False Starts

I recently received a Facebook message from a friend saying that he wanted my advice on getting into better shape. I informed him that getting into great shape would have a lot to do with his diet—a fact that he readily recognized. He also acknowledged that a solid diet would form the foundation of any exercise program that I would build for him.

I encouraged him to monitor his diet for one week by keeping a food log of everything that he consumed (i.e. foods and beverages). My objective was to identify a baseline of caloric intake, bad habits and meal frequency before dispensing any advice.

After a healthy back-and-forth I felt like he understood what I was looking for and why. He then informed me that he would get started with the food log after he returned from a business trip. WHAT?!?

I began re-reading our exchange to ensure that I hadn’t given him the impression that this wasn’t something that couldn’t be done immediately. Scan complete. No miscommunication on my part. Instead of forcing the issue I decided to take a wait and see approach. I wanted to see if he would indeed create the food journal upon returning from his trip.

As I sit here writing this blog it’s been three weeks since our exchange and I have yet to see a food log or receive another message. Certainly this blog post is not intended to bash my friend; it is, however, meant to illustrate a point. And, my point is that coaches, trainers and friends can only serve as a source of inspiration and not motivation. Motivation is something that comes from within.

Regie Simmons
Body Fuse Athlete