One of the ways I see people sabotage their fitness results is trying to be perfect.
They go in with an overly aggressive plan, get frustrated when they can’t stick to it, and allow themselves to slide into a period of unhealthy behavior.
I have one client who recently realized that just four days of poor eating, too much alcohol, and gym clothes that stayed in her suitcase while on vacation were enough to bring those poor habits on the plane home with her. And the next thing she knew, four days of less than ideal became a week … and then two … until she finally realized she had to get back on track.
Guess what? It all comes back to your mindset again.
If you believe that you won’t be able to resist all the rich food options or make time for exercise while you’re on vacation, guess what’s going to happen?
You’re going to indulge in all the rich food options, and your workout clothes aren’t going to get much of a workout sitting in your suitcase.
But we can also oversteer in the other direction, too. Setting out on your next trip deciding that you’re going to eat nothing but salad and grilled chicken while walking 5 miles a day and hitting the hotel gym before breakfast and after dinner every day is just going to set you up for failure.
Be reasonable. And don’t try to be perfect.
Commit to something you’re 80 percent certain you can stick to every day.
Maybe it’s a 15-minute bodyweight workout three days a week on your way to breakfast. Is it as good as a full-blown strength, core and conditioning workout? No … but it’s better than nothing.
Call ahead to make sure the hotel room has a mini fridge, and set aside some time when you arrive to hit the store for some fruit, raw veggies, hummus, Greek yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs. This way, when hunger strikes, you’ll have healthy options.
Keep it simple. And while you don’t want to plan for vacation or the holiday season with feelings of dread about how hard it’s going to be to exercise and choose healthy food options, you also don’t want to go in planning to be perfect.
Imperfect action and a realistic plan will work much better.
Your innie friend and coach,
Paul F. Sweatt CPT PN1
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt
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