Weight loss is the easy part....

What? You oxymoron you....! What did you say??!!!

Yes, I said it right, losing weight is easy, it's when your goals begin getting more complicated, when you demand more of yourself, when you start feeling that just being good isn't good enough, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, that is when it becomes really difficult. Let me explain myself before you begin throwing rotten tomatoes at me ...

If you are consistently being active, taking whatever form of exercise you have taken up seriously and watching your diet, unless you have underlying physical problems, the weight practically falls off. Yes, it is challenging and it takes an enormous amount of will power to break habits that lead to weight gain but with determination, progress can be seen within a month and after that, with consistency, there are continuous gains in terms of fitness, inches lost, measurable health gains and on the weighing scale.

But you want more...you look longingly at the photos of fitness models, of bikini competitors and say to yourself...if they can do it, so can I...so you pick up the not so sissy weights and start lifting...you begin doing more intense cardio and become a bit narcissistic, looking at yourself every morning, looking for the littlest hint of a line that will show that finally you are getting some definition. And when none shows after a month of lifting, you begin to get discouraged, your body does not begin to look like those fitness models, or the athletes, or Lupita Nyongo...

But ask yourself this, why aren't there more people who are that ripped? They are a minority amongst us, which is why we stare when we see them. Why? Because it is hard! And it takes time and discipline to get that way.

Because it does not take a month for you to achieve that greek goddess (god) look that we crave. And it takes a lot more training than you are used to, even if you train smart.

So trust the process and do not despair, it will take time, but if you are consistent, you will get there. It takes time to build tall buildings, because the foundation has to be deep and strong. You cannot define what muscle isn't there, you cannot tone without building first, you cannot build floor upon floor without first digging a deep foundation and building the support.

So when you're looking at the woman next to you near the weight rack who's muscles ripple, or the trainer with what seems like a 16 pack, remember, they have been at it for a while. And it will take you a while to get there.

Keep active, keep at it.

Have a wonderful day!