sebastian

I did not write this, I found it on my favorite martial arts forums... https://forums.uechi-ryu.com/

the forums is from my favorite martial arts website https://www.uechi-ryu.com

I always like a good challenge. I'll do my best to clarify my position that "we train for training's sake".

Any undertaking which requires an intense long term commitment has to be nurtured and sustained at some point by the commitment itself.

Let's take losing weight for instance. Experts will tell you that the number one reason that well intentioned people fail to lose weight is their lack of adherence to a proper weight loss program. In other words - most people quit before achieving any results.

In order to understand the difficulty associated with any weight loss program we have to look at the methodology required to effectively lose weight.

Here's the break down. The experts tell us that there are two essential components to a weight loss program. Proper diet and a proper exercise program. If a person attempts to lose weight , and losing weight is dependent on proper diet and proper exercise, then a proper diet and a proper exercise plan must be compelling enough for a person to stick to them. If either the diet, or the exercise program fails, weight loss, the dependent variable, will fail as well.

If the diet is bland,boring, tasteless, or unexciting, within time, a person will abandon it-feeling that it is not worth the cost of "losing weight". A dieter will rationilize their dieting decision, cheat on their diet and then abandon it all together.

Furthermore, if an exercise program is too intense or too demanding - it too will be abandoned,by the exerciser who will decide that the pain of "losing weight" is not worth the value of "losing weight".

For many people, losing weight becomes a life long process beyond their ability to ever achieve. Their life is a continuous cycle of dieting, exercising, quitting, frustration, dieting, exercising, quitting, frustration.

In retrospect, the solution of course is to change the focus from "losing weight" to the components of "losing weight". That of course means that focus shifts to the diet itself and the exercise program itself. These are the independent variables of the equation for successful weight loss. You see if weight loss becomes greater than the sum of it's two parts, then it is bound for failure. The idealistic objective cannot be sustained.

In summary, you must diet for the sake of dieting. You must learn to enjoy dieting by finding nutritious, enjoyable, healthy foods that you can live with. You have to become so creative with dieting, that it will actually take on a life of it's own. You have to immerse yourself in dieting so much that you find yourself talking about it and reading about it. You'll get excited about going to a restaurant and looking at the menu in a whole new way. You'll actually enjoy reading the back of the food containers you buy, and calculating the fats, carbs and proteins. in short, you will achieve a spiritual oneness with it that is self sustaining.

The same goes for your exercise program. You have to develop an exercise program that you really appreciate, one that you can stick to, one that is enjoyable, one that captures you in such a way that for the first time in your life you won't care about completing the exercise routine. All you'll care about is the exercise itself. In time you will immerse yourself in it so much that your friends will call you a fitness "nut" and you will find yourself thinking about exercise all of the time.One day you'll find yourself buying a fitness magazine and your next serious purchase will probably be a great pair of running shoes. Your wardrobe will suddenly be filled with workout clothes and you'll begin to prefer headphones over the home stereo. Your body will not feel right when you stop exercising and your brain will turn to gel if you skip an exercise session. In time, you will wake up to find yourself exercising for the sake of exercise...because you want it...you need it.

In a short time you will also discover weight loss, but not because you intended it. You will realize that "weight loss" is only a by product of these other endeavors you have committed yourself to. You won't be that excited about it because the process you have undertaken has become more rewarding than anything weight loss could have ever done for you. You'll realize what the old zen masters have been saying all along - that getting there is always better than being there.

The desire to lose weight, you now realize is nothing more than trying to get the tail to wag the dog. It is the least important part of the animal but in our lives it is often the focus of our attention.

The martial arts are the same way. Hell, everything is the same way. I will agree there are several draws to a martial arts dojo. One may be to lose weight.You might want to be 'bad' like Chuck Norris, or feel more self confident, or impress the chicks, or attain some level of enlightenment,or ...who knows - and who really cares?

All or any of these things may bring you into the Dojo - but none of them will keep you there. Not for the years it takes to become a "martial artist". Intuitively, you know this. You see people come and go all of the time. Right? Why do they leave? Obviously something attracted them in the first place. Does that something go away? No, it's always there. But the tail can only wag the dog so long.It will tire and naturally it will quit. The martial arts are too demanding, too frustrating, too painful (in your case too expensive) and not worth the price of any of those things casual attractions. If in the process, you don't learn to become a martial "nut" , and appreciate training for its own sake - you will leave. You might stay a little while' but eventually - you will leave. If you train for any other reason, besides the sake of training - your enthusiasm will not be able to sustain itself and eventually you will leave.
I hope you stick around.

DnvrFox

Interesting article.

I think you have to get away from the word "dieting" and get into the concept of "new eating habits."

Dieting implies a temporary attempt at new eating patterns, which by the very word of "dieting" implies that you will stop doing it at some future time and start "eating" (in opposition to dieting) again.

Otherwise you are doomed to failure.

The same with exercise - it has to become a new habit which you can not live without.

bugman

I agree with the ideas in this article.

The only way to overcome a negative habit (bad eating, smoking, anything) is to find a positive replacement for it.

Focusing on 'not doing something' only makes you think about it more and makes it harder to improve.

You need to find a positive replacement for the negative behavior... such as cycling. For me, cycling is a positive replacement for just about anything Why? - because I like to do it for no other reason than I like it. Coincidentally, it makes me fitter and slightly less fat.

SipperPhoto

Dnvr...

I completely agree with you 100%... When I needed to lose about 30 lbs. 5 years ago... I didn't just "go on a diet". I made a complete lifestyle change... I stopped eating junk, and starting eating more fruits and generally better things... I started exercising, and just worked it into my daily schedule... go to work, hit the gym 3 or 4 times a week... I didn;t think about it as exercising to lose weight... I just knew it had to be done.. made a decision to do it, and didn;t look back... since then, I have started riding again about 1.5 years ago, and my weight is pretty much where I want it to be, and has been for the last 5 years since I made the change

Jeff

SirSpinsalot

Good stuff. Amazing how most people cannot grasp the simplicity of weight loss and cannot stick to the programs when it gets a little tough.