This Saturday, we hit the four-week mark for our Resolve to Evolve fitness challenge. That’s right, gang – you’re halfway
through our very first challenge of the year. Can you believe it?! We’ve hosted many a fitness challenge in our time, and there are a few patterns that are pretty darn consistent.

We always start with a bang. A handful of folks bring it from the very first class, and these are the ones we know will do this thing. They’re the ones who are ready for a real change in their lifestyles, the ones who stick it out and re-up with a (discounted!) membership when those eight weeks are over. On the flip side, we always have a few folks drop out in the second or third week, and we lose a few more as the weeks pass. Sometimes it’s due to injury and in other instances, people just aren’t mentally ready for such a profound change.

Because Resolve to Evolve (and all our fitness challenges) isn’t just about dropping weight or fitting into “those” jeans. It’s about taking a good, hard look at the way you live your life. How you move your body. What you put in your mouth. It’s identifying old, long-standing patterns and habits and committing to new patterns and habits. It’s going to work out when that’s the very last thing you want to do. It’s passing up the empty calories in favor of a meal that will actually sustain you. It’s choosing long-term results over instant gratification. And all of that is tough to do. We know it is.

Instant gratification is a bugger. You see a cupcake. You want the cupcake. You’re DYING for that cupcake. You bargain with yourself over the damn cupcake, and maybe you go ahead and eat the cupcake. But what a fleeting victory. By the time the last bite is hastily swallowed, you’re already feeling guilty about caving. Yet this is a pattern that so many people repeat again and again. And here’s the thing – it’s not even about the cupcake. It’s about setting yourself up to fail with old patterns and habits that you don’t even recognize.

That’s what makes a challenge like Resolve to Evolve about so much more than just coming to class. The most successful people in this challenge take advantage of it all. They read the book. They come to class four, five, six times a week. They plan their weekly meals, drink their water every day. They ask questions about technique and form and this snack or that. They commit to making a difference because they’ve been doing the same thing for the last however many years and guess what? It. Didn’t. Work. You know the definition of insanity, right? It’s doing the same thing over and over – and expecting different results.

So we’re halfway through Resolve to Evolve. And we’re asking you to keep pushing. Four weeks isn’t nearly enough time to see dramatic changes, so look to the little victories. Nailing a combo. Walking into class without feeling intimidated. Drinking that entire gallon of water yesterday. Planning meals for yourself. These are baby steps on the path to a healthier lifestyle. And they’re no small thing. So don’t stress if you aren’t dropping pant sizes yet or the number on the scale isn’t budging. This is about so much more than that. So keep going. And keep engaging with us. You got this.