By: Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
We all have bad habits. Mine are checking email too frequently, being unorganized, and not always eating enough to fuel full recovery from my workouts.
Your bad habits might include too much snacking and cheating on your nutrition plan, coming up with excuses to skip exercise, or watching too much TV.
Bad habits are the reason we need coaches. One of my coaches is Lee Milteer, who gave me the exercises below, that I want you to go through to help you break your bad habits.
If you've been trying to lose fat and get lean by yourself, but with no luck, isn't it time to get professional help & social support?
It's hard to change. I know it. I battle against my bad habits all the time, just like you do everyday. But each day I also make an effort to overcome the bad habits, just as you should have a plan in place to overcome your bad weight loss habits.
Don't let insecurity, fear of failure, or the fear of the unknown hold you back from making changes. Don't be a victim. "Give yourself PERMISSION to change," Lee says.
So let's take action. Print this email out. Now write down 3 excuses you are using to avoid making the changes you need to succeed.
1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
How have these excuses affected your life? What have the excuses stopped you from achieving? Write down 3 very important things that you have missed out on because you've allowed yourself to make excuses.
1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
Now how do you feel when you fall victim to one of your self-sabotaging excuses?
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What benefits do you get from the excuse? Is it simply that you get to remain in your comfort zone? That's a big one for me. If I can convince myself that I need to check my email, then I get to remain in my comfort zone and avoid the hard work and fear of failure that comes with writing an article. Or is it the fear of the unknown that is holding you back? Write down 3 ways you benefit from making excuses.
1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
So now we both know why we've created our excuses - to avoid something. All we need to do now is find a way to overcome these bad habits. I want you to write down 3 behaviors you want to stop.
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2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
Now write down why you end up doing it...were you bored, fearful, lazy, etc.
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2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
Now give yourself the permission to change. "Envision the rewards you will get when you make the change to your life and habits," Lee tells us. Give yourself a powerful list of reasons for fixing the habit.
1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________
Working on bad habits everyday will give you an incredible boost in self-esteem and confidence. With each small successful improvement you'll build confidence to take on the bigger, badder habits that are holding you back.
Remember, everyday we are a work in progress. You might have bad days, but as long as you make overall improvement each week and month - that is all that matters.
Lee also recommends charting your progress. I have said many times before that you need to keep records of your workouts and nutrition. Only then will you know what works and how much improvement you have made.
And finally, get social support. Don't expect to do this alone. One research study from Stanford University concluded social support was the #1 factor for success in an exercise program.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
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