How do you know when you should bulk vs. when you should cut?
Are you a healthy body weight? What are your long term goals? Are you training for an event, or gene...
| May 21, 2021
Read time: 2 min.
It’s probably not what you think.
Starting something new always seems daunting- whether it’s moving homes, starting a new workout program, or taking inventory of your diet.
Change is scary, because it deviates from our previous habits, which is something we do in an unconscious state. Change forces us to be in a conscious state, which takes a lot more energy on our part. At first, it’s going to be difficult. Over time, however, it will become your new normal.
The biggest factor in determining if the change will be successful or not: FIND. YOUR. WHY.
Why are you making a change? It’s OK if it’s just for aesthetic reasons, but in my experience, that ‘why’ yields a lower likelihood of success.
Dig. Deeper.
Do you want more energy? Why?
Dig. Deeper.
I want to have energy to play with my kids.
I want to have energy to fuel my passion for work.
I want to have energy to be a better partner in my relationship.
I want to have energy to work more on my passion projects, outside of work. Now we’re getting somewhere.
So grab a pen and paper, and write out every reason why you wish to make a change. Keep this list somewhere visible, and review it daily.
You’re not always going to feel like meal prepping. You’re not always going to feel like working out. This is why coming back to this list, and frequently, is so important. It’ll keep things in perspective.
The second thing I would recommend is set up rewards for yourself, along the way. It doesn’t have to be something big, but it’s important to celebrate yourself along the way. I would recommend setting goals to reach that aren’t all weight based, but behaviour based.
Potential behaviour based goals:
– Consistent meal prepping
– Workout 3x a week
– Hit 10k steps daily
– Eat 2 servings of greens daily
– Hit your protein goals daily
– Drink 2-3L of water daily
– Meditate 3x a week
– Journal 5x a week
– Create a gratitude ritual, built into your day. Pair it with a current habit, like your morning coffee, where you think of all the things in your life that are going well.
Focusing on behaviour based goals will get you to where you want to be, while reducing pressure on your body image. At the end of the day, no one cares what you look like as much as you do. And remember, your weight is the least interesting about you.
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