The HARDEST exercise? What is it?
What is the HARDEST exercise you have ever been asked to do? Sometimes as trainers we ask a lot of our clients. Run here, jump there, pick up this heavy bit of iron, now pick it up again….. and again…and again. I have asked clients to do “burpee’s” for a whole hour, asked them to sprint up hills until they couldn’t stand and attempt lifts they never thought possible. However, sometimes I ask clients to do one thing that seems so hard that many, even after years of training, are reluctant to do. They shy away from it and come up with excuses.
So What is this incredibly hard exercise that scares so many????
Keeping a food diary!
“So what are you eating?” the conversation usually starts.
“Oh! Er…. I eat quite healthily,” comes the reply.
“What sort of things do you eat?” I ask.
“Oh the usual stuff, salads, some chicken. You know.”
“No, actually I don’t know. Do you drink?”
” Er…Occasionally. Not too much,” the nervous client replies
“Do you snack? Eat out a lot? How much protein do you eat?”
” Er ….a decent amount I think”
It’s about this time the conversation falls apart and the dreaded request comes from me:
” Okay, for the next 2 weeks I want you to write down all the food and drinks you have. Then we can get a baseline of what you are fuelling yourself with, so we can help you make adjustments to support your training regime”
Most people think this is a good idea, but inevitably this is the last we hear about it. It never happens.
Sure you may be busy and yes you may have forgotten about it but I think the real reason so few people do this is because they feel uncomfortable examining their lifestyle, nutritional habits and being honest about how poor their diet really is.
Do you want those results or not?
As Personal Trainers we can give you everything we have for your hours training but we cannot stand with you in your kitchen for the other 23 hours a day. As good Sherpa’s we can guide you up the difficult mountain path but we need to know where you are starting from. We will show you the best routes and the pitfalls to avoid but a map is useless if you don’t know where you are or where you want to end up?
So it is time to stop living in denial and start being honest with yourself. Get out a notebook or keep a record on your phone. For the next two whole weeks write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink and at the end of those two weeks come and show us. We will help you with those changes so you can fuel yourself correctly and make sure your macro nutrient’s are suitable to support your goals. Diets are a short term fix that do not work over the long haul, but good lifestyle nutritional choices for the rest of your life do work 100% every time.
Its time to grow up and eat your vegetables!!!!
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for many but it’s time to take your medicine. Writing a food diary should NOT be the hardest exercise. So pens and notepads at the ready….
Three two one GO……..
RAB