Mindset could and should have been placed at number 1. However for us the most important thing is to get people started on their journey. Once they have started making changes in an area and seeing results they will always start to look for the next step. If we started by talking to people about their current habits and beliefs then we would be putting unnecessary barriers in the way.
From experience we have found the best way is to address them in this order.
We have all built up a series of habits and beliefs that has led us to look, feel and think the way we do. If we want to change our body shape then we are going to have to change the habits that we currently have in order to look the way we want to. These are relationships that we have formed around food, drink and exercise can often be the hardest to undo.
We all need a tipping point in order to realise that we need to do something to improve ourselves. Sadly for a lot of people this can be as far as when health is a reason they need to change, (diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease). Or perhaps they now have children and realise they need to be good role models or just be able to play outside without getting out of breath.
Unfortunatley we meet a lot of people who think they can do this for a few weeks and this will make all the difference. But what happens here is that things become too restrictive and difficult to manage and they just revert back to their old ways. Our job is to read the signs and be ready for when this happens and remind them that it has taken years to gain the weight they have and they can’t just expect this to disappear in a few weeks.
People fall into one of two categories. Those with closed or open mindsets. Those with closed mindsets don’t see past their own views or opinions. These will be the ones where you hear things like I’m not losing weight because of the dog, cat kids or whatever else it might be. Those with an open mindset are the ones who are willing to listen to new information. They will say things like ‘I’m the issue, what can I do to address that”
The biggest key to changing your mindset is progress. We are all more motivated if we can see we are progressing in the gym, our clothes are fitting a little better and we feel like we have more energy.
The first few weeks are crucial to long term success. If you start with the intention of going into this process half-heartedly then you won’t see any progression and very quickly motivation will drop off and you will quit.
Think gyms in January vs gyms in February!
Have a read through the key points below and think about if any of these apply to you. If you are trying to go it alone then you will need to think about addressing these issues first. The benefits that our clients have is that they have us to work through this process with them. Click here to found out more about our programmes
- The emotional or physical pain that people are experiencing from be- ing overweight and out of shape, just isn’t enough for them do anything about it. What we mean by this, is that most people haven’t reached a point where being out of shape or unhealthy is dramatically affecting their life.
- The reward isn’t enough for you. By this we mean that you haven’t connect- ed the link between being in great shape and the health bene ts that it brings. If you start a training programme just because you think you need to, you’ll soon see yourself falling off the wagon. The reward for some people may be winning an event, or simply getting to a shape that they’ve never been before. If you have no clear goal to achieve, you’ll never receive a reward.
- There’s no space in your life for change. Most people say they want to get started, but there’s no time for them to add in the work that’s needed to change. Part of change is accommodating it, and moving things out of the way to make space. One trick is to write down everything you do every day. You then place each thing in priority order. You will always focus on the things that matter to you. If you place getting in shape lower down, you will never achieve it.
- The people you spend most of your time with are in the same shape as you, this puts you in a comfort zone. You need to challenge yourself by spending time with more people who are in shape. Success breeds success is a great saying. If you surround yourself with people who are doing well at something, it rubs off on you. Take this example, we have a female client who starts training. She starts to drop body fat and her body shape quickly starts to change. After a couple of months her husband calls and wants to get started. When they were both out of shape, they got settled into their comfort zone. Now she’s in shape, he wanted a slice of the action. Being in shape is infectious!
Hopefully you can now see how important mindset is when it comes to getting in shape. First you decide that you want to change, then acknowledge why you want to change. You then look at all the factors in your life, that could slow down your chances of being successful. Before you start any journey, you need to be clear that it’s something you want to achieve. You need to try and visualise the many benefits, that being in shape and being healthier can bring to your life.
As always, if you want any help or advice please complete the contact form below or click here to get started and we would be happy to help!