How Long is your Long Term?

Whenever we sit down with a client for the first time during a consultation, we ask “what are your goals?”. Usually, the answer is to lose a certain amount of weight, and to feel better. We then divide that goal into two parts – short term and long term.
This is where people lose their vision. Clients will define their short term goal of losing 1-2 lbs. per week, and their long term goal as 20 lbs. (or whatever the desired amount). You shouldn’t look at the amount of weight you would like to lose as your “long term” goal.
When you look at your long term goal, you should be thinking of your future self – 10,20,30 years down the road. 20 lbs – that is the short term. 1-2 lbs per weeks is just steps in the process of that short term goal. The “feel better” is what the long term goal is, and that should never be something you stop.
No one loses 20 lbs, feels great, and then completely stops exercising. I’m sorry, yes, plenty of people do that. But, what happens?….. The weight comes back on, and they start feeling poorly again.
I’ll admit, I started working out at 19 and when I went to the gym, I have to say my intentions of doing so were not so I can live a long and healthy life – I wanted to look better.
But then I turned 30! Looking good was still a priority, but I started to notice that when I didn’t workout the weight crept on a little bit faster. I started DTC shortly after turning 30, and the stress of running the business was taking it’s toll on me, and started to realize that I was working out more consistently for stress-relief and energy, more than for my appearance.
But then I turned 40! Looking good?, not as high on the priority list (sorry, Laura). Expanded the business, and added 2 kids to the mix! Let’s just say, if I miss a workout and don’t relieve that stress – I will blow a gasket. I also have tendinitis now, so if I don’t workout, I’m like the Tin Man. I also notice that the weight doesn’t just creep on any more, it kicks open the door, makes itself at home, and stays for awhile like an uninvited house guest.
I often joke with my wife that we should have had kids when I was younger, because I can barely keep up with my 5 and 3 year old. But, seriously, that is an issue that concerns me as I get older. When my son wants to shoot hoops when he’s 16 – I will be 53. I don’t want to just “shoot hoops” with him, I want to kick his butt! I don’t want him to beat me at anything until I’m at least 80. And if my daughter wants me to go for a run with her or get down on my hands and knees to play – I want to be able to keep up with her and not have her run laps around me, and I want to be able to get up when down on my knees and not need a “medi-alert” bracelet for assistance.
That is my long term goal. To live a long, healthy and vivacious life. Keep up with my kids, see them graduate, get married, become a grandparent, and still have enough energy to travel with my lovely wife when all of them are out of the damn house! Be greedy – take the quantity and the quality. Who wants to live long if those final years have no quality to them?
My point is this; even I made mistakes thinking what my “long-term” goal was when I was younger. Even though I am older, slightly stiffer, and no longer have the body of the 31 year old nationally ranked natural bodybuilder I used to be. I am happy that my blood pressure is 120/80, my cholesterol is perfect, no signs of diabetes or other signs of metabolic syndrome other 42 years olds face nowadays. The reason why all those numbers are so good is because I did consistently exercise for the past 23 years. Imagine if I didn’t? How hard would I have had to work to get healthy now?
Don’t settle for the excuse that we are supposed to get old, as we get older. Adjust your lenses and take a look further down the road…….what version of your future self do you want to see? Are you taking the right steps to get you there?