Yesterday, while driving to school with my mom, we discussed her desire to eat healthier; however, she expressed that she felt she gained weight whenever she ate, and she believed that her solution was to “suffer” by not eating for extended periods.
I instantly called this out because framing not eating as “suffering” made the task seem like a chore or even self-inflicted torture. She framed it like there was no other option since she regularly watches her weight and eats as healthy as she can.
I told her about fasting and how people record their periods of not eating food. Many people regularly fast to watch their weight and burn body fat. The simple name change from “suffering” to “fasting” changes the entire vibe behind not eating for an extended period of time; suddenly it’s an exercise performed by many people regularly instead of a last resort torture method.
Having a positive mindset or just the right mindset will change how you view your exercise drastically.
You may want to exercise as much as you can, 3 hours a day or something long, but if you exercise too much, you’re biting off more than you can chew, and you’ll quickly grow tired of it. If you do 30 minutes a day, yes, it’s quite little, but it’s much easier to maintain and incorporate into your daily routine, and if you continue long enough, you’ll gain more from this small exercise period than you ever did with a 3-hour period every day.
Exercising is about consistency to gain results, not about moving as much as you can in a certain period. You can sprint as fast as you want, but you’ll lose your breath quickly compared to a brisk jog, which allows you to conserve your breath for a longer time.
Go in with a goal that you know you can achieve; that way you can stay comfortably positive instead of reckless bravado, and over time you’ll maintain a healthy routine.
