I know exactly what to do! (So why am I still not in shape?) If you’re reading this, you know what I’m talking about. You’re ready to lose those unwanted pounds, eat healthy, exercise regularly and get back in shape. It all sounds great, doesn’t it? You’re ready to take action, right?
Losing weight is a very personal process. Some people simply do not have the desire to make a change. After all, they’ve gotten used to their current lifestyle and have no problem with eating a few more carbs every day. On the other hand, there are also plenty of people who need to make a change, even if they don’t know it. They know they’re unhealthy, but they have trouble making the final step and really putting in the work.
Fortunately for those who are interested in getting fit, there are a number of different tools to help simplify the task. Apps like Android Wear, Apple Watch, Fitbit, and even the soon to be released Apple HealthKit provide valuable insight into how we can improve our health. With these tools, we have the ability to track our health stats on our phone, wrist, or even on a computer.
If you’re active and aware about health and fitness but still aren’t as fit as you’d like to be, it’s likely that you’re missing one or two key pieces. I’ll explain what they are in this post, as well as two crucial tactics for getting back on track.
You make an effort to eat healthily and exercise regularly. You’re a fitness expert with a lot of knowledge. You already know what you should do. However, you still don’t look or feel like you want to.
The good news is that this isn’t something to be ashamed of. Actually, you’re probably closer than you think. I’ll also provide two crucial tactics for getting back on track in this post.
“Even though I exercise frequently, I still have a layer of fat around my midsection. Could you have a look at my photos? “What do you think I should do?” says the narrator.
That was the final paragraph of a Facebook message I received recently from a man I met at a fitness lecture.
It may seem strange to be asked to look at body photographs and give fitness or nutrition recommendations, yet it happens all the time. Not only to me, but to all of our coaches as well.
These kinds of requests are usually made by persons who are well-versed in the field of fitness. Some of them are experts in the field of fitness. Some have minimal experience, while others have a great deal. Regardless, they are confronted with a couple of unpleasant realities:
- They’re not as committed to exercise and eating as they’d want to be, and they’re having trouble keeping to their goals.
- Based on how much they know about working out and eating healthily, they aren’t getting the outcomes they should be.
I recognized as I read his note that he had a lot in common with the men and women we assist here at.
- He confessed that it’s difficult for him to maintain consistency when things get hectic. He has a habit of going off track with his food and skipping workouts.
- He claimed that he had tried a variety of training routines and diets and that he understood what he needed to accomplish. But he was missing something crucial, something that could have a significant impact.
- He was irritated and humiliated at the same time. He felt he deserved a better body to match his intellect and hard work. He was looking for a way to turn things around, and he was reaching out to me for help.
And it turned out that I had just what he need.
Why did I know exactly what he needed?
Let me explain why I had the solution to his dilemma before I tell you what I told him.
The majority of visitors are unaware, however a significant portion of our consumers are not complete newbies. Many people who are “intermediate” or “advanced” come to us for assistance.
Of course, we still adore and look after our newcomer clientele. Many of our clientele, on the other hand:
I’ve already read a few articles on fitness and nutrition. They work out. They eat healthily, or at least attempt to do so. For most of their relatives and friends, they are the go-to “fitness expert.” Toni and Ron, for example, are personal trainers.
Are individuals who should be in excellent physical condition. And while they may have been in good shape at one time, they are now struggling. Men (like Bryan) and women (like Laurie) who are fed up with their bodies not being as thin, powerful, fit, or healthy as they know they can be.
I knew exactly what he was missing because we’d worked with thousands of seasoned individuals just like him, helping them get healthier and into the greatest shape of their life.
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The “missing link” to having the body of your dreams
The missing link is no longer a new fitness routine, the perfect eating plan, or a new supplement to test once you’ve reached a certain level of knowledge and expertise.
The one thing you’re lacking is being held accountable for your exercise and nutrition to someone or something.
“Accountability is the acceptance of responsibility for one’s conduct, as well as the requirement to report, explain, and bear accountability for the consequences.”
At other words, accountability keeps you constant by requiring you to report back to someone else what you’re doing—or not doing—in the gym and in the kitchen.
Accountability is, in fact, more important than personal drive for the following reason:
No one is always inspired to go to the gym or eat well.
But if someone is keeping an eye on us to see how things are going, we’ll get our act together. Even if we aren’t feeling particularly driven at the time.
We genuinely put in the effort—and consume the right foods—to look and feel our best. We do it over and over again, even when things are difficult.
As a result, you’ll know exactly what to do. And you can do it in small bursts—exercise, eat well, get eight hours of sleep. However, you may still find yourself in difficulty.
Simply put, you can’t make progress if you can’t be consistent.
That’s why, rather than the perfect exercise or nutrition plan, it’s accountability that makes all the difference. (Hey, it could even be able to help you.)
So, what’s the big deal? What methods do you use to ensure accountability?
Here are two solutions you can implement right away.
Commit to more… and/or less as your first accountability method.
You must commit to more and/or less in order to be consistent. Let me explain what I’m talking about.
We all make half-hearted pledges to ourselves, only to be disappointed and break them shortly thereafter. That’s all right (and understandable). However, if we want a different outcome, we’ll need a different kind of devotion.
Option 1: Increase your commitment.
The goal is to dedicate oneself to something larger than yourself. If you can make it enjoyable, you’ll get bonus points.
Setting up a contest with friends is one of the simplest approaches. Who can go the longest period of time without skipping a workout? Who can make the most meals at home rather than going out to eat?
It’s important to note that this isn’t about success (who lost the most weight, etc.). It’s all about action.
At first, focus on and reward yourself for what you do (getting to the gym, cooking a meal), rather than what you achieve. Because that’s what you can control right now.
What do you believe you’ll be able to achieve in a month of continuous exercise and healthy eating? What do you think about a year?
Option 2: Make fewer commitments.
This is the most difficult one. Our natural propensity, especially when it comes to ourselves, is to overpromise and underdeliver. Doing the contrary is one of the simplest (and most counter-intuitive) methods to maintain consistency.
Overdeliver and underpromise. Consider each commitment you’re going to make to yourself as a rough draft.
Before you really commit, ask yourself, “How confident am I that I could accomplish this every day for the next 30 days on a scale of 1-10?”
Find a means to make the promise smaller or easier if your gut reaction is anything else than “9” or “10.”
For example, instead of saying, “Every day, I’ll cut out sugar,” say, “Every day, I’ll cut out sugar.”
- “I’ll stop eating when I’m 80 percent full at each meal.” Eat slightly less of what you’re presently eating.
- “I’m going to eat one (additional) home-cooked dinner per day.” Concentrate on preparing a single meal with care.
- “Every day, I’ll eat one large salad.” Concentrate on eating one additional well-chosen meal, even if it means purchasing it. Salads containing chicken are becoming available at even quick food restaurants.
And change “I’ll go to the gym every morning at 6 a.m.” to “I’ll go to the gym every morning at 6 a.m.”
- “When I wake up, I’ll perform 40 air squats at home.” Do something that doesn’t involve any travel or special equipment.
- “I’ll schedule two decent exercises per week and go from there,” says the author. Reduce your commitment to something you can always keep; do more only if you have the time, and make it fully optional.
- “I’ll park further away from work/school and walk the remaining distance.” It gets even better.
Of course, those are only samples. You’ll find one that suits your needs.
Reduce the commitment till it becomes too simple for you. Until you’re able to answer “9” or “10” without thinking about it. Those are the things you can perform on a regular basis.
If you think you can do more on any given day, go for it. But don’t make a commitment. Your everyday accomplishments can be significant, but your obligations should be modest. This manner, you may change a daily source of disappointment into a source of delight.
Your everyday accomplishments can be significant, but your obligations should be modest.
For many people, especially those who are well-informed about health and fitness, this is both a humbling and liberating experience.
It’s humbling because we often delude ourselves into believing we’re capable of much more than we are. (And that’s perfectly normal and acceptable.)
It’s liberating because, once we recognize that the only way to make a significant change is to make a series of tiny ones like this, “consistency” and all the benefits it provides become a reality.
However, the issue that most people have here is: would that actually work? Will such minor adjustments have any effect?
When done in order, the answer is yes. The second one is significantly easier once the first one is completed, and so on. It’s remarkable how effective “making things easier” can be.
In fact, it’s how we work with our own clientele. This brings us to the third possibility.
Option 3: Make both more and less commitments.
Make a significant, outward commitment (like the friendly bet with your friends or co-workers).
And, while you’re doing it, make a commitment to only tackling one component of that greater commitment at a time. Reduce the size of each mini-commitment until you’re almost certain you’ll be able to complete it in 30 days.
We integrate both strategies in our coaching: a large, group commitment and a smaller, personal, daily commitment.
Each year, we provide $250,000 in cash rewards to our top clients in recognition of their significant dedication. Not just the ones that got the best results, but also the ones who kept the little, daily commitments the longest.
That’s right, we reduce the process of becoming in the best shape of your life down into manageable chunks. They’re little enough that each client can complete them.
Then we put them all together for a year. The results are available on our website; suffice it to say, they are persuasive.
As a result, alter your approach to commitment. Go huge and small at the same time. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
The only way to jumpstart your success is to alter your commitment style. Don’t take the easy way out. You can go bigger, smaller, or both.
#2 Accountability Strategy: Enlist the assistance of at least one additional person.
Let me share a personal anecdote with you.
There was a point, not long ago, when I began skipping one or two sessions every week. Why? I was “busy” at the time.
In the context of a week, the exercise didn’t mean much—not it’s like I was becoming out of shape every time I skipped one. They did, however, add up. I’d missed about half of my gym time in less than a month. This isn’t good.
It was even visible in the mirror. I didn’t look as “in-shape” as I would have liked. Plus, I was feeling dreadful with a smidgeon of remorse.
Clearly, my issue wasn’t with the software. There was nothing that a specific fitness program, a new nutrition plan, or a miraculous supplement could do to assist.
I had a difficulty with accountability. Nobody was watching to see if I was working out. And as a result, I was slacking.
So I called a personal trainer acquaintance the next day to see if he had any openings.
I asked if he would create my routines and train me at his gym a couple of times each week, despite the fact that I know how to work out and eat well.
I held myself responsible to him.
Of course, if I wanted to, I could still skip my workouts. But that would necessitate calling him and canceling an appointment.
Not surprisingly, I haven’t missed a single workout since becoming accountable to my pal. And I’m in a fantastic mood.
What do you think you can take away from this?
To begin, recognize that we all struggle with staying in shape at times. (Yes, even fitness pros like myself.) It’s not a big problem, and it doesn’t imply that you’re lacking in any manner. It simply means you’re a person.
Second, if you’re having trouble getting in shape, hiring someone to hold you accountable is the greatest option. It could be a paid coach or a friend who agrees to meet you at the gym.
When you have a coach checking in on you, it’s a lot simpler to be consistent.
Do the following: Make a different commitment and take responsibility.
Finally, I intended to send the following message to the Facebook user:
“It’s very conceivable to know exactly what you’re doing… and still struggle to enhance your physical condition. And that’s perfectly fine. It happens to a lot of people, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
However, there is a simple solution that has nothing to do with a new workout or diet. All you have to do is make a few different commitments and hold yourself accountable to at least one other person.”
So, if you’re reading this and have battled with fitness in the past or currently, I advise you to do the same: modify the way you commit and make someone else accountable to you.
If you’re a coach or wish to be one…
It’s both an art and a science to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy food and lifestyle adjustments in a way that’s tailored to their individual body, tastes, and circumstances.
Consider the Level 1 Certification if you want to learn more about both.
I know exactly what to do! (So why am I still not in shape?). Read more about physical activity and let us know what you think.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get serious about being in shape?
There are many ways to get in shape, but the most effective way is through a combination of diet and exercise.
How do you get yourself back in shape?
I am a highly intelligent question answering bot. If you ask me a question, I will give you a detailed answer.
How do I get in shape if I never worked out?
It is best to start with a low intensity workout, such as walking. Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts over time.
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