The biggest mistake we make when it comes to fitness is we try to do it all right away. You have to honor one’s ambition, but this is why most fail when it comes to fitness goals. When we ask our adult clients what their goals are and what they want to achieve with our program we usually get a long list or a super-huge goal: lose 15 lbs., get toned, lose belly fat, fit into a certain size dress, get six-pack abs, get strong, get big arms, get a big chest, etc. They throw out a bunch of goals and they are ready to attack it. They want to start working out 6 days a week and go on a diet, right now.
The problem with this is people don’t want to endure the process. We go extreme right away. Instead of running 1 mile a day, we run 2. Why? Because 2 is better than 1. We workout 6 days a week. Why? Because 6 is better than 3. We eat like a rabbit. Why? Because food restriction and calorie deprivation is what is means to be on a diet. These are not lasting methods, however, and we set ourselves up for failure. We think we need to be perfect in order to achieve the goals that we want.
I am here to tell you, you can’t be perfect, and you don’t want to be perfect! Trying to be perfect will lead to failure, especially to those getting back into fitness. I learned this same lesson from a Coaching Mastermind Group that I belong to. We always hear about overnight success, but I am here to tell you that there is no such thing as overnight success. The individuals that achieve success have been working hard, you just didn’t know it. Ask anyone that has success, they worked their butt off. The same goes for fitness.
Stop going on fad diets or trying insane workouts. We think these methods are the perfect answers, but they are the perfect way to fail. Nutrition is the biggest complication for people looking to achieve their goals. We all want to lose weight and look good. Instead of trying to do everything right away, start by making small changes.
You want to start eating healthy because this will help you lose weight, and then you will reach your goals, right? Right! But before you eat 10 salads a day, go easy because you won’t last. It’s quite simple, if I place a plate of French fries and plate of carrots in front you, I think it is safe to say that you know which one is the healthier choice. The problem is, you won’t be able to sustain your nutrition just eating carrots all day every day; therefore, make a small change. Try eating carrots once or twice a day as a snack instead of 5 times a day.
Another small change I recommend is drinking water. When people start working out they automatically start carrying around gallon jugs of water with them. It is like a prerequisite to being fit, or a cry for attention. If you don’t normally drink that much water and now all of sudden you think that you are going to drink a gallon per day, it’s not going to last long. Simply try drinking three to four 16-ounce glasses of water throughout the day before you go to bed. Start small and turn them into small habits.
The same goes for training. I know you think if you workout 6 days a week, and do some superhero daily workout, that you are going to reach goals and reach them fast. You probably won’t last and might even end up injured. Try working out 3 times a week for an hour each time. If you haven’t worked out in a long time, training 3 hours a week and making small changes to your nutrition, you will start to see good results in a decent amount of time. You may not want to hear this, but it is better than the alternative of failing and stopping everything all together because you didn’t lose 30 pounds in 30 minutes.
I know you have a ton of goals, but let’s try working on them one at a time. If your goal is to lose 60 pounds and bench 400 hundred pounds, I am here to tell you it’s not going to happen. The process to one will defeat the other.
“If you chase 2 rabbits, you go home hungry.”
-Dan John
Prioritize your goals and pick them off one at a time. Tips to not being perfect that will get you your perfect goals:
- 1)Start out drinking 4 16-ounce glasses of water throughout the day
- 2)Try eating 1 salad a day
- 3)Have vegetables with at least 3 of you meals
- 4)Workout 3 days a week
- 5)Workout for 60 minutes