As excited as I was to start a new Body-for-LIFE challenge a couple of weeks ago, I realized today that I haven't been doing it with my usual gung-ho enthusiasm and to a large extent, I've just been going through the motions. That's not a surprise since I knew it would take awhile to get my emotional energy back after such a draining rough spell of illness the last few months. But I know from experience it's best to just get going - and that eventually the momentum will develop and the excitement will come back.
It's only human nature that when you're going through a long spell of sickness or some other physical adversity that you might have to lower your expectations. Progress would be nice, but frankly you're just trying to hold on!
But when the storm passes and you finally get a chance to ramp things back up, there is usually some fallout mentally and emotionally to deal with. Perhaps, it's simply because it takes awhile to get your confidence back after a serious setback, but it still is crucial to address any insidious thinking or beliefs that might be holding you back.
In a nutshell, the "stinking thinking" that crept in was "What can I get away with and still have decent results?" and the "Maybe I'm still not physically or emotionally up to fully committing to my fitness program and as such I probably won't meet my goals for this challenge." Yikes! Not exactly the kind of thinking or beliefs necessary to feel excited or passionate about your fitness program!
Now, let me be clear - this has been under the surface stuff. I would have caught it right away if it was in the forefront of my thoughts. But it's the kind of insidious stuff that can slip in under the radar screen if you don't stop to take inventory of that churning or stress. It's under the surface, but it's still greatly affecting your focus and behavior. Unaddressed it tends to drive a person towards escapism and diversion, commonly resulting in eating and drinking behavior that ensures your fitness/weight-loss goals aren't going to happen!
Now that I've identified the issues, I'll deal with them. I feel so relieved and excited now! Shazam! I hope sharing my exercise in emotional/mental "homework" might be helpful to anyone dealing with similar issues. And of course, this kind of internal work also applies to any of life's issues. Keep on truckin', gang! :)