by Danielle Bernero, Katz JCC Personal Trainer
Its Monday. Your “Day 1” the “Start of the Journey”. You’re SO pumped, you’re drinking water all day long, your meals are prepped for the day, you hit the gym HARD. This lasts for what… Four days? …Maybe? By then you’re burnt out. But why?! You were so motivated on Monday! That’s because relying on pure motivation will not carry you to success.
Listen, I love motivation! It’s a great tool! I use books, quotes, social media even as motivation for workouts or making sure I eat healthy that day or get my workout in. But motivation is not stable. It’s fleeting. Some days you have it and it’s great and you’re pumped, and some days it’s hard to get yourself out of bed to start the day. It’s like with school. Sometimes you’re writing in your planner, doing all your assignments and then other days you’re sleeping all day and ordering pizza. Having faith strictly in motivation to get you where you want to go, it’s not going to give you the results you want. So what will?
One of the biggest reasons why people fall short at becoming healthy is they overwhelm themselves. Trying to change too many habits at once will burn you out and leave you feeling frustrated. Changing habits one at a time maybe seem boring, but it’s the best way to see long term results. For example, once you have your nutrition down, it will be easier for you to drink more water along with your healthier food. Adding in strength training after you’ve disciplined yourself to do the amount of cardio you’re told to, will push yourself even more to better results. These habits are the foundation blocks to a healthy lifestyle so they need to be mastered!
Another aspect I try to teach my clients is awareness…that they know what to expect before we act on it. This will not be a fast or easy result. This is a challenge, not only physically but mentally as well. But it’s so rewarding in the end. Some days it will absolutely be torture not being able to eat those French fries instead of the salad or the popcorn while watching a movie, but by choosing not to eat those items, your strengthening your willpower and developing some serious discipline that will help you in the long run! Delaying your goals by eating something that feels good in the moment will only make you feel frustrated long term.
Make motivation just ONE of the tools in your healthy journey, not the ONLY tool. Develop a solid foundation of willpower, discipline, awareness and overall knowledge, and motivation will push that all along! If you have any questions, comments, or need help, please reach out!
