Some people get to a stage or a ‘wake-up call’ where their health is the reason they’ve decided they need to make a change.
Others may have lost control over time and put on more body fat than they are comfortable with.
They’ve gone past the point where a month of full-on training will pull them back.
They know that they will have to fully change their lifestyle if they want what’s best for themselves and those closest to them.
Many of those reading this article may be way off and ready to make any sort of change.
You say you want to start exercising and eating right, but you never really commit to making changes.
There’s also the type of person who makes one change in their lifestyle, like taking out a gym membership, joining a Bootcamp, signing up for a faddy diet, some even finding a personal trainer who will provide them with workouts, but not really change them or get results!
These routes are easier, they just involve turning up, doing the work and going home.
They’re also the routes that after some slight changes initially, leave people wondering why they have hardly anything to show for 2 months down the line and eventually slide back into their old ways.
People who change long term like many of our clients follow their tailored food plan without having to over-restrict their food choices which allows them to stay in shape, live a healthy life, enjoy certain treats and train hard with plan and structure.
Those who go on a ‘diet’ realize it comes to an end at some point, if you don’t put any habits in place, you’ll just drop straight back into your old eating patterns.
Why am I telling you this?
With well over 10 years of experience, I can safely say that I’ve consulted with nearly every type of person you can imagine. I know the difference between someone that says they want to change and those who actually make it part of their lifestyle and actually get the job done!
I wanted to write some points below as to why many struggles to make the change and what you can start doing about it:
1. The emotional or physical pain
that people are experiencing from being overweight and out of shape, just isn’t enough for them at that point in time to do anything about it.
What I mean is that most people have not reached a point where being out of shape or unhealthy is affecting their life.
2. The reward isn’t really enough for you.
By this I mean the connection between being in shape, feeling great and the health benefits it brings.
If you start a training programme just because someone else pushed you to, or it’s something you think you should just do, you’ll soon see yourself falling off the wagon.
The reward for some people may be completing an event, simply achieving a specific weight goal, or sculpting a physique they haven’t had in years.
3. There is no space made in your life to change.
Most people say they want to get started and sound like a good idea but there’s no time for them to add in the work that’s needed to change.
Part of change involves moving things around if necessary and making space. Remember, the clocks ticking you have one body – look after it.
4. The people you spend most of your time with are in the same shape as you, this puts you in a comfort zone.
Try challenging yourself by spending time with more people who are in shape and placing their health up high on their list of priorities. “Success breeds success” is a great saying, passed around in sports and other areas.
If you surround yourself with others who are doing well or striving for something, it rubs off on you and massively increases your chances of achieving your goals.
By doing this do you think you’ll be more likely to achieve your fitness goals?
Now just before I wrap up, have a read through some of these questions and see what you come up with.
1. Do you look in the mirror with your top off and are disappointed with the way your body looks?
2. If you are unhappy with how it looks, do you acknowledge that the way you look is a result of poor eating choices and an unhealthy lifestyle?
3. Would you be prepared to start changing the food that’s in your kitchen in order to get a result?
4. Are you prepared to prepare your meals ahead of time or then plan ahead of time to encourage better food choices?
5. Are you prepared to train at least 2-3 times per week consistently at a level of intensity?
6. Are you prepared to make an effort to get 7 hours of restful sleep each night?
Whilst these are six very simple questions, you can asses where you are in relation to being ready to change.
You may be thinking that some of the questions are quite harsh, but those that don’t follow even the basics are the ones always on a hamster wheel in search of results.
See how that goes for over a week, I bet you feel better by the end of it.
Coach Paul
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