Fitness is not just about the body, it is about the mind too. Feel like you have tried everything but have not reached your goals? This article might just solve that.
1. I am Fit
Imagine an unassembled jigsaw puzzle. Can you complete the puzzle without the completed photo of what it is? Not likely. I believe that fitness is like that as well. We all have a mental image of what we are in our heads.
Therefore after a long holiday with amazing food, we are more conscious of our diet and maybe go for a run. If we have played a sport for the entire day, we probably treat ourselves to a nice meal maybe with double desserts too. What is happening here? I believe it is because you do not see yourself as that fat(after a holiday) or that fit(after a long day of sports), but instead, your normal self.
Do fit people exercise daily and eat rather healthily? You bet they do! While doing that seems like a distant thought, it is actually what is holding quite a few of us back. It is quite simple actually, once we change our mindsets to see ourselves as fit and start living that lifestyle, we will naturally act towards being in that shape.
While it is not easy, because perhaps we did not see ourselves as fit or in that light before, so do those who are fit. Everyone was once skinny, overweight or less muscular. It is the vision of their fittest self which they could visualise, and they acted to achieve and maintain it, which left them to be in that shape!
What is your mental image?
2. There is no Diet
No dieting to become fit? Fantastic! And it is true. While the average person might start off with a diet which is unreasonably strict like intermittent fasting or a no-carb diet. Very often, they do not enjoy the and they cannot continue it long term. We cannot fight our emotions, and very often, the longer we are on an unpleasant diet, the more likely we cheat and binge eat our favourite meal. What is the answer then? The diet that works for you!
While this will require a lot of experimentation, it is worth it, to find the diets which you can actually enjoy the food you eat. If you really look at someone who is fit for a long period of time, very often they enjoy what they eat. Whether it is a cycle of six days of healthy eating and one day of binge eating or a diet consisting of a majority of healthy foods with one or two unhealthy ingredients. They have a personalised diet. Ladies and gentlemen, personalised. There is no diet, only the foods you enjoy eating because you are what you eat! So take your time to find what works best for you in terms of how you feel and how you feel about your body!
3. Weight is just a Number
Is your goal to be a certain weight? Unless you are a professional fighter with an upcoming weigh-in, it is unlikely. I think what you really want, is to be the size which you were, at a time where you felt that you looked more acceptable. If your goals are aesthetic, then focus on how you look. If your goal is performance-based, to be able to do an advanced lift or run a certain speed, then focus on that.
Some clients then ask, "But how will we track our progress then?" The answer is simple, set attendance goals.
Focus on the number of workouts or the number of healthy meals eaten, because if you have the right training routine, every time you work out, you are one step closer. Then, we would have to periodically re-evaluate, weekly or perhaps monthly, to see if you are actually closer to your aesthetic or performance goal. If you are, keep it up! If you stuck to the program but it did not work, perhaps it is time to seek help!
4. I will get there
Anyone starting or motivated to achieve a fitness goal often has the same want. I will do anything, workout to my limits, diet till I shiver from hunger to get to my goal. Yet, if there is one thing which sets the fit apart from the rest, it is patience. It is the confidence that if I continue to do these things sustainably, I will get there.
For weight loss, if we did not gain all our weight in 1 week, then it is not likely we will lose and maintain that weight loss in a week. The same thing applies for aesthetic, or performance goals because the athletes and models who we have achieved and maintained these goals have integrated these behaviours as their habits.
Those who overtrain or commit to extreme diets might succeed, for a while. Most of us who do these things, end up with injuries or burn out. Have patience then, to work in a sustainable way to build up a fitness lifestyle, and soon you will realise, that while living this life you enjoy so much, you find that you have achieved and even exceeded that goal.
If we really dig deep, which athlete or model does not enjoy their sport, routine or diet? Should we not then do the same to find the healthy choices we enjoy and stick to them?