Are you overdoing it already? Stop!!
Are You Overdoing It Already? Stop!!
Ok – you’re in it. Full-fledged. Back from your vacations and New Year’s parties and fully engulfed in your resolution activities. High-impact daily exercise, no carbs, no alcohol, full-restriction/maximum pain. Full-on!!
Are you seeing results? Chances are you’ve already seen some change. Are you sore, starving, craving sweets, a little bit cranky? Probably yes. Give yourself another few weeks of this pace, and something will need to give. And chances are that more will go with it.
I am not a naturally pessimistic person, and I truly believe in the power of will and conviction in most people. It’s great to commit to healthy change, especially after an especially indulgent holiday season.
The pitfall here, though, is the sheer intensity and breadth of the changes that many people try to make this time of year. It’s all about doing everything at peak intensity. All at once. And once one thing begins to crumble – maybe one or two little cupcakes at work look way too wonderful to resist – the thoughts creep in…”I might as well abandon this whole crazy thing.”
“I’m an all or nothing person.”
If you are the kind of person who needs to jump headlong into change to make it happen, take a minute to ask – “Am I the kind of person who needs to be strict with myself to get anything done?” “Will I feel like a failure if I cheat or miss one day of my new exercise schedule?”
If you say yes to either of these questions, you are likely in danger of halting everything if one thing goes wrong. Is this your pattern? Going full-on and then finding a month or two later that it all went by the wayside eventually?
You can do this!
Research has proven that habits don’t become habits until they have been repeated for enough time to become automatic. And your thought process is a major factor in your ability to overcome obstacles and stick with change for the long-term. If you’re in the midst of desperately trying to change but know it will eventually derail, don’t give up!! There are ways to adjust your approach and make this a New Year, New You for real!!
1) Pick a schedule that’s realistic. Chances are you can’t keep exercising 2 hours every day if that wasn’t your previous routine. Look at the week ahead, chart your exercise routine, and give yourself days of rest. See whether the schedule you set is something you would actually look forward to continuing every week.
2) Ask yourself whether your exercise and nutrition regimen makes you happy. Do you look forward to your new routine? How do you feel afterwards? Soreness and physical struggle during the exercise and soreness can turn people away from their exercise routines before they see the positive benefits. Make sure you are taking classes or doing exercise that actually feels fun. Perhaps add amazing music to your running playlist. Look for instructors that inspire you. Choose classes that engage you and make you feel energized and happy when you leave!
3) Embrace failure. Instead of berating yourself for “falling off the wagon,” welcome these moments as chances to learn more about yourself. Do you have the worst will-power in the middle of the day? Make sure you bring your own snacks for those 3pm cravings. Maybe re-examine your sleep schedule if you notice that you’re most hungry when you haven’t had enough sleep. And do you really hate eating salads every day? Stop forcing them down and look for other, tastier ways to get a healthy fix for lunch. The goal is to help you stay more health- focused in a way that truly works for you and no one else.
4) Plan ahead – and don’t forget the rewards! All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. You need to build benchmarks and rewards for yourself that keep you motivated and help you see and measure your progress. Have trouble being consistent? Give yourself a spa day if you have managed to stick with your fitness schedule for two weeks. Finally kept process food out of your diet all week? Buy yourself a great fitness outfit. You don’t necessarily need to spend money — Even just allow yourself to relax or do an activity you absolutely love to do to celebrate all of your focus and dedication. After a while, the results of your dedication will become incentive enough!
********************
In light of resolution season, we are so excited to be offering a New Year, New a You 6-week challenge this month. Our last challenge was an amazing success with some incredible results (think average 6.5 inches lost!) and we’re offering even more perks for our challengers this time around.
Since it’s clear that fulfilling your resolutions can be tricky, we believe that our challenge program provides a great way for our challengers to get into the habit of exercising regularly, see amazing results, and have fun in the process. Challengers also make great friends and connections within the Body Conceptions community.
Check us out, and sign up for the challenge at www.bodyconceptions.com. When you get to the scheduling program, click on the Events tab.
Sent from my iPhone