SubscribeHow to Stay on the Wagon: For Good
We are generally very adept at starting exercise and programs and dietary regimes... and we pretty much suck at sticking to it.
One of the most formidable reasons for this is the failure to permanently ingrain our newfound healthy habits into our psyches. Before the physical aspects of reaching your goals take place, we need to re-program our minds.
Here is a 3-step process to help you not only stay on the wagon, but get you driving the darned thing!
1. Set Multi-Dimensional Goals:
The temptation here is to focus on outcomes. Instead of honing in on outcome-oriented goals such as weight loss and shapely thighs, try tapping into more process-oriented goals such as learning to attach feelings of joy to exercise and healthy eating.
Also, set aside goals for lifestyle changes such as adding more steps, boosting energy and/or sleep. When these intrinsic-type goals are achieved, the outcome-based goals tend to fall in place more easily!
2. Develop an Exercise Vision:
Jay Kimiecik, author of “The Intrinsic Exerciser – Discovering the Joy of Exercise”, describes exercise vision as attending to thoughts and feelings related to exercise, while ridding yourself of the clutter that prevents you from it. It means not only recognizing and seizing opportunities to move, but also having a clear idea of how you want to feel when you do move.
Increased awareness + clarity of how you want to feel = more frequent exercise
3. Use Guided Imagery:
This is fancy-talk for visualization. The ultimate goal of guided imagery is to facilitate positive emotions associated with engaging in healthy habits.
Build a habit of using imagery from the minute you wake up. Use it throughout the day – particularly in strategic situations such as when you start to crave food, or begin looking for reasons to skip your workout. Try reciting a positively reinforcing phrase every time you take a sip of water.
What helps you with the mental battle of staying fit?
A combination of the first two. I'm considering really upping my strength training and getting a trainer for a bit when the weather cools off and the first thing I will say, loud and clear is "do not even MENTION weight loss or looking good in a bathing suit as a motivation." I hate the idea of exercise, particularly for women, being about looking good and not feeling good or being faster and stronger. When I'm running to burn off dinner, I'm miserable, but the feeling of pride at running to hit a new goal is HUGE.
So, yeah, an exercise vision and a process-oriented goal. My goals are to run five miles, hit a nine minute mile, and be buff enough to use the heavy set of free weights at the gym, that starts at 20 lbs. Maybe also to boost my core strength so I'm less of a klutz. NOT to stay the size I am or drop down a couple inches.
ReplyThe Battle of losing weight involves so much mental strength! Before I started losing weight, I spent some time mentally preparing myself because I didn't want to fail.
Now that I've lost most of the weight I wanted to, sometimes it's hard to keep myself motivated to continue going to the gym to maintain my health. I'm one that sets goals now and it seems to help. I also "reward" myself when I follow through with my goals... which helps as well! Who doesn't like to be rewarded for their efforts? I know I do!
ReplyI think its important to find a form of exersize that you enjoy. I love strength training. I also use multiple goals to keep me motivated. If you focus on doing the things that are healthy, fat loss is sure to follow.
ReplyI love the first idea-I have been struggling to lose the last 15-20 pounds for a looooooong time (sometimes it feels like forever...but I digress) so instead of dwelling on an outcome goal which is extremely frustrating, I have been trying to set the process goals. For instance, sit with being hungry for at least 20 minutes before putting something into my mouth. This might sound odd, but "hunger tolerance" is a skill that I didn't learn growing up (i.e., you're hungry, you must eat, and eat right now!). By waiting a little bit, I am learning that a) it's not tragic to be hungry for a few minutes, b) sometimes you're "hunger" is something else (i.e.,emotional). Therefore, when I acheieve this goal of waiting out my hunger for a while, I feel proud and accomplished on a regular basis, rather than endlessly frustrated with the unbudging number on the scale!
ReplyOkay - I need help with this one .. I'm really struggling in this area right now, but ..
... "try tapping into more process-oriented goals such as learning to attach feelings of joy to exercise and healthy eating." ....
How do you attach a feeling of joy to exercise - when it hurts and is so hard to fit into an already crazy day? I know I have to do it - to help me become fit, but I really struggle with it. Right now - all I can do is walk, and I've added a few abdominal and bottom exercises, but honestly - there is no joy in this for me. I know I am at a crucial point right now in my desire to change my lifestyle. I lost 15 pounds and now I think I've gained 6 back. I don't want to go back up -
There is no joy in this for me - just feelings of frustration that I've let myself go for so long, and it is going to take forever to get myself healthy. I have teenagers who are driving me insane at times - and frankly my new and fragile eating and exercise routine has taken a back seat to the rest of life all of a sudden.
The article also said, "ridding yourself of the clutter that prevents you" ... from exercise -- How do I rid myself of my job and my family - I am so overbooked with essential obligations - what am I suppose to rid myself of?
As far as visualization - this has never worked for me - I even have pictures of me thin on my fridge (20 years ago before I got married, the only time of my life -except before I was 13 - when I was thin - I have always been overweight) - it has never helped me. I wish I had time to sit and relax and meditate, but there aren't enough hours in the day.
Maybe this stuff works for others - but it isn't helpful to me at all.
ReplyI am with Dawn -- it is hard to locate joy in exercise when one's life is overly full. Luckily, there is a woman who I talk to in this gym -- I don't know her name and only know that she is a teacher like me. We talk about work or dieting or the state of the world as we work out on the eliptical trainers and every day, when we are done, we say "see you tomorrow!" This is about a joyful as exercise can be for me -- having contact with another woman as a friend, not a collegue I work with or a relative. Since I've no real time for friendships either, touching base with this person each day adds joy to something I must do. And hey, I've lost 4 lbs so far, so its working!
ReplyHi Dawn!
ReplyI'm pretty direct in my approach to fitness. Having a strong mental mind set is very useful, but practical approaches also are necessary. For example, rather than having a picture on the fridge, get EVERY fattening food out of the fridge and out of the house for that matter. I hope this is helpful.
I struggle sometimes with having the mental energy to work out. What helps me is to think about how great I'll feel when I'm done working out. I also like to work out first thing in the morning so I don't have to think about it for the rest of the day.
I always had multi-faceted goals too...never to weight X lbs or fit into a size 2 or look good in a bikini. I work out to prevent getting heart disease, to beat my old running times, to explore the city, all that fun stuff. And it doesn't hurt that working out=I get to eat a few extra calories each day.
ReplyHi Dawn,
Let me vote for Snit's comment! Having a buddy is a great motivator. Dr.J is right, too - remove temptation. That might be hard with a family including teenagers. My attitude is pretty similar to Spectra's (well, forget the part about me in a bikini :)
Don't think about it "taking forever" - of course it's going to take forever, because you're changing habits. You shouldn't change your habits after reaching the target - unless you like to yo-yo.
You might find Mike's (Passion for Health) posting "Get Rid of Unwanted Thoughts" useful: http://www.passionforhealth.org/how-to-get-rid-of-unwanted-thoughts . Your problems are real and severe, but they're also common. There's many ways to surmount them. I've learned patience through breath exercises, meditation and yoga.
ReplyI see people fail every single day and I would love for them to understand what it takes to change their life forever. Keeping motivation for staying on a diet a hard but in the end it all pays off.
ReplyHabits really are the key to lasting change. Some good tips there. I've written a book about this because I feel it's so important.
You can read my top 10 tips from the book on passionforhealth.org. It's in the "core articles" bit in the menu bar.
Cheers
ReplyMike.
Wow! thanks for link there Quito. :-) Yoga is just the best eh? And meditation is the best of yoga. Truly amazing changes happen with regular meditation.
I was listening to Wayne Dyer on youtube yesterday. Wow I love that guy. First time I ever found him! He had these 10 aspects of inner peace he was talking about. Amazing. The beauty is that all you need to do is meditate to get these benefits of inner peace.
I think the big problem is trying to become the benefit--say, trying to love people more or trying to be spontaneous. YOU CAN'T DO IT. These things flow from you when you're in the right place. You can't TRY. That's the irony.
The effort must be to meditate only, whether that's in the form of sit down practice or the practice of mindfulness.
It's a mistake to covet a quality and attempt to become more like that.
You have to be more of "Yourself" and that basically means letting go of everything else. i.e. your IDEA of yourself.
Note to me: need to stop rambling :-)
Cheers, thanks again so much for the vote of confidence there Quito
Reply~Mike.
p.s. someone wants to use my habit article in a book! How cool is that! :-)
It shouldn't hurt! OMG
This is part of the ridiculous mentality that says "No pain, no gain."
Yes, to get a training effect, you sometimes need to attempt the impossible but it should never hurt and it need be uncomfortable for more than a brief time.
Finding the JOY in exercise is definately where you need to focus.
How about walking in nature with the kids and the dog? What is so painful about that. It's a joy. The kids are off school here so the kids tag along with me every day, and the dog. It truly is a joy. I do the odd sprint up the hills to get my heart up.
To the kids and the dog, this is just a fun race!
Or what about sports? Theres loads to choose from. Sports are much more fun because the element of winning comes into it :-)
The key is to see your life as you want it to be and take some steps towards that. Little steps or quantum leaps--depends on you. Keep dwelling on your idea of "Your healthy and happy future."
What so you do everyday to maintain a high level of health. What does a day in the life of your healthy future look like?
Exercise IS a joy for me because I don't try too hard. You only have to push your boundaries a little bit.
The more important factor here is making it part of your life and consolidating that change. Find time to exercise and do SOMETHING during that time and do it regularly and consistantly.
If it's not fun then surely you need to ask "How can I make my exercise more fun." You might be suprised at how creative your own answers are to that question when you dwell on it for a while.
Do a bit a brainstorming. Ask youself a bunch a questions--"How can I simplify my life so I'm more organized, have more time, not have to rush and feel totally in control." Write down the answers...
The answers may come at surprising times... keep peirodically asking those questions and you'll be amazed how creative you really are!
~Mike
ReplyIt need'NT be :-) Sorry
ReplyHere, you can listen to Les!
Replyhttp://www.lesbrown.com/
make exercise your number one priority and everything else will fall into place. it's a plan that's worked for me.
Exercise = Discipline = Affection
The Dog Whisperer plan created by Cesar Millan.
Be your own alpha and stop being a beta. No whining.
ReplyHey I liked him! I loved his story about how he got a job as a DJ.
ReplyHere are some comments about how I made exercise fun.
ReplyI once belonged to a gym....but going was a chore. The gym smelled, and it was boring. So I quit.
I owned a bike, but the seat sucked and the handlebars were not comfortable. I got my bike fixed (changed the seat and handlebars) and USE it! I'm lucky to live in a suburb and there are a lot of cool bike path areas. I LOVE it! Right now I bike about 20 miles a week. I am slowly increasing my weekly miles.
Maybe biking is not your thing. Find something you love and make it fun. I'm as busy as the rest of you but making a little time for yourself to exercise is WORTH it.
hello all, i am new to exercise...im also 201 lbs.
Replyi started walking on my treadmill on july 30th...only really because my family and i moved into a new sub-division. and for some reason it looks like everyone around here is doing some sort of activities all the time. i am used to sitting in front of the t v with my hubby all the time..so working in the yard or walking outside or even playing outside with the kids seemed out of the question to me. well, i met a neighbor and we were talking about how she works out every day (walks on the treadmill and she lifts some light weights to tone ) in the morning before she even gets dressed for the day...i started thinking more and more about my treadmill that was sitting and collecting dust.One day when i looked at it over my shoulder..i actually got up and started walking on it...it took me 21 minutes to make a mile at the beginning..but after i finished that mile it was like omg! i did it and i dont feel too bad. it felt rather nice. so i am now walking everyday 3.07 miles a day to be precise and 50 minutes..might not sound like a lot to some of you but omg!! it feels amazing..i even have a couple of 2 lb. weights (the kind that go around your ankles) but i use them and to some arm lifts just holding on to them while im walking to break up the time i do walk..i even notice some muscle bumps on my arms instead of the mass amount that swings under them..haha..my butt is toning and my hubby likes the feel of that so that is my incentive to keep doing it...i have lost a total of 6 lbs this months..my goal is to be able to see my belly button without having to lift the flab to find it..so wish me luck and the same to you all !!!!
Inspiring story thanks :-) And GOOD LUCK!
ReplyDawn, I was where you are, and sometimes I still am. I found that for me, setting an *outside* goal is what works: I've always thought about being a competitive athlete. Dreamed of skating in the olympics. Ok, I'm almost 40 (egads!!), so that will NEVER happen. But why can't I be a competitive athlete anyway? So this summer, I signed up for - and completed - my first 5K ever. I followed the "Couch to 5K" Program at http://www.coolrunning.com and finished that 5K in 43:10. I was really slow, and finished in last place. But you know what? I was PROUD. I have a pic of me crossing the finish line, and I cry when I see it. I was so happy - big smile on my face.
But.
After that, I quit running. Why? No goal. So now, I'm signed up for another 5K right after Thanksgiving, and I'm helping to start a running club in my little town.
You have to find your own motivation - what you see here, from us, are great suggestions, but once you find yours, you'll also find your groove.
And a comment on the "no pain, no gain" thing... for me, I've discovered that there has to be a *little* pain - when I go running, my body screams "for the love of pete, just let me DIE!!" for the first nine minutes, while my brain is yelling "wimp - keep going!!" But when I hit that tenth minute, the body and brain have come to an agreement to just shut up, and that's where the "groove" starts. I hit autopilot, and can thoroughly enjoy the rest of the run.
Maybe that's what "they" mean?
ReplyI think looking at all forms of exercise is important in finding what brings you joy. The gym may be boring, even walking the neighborhood may not work so well - my favorite activity is the adult tap-dancing class at the local arts center. What a great way to get up and moving! Fun, fun, fun - as well as being social. Try wearing a pedometer and seeing how many "miles" you've covered after a rigorous hour of tap-dancing!
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ReplyThat is truly awesome! Thanks for sharing with us Wendy. Keep up the great work.
I think you touched on something so paramount here Laura - you pursued despite not losing scale weight. This is where many people fall off the wagon. You re-evaluated and kept your motivation up by signing up for a race. I also agree that sometimes there is a little discomfort involved - and we need to tell ourselves that that's alright (provided it isn't painful or limiting).
ReplyVery cool! I think many people don't think outside of the box when it comes to physical activity. I encourage people to try different things that they think they may enjoy. I know I can't sit on a stationary bike for 45 min - too boring (for me).
ReplyI think you've touched on some very important obstacles here Dawn. It can be extremely challenging when life is so busy, coupled with the fact that you don't find any joy in exercise.
I think it is important to start with baby steps in this regard. Aim to "not hate" exercise. I would suggest just trying different things (workout with your kids even?). Try recruiting a friend for am workouts, get an ipod and listen to some uplifting music, buy an exercise video. How long do you have for lunch? Could you do some power walking on your breaks?
In any case, please keep us posted on how you're doing.
ReplyTo Mike, Dr. J, Quito, Spectra,
Thanks so much for your insight and great suggestions! I've learned a lot from reading your posts.
ReplyI'm one year shy of 40 now, started lifting weights and exercising consistently 20 years ago thanks to a back injury. My best form of motivation, I call it mirroring. I know exactly what I don't want to be.....I see a lot of sad looking fat men, my age and younger at the supermarket, video store, etc...in the weekend. I'm wrapped that I'm stronger, and feel better than during my 20's.
ReplyFortunately, I'm married to an awesome nutritionist, I've got my own gym under the house, and I work in the H&F industry, all of which could be considered environemental factors which also work in my favour.
This was a seriously great post. Good tips. Going to try it.
For me, it's all about keeping it fun - sorry, I sound cheesy here - but it's been effective.
I tossed so many diets/exercise plans b/c I treated them like a duty. "I have to get to the gym...." blah, blah, blah that's what I'd think about at work around 6pm.
Now, I do mainly classes - ones I really like - and run to great mixes that I switch frequently. The classes are key. Time can whiz by and I don't feel like it's a chore.
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