Breaking the Perfection Trap: Embracing Balance in Your Health and Fitness Journey

You are tying so hard to be "perfect" and that is the exact reason that you end up being "terrible."

Let me explain...

When I had just started my health and fitness journey 25 years ago (WHAT?! I was 12 years old, I didn't even realize this until writing these words, lol) I tried my best to be as discipline and strict as possible.

In my mind, if I wanted to look like Sylvester Stallone from Rocky 4 then I didn't have any room for error.

This meant no room for pizza, little Debbie snacks, etc.

The problem was, at 12 I really liked those things. Still do if I am being honest. 

So there lied the predicament. 

Get strong and ripped OR enjoy treats and pizza.

For years I would fluctuate between stretches of being really strict with my diet and training and then stretches where i'd binge. This led to a not so great relationship with food and would often follow with periods of shame and guilt. This ultimately affected my self-worth at times, which would affect self-perception, confidence, relationships, experiences. 

A vicious cycle.

It's hard enough between the ages of 12-18, this was just another thing I carried with me mentally and emotionally.  

It ultimately affected my whole experience of life. 

I tell you this not to garner sympathy rather to show you that 

1. I know how you feel. I've been there.
2. That many people never come out of this and it runs their ENTIRE LIFE. FOREVER.

The risk of not overcoming this is that you live a life a slave to a story that is NOT true.

I wish I knew then what I know now, because the truth is you can have your cake and pizza while ALSO being ripped, healthy and in shape.

Instead of trying to be perfect you end up being terrible. All or nothing. No consistency. A few weeks or months dieting and training like a maniac followed by a few weeks for months overeating and wasting money on a gym membership you aren't using.

This isn't balance. If you're emotions went from happy to sad as quickly and often as your diet and training went from good to bad, people would think you're crazy.

Based on my own experience and that of others I've coached, here's the truth to what managing your health and fitness actually looks like when executed in a healthy way.

10% of the time you will feel invincible. These are called the Green days (think GO, proceed). You will go hard, you will train hard, diet will be on point and you will have all the energy, motivation in the world. Literally unstoppable. These will be the days you run longer than planned, lifted heavier than you ever have and eat the right amount of nutrient dense foods. 

10% of the time you will awful. These are Red days (think stop, caution.) These are the days that you will feel exhausted in the gym, "healthy" food won't taste or sound good, you will want to literally hide out in your home and not see or talk to anyone. These days will be a grind and just getting through them will be a success.

80% of the time you will be indifferent. You don't feel good or bad. These are Yellow days (go with the flow, not stop, not full go) You feel pretty neutral in fact and you will feel mostly ready to take on the day. In fact, you won't give it much thought, each thing will be something you accomplish as part of who you are and what you do.

The Great Lie is that every day will be rainbows and sunshine.

A beautiful and wonderful life is created and lived in that 80%. This is where consistency lives and thrives. Anybody can do crush it 10% of the time. Anyone can crush it when they feel like it and are excited about it. It's in the consistency of the 80% that most people give up on because they think they are supposed to live that 10%, 100% of the time.

When I realized that if I was doing pretty good 80% of the time that I could live a fit and healthy life, everything changed. 10% of the time I'm lazy and eat treats and have a beer and 10% of the time I'm extra discipline and cut out sweets and alcohol and 80% I'm in the middle.

My challenge to you is this;
Can you give yourself grace and a pat on the back for living in that 80% and allowing the other 20% to be what it is, without judgment? 

Furthermore, ask yourself what living in each actually looks like for you as far as a lifestyle.

This is how you prevent setback after setback. Emotional highs and lows. 

This is how you prevent being "terrible."
By not trying to be perfect.

So next time you get self-critical for not being perfect, just remember it's ok not to be. Perfect isn't the goal. 

You've got this.

As always, if you need support and guidance on the journey there are links below to apply to work together.