Perfect gets in the way of progress

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When you want to lose weight you are told you must eat clean, cut out sugar, cut out carbs, no junk food, no alcohol, you have to work out, you have to drink water, you have to get 8 hours of sleep, you should do Yoga, run, lift weights, be in a caloric deficit, take protein shakes, eat Keto and the list goes on. With this constant bombardment of things, you need to do if you want to lose weight we begin to write a narrative that perfection is the only way to get to the size we want to be. The issue with perfection is that it's unrealistic. If your career involves you looking fit then your health and fitness are part of your job, you make it your number one priority. But if you're like the rest of us who have a job constantly demanding more of you or you are in school and assignment keep pilling up or you are a mom who is constantly needed by your little ones it is incredibly challenging to balance everything and stay sane!

Instead consider an alternative that will allow you to reach your goals while keeping your mental sanity and consistency. This new way of tackling habits that make you lose weight is adaptable to the new stage of life you will embark on next week, next year or next decade. It's nothing revolutionary or excited really. It just to focus one one habit at a time. Go against our new normal of multitasking.

Reflect. Treat the inner child within you rather than the adult version of you. When a kid is learning to grab with it's hand you don't instantly demand it to grab big things and small trinkets and slimy objects with ease. No. You give them one item to focus on. Only when they’ve mastered their grip of the object to you switch or a new object. Perhaps a more challenging object to grasp. Therefore, condition yourself to focus on one habit, practice it again and again, and again once it becomes ingrained and part of your routine and lifestyle will you add a new habit into your routine. If you have never worked out focus on walking 20 mins every day. Once this is part of your routine then challenge yourself to a new habit. Perhaps you buy a bag of frozen veggies so you can eat veggies for dinner every night this week. Practice, practice, practice.

What happens when you fail to complete your habit? Tune in next episode to find out.

I want you to grab a piece of paper and pen. Pause the podcast if you need to. On the paper create four categories. Exercise, Nutrition, Sleep and Stress Management. These are the four pillars of weight loss. Begin writing ways you can improve on the categories.

Category #1: Exercise

-How many days a week are will willing and capable of working out

-do u have a library of exercises or videos you will follow

-what kind of activities do u enjoy. Walking, hiking, tennis, basketball, Zumba, etc

-when do u drink?

Category #2: Nutrition

-do u eat at least 3 servings of veggies every day?

-do u eat at least 3 servings of fruit every day?

-do u drink water 2 liters of water daily?

-do u cook?

-do u have a library of recipes?

Category #3: sleep

-do u get 8 hours of sleep daily

-do u watch tv or are on your phone before bed

-do u drink or take sleeping pills to fall asleep?

-is your to-do list running around in your head preventing u from falling asleep?

Category #4: Stress Management

-do u stress eat?

-do u not eat?

-do u drink when stressed?

-can u not sleep when stressed?

-do u drink to unwind after a long day?

-what do u do to relax?

Now these questions aren't designed for you to answer them with a yes or no answer but rather get the ball rolling what areas in your life that you think need improvement. All these questions are important aspects that will determine whether you achieve your fitness goal or not.

If you have any questions comment below or message me on Instagram @fitnessmanifest. Until next time, byeeee!