April has arrived and another baseball season has begun Play Ball!! The last couple of weeks have been rainy and nasty; not like Spring at all. Hopefully we’ll finally start getting some consistent warmer weather.
As I’ve often mentioned, we get many different people in our Studios requesting information. I’d like to tell you about a few recent inquiries.
Some time ago we began offering a Special in our Studios – 3 Fitness Sessions plus a Full Evaluation for a nominal price to new clients. Of course, the evaluation often indicates the fitness problems that a person is experiencing, and we can more intelligently discuss what we can do to fix those problems.
A woman called our Williamsburg studio and set up a consultation with my wife. After discussing her needs and goals she decided to take advantage of our Special. She came in for an Evaluation and three fitness sessions and I was the one to train her.
During her sessions she indicated how she knew that she needed to get started on a fitness program because she was very out of shape. She mentioned that she liked our facility and the way we did things here.
Of course, after her last session I wanted to speak to her about continuing with our Studio, but she told me that, because of a family emergency she would be out of town for a while. From past experience I know that I will never see her again.
Why not be honest and tell me that she does not want to invest in her health? Why not just tell me that she doesn’t want to put in the effort? Maybe because being honest does not come easy to most people.
Last week I received a call from someone who knows my wife through networking. This person said that she knew she needed to do something for “her”; she has a stressful job and rarely has time to do things for herself.
She has gotten to the point where she feels her health is a priority. She asked to set up a consultation and spoke to my wife about her needs. After the consultation she set up a complimentary session with one of our trainers. After the session she walked into our office with her checkbook in her hand, ready to start.
This client knew that she needed help and didn’t try to think of excuses why she “couldn’t” invest in her health. She just decided on a course of action and went for it.
My wife also recently had a consultation with a gentleman who set up a consultation at the request of his wife. He is very overweight, on high blood pressure medication and is on the road to diabetes.
During the consultation he told my wife that he has very little energy, works long hours and knows that the weight he is carrying is extremely dangerous. After discussing our packages he didn’t think he could afford them but that he would try his best to work something out, if we would work with him.
We often say that there are those that can afford to join a fitness center but are not willing to make a financial commitment for their health; and there are others that truly cannot afford to spend money on fitness, but would do almost anything to do so.
As we look forward to the Summer with those longer days where we can be out and about, wearing less and showing more, maybe we should start thinking about what is truly important. If we don’t have our health, we have nothing. And just because you’re not sick, doesn’t mean you’re healthy.
Here’s to a great Summer!!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Denial
Today I’d like to talk about Denial. Here is one definition of Denial:
Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. The subject may use:
simple denial - deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether
minimisation - admit the fact but deny its seriousness (a combination of denial and rationalization); or
projection - admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility.
When someone calls our Studio asking for information, and then comes for a consultation, most of the time it is because that person is having some sort of weight problem, health problem or just generally is out of shape. After telling us a litany of their weight or health problems, once they are faced with actually making a commitment to an exercise program suddenly all of those problems miraculously seem to disappear.
Those people are in denial.
Recently I had two consultations, back to back, on a Saturday morning - one was a 32 year old gentleman and the other was a young woman in her 20’s. Both of them were over 300 lbs. but couldn’t commit to an exercise program.
Those people were in denial.
I recently spoke to one of my clients who has done extremely well on our program. She has lost almost 40 lbs. and over 25 inches in just 5 months and looks fantastic! She told me that she is a bit upset that some of her friends will not acknowledge her weight loss and the fact that she looks so different. It’s no surprise that her friends are extremely overweight and out of shape. I told her that, if her friends were to acknowledge the fact that she has lost weight, they may have to look at themselves and admit that they have a weight and fitness problem.
Those friends are in denial.
How can denial be overcome? First you have to honestly admit that you have a problem; and be willing to do something about it. I believe that some people just like to hear themselves talk; they tell anyone that will listen how much they “know” they need to get more fit and healthy; but when they are faced with doing something about it, the excuses start:
I can’t afford it. But you “can” afford to go out for lunch or dinner almost every day; you “can” afford that new $200 handbag when you have a closet full; but when it comes to your health, you “can’t” afford it.
I have to think about it. You are overweight, unhealthy, on high blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, have aching joints; what is there to think about?
I have to talk to my spouse. It’s true that, in most relationships, spouses discuss financial outlays. But who needs to get healthy – you or your spouse? And if they do not support you in your decision to pursue a fit and healthy lifestyle – what does that say about them?
I have no time. You have time to shop, you have time to spend with your friends, you have time to golf, you have time to go out for meals; but you have no time to exercise. Unless you live a fit and healthy lifestyle you won’t be able to shop, spend time with your friends or go out for meals.
So, let’s stop kidding ourselves. You “can” live a fit and healthy lifestyle if you truly want to. Let’s stop denying what is right in front of you….get up, get out and start living healthy, or one day you won’t be able to do so.
Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. The subject may use:
simple denial - deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether
minimisation - admit the fact but deny its seriousness (a combination of denial and rationalization); or
projection - admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility.
When someone calls our Studio asking for information, and then comes for a consultation, most of the time it is because that person is having some sort of weight problem, health problem or just generally is out of shape. After telling us a litany of their weight or health problems, once they are faced with actually making a commitment to an exercise program suddenly all of those problems miraculously seem to disappear.
Those people are in denial.
Recently I had two consultations, back to back, on a Saturday morning - one was a 32 year old gentleman and the other was a young woman in her 20’s. Both of them were over 300 lbs. but couldn’t commit to an exercise program.
Those people were in denial.
I recently spoke to one of my clients who has done extremely well on our program. She has lost almost 40 lbs. and over 25 inches in just 5 months and looks fantastic! She told me that she is a bit upset that some of her friends will not acknowledge her weight loss and the fact that she looks so different. It’s no surprise that her friends are extremely overweight and out of shape. I told her that, if her friends were to acknowledge the fact that she has lost weight, they may have to look at themselves and admit that they have a weight and fitness problem.
Those friends are in denial.
How can denial be overcome? First you have to honestly admit that you have a problem; and be willing to do something about it. I believe that some people just like to hear themselves talk; they tell anyone that will listen how much they “know” they need to get more fit and healthy; but when they are faced with doing something about it, the excuses start:
I can’t afford it. But you “can” afford to go out for lunch or dinner almost every day; you “can” afford that new $200 handbag when you have a closet full; but when it comes to your health, you “can’t” afford it.
I have to think about it. You are overweight, unhealthy, on high blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, have aching joints; what is there to think about?
I have to talk to my spouse. It’s true that, in most relationships, spouses discuss financial outlays. But who needs to get healthy – you or your spouse? And if they do not support you in your decision to pursue a fit and healthy lifestyle – what does that say about them?
I have no time. You have time to shop, you have time to spend with your friends, you have time to golf, you have time to go out for meals; but you have no time to exercise. Unless you live a fit and healthy lifestyle you won’t be able to shop, spend time with your friends or go out for meals.
So, let’s stop kidding ourselves. You “can” live a fit and healthy lifestyle if you truly want to. Let’s stop denying what is right in front of you….get up, get out and start living healthy, or one day you won’t be able to do so.
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