There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why most people say they want to be fit, and yet only a very small percentage actually are fit. Most of us, instead, are firmly cemented in what I call the Flab Life (an inactive lifestyle that results in gradual fat gain over many weeks/months/years) rather than the Fit Life. 

Why is this? Because the Fit Life is hard. 

Want to know just how hard it is to lose the flab due to full immersion into the Fit Life? Here’s a glimpse into the Habits of Being Fit: 

Fit Habit#1: Exercise Daily

The truly fit among us choose to hit the gym instead of getting extra sleep, watching TV or doing whatever else it is that you’d rather be doing. Exercise is a daily habit that simply becomes a way of life, rather than a task that’s begrudgingly undertaken on occasion. Those who adhere to the Fit Life incorporate challenging exercise into their lives so often that – gasp – they begin to enjoy and look forward to it! 
                   
Fit Habit #2: Eat Clean – All The Time

In the Fit Life you choose your meals based on the nutrition rather than taste and desire. This means plenty of salads, lettuce wrapped sandwiches and lean protein at most meals. Being fit means making it a habit to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates and get lots of protein and fiber. 

Fit Habit #3: No Room For Junk

Truly fit people turn down their favorite junk foods –even when they really, really want it. Treats and indulgences are saved for special occasions, and the fact that it’s Monday or that there’s traffic doesn’t count as a special occasion (nice try though!). The Fit Life means cutting out simple sugars and harmful, processed fats out of your diet completely. 

                                   

Fit Habit #4: Push Harder

Living the Fit Life is a constant progression. You push your body to be stronger, faster and better during each workout. There’s no such thing as simply going through the motions of your routine – instead your focus is to consistently challenge your muscles to do more each day. 

                                   

Fit Habit #5: Control Calories

Forget the unlimited buffet line. The Fit Life requires that you limit your total calories to within an appropriate range for your size and goals. Remember, even healthy calories can add up to weight gain when you’re not careful, so calorie control becomes a way of life. 

That’s just the basics to living the Fit Life and some of the work that it takes to enjoy a fit and healthy body. Pretty hard, right? 

So let’s check out what the Flab Life looks like… 

Flab Habit #1: Forget Exercise

Your focus is to spend your spare time being as relaxed as possible. This means plenty of kicking back on the couch. The less that you use your muscles, the more aches, pains and mobility limitations you’ll experience. Oh, and if you’re consuming more calories than your natural metabolism burns then you’ll steadily gain weight. 

Flab Habit #2: Eat For Taste

Adhering to the Flab Life means that you get to eat whatever sounds and tastes good. Our human palate is naturally drawn to items that are high in sugar, salt and fat so your eat-whatever-diet will naturally be filled with these fattening foods and will be lacking in protein and fiber. You’ll find your weight increases, and your energy levels plummet, accordingly. 

Flab Habit #3: Indulge Often

The Flab Life says YES to junk food. Snacks and meals purchased at convenience stores and fast food restaurants are a staple in your diet. And as I mentioned above, your favorite foods are likely high in sugar, salt and fat. Your indulgent eating is going to raise the number on your scale higher, and higher, in addition to putting you at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other weight related ailments. 

                                                    

Flab Habit #4: Stay Comfortable

The goal of the Flab Life is to be comfy. This means use as little muscular strength as you can on a daily basis. When you don’t use your muscles they begin to atrophy (shrink!), leaving you with less lean tissue. Since lean tissue raises your metabolism, a drop in lean tissue means you’ll be burning fewer calories at rest than ever before causing fat gain to be automatic. 

Flab Habit #5: Pile It On

In the Flab Life there’s no limit on how much you eat – in fact, more is better. As a result you often feel sluggish from your overloaded digestive system. And your motivation to exercise and turn your Flab Life into a Fit Life gets dimmer and dimmer. 

                                                   

So which life is harder? The Fit Life? Or the Flab Life? 

The truth is that both of these lifestyles are hard. Just depends on which hard you’d rather deal with. 

The Fit Life’s hard has to do with discipline, motivation and determination. It’s about doing the right thing rather than the easy thing. Most of all, the Fit Life is about constantly striving forward. 

The Flab Life’s hard has to do with excess fat, aches, pains and physical limitations. It’s about avoiding doing the hard thing now and ending up with a body that’s just plain hard to live in. Most of all, the Flab Life is about NOT taking action. 

Which hard do you choose? 

                                                    
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