Most of us think of our health and fitness efforts as an ALL-OR-NOTHING endeavour.
We picture the numerous things we’ll need to do to feel that we’re on track and satisfied with the situation.
Since this often takes a lot of time and energy, we put our health and fitness on pause until we feel we can do this without failing.
When we become ready and motivated to prioritize our health we create a game plan that will tick off all the boxes and we get excited.
Sometimes that excitement can blind us from the reality that sooner or later, life will get in the way… again. Because that’s just how life is.
Then we see a gradual drop off that leads to a complete halt in our efforts all together.
For most people, it’s a matter of weeks of an all-or-nothing approach before we drop off completely.
Here’s a potential scenario when you’re motivated and ready:
Get up at 5am each morning to go for a walk outside before work ✅
Make sure the kitchen is stocked up with healthy food at all times and eat perfectly. No cheating! ✅
Join an exercise class 3x per week with friends (accountability) ✅
Stretch every night before bed for 20 minutes (taking care of your body) ✅
Journal and review effort every Sunday. Then plan the week ahead. ✅
Weigh-in Monday mornings to hold myself accountable and track progress. ✅
Here’s where the wheels start to fall off 🙁:
Get up at 5am each morning to go for a walk outside before work. ❌ Slept in, missed a few walks due to bad sleep that was out of my control.
Make sure the kitchen is stocked up with healthy food at all times and eat perfectly. No cheating! ❌ Had friends over and served food that I know our guest would like. Plus they love my (enter dessert) and I couldn’t disappoint. I love it too.
Join an exercise class 3x per week with friends. ❌ My friends couldn’t make it this week since they were both sick. I don’t feel comfortable going by myself. I made it to 1 of 3 classes.
Stretch every night before bed for 20 minutes. ❌ I really don’t feel like stretching tonight. Motivation is low. I’ll just watch my favourite show.
Journal and review effort every Sunday. Then game plan the week ahead. ❌ Journaling made me feel good before. This week was a write-off. I’ll journal again next week.
Weigh-in Monday mornings to hold my self accountable and track progress. ❌ I am NOT weighing myself today. This was a bad week. Next week.
At this point for many, it’s not long before we fall off COMPLETELY.
Is the solution to not have such a thorough game plan?
No. The game plan is great.
The solution is to have a back-up plan. When you have a back-up plan, it’s NOT all-or-nothing.
That plan is ALWAYS SOMETHING or NEVER NOTHING (same thing).
When times are tough, motivation is down and things are getting in the way, turn the dial down, but don’t switch our efforts to OFF.
Your back-up plan is to do what you can given the circumstances. But never do nothing.
By doing this you will change the game. You’ll take the pressure off your shoulders. You will feel better overall and you’ll still make progress when things aren’t necessarily going your way.
Then when you’re ready to turn it up a notch you won’t be digging yourself out of a hole. You’ll be in a great place and ready to hit the ground running.
If you have questions on how to make this work, just reply to this email and we’d be happy to help.
Yours in health,
The Evertrain Team
P.S. If you want help to navigate your current situation, book a FREE 1-on-1 consultation to learn which steps you need to take get out of pain and lose weight.
About Evertrain Fitness
Evertrain is Ottawa’s leading personalized fitness-coaching company that helps people over 50 get out of pain and lose weight.
Unlike other fitness centres that focus on younger audiences and trainers who may not fully comprehend the needs of older adults, Evertrain offers a welcoming community for like-minded individuals over 50, paired with coaches who fully understand their unique needs.
At Evertrain, we empathize with the struggles that can come with injuries and inconsistency in maintaining a fitness routine. Our team has experienced similar challenges personally, as well as witnessed close family members who have gone through similar challenges. Since 2015, we have helped hundreds of individuals over 50 across North America improve their health and regain control over their lives.