When you're trying to adjust to lifestyle changes, it can seem overwhelming and frustrating at times. Most people enter into a "diet" or exercise program with grand ideas of perfectly adapting to the plan without any setbacks or missteps. The fact of the matter is, LIFE CHANGE ISN'T EASY...for anyone! It takes consistent, conscious effort, and it isn't always perfect. So, what's a person to do when it all seems to start falling apart?
1. Acknowledge and move on: So your program isn’t going exactly how you expected. Maybe the kids were home for endless snow days (wait, that really happened!) and you didn’t get your workouts in as planned. Maybe a loved one became ill and your nutrition was out the window for a few days. Maybe you have an injury or an illness that’s preventing you from giving it your all. Whatever the case may be, that’s called life – it happens whether we’re ready for it or not. Instead of giving up all hope and throwing in the towel, acknowledge your struggle, do the best you can with your situation, and get back on track as soon as you can. A small set back shouldn’t keep you from reaching your goals.
2. Find motivation wherever you can: In any of the above scenarios, frustration and exhaustion can quickly zap any motivation you once thought you had! Now’s the time to dig deep and find motivation - even in the most unlikely places. One thing that always (maybe not always, but often!) helps me is to remember why I wanted to be fit and healthy in the first place. Another great technique I use is to focus on and be grateful for what I can have instead of dwelling on what I can’t have. Transitioning from a life filled with potato chips and pasta plates can make you feel deprived at first, but focus on the foods you can eat and how good they are for you.
3. Take it one step at a time: Anytime you embark on big changes, the finish line seems so far away when you’re still at the starting line! It can be enough to make a person quit the race altogether. But, if you pick out one small goal after another, suddenly, the marathon seems like a sprint as milestones whiz by in a flurry of muscle gain and fat loss! Keep it all in perspective. You don’t have to stay on track for a month or even a week; you just have to stay on track today. Then tomorrow…well, you’ll worry about tomorrow when it gets here!
You see, the decision to get fit and healthy can’t be a short-term fix to a life-long goal. You have to approach it with patience and understanding. You have to nurture and develop your new lifestyle and allow it to grow and evolve as you grow and evolve. It’s not a program that you’ll soon be through with, it’s a new lifestyle that will make you think better, feel better, and look better. So focus on the little things – one meal, one workout, one good night’s sleep at a time. The rest will fall into place on it’s own and before you know it, you’ll be living your dream!
Heather is the owner of Gymnut Fitness, a professional figure competitor and judge, a fitness writer, veteran and military spouse and mother of three. To connect more with Heather, find her on Gymnut's Facebook page.
