4 mindsets that stop weight lossAlong crawled a classic question:
Why do attempts to lose weight fail despite dieting? One of the biggest frustrations is when someone decides ‘enough is enough’ and starts hitting the local gym or hops on a diet – but shockingly they are not rewarded for their efforts (at least not in the way they expected). Psychologically that puts them in a bind because they are working hard… making sacrifices… and putting in sweat equity. But it’s not working. (Or so they think) Here are four mindsets that can get in the way: One measuring stick dilemma Many people have one, maybe two measuring sticks to gauge their success. In many cases, it’s the bathroom scale. So if the scale is not showing progress they assume they are not making progress (and possibly failing at life). The reality is: they might have too few measuring sticks. And if they had more ways to measure, they might realize they are right on track. In some cases, they might realize they are already kickin’ butt. Expecting linear results Many people have an expectation of linear results - that results will be constant. And that what works will always work. But the path is never strait, it ebbs and flows. There’s volatility in it. And what works at first, might not always work. You might have to adjust your approach to breakthrough to another level. Destination vs. journey Many people attack their fitness goals with an underlying belief: As soon as I get my goal weight then I’ll be happy. Or then I’ll be done. Problem is, that’s not how lasting transformation happens. It’s not about ‘getting fit’ and then being done with it and moving onto something else. It’s about a much different relationship with nutrition and exercise where it expands and enhances all other areas of life. Short-term vs. long-term strategies Short-term many people can put up with spinach salads, celery sticks and lack of variety in their meals. Short-term many people can turn down dessert or bread at the restaurant. Many people can push through and suffer if they set their mind to it - for a finite amount of time. But long-term this is hard to do. It takes a different approach. That’s why it takes a willingness to embrace healthy and delicious. And it takes embracing a new lifestyle where you enjoy the results and enjoy the process. These are just a few stream-of-consciousness thoughts on the topic. Not sure who might have needed to hear this but these tend to be what trip people up most often in my experience. For a deeper dive into the mindset of lasting transformation, athleticism and a whole new relationship with fitness, check out: Mind-Body Breakthroughs Kelan Ern
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How to Cope with Knowing Fitness is EndlessCame across an interesting question online:
“How do you cope with knowing fitness is a for life thing?” Usually this thought pops up after someone has grooved a consistent workout routine… made nutritional changes… and is starting to get measurable results – whether that’s toned arms… pants fitting better… or the scale finally moving in their direction. But they start to see the journey as just “more of the same” and want to “be done” Comedian Tom Segura realized this on his weight-loss journey: “There is no end number, and that’s what took me a long time to figure out. You don’t get to a number and go: ‘we’re done’ … it’s a constant thing. As cliched as it sounds, it literally is a lifestyle.” And that’s both a blessing and a curse depending on how you look at it. Some people will focus on the hours of sweating on the treadmill… pounding chicken salads… and having to skip out on pizza dinners. And that’s one way of doing it but it tends to be harder to stick to and it’s a limited paradigm of what it could be. Recently there was a story of a couple who lost 80 pounds in two months for their Maui vacation. While getting “swimsuit ready” was the initial motivator, they didn’t stop there. They kept the chasing the adventure of expanding fitness. What started as an aesthetic goal for them has evolved into: pursuing doing a pull-up… running a marathon… competing in bodybuilding… building physical strength. While driving through rural Iowa over Easter weekend, I heard the song 500,000 Acres by The Fray which had the following lyrics: Follow me beyond the fences And lose track of the days And let your wild horses lead the way When we finally reach the water And walk that ocean floor We'll find a pearl and head on back to shore You're but half a million acres Lying underneath the sun So much left untouched by anyone There's another million acres Lying underneath your wing Will I ever know you all the way? Same goes with your fitness journey. There are millions of acres to explore. It’s up to you where you take it and where your adventure takes you. You can’t imagine what you can do and what you can experience with greater levels of athleticism. It’s a constant discovery process that unfolds over time. And more terrain opens up, the further you go. So when you get caught in the trap of ‘focusing on the endless process’ and assuming it’s going to be like this f-o-r-e-v-e-r - get associated to an ever-expanding vision of what fitness and greater athleticism could do for you. And trust that it could do that (and even more) Kelan Ern P.S. Something else that helps during the hard times is the ability to embrace all the plateaus… setbacks… and struggles on your journey and use them to move forward. This is not positive thinking but can create tremendous positive momentum. The April 2024 Issue of Mind-Body Breakthroughs shows you powerful examples (from two legendary athletes) and mega-strategies on how to embrace this unstoppable, never-give-in mindset. Check it out while you still can. How to Get Luckier on Your Fitness Journey Jake Gyllenhaal's Secret for Camera-Ready ShapeActor, producer Jake Gyllenhaal (known for Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, Prisoners) has made some waves recently with shirtless photos for his upcoming film “Road House”
(which is the remake of the 1989 movie about a bouncer called in to tame a rowdy bar) These are always interesting case studies because there is usually some mindset, strategy or approach to fitness that comes to the surface. Some people will chalk up there success to ‘Of course they get in shape, they have a chef cooking all their meals and a trainer working with them 7 days per week.’ And usually this is true. But for many of us it’s TBU True but useless (as author’s Chip and Dan Heath say) For those of us who don’t have that luxury we have to find alternative approaches that work for us and our lifestyle. So we have to get creative and extract lessons we can use. What’s interesting is Gyllenhaal’s trainer, Jason Walsh, shared with Insider something about getting him prepared for the movie that I didn’t expect. It’s not how these types of ‘celebrity case studies’ usually work. Walsh shared that getting him in shape was apparently not a challenge. Apparently, Gyllenhaal is no slouch to physical fitness, so he is always staying active and doing workouts outside the gym. According to Walsh: "If he's not in the gym doing strength training and conditioning, he's swimming, he's outside playing paddle tennis, he cycles like crazy. The guy does everything. He's just always looking for that stimulus." Because of this high activity level, he’s has a unique advantage for preparing for various roles. He doesn’t have to do a complete overhaul and do a 180 on everything that he is doing. He simply revs things up a bit more. Since he stays in a good shape when he has to prepare for a role in a movie, it doesn’t take him much time. He doesn’t have to work nearly as hard as other actors. There are multiple lessons here: #1: If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, cranking it up for special events such as vacations, competitions or other special events is not a Herculean feat. #2: Getting in shape doesn’t have to involve just working out at the gym. This is something I see happen a lot. People have a narrow view of what they think they need to do to get in better shape, instead of expanding their view and realizing just how many things will help them achieve that outcome. This is something I called finding your ‘fitness rhythm’ (which I go into much more depth on it in the June 2023 Mind-Body Breakthroughs). In essence, you find out the different approaches for getting in shape and you pick the ones that make the most sense based on your personality, habits, lifestyle and passions. It’s a very liberating way to approach health and fitness – because it can literally allow to start enjoying the journey again and the feeling of athleticism that comes with it. And that is a silver key to not just short-term results, but long-term results that becomes who you are. Kelan Ern P.S. For much more into a unique methodology of mindset, nutrition and exercise for taking your fitness journey further, faster and achieving lasting transformation - check out a free issue of the Mind-Body Breakthroughs newsletter. |
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