10 SELF-SABOTAGINGBEHAVIORS THAT RUINYOUR FITNESS GOALS

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1 Do you engage in these self-sabotaging behaviors?

Fitness GoalsFitness Goals

Do you engage in these self-sabotaging behaviors?

Have you ever started working on a fitness goal, only to become derailed? In the end, didthe experience leave you feeling frustrated? If the answer is yes, you wouldn’t be alone.

The hard truth is many people set well-intentioned goals for wellness but never quitemake them a reality. In many cases, the reasons can be traced to self-sabotage; a ten-dollar term used to describe the dynamic where a person unintentionally sets themselvesup for failure.

Hoping to help readers live healthier lives, Guy Counseling spoke to a number of expertsabout this topic. Some of what follows may strike you as common sense. Other pointsmight surprise you.

Read them all to assess how many may apply to your situation.

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1. Not making fitness a priority

A major way you may be messing up your health goals is by not making fitness a priority.Pam Sherman, a certified personal trainer who runs The Perfect BalanceThe Perfect Balance shared with us:

“The number one-way people sabotage their goals is by not setting aside time daily/mostdays to work on it. Life is busy and crazy always.

I advise clients to put their workouts/fitness into their calendars. This way it’s a non-negotiable part of their day. No one ever regrets a workout,” said Sherman.

2. Thinking it will be easy

Identifying goals and reaching them are two different things. What can make or breakachievement is how you view the goal itself.

If you think it will be easy, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Raffi Bilek, a licensedpsychotherapist and director of the Baltimore Therapy CenterBaltimore Therapy Center offered the followinginsights.

“People sabotage their fitness goals by assuming it’s going to be easy. Personaltransformation, whether physical, emotional, or mental, takes time and effort – if it feelseasy, it probably won’t result in much change.”

Bilek adds, “Be prepared to work hard in the gym, but also getting to the gym, sticking toroutines, eating right, etc. If you’re hoping for an easy ride, you will be sorely disappointed,and more likely to drop out, when the going gets tough – and it will!”

3. Not getting enough sleep

You probably know that sleep is important to your overall health. But did you know notgetting enough rest can derail your fitness goals?

Caleb Backe with Maple Holistics shared the following insights. “Sleep is necessary tofunction, optimal health, and well-being. You need sleep to perform your best. It’s also animportant part of the post-workout recovery after you train.”

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Backe adds, “When you work out, you are breaking down existing muscle fibers andtissues. The reason muscles become bigger is because they repair themselves while yousleep.

Without [enough] sleep, your body won’t have time to repair itself and you could actuallylose lean muscle masslose lean muscle mass .”

4. Playing the game of comparisons

Do you compare your body to others? When you do this, does the experience leave youfeeling crappy? If so, you aren’t alone.

But here is the thing. When you play the game of comparisons, you throw a giant monkeywrench into your fitness plans.

Leon Turetsky, a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist who operatesBack IntelligenceBack Intelligence imparts the following wisdom.

“Well-intentioned people sabotage their fitness goals by comparing themselves to others.

At first, they are just happy to start working out and get healthy. But soon after, when theysee someone with a slimmer body (or a six pack), they get down on themselves.

In the end, they lose sight of what’s important – which is to do their own best, enjoy themoment, and let the results come gradually over time,” says Turetsky.

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Are your fitness goals realistic?

5. Not getting enough support

Research shows that people are more likely to achieve a goal when they have ongoingsupport. An example might be to drop twenty pounds over the course of a year.

That’s realistic, right? Perhaps. But if you don’t have support systems in place during thejourney, you may never realize your dream.

Richard BrouilletteRichard Brouillette , a San Diego based licensed mental health clinician shared thefollowing. “We need regular support from others, whether that is a trainer, a friend, orspouse, to cheer us on, hold us accountable, and not shame us when we stumble.”

He goes on to add, “When we isolate, we may protect ourselves from feeling shame, butwe also increase the chance we go into denial and give up.

Change is an upward spiral, not a straight line up. Success and behavior change are builton the desire to win, with a bunch of small failures and recoveries along the way.

With each minor failure, our strength grows. But if we are too rigid and don’t see change asconstant process of upward movement, we will give up,” says Brouillette.

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6. Fear of Success

Believe it or not, having a fear of success could be the thing lurking in the background thatholds you back from achieving your goals.

Dr. Farrah HaukeDr. Farrah Hauke , a psychologist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona, shared with us thefollowing:

“Many individuals trying to lose weight consciously or unconsciously self-sabotage. Thereason for this is that even the most longed-for goals have a ‘price’.

For example, losing weight may mean a healthier body and improved self-confidence, butit may also mean you cannot eat whatever you want anymore.

It might mean a Saturday morning at the gym, as opposed to relaxing on the couch.Compounding this further is the fact that some individuals have long used their ‘weight’ asa personal barrier or shield.”

Hauke adds, “Many individuals losing weight are concerned how their weight loss willaffect their current relationships and family dynamics. They also can be concerned aboutunwanted comments or questions about their weight loss.”

Trying to change too much too soon?

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7. Changing too much, too fast

This one probably is common sense but is worth repeating because of its significance.Anthony TreasAnthony Treas , a men’s health coach who operates the website Strong Coaching offeredthe following thoughts on this topic.

“People sabotage their fitness goals by expecting to change too many things at one time.It’s important to start off slow. Over time, increase physical activity before trying to eathealthier,” suggests Treas.

8. Not staying committed

When you set a goal, it’s important to stay committed to the process. This requires ongoingself-dialogue and focus. In the absence of focus, derailment can happen quickly.

Dr. James MillhouseDr. James Millhouse , an Atlanta based psychologist makes the following observations.“People [often] create failure because of a lack of commitment.”

As a remedy, he suggests that folks, “Write down plan down and affirm each day that it isyour intention to follow it and achieve your goals. This allows your commitment to remainstrong.”

9. Getting bored

If you’ve been around fitness circles for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard that it’simportant to occasionally change things up.

The reason is simple. If you get bored with a routine, your motivation will likely nosedive.Keeon Taylor with Supreme Holistic Fitness told us the following.

“When you keep doing the same workouts without adding variety or making it morechallenging, it’s a recipe for failure.”

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10. Not properly fueling your body

If your goal is to lose weight and pack on muscle, it’s important to look at food as a fuelsource. But if you don’t take the right approach in this area, it could throw you off track.

Dr. Alex TaubergDr. Alex Tauberg , a board-certified sports chiropractor in Pittsburg who is also a personaltrainer told us the following.

“One of the biggest ways in which people sabotage their fitness goals is through anunhealthy or inappropriate diet. When we start to work out more, our bodies react byincreasing the amount of hunger that we feel.

This can lead to urges for unhealthy snacks. Your diet is extremely important when tryingto reach your goals regardless of if that goal is to lose weight or to gain mass,” saysTauberg.

Wrap Up

Well, there you have it. Ten ways you may be self-sabotaging your fitness goals. If you canrelate to any of the above, now might be a good time to create a plan of action.

Dr. John Moore is a journalist and blogger who writes about a variety of topics. His interestsinclude technology, outdoor activities, science, and men's health. Click on image for bio.

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