Training advice for the Fit Pros

Fallen off the wagon (AGAIN) 

Are you one of those people who starts something only to find themselves back where they began with all the wrong habits and annoyed at yourself for having lost your way. When you went over to the family lunch did you find that all the foods you shouldn’t be eating were available? That then turned into a holiday and again felt like your only option was to eat the forbidden foods (after all it WAS your holiday) Ultimately you find yourself now in a space between Christmas and the new year now and you are questioning if you should get back into the routine of eating sensibly again or whether you wait until the New Year to start again. 

If you are thinking like this then you will always find a reason to not diet properly, or stick with it and you will more than likely find yourself consistently out of shape and in need of “dieting” and training. Inevitably everyone falls into this trap at one time or other and it is easy to do! Falling off the wagon is something which happens to everyone, even the hardened professionals in sport that you see and probably spend time comparing your physique too! It is natural and a normal event so you should stop beating yourself up every time that you do fall away from the desired behaviours and habits. The question then, is how do you get back on track and stay on track with your mission in looking and feeling better? 

One thing that is key in making changes to your lifestyle, training or nutrition is implementing small and easy habits into your day. For example we know that if you are well hydrated then you are less likely to snack so you could start a habit of drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning to make sure you start the day off right with some much needed hydration. Something as simple as this implemented every day can help reduce the trouble of over-eating during the day. 

Another habit that you may find helpful is that of preparation. When you are planning to have a training session the next morning it can be helpful to have prepared ahead of time for the session by laying out the clothes that you will wear for your workout the next day. You might also find that it helps to prepare your food in advance.  Doing these small things can help with the adherence to your exercise and nutrition plan. Of course it isn’t going to be 100% all the time and that’s okay as well because as long as you are getting it right most of the time then you can allow to fall of track on occasion. 

You can also plan breaks into your routine so that you know when you are going to go off plan with your training and nutrition. These plans will give you a form of structure that enables you to know how and when you will be getting on track and also how you will do this. Having breaks is very normal and you must not beat yourself up for taking them. They are necessary, like taking a day off at the weekend to unwind from work, or taking off for a week from work to enjoy time with your family. Breaks are a healthy and normal part of being human and getting the right amount of rest for you can actually help re-energise you and push you to work harder towards reaching your goals! 

So in summary, don’t be so hard on yourself when things go off track, it happens for whatever reason, planned or unplanned. The important part is that you bring your attention back to those habits which you know are good for you and keep you feeling great! 

Stay Strong 

Alex O-King