Keeping the fire stoked.

I am starting to realize how important an informed and scientific view of your personal body transformation process is. Even a few of the one size fits all "nutrition and diet experts" suggest that you tweak the diet program and theories that they present in the books and stuff that they keep trying to sell me. However, this is usually in teeny, tiny print at the very back of their book, bottom of their blog or is absent altogether from their product. In short, if someone had a long road ahead of them to reach their ideal physique, they may have lost inspiration, grabbed the Häagen-Dazs, and given up their program before they ever got to the finely printed points about experimentation and tweaking for personal balance.

Assuming that they think that every lard-butt knows to tweak the diet until they find the perfect macro-nutrient balance to meet their goals, why would they give us a starting point that doesn't work for the majority of overweight or under-fit people? My theory is that they want you to buy the sequel to their system, or book, or whatever magic beans or snake oil they've just sold you. This all being said, there is no magic bullet that's going to shred you up like a competition body builder in a few days of eating Doritos and swilling cases of beer while sitting on the couch.

You won't ever look like Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman if you hit the gym 3 times a week, cut back to one case of beer a week, and "only" eat at McDonalds 3 times a week instead of 6 unless you happen to be one of those lucky genetic freaks who defy all science and logic when it comes to building muscle and shedding fat. You can look like a bodybuilder or fitness model if you hit the gym 5-12 times each week, eat a ridiculously tough, perfectly rationed diet. To get abs like a brick wall, you may need to develop the willpower of a brick wall, but isn't it worth it?

To sum up what I'm trying to say, the toughest opponent in sports of physical transformation is inside you. The little voice that whispers "I'm too exhausted to hit the gym today" or tells you that it's alright to blow your diet for this holiday or that occasion. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've seen quite a few aspiring bodybuilders become stick men when they turn their first cutting diet into an eating disorder because they have misconceptions about caloric floors or body fat percentages.

However; if you can get that little voice to keep you strongly motivated, and your knowledge keeps it from being over-obsessive and in effect ruinous, it is a great advantage. For example, as I was having my 11am meal in the office lunch room yesterday (a can of tuna, right form the can and an apple) my coworkers broke out a birthday cake. I watched them serve the cake, and passed on a piece, the little voice inside chanting my mantra (which you may remember from my entry on quitting smoking) "You're superman. You're stronger than that."

My Self-Combat Tip: Keep a journal or something.

Even with my superhuman willpower, I sometimes feel my motivation waning from time to time there are a few things I do to keep myself psyched about this long road to body transformation. I find that the internal conflict can be detrimental and slow down my fitness goals. Fighting yourself is no fun, so to avoid all out war, I suggest finding a few things like this that work for you.

1. I keep this blog to help me organize my daily fitness research, and to help me remember why my diet and workout plan are the way they are. This keeps me from yo-yo dieting or changing up my workout routine more often than I should.
2. I also take photos of my progress several times per week so that I can do the "time machine" effect when I start to become obsessive and worry that my gains/losses are not what I am striving for.
3. I keep a bodyspace over at one of my favorite sites. This lets me track many aspects of my progress, so that I can watch consistent change occur.
   

These methods are just what works for me, if they don't work for you, then find something that does. For some people, post-it notes that say things like "GET PUMPED UP!" or "today I kill some lipids" seem to work, for others wearing t-shirts that say "hottie" or "SUPER JACKED!" are just the motivational edge that they need. I can't say this enough times, about enough aspects of fitness, just find what works for you and stick with it.