I don't want this to sound like your usual 'self help' article. I just want to share a few tips on making a positive impact on your lifestyle. Believing in yourself, your goals and your ability can make the real difference. When I first started my own fitness journey I didn't believe dramatic change was really attainable. When I started to see results I started to get compliments on social media and in person. People noticed the difference in me. That helped me through the harder times, when dieting was hard and training was gruelling.
In one of my classes, several years ago now, a fellow student came up to me and complimented my social media posts. He said that it 'inspired him', that's a hell of a motivator. To think that the positive influence you have on your own life can spread to others. One of the things that has motivated me to write this piece is that one of my clients recently had a positive influence on her friend. A short conversation regarding diet has led to her friend losing some weight. Her friend attributed it to my client's positive messages.
Complimenting someone's progress is a small step to give someone that extra boost. But it's not the only way that a positive mindset can help progress. To me, the most contributing factor is that you're not doing something you hate. I'll use weight loss as an example because there's a lot of people out there, just waiting to lose weight. But they are mentally preparing to take on a diet, or exercise, that they hate. That's the main barrier right there. Do something fun, do something you enjoy. Eat healthy but do it in your own way.
I'll look at exercise first. As a Personal Trainer I spend a lot of time developing training methods that I find most effective for my clients. Everyone is different so it's not a 'one size fits all' process. You have to take into account what the clients like, what keeps them motivated and the quickest way to their goal and that's before you look at any physical aspects. I usually use a lot of martial arts training, specifically pad work. Most of my clients really enjoy this part of the session. Enjoyment is key. If running on a treadmill isn't working for you, try a class, a sport, find something that you can enjoy while you burn those calories.
The next aspect is dieting. There's lots of ways to lose weight while dieting. As long as you create a calorific deficit you will reduce your body-fat. If you hate a diet, you are much less likely to stick to it. One of the reasons I bash low cab diets so much (even though I know they are effective) is because they are often unsustainable. Or at least they should be! Check out flexible dieting as it allows you to still fit in foods you like but promotes balancing it and calculating mathematically your recommended calorific intake. You're more likely to stick to a diet if it consists of foods that you enjoy.
Before I started training clients I knew that rapid weight loss and lifestyle improvement was possible. Now I know that all it takes is a positive, goal driven attitude. I've seen such massive improvements in many of my clients already, perhaps more than they can see. Not just in their weight, but their fitness, stills and even their confidence.
Positivity breeds positivity. If you're looking to improve your lifestyle then look for ways to do it which you can enjoy. It's not torture, it's a lifestyle change. Find something you enjoy doing, find a healthy eating programme that you can enjoy and feel more positive!
No comments:
Post a Comment