Tough Love
Maui Athletics® here with a little tough love that many of you probably need to hear, and you will likely need to hear this repeatedly throughout your fitness journey.
The “treat yo’self” mentality is the downfall of many when they’re trying to reach their fitness goals (lose fat, gain muscle, perform better, gain confidence etc.). You work so hard to nail your dietary compliance, so you think you deserve a treat, right? You made it through 2 weeks with no “cheats” so you’re due, huh? Two weeks is NOTHING. If 2 weeks is hard, you have a rough road ahead that will likely lead to ending up right back where you started. This is the time to remind yourself that this is a want not a need.
We can empathize with how difficult this can be, but we never condone this behavior. You’re an adult, not a child who is learning the difference between right and wrong and needs hand-holding. This is low-achiever, immature behavior and you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror at your actions. If you’re rewarding yourself with food, that says a lot about you and your habits. Why do you think that is?
Time to do some digging, and we can help with that. It’s our job to ask you the difficult questions and to push you out of your comfort zone. But it’s your job to acknowledge where you need to improve and to identify those habits that will prevent you from reaching your goals.
We are all for enjoying vacations and special events. That’s not what we’re talking about here. We are talking about your average Monday when someone at work brings in cupcakes or when you have leftovers from your anniversary dinner sitting in your fridge, calling your name. You don’t DESERVE anything. These are YOUR goals, not ours. No one is holding a gun to your head making you diet. You are surely mature enough to be able to withstand peer pressure from Deborah in HR who can’t even begin to imagine the type of work you have put in or your vision for your future self.
If you want to reach your goals, you can’t act like a child and then come to your coach and ask them to lower your calories so you can “make up” for it. Because we respect you and want to help you, we don’t tell you what you want to hear, we tell you what you need to hear in order to succeed. Rewarding yourself with food is partially why you are here in the first place.
“But if I can’t eat what I want, what is the point?” That is exactly the point. It takes months, not days or weeks, to change years of poor lifestyle habits. If you are asking yourself that very question, this write-up is for you. We will be your partners on this journey from beginning to end. It’s time to confront this negative thought pattern head on, and crush it!
