Breaking Down Wants Vs. Needs
Getting fit and healthy can be overwhelming, intimidating, and confusing. There are so many opinions on how to be fit and healthy, plus the blurriness caused by marketing strategies that invade our minds daily. People find themselves in the vicious cycle of questioning before they even get started. Do any of these questions sound familiar?
- Do you really need it to become healthier?
- Do you really need it to do a workout?
- Do you really need it to eat healthier?
- Do you really need it to be fit?
- Well, maybe, so what is it that you really need?
There are wants and needs in our world, and the relationship between the two is generally a tug of war. If the marketing firms have done their job well, you’ll want it, even if you don’t need it. “If you listen to that still small voice deep down inside, you’ll find sometimes you get what you need.” – Rolling Stones
We will define, clarify, and remind you what you truly need to be fit and healthy versus what the marketing gurus of the world have tried to make you want.
Defining What You Need to Be Fit and Healthy
World renown bodybuilder and coach Lee Hayward says this, “You only need to: Be good enough and good enough, consistently.” What else do you need to be well, fit, and healthy? This question can be answered best in three different ways by three types of people.
- People just starting their health, fitness, and wellness journey
- People who are currently engaged in their journey
- People who have been on the journey for years, if not decades
The third group has the advantage of more experience, challenges, and success. Where do you fall in the three levels of people seeking more excellent health, fitness, and wellness? Have you confirmed what you need and don’t need each day, week, month, or year to accomplish your goals? Jeff Cavalier, personal trainer, coach, and physical therapist of ATHLEAN-X posed a great question last week,
“If you walked into the gym and saw you, what would you say to yourself?”
Would you say you need to do more of something and less of another? If you were honest, could you say you’re doing the best job at staying healthy, working hard, and being good enough consistently? I find success in my journey when I can be consistent. I get the best results when I slow down, eliminate the distractions, stop tracking online orders, put the phone down, and do what is required to achieve my health and fitness goals. I would walk up to myself in the gym and say, “Casey, you’re doing well this season.”
What is Needed to Succeed
I know what I need to succeed in my journey, which is the same as what you need to succeed: motivation, movement, eating healthy, gear, consistency, and work hard.
MOTIVATION
We need motivation. Set a goal, incorporate a timeline, and do what is necessary to achieve that goal. Reward your successes! Motivate yourself with a treat, a trip, or a small gift once you reach your goal towards a more fit and healthy version of yourself!
MOVE YOUR BODY
You need to move your body to become fit and health. Our bodies are built to work. The body craves it, but you may have to crawl before you walk. Usain Bolt is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016). Usain also won two 4 × 100 relay gold medals and has broken the 200 meters world record twice, setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009. He had to run a 9-min/mile pace at some point in his life before he ran a 4 min/mile pace. Start by moving and keep moving. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Yes, moving your body is what you need to succeed. This will also help when you get older, and want to be stronger.
EAT HEALTHY
If you seek a transformation, a restoration, to lose 5 lbs. or 50 lbs, 70% of your gains will come from what you eat. If you don’t believe me, listen to 45 minutes of Hollywood testimonies that share the secret to success. If you don’t have 45 minutes to listen, I will spoil the answer and tell you: there is no secret. You need to eat healthy food.
GEAR
Yes, you need some gear. Let’s go over the things that are necessary versus not necessary. The gear itself will not make you fit and healthy, but can aid in the goal of such.
I like my trail running shoes for trails and road running shoes for roads. Do I need $175.00 shoes in 2 different colors? NO. Good gear lasts longer, but the cheap gear is cheaper to replace. Do you need a $500.00 watch to tell you how many calories you burned? Or will your most comfortable pair of jeans you bought ten years that fit just right when you’re in good form tell you the same thing?
I train with a basic watch to record distance and pace, but I know it’s a tool, not a necessary piece of equipment required to work out. Gear is good, good gear is good enough, expensive gear is not essential but is helpful. Don’t get caught up in the gear. No one is looking at you, so focus on fitness, not fashion.
CONSISTENCY
Your body needs consistency to adapt and create change; fitness requires discipline. Lee Hayward has been in the business for decades, and he says the same thing (consistently): Be good enough and good enough consistently. I tell my clients in our first meeting that we will create the perfect training plan, and life will get in the way. Missing a day is expected, but missing a week will not create positive change. Think about what you do consistently and translate those actions to working out and making healthy choices, if you really want to achieve the goal of being fit and healthy.
WORK HARD
You’ll need to do this above all else to be fit and healthy. Getting in shape is hard; being out of shape is harder. It’s all hard, and the better choice is staying healthy, being strong, living longer, and enjoying the process daily. Not every day has to be a 10/10, but work hard to try and make it the best you can!
Experience and Consistency
My experience has taught me what I need to succeed and what I do not need. There are hundreds of elements that are involved in each person’s success. Consistency separates many successful people and athletes when getting fit and healthy. The secret for me is always consistency, understanding, and embracing what’s on the inside. For instance, these are things like: quality training miles, good nutrition, a strong mindset, and a bulletproof tolerance for being uncomfortable. I separate these elements from what’s on the outside. These elements would be caffeine, clothing, wishful thinking, less than perfect environmental conditions. Take your thoughts captive as you begin or continue to grow more fit and healthy, and ask yourself what you need to succeed!
Simple Break Down of Needs
In summary, it doesn’t take much or cost much to get fit and healthy. It really only takes the 7 needs that we outlined above. Here are my regular needs to excel at being fit and healthy.
What it takes to maintain my health, fitness, and wellness.
- A support Team. Many successful individuals have a team behind them. Find your support team, embrace them, and use what they can offer you to succeed at being fit and healthy.
- Gear. Gear is needed to train. My bikes are eight years old, well maintained, and in excellent condition. I don’t need new bikes with disc brakes and tubeless tires that are 5 grams lighter. Lance Armstrong will still beat me on a Huffy purchased at Walmart no matter the equipment I’m using; you can’t buy legs.
- Diet. Eat good food that includes lean meats, olive oil, and vegetables. If the budget allows, buy organic, and if not, buy the cleanest you can afford. Whole Foods is not required or premade meals shipped to your door. I do all my shopping, food prep, and cooking.
- Fuels, drinks, & supplements. Workout fuels, pre-workout drinks, during workout drinks, and recovery drinks with added supplements. This topic on fitness fuels will speak to the three different levels of people on their fitness journeys. As a younger athlete, I leaned on my pre-workout fueling and recovery drinks heavily. Sometimes it was the only reason I worked out. As I have gained knowledge and experience over the last decade, I find these costly powders and beverages assist in the overall training plan are not the source of my performance. If I accidentally drop a gel during a race and run 10:00 minute miles, do you think the gel would help me reach my goal of 8:00 minute mile if I only had that gel? No, but these aid in my goal towards being fit and healthy.
Take some time to determine the answer to the 7 needs above to hone in on what you have.
At Aspen Pro Fitness, we would love to help you determine what you need to successfully be fit and healthy. Book a free consultation with us today to start achieving your goals.
