The most important thing I work with my clients on getting them to do is to approach their diet and fitness in a sustainable way they know they could do forever.
You could be on a strict diet and lose 20 pounds in less than a month but what does it matter if you go right back to eating cupcakes and wine for dinner and gain it all back?
What you do today to reach your goals should be something you can sustain forever. Of course there are exceptions to that like if your goal is to run a marathon, you are going to be on a marathon training program, finish the race and move on. But as a whole, if your goal is to be healthy, look good and feel good, your plan needs to be sustainable so you are not susceptible to burn out, and this is how we do it.
The first thing we can do is to have you follow the 80/20 rule. Be on your A game about 80% of the time. This may mean you follow your clean eating meal plan perfectly every single day except Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch. This could mean you eat clean but everyday you have one cookie. Ultimately you want to enjoy the way you eat and train so you want to do it every day.
That last piece leads me to the second part.. you need to enjoy what you are doing. Don’t force yourself to eat broccoli if you don’t like broccoli. Find other veggies you enjoy like eggplant or zucchini. Don’t force yourself to go for a run, go to Zumba. If you don’t like lifting at your gym, lift at home. It has to be something you crave and desire otherwise you won’t do it.
The third part to making your clean eating meal plan and workout program a lifestyle is to be okay with it taking longer. Be patient. Yes, you could absolutely stop eating carbs and drop a few pounds quickly but drastic measures do not yield lasting results. Know that it’s okay to have a cookie today and it’s okay to go out to eat with your girlfriends tomorrow, and yes, you might need six months to drop 20 pounds, not two, but you aren’t going to burn out and quit. You will probably have to remind yourself to be rational and patient, but self talk is part of this! As long as you can talk some sense into yourself, you are winning.
Next, you need to recognize where you are right now and where you want to be. Yes, absolutely begin setting goals, but what’s often overlooked is recognizing where you are currently. If your goal is to lose 40 pounds but you haven’t set foot in a gym in a decade, your better served to begin the habit of daily movement rather than starting a program that has you lifting and doing unfamiliar movements six days a week. If your diet involves you not eating until 6pm then gorging on pizza, you probably shouldn’t try following IIFYM right away. You need a workout program and clean eating meal plan that meets you where you are right now.
Lastly, get some support. If you are reading this, you are being supported. Reading material like this, conversing with like-minded fitness friends, hiring a coach or being part of my online membership program and my AMAZING Facebook groups are all ways you can find support. We can help talk you off the ledge, hold you accountable, motivate you, etc. Journeys are always better if they are shared with others.
If you are ready to take this journey with the support of others and you are ready to do something sustainable, join my online personal training program. I will help create a program that you enjoy and meets you where you are right now. Go to KyraWilliamsFitness.com/signup to learn more and join.
Your Coach,
Kyra
P.S. Which of these five pieces of advice resonates most with you? Leave a comment below!