The Fitness Saboteur “A List”
Attitude
You are worthy of having the best life, the best health and the best future, but you do have to will it in to existence by working at it consistently, thinking you can. When the voice of self doubt talks to you along the journey, cast it to the curb and think thoughts that propel you. “I am strong, I am able, I am getting better/stronger each day, I will do it, and I can do it. I must do it.” Where your mind goes, your body follows.
Listen, fitness is a journey, it is not a destination. Destination fitness is finite in that it has an end. “I’m going to lose weight for the reunion” has an end date…the reunion, the wedding, the birthday, the vacation, the whatever, all are finite. Once it hits, the goal attained, caution is thrown to the wind, game over. Fitness takes consistent effort over time, over one’s life time. Take it one day, one week, and one year at a time living fitness as lifestyle, using significant events as “incentives” for an extra push along the way.
Alcohol
Remind yourself that alcohol is poison to your system. That’s how our body reacts to it, jumping to hyper drive to cleanse the blood and defog our brains. If you are trying to be calorie conscious, alcohol is the super saboteur. It has calories in and of itself, and when you drink, say, before a meal as an example, it dulls your senses and impairs decision making regarding portion sizing and quality of foods. Drink more, eat more is the end result along with pay more, both at the diner and in the morning. Recovering from alcohol is a physical process that takes time and does not tend to make one “raring to go” to the gym. Getting fit and maintaining it is hard enough in its own right. Adding alcohol to the equation makes getting to the gym and getting results nearly impossible. If you are serious about your fitness journey, abstain. One can act crazy, and have fun with water, lemon/lime wedge and a straw, then tell em, “The water made me do it.”
Acquaintances
Yes your friends, in a myriad of ways, can unintentionally and some times intentionally sabotage your fitness journey. First and foremost is how they live, and what they eat and drink. We are all social creatures and social grouping is a way of life, but peer pressure can lead one astray. The pressures to drink, drink more, or eat, eat more of the things that hamper your journey, are usually, always there in group settings. If alcohol is in the mix, it becomes even more pervasive. When it is easier to give in, than stand your ground, consider other social plans. When we get on a fitness health minded journey, some of our relationships are bound to change, and NEED to change. This becomes readily discernable and an easier choice when you get serious about your fitness and health. It is not so much about you not being part of the “in crowd.” It’s the fact that you are a crowd of your own. If they can’t, won’t, or don’t join you, perhaps another crowd beckons.
Apathy
Once you let apathy in, blowing off workouts, tends to take on a mind of its own. Miss a few workouts and the next step is you are finding reasons to blow off workouts for other day timer seemingly important “things.” Your sense of care about you and your fitness health journey fades. Getting back on course is so difficult, and then you look up with regret wondering what happened. Your fitness must be top priority as it is about you, your care, and your longevity. There is no one to care more about you, than you. If you don’t keep you in the top spot on the priority list, YOU slide down a list of things, that yes, may need to be done, but most of which can get done, at other times outside of your fitness “me time”. Keep fitness first as it pays the highest long term dividends in your self care, health care program, as compared to your laundry list of to do’s.
For help on “saboteur list” management contact us at Fitness Together, (619) 794-0014. Follow our blog at BetterBodySanDiego.com. The next few months for most, are “pack on the pounds” months due to the holidays. Get ready for 2012 now.
Category: Life Style
