Be Accountable – Excuses are for Children & Chavs
Take ownership of your diet, fitness and physical health. Playing the victim and finger-pointing is a terrible habit in all aspects of life; not only will it lead to less favourable outcomes, it can also lead to learned helplessness and depression. Even when it’s not 100% logical, it’s always best to take ownership of your problems, including your fitness & health.
It’s your diet and your body, don’t blame anyone else or anything else for not being in shape. Don’t blame your work colleagues, friends or spouse for offering you sugary food – it’s your mouth – you decide what goes in there.
“I haven’t got time” is a rubbish excuse too – you can get fit doing 2 Tabata intervals per week – that’s a grand total of 8 minutes of exercise per week.
Watch Jocko Willink’s Extreme Ownership Ted Talk for some life-changing inspiration on taking ownership and embracing accountability:
Predict Hurdles & Obstacles
A few things that will definitely happen:
You will lose motivation
You will manufacturer excuses
You will think “fuck it” and be very tempted to eat crap food
Work colleagues will offer you crap food
Eating out will be a bit tricky
People will give you ear-ache about going on a diet (people criticize what makes them feel insecure)
- Make sure you have a solution and go-to thought-process when any of the above occur, because they will.
Heaviest player
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Have a Specific Plan
There’s too much information about fitness and diet available…the “paradox of choice” leads to indecision.
Create a specific plan – it doesn’t have to be complicated – for example:
- “I will stop eating any sugar or white carbs (white bread, rice, potatoes)”
- “I will not drink alcohol more than once per month”
Write down your process goals and outcome goals
Process Goals are the ‘How’
Outcome Goals are the “What and When”
Process goals might include:
- Going to the gym once per week
- Walking 15 minutes every day
- Not eating any sugar or white carbs
Outcome Goals might include:
- Losing 2 inches from around my waist by February 1st 2018
- Being able to do 25 press ups with good technqiue by February 1st 2018
Have a Healthy Shopping List
Here’s an example…
Shopping List
Fruit
Bananas
Blueberries
Red grapes
Apples
Vegetables
Cucumber
Rocket
Broccoli
Red onion
Beetroot
Sweet potato
Carrots
Kidney Beans
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Avocado
Green Olives
Kale
Meat & Fish
Salmon (not smoked, ideally not farmed either)
Grassfed beef
Chicken breasts
Other
Buckwheat
Oats
Feta Cheese
Free range eggs
Hummus
Walnuts
Almonds
coconut Oil
Olive Oil
You may also be interested in the alkaline foods below, which are also very healthy and great for wellbeing as well as weight loss:
nom noms alkaline goodness
Make a Bet
Preferably some kind of forfeit bet with your mates.
Be ‘socially accountable’ for it too, by stating it on all your social media channels. For example – “I will wear a dress to the gym if I miss a gym session in January”
(I know that some of my mates do this for fun anyway though)
You can also set up an Instagram and post your meals on there – yes, I know everyone hates this, but this also makes you socially accountable and motivates you to eat well.
Train for a Sport or an Event
If you know someone who does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, myther them to help you learn and get introduced to the sport. Or pay for a couple of 1 2 1 sessions – give it 5 sessions and you’ll be hooked.
Fitness training will become much easier to do when you have a sport to train for. When you see the benefits in terms of your muscular endurance etc in sparring and rolling in Jiu Jitsu, this positive feedback will help you stay on track.
For example, doing a circuit to get in shape – you may normally never really call on the fitness that you’ve developed – outside of the circuit class.
However, if you are training BJJ or MMA you will experience the benefits when you are wrestling, rolling and sparring without blowing out of your arse straight away.
Remember it Takes 30 Days to Form a Habit – It Gets Easier
The first month is the hardest, but once you develop the habits it gets a lot easier. Also your gut flora should start to change so that you no longer crave sugary and/or processed foods.
You should also experience progress in terms of fitness, strength and technique (if you do BJJ) which will keep you motivated.
Good Luck!
Get a plan – do it now – one moment of procrastination kills motivation – so write down your goals ASAP…
Finally remember that discomfort and stepping outside of your normal habits, is the only way to grow as a person
