By: Anthony Campo
I have noticed over the years that many questions about fitness and nutrition have an underlying theme. People want to know essentially what can they get away with.
There is something to be said for doing the minimal amount of work necessary to achieve a goal, which is basically the definition of efficiency. However, many individuals are not doing what is optimal to efficiently achieve their health and fitness goals. This is due, in part, to the “What can I get away with” mentality.
So ask yourself when looking at a nutritional label on a package… What is my goal? Am I looking for an excuse as to why it might be ok to eat this even though it is not a part of my plan?
Are you constantly making excuses to not go to the gym or stick to your nutritional plan? It doesn’t take much to consistently damage your body over time.
Body composition changes slowly, so your decisions might not always have an immediate impact. This, however, is what makes the “What can I get away with” mentality so dangerous. It sneaks up on you. Try to remember this next time you say things like “It’s only one piece of candy,” or “It’s just one day at the gym I’m missing.” Over time you won’t remember every little poor decision you made, but you will be looking in the mirror asking yourself… “What happened to me?”
*Take home point
Making true progress is about doing what is optimal. So instead of asking yourself if you can get away with a poor food or training choice, ask yourself “What is the optimal choice to achieve my goal?” Remember, just because you might not immediately see the repercussions from your choices doesn’t mean that if won’t affect you down the road.