The Secret To Staying Committed To Your Workouts!

How I Lost Over 70 Pounds In Nine Months

I have been reflecting lately on my original weight loss success to try and figure out what my secrets were. I wonder how I was able to pull it off over six years ago when I lost over 70 pounds in a nine month period. Then it hit me. Keep reading to find out.

There are a bunch of simple things one can do to make the process of working out and sticking to it much easier. 

The first is to ensure you plan ahead and actually create a block of time in your day to workout. If you skip this step, you will find more often than not that other things in your life will eat up all of the time in the day and result in another missed workout. Brian Tracy outlines in his book Eat That Frog a key to success called the 6P Rule: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. This is 100% true for your workouts and nutrition!

The next thing you can do...and keep reading for the biggie...is to make sure the workout plan you've committed to is one that you really enjoy doing! If you are just doing a workout to do a workout, you are not going to stick with it long-term. It needs to be something that engages you, challenges you, changes you in some way, shape or form. 

One type of exercise many people do is running on a treadmill. I'll often ask them whether they actually enjoy running on the treadmill and the answer is quite often "no." And I ask then why they do it and normally it is just because it is the easiest fitness activity to do and they don't know what else to do.  

I don't want anyone to think that I think running has no purpose—it does! If you really enjoy the endorphin rush and the clarity of mind it can bring, then it is an awesome activity you should continue doing! If you are working towards a pace or distance goal and see progress, it is great. Heck, I even trained to do a full marathon back in 2011 in Rome, Italy with Team Diabetes Canada—if there is a goal in mind then do it. But if you only do it with the primary goal to lose weight, believe me: it isn't a great option (I actually gained weight while training for my marathon—totally not something I was expecting!).

Find an effective, efficient activity that incorporates high intensity interval training (HIIT, which is where the activity constantly changes every few minutes or so) that you really enjoy to get quick results to keep you motivated. You runners can even do interval training where you constantly change the pace of your running to develop your muscles more and increase the capacity of your lungs.

The next tip I have: Write down your fitness and/or nutrition goals and stick them around your work and home so you constantly see them! 

When writing your goals, first make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. goals! 

S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific 

Measurable 

Attainable 

Realistic 

Timely

So make sure your goal is specific enough, can be measured in some way, is something that can be hit by a certain date and is realistic based on your current lifestyle. 

Second: Always write your goals in the present tense as if you have already achieved your goal. When you've read your goals enough in the present tense, this tricks your subconscious into believing they are more real and automatic.

The last thing your goal needs to incorporate is your DEEP DOWN REASON or "WHY" for hitting your goal. This is the deepest level of motivation you can find for doing something. Whenever you come up with an answer as to why you have a goal, keep asking yourself "BUT WHY?" until you come to the most sincere reason possible.

Example Time! 

Saying "I want to lose 50 lbs because I'm sick of being overweight." isn't a good enough reason.  

Ask yourself "But why are you sick of being overweight?"  

A possible answer could be "Because I'm sick of always overeating." 

Again...ask "But why?" because really...who cares if you overeat? So what?!  

A deeper reason could be "because I don't have any energy." Ok great...this is getting closer...but still can get deeper!  

"But why does having no energy cause issues for you?"  

"Because if I had more energy I could keep up with my kids more and be able to spend more quality time with them and not just say I'm too tired all the time. I would be a better parent." 

Now THAT'S a REAL reason! That is your true deep down reason for losing weight. All of those other reasons won't keep you motivated. But if you constantly remind yourself that you are doing this to have more energy to be a better parent to your children, how can you not work your hardest to be that better more energetic self? You are letting your children down if you don't hit your goal.

Here is an example of a great goal one could write out using the principles I have outlined above:

I have successfully completed all 90 days of P90X on November 30th, I no longer eat refined sugars, and I have a healthy breakfast and plenty of fruits and vegetables each day. I have lost 30 pounds, no longer require my blood pressure medication, and I have more energy which allows me to be a more active parent with my kids and a better partner.

1. It is S.M.A.R.T. — specific, allows you to measure the success, attainable and realistic with a specific 90 day goal. 
2. It is written in the present tense as if you have already achieved it. 
3. It incorporates your deep down WHY.

But here's one of the biggest secrets to staying committed to my workouts...at least for me. I view my workouts as an actual job! If you make it as important as your job, there are very little things that you will allow get in the way of you "showing up to work" each day!

Answer these questions for me about your actual day job:

• Would you not go to work because you are too tired? [No. Who isn't tired when they wake up at 6am to go to work? You need to show up though!]
• How long would you last at a job that was boring and repetitive with no advancement opportunities?  [Not long. You will just find yourself moving from job to job without making any additional income over time, or regret the time you waste at work.]
• Would you ever say "I didn't go to work today because I didn't have any time!" [No. You find the time because it is important enough.]
• Would you ever say "I can't do my work. It's just too hard." [Maybe, but wouldn't you ask for help or educate yourself to figure out a way to make it work?]
• Would you just quit your job if you missed a day or two for being sick? [No!]

Replace the word "job/work" with "workout" above. Think of your commitment to working out just like you would your day job and it will change the way you view it forever! Perception is reality, so change your perception and it will get REAL.  That's how I successfully committed to getting in shape!

Incorporate the above strategies into your fitness plan and I guarantee you will have success! 

As an Independent Team Beachbody Coach, it is my job to help you discover complete and comprehensive fitness and nutrition tools you can use to hit your new super S.M.A.R.T. goals! I am also there to provide accountability and motivation via my online challenge groups! So feel free to contact me once you are ready to start one of the most rewarding and freeing "jobs" you'll ever have! I want you to succeed!

Coach Justin :D

coachjustinstanley@gmail.com (send me an email!)
facebook.com/justin.stanley (feel free to add me and say "Hi")