If you want to lose weight but keep putting it off, you might be putting off your happiness while you’re putting off your weight loss! Getting started on a weight loss plan sounds well and good in theory, but when it comes time to actually take the first step, there’s always a reason to wait until tomorrow. Then tomorrow becomes next week, next month, and next year, and before you know it, you’ve wasted so much time procrastinating that that you could have achieved your goals by now if you had have started back then! Putting off your start date means there’s probably an underlying barrier that’s holding you back, maybe you’re scared you’ll fail, worried it will be too hard, it’s not a priority right now, or you simply just can’t be bothered. Whatever your reason, there is a way to overcome it and get started.
A sad consequence of waiting to start, is that we often tell ourselves that we’ll wait to be happy as well. “I’ll wait to buy new clothes until I lose that weight.” or “I’ll go on that beach holiday once I lose the weight.” or perhaps the worst “I’ll be happy once I lose weight.” But positive psychology actually says that the opposite is true! Rather than waiting to enjoy your life once you lose weight, the best approach is to enjoy your life now and watch the weight loss follow. The key is to focus on the positives, stop punishing yourself and stop putting your life on hold.
Every day you wait, is a day wasted. There’s no reason why you can’t start making small healthy changes right now! There will never be a perfect time to start. There will always be work, stress, kids and all those other excuses you keep finding. The answer is not waiting for the right time, but MAKING the time. A one-hour workout is just 4% of your day, and even if you can’t complete a whole hour of exercise all at once, you can accumulate smaller increments across the day.
Take the first step.
Set yourself a goal – not just a vague goal like ‘I want to get fit’, but a SMART goal – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. Write your goal down, and share it with your partner or friends to help keep you accountable. Then set yourself three tasks you can do today to start towards you goal. Start small, and build up, you might start by going for a 10 minute walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and choosing an apple instead of a doughnut.
Did you know that exercise actually makes you happy too? Long before you reach you goals, just the simple act of exercising will start increase your happiness.
If you are really struggling to get started on your own, or just don’t have the motivation or knowledge to make it happen, working with a Personal Trainer might be right for you. Fitness Enhancement has an option to suit everyone, we have
Mobile Personal Trainers who can come to you for one-on-one or small group Personal Training, we can come to you in your home, or meet you at a location of your choice. We can work around your time and location to make sure it’s the most convenient option for your lifestyle. Our trainers are knowledgeable, experienced and understanding. If you’ve struggled in a gym environment, you’ll love the 100% private studios and one-on-one sessions to give you the personal attention you need, and the privacy you want.
So you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by making a start today. Go on! Start living your life and get happy!