So often hear, ‘I have this function in two months, and I have to fit into my dress, help me please to lose weight,’ or ‘I have a girl’s night in three weeks, help me, please look slimmer.’ You may have been in the same boat a while back, or maybe you are in this boat now. This kind of talk often leads to repeated and failed attempts to stick to a fitness routine. Yes, you heard that right. Too many external motivators to drop the kilos or look slimmer are made impulsively, and most times, these will not succeed.
Let us be honest, and honesty with yourself is the theme of this article, so let me ask you this. Are you the type of person who will make it to the gym consistently on your own, or would you like a partner or friend to meet you at the gym and keep you accountable? Can you do a workout on your own, or do you feel better with a Personal Trainer? It does not matter what your answer is. What matters is that you take one step at a time to improve your health, wellness, and fitness daily.
It is time to be honest with yourself.
Accepting the truth about where you are in your life is the only way that these first steps will happen. Being honest with yourself is the first and most important one. This is not putting yourself down. It is about looking long and hard at what you eat, what you do daily, and figuring out whether your entire body (head to toe) is healthy. We cannot predict what we will look like in the future, but we can realise being healthy and fit will give us more energy and many more years on our doorstep.
Is this you?
One day, one of my clients stood in front of the mirror. They took a long look at themselves and realised they were overweight. You see, they never thought about why their heart skipped a beat or that the pain they felt in their stomach all day long was not typical. They were living a life of not exercising, eating on the run and over-caffeinated themselves, and it was slowly ‘killing’ them inside. When they were honest with themselves, they realised it was time to change.
Moving forward:
Time to move forward and unfollow all the social media accounts that do not align with how you are or who you want to be—no point in following someone who runs marathons if you are not going to run. Or there is no point following someone who meals prep for a week or two weeks if this is not your scene, Yes, they can give you get ideas, but do you feel this is of value to the life you are living now and want to live in the future? The essential part of being honest with yourself and exercising is consistency and choosing to move, even through pain and discomfort, tiredness and colds.
Why you need to be honest with yourself when training:
Honestly, if you want to have success, you need to be honest about where your fitness level is and how dedicated you are going to be when you start your fitness regime.
I believe you must be honest with yourself when creating a plan and setting goals. You also have to be honest with yourself throughout your training plan. You need to strip away all the excuses and justifications.
Let’s take an example: If your goal is to run a half marathon, you need to set a goal, commence training, and reevaluate the original goal to see what adjustments make sense as you work towards the month of the race. If you are new to running a marathon, you need to give yourself a grace period. Start slowly and safely, and don’t feel the need to compare your exercise regime with someone else’s. If you miss a few running schedules, that is okay, but be careful if you have missed a week of running, you will need to adjust your schedule rather than forging ahead as initially planned. Flexibility is so important, and being honest will only assist you in the long run.
Exercising:
Exercising doesn’t have to cost you anything. I mean, let’s get realistic. Going for a walk, running, hiking, or just kicking a ball in the park with a group of friends or your kids is fantastic and free.
Start with aiming for 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Remember, only you can decide how much time you can devote to it. Decide on a specific time and make a date with yourself.
You don’t have to be madly in love with exercise but identify a way of exercising that you can enjoy and want to do it.
When you start exercising you feel much better and have more energy and vitality. Exercise helps you be more positive. It releases those happy hormones and helps clear your mind, stress, confusion, and worry. Exercise also ensures you get a good night’s sleep and can assist in regulating problematic sleeping patterns. Seriously, get honest with yourself.
Being honest with yourself:
To everyone who has doubts or is starting their journey, it is essential to stick with it, give it some time, and push through the most challenging part until you get that momentum flowing. Do not listen to the doubters, even if it is only you doubting yourself at times.
Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
A 1st-Degree Muay Thai Kickboxer and sole owner of Jo’s Fitness Studio. Muay Thai has made Jo stronger, more comfortable in her own skin, and taught her to have faith and trust in herself. She now hopes to inspire, and help others overcome their own obstacles by sharing her expertise in fitness.
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
- Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)
