If your morning routine includes stepping on the scale and grimacing at the number that pops up when you do, you’re far from alone.
Many image-conscious individuals strive to trim their tummies or build their muscles so they look just right both in and out of their clothes. This desire to fine-tune your physique may lead you on a seemingly never-ending and frustrating chase.
Instead of trying your hardest to keep up and continually suffering the frustrations associated with yo-yo weight and muscle gain, consider stopping. While it certainly seems counter-intuitive, many find that by taking the mental energy they apply to chasing the perfect body and reallocating it to getting physically and mentally well, they can finally achieve their ultimate fitness goals.
Focus On Inner Strength
It’s entirely natural to plan your entire diet and exercise regimen around the pair of jeans that you haven’t been able to button since your sophomore year of college; however, though common, this isn’t the best way to go about physical self-improvement.
It will likely be quite a while before you slip into those Levis, especially if you currently can’t even hike them up past your kneecaps, so making that your only goal will set yourself up for frustration and backsliding.
Remember what’s important: being well. Long after the knees have busted out of those pants or they have become woefully out of style you will still have your physical body. Make this your paramount concern.
As you train, listen to your body and continually consider whether you feel better than you did a day, week or month prior. As previously arduous tasks become easier, remind yourself of how far you have come to fuel your desire to stay on your health-focused path.
Stop Competing
If you’re a naturally competitive person, it may seem that you would have a natural advantage in terms of fitness training and overall wellness building. Paradoxically, however, this competitive nature can actually be more of a hindrance than an asset.
Though it may prove beneficial if you are working out with a group of girlfriends and shedding pounds faster than the rest, you won’t always be on top. And, when you’re not, your competitive ways could leave you frustrated to the point of tossing in the towel.
To get on the path to lifelong wellness, stop the quick fix, competition-style options. Don’t pit yourself against others. Instead, make your journey to wellness a solo one.
Accept The Challenge
“Why does losing weight and getting healthy have to be so hard?” You whine to yourself as you do your 50th burpee of the day. It’s hard because everything worth doing is hard. If you’re often plagued by frustration and self-pity and having to put this much physical effort into being well, despite the fact that it seems so easy for some, you are likely poisoning your process.
Exercise, and diets for that matter, is hard. There is no way around it. You know what makes it even harder? Being negative. Stop clouding what could be a difficult albeit enjoyable experience with negativity.
Instead, accept that this is and always will be a challenge and shift your mind to the positive, thinking instead about how lucky you are to be able to meet the physical challenges and how strong you are becoming each day you persist in your efforts.
Enjoy The Process
If you spend your entire time on the treadmill watching the calories tick by while gritting your teeth as sweat burns your eyes, you’re making this process more painful than it has to be.
Yes, your ultimate goal may be to trim down, but you don’t have to put yourself through torture to achieve it. Start by selecting an exercise option that you actually enjoy. Not only will committing to a training course that you don’t find so loathsome make the training process more enjoyable overall, it will also substantially increase the likelihood that you stick with it.
