Rich Hesss column on fitness: The answer nobody wants to hear

It is becoming more and more evident to me that regardless of how much they ask, people don"t want to hear the real answer.

I have the answer and most likely, so do you.

How do I lose weight, get in shape, feel better, or look better?

Why do I even spend my time explaining it anymore? Ninety-nine percent of the time, I know they aren"t going to follow the program, or only do part of it.

How do I lose this gut?

"Well," I say, "it will involve four parts. You must include resistance training and cardio, but a big part is to also eat properly."

That is where I get "the look," before I get to number four. It"s at that point I know it ain"t gonna happen, and should put my clipboard down and walk away instead of wasting everyone"s time.

The truth is: It takes work. You need to dedicate yourself. Put the time in, follow the program, and you will get results"В guaranteed. Don"t follow the program completely, and you will not get the results you desire.

You would be amazed how much your body can handle, if you can handle it mentally. Push yourself harder than you"ve pushed before and you"ll get results you"ve never gotten before. The body is an amazingly resilient machine. (By the way: this is not a reason to do stupid, out-of-control things. You still need to use your head, exercise intelligently, and use proper form)

So, what"s number four? You already know, but I"m not telling. Not until next week.

n Rich Hess is Executive Director and Fitness Trainer at Middlecreek Area Community Center. You can reach Rich at richmacc@live.com or the MACC at maccrec.org