The Top Reasons Why You Can’t Achieve Your Fitness Goals

We all want to have a figure that we feel good in and love to show off. For reasons that almost mystify many of us, some people consistently fail to turn their fitness goals into reality. Many people make excuses and say that they are genetically incapable of losing weight or achieving the figure they want. However, this simply isn’t the case. Anyone can get a great body, provided that they know which advice they should follow and which advice they should ignore. To help you ditch the bad advice that might be holding you back, here are the top reasons why you can’t achieve your fitness goals.

Reason One: You Push Yourself Too Hard and Set Yourself Up For Failure

Imagine yourself trying to master a new skill with which you had zero experience. For example, say you wanted to learn how to speak Spanish. Chances are that you would find a beginner program that would teach you basic phrases like “hello” and “how are you?” You wouldn’t immediately purchase a difficult full-length Spanish novel and then beat yourself up for being unable to read more than one or two sentences.

For whatever reason, people who have poor diet and fitness habits rarely try to improve their bodies via small, gradual changes. Instead, they seem keen on diving headfirst into extreme diet and exercise programs and then beat themselves up when they inevitably fail.

If you’re addicted to cookies and sweets, it’s almost a guarantee that you won’t be able to stick to an extreme program that completely eliminates all forms of sugar. Similarly, if you’ve never worked out in your life, you’re not likely to succeed on an intense daily workout program. Instead of diving into an extremely challenging diet plan or fitness regimen, focus on small, gradual changes.

Reason Two: You Fall For Fads But Ignore Science-Backed Programs

The diet industry is a big business. Like any big business, for every legitimate product out there, there are dozens of fad products that have little value to the consumer and are instead simply a way for the creators to get rich quickly.

There are tons of fad diet pills and eating plans that make a lot of big promises but aren’t backed by any scientific data. It’s important that you learn how to discern between legitimate programs and these cheap fads. If you’re going to read a diet book, make sure that it’s one that’s backed by scientific research, such as “The Big Fat Surprise” by Nina Teicholz.

Reason Three: You Lack Discipline

Sometimes, we need to pause and assess whether or not we’re responsible, at least in part, for our own failures. Many diet and fitness professionals are leery of telling clients that they lack willpower, since the last thing they want to do is to hurt the feelings of someone who’s paying them. But the truth of the matter is that many people who continuously fail at their diet and fitness goals lack willpower and discipline.

Remember, you aren’t born with willpower and discipline. Instead, they’re qualities that you build up over time, like a muscle. Devote some time each day to reminding yourself of your goals. Yoga and meditation can be useful in clearing your mind and improving your self-control. Becoming a disciplined person takes time, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor that will greatly improve all areas of your life.