This is a very common mistake (they are what we earn from though)
It’s especially common around the New Year and before the Summer Holidays.
Here’s what happens…
Person becomes super-motivated to change their body.
Maybe they’re going to go on a diet.
Maybe they’re going to start exercising.
Or maybe they’re going to hit it hard and do both!
(there are many other elements than just those two FYI, but they are the two that get the prime time)
The new them starts when they get up early, eating their oats for breakfast and having a salad for lunch.
They go to the gym in the evening and come home to a super-healthy meal for dinner.
So far, so good!
Day two is good and so is day three?
Still on ‘track’…
By day four it’s getting harder.
And, day five, that’s a killer.
Tempted with a cookie – “one won’t hurt”… – and day by day their motivation is teetering on the edge with this wagon mentality.
With their energy balance drastically low (that’s an assumption, but an accurate one because many people eat too little to lose weight effectively), exercise levels up, and their head hurting thanks to the extra effort and willpower – they’re starting to feel the strain (“I need a treat, I need a treat, I need a treat, beer, wine, pizza, curry, chocolate”…)
This is where most folk crash and burn…(some people last longer than a week by the way).
They miss a gym session and then their ‘diet’ goes down the pan because they think what’s the point?
“it’s ruined now, I’ll start again next week”…
Well hello, yoyo.
It’s only a matter of time before most people quit.
Willpower is great, but it only lasts so long, motivation has to be constantly topped up, willpower alone isn’t enough, especially with a flawed approach.
As a Nutrition Coach, Exercise Coach, and Personal/Life Coach, hearing of the previous pattern pains me to hear, because I know, ANYBODY can achieve their health and fitness goals.
Yes, YOU CAN!
It just needs education, application, practice-based, and habit outcome learning…
And the freedom to MAKE MISTAKES.
That’s how we learn.
(A different take on the meaning of the word ‘failure’, context and momentum are big ones as well)
Now if the previous pattern relates to you…
Don’t beat yourself up and don’t worry! Equally don’t accept that allowance of self-sabotage.
It’s a fine line, but one worth keeping.
Get the balance of not throwing a pity party, whilst simultaneously being pissed enough to make change for yourself.
Move on, learn from your experiences and consider some very helpful advice…
There is a BETTER way to get started.
It will help you overcome the killer combination of a strict ‘diet’ and exercise while killing off the old habits that may have been holding you back from your true potential.
Here’s what you do…
Ready…?
Start slowly with one habit at a time.
It could be that you improve one meal at a time.
You might replace drinking fizzy drinks with water.
Stop smoking.
Get a coach.
Join a club.
Get to bed earlier.
Whatever it is…
Start with one habit at a time.
It may seem slow initially but, mastering one habit at a time will dramatically improve your chances of success and before you know it, you will accumulate loads of habits over the course of time, you will have an amazing arsenal of skills, tools, and habits to be fit, lean, healthy and confident FOREVER.
Slow and consistent improvements will get you to where you want to be quicker than starting, quitting, and starting again.
I know it may seem slow, but remember…
Most people ‘try’ too hard (often with a crappy fad quick fix) to “stick to the plan”, end up getting overwhelmed, and end up no further ahead than before.
And this can happen for YEARS!
Some will never reach their goals at all because they keep on the same merry-go-round of quick-fix approaches or just simply stay put, become disillusioned, and give up because they ‘tried’ and it ‘doesn’t work’.
Time is going to pass regardless, so you may as well give that time appropriate application to your health, and then guess what…
It’s a one-way street journey for consistent success, more fitness, more vitality, energy, a healthier body, a healthier mind…It’s all there for the taking.
Take control of your health, you have the power to achieve anything you want.
So, what next?
Pick a meal – do breakfast – and make it better.
Make that a habit.
Then do the same for your other meals.
As the saying goes:
“How do you eat an elephant?”
“One bite at a time!”
Habit-based, practice-based, bit by bit will provide your diet and weight loss/fat loss/muscle gain goals with a lot more ease than you could ever possibly imagine.
Trust me.
Take baby steps to where you want to be and it will happen.
That’s called chunking from meaningful goals.
Plus it’s a lot easier, a lot more fun, and a lot more sustainable when you take it – one habit at a time.
And on the concluding note, If you are not sure, ask for help, there’s a reason there are so many coaches all over the world in a multitude of fields, especially the field of self-care.
Mindset shift, different input, better actions, better results.
You must be willing to take ownership.
Ownership that you may not know all that is to be known to make this change in your life.
That’s great, that’s what this is all about, personal development.
Go get it.
Over and out.
– Coach Paul
