Everyone relies on the mirror and cares about how they look in it. To even the most selfless of us, this still matters. In the best sense, we want to look our best for ourselves and others.
Don’t be Vain
Some deny the importance of this. That could be for religious motives (“Don’t be vain”) or part of a “Don’t expect me to change” attitude. In either case, it may be more than a response to the anticipated onerous weight reduction or fitness work. Sadly, many of us know from bad experiences that results never seem to come.
Fancifully, we can blame the mirror for this. If only it would have shown us some improvement, we would still be in our routines. But, of course, the mirror is not out to get us. Instead, we are expecting too much when looking into it. This is almost always the case when starting, especially after never having done anything, even during high school.
The Motto
The motto “You will not undo in one month what you have been putting together for twenty years” pretty much sums things up. And, painful as it might sound (for this is the summer we want to look at on the beach), most of us can see the inherent wisdom in this phrase. We have gotten into bad shape over a long period, yet expect dramatic differences in a short one. Of course, this is folly, but our expectations must be checked.
Common Sense
Common sense is that we should know this before we even start. But we do not. Instead, this time will be different. That is because we have found a secret weapon. This newly approved fat burner or patch promises maximum results with minimum effort. Most of us intellectually know that it is too good to be accurate, but the advertising lingo makes the product irresistible. Therefore, we not only buy–the product but also expect the mirror to show an entirely different person in a reasonable period.
But what is reasonable? The day after we start? Probably not. A week after the start? Maybe? A month later? Most certainly. There are thirty capsules in the bottle or thirty patches in the box, so this must be the necessary period. That has a certain amount of sense to it. But we still check the mirror every day anyway. Why? Because we are not only taking this product but also slaving away daily at the club, doing impossible workouts. The combination of the two should pay off soon, and today is the day.
Hard Work
Thus, we are going off of a mixture of belief in miracle drugs ( wonders of modern science) and a belief in what our parents taught us–that “good old-fashioned hard work” really works. An effective fitness pill might have been developed with a new drug being approved each quarter. Take it for a month and see the difference. This is wholly reasonable considering the near-overnight effect of what the MD prescribes when we need their help on unrelated health issues.
Also, we still believe in hard work. Even with the underserved job losses of the last ten years, we still believe that hard work at anything pays off. We carry this over into fitness, thinking sweat and hard work will make the difference. Thus, we look in the mirror to see the fulfillment of this promise, escalated by the effectiveness of the new capsule.
But again, when do we look? The next day? One week after we start? One month? Probably. We believe there should be some tangible result of our efforts. But the truth is that there is next to no noticeable difference not only after the first day but after one entire month. And it is the mirror that is the real bearer of the bad tidings.
That is enough to make us quit. It is as if we have been lied to by the FDA-sanctioned pill manufacturer and our parents. Therefore, who should waste their money on bogus drugs, and who would waste precious time without seeing results? Certainly not us. But can this be happening? Yes, it can. Proof of the bad news confronts us every morning in the mirror; what is wrong with this picture (or reflection, if you will?)
Counter-Productive
The three problems are: 1.) One month is not long enough for exercise; 2.) One month is not long enough for the pill or patch; and 3.) Every day, looking in the mirror for reassurance during the early phases of fitness is counterproductive. (More than anything, it drains the essential will to persevere.)These three factors are enough to make us stop the effort without even addressing diet or supplements to maximize workout intensity and regularity. What should be done?
When starting, the best thing is knowing that results take time. That is despite whatever we do or take and whatever a pill manufacturer or our parents have told us. Thus, we must know that we will not see what we want in the mirror for quite some time. Therefore, we should not look too closely into it for at least six months.
Next, starting is one-tenth as crucial as staying with it. That means not for a week or a month but a year. By then, the accidental revelations in the shop windows on the street will be the most encouraging thing imaginable. But it takes that long, with patch, pill, bicycle, weights, diet, supplements–preferably all of these, but any combination.
There is nothing better than diet, exercise, and supplementation, along with the latest fat burner, assuming it is good. Over a long enough period, those will cause lasting results. But the most important thing about them is that they will at first cause dramatic changes in feeling. These changes in feeling alone are what we should focus first upon, i.e., not our shapes as reflected back in the mirror.
Rely on the Mirror
Thus, when should we rely on the mirror? Long, very long, after we have started, and only to motivate us to work harder through the inevitable plateaus. By then, we can stand a little bad news, which will make us push for a few more repetitions or revolutions per minute instead of discouraging us. But that will not be within the first thirty days; it will be after the first six months, if not a year.
For further information about self-image concerning training, please order my e-book, “Think and Grow Fit.”
