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Shawn Phillips, Well-Being - Written by Shawn Phillips on Monday, May 11, 2009 16:24 - 12 Comments
The Shape of Your Life
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Whether you’re tall, short, thin, curvy or stout—whatever shape you see in the mirror—the shape your life will likely take on is much the same as every other. It rises up, arcs over and slides back down.
If you were to graph the energy and vitality of your life, it would look like a cross section of a speed bump (Figure 1). You’re born weak and helpless, and then you spend the first two decades of life growing stronger and enjoying boundless energy. There’s a leveling off as you reach a comfortable cruising altitude. Then the inevitable happens: In spite of your attempts to ignore it, the gradual decline begins. You spend the rest of your life walking the “tightrope of health,” quietly hoping and praying that you don’t slip back to weak and helpless.
Figure 1
Here’s a simple way to gauge in an instant where you are on the curve of life. Think back to your last birthday: Was it an exciting celebration? Or has it become a dreaded annual event, similar to tax day?
Chances are that at this point your body is in the midst of some disturbing changes, which, up until now, you’ve mostly been able to ignore.
The redistribution of fat, which has been well under way for more than a decade, becomes ever more apparent. Common problem areas, like the midsection or thighs, are expanding at an increasing rate. If you’ve gotten away without paying much attention to your nutrition and exercise up until this point, the neglect is now visible for all to see.
In the absence of a change in lifestyle, the decline continues to gain speed. Anyway you slice it, though, this sort of physical morphing is a major blow to your quality of life: It’s damaging to your health, metabolism, self-image, career and relationships. And it could mean heart disease, diabetes or worse.
The way I see it, it’s quite literally a choice: You can choose to either have a life of abundant strength and energy, or you can choose to live in the gap, far beneath the quality of life you could be enjoying.
You already know the choice you’ve made up to this point. Should you desire any further evidence, here is a checklist of common symptoms you might be tolerating needlessly:
Common Symptoms Experienced in the Gap
- Gradual weight gain, especially in your problem areas
- Noticeable drop in energy levels after lunch and in the late afternoon
- Frequent cravings for snacks, sweets or other junk foods
- A reliance on coffee to get you going, and then more to keep you going
- Becoming in the evenings, yet being unable to sleep
- The feeling that you’ve aged three years in the last 17 months
Are any of these symptoms familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans have come to accept this steep decline, and the needless suffering it causes, as the normal trajectory of life—the “price of aging.” We give it no more thought or resistance than we do the setting sun each evening.
I’ve got some news for you, though: If you’ve been tolerating any of these side effects, you can stop now.
This “normal trajectory of life” I’ve just described that most of us long ago accepted as a given is not accurate. It’s a myth; a story that our culture and history have given life to.
In reality, these symptoms (and the declining body that goes with them) are much more likely to be the results of physical, mental and emotional fatigue from being overworked, over-stressed, overtired, overfed, undernourished and just plain out of shape. But they are all things you can change now and at any age.
Figure 2
No matter where you are in life, you have the choice to stop living in the gap, create a resurgence—a new higher trajectory for your life—and start growing younger, stronger and leaner today and each day forward. I call it creating the “S curve” of life (Figure 2).
By answering the 90-Day FIT for SUCCESS Challenge and with the Strength for Life program, you can create a second coming—a “new you”—and choose a future more brilliant than your past.
Watch Shawn’s interactive presentation of this model:
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12 Responses to “The Shape of Your Life”
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Wow, Shawn, thanks for the personal response. I need to find a good book on the nutrition I need. I seem to live mostly on bagels, apples, and power bars. I also take Vemma. But, this doesn’t seem to be working. Would your book have the nutritional information I need?
Thanks again. There is a lot of information on how to get more exercise, but not much out there for those of us who seem to be getting too much.
Crewchief
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I think I’m in trouble because I already get enough exercise. I am a mailman and walk carrying weight 6 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week regardless of the weather. The other 2 or 3 hours per day is spent lifting twisting, and stretching. I don’t have a weight problem because I am 5′ 7″ have a 40 inch chest and 30 inch waist. But did I mention that I’m 61 years old.
My problem is that I get home exhausted with my muscles and joints hurting. I am hoping to find an answer to my after work pain and energy levels.
Any hope? I can’t do more exercise.
thanks,
The crewchief
[Reply]
Shawn Phillips Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Ah, yes… no, not more exercise. More intensity, less duration would do you well but that’s another story. Great stats—That’s good news. I would not shy away from having you engage in strength specific training for one to two short sessions per week though, as the extended duration can really break you down rather than build you up. So, that’s one thing. But muscles and joints hurting I understand and not getting any younger as well.
So my focus for you is nutrition related. The quality of your nutritional intake can make all the difference in energy and joint pain. Choose to eat food that is best for you—foods that give you authentic energy and strength.
Lifestyle is the issue…and I’d also take a good look at what the chronic work might be doing to your body from the inside; much more complex but worth considering alternative care doctors who can support your optimal wellness. Too often times people get caught up in only the cholesterol reading in blood panels, but be sure to have your thyroid, insulin and other critical measurements reviewed. As a man, be sure to check-in with your testosterone readings too.
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Printed out the pdfs, put them in a binder, and got started tracking my food and water already. Ready to lose 15 lbs! Ride the momentum!
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How inspiring. I’m in for the 90 Days–Can’t wait!
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Hello Everybody! On June 1st I will be in Santa Monica - biking along the ocean. That is how I will start. I call it BBB… build a better body challenge : )
Good luck!
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I’m so excited to see my favorite magazine taking part in such an amazing opportunity! I am a huge advocate of fitness loosing over 115+ lbs of fat to this day. I went from being severely obese, to currently training for a body building show! I love to see that there are more and more people taking part in such an amazing opportunity to change not only how you look, but how you feel, perform, and most importantly, live!
If you think you can’t do it, you can! Just think of the 300lb 6th grader who is now heading to compete as a body builder and is an exercise science major at his college!
I support this 100%! =)
-Nicholas Marts
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Bring It!!!!
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This is so good. I am 54 and while I’m in reasonably good shape for my age it’s not where I want to be. I have great role models in my parents. My dad is 82, a retired electrical engineer, he and my mother live on 300 acres in South Mississippi and take care of it themselves. He has cattle and raises Plantation Pines my mother always has a large vegetable garden as well as a really beautiful yard with lots of flowers and ornamental and furit trees. My dad builds fence handles calving, and takes care of his timber all the while growing , and baling hay by himself. After Katrina he took 144 tons of downed timber off his property by himself. I couldn’t keep up with them now that’s my goal to be as healthy and fit as they are at their age, I am counting on this 90 days to fitness to jump start my goal.
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I agree with the others! It will be a great lifestyle this summer.
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Thank you for putting the 90 challenge together. I look forward to the journey with you this summer. I am ready to take responsibility of my own health!
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Looking forward to starting this program!
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