Springtime Madness

Disclaimer: this is an opinion post, based entirely off of the heaps of research I've read, and my own life experiences.

It's that time of year. The sun has finally started burning through those dreary winter clouds that lingered around for way too long, the snow is long gone, and we are all starting to get antsy to shed those coats and pull out our flip flops.

It's an exciting transition, from winter into spring. Everyone seems to have a little more pep in their step, and the sun is finally staying up past 4 pm. We’re all dreaming and planning and starting to make epic summer plans.

The summer plans then lead to the reminder that warm weather = less clothing. It's pretty standard to sometimes pack on a few extra lbs during winter, I know that I do. And I also know it's not the end of the world; I typically start logging more miles come March/April due to weather changes, put the holiday/birthday binges behind me, and eventually return to normal.

Here's my soap box.
Because of this seasonal cycle, I've also noticed that March and April are the times when I see the most bullsh@t out there in regards to "quick fixes".  "Here's how to get flat abs fast"... "Drink this a week straight and you'll drop ____ lbs" .... "The best workouts for a beach booty.”

Just saw this on my Twitter feed....

If you're on ANY form of social media, you know what I'm talking about. The list goes on, and on, and on.

I called it bull because that's what it is; there is no quick fix, that term is garbage. I mean, TECHNICALLY it may be a quick fix, but if it is, it's not sustainable. If you want a healthy body, then you must be healthy. Clean up your diet, and get off your butt. Refuse to accept excuses: go for a run, ride your bike, do a cardio circuit in your living room, go to your gym.  “I don’t have time” just isn’t going to cut it.

Furthermore, there's really no such thing as "targeting problem areas"... It's another garbage phrase. You don't lose love handles from obsessively doing side-crunches, you lose them by doing fat burning, full-body workouts.  Odds are, you're going to have to sweat to see results.

Even more importantly, stop eating processed garbage. And if you do (I sure do) which we all pretty much do let's be honest; do so in moderation. The less ingredients on the label, the better. And remember, the phrase "you can't out-exercise a bad diet" is so, so true. Pizza for dinner five days a week, no matter how much you may be working out, will always catch up with you. Abs are 75% made in the kitchen, and that's the truth.

And last but not least, drink your water. Lots of it. It keeps your crazy awesome body really happy.

That's all. Believe me; this rant was just as much for me; I'm far from perfect. Just figured we could all use a little bit of Spring motivation. And remember, if it doesn't seem sustainable, or reasonable... Well, that probably means that it isn't.

Cheers -

Kait