What’s Your Biggest Obstacle in Meeting Your Health Goals?
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I saw this question on social media recently, and thought it might be an interesting discussion here: What is your biggest obstacle in meeting your health goals — and how can you overcome it?
For my own $.02, I've been trying to prioritize eating healthfully and strength training recently, as well as getting enough sleep. I've been doing… OK… but I'm very aware of the fact that we're heading into the busy season where all health goals go out the window, so I'm trying to recommit so I get at least a few good weeks under my belt before we hit the Thanksgiving-New Year “screw it all” corridor.
Some of the obstacles that I can definitely see standing in the way of my own health goals include
- a busy lifestyle
- perfectionism
- declining willpower as the day wears on
- feeling entitled to “treats,” whether it's a bigger dessert than planned or skipping the workout
- getting overwhelmed by little things, like finding proper gear for the cold or the perfect workout
I don't think I'm alone in this! We all have good intentions to eat healthily and exercise regularly, but with work, family obligations, social events, and everything else on our plates, it can be hard to prioritize our health.
But here's the truth: we are our own worst enemies when it comes to health. No one else can make us prioritize our health; it has to come from within. It also involves changing our mindset and viewing health as a priority rather than an afterthought.
How to Meet Your Health Goals (and Overcome the Obstacles In Your Way)
Some of the great tips I've seen from the readers over the years include things like these — but what are your best tips?
Set a low bar for success: If you're a runner, for example, you might say that just putting your running shoes on and leaving the house counts as a win. Is it the 10K the Perfect You would run in record time? Maybe not — but what counts as a win is all in your head.
Remove decisions: Maybe this means prepping your meals for the week on Sunday, making plans to meet a friend after work for a class or a walk, or laying out your workout clothes the night before. (One reader blew my mind when she said she puts entire workout outfits together and keeps them in her drawer like that — top, bottom, socks, underwear, etc. Brilliant!) Remove that decision-making process of whether or not you'll show up for yourself today, and make it harder for yourself to not do the work than to do it.
Remember that health is a long game — don't beat yourself up over one missed workout or one meal: For me, this looks like that interior voice that says “Screw it, we're already off track this week — we'll start again Monday.” Uh huh…
Commit to yourself for 24 hours: Plan your meals for the next 24 hours according to whatever your health goals are: vegetables, fiber, protein, whatever. Plan one workout that you know is a good one. (Am I the only one who intends to work out and then gets sidetracked by fussing with the app or finding the exact workout you want to do?)
What is your biggest health goal obstacle? How do you plan to overcome it? Share your tips with us in the comments below!
Stock photo via Deposit Photos / nicoletaionescu.
I am a fairly dedicated runner. What works for me:
Just buy the gear. It’s not an indulgence to buy enough sports bras and shorts to get me through the week. The hydration pack is a necessity for doing 10+ mile runs in the summer. Keep KT tape in stock. Buy shoes before the current ones are completely worn out.
Accountability. I am part of a run club. Highly recommend this to people, even if you “only” walk. We have ranges from people trying to BQ to walkers. Find the club that works for you.
Understand the need for rest days and easy days. Run by feel, not pace – some days, my easy pace by heart rate are 10:30/mile and some days, they are 9 min/mile. If I feel crummy, I am still doing my workout.
Adjust training plans for weather and other issues (work gets crazy, life gets busy). It’s better to be slightly undertrained than even a bit overtrained.
For me the key is taking out as much “in the moment” decision making as possible. I won’t exercise if I have to decide the workout myself so going to Crossfit classes is really helpful – I just have to show up and do the listed workout. For nutrition we use a meal planning app. We don’t stick to it completely but at least we are only choosing between a few options instead of coming up with dinner on our own. Breakfast is pretty consistently one of 2 or 3 easy options and for lunch we’ll make something early in the week and eat it several days in a row. Honestly the biggest challenge is being more back to normal at work and regularly going out for lunch and/or dinner. I almost always make worse choices in the moment.
ooh which meal planninng app?
Yes, I would also like to know!
We follow Forks Over Knives (FOK), which is a whole-foods, plant based diet. It may be a bit extreme for some (no meat, dairy, or oils) but if you have had an interest in moving toward more plant-based meals and less meat it is a great service. In the past we have also used eMeals which I find to be more family friendly. It worked better for us when my husband and I both worked full time. He has been a stay-at-home dad for 10 years now so we have more flexibility with meals).
I arrive to work at 9:00am each day and work there till 6:00pm. I do not run but, I walk 20 minutes from my house to my office. I count my walking period as my exercise routine.
The problem that I face is that I am one of those people who gain weight by eating just a little that is to say my metabolism is slow. That is why I don’t have a proper eating habit where I skip heavy breakfast or dinner regularly.
Yet, my efforts do not help me maintain my BMI where I have extra 6kgs in my body that does not add up to my height.
It’s my busy lifestyle and the overwhelmed feelings from it that is an obstacle in my life to having a healthy exercise routine.