Have you ever thought about when’s a good time to just start getting back into shape? I mean we’re in the Summer now so it wouldn’t be a good time to evaluate your health and wellness right now? And next month you’re changing jobs so you can’t get distracted with exercise then?
As a coach I hear these lines all day every day. I think I’ve even become immune to some of these style of responses.
The truth is, you’re never ready! There is never a good time to start. What I mean is, it’s in our DNA to make reasons and excuses about delaying starting new things. It may be health? It may be starting a new business? The truth is if you have fear or anxiety about doing something new then there is never going to be that right time to commit.
The irony is that when potential clients call me, they often use lines like “I want to be inspired then I’m good to go”. Yes, I can inspire you for sure. However, there is something even more powerful here. Are you ready? Listen closely. Just start!! Guess what? You’re more than likely going to inspire yourself by simply just getting going.
The fear and apprehension of the mountain you have put in front of you is generally not as bad once you make the commitment to jump. It’s the hardest step yet the easiest.
Once you make that decision in your head to go all in and do it you’ve already achieved so much.
Below are my 3 best tips to stick with the programme once you’ve committed.
BE REALISTIC
You didn’t gain weight overnight so don’t have these delusions of grandeur that you are going to regain your health, lose weight and feel fitter again in a couple of weeks. Exercise and sticking to the plan is hard work so don’t set a goal of I need to lose the 4 stone or run a Marathon by next month if you’ve been overweight for the last 9 years and never even ran for the bus. (Sorry was that harsh?)
Set yourself small attainable goals. It may be shifting 2lbs a week? Or it could be powerwalking for 15minutes, 3 times a week in the initial phase.
ASK FOR HELP
Don’t be scared to ask for help and support from the people you spend the most amount of time with. It may be making a public statement to your work colleagues that you will be missing out on the work drinks every Thursday night for the next couple of weeks /months or it could be asking your partner to cut back on the treats that are in your house. You’d be surprised at how people react. Everyone out there isn’t really wanting to sabotage your journey. So go ahead and ask!
DON’T BE EXTREME
Meal plans that eliminate entire food groups are setting you up for failure. There is space for most things in life as long as its accompanied by the word “moderation”. Likewise, if you start off with high intensity exercise like sprint training or some crazy style of unsupervised “CrossFit” training you’re more than likely to injure yourself which will lead to set back and most probably falling off the regime.
Ian made that commitment and never looked back transforming his body, fitness and most importantly health
Once you make that initial step to start, I guarantee the feeling of climbing up the mountain day by day will feel so much better than simply having that helicopter drop you at the summit.
So don’t let fear masked as excuses get in the way of you potentially doing the best thing you’ve done in years. Give yourself the gift of health. You won’t regret it.
Success in fitness,
Pete