Darin St. George: A tale of two men when it comes to exercise, health
Before we begin, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Trainer X. I run like someone is chasing me, lift like something fell on me and eat like someone else. Also helping me out today will be Darin P. St. George, the kid who had five margaritas last night and something called a chicken chimichanga that felt like a charging bull in his stomach the last time we spoke.
What I would like to do is tell you a little about what each of them does and see if you recognize any of their behavior in yourself.
Trainer X has been called a conceited meathead; I resemble that remark! Seriously, I know that my prime directive for the longest time has been to keep myself the fittest I can be. I want to run faster, jump higher, lift more and dress nicer than anyone in the gym. I am constantly walking my talk and will out-exercise anyone willing to give me a go. Exercising and eating clean are all I think about.
Darin P. St. George, on the other hand, is my closest friend. He loves his family dearly, enjoys watching the same movies over and over again. He can be tempted by a cozy corner on his couch and knows all the combination plates at his local Chinese food restaurant by heart. He can skip a workout if one of his girls asks him to, and generally tries to find balance between all of the things in his world.
Trainer X is constantly planning his meals; in fact, he eats the same things, day in and day out, all week long. Protein bars and shakes, oatmeal, egg white omelets, chicken and vegetables and salads are all that appear on his menu. Darin P. St. George, on the other hand, swaps bites of macaroni and cheese with his youngest daughter, Emily, finishes all of his oldest Taylor Rose's pizza crusts, and will eat anything that sounds yummy as long as his girls think it is fun.
Enough about those two; this is ME talking to you now! We ALL have two different people inside us when it comes to fitness; it is an either/or situation at all times. Either we want to kick butt, take names and eat like a champion, or we want to give in to our desires and skip workouts to eat lasagna. The real danger is when we do both in the same day over and never get any worse, but never get any better. This is less a tale of two people and more a tale of two directions to head in. You can't get fitter by resting, and you can't get leaner by eating trays of cookies.
Typically, I am more Trainer X, so the moments when I'm Darin P. St. George are more rewarding. Being tough on yourself will make the special seem more special. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Darin St. George is a personal fitness coach at Gold's Gym in Natick. Visit his Web site at www.myspace.com/darinstgeorge.