Are you a tortoise or a hare?

The story of the tortoise and the hare, it's pretty much required reading for toddlers and young kids worldwide.  As we all know (if we can remember that far back), the tortoise wins the race due to its slow and steady pace and not giving up when things got tough.  While the hare essentially went hell for leather and blew out before getting to the finishing line.

Does this sound familiar when it comes to your health and fitness?  Or the health and fitness of someone you know?  Massive push when summer rolls around and then back on the doughnuts and pies by February?  Great commitment to get into the suit or dress for a wedding and then let all of that good work go to waste after the photos have been taken?

If it's sounding like you, don't stress.  It's a common issue facing people trying to reach fitness goals.  And if you reached your fitness goal and now hitting the gym every other day isn't something you particularly care about, cool, this blog isn't meant for you - enjoy life the way you want to, no judgement here.

This blog is meant for people who are frustrated by the rebound following their pedal to the metal race towards fitness that usually ends in a fiery crash into a wall called their goal.  

The first thing you need to do is cut yourself some slack - as I said above, you're not the only person this happens to.  

Secondly, you need to take a look at the reasons why this happens.  Are there common occurrences each time you get close to your goal?  Are there pitfalls you keep running into?  What are the reasons why you fall off the fitness bandwagon and return to the old ways of eating and/or exercising?  Think deeply about these and look at ways in which you can avoid self-sabotage the next time around.  You may not have solutions to these pitfalls yet, but at least being aware of them is one step closer to being able to deal with them if and when they arise.

Right, that's the retrospective part dealt with (or some of it anyway), what about a better approach moving forwards?  Well, one way to stop being the hare is to be the tortoise.  Slow and steady.  It might not be as exciting results-wise as the all or nothing way of working, the weight will come off slower, the muscle mass will grow slower, but it will be a more sustainable way of reaching your goals.  The fluctuations in your results will be less variable also. 

Making small changes over time and giving those changes time to bed in and become habits is one of the best ways to see results over the long term.  As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, simply improving by 1% each day over the course of a year adds up to huge benefits rather than trying to change your whole lifestyle overnight which, for most people is simply impossible to maintain in the long run.  

Instead of trying to change everything, try something as simple as moving from sugar on your breakfast cereal to putting canned fruit (in juice) on instead.  Same sweetness, more vitamins, less refined sugar.  Wins all around.  Give yourself two weeks to make that change.  Then look at another tiny change.  How about instead of eating lunch at your desk, eat outside (OK not in a Wellington southerly, but when it is nice out).  You will eat more mindfully if you are not distracted by work, and you'll add some vitamin D into your life.  Win-win.  There are plenty more examples you could try too.  It doesn't have to be complex, just a step in the right direction.

These types of changes can seem minuscule to the point of not being worthwhile, but when you add them all together they can reap huge rewards for your health.  If you'd like more help in reaching your health and fitness goals and not falling back into old habits then get in touch and let's talk about how we can work together towards making some lifelong changes.