TOP FITNESS JOURNEY ROAD BLOCKS
From working with hundreds of clients, both in person and online, I’ve become aware of the most common roadblocks that most individuals experience when they set out on their journey to change their body and life.
I share these because it’s important that you are aware of these barriers so you can take proactive steps to avoid them, or at the very least work through them.
Attempting to change too many habits at once.
What initially begins as excitement and eagerness, quickly turns into stress and a feeling of complete overwhelm. We’ve all been there. It’s the first of the month and we envision our month ahead. We make a list of our goals and a list of what needs to change to get us to where we want to be.
Cut out all sugar
Decrease caloric intake, less carbs!!
Run 3 miles per week
Drink more water (¾ gallon per day)
Sleep 8 hours per night
The list goes on….
We have the best intentions but forget to consider reality. We work 40+ hours per week, have other responsibilities (taking care of loved ones, keeping the house in order), need some down time (reading or Netflix at night). We forget that forget that friends birthday party coming up or that work potluck.
Before we know it, we feel like we are drowning. We aren’t doing half of the things we wrote down on that piece of paper and promised yourself we would stick to.
Now, rather than take baby steps in the right direction, instead we revert back to our old ways because that’s just so much easier.
Next time, be super excited about ONE change. Pick one aspect and focus on doing that with 110% percent. Successfully implement it for 7-10 days before adding anything else.
Yes, focusing on one thing at a time will take longer, but you will have to reset less along the way. Focus on slow, consistent progress, rather than intense but segmented progress.
Head over to last weeks blog on sustainable habit change if you haven’t read that yet. Choose one habit you will focus on this week and go from there.
2. Impatience when results don’t come as quickly as expected.
This is where setting realistic goals is crucial. Keeping your mindset and expectations in check will pay off in the long run. Make sure you are setting SMART goals and you consider your current situation and lifestyle.
One of the most asked questions I get when my clients are setting their goals, is “how much weight can I realistically lose each week?” I’ve attached a table to help give you a general idea, based on your weight, if you are on a proper nutrition plan and training program.
3. The minute life gets busy, slip ups occur and priorities shift.
When times get busy or things do not go as planned, we can be tempted to fall back to our default behaviors, because those are what we perceive to be easier and more comfortable.
It’s okay to have slip ups. It happens to us all. What is not okay is falling back to your default and completely giving up.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set a goal, and then completely forgotten about it. That sounds terrible, I know, but reality is sometimes we have to make sure we prioritize and remind ourselves of our goals and the why behind them.
When my clients sign on with me, they are required to fill out their 3-month and their 1-year goals. I then strongly encourage them to print this out and hang it somewhere they will see everyday!
The more we can reinforce that our goals are important to us, the more we will prioritize them, even when life gets busy.
One thing to note with this, is that it’s important to be reflective. If something unexpected happened, ask yourself if it was a valid excuse to set your goals aside? Was it out of your control, or did you make excuses and take the easy (or lazy, careless) route?
One day I received a text from a client and she was discouraged because she missed her workout. I asked her why and she explained how she had been a car accident. Although minor and not harm was done to her, she was dealing with the logistics of the accident.
Consider how that is a completely different scenario than you had to stay an extra 15 minutes late at work and then claimed you had such a horrible day that you can’t possibly go to the gym now….
Learn to become self-aware and forgiving when necessary, but don’t push the boundaries there.
When it comes to reaching your goals, and ultimately changing your life and body, you must remain patient and start small. There are no quick fixes and there is no point of jumping into the deep end if it is not something you will be able to keep up with when life gets busy.