How to Stop Quitting Your Fitness Goals
How many times have you started working towards your fitness goals only to get burnt out and feel like you're totally over it within weeks?
How many times have you talked yourself out of it, made excuses for why now is not the right time, and held yourself back?
How many times have you quit?
Guess what? You're not alone in any of this. We all hold ourselves back sometimes whether it be in health and fitness or something else. But GIRL, I am here to give you the strategies you need in your life to keep getting your booty to the gym whether you're feelin' it or not.
Because a happier, healthier you is right on the other side of that hardcore commitment to yourself.
First off, let's talk about why you quit
This part might be tough to hear but it's important. And again, it's not just you! We've all been there.
1. You keep telling yourself how hard it is to workout, and that makes it feel harder than it actually is.
The more you tell yourself "working out is hard," the harder it's going to feel. Where the mind goes, the body follows! We build things up in our head until they feel like the end of the world!
I am the queen of doing this with house chores. Anyone else? Dishes and laundry become seriously dreaded activities. But then when I force myself into doing them I realize, "Dang! That took no time at all and it wasn't all that bad. Why have I spent all day putting it off?!"
The story you tell yourself about how hard something is?... that's HOLDING YOU BACK FROM YOUR GOALS.
2. You have limiting beliefs around exercise, what your body is capable of, and what's possible for you.
Every single one of us deals with limiting beliefs. Some of them develop as early as childhood when our parents programmed us with their own beliefs about how the world works and what's possible.
The life experiences we have had and those imprinted on us by our parents lead us to perceive the world a certain way - and it's not always to our benefit.
If you had an overweight parent, maybe you were told from childhood that "your body was just built this way." Or "it's in your genes and you have to just except lesser health or a body you're not happy with." Maybe the people in your life thought caring about your health was a waste of time to begin with.
Maybe as you got older you heard moms tell you "once you have kids, your body will never be the same" and now you've convinced yourself that you're stuck where you are.
These stories we tell ourselves are so engrained in us that they can lead us to quit trying. But the beauty is, you can CHANGE your story.
3. You let your feelings get in your way
This is a big one that I notice in people who give up on their fitness goals. They take action based on how they're FEELING. They say things like, "I wish I was more motivated like [insert fit woman here.]" But here's the thing - not one of us feels motivated to get our butt to the gym all the time.
Even as a national level bikini competitor with high drive to maintain good health and build a body I am proud of, I have days where I'm really just not feelin' a trip to the gym.
You are not faulty for having a lack of motivation every now and then!
The trick is pushing past how you FEEL and taking action ANYWAY. Fit people don't feel motivated every time they go to the gym. They're just really good at going even when they really don't freakin' want to.
How to STOP Quitting
It's time to stop self sabotaging your fitness goals! Here's how to fully commit to your goals.
1. Act as if You've Already Achieved It
Envision where you want to be a year from now. Where is your health at now? What does your body look like now? How do you feel in this new improved version of yourself?
Now I want you to ACT AS IF. Meaning, act as if you already ARE this person. How do you think this new you would behave? Do you nurture your body with whole nutrient dense foods? Do you get 8 hours of sleep? Do you wake up an hour earlier and get your workout done no excuses? Go perform the actions that you know the healthier, happier version of you would take.
Even if you give it a shot for just one week, try it! Pretend you are exactly where you want to be a year from now right in this moment and behave as that woman would.
2. Throw your feelings in the TRASH
Okay, don't throw them away in every area of your life. BUT... for the sake of your fitness goals, decide that how you feel about exercising that day does not matter. Throw away this idea that you have to feel like going to the gym in order to go. Because you don't and you can't reach your goals if your feelings rule your decisions here.
Make your workout a non negotiable. Whether you decide you're going to work out 3x a week, 5x a week, or 6x a week, make the decision that it's a mandatory appointment with yourself. It does not matter if it is the crappiest workout of your whole life. The point is, you stick to your scheduled commitment no matter how you feel.
*IMPORTANT*
This doesn't mean your fitness journey is going to be this constant battle of you having to do things you don't want to. It takes 21 days to form a new habit. Prior to that, yes there might be more days where you're dragging your butt. But something magical happens when you push past those feelings.
You gain MOMENTUM. And you know what happens then? You see results. And you know what happens then? You gain MORE MOMENTUM? And then? More results! It's a cycle. And the hardest part is the very beginning when you have to work to push past those feelings a little harder.
3. Examine your past behaviors so you are better prepared for the journey ahead.
Get honest with yourself about the past. What has stopped you before? Why did you quit last time? What do you enjoy about exercise and what do you dislike? It's important to know thyself in order to formulate the BEST training plan for you!
I work with my clients to create a plan that feels FUN for them so we can eliminate any unnecessary roadblocks from their past.
If you would like help with examine your past behaviors so you can move closer to your goals, try this Behavioral Analysis Worksheet. It's a free gift from me to you and it will help you get to the root of your past obstacles. Plus, you can figure out why your goals matter to you, how you feel when you exercise, and other breakthroughs that are important for your fitness success.
Give it a go!
4. Get some accountability!
This could not be more important. I tell every client I have that, I can hand you the WORLD'S best training and nutrition program but if I handed it to you and then left you on your own, what would be the point? We ALL need accountability to follow through.
I STILL have a training and nutrition coach. And guess what? MY coach STILL has a training and nutrition coach. And it's sure as heck not because we don't have the knowledge to create our own fitness program.
It's because we ALL need to check in with someone who will keep us on track. We ALL need someone to remind us why we started, celebrate our wins with us, and call us out when we're not following through on the plan.
You need someone there to cheer you on, get you through the slumps, and give you the pep talks you need to keep plugging along.
Want to reach your fitness goals faster and easier? With the right game plan and extra accountability?
I've been helping women just like you build muscle, lose fat, and improve their metabolism with an easy to follow flexible diet and FUN training routine.
If you're ready to say HECK YES to changing your health, your body, and your life, APPLY HERE for 1 on 1 coaching. I will be there to coach you every step of the way so we can get you better, lasting results.
Not convinced? Check out some of these amazing success stories from women JUST LIKE YOU. If you're sitting there telling yourself you're too old, too far off, too busy, or too tired, STOP RIGHT NOW. You can do this no matter where you're at in life. Don't hold yourself back from the quality of life you CAN and WILL have if you take the leap.
