Taking your first steps into your weight loss journey is as daunting as it is exhilarating. But I get it, you hit a point that ‘told’ you it was time to start. Not in a month, not in a week, start now.
Believe it or not, nearly everyone who decides to start their weight loss journey has most likely had all the same hurdles and concerns. Let’s explore 6 of the more common ones and tips to get past them!
1 – Fear of The Unknown
If you’ve never worked out before, you likely do not know where to start. And while the internet can be a great source of information, the prospect of finding reliable information can certainly be daunting.
There is little to no barrier for people to put out whatever info they want, after all.
If you are one of those individuals who is unsure of where to start, find someone in your life who has some credibility in their space: maybe you know a group fitness instructor, maybe you know a personal trainer, maybe you know someone who has worked out the better part of their adult life. Reach out to them and ask where to start!
Tip #1:
Aim for 3 days per week of exercise, to start. Aiming for too many days during the week can lead to overwhelming levels of soreness and burn out. Aiming too low can see you getting little to no results for your effort. 3 days per week is an amazing jumping off point!
Tip #2:
If nothing else, just start. You can always figure things out as you go along but do yourself a favor and avoid the ‘analysis by paralysis’ junk. Just start.
2 – Lack of Time
We’ve had many blogs regarding the actual time it takes to get a very effective workout but let’s briefly run through it: you do not need 2 hours per workout; you don’t need 60 minutes per workout; if you’re really time pressed, you don’t even need 30 minutes to workout.
What do you need? What you need is consistency (3 days per week) and intensity (how uncomfortable the workout is). Here are 3 examples of time efficient, and effective, workouts:
Workout #1
AMRAP 15
10 Pushups
15 Burpees
20 Sit Ups
25 Air Squats
- Set a clock for 15 minutes and cycle through these 4 movements, in this order, until your 15 minutes is up
Workout #2
For Time
400m Run (.25mi Run)
21 Goblet Squats
400m Run (.25mi Run)
15 Goblet Squats
400m Run (.25mi Run)
9 Goblet Squats
- Find the weight on your goblet squats before you start the workout – then stick with that weight throughout
Workout #3
3 Rounds for Time (RFT)
50 Jump Rope (single unders or double unders)
40 Air Squats
30 Pushups
20 Kettlebell Swings
10 Bodybuilders
3 – Self-Consciousness
Without a doubt, walking into a new gym is intimidating. Walking into a CrossFit gym seems to hold a little bit of that as well, maybe even more. The thought of this may cause certain levels of anxiety and self-consciousness as you think, “everyone is going to judge me and how unfit and out of place I am.”
Please understand something – a facility legitimately concerned about your health and goals will be your biggest cheerleader. In fact, we would prefer someone new coming in [at our gym] as that means you’ve got no bad exercise habits to break!
Tip:
Every single person I have ever worked with, professionally, has had some level of anxiety and self-consciousness about this very thing. The key? As I said above, just start. Quick – before your brain gets the better of you – just start!
4 – Financial Concerns
Working out at home is a potentially great option, don’t get me wrong. The challenge, here? Think about it this way:
At work, you work. When you leave work, you’re [hopefully] done with work.
At home, you’re a roommate, significant other, spouse, whatever. You don’t work.
At the gym, you workout. You don’t do work or home things there.
The amazing thing about having a place you go to exercise is that you can leave that there and leave everything else everywhere else!
The great part about having a Personal Trainer? You take everything above and tie it up in a nice package including accountability and expertise!
Tip #1:
There are varying levels of gyms you could join. There are also varying levels of Personal Trainers including the sessions themselves and how much help you want. The point is this, you can always find a way. Always.
Tip #2:
Want a checklist as to what to look for in a great [and maybe not so great] Personal Trainer? Click HERE!
5 – Lack of Motivation
This is what, in my opinion, would be an amazing exercise life-cycle to get on board with:
- Motivation leads to exercise
- Exercise leads to results
- Results lead to more motivation
- And repeat
More often than not, however, the cycle goes more like this:
- Motivation leads to exercise
- Exercise leads to some [if any] results
- Some [if any] results leads to lack of motivation
- Lack of motivation leads to quitting
- Quitting leads to, “why do I even try? I can’t do this?”
The goal of the initial bout of motivation is the acquisition of progress to your goals. That, in itself, is motivating. It’ll keep you going!
Being effective with your time is key to results and results, as we just discussed, encourages more motivation.
What helps more than this?
Tip:
Accountability and habit building matter more. So, find a workout buddy or a group fitness class and build a schedule to stick to at all costs. Beyond that, measuring to track your progress and finding a reputable trainer to help.
6 – Health Concerns or Insecurities
Starting a new exercise or nutrition program and you’re a bit unsure about if any particular exercise is contraindicated? A quick chat with your physical therapist or doctor should do the trick.
A quick note: if you have a Personal Trainer, don’t be shy about putting them into contact with either one of those individuals. They can work together to ensure you have an effective, and safe, program to garner results.
Tip:
This is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the same tip we’ve talked about above – just start. There is always a way to modify, to scale up or down, to make sure you get a safe and effective workout. Always. You just have to ask the right people, if you need, and then start!
The Point Is…
You just need to start.
Stop talking yourself out of it. Stop setting a “start date.” Stop justifying why right now is not a good time (there will never be a good time).
Just start.
If you want some help going down the right path and getting to your health and fitness goals, click HERE! We have some amazing coaches and trainers who would be happy to help you!
