A tinier list than usual since all my free time is being used by unexpected personal projects, but I’m here this week to chat about real motivation and hopefully some recipes and workouts. Let’s do it!
The scale is bad motivation. It doesn’t change at a linear (consistent) rate from day to day or week to week if you are, in fact, losing fat, and it is often the last and least important place to show change as compared to photographs, clothing sizes, the measuring tape, bodyfat meters, blood tests, and physical ability (just to name a few).
Specific items of clothing are usually bad motivation – especially if they are things you haven’t ever “fit into” or things you haven’t worn in more than 7 years. Bodies change; they’re made that way. Clothing sizes and brands are not consistent. But a specific piece of clothing that has fit well recently can be a great way to check your progress.
“Being really skinny” is bad motivation because it addresses an internal (health) problem from an external point of view. Just like the scale, it drives you to make self-sabotaging and unhealthy decisions. Being healthy, living a long and full life, avoiding or mitigating disease, and physical ability are better ways to address your concerns and arrive at the same outcomes.
Phew. Right? You can probably pat yourself on the back for not looking at your fitness journey through any of those lenses…if you’ve trained with me, you know I will totally help you lose bodyfat by:
- eating in a way that nourishes your specific body
- moving in a way that benefits your specific body
- managing stress in a way that makes sense to you
- connecting to every step of success, like lifting that heavy cooking pan, walking or running that next quarter mile, finishing that cardio class, being fit enough to survive the crazy meteorological swings of Texas and avoid a life of unwanted prescriptions for concerns that can be managed by lifestyle (nothing wrong with ‘scrips you want to have!)
Anyway. That’s my big tip this week: make sure you connect with your good motivation, and drop that other kind of motivation. You will stick with it best in the long run, because being active is all about choosing a lifestyle that gives your body what it needs to work well. You might be able to rationalize inside your head to a point, but your body will follow its own pre-programmed rules despite what you try to tell it!
Here’s the rest of what you came for:
- Do some hiit!
- Chill out with some quick yoga.
- Make some snacks.
- On the subject of snacks, let’s review a tiny biy about the good and bad kinds of snacks.
Good: a fourth (and even fifth) meal, balanced to fit your macros, composed of food you actually choose to eat
Not good: random packaged things you scavenge when you’re starving
Good: food eaten when your day needs a boost, like when it’s been at least 3 hours since your last meal
Not great: grazing all day long
It’s a tiny list but I’m sure you found something new or a good reminder. I hope so, anyway! I’m here for you even when I don’t have a ton of screentime available for the blog, so hit me up any time if I can help you eat more plants, be more active, or get your plants more active.
