Beebleblog

Some people may think that having a personal trainer or an exercise expert to hand is all they need to make that first lifestyle change into a permanent one. For some people this is the case and it can work for them. There are even people who only need to read a workout in a magazine to follow it religiously until they see the benefits. However, there are many more people who are not so lucky and will try exercise only to stop and revert back to old habits. With diets it is much the same, resulting in going from old habits to dieting to old habits to dieting which is also known as yo-yo dieting (I think you can see why – Beeble).

I recently wrote an article on “The Stages of Change” where I pointed out that not everyone is ready just to get up and make the change and you have to pigeon hole yourself into a particular category to be able to guarantee a successful start. Don’t worry, I have not changed my mind about this, but we are not all the same and whilst this category-based approach will help some people there is a definite group that this still won’t help. This group are the people that although a diet and fitness regime should help them achieve their goals it is not something that they will willingly stick to or make their new lifestyle change without a “prison warden” watching their every move.

What type of person is this?

There are some people who won’t even know that they are the sort of person who is going to have immense difficulty making a lifestyle change. They have probably tried but have never been able to stick to it. This is for the simple reason that they have not tried to tackle their ‘inner demons’ first, before even taking on a diet or exercise routine.

People must be happy within themselves before they even try to make a change. A lot of overeating and ill health is caused not because the person is lazy, not because the person enjoys all the bad food but for the fact that they are hiding from the true problem. Comfort eating, other eating disorders and even alcoholism all occur because of unhappiness, an anxiety or fear that they find hard to face, not for the love of the condition itself and this leads to their addiction.

Evidence

Being in the profession that I am, I know for a fact that if you exercise and eat healthily you will become healthier yourself. However beyond my expertise are the inner issues and burdens that a lot of people are carrying around with them that absolutely must be dealt with before anything else is taken on board. Changing your lifestyle whilst carrying this burden is actually likely to add to the burden rather than helping it.

Believe me I have trained people that I have made a real breakthrough with, fitness-wise. However as soon as they go on holiday things change and I have to really put the effort in to see them again afterwards. When I do they have gone back to square one and I realise that even with all my effort I have actually changed nothing because they are still being squashed by the problems that they carry around with them.

Their only options are either to train with me for the rest of their lives or to deal with the problem directly. The first option is an expensive choice that in the long term benefits no one. The second option will not give them the immediate physical benefits that they desire however it will give them the grounding to make a true lifestyle change which will give real long term benefits.

The source of the problem

You need to identify where the problem has started from, sometimes it can be a lack of confidence that has started from your childhood days, a huge life changing event like the death or loss of a loved one and other issues that sit with you and pull you down. It can be easier for some people to work out what has caused the situation, for others it can be hidden within the depths of their mind.

Starting a fitness routine will be like painting over the problem rather than dealing with it. It will always be there, nagging you and it can be just a matter of time before it surfaces again. For everyone who cannot deal with the problem you need to get help and talk about it, get it off your chest and learn how to deal with it. It can be done with one-to-one sessions or group classes where you will meet people with similar problems where you will learn that you are not alone. The trick is to get on top of it, deal with it and see a professional “mind doctor” to help you through it. We can’t recommend anyone in this field but we can point you in the right direction (click here to learn more - Beeble)

Mind over matter

This saying is spot on: your mind controls everything you do whether it is subliminal or an actual choice. It will decide how you tackle situations in your life and it has to be treated before the body can be effectively trained into taking on new habits like a diet or fitness regime. I’m not an expert of the mind and nor are many fitness professionals or fitness companies so really it is best to check with a suitably qualified mind professional before embarking on your new healthy journey.

I hope this article has helped you and gives you a new direction to start from. Mind over matter really does help. Good luck.

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