Recently I saw another fitness professional post her physical “transformation” over the last few years. I found it incredibly fascinating how much the human body can change over time and reflect your lifestyle and daily choices.
If you lift heavy and eat big, your body will grow to reflect those choices.
If you run and run and run, train for marathons and eat like a bird, your body will shrink and reflect those choices.
If you try CrossFit or Zumba, if you eat in a Paleo or Keto diet, if you sit on the couch and train for a video game competition, then your body will change to reflect those choices.
Good or bad or somewhere inbetween, our bodies will truly mirror our lifestyles. I’ve seen it in my own life; whether I’ve been healthy or sick, anxious or depressed, if I’ve been a college student pulling all-nighters and binging or I’ve been training for bodybuilding competitions, my body has reflected my consistent behaviors.
Rather than my focus being on “before and after” or “hey everyone, come see how good I look!” I want the focus to be on what the human body is capable of.
Especially now with New Year’s resolutions being at an all time high–why not switch your focus from starting a diet to create the best “before and after” to a more holistic and sustainable approach?
Focus on taking care of your body; create a routine of consistency and you’ll create long-term, sustainable change rather than a yo-yo cycle of weight loss and weight gain. Use exercise and nutrition as tools to care for your body, and your body will reflect those choices of consistency.
But, Abbie, how do I do that?
I know, I know, telling someone to create a routine of consistency is much easier than actually doing it. It takes will-power and it isn’t always the easiest path… but it is simple.
Simple but not easy.
6 Simple steps to sustainability:
1. Find a style of exercise that is both fun and supportive of your goals
This step is two-fold, because if you don’t like your style of exercise you won’t stick with it long-term AND if your style of exercise doesn’t support your long-term goals then you’ll begin to feel frustrated working so hard to never achieve the desired result. This may mean experimenting with new training styles; this may also mean adjusting your goals.
In other words, if you want to look like Dana Linn Bailey then Zumba may not be the best avenue to achieve those results; but if you want to dance everyday and never step foot in the weight room then you will likely never achieve the muscular physique you desire.
Your goals must be realistic.
However, there are many styles of training that can achieve a similar result so don’t give up and lose hope just because you don’t enjoy one specific workout program.
2. Find a style of dieting that is both enjoyable and supportive of your goals
Again, this step is two-fold and similar to step one. Similarly, I find that if an individual feels overly restricted on a diet program they may achieve their goal but the results aren’t sustainable far beyond the end date of the diet.
If you “start a diet” then when the diet ends so do the changes you achieved.
If you are looking for results that you can maintain long-term [or forever] then your eating style must be sustainable long-term [or forever].
Personally, I like tracking macros to create a caloric deficit, surplus or maintenance level; this allows an individual to achieve a goal [weight loss, gain, etc] but have flexibility in what they are eating. It is also beneficial because tracking macros can be individualized to Paleo, Keto, vegetarian, vegan, intermittent fasting or whatever style of diet you desire.
BUT you may have to experiment to find what works best for you and your lifestyle; tracking macros may work for me but it may not work for you. If you have questions about finding a diet-style that works for you research, try different styles or contact a coach who is knowledgeable [and that you like & trust, obvi.]
3. Rest
The most simple of all the simple steps: rest.
It is good to go hard in the gym and to eat meticulously, but you also need to remember to rest. It isn’t sustainable to go 24/7/365.
Sleep. Take a day off from the gym to just relax or go on a hike and play frisbee with friends instead.
You need to rest both for your metal and physical benefit.
You won’t reverse all the progress you’ve made in one day [or even one week] if you take time to rest. I promise.
4. Find accountability
Whether this is hiring a coach or finding a friend to go to the gym with, having someone to check in with can be really helpful to keep you moving forward when your motivation is lacking. Even when you enjoy your workouts and your nutrition isn’t restrictive, you may have days [or weeks] when you would rather binge Netflix and order 3 large pizzas everyday rather than get to the gym.
It happens.
Sometimes this means you might need to rest; sometimes you just need a friend to tell you to pick yourself up, put your big girl panties on and go sweat!
5. Have a plan
It is much easier to stop making progress and become complacent if you’re just winging it everyday. Finding a plan or creating one yourself can help you create consistency especially when motivation is lacking.
Your plan can be small [“What muscle group am I going to lift today?”] or large [like mapping out a competition schedule] or it can be specific [finding a training program and meal plan that tells you what to lift and what to eat and when to do it]. What your plan looks like should be dependent on a few factors: your goal, your resources [time, money, support] and your desires. It is ok for your plans to differ through seasons of life from specific to general but having a plan to guide you is always a helpful tool.
6. Be adaptable
Having a goal and a plan, is great but what about when life throws you an unexpected curve ball? What about holidays, vacations or special occasions that interfere with your typical exercise program or eating habits?
Adapt!
Being flexible is what allows the sustainability of long-term results. Taking time off from your plan to enjoy a slice of cake on your birthday or to mourn the loss of a loved one is more than ok–often it is necessary.
Don’t torture yourself by having an overly rigid mindset and lifestyle; it won’t serve you long-term to continue something that no longer benefits you, that is no longer healthy or isn’t something you truly desire. Whether that is changing your plan for one day or changing your plan forever depends on you.
Plans can adapt. Goals can change.
It isn’t failure to quit one course and switch to another.
Yours in Strength, A
