Motivation is a funny thing. One minute it is there in abundance. The next it has vanished just as quick. And as a personal trainer I have seen all levels.
For most of us this is around the one month mark. It was only the other day that I was speaking with a client at Sphere and remarked how well she was doing but couldn’t understand how she had lost so much motivation in such a short space of time.
“Time for a Review”.
It also got me thinking about how Rachel, our current client of the month, or Antionette dropped 70 +lbs each in and changed so dramatically ditching bad habits and replacing them with new ones.
And all is not lost. Here are few things we discussed and worked on in the session. This would form a good framework if you are struggling going forward after only a short space of time.
Revisit Your Big Why
It is easy for an Olympian, Professional athlete or someone with a life threatening illness to tap into their ‘why’ and harness high levels of motivation. That leaves us mere folk in the middle, the grey area, to do some digging, some deep digging and find out the reasons why we are actually doing what we are doing. ‘To lose weight’ is too simplistic, narrow in focus and a pain the ass to try and sustain.
Why do you want to lose weight? Is it because you are a walking heart attack? Sick of looking at the rolls of fat in the mirror or from previous holiday snaps? Bullied as a kid (or by your nearest and dearest???)
Whatever it is remind yourself at this point as to why it is important to you. If you lack confidence then look at elsewhere in your life where you have succeeded (studies, career, sport) and know that you can achieve that with the same level of doggedness as you approached those projects.
You can f**kin do it. Maybe you just need to look.
Set Performance Goals Instead
When I hear a weight loss goal I know that will last about a nano second to sustain. Seriously, I aint weight watchers. Use body composition as a health marker not as the golden goal.Wake up folks. The heather you are the less body fat you carry. Chase health and use the calipers, scales, tape and other devices as feedback.
(Seriously, if we were to set a points system that had you measuring and keeping count of how much nutrition you ate on a daily basis (like hitting a vegetable intake, protein target and good fats level we would be much better off)
Move your goals to more performance goals. If you want to look and feel healthier then start training for that. Build health through athleticism and all its parts of the puzzle – flexibility, strength, power, endurance.
Some (but not limited to) the ways we encourage you to focus away from the scales at this stage is to set performance goals. At Sphere this can include:
– Fitranx Grading
– Our Strength Records Board based on weight categories
– Monthly and Weekly Challenges
– Your own training diaries
– 10 chin ups, 1.5-2 x Bodyweight Back Squat, 2-2.5 times body weight Deadlift, 1.3 x BW Bench Press
Work towards these and watch your body morph in record time.
Book a Body Check Review
Don’t bury your head in the sand like a toddler with his hand in the cookie jar. You are an adult. That achieves about as much as a chocolate fire guard. Book in every month. Every month. Not when you feel like it. That is actually the time you need that extra accountability. I know myself. Sometimes a good kick up the hole is great. Equally a pat on the back and words of encouragement will be like hearing Michael Buble on Grafton Street.
Look at What You Have Achieved and Reward
So many of us are quick to be hard on ourselves forgetting that we have achieved so much. Lost 5 lbs? You go my friend! Hit the gym 10 times this month? Awesome? Drinking more water? Pat on the back big time. These are great achievements that have required persistent effort for longer than you usually give. So well done. Now reward yourself with something other than a binge on Cadburys. (Maybe some new clothes that will look incredible on you)
Understand Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
If you have been on the “See-food” diet for a while then understand that changes take longer than 4 weeks. Much longer. But keep at it. If you have a lot of weight to lose then don’t fret. 70-100lbs wont come off overnight or with much consistency. You may even put on weight as your body adapts. But it will happen. I know it will.
You only have to check out the testimonials on this site.
You just have to turn up and do. Over and over and over again. And then again. And at times when the decision is ‘sh*t or get off the pot’. Enjoy the ride. You will learn an incredible amount about yourself as a person. What you are willing and not willing to do and how this new found confidence literally brings out an absolute rocket in you.
Lifestyle and Nutritional Changes – No Diets
We ask you to fill out a food diary at the start. Why? It develops a level of consciousness about your lifestyle and nutrition. It also allows us to see what habits you have and look to change them. So don’t think of this as a diet. Set rules as I outlined in this article. Each rule could take 3 weeks to really cement down. But take one habit a week for the next 12-16 weeks and you will be a completely different person – guaranteed. MInus the suffering and thinking about food every two seconds.
Brain Chemistry 101 The Physiology of Getting Sh*t Done
There is a physiological component to motivation and some would argue needs to be the number one thing to look at when starting your plan.
Think of your brain as the mother ship and your hormones as the workers. If any of these come out of balance then you are in trouble and motivation will be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.
Hold tight on this. What you eat can determine your energy, mood and hormonal balance for the rest of the day.
It is the rule of the first meal. That is why it is absolutely vital to nail breakfast. Here is more on the subject. If you struggle with motivation then also try a really good DHA fish oil like Super Brain Oil, from PRP Performance or Brain Oil from Eskimo and make extra effort to control your stress levels and reduce your sugar intake.
Your brain is fat. Give it good fats phospholipids (found in organ meats) which are handy little blighters that allow good messages to flow through your brain and cut out the rancid fats hiding in that devilishly nice looking pastry and you can’t go wrong.
Have a look at each of these and review. Now is a good time. Snowball this change.
Yours in health
John
p.s. If you are reading this and not a client of ours then please fill out the form here and let us know how we can help you. Our 30 Day Jumpstart is a great place to start with limited places available each month.
