Many people are guilty of giving up on their fitness goals, losing that initial motivation for a variety of reasons. What’s holding you back from turning your new lifestyle into a permanent one?
Deadlifts for donuts
Learn more about the five things that could be stopping you from achieving your fitness goals, and how to combat them for a much more permanent healthy lifestyle.
1. You’ve set the bar too high
They say you should ‘go big or go home,’ but when your goals are set too high – they can be all the more difficult to achieve. While setting some clear overall goals is important, it’s the smaller goals that will help you get there. Make a monthly plan of what you’d like to achieve each month, such as running 20 minutes without stopping or lifting a certain weight. Work towards these goals instead, and you’ll find them much easier to achieve than aiming for that one big overall goal.
2. You’re not eating the right foods
Getting fit and healthy isn’t just about going to the gym, there’s much more to it than that. To achieve your fitness goals, you need to overhaul your diet. This means eating healthier and eating foods that support your fitness plans and eating foods that give you energy to fuel your workouts. Healthy eating coupled with fitness is the most effective way to lose weight and get in shape, so make sure you set goals that incorporate both elements.
I have to say here that I try to eat basically healthy at all times but yes I let myself have the occasional doughnut, slice of pizza, etc. In my opinion, life is for living and it’s all about balance.
3. You’re not sure what you’re doing
Exercise can be tough, especially when you’re not sure what you’re doing or how it will benefit you. Choosing the right workout for you requires some careful thought and designing a plan that fits your aims. There are plenty of online articles that could help you figure out how to achieve your goals, as well as some ready-made fitness plans.
If you’re still unsure, or you’re new to exercise – then you might find professional help more beneficial. Seek advice from a personal trainer who can help you to design your ideal fitness plan or attend some classes to teach you more about technique and form. It’s ok not to know what you’re doing at first, so don’t be afraid to seek help.
4. You’re still smoking
Smoking can have a disastrous effect on your fitness, reducing your lung capacity and the rate at which blood flows around your body. It’s great that you want to get fitter, but giving up smoking is the first thing that needs to go to help you achieve that goal. Quitting isn’t easy, and while a new fitness routine could serve as a welcome distraction, you might need some help quitting. Vaping in lieu of smoking can help you improve your fitness levels, while also helping you to wean yourself off nicotine gradually. Get yourself one of the best vape pens from Dopeboo to get started and work on completely transforming your health. You’ll soon notice a difference in your cardiovascular activity as your lungs and circulation recover from the damage.
5. You lose motivation easily
When you first launch into a new fitness regime, you do so full of enthusiasm that helps carry you through those first few weeks. But soon, a missed session can become two, you start going back into old habits and before you know it – you’re back at square one. So what can you do to change the pattern?
Whatever that’s causing you to lose your motivation, learn to tackle it. Read Buzzfeed’s ‘29 Smart Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out’ to give you some ideas for beating those common flake excuses that could be holding you back. Scheduling your workouts according to what you have planned for the week can help you to work around your other commitments and not let life get in the way of your goals.
Whatever your fitness goals, whether you’d like to run a marathon or tone your tummy – try not to be too hard on yourself. Instead of focusing on trying to make dramatic changes, try evolving into the best version of yourself instead. This way, you can embrace new lifestyle changes at a pace that suits you, without the pressure and disappointment that tough targets can cause. It may not always be easy, but if you work hard, the results will be worth it in the end.
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Eating the right foods is key! Not only does it help with getting fit, it also makes you feel so much better to make you want to work out. Nothing is worse than your stomach hurting from eating crap all day and then trying to get to the gym to do cardio. Let’s hope 2018 is filled with accomplishable resolutions.