9 Sabotaging Habits that Are Keeping your Fitness Resolution Unattainable !

That all sounds good in theory but countless studies have shown that the majority of peeps actually fall off track within 2 weeks of setting their new year’s resolutions, bummer! Repeating the same strategies year after year in hopes that this time around, things will unfold differently is simply foolish – what we need is not another resolution but a new form of evolution!

This means, setting ourselves up for success by growing from our past failures instead of ignoring them altogether & expecting to see different results from the same old set of actions & mindset.

Following are 9 habits that keep most people from reaching their fitness goals year after year… after year.

1. The Overnight Transformation Phenomenon

We all know how it goes, one new empowering habit most likely inspires us to change other “not so fabulous” areas of our lives. Before you know it, you want to tackle all of your big lavish goals at once, why settle for less? While this approach may feel invigorating at first, it will inevitably lead to overwhelm & more likely than not, quitting. Commit to one new habit at the time, you’ll be amazed at how smaller but consistent daily actions have the power to transform your life & give you BIG sustainable results. Once you’ve got a grip on a new habit, move to the next! Most folks believe that extreme measures are necessary to reach massive results, while this is true to some extent, it doesn’t happen overnight, building a strong foundation & moving your way up the latter is the way to go.

2. Not Being Present in your Journey

We’ve all become accustomed to instant gratification to some extent. Without putting in the necessary time, energy & effort – we want to feel the desired results, tomorrow, better yet, NOW! Learning how to embrace the journey, as it takes place, is a magical experience too little of us worship. This translates into being present during every step of the process of change, even the resistance phases we will undoubtedly face, knowing that these stages are also part of growth & evolution, just as much as that blissful feeling you get after nailing a hardcore workout. Feel the burn in those muscles as you train, make cooking from scratch a joyful & creative experience, accept “pain” as part of the deal instead of running away from it, realizing that it is there to propel you towards your goals & test your mental strength.

3. Perceiving Food Solely as Fuel

“I cannot overemphasize the importance of enjoying our lifestyle.”

You are what you eat. Yep, I surely agree, we literally are BUT HOLD UP A SEC. we’re so much more complex than a tank that needs fueling to function adequately. We are complex beings, we analyze & overthink, we allow our emotions to get the best of us, we take pleasure in nourishing our bodies… it is unrealistic to remove these denominators from the equation of wholesome nutrition, that’s exactly why most diets tend to fail on the long run. I cannot overemphasize the importance of enjoying our lifestyle. As mentioned above, make smaller, more gradual changes, learn how to cook from scratch and turn some of your favorite meals into healthy-fied versions, enjoy balanced moderation, prepare food that you actually crave & you’ll be eliminating unnecessary additional stress which in turn, will help you accomplish your goals faster & with more joy.

4. Not Making it Fit YOU

Mimicking someone else’s success can be a great way to get you started on the right path to creating new habits BUT don’t be afraid to fine tune your diet and workout regimen so that you actually enjoy & benefit from it. There are so many ways to get healthier, lose weight & get in shape – it isn’t limited to one & only one blueprint. I know for a fact that it is easy to get caught up in the “plan” we’ve create for ourselves – however, smart goal execution has room for ongoing revision & alterations. Learning how to listen to your body & evaluate your progress effectively is a crucial aspect of making a healthy lifestyle work for you. Not to be confused with “giving up” when the going gets hard, modifying the route to success is all about being proactive rather than emotionally reactive.

5. Using Hate as a Motivator

Without a doubt, hate can certainly become a powerful action generator, we’ve seen it on countless occasions throughout historical events such as wars & hate crimes. No good can come from it, and the same applies to our bodies – while feeling like total shit can give us the initial boost we need to get charged up, it’s important to realize that leading a healthy, happy & fit lifestyle comes from a place of love towards oneself. Without self-love, we will never achieve a true sense of accomplishment from our undertakings, rather continuously seek external approval & admiration to define our value, which will only lead to more hate & emptiness.

6. Being in Control at All Times

Whoa, I know this one from the tip of my fingers. Control freak? You can safely say it – nothing unfamiliar about it. I’ve had great accomplishments in terms of physical fitness in the past, but I was also void of one essential element to my health – sanity! Learning to “let go” and flow with the current of life is an ongoing challenge for me. Becoming aware of how my controlling patterns actually drive me further away from enjoying life to its fullest has allowed me to find more peace & a sense of trust in my life’s direction. Trust yourself in knowing that no matter what curveball life throws at you, you’ll be able to handle it – because let’s face it, things usually don’t go according to plan & being stubborn in your way of execution strips away true opportunity & fulfillment instead of the other way around.

7. Ignoring your Triggers

Triggers, we’ve all got them, you’d be fooling yourself in believing that this time around, the sailing will be smooth & you won’t stumble upon messy & challenging situations on your health & fitness journey. Becoming aware of the triggers that have led you to failure in the past are golden nuggets of wisdom if you are capable of learning from them. Look back at the obstacles that have thrown you off course in the past, most likely, you will find a common thread. Identifying your trigger points isn’t enough, you need to have a “backup plan”, a clear GAME PLAN to implement in times of crises. For example, when one element of my life isn’t running smoothly (work, relationship, etc.) & I am not taking the necessary action to resolve it, it tends to affect my motivation for leading a healthy and active lifestyle. As soon as I become aware of this, I like to take a quiet moment to put everything back into perspective & contemplate a solution. In order to become aware of your triggers, it’s essential you take a few moments out of the day to tune in and actually ask yourself what’s not working.

8. Beating Yourself Up

Nobody is perfect, even the fittest peeps out there stray from their plan, it’s not about being perfect 24/7 – instead, I encourage you to be kind to yourself & leave space for slip-ups. We don’t get results by beating ourselves up for not following our plan to a tee, this only reinforces the self-sabotaging guilt cycle. Do your best, show up daily, be forgiving & move on.

9. Forgetting that it’s a “Mental Game”

“In order to whip your body into shape, you’ve got to learn how to whip your mind into shape first.”

You can have the perfect plan on paper, regardless, if you haven’t mastered the art of “mental fitness”, you’ll be in for a long, exhausting downhill ride! I’ve incorporated a variety of worthwhile activities & techniques to my daily practice in order to stay focused & committed to my dreams. Some of which include reading non-fiction books, watching valuable videos (lately I’ve been loving Actualized by Leo Gura) & I also started a 30-day meditation challenge – the point being: changing your fuel; changes your life!

BONUS Tip!

And finally, no goal is worth pursuing if we don’t have a clear vision that literally lights us up! Once you get that empowering, mind-blowing, mega-exciting feeling running through your veins, harness it – recreate it daily, multiple times a day if necessary until your new habit becomes second nature. Personally, I find affirmations & visualization to be powerful techniques.

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