Trying to stick to a workout and diet plan but struggling? If so, you may want to take a closer look at what you’re currently doing that could be completely derailing your motivation. Motivation is something that tends to come and go for many people and unless they have the right principles in place, is something that may never come back.
People are falling off their workout and diet protocols all the time and the best way to get around this is to take proactive measures. Let’s walk you through five things that you could be doing to crush your motivation and send you spiraling off your protocol.
1. Going at it Alone
First, make sure that you are not going about things alone. Whether you have a workout buddy, a diet partner, an accountability partner, or a personal trainer working with you, just make sure that you are experiencing the journey with someone. When you feel like you’re alone, as soon as the hard times hit, you’ll go falling off the plan in no time.
2. Expecting Perfection
Next, you must make sure that you aren’t expecting too much from yourself. This is another area in which many people go wrong and it causes them serious issues. If you expect yourself to be perfect, you’ll be far less likely to put forth any effort at all. If you are willing to except maximum effort, it’s far more encouraging to at least try.
Perfectionist thinking is the worst thing that you can get trapped into as you try and make changes in your health and fitness level.
3. Not Learning from Previous Mistakes
It’s a must that you take time to learn from past mistakes. Whatever happened in the past can serve to help you grow stronger – if you use it to learn from the mistake. If you aren’t learning from mistakes, you are bound to repeat the behavior, leading to more problems down the road.
After each set-back occurs, look at why and what you can do so that it doesn’t happen again.
4. Not Using a Plan That You Enjoy
It’s imperative that you put yourself on a workout and diet plan that you enjoy. With so many different approaches out there that can be very successful, there is simply no reason to do something that you don’t like. Do that and you are headed for failure. Seek out a program that you enjoy and actually look forward to.
Remember that leading a healthy lifestyle does not and should not feel like torture. If it does, you’re doing something wrong.
5. Neglecting Rest
Finally, make sure that you are giving yourself sufficient rest throughout the week. One big mistake that people who are new to the fitness and health scene make is going full speed ahead, hitting the gym six to seven days a week. Two weeks later, they’re wondering why they can’t muster up the energy to get back in there for their next workout.
Start focusing on working hard, but resting hard as well. Remember, rest is vital to your recovery and coming back to the gym feeling strong and ready to push yourself. If you aren’t recovered, you clearly are not going to be in the mood to be pushing yourself at all.
So keep these quick tips in mind as you go about your workout and diet protocol. If you feel a slip in motivation, make sure one of these is not at play.
Featured photo credit: Paul Bence via flickr.com