“The goal is to be better than I was the day before.” That simple ideology seems to be the secret recipe for success in acquiring and maintaining that summer body. Coming from both the pros and from some beginners that have dropped some serious pounds recently, this seems to be the unanimous trick of the trade. Of course, talking to your Doctor before beginning any weight loss or exercise program is strongly recommended.

Arianne Olayinka, age 30, who over the course of a year lost 29 pounds, says, “It is definitely about TODAY, not YESTERDAY, and not TOMORROW.” She divulges, “Prior to my weight loss, I had a friend that asked me why it was always tomorrow with me. I was always going to start at the gym tomorrow...So, I decided at that moment that TODAY was my new moment.”

Christy Poore was a brimming 320 pounds at age twenty nine. She recalls, “I never saw it as a problem until Jaime (Christy’s son), at age 4, asked me ‘If he ate too much food would he look like me, is that what happens?’ I cried and knew something had to change so I started making small changes... And, the weight started coming off…I grabbed my cousin and we would walk… It was 3 miles around the area I lived and we walked it every day, and on some days we would walk it twice. Before you knew it I felt better and I looked better.” Christy monitors her caloric intake and walks a few miles daily.

For both of these local success stories, ‘living in today’ seemed to be the game changer. So, how do the pros weigh in on the subject? Well, owner of Steel Fitness Training, Chris Levi, has this advice for beginners, “NEVER forget your “why”. What was it that made you decide to commit to the journey…Your goal when you step foot in the gym or get to the park or wherever it is you are going to exercise, is to be better than you were yesterday.”

Competing in the upcoming National Physique Committee (NPC) Organization’s local competition, is 20 year old athlete Jasmine Diederichs. Miss. Diederichs, at 5’0”, dropped ten pounds in just three months of consistent diet and exercise while still putting on muscle mass. She is another advocate for living in the now. She shares, “This time of year, you don’t have to be indoors in a gym. You can enjoy the fresh outdoors. There are a variety of activities to be enjoyed whilst calories are burning.” She offers suggestions such as canoeing, kayaking, bike riding, evening walks, and runs with friends—she certainly enjoys all of them.

Nutritionally, Jasmine proposes, to “Aim for eating homemade foods and vegetables and try to cut out anything fast food or processed!” Arianne agrees. She confides, “I eat clean for so many other health benefits than just weight loss and can't imagine ever going back to eating processed, chemical filled foods.”

Offering further motivational expertise, trainer Levi strongly suggests for you not to compare yourself to others along your journey. He states, “It will lead you to being distracted, disappointed, and discouraged.” He also says, for all of you math lovers, “This simple equation can change lives: weight loss= calories burned > calories consumed; weight gain = calories consumed > calories burned.”

Mr. Levi passionately believes that it is the big picture that makes a difference. He explains, “Why the name ‘Steel’ in my company…3 words: Strength, Durability, and Toughness. These aren’t just characteristics of metal, but also of my clients, and we aren’t just talking about in the gym. Fitness and health is more than lifting weights or going to Zumba. When I speak of fitness and health it pertains to the whole person (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)… Exercise or diet, alone, doesn’t make someone healthy. It’s not about aesthetics to me (remember it’s the 90% of what’s below the surface that sinks the ship, a line from a book called Habitudes).” In closure, Mr. Levi leaves you with, “It’s about being whole and making lifestyle changes necessary that will lead you to health in all four areas of life.”