Happy Monday, and happy February!
I’m going to get a head start here and bring up yet another reason society gives us to indulge on all sorts of yummy deliciousness and for many of us, cause angst – Valentines Day.
There will ALWAYS be a reason or an occasion to eat things that don’t necessarily fit in our fat loss plans.
The problem is that a lot of us tend to think that we shouldn’t even bother with starting our healthy diet, or exercise routines, until everything is over. Until after the holidays, after vacation, after the Super Bowl parties and snow days.
But guess what… it’s Valentine’s Day, followed by long weekends, February vacation, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. Throw in birthdays, anniversaries, date nights etc…on top of all of that, and there’s literally a never a good time to start. Something is always coming up.
I put myself in that trap so many times. “I’m just gonna start on Monday”, or “I have SO many things coming up that I might as well just wait”.
I honestly had it in my head that if I wasn’t going to be able to hit the gym “x” amount of times, do “x” amount of cardio, prep “x” amount of meals, I had no shot at reaching any of my goals and I would just say “screw it, I’ll wait another week”, when in all actuality, that mindset was the exact reason why I wasn’t reaching my goals!
Here are a few reasons why I suggest ditching the “start on Monday” mindset.
Progress can happen without perfection.
We’ve all heard the saying “Progress not Perfection”. The thought that we have to eat 100% clean and kill ourselves in the gym to get results is foolish and unrealistic. Every single time we eat, we have the choice to choose foods that will either bring us closer to our goals or further away from our goals. And this happens every single meal. We don’t have to be perfect to see results. There is no wagon that we are going to fall off of. We are not “bad” if we choose foods that aren’t “clean”.
I know for myself as well as a lot of the clients I work with, we have a tendency to strive for perfection. If we didn’t get a perfectly clean eating day in, or a week of getting all of our workouts in, we somehow failed. We focus on all of the choices we made that weren’t absolutely perfect, instead of ALL the choices we made that brought us closer to our goals. When I start to feel like this, I take a piece of paper out and write down all the choices I made that went towards my goals and all the ones that didn’t. Can you guess which list is ALWAYS longer over the course of a week or a few days?
Stop focusing on what you didn’t do and focus on all that you DID do. A little change in perspective goes a long way 🙂
Life happens. Enjoy it.
Seriously life is too damn short to not enjoy the hell out of it. I spent years dreading social events, holidays and get–togethers because of the “All or Nothing” mindset. I would’ve rather just stay home with my chicken and broccoli. Fat loss is important to a lot of my clients. I get it. But it’s completely ok to be comfortable where you are and enjoy the process. Fat loss takes TIME. Finding something that works for you takes TIME. And time is passing whether or not you are staying home with your chicken and broccoli or enjoying time with friends and family. It’s ok to NOT be trying to get leaner or lighter. In fact, I think that the best results come from a more moderate approach and focusing on other aspects of your life, like relationships, hobbies etc… There are certainly times when we want to tighten up and buckle down with our training and nutrition and that is cool, it just doesn’t have to be all the time.
Ditch the deadlines.
I have to lose 10 pounds before my vacation. I have to lose 10 pounds before my wedding. I have to lose 10 pounds before summer. Again, I’ve been there. I remember when I competed, the urgency to get to a certain body weight or look a certain way by a certain date was REAL. I was stepping on stage in 5″ clear heels and a yard of clothing just barely covering my private areas (with glue. yes, it was glued to me). It had to happen. So I did what I had to do to get to that weight or that look, but as soon as the date passed, so did all of my results.
Deadlines can just be another trap. Something that makes us feel like a failure if we didn’t reach our goal by a specific date. Taking the urgency out of the equation made such a big difference for me. Again, a little change in perspective goes a long way. What is the point in losing “x” amount of weight or body fat as fast as possible if it was done in a way that I can’t maintain? The process has to be something you enjoy for you to want to continue.
I’ve read the “Goals are just dreams with deadlines” quote and I get it. Strength goals, and other goals with deadlines can be extremely motivating and can keep us on track. I just think that when it comes to body composition change or weight loss, and you use unsustainable approaches to reach those deadlines, it can backfire.
Bottom line is that starting over every Monday, for me, always had me starting over every Monday. It was a never-ending cycle of frustration and one that never brought me any closer to my goals.
Enjoying the process and not aiming for perfection, along with finding a more moderate approach with both diet and exercise has really helped me step out of that mindset.
Take your time in finding a L.E.A.N routine that works for you and stop beating yourself up for things that happened in the past.
You are in control of your choices and your perspective. Choose wisely 🙂
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you find yourself continually starting over, or have you moved to a more balanced and relaxed approach?? Let me know in the comment section below or on the Facebook page.