Instant Gratification

Our society has created a world where when you ask you receive almost immediately. Is this healthy? How does this help you grow and learn social cues? What about the younger generations? How are they going to get a grasp on how to handle disappointment when they do not get what they want or what they expect immediately?

You are probably wondering what does this have to do with Lean Living Fitness and Well Being, right? Well to be honest, almost everything!

Let’s start with our diets. Society has created a world that we can have almost anything we want within minutes. You go to a drive thru restaurant and you have your food within in minutes. You want a coffee you can get it in minutes with little effort and you now have that sense of total gratification. But at what cost? Yes, the meal was about $15 for yourself or maybe $40, or even more, if buying for a family. And what about that coffee? How much did it cost you? I am not talking about the monetary cost; I am talking about the cost to your health.

There are many avenues of health we can discuss, and I will touch on a couple of them here, but please know this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you would like to learn more, select the contact us at the end of this blog.

First let’s talk about what Instant gratification is. It is the idea of desiring something and receiving it in the here and now. It could be food, a coffee, album or book thanks to technology to just name a few things. This creates the feeling of pleasure almost immediately and it takes away the pleasure of anticipation. Anticipating positive events has been shown to have mental health benefits, enhancing brain activation that was associated with higher levels of well-being. Think about that, a little anticipation is good for the brain and your overall well-being. Something we all lose with instant gratification.

I remember when I was younger and one of my favorite bands had a new album coming out, I could not wait to hear it. The day came and the album was released, and then after I talked my mom into taking me to the store, I would go inside, walk the aisles, there it is, I felt the thrill of the new release, it is here, “YES! This is it!” I pay for it and on the ride home I look at every detail of the cover and liner notes. Oh my gosh this is going to be great, I cannot wait! THEN my mom pulls into the parking lot for the grocery store! “Mom!? What are you doing? We need to go home so I can hear the new album, why are we here??” And usually it was something like “Well since we are out I thought I would pick up a few things”, which for most of us back then it took another hour or so before you were on your way home and then you when you finally get there, you hear the dreaded “Time to help put the groceries away.” OMG! “MOM!”

I think you get the idea, I had to wait and when I finally was able to put the needle down

and just listen, just absorb all the new sounds and lyrics, oh, it was the best feeling. The buildup of having to get through the errands and chores before I could hear what I have been waiting for. At the time it was grueling, but when it was all done, the satisfaction and pleasure was beyond measure.

Things are so different today. The new album comes out, and you hit a button and you are listening to it, in an instant. You could be talking with someone and they mention an album that you may be interested in and you take out your phone, hit a button and you are listening it. There is no dreaming about what it will sound like or what the songs will mean to you, no anticipation.

Well, it is essentially the same thing when it comes to our health. Society has become so unhealthy with fast foods and technological advances that we do not need to work for much

of anything and there is not anticipation, no build up to what you desire. Then one day you have the moment, whether it be your doctor telling you to make a change or just got tired of feeling sick and tired all the time, you decide to do something about it and you start a “diet”. You decide to make a change.

This is it you are doing it; you are watching what you eat and you are feeling good, the last 3 days have been great! Then you step on the scale and you did not lose any weight! Then you break out the favorite pair of jeans and think for sure they will fit and nope, you can barely get them up let alone buttoned. Well, what the heck! I have been watching what I ate for 3 DAYS, and I did not lose a single pound? Not one! And my favorite jeans still do not fit? What the heck? You decide that it is pointless and off to the drive thru you go, for that instant gratification that the “diet” did not give you. That feeling of instant pleasure.

For weight loss and good health you can definitely have the feeling of anticipation, for the end result. The problem for most people however is the fact that you will not see or feel these results without effort. You cannot attain good health instantly; you need to work toward it. There will be no instant gratification, there is no magic button that can get you the results of good health. To reach your desired end result of good health you need to put in the effort, and it will take time. It could be months, and for some it could take years, but oh the feeling when you have reached your goal, the end result, that is everything. The anticipation during the time of your efforts pays off. You feel amazing! You look amazing! And your health? Your doctor tells you that you are in great health. All while along the way you reached smaller goals, and you saw different changes that have taken place in your body, your mind, and your attitude which also affected your lifestyle. I know because I had that moment and I put it the effort and time and I am in the best health of my life and I have never felt better.

Here at Lean Living Fitness and Well Being, this is what we are about. We believe that your Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude and Nutrition (L.E.A.N.) is the foundation to your good health, and we can help and guide you to achieving your best self. Contact us for more information and a free consultation.

Skinny vs Thin, Healthy or Unhealthy?

How do you define being skinny? Is it the same as thin or healthy? Personally, I had never really put any thought to this. When I was a young teenager, I thought I was “fat”, but in reality, I was healthy then later I thought I was skinny and in reality, I was unhealthy.

As a teenager in the 80’s there was a lot of inference on being skinny. I remember girls would say to each other that if you can pinch an inch on your waste then you are fat. Or we would see magazines showing pictures of thin models and tell us that this is what beautiful looks like and this is what boys will find beautiful. Being young and impressionable these images and references were the foundation in forming an unhealthy relationship with body image and potentially cause poor health for many young people. It is important for us all to not equate being skinny with being healthy. While society tends do this all the time, it is NOT the same thing.

Much of society is starting to work toward taking a different approach and trying to project more healthy body images to young people, but just because they are showing these images of people of different sizes, does that mean they are healthy? There is misconception that if someone is “skinny” then they are “healthy”, where in reality similar to being overweight, being skinny can pose serious health risks. After years of struggling with weight and health issues I finally understand. I now know that it was not about being skinny or fat, it was about what I like to call LEAN.

Being lean means having the right percentage of body fat for your individual body type. Lean does not mean thin or skinny, which is often unhealthy. Lean means being strong and healthy. You may say, “well ok, I am not too skinny where I look unhealthy, and I am not overweight so that means I am lean and healthy”. The reality, however, is if you are eating poorly and not exercising chances are that yes you look healthy on the outside, but you could have similar health concerns as individuals that are overweight and obese as well as too skinny. Some of these health risks include low muscle mass, comprised immune system, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hair loss to just name a few.

There are many diets out there that promise you a healthy new you. It is important to know however that with the promises of fast weight loss they do not address the long-term effects on your body or your health. I know because I personally tried several of these diets. What did I learn? I learned that diets are temporary. I learned that I needed to listen to my body and understand how my body reacts to different foods. I learned that exercising all the time did not give me permission to eat or drink whatever I wanted.

It was with the help of my health and fitness coach that I came to these realizations. Before I found my coach, I did not have all the tools needed to achieve my optimum health. I needed outside help, someone in my corner. I needed a coach. So now, here I am, feeling my best and trying to pay it forward to those just like me with Lean Living ~ Fitness and Well Being.

Should you make New Year Resolutions or Decisions?

If you are like most people you did not keep these resolutions. You may have given up by January 19th, which is the most common date that people have given up on their resolutions by. The fact is that 80% of people that make New Year Resolutions give up by the second week of February! Why do so many people fail at resolutions? What makes them so difficult to finish?

It is my belief that most people fail at their resolutions because they do not actually make the decision that this is what they need or want, but that they resolve that it is something they think they need or want. Most people do not DECIDE that this is what they want or COMMIT to achieving this goal. Then there are those that do decide and commit to these huge goals that are unattainable before they even start.

So how do you set yourself up for success rather than failure? First thing would be to make a decision and commitment of what you want to achieve. It could be you want to lose weight and get in shape, or get organized, learn something new, or quit smoking, all very common new year resolutions. Now what you ask? You are probably thinking “sure, this is what I do each year and like you mentioned earlier, I give up before I even get started.”

Now that you decided what you want to achieve, now you need to make it a measurable goal. We all want to lose weight and get fit, but honestly what does that mean? Do you want to lose 10 lbs? 30 lbs? Get fit, what exactly does that mean to you? Does that mean you can walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded or does that mean you can run a 5k? You need to be specific as to what your goal is. Make it a measurable goal and set yourself a time frame to achievement. Remember you can always set another goal once you have achieved the first!

The most important thing is to set yourself up for success! Give yourself a reasonable timetable to achieve your reasonable goal. Once you have succeeded you will feel so good that you will be ready to set another goal, and another and another!

So, what are you going to do? Make a resolution or a decision? Want to talk about it? Click here for a free consultation and we can discuss your aspirations for your well being.