Effort Magnified Can Burn

Magnifying Can Burn You

“The tracking of calories—in and out—the measurement, the study, the profound effort he was putting in to coercing his body to comply with his goals is precisely what’s blocking his progress.”

I know it sounds weird but there is such a thing as too much effort–or more accurately, too much focus. It’s not just possible I’ve witnessed it many times and have experienced it myself.

The new friend I spoke with today is having a challenge losing weight and gaining muscle. He’s smart about this stuff. He knows his body, understand more than 90% of people about diet and training. He has a history of bodybuilding and knows how the body should respond.

So, when he did all the “right” things and his results were backwards–he gained fat not muscle. He gained weight, not lost–he panicked. Being a driven one, loving the details he hunkered down, did more calculations, looked closer and really “dialed it in.”

What do you think happened? Yep! Same thing!

He gained more of the wrong and less of the right stuff. “Damn it all to hell!”

In Search of Control

Now, like many in this time of global economic challenge and unrest, my friend has been under a great amount of stress–financially and emotionally. He’s raising two kids as a single father. Struggling with work and all that comes with this unlimited responsibility.

As I listened to him talk, I felt as if he was focusing in on his fitness for some much needed control in his life. It gave him something to concentrate on, to be engaged with.

That’s all positive stuff. We know that it’s true–your body is one thing you can control and doing so can enhance your sense of confidence and well being. Unless of course, it’s not doing what you want. Unless your efforts are giving you the same sense of feedback life seems to be–which is less the overwhelmingly positive.

My advice was two-fold.

One, there’s the bio-mechanics of it all. Fact is, as much as we (and most fitness authors and diet experts) would like to believe, the body is not a math problem ready to be solved. It’s a dynamic system of energy exchange with a million interactive variables. Think if it like a relationship or marriage–you can’t just live a “check list” and expect to have passionate love.

In this case, I suspect that as with so many people beyond their 20′s, his lifestyle induced tremendous stress. And a body under stress will often fail to recognize exercise and calorie restriction as “positive stresses.” To the body beyond capacity, it’s all just “more stress.” Hence, he was doing all the “right” things and the body was kicking back with vigor.

So there’s lifestyle element that must be addressed, a macro-view, if you will. You can’t expect to rid your life of stress but you’ve got to stabilize the system somewhat first. Get stable then create some much needed momentum.

How to REBOOT Your Body & Mind, Fast

That’s what the 12-Day Basecamp phase in Strength for LIFE does. It functions as a system Reboot for your body–stabilizing the energy swings, clearing the stuff that’s undermining your ability to transform and priming your body and mind for results.

Now more than ever, I’m come to know that this first phase is the most essential move in fitness and Transformation–for without it, all the efforts you can put forth that would follow will most likely be an entire waste.

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The second element I wanted him to reflect on–less address–is what his relationship is to the effort, the focus. Is he using the concentration of attention on health and fitness as an escape or strengthen the illusion of control?

Look at anything in your life too long, with too much intensity, and you’re bound to generate a few problems. Be that a relationship, a business a diamond under high-power magnification. It’s all flawed but that’s what makes it perfect. For life is imperfect–we are imperfect.

That’s where love comes in; seeing what shines in our partner and accepting the flaws (within reason of course).

My request for him was to “get away from it! Stop studying it, stop running the numbers, trying to make it all make sense. And when you stop, when you get away be aware of what energy is rising in your body. Do you feel fear? Is it anxiety? Is it relief?“

I want him to experience what’s propelling the intensity, the magnification of everything. For whether it be a healthy efforting or an obsessive case of avoidance and control (seeking safety), he will come to know through self observation. And clearly, there’s a huge difference between the two.

Finding the Happy Place

In a world where most people claim to be in desperate need of motivation to get fit, this reminds me that there is such a thing as “too much effort.” And in between the hyper-magnification and going through the motions pretending to give a damn about losing weight, there exists a happy place. A place where you’re invested in results and satisfaction as YOU define them but not using fitness to beat yourself up emotionally or manage anxiety in your life.

Do you know where your “Fit and Happy Place” is and are you there?

REBOOT Your Body & Mind Back to Full Strength!

Ready to get your body on your side, helping you lose what you want, where you want and gain the good stuff?

That’s precisely the purpose of the 14-Day “Full Strength” Reboot I’ll do for your body and mind what the big, powere REBOOT button will do for your computer; get it back to full speed, fast.

Reboot your body now and enjoy the end to all day energy swings while you clear the internal imbalances which are constantly undermining your ability to transform. In just two short weeks your body will be primed for rapid results.

Try the SuperCharged Reboot that combines the proven wisdom of Strength for LIFE with the world’s most advanced, scientifically proven premium nutrition, Full Strength.

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