Time For A Change

I think all of us have had that conversation with ourselves that we were finally going to create change in our lives. We promise ourselves starting Monday we will:

• Stop drinking as much
• Stop hooking up
• Stop using drugs
• Stop spending so much time in the chat rooms
• Stop watching so much TV

The list can go on and on of all the items we promise ourselves we will do on our fresh start but for some reason, we fall right back into our old habits. We deal with our own disappointment of ourselves and then either say the hell with it or decide to start fresh again next Monday.

I promised myself this year I would spend time on my health. I wanted to eat better and really increase that dreaded word, "exercise". What was I thinking?

I know you need to take care of yourself and the earlier the better. I know this is the only body I have so I need to invest in its health. I know all the benefits of exercise but I just love the couch, some hummus and a good episode of LOST better than going for a run.

My friend Becky and I decided to sign up for a 5K which is about a 3.1 mile run. At the end of this event, you get a medal. We had 7 weeks to train. It took me two weeks to just pick out the sneakers I wanted but finally, I was set and ready to go. I began my training and realized I was not in as good as shape as I thought. I was planning on running the whole race but as time went on, I realized I would be walking more and more of it.

Living in Florida we have great warm weather most of the days BUT one evening a cold front came through and it was a bit chilly for my standards. I decided it was best to give myself the day off. That day off ended up being 4 complete days off of living on the couch and watching Family Guy reruns.

I want to be healthier and I want to exercise more but what is keeping me from making these changes? I had to sit down and really think about what it took to apply change to your life. Here are my 4 tips on how to be successful through your new initiative to a better life:

1. Commitment - It is all about commitment. There is a big difference in trying something and being committed to something. When you really want something, you can make it happen but you have to truly be committed to the work and the results it will bring. That is so important. You have to be doing this for you and you alone. I am having a hard time running because I found out I HATE RUNNING. This doesn't mean I give up because I am committed to finishing the 5K. What I did learn is my commitment to exercise requires me to find something I like better to continue this change. Maybe yoga, a dance class or swimming.
2. Action - We all want to be motivated to make changes in our lives but we spend our time waiting for motivation to come. Motivation doesn't come out of the blue. Motivation comes from action. You have to start something and take those steps forward and the motivation will start to build. So stop waiting for someone or something to move you forward in your change. Just do it! When I get home, the first thing I do is take off my clothes and put on my work out clothes and sneakers. I can not wait until I feel it is time to exercise, I just do it.
3. All About You - When you start to exercise, they tell you do it with a buddy but what happens when your buddy talks you into skipping the workout to get Krispy Kreme donuts? It is great to have support from your friends and your family but you can not expect them to be your rock through this. They are support and cheerleaders BUT you are the center of this change. It is your life and you have to make it happen with or without their support if it is what YOU want for your life. You are going to be your best cheerleader through it all.
4. Celebrate - You need to celebrate the milestones to build on your energy and momentum of success. Now if you are reducing your drinking, don't celebrate with a drink or if you are losing weight don't celebrate with a cake. Just find a way to celebrate that supports your goals but lets you enjoy the journey so far. If you are just waiting to celebrate the end result, you can feel it will never come. These small celebrations of your great work along the way keep you moving forward and being proud of what you have done so far.

I am committed to my health and adding exercise to my life. I will finish this 5K race (I know many runners are laughing at me about how small this is) and I will celebrate this achievement as a step in my health goal. I am doing this for me and I am not giving up. I am doing it! The hard work will pay off.

I would love to hear what changes you are working on in your life and how you keep yourself on track.

Michael Moniz is a life coach focusing on the LGBT community. His practice helps others with self-image, communication skills, self-leadership and setting and achieving goals. Check Michael's website for more information and to schedule private consultations.

Do you have a question about how to improve your life? Send an e-mail to pnohealth@planetoutinc.com

Comments

[Perte]

You are very correct...But sometimes, we just hate working out sometimes...we can give us a special treat for two or three days...but after that, we should commit to ourselves and keep working out. if we can not commit to ourselves, who else can we commit to?

[JLee]

Two years ago, I finally made the commitment to eat right and exercise after so many attempts.

During my journey, I have found that slow and steady wins the race. I started walking every morning just to get into the habit of exercising. Then I gradually added other exercises, and slowly changed my eating habits.

Two years later, I have kept off the 35 lbs I lost, and I'm toning up. I feel better, have more energy and I'm getting all kinds of compliments.

Now every morning before I go to work, I'm either in the gym or outside walking. The important thing here is to keep at it and remember that "slow and steady wins the race".

[zarxo]

Again disconnected people make disconnected arguments--sounds like the $7/wk credit that big O was going to give--jeez, after I made a comment about it on Mc Clatchy, he bumped it up to $17/wk.

2009 is not the year for contracts, so a gym means signing up.

With the cost of fuel on the rise and unemployement almost at a Depression treshhold figure of 10%, what else does one do but stay home?

I have given up my St. Pauli Girl for the Michelob Ultra (ugh, taste is not even comparible but the calories do affect the waistline quickl). Swith to Lean Cuisine and target frozen berries with light whip cream. That with some diet soda will keep the waist down even if you're not at the gym.

Something cheap to buy is the ab unit that looks like a bent O with the head rest works great! The trick is slight movements in the feet elevation works different layers of ab muscles; plus, one can do side abe work out on it too!

Just remember one eat his/her weight. If one weighs 200lbs then one is eating 15 cal X 200 = 3,000 cal to maintain that current weight. However, it takes 3,000-3,500 cal to lose one pound--one would need to cut back 500 cal per day to lose one pound in one week.

Scientists are now saying that the closer that one stays to the photosynthesis layer the more/better fuled you'll get from it: Eating plants is none removed from the light source. However, eating fish, depending on what kind of fish, can be all the up to a tertiary/quartnerary 3-4 times removed from the light source. (It takes ten pounds of feed to produce one pound of edible cow meat). Each level up the Energy Food Pyramid loses 90% sunlight energy.

If one cannot eat greens/leafs then one should eat small fish rather than big fish. Remember what eats what--and where in line "you" are eating from the actual source of sunlight energy. Stop thinking grain and think sunlight!

The primary sources of food chain photosynthesis are phytoplankton such as algae (sea weed)and zooplankton.

On the land scale of light energy, green plants to herbivore insects then to predator insects and then to birds/animals that eat the predator insects. A great source of light energy is the herbivore insects--gross eh? But that's where its at!

Will grass hoppers and bees ever be on a Western menu--in the near future, I think so. A great source of energy would be a leafy salad with grasshoppers, bees and herbivore fish or fish such as sardines, anchovies, and scads.

In this case, size does matter--it seems. :)

[Wyatt1969again]

Well -

That’s good to know ZARXO - and I really mean it.

Personally - I gave up potatoes, white bread, most pasta and beer.

So now it’s the occasional bong hit (no pot doesn’t always make you want to eat) - lots of salad - a shot of whisky here and there - and no red meat.

My biggest culinary sin?

Pizza.

After spending summers on a farm during my youth - I rarely eat anything which once stood on four legs - except for Deer. I know this will sound horrid - but really - if you like to hunt - take a small tin of bacon grease - a little flower and some pepper (NO SALT) - and there you have it - Magnifique!

Still - I’m hard pressed to give up Tuna (I know - too easy LOL).

This year I have gone ice climbing three times - and out to the country (off to the mountains) about 5 times. Its always a good workout. Fresh - Cold - Air - is the best. It’s also an opportunity to have a certain silence - so much so that I can escape my own thoughts and focus on the beauty this planet provides us all.

Now if I could only find me a guy - who likes all that too!

[Michael]

Remember youdon't need exspensive gyms and all the crap to go with it. Keep in mind the YMCA is a great value and those that are finacially challenged they will work with you as well with the cost. Also shcek with your insurance I did my YMCA membership is free.
Even if you have to stay home walk everyday

[Rain City Blues]

There is something ironic about reading a webpage that tells me to spend less time online. Kind of like the bartender telling you to go home and sleep it off.

[ray]

i find it helps to make small committments. it's easy to make goals so big, we mean well, but get overwhelmed by trying to do too much at once. i don't say what i can't do, but what i need to do better. plain old fashion walking works wonders for starters. you don't need to kill yourself with loads of exercise. start small, then go bigger if you wish.

[oldkingtroll]

I used to play tennis; till I got tennis elbow. Then, I switched to racket ball, till I tore a muscle in my leg. Next was snow boarding, but doing a 180 around my right leg with my left foot sort of put an end to that. I then got into bicycling; but here in Miami, you know how cars are -- and the second time I got hit, welllllll. I still snorkel but only occasionally and who knows what shark I may encounter doing that. I guess it's back to bike riding which I now consider an extreme sport.

[corrective_unconscious]

>Stop spending so much time in the chat rooms.

The gay dot com makeover took care of that use of my time. Haven't been in them since all the third party chat clients went by the wayside. Cold turkey, baby!

[Jonathan]

After 10 years of the chatrooms on this site, and seeing absolutely nothing change from 1999-2009, the chatroom thing solved itself - the idea that the 'walls were coming down for gay men via the internet' and we would be able to finally meet each other and develop relationships because the stigma of having to go to bookstores, saunas and bars would be removed - well guess what...the internet chats have become another huge closet that most guys have no intention of ever coming out of. Now the walls and anonymity are even more than they were ten years ago because half of us are sitting at home in the dark with nothing but the computer on. I can't imagine the depression from the increased sense of isolation is helping many of us.

Working out is great. It's my saving grace. But it doesn't help to see no other gay faces at the gym who are serious about sticking to a routine and to see the only other gay guys who are 'in shape' only because they smoke so much for weight control. When it comes to doing things for ourselves and having determination and discipline, I think gay men have that down pretty good. There is nobody to impress - the straight guys don't want us, and we don't want the other gay guys; therefore if you are truly not there to improve your health there sure isn't anyone to impress that you'd be interested in.

I hope with this economic crisis it brings some of these rich bitch queens back down to earth, particularly the ones who spend ridiculous amounts of money to belong to the 'mean girls club' only to look rich and make fun of guys who don't buy $800 sunglasses. Too bad that many of you will be competing for supermarket checker jobs at Piggly Wiggly rather than the 'successful whoop-dee-doo' descriptives that most of the characters on Sex in the City dated. Hopefully it brings us all some reflection as to who we really are and where we really want to be without having to make up false impressions all the time.

[mike]

Bravo!!!!! Jonathan, and well said!

[Asato]

ROFLMAO. I love you Jonathan!!!

I can't stop laughing... seriously.
That was beautiful!

/cheers!