Ready, Set – Now What?
What if I were to tell you that only one thing is keeping you from your goal of living a healthy lifestyle and having the body you’ve always dreamed of? This one small hindrance is all that is stopping you from crossing the finish line.
You ready? Well, here is the truth. For so many people out there, it’s just not that important to them. Or at least, it’s less important than all other aspects of their day-to-days.
Surprised?
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I’ve tried the magic pills, crazy exercise contraptions, and have owned more gym memberships than I’d like to admit.” I’m not saying you aren’t trying, or haven’t been through the ringer at least once before. But, here’s the thing: your past failures, trying to get fit, do not have to define what you can do today.
If you close your eyes and think about your goals, I bet you can visualize what you hope to achieve. The thing is, though, your goal waits on the other side of a whole assortment of challenges and obstacles. You must find a way to get through those barriers. Like, finding the time, or being unsure of what to do and when to do it, or maybe thinking you don’t have the means to live a healthy lifestyle, to name a few.
I cannot express enough how important it is for you to first find a reason for succeeding – or your “why” – that is so important, it will remove all potential objections. You must get past the “do I really need to, or can I even do this” mentality, so that reaching a healthier state is the only option available to you. If you do not have a strong enough reason to get you through the tough times, then this journey, my friends, is going to be very hard and will most likely end up in failure.
Now, I don’t want this to scare you off – the exact opposite, in fact. I believe in being as honest and informational as possible, which can sometimes come off as a little frightening. I do this because I know how important it is, and how much easier this journey will be if you are well-informed. Let’s take a look at a question sent by a reader, looking for help in her journey.
Chandra wrote:
Hi Josh! I am having a hard time getting started and sticking with it after a few days. I mean, I can get started but after a few days, I usually get derailed because of food temptations or distractions causing me to miss my workouts. How do I find a way to get past these initial struggles?
This is a question I hear often. Breaking inertia and freeing old bad habits will always be something you will face. My suggestion is to break this down and look at it in a few ways. If we aren’t armed with the proper information at the offset, we’ll usually find ourselves stuck, unsure of what to do next, and usually giving up. So, first find that “why” power so you can define it, shape it and make it so powerful, you’ll be anxious to see what rewards it will bring when you hit your goal points.
Then, do NOT be afraid to say NO! When friends and family ask you to indulge in foods that aren’t part of your clean eating routine, just say, “No thank you.” Yes, they will probably tease you a bit, and you’ll often hear, “Oh c’mon, just one won’t hurt you!” But stay true to your goal. Remember, your struggles and health issues are yours to endure. Saying no to junk food not only shows those around you that you are serious, but it also strengthens your ability to overcome eating garbage, like those Monday morning donuts or Friday night triple-scoop ice cream treats.
As for the exercise side of this struggle, my suggestion is to focus on your healthy eating to start. Since it is the biggest key to your success, do not beat yourself up when you aren’t able to stick to a grueling exercise routine. Instead, take it slow. Walk, jog, or find an easy bodyweight program that takes less than fifteen minutes per day, and do so as you are able. Once you get to a stable point in your eating plan and can make that base of support strong enough to tackle a serious program, then and only then would I suggest meeting with a professional, to help you design a routine that meets your goals and timelines.
