Still Lost?

I was out for a bike ride down here in Miramar, FL last week and as I cruised through a business park, I saw a guy in a delivery truck clearly lost.  He was trying to find a business within a maze of buildings and offices.  Furthermore, the roads are all names similarly like Commerce Way, Commerce Parkway, Commerce Drive, etc. 

As a frequent business traveler, when I visit a new area, I am sure to bring my GPS with me.  Most people have them either as portable units, in-dash units or on smartphones.  It is cheap, accessible technology.  How can a delivery truck not have this technology?  It baffles me.

Similarly, as people navigate the complex pathways before them to get to a healthy weight or even maintain a health weight and lifestyle, you do not have to do this with blindfolds on.  Besides the obstacles out in the real world to deal with, we all have to deal with the multi-billion dollar diet and weight loss industry which is clouded with sometimes ineffective information such as fad diets and schemes that those of us that fell to their lure in the past know are not long term solutions for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Much like people without a GPS to find their way in a car, it baffles me that people do not use the resources available to them to navigate this route! 

Tools exist to take away that feeling of being lost or going in circles.  Know your RMR!  Go to a good calculator and figure it out!  Use tools such as a Fitbit!  Use online or smartphone tools like Calorieking and My Fitness Pal to track activity and intake. 

If you need that support from a professional to help navigate the upcoming challenges, you might want to enroll in a coaching program such as H3@Home which is one that I have a very positive experience with. 

Don't be lost.  Find a set of effective tools and navigation devices to lead you to your goal. 

You must have a good roadmap. 

You must know where you are going or like the delivery driver, you sit and look around, lost.

Find A Way To Stay Inspired

Since my visit to Hilton Head Health, I have not had much of a problem staying motivated.  I have had terrific success in weight loss now over 100 pounds.  I can honestly say that most of that can be accounted for by my steadfast focus on what I eat.  Bob tells us that it is 80% diet but I did not believe it was so true.  Truth is, I have had patterns of good weeks and bad when it comes to working out.  My travel schedule has been crazy and the hotel I stay at has really bad treadmills.  I now have a bike in Florida so that will certainly help me get more workouts in. 

For you, it may be that you have lost the inspiration you need to push through a workout or even start one.  Last week before my first ever 5K, I purchased a Garmin GPS Watch.(Garmin 405CX).  Since my purchase, I have used it on the race and 2 bike rides here in Florida. 

For those that do not know me, I am a geek.  Specifically, I am a data geek.....and I love toys.  This is the coolest thing!  It tracks your route, speed and split times between miles.  I have not used the heartrate monitor yet, but am excited to add that component to it so I can not only see my speed, pace and elevation changes over time but my heartrate as well.

If you go to this link, you can see my bike ride from this morning.  This link goes to my first ever 5K. 

I have had a few rides/workouts when I was just struggling to keep the pace or intensity.  This has given me that added new inspiration to push through.  Go fast.  Work a little harder.  I don't want to look at those stats later on and see proof that I was dogging it!  Maybe that is just my competetive nature mixed with a little OCD. 

Whatever it takes, mix it up and find the tools or methods that make you push it and keep the inspiration!  Do this whether you are fit and staying that way, or on a journey like me.