Nearly everyone has experienced that low feeling that comes when you know you’ve messed up your fitness goals. Maybe Taco Tuesday got out of hand. Maybe you’ve slipped back into old fast food habits for a few days or weeks. Maybe you’re partaking in too much recreational … um… substances, and you’re not working out like you know you should. Whatever the reason, we’ve all been there. The important part is to not let a setback derail your entire fitness mission. This blog explores three suggestions for what to do when you feel like you’ve totally messed up your fitness goals.
Don’t let a setback take you off of your healthy path forever. When you’re off your healthy patterns, it feels like you can never get back there. The most important thing is to understand that your setbacks are almost always temporary. Except in the case of a major injury, another choice can always be made. A setback, or a couple of “cheat months” doesn’t mean you’ll never be healthy again. Get back in there!
Take things one choice at a time. Sometimes, health and fitness can feel overwhelming. Especially when you’ve slipped into some unhealthy habits. The key here is to just make one choice at a time. Get your ass up and on your morning jog instead of hitting the snooze button. Say no to the donuts in the break room. Put down the chocolate. Each day comes with new sets of choices. Make good ones.
Forgive yourself. When you know the healthy patterns you want for your life, it’s disheartening to admit you’ve been making the wrong choices. Sometimes, we just need to forgive ourselves for eating the chips, or skipping the workout. Nobody is perfect. There is some reason for the choices you’ve been making. Identify the reason, acknowledge you’ve been getting off track, and forgive yourself. Then, move on! Get your butt back in the saddle.
Need a kick start to get yourself back into healthy habits? Ask one of our trainers about the Get Fit Challenge at Huntington Beach Ultimate Training Center.