A stubborn mule is hard to turn!
Isn’t that the truth?! I don’t get into heated debates with closed minded people anymore, I simply accept they are not ready for that level of understanding.
This isn’t me being pretentious, it’s just takes time for the scales to fall and people to see and understand their reality.
It’s not their fault, they are just too blinded by media and dogma and when they are ready to change they will remember our conversation and come back to me.
This has happened time and again in 2015, there is so much misinformation out there regarding health and fitness and most of the government recommendations are outdated nevermind downright wrong! And don’t even get me started on the sensationalist bovine feces that the media spurts on a daily basis. Then throw into the mix the smoke and mirrors and total lies expounded by marketing.
It’s no wonder people are at a loss.
The concept of being ready to embrace change or being adverse to it isn’t anything new, behavior change models have been around for decades and work on basic yet sound principles. If someone is not ready to change they are said to be in pre-contemplation. They are not even thinking about the options available to them, people at this stage are simply not ready. Even with all the will in the world and guidance from outsiders they won’t succeed because they have no intrinsic drive to do so.
Then comes the contemplation stage where people are thinking about how they might change -they are open to new information, see possibilities, are thirsty for knowledge. They weigh up their options and are willing to listen to advice from experts and coaches.
Then comes the action stage. A lot of people are currently at this stage, they have bought the gym membership, sighed up to a new Bootcamp, committed to working with a nutritionist, and sourced a great PT or coach! * This is the stage where motivation is high, willpower plentiful and you jump and skip your way past the pies and to the gym! This is the glorious phase when you’re wondering ‘why didn’t I start sooner?!’ And when you begin to see positive results it reinforces your will to carry on and succeed in your health and fitness goals!
But, and I’m sorry to burst the bubble, there’s also another stage – it’s called relapse, and for good reason. This is the point when motivation has all dried up. It may happen after 6 weeks, 6 months or two years- but it WILL happen at some point! A weightloss plateau, a boring workout plan, a two week holiday, a bereavement, an illness, an emotional upset or change of home or job can all be contributing factors to a relapse.
It happens. It happens to the best of us, the important thing to remember is that it won’t last forever- ‘this too shall pass’, and we should relapses as learning curves and opportunities to grow!
Acknowledge that you have lost your mojo, for whatever reason, and deal with it. Take a week or two off then try a new exercise class, change gyms, get a fitness buddy, sign up to a new blog, or take the dog for a walk more often! Just don’t let a couple of weeks off turn into a couple of years off- you have more resolve than that!Relapse- It’s part of a never ending cyclical process, we are human, our enthusiasm ebbs and flows, and sometimes commitments get in the way of even the best intentions!
So back to my original point, some people are simply not ready to commit to change, so I’ll answer questions when I’m asked, I’ll give my full and honest opinion, but I won’t expend my energy arguing when people are not ready for action 😉
Happy New Year to everyone!
Keep an eye out for another blog about the biggest and best fitness lesson I learned in 2015-
Coming soon!
Naomi McArdle MSc
