Adventures in Turbulence Training - Page 2 - JP Fitness Forums

Egham · 07-12-2007, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

It's really just more about the psychological battle of "get off your butt and DO something" that I often fail at.

I suffer from a version of this when I fall off the fitness wagon, usually after a couple weeks of vacation or a long, multi-week business trip. When I get back, there's so much catching up on a range of other things that it's an additional week or so before I even feel I have the time to work out. By then, it's very easy to keep putting it off....Sometimes for months before I muster the determination to start up again. Once that finally happens, I'm good until the next long break.

I know that I should be back at it all along, but until it finally clicks psychologically, I just don't do it. Not even Mrs. Egham's encouragement works.....I need to get my own rear re-engaged.

I hope you win your battle soon. We're all here to encourage you along ...and, we will....but I do understand the need to get over the barrier on your own terms.

Keep pluggin'......You CAN do it.

Brian A. · 07-13-2007, 05:50 AM

Like with any goal, motivation comes from strongly visualizing the end result. If you can clearly see what you want to achive in your mind and believe strongly that you can accomplish it, then you are most of the way there. The other half of being successful is perspective. Every decision in life that we make, no matter how large or small, is based on two things:
1) Gaining "pleasure" or positive feeling
2) Avioding "pain" or negative feeling

With these two factors controling every decision you can see how most people fall into the instant gratification trap of being lazy and eating fun foods. They look to gain the pleasure of sitting around eating chips and avoid the pain of working out and eating veggies. These people can only see from the short term perspective. In the short term this fulfills those two basic needs. However they later feel guilty about what they did and are dissapointed with the results in the long term. Then they get depressed and what do they do go back for more instant gratification to feel better at that moment. The downward spiral insues.

The people who are truly successful in reaching their goals have the ability to look past instant gratification and see the long term perspective. Once you change your perspective then the short term pain vs pleasure flips. You see eating junk as painful because it pushes you farther from your goals and working out as pleasurable because you are taking one step closer to achiving what you want.

So the next time you feel like slacking off or grabbing some comfort food, first go to your goal. See it, believe it. Then shift your perspective to long term. If you want it bad enough it will tip the decision making scales in your favor and slap you right off that couch.

Believe that you can do it and you won't need good luck.

Victoria · 07-13-2007, 11:22 AM

Wow...good stuff, Brian. Thanks for posting that! It's funny, now that I've read your post and comtemplated how it applies to me, it fits like a glove. I have a couple stumbling blocks I want to try this on this weekend. Thanks!