Why I'm Not joining a transformation challenge

About a year ago, after the holidays, I wanted to cut some of the extra weight I’d put on over the winter, so I decided to dial in my nutrition and exercise regimen.  I’m not trying to live a life where I feel bad about enjoying things, it’s just that there is a season for everything, and I like to enjoy the holidays. Heck, part of the reason I’m so into the “fitness lifestyle” is because I’m also really into the “eating cookies lifestyle.” But when the holidays are finished, I’m also ready to accept the changes that come with eating fewer cookies.

So, I had decided to get slimmer and trimmer, leaner and meaner, to push the envelope a little and try to see what I could do, see how low I could get my body fat, to really look the part of a “fitness professional.”

Disclaimer: I know fitness professionals come in all shapes and sizes and are valuable resources for help achieving your fitness goals, regardless of how visible their abs are, but I wanted to at least see what it was like to try to look remotely like the Instagram trainers I’d been seeing so much of…

Okay, so on my insta feed or twitter feed or something feed, I see a post about this transformation challenge a big fitness company is running. I convinced myself I had no illusions about winning the contest, but thought I would join anyway. What’s the worst that could happen, right?

Well, it was an interesting experience, and maybe I’ll feel differently in the future, but as the title of this post might lead you to conclude, I’m not doing it this year.

Yes, there was a community around the hashtags and weekly updates that kept me motivated and inspired, but also, for me, there was a lot of pressure. Around week six or so, I had a really weird night where I felt a distinct mental shift, I ended up awake, in the middle of the night, binging on peanut butter and ice cream.

I got back on track with a little less intensity after that, and finished the challenge, with some pretty impressive results. I didn’t get my bodyfat into the single digits like I had originally hoped, but I learned a lot about how hard it actually is to even try to do that. I was happy enough with my before and after pictures:

…but this year I’m doing things differently.

You see, I don’t really believe in the “transformation” model of fitness. I don’t preach it, I don’t try to sell it, I don’t live it, so why try to force myself into it? At the age of 40, I am a firm believer in the “slow and steady” and “fitness is a lifestyle” philosophies. I believe in making small changes and living with them, incorporating them into my lifestyle, rather than thinking of them as a phase to get through until I can go back to my old ways.

With that in mind, for starters, I’m giving myself a lot more leeway, with a 6 month plan instead of 3, and a very loose goal of losing around 10 pounds. I’m not trying to increase my stress level. I’m not trying to injure myself. I’m not trying to compare myself to a whole community of people who may or may not have any aspect of their lives similar to mine. I’m not a single guy in my twenties, and despite how much I love to exercise, and how much I love the results, my full time job is not transforming my body.

If you’re interested in following my progress, I’ll post updates here on my blog, along with some workouts that I’ve been doing. Although really, I’m going to be mainly focusing on nutrition, and rest. I’m trying to go to bed earlier, and I’m using MyFitnessPal and eating more vegetables.

It all may sound rather mundane, but, at least to me, that’s the real secret to sustainable fitness. It’s not flashy, fun, time-consuming, or expensive. It’s simple, small, and totally doable.

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