Fitness Nostagia

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. Anatole France

What can this turn of the century poet and novelist, this man of "brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy and grace" have to say to us, who are trying desperately to succeed at a fitness life style? Perhaps, as some might say, "nothing" because he was really thinking of personal transformation. That has more of a psycho-spiritual dimension. Yet, we all are more than just psyche or spirit.

If we start off living a fitness lifestyle at the first of the year, and find that we are still at it by October, we may be going through some wishing for the good old days. That is when we could kick back in front of the TV after work--a very relaxing time in comparison to being on the bike at the club watching CNN as we pedal. Or, it could be when we used to take the kids to the Golden Arches for that Saturday reward after a long hard week. Or, moreover, it could be when we had that extra hundred dollars in the checking account, not having bought our monthly installment of supplements. How great it all was back then.

Of course, the present can even be worse than all of that. Perhaps it even should be if we are really caring about fitness results. That is: 1.) the time we used to spend at home unwinding is now cut into by a total of two, not just one, hours of club time (never forgetting travel,dress up and shower minutes); 2.)the gluten-free blander tasting diet has totally replaced the wheat burdened one, making real food nearly irresistible; 3.)the balance in the bank account is really two hundred dollars less because we have not yet found that elusive vitamin wholesale house. How can anyone expect us to keep at fitness in the face of all that?

These are realities of an effective fitness lifestyle. They are ones that make going back to old ways seem no more than responsible. There may seem to be just too many sacrifices associated with our new way of living. even though they may have actually enabled us to come in a belt notch or drop a dress size. In other words, the new lifestyle is not yet completely better than the old tried and true one. What then ought we to do?

The simple answer is to hang in there for the second belt notch or the brand new hot pink bikini. But this does not address the very strong feeling that we may have given up too much. That is because the sacrifices are not only personal, but may be affecting our families as well. No responsible adult can refuse to take things like that seriously.

What are the best solutions to these problems? There are some even if it does not seem like there are. They are different for each of us due to what we owe ourselves and those close to us. Nevertheless, some general solutions can be proposed. Hopefully they will at least catalyze further personal reflection.

First, time for the club can be seen as no different than time for anything else. It is ideally invested for some good--making ourselves and our families happier. Thus when it comes to fitness, all that is needed is to include these significant others in our club time. Of course, getting them all on board may take some intense negotiation as everyone has to see how fitness will in fact benefit them. Two, internet recipes must be consulted for different low-fat low-calorie gluten-free dishes and staples. We all have computers, so there should be no excuse. The internet is loaded with the work of people who pride themselves on contriving tasty mouthfuls; and they really are good. Three, we can start shifting our focus from the checkbook's health store line item to the one for the grocery store. The latter should start getting less because healthy food plus supplements actually do total up to less than the quasi-addictive food stuff from the local grocer's shelf. Why? Because getting enough authentic nutrition really does satisfy hunger cravings much more quickly for a much longer period of time.

Making the switch to a fitness lifestyle is never easy. If we are baby boomers we were raised on white bread, milk, and a lot of red meat, to say the least. Too, evenings were all about pipes and slippers in front of the TV with physical exertion only for the kids to blow off steam. All of this is Ozzie and Harriet Land at its best. None of that is bad, and in some respects it may feel more comforting than the present. But, when that is true, it can make the good old days very compelling.

Nevertheless, we cannot go backward even if we might want to. The rewards of being fit are just too great, and the strictures and structures of a fitness lifestyle can make life keep getting better. Therefore, what we must do is to simply keep at looking for the things which make our new life more enjoyable than the life we left behind.

Some will argue that that is just not possible. They will say that the sixties American good life is just unbeatable. It is not. But until we have been at a fitness lifestyle for one third as long as we had been with the other, we may not be able to believe that. That is why we have to consciously work at it (with sheer faith and determination.) There are no kinder answers.

We simply have to ceaselessly search for greater gratifications in the here and now; and yes,they really are there. Ask anyone who has been at fitness for at least ten years.

For further thought on the fitness nostalgia order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."