Self-Sabotage - Its Prevalence In Fitness & How To Overcome it

The Vicious Cycle of Fitness "Oops-I-Did-It-Again"

Ever found yourself in a blissful harmony of crunches and kale, feeling like a wellness warrior, only to find yourself knee-deep in a bag of chips by the weekend? You tell yourself, "I deserve this!"

And just like that, you're back to square one. This oh-so-relatable dance between consistency and "treat yo' self" is a rollercoaster many of us ride, often with more downs than ups.

Shake Off the Shame Salsa

First off, drop the guilt. It's old news and is just weighing you down. We all trip over our workout shoes from time to time. Accepting these fitness flops is like freeing yourself from an overly tight sports bra—utter relief!

But it does raise an intriguing question: why do we do it?

We FINALLY establish a routine of regular exercise and healthy eating, we see results, we feel strong, and then we "treat" ourselves for this hard work, which sets us right back to where we started. We end up like a dog chasing its tail. Why, oh why?!

This isn't to suggest that you can never eat something you want, but have you noticed that you don't just have one thing, you have it in excess? Or you don't skip just one session, you end up stopping all together.

It's almost like you're working as hard as you can towards putting yourself back to where you were as quickly as possible!

The Mysterious Brain Thermostat: Why We Self-Sabotage

Here’s a little-known fact: your brain is basically a thermostat stuck at a “comfortable” setting. This sneaky little device in your head has a fixed idea of who you are. When you try to change your habits, your brain goes into panic mode, trying to pull you back to your old self. It's not laziness; it's a full-on system override trying to keep things status quo.

Meet Amara: Queen of Comebacks

Take Amara, for instance. Over the last few years, Amara’s life took a turn that many of us might find all too familiar. Once an active ice skater, she transitioned into a desk-bound job. Gradually, without even noticing, Amara gained over six stone.

This isn't just about the numbers on a scale; it's about what happens when we drift away from our active selves.

Amara was determined to change and reclaim her health. She began with clean eating and started jogging again. The initial days weren’t easy, but the results were immediate - she felt healthier and her clothes fit better.

But, on a seemingly harmless Friday, after a week of consistency, a fierce craving for pizza set in. It was, after all, Friday—the universal day of indulgence.

Here’s what Amara didn’t realise: her brain was in self-sabotage mode. While she thought she was simply craving pizza, her brain was actually working to revert her to her old, comfortable baseline. It wasn't about the pizza; it was about resistance to change.

On one hand, she looked in the mirror and part of her brain thought, "Yes, you're doing it, keep going, loving the results!" But another part of her brain was saying, "This is not who you are! We need to do something here; we're in unknown territory, who knows what might happen?! RETRACT!" Her brain’s default was trying to maintain the status quo, tempting her back to old habits under the guise of a well-deserved reward.

The Great Thermostat Reset

Understanding this was Amara’s breakthrough. This wasn’t a failure of willpower but her brain’s natural defence against change.

Realising this, Amara learned to reset her "thermostat" to embrace and sustain her new lifestyle changes.

This wasn't about suppressing cravings through sheer will; it was about transforming her outlook and internal settings to align with her health goals.

By resetting our internal narratives, we can not only overcome physical and mental barriers but turn our entire life around.

Sound good? How do we do it?

Practical Magic: How to Update your Thermostat

Transforming your "thermostat setting" in terms of self-perception and behaviour isn't just about small tweaks; it's about a revolutionary shift in the core of your being. This journey demands more than mere adjustments—it calls for a radical reassessment of who you are and how you engage with the world around you. It's about awakening to the realisation that you have the power to redefine your thermostat and reshape your actions.

This process begins with a bold, conscious decision to envision and craft a new version of yourself. So, are you ready to get hotter? (thermostat humour)

Let’s get practical:

• Identify Your Current Thermostat: Start by acknowledging how you currently see yourself—your beliefs about your capabilities, appearance, and behaviour (particularly in the area of fitness). Be completely 100% honest with yourself. There is no judgment here; wherever you start is not wrong or bad—it's simply a place to start! This isn't about transforming yourself into someone else or being hard on who you are; it's about giving YOU control. You get to decide your thermostat setting. So, with love and appreciation, how do you see yourself right now?
  

• Visualise Your New Setting: Create a vivid mental image of who you want to be. What are some characteristics you want to change, implement, or update? Include details such as how you look, how you behave in various situations, and how others perceive you. The more detailed your visualisation, the more impactful it will be.
  

• Go Deep: Don't just tell yourself, "I want to be fit!" That won't change your brain. You need to create a genuine emotional connection to your new thermostat setting to override the current one! Really get into it, ask yourself: How do you dress? How do you carry yourself? How do you handle stress? What thoughts does your ideal self have?
  

• Play Out The Day: Take a moment to vividly imagine your entire day as your new thermostat. Start from the moment you wake up, feeling refreshed and ready. See yourself engaging in a productive morning routine, heading to work full of confidence, making healthy choices, and managing tasks like a boss. Include specifics like the clothes you wear, the interactions you have, and the emotions you feel throughout the day.
  

• Repeat It With Colour: Once you’ve visualised your day once, go through it again, but this time increase the intensity of the colours you see. Brighten them 10x, then 100x, then 1000x! This enhanced sensory visualisation helps to deepen the emotional and psychological impact of your imagined experiences.
  

• Finally, Repeat It With Speed: Now, run through your day a third time at double speed. Like it's on fast forward. This rapid technique reinforces your new identity in a dynamic and engaging way. It also aids in making the routine feel more familiar and automatic, as if it's truly part of your daily life.

Be open to change and watch for the signs.

Your new setting will send you subtle messages that deviate from your usual routine, which was programmed from your previous thermostat settings.

So, if you get an idea to join a club, cycle to work instead of driving, or receive an invitation to a Ju-Jitsu class, for example, be open to it! You've upgraded the software; now it's time for the hardware to respond.

If you’re looking for a more detailed guide on how to overcome self-sabotage and take control of your life, check out our digital toolkit, Motivation On Demand. Packed with practical exercises and insights, it’s designed to help you instantly turn on your motivation and keep it burning bright. Don’t wait for tomorrow – start your transformation today.