Start Feeling Better: Some Fitness Motivation to Get You Moving

Being sick and tired of being sick and tired is often the motivation for doing something about a negative situation.  If you’ve found yourself in this predicament and you’re ready to start feeling better, I want to help you do it by providing you some fitness motivation and actionable steps to take to make it happen.  

Like everything in life, there are levels to things.  There are different levels of wealth, success, knowledge, aesthetic beauty and there are levels to how we feel.  

When we’re sick, the only thing we want is to feel better.  When we’re in the best shape of our lives, we feel strong and self-confident.  

One thing about levels, you can’t skip them.  You’ve gotta start at the first one, then go onto the next one, and so on.  But here’s an important reality; you can start feeling better almost immediately.  

Every time you’ve taken action and started a new level, you’ve done something really important.  You’ve achieved something, gained new information and your self-confidence will increase.  

As you continue progressing, you’ll see improvements and get more motivation and it can become a virtuous cycle.  Success breeds more success.  We also know the opposite is true.  

We can get trapped in a vicious cycle of being overweight and unmotivated to do anything about.  A cycle where the only time we feel good is when we’re eating or engaging in some destructive behavior.  

If you’re feeling stuck, or just want to start feeling better, let’s put a plan together for making that happen.    

Simply put, we’ll need to figure out where you want to go- meaning how do you want to feel.  Next, we’ll determine what your current situation is.   From there, we’ll put together a simple plan for making it happen.  Here are some key questions to ask yourself as we get started:

• Do you want to feel better?

• Do you know what you need to do in order to start feeling better?

• Do you know how to do those things?

• Are you scared of doing those things?

• What resources will you need in order to be successful?

We’ll answer those questions and many more, let’s get started.  

Who do you want to become and how do you want to feel?

Big questions.  I want you to think about your ideal version of yourself.  Who do you want to be?  Think about and respond to the questions, but feel free to go much deeper if you’d like.    

• What will you physically be like?  What will you look like?   Will you be lean and muscular?  How will you carry yourself?  What will you think about yourself?  What would you like others to think about you?    

• What will you mentally be like?  What kind of attitude will you have?  Will you be a life-long learner?  Will you be curious and inquisitive?  What will people say about you when they meet you?   

• What will you emotionally be like?  Will you be resilient?  How will you respond to adversity?  What will you do when things don’t go your way?   

Where you’re currently at

Do a thorough inventory of your current self?  Be brutally honest.   

• What is your current physical state?  Are you overweight?  How would you rate your overall physical state?    

• What is your current mental state?  Are you able to focus on one thing at a time and see it through to completion?  How would you rate your overall mental state?    

• What is your current emotional state?  How do you respond when things don’t go your way?  How would you rate your overall emotional state?    

Necessary Changes

Now that we’ve looked at where you are, where you want to be, it’s time to think about what has to happen in order to close that gap.  The first step is to identify the areas where change is required.  From there, we can put together a plan of action for bringing about those changes. 

• Physical.  What changes are needed to your physical body?  Do you need to lose weight, gain muscle, increase your cardiovascular fitness?

• Mental.  What changes are needed to your mental state?  Do you need to improve your focus and your ability to stick to a chosen task?  

• Emotional.  What changes are needed to your emotional state?  Do you need to become more resilient in order to overcome life’s challenges?     

Plan for bringing about changes

Keep it simple and sustainable.  This has got to fit into your life, otherwise it’s not going to work.  

Also, exercise doesn’t need to suck to be effective.  In fact, finding something you like doing is better because the odds of you doing it consistently are a lot higher than you forcing yourself to do something you hate.  You can work up to CrossFit down the road if that’s what you’re into. 

• What physical exercise will you start doing?  Will you join a gym, exercise at home, or simply start walking?  Will you need help in developing a workout program?  Will you need support in sticking with it?  

• What changes will you make to your diet?  Will you start preparing your own meals instead of eating out?  Will you do your own meal prep, or get the help of a meal prep service?  

• What will you do to improve your mental state?  Will you research and learn about online resources for increasing your focus?  Will you take a course or work with a coach?    

• What will you do to improve your emotional state?  Will you research and learn about online resources for increasing resilience?  Will you take a course or work with a coach?   

Resources to assist you on your journey

Community is the lynchpin for real and lasting change.  The reason organizations like Weight Watchers, CrossFit and Alcoholics Anonymous are successful is because they’re combining great information with a supportive community.   What communities can you tap into for support?  

• Do you have friends or others who you can rely on for support as you start on your journey? 
• Will you find a group or coach that can help support you?  
• What other resources will you tap into to ensure your success?  

Dealing with resistance on your journey

As I mentioned, it’s not always going to be smooth sailing.  How you respond when things go wrong will ultimately determine your overall success.  The resistance will come from inside of you, you’ll face adversity in the form of physical ailments, and you’ll face adversity from other people.  

• Self-doubt will creep in.  Your brain will try to pull you back to your normal routines.  You’ll feel overwhelmed at times and you’ll want to quit.  You’re not going to do that.  You’re going to persevere remembering why you’re doing this in the first place.  

• Physical discomfort is going to happen.  Obviously, I want you to talk with medical professionals if things get bad enough.  But you can’t let minor aches and pains stop you.  Those minor pains are signs of progress.  

• Negativity from others.  When you start behaving differently, it can be threatening to those around you.  Particularly if they’re engaged in the destructive behaviors you’re breaking free of.  Expect this to happen and give them grace as they’re not ready to make the changes you’re making.  If they persist in their negativity, it may be necessary to take a break from them. 

Motivation to inspire you

When we don’t think something’s possible, and we have no examples of actual people who have done it, it’s really hard for us to do.  The opposite is having people we know who are doing or have done what we want to accomplish.  An example is having professional athlete parents.  Your odds of also becoming a professional athlete are exponentially higher because your mom and dad did it.  Normally, we refer to those people who can give you evidence it’s possible as “expanders,” but in this circumstance, let’s call them “shrinkers.” 

Here are three regular people who are “shrinkers;” people who were overweight, lost the weight and kept it off.  More examples are a quick Google search away.  

• Cookie M. lost 240 pounds.  She’s a working mother in her 30’s who put her life on hold to raise her kids and became overweight.  She committed to changing her lifestyle and has found enormous success.  

• Lindsay H. lost 220 pounds.  She had been overweight her entire life and when she fell in love and set her wedding date, she put a plan together for losing weight.  She committed to the changes and reached her goals.  

• Pat B. lost 200 pounds.  After an injury ended his athletic career, Pat adopted a sedentary lifestyle and weighed over 400 pounds.  Recognizing he was on a path of illness and chronic disease, he changed his life and got back to his old habits of fitness and healthy eating.  He’s back to the weight he competed at in college.  

To start feeling better, start by taking action.  Start with level one; your level one is to go back through this and to think and write about your future self.  Go through the prompts, clarify and crystallize who you’re going to become.  

Next, take inventory of where you’re currently at.  From there, put your plan together for making it happen.  

After each level, you’ll feel better.  You’ll keep feeling better with each progression and that’s because you’ll be getting better.  

Say this with me- “I’m worth it, the time is now.  I’m ready and able to do this.” 

Whether you decide to do this on your own, or work with someone to assist you on your journey, going through this exercise will position you for success and get you on track to start feeling better. 

If you’d like to join a community to help you on your journey, or you’d like to engage a coach, we’d love to help you on your journey.  

Need help with meal prep, check out one of Partners Marley Spoon. 

You can access our Goals and Values Courses at no-cost.

You can do this, get started. 

Here are some episodes of the LifeBlood Podcast

We’re here to help others get better so they can live freely without regret Believing we’ve each got one life, it’s better to live it well and the time to start is now If you’re someone who believes change begins with you, you’re one of us We’re working to inspire action, enable completion, knowing that, as Thoreau so perfectly put it “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.” Let us help you invest in yourself and bring it all together.

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Invest in yourself and bring it all together by working with one of our coaches.