Good Morrow to you Internets!
Simplifying your life is something I strongly believe in. I find the more complicated we make our lives the harder it becomes. This is one of many important philosophies I try to live by. When we want more or when we want different it can sometimes hinder our progress, even when it comes to working out. The people that know me best know that I have a standoff approach to what I consider “fitness gimmicks”. I like some of them, I love bosu balls, but for example I don’t agree with kettlebell training or pilates equipment. I know there are some people that swear by these pieces of hardware to see the “results” they want, but to me, good ol’ fashion working out is the way to go. I find that a lot of beginners are intimated because they feel there is so much to learn when it comes to working out. This may be true to some extent, but if you keep your workouts simple, one step at a time, one day at a time and stay consistent, you will see results. You just have to be patient. I think that a lot of people fail by overcomplicating becoming physically active and living better, which results in inconsistent behaviour and thus little results.
I’d like to focus on three areas where we can simplify while on the path to a happier more fulfilled healthier life in this blog post. This will include working out, nutrition and life in general. This is so I can show that sometimes less can be more.
Working out
My workouts are relatively simple. If you were to look at a typically Byn week you would see that I lift, I do cardio/circuit training and I stretch. Those are the three components you want in your workout program. If you want more detail on what my workouts consist of specifically go back to previous blogs or shoot me a comment below. For lifting, I make sure I hit every muscle group once or twice for 8 repetitions and 3 to 4 sets once or twice a week. This is nice and simple. I guarantee you that if you do this every week consistently you WILL see results. For example, I’ve been doing my workouts consistently for 2 months and I’ve seen results with simple exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts.
So it doesn’t have to be overly complicated, like bosu ball squats, one legged deadlifts and backflips to achieve your fitness goals. You don’t need a pilates contraption to get the results your dreaming of. I think it’s also important to remember (as afore mentioned in previous ramblings) that you have to realize what you’re working with. If you want to be long and lean but you are 5’4 and stalky like me there is no way in hell you’re gonna look like a runway model unless you have some leg implants or something. You will look better if you work out, plain and simple
Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, the simplier the better as well. Look at it this way, a lot of people eat out which can contain a lot of calories. Why do we eat out... well because it’s convenient and easier right? Well look at it this way, you want to order a pizza. First you have to call and decide what everyone wants on it, then either go pick it up or have it delivered which costs you more. Also, for the pizza itself it is a rather complicated piece of food. You have processed...well everything, including cheese, meat, sauce, and crust. That can’t be good for your body, and at a whopping 400+ calories a slice it hardly seems worth it.
On the other hand, let’s look at a home cooked meal. I’ll use what Scott and I had for dinner to save some brain power here. We had fresh fish, which we baked in the oven (i.e. turn on oven...put fish in), sautéed veggies, corn and bread. You can see all these ingredients for what they are and track nutritional quality and caloric intake much more efficiently (i.e. a piece of fish is fish, and corn is corn period). Also, the process of preparation and cost is much simpler, quicker and you don’t have to worry about tipping anyone. Seems like a much more positive route to go.
With simple food, you know what you are getting. An apple is an apple... is an apple, it’s nothing but an apple. Something that drives me bonkers is people who think granola bars are healthy. Unless you are making it yourself, you have NO idea what is in that granola bar (sure there are some ingredients on the side but do you really know what potassium sorbate does to your body?). Plus they are PACKED with sugar and perseveres...step away from the granola bar.
So as you can see, simpler is better for nutrition for a plethora of reasons.
Life
I don’t want to sound preachy in anyway, but I find the more I simplify my life the happier I am generally. I used to lust after shoes, clothes, toys and things I don’t have rather than what I did have. This kept me in a cycle of “if only” rather than the here and now. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE shoes, but I find that if I don’t lust after something I appreciate what I have a lot more.
I find the same thing applies to my friends. I find a lot of people get pressured to do things they don’t what to do because they are scared to lose their friends. I find the friends that you have are going to be your friends now matter what you do (if they are really your friends and if you don’t like, kick them in the leg everytime you see them), and if you take a laid back more simplified approach to the relationship the people that really matter will stick by you. For me, I enjoy seeing people during the day. I prefer keeping my nights for myself and I find that going to a coffee shop and having a conversation is much more enjoyable than trying to have a grand extravagant (and often expensive) night every time I go out. I enjoy modesty; I find that my life is a lot better when I don’t live in excess. I think that is what I’m trying to get at. I find sometimes I revert back to living in excess (I think it’s a product of socialization), for example last night I over indulged a little too much, and today I feel like crap. It’s just, I’m a lot happier when I don’t overdo things. I have lived on both sides, and I find the simple much better.
So, try and simplify your life in little ways. Do you need to keep that thing that you’ve had since you were 14 because it represents some special memory or time in your life? The answer is no because you will always have the memory of that specific, and you don’t need a thing to define it. People will always trump things. I think this is a good philosophy to adopt when trying to simplify your life, that people will always trump things. Now, I love pictures and picture frames, but those are people.
So that’s my post for the week. Maybe try a couple of tips I have provided in this post if you are looking for a less complicated existence. You don’t have to try and tackle all three areas all at once. You don’t want to overcomplicate simplifying your life now do you? Maybe try and eat a little cleaner with simple ingredients and smaller portions, or get rid of some things you really do not need.
I look forward in the near future to start my vloging (video blog) workouts. Ma and Pa bought me a camera so I can start vlogging for you all. So stay tuned for that!
Stay Strong!
Byn
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