How many times have you given up on a fitness regime? Me? Definitely a few. Detoxes - done a couple of times, hated it, never again. Cardio only - did for several months, hated it, found it very hard to pluck up the enthusiasm for the workouts. Diets - got overly strict with them, hated it & reverted back to normal.
The one thing in common - I hated what I was doing. There was no passion, instead I was looking at it purely as something I must do, not even considering the fact that it should be enjoyable too. And that was my falling point. When you find what you love, you will succeed! Since those days, I have found I love weight training, a little yoga & eating an 80% clean diet, which I meal prep for the week ahead. Why does this work for me? Because I enjoy it, every step of the way.
However, that might not work for you! We are all different. To really succeed, you need to look past the fads, the sales pitches & what your best friend recommends to loose pounds in weeks. You need to try a range of things & find that special thing that you enjoy. Something to give you enthusiasm when you're tired, when it's cold & dark outside or when temptation is calling. But how do you find that special something? Here's a few things to consider:
- Make it fit! If you already have lots of commitments & are planning to workout every night, you are already setting yourself up to fail! Have a serious think about how many workouts you can realistically fit in. For example 3 x 1hr sessions, 5 x 15 minutes... You will then be pleased when you succeed each week & you can always add to this & do more. But please don't set yourself up to fail.
- Try everything! In both fitness & food. Try new recipes, take on new nutritional advice, find that Youtuber you can really connect with to inspire your eating. Does meal prep work for you, meal plans, clean eating... Take a free trial at a gym & ask about personal training, weight training, HIIT etc, try every class available, try running, cross fit, boot camp - but please do not sign up to anything - ie. 12 month contracts - until you find that thing that you love.
- Avoid the fads - Fads are exactly that; short term popularity & full of hot air. A bit naff really. Don't get won over by advertising or celebrity endorsement. Remember, it's about what works for you, there are no promised quick fixes. Especially if you do not have the passion to put in the effort.
- Avoid diets too - Restricting yourself will also be setting yourself up to fail. Instead of looking at being healthy as an end goal, which only takes 3 months, look at it as a lifestyle change. Instead of saying, I am going on a low carb diet, educate yourself in what the body really needs for a healthy diet. Find out your calorie intake for a day. Explore new recipes. Add the occasional treats - for me this is a small amount of chocolate in the evenings & a cheat meal once a week. But please do not completely remove something from your diet that you love. It will only make you miserable, instead just reduce it & balance your diet. Have a little read of my Master Your Macro guide, if you're unsure of where to begin!
- Take recommendations, but don't rely on them - It's great to hear what works for others & it may also work for you! But you won't know until you try. Don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't work. It just might not have been right for you.
- Slowly but surely - Make small positive changes & you'll head in the right direction. Try to do it all at once & you will most likely stumble. Instead, slowly build up the number of workouts & their intensity & each week try to make your diet a little healthier & more balanced than the week before. This will allow things to become a habit more naturally & stick for life. Plus they will get a lot easier!
- Diet & fitness go hand in hand - If you want to see real results from your fitness goals, you can't have one without the other! With that said, you don't need to go extreme either. Just have a healthy balance. Find what food plan & workout works for you & improve on them gradually, month by month
- Plan your treats - Where I always used to fail was giving into temptation. Why did this happen? Because I was restricting myself too much. Now I have a small treat a day, that fits into my macros & a cheat meal at the weekends. However, if you do trip & give into temptation, don't dwell on it! Just press forward the next day!
We are all different - gender, height, weight, build, activity level, metabolic rates, likes & dislikes. And this is why so many diets & fitness fads don't work for you. I promise, once you find something that you love to do, they'll be no stopping you! Success comes from being motivated & inspired & that comes from loving the journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment