Reality TV

I think one of the reasons people like "reality" shows is "reality" is condensed down into 30 or 60 minutes (including nice little breaks from "reality" for commercials).

Now -- I'm not bashing on Biggest Loser.  But think about how long your workday is.  Can you even conceive of taking all of those working hours and using them for exercise?  For one day -- maybe.  But everyday, day-in, day-out, for months on end?

1  And if you can envision that -- what's stopping you from doing it on your own?  The cost of a trainer 8 hours a day?  The inability to quit your job for that many months?  The thought that your body may not hold up under so much strain?

2.  So what's stopping you from breaking down that reality into 2 hour segments.  You go to the gym EVERYDAY for 2 hours and workout -- hard!.  You pay attention to your choices at EVERY MEAL -- day-in, day-out -- no days off, no excuses. ???

3.  Or what is stopping you from going for a walk 30 minutes everyday.  Day-in, day-out, and paying attention to almost all of your choices.  Eating less than normal at EVERY meal.  Having a small piece of yummy desert as the exception not the rule and giving up TV time so you have more time to be outside during the summer.  ???

"Reality" TV has conditioned us to think that if it (what ever it is) doesn't elicit visible changes in a condensed time frame, what we're doing isn't working.  So we don't see that option 3 is a valid choice because we intuitively know we aren't going to see huge results in the first two weeks.

And yet -- If you adopted option 2 or option 3, you would see results before your Fourth of July party.  And if you learn to integrate option 2 or option 3 into your life, you will see miraculous results over the course of the next 4 or 5 years.

And the really cool part is that option 2 and option 3 actually build on themselves.  Much like I wrote about last Friday, once you create an option 2 or option 3 habit, it is very likely you will find yourself making other healthy behavior choices that support you healthy lifestyle and thereby compound the results you are getting.  (like instead of choosing to go on a cruise and eat at the buffet the whole time you are on the boat, you may choose to bike through wine country).

Our lives do not run at the same speed as "reality" TV (and thank goodness for that!) -- so don't fall into the trap of expecting "reality" TV result when  you don't live in that "reality" world. 

Take your time.  Make your choices.  Know that they are moving you in the direction you want to go.