Are you looking to make positive changes in your health, but find yourself struggling to maintain your diet and fitness routines? Almost all of us focus on calories in and calories out as the way to lose weight (and, yes that is important) but this leads us to overlook the real reason most of us fail on a diet or fitness regime. Often, impatience and negative self-talk can be major roadblocks that lead to us giving up too soon before the calorie deficit shows up on the scales. The good news is there are effective strategies to overcome these hurdles and achieve lasting results.
This cheat sheet is designed to help you think outside of calories and focus on what is likely behind your past failures, your mindset and help you to focus on the changes you need to make to make some lasting progress towards your goals.
Solutions Not Excuses
The first step towards a successful diet and fitness journey is to adopt a mindset of "solutions not excuses". Instead of dwelling on reasons why you can't achieve your goals, eat well today, or workout, focus on finding ways to overcome the everyday obstacles and challenges we all face. Every issue solved presents an opportunity for growth and learning. Shifting your perspective from making excuses to seeking solutions will mean that even on those days when you have limited options, you will make the best of a situation, make the best choices you can in that situation, so you are still making forward progress.
Cultivate a Positive Attitude
Positivity can work wonders for your overall well-being. Embrace a positive attitude towards your body, your capabilities, and the journey ahead. Remember, every small step you take towards your goal is worth celebrating, in fact its important you do. Why? Well motivation can come and go, but when forming new healthy habits your brain responds positively to the "reward" of a celebration, the feel-good factor reinforces the behaviour/achievement that triggered it. So don't treat exercise or dieting as a punishment! That negativity will keep pulling you towards failure. Working to improve your health and fitness is a hugely positive thing, so approach it with optimism and patience and you'll find the strength to stay committed even when faced with difficulties.
Consistency Over Perfection
It's easy to fall into the trap of seeking perfection in your diet and fitness routines. However, striving for perfection can often lead to frustration. Instead, prioritize consistency - turn up for yourself when choosing from a menu (pick some healthier options) or planning a workout (short on time? commit to 10 minutes). Building healthy habits over time, making those better positive choices over time is key to long-term success. Embrace progress over perfection and watch how small steps compound into meaningful results.
Embrace a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is simply having an attitude where instead of viewing setbacks as failures, you see them as opportunities for growth and improvement. Approach challenges and setbacks with curiosity and a willingness to learn. Understand that progress takes time, you will not make the best choices every time (we are all human) and every step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Cultivating a growth mindset allows you to adapt, evolve, and succeed in reaching your goals because you are looking for ways to get better at this, taking a moment to work out why you slipped up and what you can do moving forward to minimise the chances of it happening -e.g. do you give up if the scales don't keep dropping week in/week out, did you skip meals all day because you were worried about eating too much at a meal out in the evening? Did that cause you to turn up so ravenous you had three courses, bread, and a bottle of wine? Did you then give up till Monday and start your diet again? Think about, what is it that is tripping you up? What can you do differently next time?
By adopting a mindset focused on solutions, embracing positivity, prioritizing consistency, fostering a growth mindset, and cultivating self-belief, you can set yourself up for success on your dieting and fitness journey. Remember, change takes time, and each step you take towards a healthier lifestyle is a step in the right direction. Be patient with yourself, stay committed, and believe in the power of your capabilities.
🌟Need more help? I offer support and advice on social media to help with fitness and fat loss, specifically aimed at women over 30. Click these links to follow me on Instagram @fitforapurposeuk or on Facebook fitforapurposeadmin
For those looking for coaching support to help them work through this mindset change: Click here for details of my services
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