Fit For Life: How Far Have You Come?

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

"Its a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up.” ~ Unknown

"If you look closely, most overnight success stories were actually a slow process.” ~ Steve Jobs

Those are two good quotes to digest, especially if you are like me, impatient, and want things done immediately, or want instant outcomes. When I want something, I want it now, and usually overstress myself to try and get it. Then I read a quote, article, book, or talk to my business coach and realize that I am overthinking, and I just need to keep working hard and being consistent, and the outcomes I am looking for will happen. I have been in this particular business for just over one year but I want to be in the same position as someone with 5 years experience. You see, I never compare myself to people doing less than me, only the ones ahead of me. This keeps me motivated and driven, while helping realize that success is a process. Never peak, the best is yet to come. Let the process begin.

One step at a time.

It's kind of ironic that when a client gets off the scale and hasn't lost as much as they expected, I am the one trying to rationalize with them and tell them to be patient, keep working hard, and the results will come. It's a process. When you come to Providence Fit Body Bootcamp, you will get results faster than any other program, but it takes time, and a lot of hard work, but we guarantee outcomes. I tell my clients during their workouts that every rep, every set, and every workout is one step closer to meeting their goals, and as long as you do not sabotage your journey with unhealthy habits after you leave the gym, you will reach your destination. You need to win one battle at a time in order to win a war.

I tell the high school kids that I teach to focus on each play, and play as hard as you can. If you do this over and over, and give your best, victory is guaranteed. The team that works the hardest, and wants it most always wins. I compare it to riding a bicycle up a big hill. Keep looking forward, don't stop pedaling, and do NOT look up hill, because it will discourage you if it looks too hard. But then when you reach the top, look back at how far you have come. Then enjoy the view. It all starts with mindset. You need to get your mind right, have a vision, and be willing to go for the long haul. Successful businesses, and perfect bodies will not happen overnight.

Focus. Execution. Time. Discipline.

You need to be mentally prepared, and focus on a goal. What is it? Thirty pounds lighter; fit in to that little black dress; do more push-ups; visit Graceland; decrease medications; train for a mud run; or just feel better. Next step in the process is to execute. I notice when someone comes regularly, the results come faster than when they are inconsistent. When they realized they needed improvement, they mentally developed a plan, and show up to exercise regularly. In addition, they stick to their nutrition plan. Execution = results. But nobody did it overnight; in a week or even a month. It took time and discipline. The weight came off one pound at a time. Consistency, mental focus and hard work always gets it done. One pedal stroke, one down, one rep, set, and one workout at a time. It’s a process, but the results are worth it. And won’t it be great when you get to the top of the mountain. Then you can look back and see how far you've come?

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android