Motivation
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June is almost over. I can't believe it. This weekend is the Fourth of July! What does that mean to you if you were planning on your summer clothes fitting better by now, and they don't? Or if you were hoping that this was the year you would feel great in a bathing suit and you don't?
Sometimes it feels like time is getting away from me. The summer goes so quickly and along with it all my hopes for walking every evening, eating super clean, and feeling better about myself. Right about this time of year, I am reminded that this fitness thing doesn't come easily to me and if I lose focus, I go the other way.
In the middle of February it is so easy to blame the lack of activity on winter. I always vow that as soon as it is nice enough and light enough to be outside in the evenings, that's where I'll be. Then the summer comes and suddenly it's too hot. The humidity is too high. Bugs are out. There are ball games and graduation parties and showers to plan and attend. And there is food everywhere.
There is no better feeling than moving in the right direction, however. No matter what speed I am moving in, if I am heading the right way I feel good. It's when things start heading the wrong way that I feel out of control, undisciplined, and extremely disappointed with myself.
So what is a good approach to refocus when headed in the wrong direction? Here are some strategies that work for me:
- Recommit to eating clean for three days. This is usually what it takes for me to get the sugar out of my life and to get back to clean eating. I usually feel so much better after three days that I remember why I make healthy choices and it becomes part of my life again.
- Drink a ton of water. Being dehydrated can make my workouts feel like torture and give me the false signal that I'm hungry when really I am craving water. When I get out of the habit of carrying my water bottle, I struggle. So I dig the water bottle back out of the cupboard and recommit to staying hydrated all day long.
- Stay off the scale. When I am heading in the wrong direction, the scale is not my friend. Trying to control the measurement won't help me make the changes I need to make. Focusing on my behavior is what works. Whether it is going back to my food journal, logging miles in a spreadsheet, or counting servings of fruits and veggies what helps me is to refocus on my behavior. I can measure the results of my behavior change later, once I have some consistency (I say wait at least 4 weeks). If you are hooked on the scale, you're missing the point. Get off it.
- Start measuring your heart rate every single workout. The best way to do this is with a heart rate monitor but you can also measure your heart rate manually. Take your pulse for 6 seconds and add a zero. So 13 beats plus a zero is 130 beats per minute which is right in the aerobic zone for most of us. Don't waste your time working out anaerobically (too high of a heart rate). When I do that, I feel like crap, get a headache and sore muscles, crave sugar, and am much less likely to work out next time. Stay aerobic.
- Know your aerobic range. Here's the math:
220 - your age = (MAX)
0.65 x (MAX) = low limit
0.85 x (MAX) = high limit
So my aerobic range (I am 45 years old) is
Low Limit: 0.65 x (220 - 45) = 114
High Limit: 0.85 x (220 - 45) = 149
If you need help understanding your limits and how staying withing your aerobic range can help you lose weight, make a coaching appointment with me. I will explain it thoroughly and I guarantee it works. (If you have lost weight by using a heart rate monitor, please write to me. I would love to share your stories and strategies with my clients.)
- Get consistent. Stops and starts are the nemisis of weight loss and fitness. Last week I set my alarm for 5:00 AM so I could get a run in on Thursday. If you know me, you know that is not my happy time to run or even be awake. But I know that if it's going to be 90 degrees and humid, the morning is my best shot at getting it done. I really didn't Want To, but if I can do that, you can overcome your excuses and busy life and do it too.
Now get moving!
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