THIS IS THE TIME TO COMMIT, NOT QUIT!
While we continue to live with so much uncertainty in this current world, we want you to think of us as your coping mechanism, your day-by-day guide to well-being. The one hour you spend with us, in-person or virtually, is your opportunity to tune out the outside world and focus on YOU. Committing to one hour a day of movement will have lasting effects on your longevity and mental health. -Molly
It's crazy to think about, but it's already November...
And through helping hundreds of people over the years...
We've learned that this is the time of year when many people really fall off and lose momentum in their fitness journey...
Because when we know the challenges and reasons why people quit, it'll make it easier to continue to progress through the holiday season ... and see the results we're really after!
See, every year ... the holiday season is a test...
And no one wants to fail the test ... fall off track ... and lose what we've worked so hard for to this point!
Trust me, I've been there ... and really, there are typically only a few main things that slow people down and maybe even cause them to quit...
So, if you're like the millions of people who want to keep getting after it and stay on track with your health and fitness journey over these next few months...
Or even if you're having some doubts about if you're capable of following through with any game plan, please, invest the next few minutes to read this short blog and remember we, as your coaches, are here for you!
OVER-COMPLICATING YOUR FITNESS PLAN
The more complicated the plan, the easier it is to quit when things get tough.
So ... if things seem too complicated, or you are stressed about how to make it all work ... breathe and get back to the basics.
When it comes to fitness and weight loss, it always comes back to two basic principles:
What are you eating and drinking?
How are you exercising your body?
Don’t over-complicate this process by feeling like the only way to succeed is through a complex meal plan or complicated workouts. You need to be sure that you have the basics in place first and foremost. Not even sure where to begin or how much you should be eating for YOU? We encourage every member to book a nutrition consultation with Precision Nutrition Certified Coach, Tiffany Kelley! You can book that HERE! If you decide to sign up for ongoing Nutrition Coaching, your initial Coaching session will be applied to your first month!
You’re likely setting yourself up for failure if you are trying to build consistency with a plan that is difficult to implement.
If you don’t have a proven history of clean eating and consistent exercise, then the most beneficial thing you can do is to build a foundation on the baseline principles of focusing on eating the right number of calories, get enough protein in to support your goals, drink a min of half your body weight in oz or more of water a day, and move your body.
Do those basics and stay consistent with your efforts, and I am very confident you will see results!
Over time, you can tweak your meal planning and workout intensity as needed.
But consistency has to come first—it is the key to long-term success because it builds systems and habits that can last a lifetime.
TIME CONSTRAINTS
The thought of waking up early to hit that workout can seem rather daunting. Let’s be real, who doesn’t love that extra hour of sleep? However, after a long day at work, hitting the gym doesn’t seem too appealing either. With the possibility of being physically or mentally exhausted, with a million other things on our to-do lists to accomplish.
The gym can easily be pushed aside and turned into an aspiration for tomorrow.
We only have so many hours in the day, between work, family, and personal time. I know it can be easy to run out of hours in the day, but using a lack of time or a busy schedule as an excuse to quit or give up is exactly that, an excuse.
We’re the makers of our destiny, it’s up to us to determine how we spend our time. If your mindset is that there’s no time for exercise, well, of course, there won’t be.
So remember ... YOU are in control of your life, not the other way around.
Don’t quit on your goals just because you feel you don’t have time. You do. We all do.
HAVING WISHES NOT GOALS
Many people quit because they didn’t set good goals, to begin with.
Wanting to lose weight is not a good goal. How often do you hear someone say that their goal is to lose weight or get a six-pack this year?
While these are good aspirations, and potentially even wishes, they aren’t measurable. A good goal is something that is specific and measurable.
Not only do you need to have specifics that help you know when the goal has been met, but you also need to know your starting point. The best way to find your starting point is by hiring a Coach who will help you create YOUR plan.
Then, with your Coach, track the actions that are being taken every step of the way to get you from Point A to Point B. Tracking data can be empowering because it gives you real-time feedback to see what is working. The data will tell you if you are doing the right things.
If the numbers aren’t lining up to match your overall plan, then it doesn’t mean that you are a failure.
Instead, it is a cue that you need to make a few changes.
Measuring your progress can be done in a variety of ways. I would recommend using multiple ways to measure your progress.
One thing that many people fall victim to, is JUST tracking their progress by the scale.
Trust me, I know personally, that’s a recipe for disaster. Too many variables influence your weight on a day to day basis ... even at an hour to hour level. I’m currently doing a 75 Day Challenge. I just started seeing the scale move on Day 51. If scale weight was all I was tracking I would have given up a long time ago. Thank god I’ve been taking daily progress photos and have re-tested my Body Comp Scans to see that my body fat percentage has actually dropped by almost 4% and I’ve gained lean muscle mass! Those are the best metrics a human could ask for IMO!
If you choose to track by the scale, weigh yourself once a week. Then support that measurement with photos, body metrics, habits, etc.
You can count macros, track workout sessions, or write down everything you eat each day.
The easiest solution to simplify your plan is to hire a Coach and, together, you can choose the right app(s), with features that keep you on track through notifications and accountability. We love:
Body Comp Scan- Body Spec Dexa Scan ( best to measure every 60-90days)
My Fitness Pal- food tracker
Eat This Much- Automatic Meal Planner
EAT THIS MUCH
UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
The thought that you will be perfect can quickly lead to quitting, because of the perception that you failed the first time you have a challenge in your journey.
So, understand that you won't be perfect, it won't be easy, you will have setbacks, and it won't happen overnight. Essentially, the line to your goals won’t be straight. This is true for ALL of us. Consistency is your best friend. Trust me. It has taken 56days/75 for me to begin to see and feel the results of the plan I committed to on September 7th, 2020. This is a marathon and not a sprint.
The sooner you accept this and learn to deal with it, the better.
Your diet or nutrition plan will not always be clean or perfect.
The workouts that you will be doing will not always be super fun or amazing.
Don’t beat yourself up about it. Understand it is all part of the journey and keep moving! If you do have a setback, accept it and move on!
Your results may be prolonged and slower than you want, which can cause us to lose motivation and purpose.
As humans, we tend to want instant gratification, and it can be irritating when we don’t get that.
But staying on track, not quitting, and reaching our goals is going to come down to winning every day, starting with one meal at a time, and one workout at a time. We CAN do hard things.
Compounding these wins into the results and the progress that we are working for.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY OR CONSEQUENCES TO QUITTING
It is easier to justify to yourself why you CAN’T do something than it is to a close friend.
It is easier to make excuses to ourselves as to why something doesn’t work out than it is to a family member.
This means that it's easier to quit when we've only made a promise or pact with ourselves, and thus have nobody else to disappoint.
When you are the only person who truly knows what promises you made, it’s easier to make up lies to the person looking back at you in the mirror. Lies that give you a break from keeping those promises and sticking to the tasks that will push you towards your goals.
So, while we should all be working to improve our lives, and our health, for ourselves … having an accountability partner is a great way to help make sure you don’t quit. Especially in the first few weeks!
YOU CAN DO THIS
You may be reading this and thinking “this is me.”
Believe me, I have been there too ... and no, I don’t know your specific situation, but I can understand your desire to get better … and also the challenges that you will face that make you want to quit.
And while this isn’t a complete list, these are all some of the major reasons why people quit. We’ve found this to be true in our own journey, in helping clients over the last 25+ years, and as a business helping hundreds of people.
These common roadblocks can be someone’s downfall … the reason they don’t follow through ... and the reason they continue the cycle of starting and stopping.
But they can also be the obstacles someone overcomes that makes reaching their goals even sweeter!
So, while they are common reasons people quit, these can all be worked around, and that’s why you shouldn’t quit.
YOU CAN DO THIS...
You can be the person who made the promise, followed through and did the work. That person who changed their life and reached their goals.
And we are always here to help you … with anything you need.
Just don’t give up and don’t quit. We CAN do hard things.