How to start being healthy when you don’t feel like it

Often, the thought of starting a healthy plan or diet can be worse than actually doing it.

You might have noticed that I haven’t been posting articles over the last couple of weeks (if you haven’t shame on you), as I have been getting married and traveling with the family.

Whilst being away I took time off from training and let the hair down with the food. Believe it or not I was sick of 5-star hotel buffet breakfasts by the end of it!

I reached my upper limit for pancakes and waffles…

What I didn’t account for was the feeling of resistance getting back into training and being unmotivated to start.

Habits are great for staying on track with health, but they can become unhealthy once momentum builds in the opposite direction.

Here are 5 tips I used to overcome my post-holiday blues and get the ball rolling.

Bite sized chunks – Don’t look at the overall program or how much you have regressed. A tip I picked up from best-selling author Tim Ferriss regarding habits, using the analogy of flossing your teeth. Say to yourself all I need to do is floss one tooth per day and don’t worry about the rest. Once you have flossed that one tooth, then chances are you’ll floss the rest of your teeth just because the floss is in your hand and you have overcome the resistance of beginning a task. Same for training, just showing up will create momentum. Say to yourself I’m just going to do 15min, and chances are you’ll do more.
Social accountability and fun – Call on your friends, family and colleagues. Weaving your training into catch-ups and leisure time. I committed and started working out with my wife, making sure to not take it too seriously and making it fun. I also signed up to an adventure race (Spartan race) with a client which is in less than 3 weeks’ time.
Exercise and training before worrying about food – Physiology dictates psychology. Movement is medicine for your mood and motivation. I have found over the years of coaching, starting with exercise first alters behaviour patterns for nutrition and overall health choices. I have had numerous smokers train with me, and with little prompting they give up the nasty habit within a few months. Their new behaviour, investment and priority leaves no room for cigarettes. Same can be said for food choices, your body will crave nutrients for recovery from exercise.
Act without thinking – Don’t wait for all your stars to align. There will never be a perfect day to start, so start before you’re ready. “But I have an injured shoulder, sore back or I will try to lose weight before starting training”. There is always something you can do! Stop hiding behind excuses and work around your constraints. The best time to start was yesterday, so don’t waste time waiting for the perfect day, because it will never come.
Be clear and outcome focuses – Writing it down. It is no secret that if you don’t know what you want, then it’s going to imposable to achieve anything. See related article here for further information. With countless clients in person and online, I get them to use my goal setting chart. Simple but effective. I haven’t had anyone that has used it not succussed. To get a FREE copy see below.