Outstanding You: Discover, Design And Achieve Ultimate Fitness

Outstanding You: Discover, Design And Achieve Ultimate Fitness
by Ron Betta—A Special Book Serialization and Collaboration with BB[KC]

Chapter V
Mastering Energy

We can live without food for several weeks, without water for several days, but without oxygen for only minutes. All three are needed for life and this section is all about how to best manage them.

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The body and mind are completely intertwined, working together at all times. How we manage our energy is the first step in getting fit. This is accomplished a few ways, so let’s start with the most obvious, nutrition. From there, we’ll explore your core, resistance training, and finally cardio – a widely misunderstood form of exercise.

The state of the body is a delicate balance. Along with physical exercise, you need to use your brain to help you burn fat. Start focusing on what you will look like when you hit your goal. As much as you focus on fueling your body properly and exercising it to convert stored energy, focus on your thoughts as well. Think about the benefits. Picture your abs, the muscles under your skin, the strength of your heart beating more efficiently and effectively with every beat, etc. More and more experts agree that visualization, controlling your thoughts and focusing on a desired outcome, is beneficial to your goal.

When the body is challenged, the body changes; it adapts. When you lift a weight, your muscles exert forces on the bones, causing the bone to change. The nerves in the body become even more coordinated, strengthening the mind/body connection. Connective tissue, like tendons and cartilage, become stronger, more flexible, adapting to the increased challenge. The list could go on far longer than I have space for in this book, but the end result is that the body will change when you exercise. It has no other choice. The same thing happens to businesses that lose money. They must adapt. Which trees would survive better in a hurricane, those with lots of leaves that catch the wind, or those with few leaves, like a palm tree? Think about it, palm trees have very little area for wind to push against. Do you honestly think humans won’t adapt to the challenge of hurricane Katrina? Does anyone think the levies won’t be far stronger than they once were? The body, like anything else, adapts to challenge. We are awesome at adapting. Take advantage of that and challenge your body to do great things. Convert your body’s stored energy with exercise.

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Fitness is based on the proper use of energy. Energy cannot be destroyed or created – only converted, so knowing how to control our use of energy is the key to fitness. Body fat is stored energy and muscle is what we use to convert it. Help your body convert that energy by fueling it with quality energy (food). Isn’t it interesting that so many people seeking weight loss are looking to increase their energy? What they’re really trying to do is gain better control over it.
Diets by-in-large are focused on depravation. You can’t have this or that. You can’t eat at this time or that time. Your mind focuses on what it can’t have.

Right now, don’t think of your car. Don’t think of the color, the interior, the make, the model; don’t think about your car. Can you do it? Doubtful. I imagine you thought of your car. The same thing happens when you’re on a depravation diet.

Remember Melissa, the woman who came to me seeking weight loss and lost nothing? At the start of one session, she ran up to tell me she could have three pieces of a specific type of candy every day and still stay on her diet. She wasn’t focused on the awesome foods she could have, she focused on the candy – and what she could get away with.

Nutrition has been made far more complicated than it needs to be. Years ago, I started reading food labels just to learn what was in my food, and the information was eye-opening, to say the least. I became familiar with some of the ingredients and, on occasion, I would research specifics about where a particular ingredient came from or what it was used for. Within a few months, I was well versed in the incredible amounts of additives we consume.

I’m not a big fan of counting every calorie. But knowing your calories is like knowing how to tell time or count money. Start slowly, simply watching your caloric intake.

Mastering energy is a key to getting in shape. Join Ron next month, to learn more about your core – an excellent way to burn more calories. This information comes directly from his book Outstanding You.

About Ron Betta
Ron Betta is a Fitness Lifestyle Coach, Speaker and the Author of Outstanding You. Instead of short-term goals, Ron focuses his clients on building a lifestyle that fosters health and fitness. For more information, please visit Ron’s blog or follow Ron on Twitter.

Click HERE for more details and to purchase the Outstanding You: Discover, Design And Achieve Ultimate Fitness from Amazon.com.

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