The All-Or-Nothing Approach To Fitness
By Bonnie Pfiester

When it comes to fitness, people are often baffled by a person's dedication and can confuse intense discipline for obsessive behavior. Many times people who appear to be health nuts may just have an "all-or-nothing" personality. I know Steve and I are like that. If we didn't throw ourselves into fitness we'd most likely throw ourselves into an unhealthy alternative - or nothing at all.

All-or-nothing people don't succeed when they "dabble" in fitness. I'll use myself as an example. When I dabble in my workouts I dabble in my eating. Some people may think we are obsessive, but honestly we just know our weaknesses. I know if I don't do it all the way, I will barely do it at all.

My all-or-nothing approach is based on my desire to get results. Don't get me wrong, exercising 3 times a week is great for your health, but it's not enough for a person with my type of personality. I want more than good health - I want to FEEL and SEE my hard work.

Unfortunately, many people lower their expectations to something they feel is more realistic. I'll never forget when a friend once said, "I don't want to look like you, I want to eat what I want and enjoy life" as if I was miserable. It was easy for her to view my lifestyle as too intense and unobtainable. Ironically, she had an all-or-nothing personality too. As soon as she gave it her all, she went from a size 12 to a size 4 and now laughs at her naïve comment.

The question you need to ask yourself is; do you have an all-or-nothing personality? If you have dabbled in working out or dieting and haven't experienced results maybe you need to quit dabbling and try the "all" approach.

Since an all-or-nothing approach can be more intense, I suggest setting short-term goals to avoid burnout. An intense 4-6 week diet program or fitness routine would be a good start. After the goal is reached, or the time has passed, take a weekend off and then start right over again. Normally an intense, but brief, program will get you the results you need to help you go for another 4-6 weeks.

The last tip is not to take too much time off in between programs. The same "all-or-nothing" approach can backfire if you stay in the "nothing" stage for too long. Staying in a consistent routine is vital for success. The all-or-nothing approach isn't for everyone, but for some of us - it's the only way we can succeed.

About Bonnie Lee Pfiester

Health Club Owner, Wife to TV Fitness Trainer and Host, Health & Beauty Columnist, Keynote Speaker, Model, Musician, Artist, Automotive/Motorcycle Enthusiast and Community Leader.

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