SETBACKS HAPPEN TO EVERYONE

How Will You Manage Yours

I ran into a friend recently who I have not seen for some time. This friend has struggled with her weight for many years and has tried many methods to lose weight, recently going as far as having barometric surgery. While she has succeeded in losing well over a hundred pounds over the course of her many attempts to lose weight, in every instance she has gained the weight back.

My friend described her despair and embarrassment about her fluctuating weight gains especially in regards to gaining the weight back after the surgery. Her question was, “how do you deal with setbacks?” I had to give it a great deal of thought and remember my own setbacks. I have been down many times and as I indicated in an earlier blog when I returned to the gym after 7 months of not attending or working out, I was not happy with myself.

I could tell you something cliché like “setbacks are opportunities”-- and they are-- but that does not really answer the question. I am also sure I do not have the answer for everyone but I will give it my best. My setbacks usually are in the areas where I am the weakest. For me it is the cardio vascular segment of my routine. 

This most likely because it is not glamorous but it is tedious and boring. So I neglect it. In the past, I would leave the gym without even thinking about it. If I did think about it, I convinced myself I did not need to do it.

More recently I have consistently performed the cardio segment. In fact I have gone longer and harder on many occasions than the goal set before hand. The results have been great and it motivates me to continue to be consistent with this. My cardio performance and endurance are improving and this also provides additional motivation. I am able to go longer (mileage) and with greater intensity (speed and resistance). It is becoming one of my strengths and I think this may be the answer.

This is where the setbacks usually creep in quietly and interfere with our success-- not just with fitness but other aspects of our lives as well. If I experience a setback and start gaining body fat, it is most likely a lack of enthusiastic, consistent cardio performance. This results in some added girth around my middle because that is where I gain size first. Subsequently it becomes more difficult to do the cardio because I have neglected it and I am less comfortable physically.

So it seems your “setback” will start where you are the weakest. What part of your workout is the weakest? This will likely be the cause of any setback you experience. Since we usually do not like doing anything where we are not proficient, it is easy to leave the difficult portion out of the routine. Our minds are remarkable for their ability to convince us the things we wish to believe are true and that which we do not want to believe is false. As a result we do not do the things we need to do in order to be successful.

The things we avoid doing because they are the hardest for us are probably the things we need to do if we are going to fully become who we want and need to be. As we get older our willingness to experiment with new things or situations that make us uncomfortable seems to diminish. Remember when you wanted to try everything that was new and interesting? Now think about when was the last time you were willing to risk looking silly or clumsy trying something that was unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

It is no different at the gym, home or other areas of your life. Try to do something a little outside of your comfort zone everyday in life and at the gym. Your will to challenge yourself and grow will eventually conquer any “setbacks” you are struggling with and in fact propel you forward at an even more rapid pace. Do not let your fear of discomfort become a barrier to your success. You are the one giving it power.

You are also the one who can choose not to give it power. Face your fear, accept it and own it then go do it anyway. As I consciously examine the setbacks in my life, this is how I continue to overcome them. Remember, a setback is closely associated with some kind of resistance of our minds and will. 

If we can change the way we view our setbacks and look at them as opportunities for growth rather than blockages, we are more likely to succeed and obtain our desired results—and have a positive outlook while doing it. So if you have a setback, examine what part of your routine, including, eating well and resting, that is being neglected. It is here where you will find the answer as to why.

Once you have the answer, Get Up, Get Moving and remember, “CHIT CHAT WON’T BURN FAT.”

Jay