Adaptation is an enemy. Evolution is your best friend. Our bodies tend to adapt to our activities be it eating, drinking, or getting fit. We are what we eat. The first few times I ran (which was pretty tough!), I could notice some degree of inches lost from my waistline due to the looseness of my pants. Same went with my shirts. I was feeling good. I made progress.
My body got shocked into burning some weight off. My heartbeat count was getting better (lower!) since I started tracking it with a Timex heart rate monitor. If you really want to know how your efforts are paying off, I’d strongly advice you get one. You’d know your fitness level is improving once your heart rate starts dropping into a certain heart zone. The idea is to maintain it or raise it to a level depending on your fitness goals (more info at www.timexironman.com).
Despite my knowing these things. Some old habits snuck in. I got overconfident and lazy and adapted. Nothing’s bad about adaptation except for the fact that your body “normalizes” its rate of burning whatever you put into it. Same goes for the activity. If we run at the same rate, same heart zone, same route, we risk a plateau. Yep, I hit a plateau.
A plateau is where you bring in your reinforcements. Your maniac running buddy (Richard Simmons almost!), your tons of workout videos and magazines, and your grocery list. What’s my point? Simple. Change everything up. Food, Fitness Zone, Workouts, even Friends. I’m not saying abandon your friends, I mean just look for those who are nuts about health and stick with them more often. You stick around the General and the Clown or the Bee for too long and you end up shaped like a bee or a drumstick with a clownish grin on your face. Heck, you might end up with that smile permanently just before they bury you.
Evolve. Don’t Adapt. Eat to Live, NOT Live to Eat.
