Why you should never start FRESH on a Monday.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the following;

“I’ll have this whole pizza, diet starts Monday”

“I’ve had such a shit week at work, I’ll get back into the gym Monday”

Or low and behold, every gym owners favourite time of year January’s ‘new year, new me’ mentality.

Starting fresh after you lose your way, is a very comforting thought. When our thoughts and actions don’t align, our brain feels really antsy (psychological term= cognitive dissonance). we can either change our actions (hard) or change our thoughts (much easier thing to do) [psychological term= compensatory health beliefs].

The problem with this is that we allude ourselves into thinking that if we ‘start later’, we’ll also find the ‘right time’. And of course, it’s merely impossible to think that your fitness and nutrition will be A-grade amidst some of the most challenging times in your life.

And it’s why a 21-day beach body programs look so tempting after we fall off the wagon. They teach you to get fit in a short amount of time, gritting your teeth, and omitting every other personal responsibility. As if the only way to achieve your dream body is doing so miserably, and ONLY when LIFE is perfect.

What they don’t teach you is to maintain fitness amid normal, complicated, sometimes stressful/busy/chaotic everyday life. That’s why it doesn’t stick, not because you suck.

It’s not a lack of willpower; it’s just a lack of adaptable skills.

So rather than shutting down completely, in hope of resetting on Monday (or the new year), what if we alter the intensity at which we’re prioritizing our fitness and nutrition?

Leading up to a CrossFIt competition, I live and breathe training and calculate my macros to ensure I’m optimally recovered and replenished for the next session. I’m in bed at 8pm, and certainly not out on a Monday night being social! I’ve prioritized fitness and nutrition for a short period of time, and that influences my social life for some time. Over Christmas, I end up going to my hometown. I still train regularly (but more for fun as a social outlet when I visit my old box) & enjoy some of the extra calories that come along with the festive season. I’m not up at 5am, but I’m also not in bed at 8pm, because I’m soaking up all the love from my family and friends on my brief visit. And that’s OK! I’ve not hit shut down; I’m just turning down the dial as my priorities vary.

Rather than feeling a need for perfectionism for a short amount of time, what if we switched the aim to very good (and sometimes, just OK) most of the time?

What if because we couldn’t exercise for 60 minutes per day this week, we didn’t stop all together. But we just spent 10 minutes moving first thing in the morning?

Do you see the recurring theme?

Just like things in life ebb and flow, your priorities for fitness and nutrition should too. Rather than all-or-nothing for a short time, let’s switch to ‘always something’ for a lifetime