"But I've been doing so good!"
You're right, you have been "doing so good!" So keep doing it.
"But I've been doing so good!" If I had a dollar for every time I heard this since the New Year, I'd have quite a few more dollars. Thats just it isn't it? It's the New Year. New Year, New You so we make a resolution, eat right, workout hard, and join the New Year's Fitness Challenge because we are in it to win it baby!! That is until 2 weeks in and we feel weak, tired, and sore. We miss our pizza, and McGriddles. And start to question whats the point of this whole diet thing anyway if I didn't hit a PR this week or even my 85%? It felt so easy 2 weeks ago before I started eating healthy. And I don't see the weight falling off yet either. And thats when I hear it "But I've been doing so good! Why can't I do this?" So we start to doubt what we set out to accomplish and think one cheat meal won't hurt, I need something to get my spirits up...
I see this way too often. It's sad to watch when someone won't buy in to the process, and expects changes to happen quickly. They don't happen quickly. There is no secret diet or workout program. Like I've quoted before, changes comes from boring, old habits.
So to help keep us from falling into this trap, I thought it would be beneficial to make of things that might help you push through when you don't feel like continuing on the path you started out on towards where you want to be; more specifically what you want to look like.
- It's been less than 3 weeks since the New Year and less than 2 weeks since we started our fitness challenge. Stop being weak, you haven't even given your body enough time to start adjusting to the new things that you are doing. It takes at least 3 weeks or more of consistent diet and exercise to start to see the physical changes. Be patient and hang in there. The changes will comes. Just trust the process.
- Changes require discomfort. This is the root of it all isn't it? We want to change, but we don't want it to hurt. Listen, your body doesn't want to change. But last time we checked, the way your body is isn't the way you want your body to be. So you are going to have to hit the override button sometimes when your body tells you it doesn't like what your doing. You feel weak? Maybe your body was use to an unhealthy 250g carbs a day, and now it only gets 100g carbs. So it has to adjust. That adjustment causes discomfort. Get through it, your body will adjust. Trust the process.
- Find ways to enjoy it and Meal Prep. Meal Prepping can be a drag, but it can also be a lot of fun! On Saturday or Sunday afternoons, Kaitlyn and I will spend 3-4 hours in the kitchen cooking (mostly kaitlyn cooking). We make enough Enchiladas, Pasta Nests, Chicken, Chili, Boiled Eggs, and Frittata's to last us at least until the next weekend. The food is all healthy and incredibly delicious. And we have fun cooking it. We turn on some TV or music and start cooking away. Then during the week we never have to worry about what we are going to eat. Our fridge is stocked.
- Be okay with a routine, in fact enjoy the routine. Routine is your enemy in some aspects of fitness such as programming and the workouts that you do. But leave that up to me to keep your workouts constantly varied. Get in a routine of healthy eating, eating on time, and showing up consistently to the gym.
- An occasional cheat meal is okay. It's going to happen, but don't just let it happen. Make a decision to have a cheat meal, and make sure it's worth it! Valentines Day is coming up for example. It may be your favorite holiday and you plan on going to the Cheese Cake Factory with your significant other. Great! Do it. Order whatever you want, order the Triple Chocolate Cheese Cake and enjoy it! And then get right back on track the next day. Those cheat meals are acceptable. What isn't acceptable is having a week moment driving by McDonalds and swings through for a quick Apple Pie and McFlurry on your way home from the gym. That never ends well.
- Remember other factors that affect your performance and don't get discouraged. I don't know if you've been outside in the past 2 weeks, but its freezing. The barbells and pull up bars feel like icicles. And the cold definitely makes the joints a little more achey. So it's nearly impossible to perform at your best when the temperature is so cold. Thats okay though! The cold isn't something that we can control. What we can control though is that we are still working inspite of the fact that we can't feel our fingers. That we are pushing hard, and doing the best that we can to get better.
So don't get discouraged! Just because we start to eat right doesn't mean that everything immediately gets better. We don't immediately feel better, we look better, or get stronger. In the long run, yes, those things are true overall. But sometimes, at the beginning, things get a little worse before they start to improve. Especially when its -5 degrees. Trust the process! Stick to your plan, and the result will come. You're right, you have been "doing so good!" So keep doing it.
- John Mayfield, Owner of CrossFit Thelo -