Fantastic! You can't? No problem. You can use a personal trainer just a few times, to help you establish a program. Then you can check in with that trainer once every few weeks to freshen your routine and keep you accountable.
Can't afford a trainer? Join an online community like Sparkpeople.com or sign up for a newsletter and read blogs by a personal trainer you like and respect (ha ha... this could be Bob Harper, Harley Pasternak... I don't just mean me!). Sign up for a group running class. Join a hiking club. Get some support. Build a community of people with similar goals.
It's commitment. It's not rocket science, but it is commitment. People spend months and years in the preparation stage, thinking and hoping and planning to change one's lifestyle but not being ready quite yet. This is a necessary step. Prepare for the day when you are done planning and ready for action - start your food journal, buy some sneakers, join an online community and start buying healthier foods. One of these days you will open your eyes in the morning, your running shoes will be sitting next to the bed (hint, hint...) and you will do it.
xoxo
Printer-friendly version