I’m often asked what some of the common ways people self-sabotage their fitness results are. After working with people for over 20 years, I’ve seen some patterns.
While there are at least 10 different directions I can go with this, I’m going to share the one that is arguably the trickiest. Unfortunately many people don’t get this but those that do become way more resilient.
The self-sabotaging “technique” that happens is that people think everything will go smoothly.
Here are some of the pitfalls people fall into:
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They forget to realize that enthusiasm will fade. Everyone starts off gung ho. That initial excitement fades and you’ll need to have a plan to keep going when the going gets tough.
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They think it will be smooth sailing once they’ve reached the goal – Achieving a goal is hard but sustaining success is even more difficult. You will still need to do the work once you hit your target. Of course, it’s more than worth it!
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They assume nothing unexpected will occur – Life happens. Kids get sick. You’ll suffer minor injuries. You may not always get the sleep you need to feel your best. What are you going to do when these things happen?
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They think the perceived benefits will equal their effort – This one is extremely common. People feel like they deserve some sort of reward for their efforts. Maybe it took 10 years to put the weight on but if they exercise every day for a week they feel like they deserve to drop 20 pounds. When that doesn’t happen they get frustrated. There are many factors when it comes to weight loss and nothing is guaranteed. The one reward you can count on is what the process of trying does to you. It’ll make you a better person and that in and of itself is the greatest reward.
I just want to piggyback on the last point. I know many people start off because they want to lose weight. I completely get that and think it’s great. And if you do the right thing for the right amount of time, the weight should come off. I can’t recommend enough that you also focus on the non weight loss benefits of exercise and eating right. You will feel so much better emotionally and physically and get more life out of your years. Now that’s a benefit I want!