Week one of your program might look like this:
➪ Meal prep on Sunday
➪ Zumba Tuesday and Thursday
➪ Strength Training Mon, Wed & Fri
➪ Log food intake into phone app
Week two you have to run the kids to the doctor and have a late meeting so….
➪ Meal Prep on Sunday
➪ Zumba on Tuesday
➪ Strength Train Wednesday
➪ Log Food in Monday-Thursday
Week three you have to travel out of town, the car needs an oil change and your week looks like…
➪ Zumba on Thursday
As a result you gain three to five pounds and are disappointed, frustrated and on the verge of giving up but if you look at the scenario above, there is a logical reason for weight gain. You aren’t doing the things that are pertinent for success. Without even being aware of what it means, you have fallen victim to avoidance.
As a personal trainer and fitness coach in St. Louis, MO for twenty years, I see this all too often. In fact, I would say it is the most common problem that faces you and I when it comes to achieving weight loss and better health; sticking to your program in the face of barriers, challenges and adversity.
Here are some tips to help you avoid avoidance and meet your health and fitness goals.
Start small:
One of the biggest reasons people fall into avoidance is they bite off more than they can chew by having too many strategies. If you are just starting out and trying to balance work, kids, a social life, sporting events and health strategies (exercise, meal prep, logging food) you may be better off starting with one strategy. Once you master that and assimilate it into your busy life, add strategy number 2 and so on.
Make time:
Most people who fail at exercise, meal prep or logging food intake do so because they believe time will magically be created in their already jammed schedule for these activities. It is a killer of goals and motivation and almost always leads to failure. Remember, you have to make time for these activities and even when you do, something will pop up to derail you. Make a plan, then make plan B so
you have a fall-back strategy.
Keep doing what makes you successful:
Recently I had a conversation with a frustrated online personal training client who had gained three pounds. After a few minutes of conversation the answer was glaring. She had quit doing all of the things that made her successful at losing weight. One never wants
to become obsessive but if weighing in the morning keeps you aware of what is going on, weigh in the morning. Why? It is so easy to get derailed but if you find the scale going up, that should be an automatic red beeping alarm to say “hey me….what am I doing or not doing that is making this scale go up?” Be honest, be aware and follow the next tip!
Take action:
If you have one strategy or ten you have to take action and be disciplined enough to repeat over and over. There is no magic or secret sauce here. So long as you are following a program that is rooted in science or has been put together by an experienced and certified personal trainer, coach or registered dietitian (all of which we have at Integrated Wellness Concepts) you simply have to perform the strategies over and over and over….
Life happens and even personal trainers and health coaches are not immune to the stresses of the daily grind.
Use these tips to avoid avoidance and you will find you meet you goals much sooner!
➪ Meal prep on Sunday
➪ Zumba Tuesday and Thursday
➪ Strength Training Mon, Wed & Fri
➪ Log food intake into phone app
Week two you have to run the kids to the doctor and have a late meeting so….
➪ Meal Prep on Sunday
➪ Zumba on Tuesday
➪ Strength Train Wednesday
➪ Log Food in Monday-Thursday
Week three you have to travel out of town, the car needs an oil change and your week looks like…
➪ Zumba on Thursday
As a result you gain three to five pounds and are disappointed, frustrated and on the verge of giving up but if you look at the scenario above, there is a logical reason for weight gain. You aren’t doing the things that are pertinent for success. Without even being aware of what it means, you have fallen victim to avoidance.
As a personal trainer and fitness coach in St. Louis, MO for twenty years, I see this all too often. In fact, I would say it is the most common problem that faces you and I when it comes to achieving weight loss and better health; sticking to your program in the face of barriers, challenges and adversity.
Here are some tips to help you avoid avoidance and meet your health and fitness goals.
Start small:
One of the biggest reasons people fall into avoidance is they bite off more than they can chew by having too many strategies. If you are just starting out and trying to balance work, kids, a social life, sporting events and health strategies (exercise, meal prep, logging food) you may be better off starting with one strategy. Once you master that and assimilate it into your busy life, add strategy number 2 and so on.
Make time:
Most people who fail at exercise, meal prep or logging food intake do so because they believe time will magically be created in their already jammed schedule for these activities. It is a killer of goals and motivation and almost always leads to failure. Remember, you have to make time for these activities and even when you do, something will pop up to derail you. Make a plan, then make plan B so
you have a fall-back strategy.
Keep doing what makes you successful:
Recently I had a conversation with a frustrated online personal training client who had gained three pounds. After a few minutes of conversation the answer was glaring. She had quit doing all of the things that made her successful at losing weight. One never wants
to become obsessive but if weighing in the morning keeps you aware of what is going on, weigh in the morning. Why? It is so easy to get derailed but if you find the scale going up, that should be an automatic red beeping alarm to say “hey me….what am I doing or not doing that is making this scale go up?” Be honest, be aware and follow the next tip!
Take action:
If you have one strategy or ten you have to take action and be disciplined enough to repeat over and over. There is no magic or secret sauce here. So long as you are following a program that is rooted in science or has been put together by an experienced and certified personal trainer, coach or registered dietitian (all of which we have at Integrated Wellness Concepts) you simply have to perform the strategies over and over and over….
Life happens and even personal trainers and health coaches are not immune to the stresses of the daily grind.
Use these tips to avoid avoidance and you will find you meet you goals much sooner!
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