Getting into a Fit Mindset

Ok, so 90% of getting into shape is motivation.  There are a few different points of motivation where people tend to stumble.  You need to go to the gym, push yourself, and then go home and still have the willpower to eat healthy and stay away from food that is going to drag you down.  If you can’t get motivated to do all three of those things, there is a good chance you will fail.

I don’t want to start this post off by immediately saying you’ll fail, but I don’t want to feed you a bunch of high flying ideas that will get you motivated and then blow up in your face.  Being fit is hard work, and it doesn’t stop.  You need to be committed for life.  This isn’t a diet.  It’s a way of life.

Here are some techniques for overcoming those stumbling blocks at each of those milestones during each day:

Getting to the Gym

This is the one I have the hardest time with.  It’s really easy to get sucked into a project or just feel lazy and not go.  You need to commit to going to the gym on a regular basis and commit to it like it’s the most important thing in your life – because it is.  If you’re not already going to the gym or working out at home, just committing an hour one day a week is better than what you were doing.

I personally go to the gym for an hour and a half 3 to 4 days a week.  I don’t change the appointment for anything.

Pushing Yourself While Working Out

The next easiest thing to fall short on is pushing yourself while working out.  It’s really easy to knock the speed down on the treadmill or stop a few reps short because it’s difficult.

Get over it by focusing on micro-goals.  Keep an eye on the clock while you’re running and don’t stop until you make it to the end of the minute.

Once you make it to the end of that minute, take some pause for thought and go fifteen seconds more if you think you can handle it.  Give yourself rewards for setting personal records.  Try to set a personal record every day.

Eating Healthy

This is a double edged motivational hurdle.  You need to do two things: eat well and not eat crap food.  That means have salad and don’t have a sundae afterward.  I personally love food, so this is the hardest for me.  I love chicken wings, so what I do is go all week eating well and then have ten chicken wings on Friday night with some friends.

If you can go all week eating well, you can indulge a little bit, but the real kicker is making sure it’s only a little bit.

Conclusion

Remember: any improvement in your fitness over what you were doing is a positive gain.  Everyone should have a fitness goal, whether it’s to lose weight or gain muscle.  If you don’t have a goal, it is really easy to cheat.  When you cheat, you start to lean towards failure.  How do you stay motivated?