Why Working Out Shouldn’t be About Weight or Looks

When you think about working out, many people associate it with one thing: weight loss. But the truth of the matter is that physical fitness does not always correspond to physical appearance.

“I view your physical appearance as a byproduct of the work you're doing to make yourself feel better,” notes Tim Duba, co-founder of Protekt.

Protekt was founded as a means to help people feel better all-around, every day, no matter what they’re doing. A proven way to feel better physically is by working out, because physically working the body releases endorphins in the brain. There’s also the fact of knowing that you did something for yourself on a physical level, and that feels good. 

Physical fitness is also centered around proper hydration and adequate rest. You don’t have to look like a supermodel to get enough of those things in your life. A shift in physical appearance is a byproduct of extreme discipline, and such discipline isn’t for everyone. 

“The only time that I've ever had six pack abs was in the military, because we had to do sit ups every day, and we burned 3000 calories (minimum) a day,” says Duba.

It’s not about forcing yourself to give up your favorite foods. If you don’t have the urge to do that, then don’t do it. It’s as simple as that. Life is all about balance and finding what works for your body while also quieting your mind. 

If you focus on how you feel rather than how you look, your workout routine will stick for the long run rather than being short-lived. If your only goal is to look better and it doesn’t happen overnight, you’re not likely to stick with what you’re doing - because the focus isn’t on how good it makes your body feel.

The Right Way to Exercise

The right way to exercise is based on confidence, and confidence comes from feeling good and being secure in yourself. If you go into a workout regime with the goal of simply feeling good, your body’s chemicals will do half the work for you. The release of endorphins will make you feel happy and satisfied with what you’re doing, and also help you find some peace of mind. 

With that mental clarity, along with feeling your body get stronger, you’ll want to keep working out. And by continuing to work out (and having the innate desire to do so - not forcing it), the changes in your physical appearance will come. You might not even notice once they do, because that wasn’t what you were focused on all along. 

Smaller goals are healthier than big, macro goals. They’re more attainable, and reaching them helps to motivate you to keep going. The payoff to exercising everyday is to focus on the small stuff - for example, mental clarity and better sleep rather than your pants size. With these goals in mind, it becomes easier to see how to create a fitness plan that you can sustain.

“What we've tried to do is give people a couple fundamental goal routines, and then allow them to implement those so they can establish micro goals in execution of the bigger goal. Like being better hydrated and getting outside a little more. Find something simple that you can commit to and experience that feeling of accomplishment.” - Nick Norris, cofounder of Protekt. 

By supplementing your wellness routine with the right performance supplements and vitamins, you’ll be on the pathway to success. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Protekt products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.