If you have had success before and it was something that you felt really proud of, that really stays with you. It is likely that you are fond of it because of the work it took to get there. This can become part of our identity. As life changes and we go through different cycles, sometimes our priorities change and so does our bodies. That can make it hard to face the truth, that we are not at the peak anymore. Yet, it seems, when we start again, we often have that expectation to start performing at the same level. I am not talking about lifting the same or being at the same physical speed. I am talking about the expectation that we can commit to it, start meal planning, have a perfect week with meals, and go from 0 to 5 workouts right off the bat.
We don’t remember that maybe it took six weeks of really focusing to work the meal plan. That it took a lot of trial and error. Or maybe built up to 5 days a week of working out.
The past athlete is someone that may be able to really relate to this. It is the person that played in sports, athletics, or just was very regular with an exercise routine and got to a peak level of fitness. The previous athlete got used to a routine of daily exercise, pushing themselves physically and mentally. They may still identify with being in shape even though they may have put on 40 pounds. They are used to eating a certain amount of food and that can be an adjustment.
The transition into college or work is usually something that can lead to weight gain for anyone. Unless a person is really paying attention, they are likely to continue eating that same amount with their activity levels down, which will lead to gaining weight.
Another challenge can be the constant comparison to ‘last year I was working out 5-6 days a week.’ When they are starting again, in my observation, it can be hard for them to even imagine starting with less than a 60 minute workout. Risk of injury is also why we are all cautioned against starting at the same weight as peak levels after having a long break at the gym. What we are not remembering, is that it took 6 months to build up to getting consistent, maybe longer. That level of athleticism may have also had years of working out as a baseline.
The same goes with nutrition. The person that did Keto last year and lost 40 pounds, might be starting with that comparison. Just like any weight gain, they may feel embarrassed or disappointed at being off track.
The good news is that those brain pathways might just need a bit of dusting off, the habits, the mindset is definitely still available. It might just mean letting yourself start with 15 minutes because that is what you have time for. If you are stopping yourself, you may have just said, ‘That is not enough time.’ or ‘That won’t do anything.’ ‘I can’t imagine doing only 15 minutes.’ You won’t stay there. Setting a realistic goal allows you to build the habit, which is more important. Yes, at the end of the week it is 15 minutes five times. It is also setting the time that every day you now exercise at 6 pm.
It will also allow you to figure out your schedule, prioritize that time frame, add to it and build up the base of exercise again. It will also serve at reducing stress, which we can get benefits from in a short amount of exercise. Most importantly, it will start creating the habit of exercise again. Any Habit long term is more powerful than the effects you think you will get for that one day of the activity.
Even if you like exercise, being so sore after your first session back that you can barely walk might be encouraging a pain association with working out. Starting at a manageable pace and building on that can help create a more positive association with working out.
This mentality bleeds into nutrition whether you have been a past athlete or not. Maybe you have been a weight watchers athlete who was consistent for years and now find yourself needing to get back on track after a set back. The Past Success Mindset towards nutrition is when you compare yourself to your peak. That might be when you were meal planning each week, tracking, in the habit and feeling on top of it. What you are not remembering, is that it may have taken some time to figure out how to be consistent.
Really think back to that time, did you incorporate it all in one week, right out of the gate? Maybe it took four to six weeks of trying before it all came together. You also may have had some accountability partners. Maybe you jumped right into a nutrition plan and were successful because you meal planned a few hours on the weekends, including shopping. Either way, time spent reflecting on the goal is key.
This comes up with tracking calories too. It is important to realize that the first step of calorie counting is just actually doing it, remembering to do it. It takes effort to remember and be consistent. After doing it, then you can actually see what you are eating in numbers. You have to start tracking to see the issue. It is like a budget. You wouldn’t expect yourself to start cutting out spending before knowing what the priorities are and the problems. That ‘healthy’ item you thought is actually x amount of calories, the same as a meal. What most of us do is expect to start tracking and be successful hitting a recommended number of calories right off. Unless you have previous experience or have created a meal plan that is set up to do this, that is unrealistic. Tracking is just showing you the budget. The next thing is figuring out what is breaking the budget and what you need to replace it with.
Tracking is just showing you the budget. The next thing is figuring out what is breaking the budget and what you need to replace it with.
If you are able to get back on a plan, want to do that and are able, absolutely do! It is possible with a few hours of meal planning. I am just making the point of don’t quit because you were unable to do it right away as fiercely as your peak. Match your goal to the time you are willing to put into it and your motivation level. Maybe you follow a meal plan that allows for that. You can also focus on one area each week and play add on. Each week could be vegetables, healthy lunches or dinner.
Comparing yourself to the most perfect week you had during the time you spent on the x nutrition plan diet, is like starting to run again after a year break and expecting to run your best time the first week out. While you may be able to make nutrition changes faster, you may need a little time to tweak some things you forgot. You have also built up some habits that may need some careful planning and temporary discomfort to be successful.
Instead of the comparison game, I encourage starting with a growth mindset. A growth mindset expects there to be imperfect days, so you can see what needs to change. It allows for the mindset of practice not perfection. Growth mindset gives you permission to try hard, make mistakes and enjoy the process!
Give yourself more time with a realistic plan! ❤️
More readings:
Here is a great book on Growth Mindset called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. This is one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read. It applies so much to the energies we are going through right now. Below is a link to the book that is available for FREE with an audible membership! (At the time of this posting.) If you choose to buy I can get a small commission, as an Amazon Associate.
I also mention brain pathways which has come up in many readings lately on behavior change but a great book that I have mentioned before is called, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Below is an amazon link to the book where if you choose to buy I can get a small commission, as an Amazon Associate.