I have been on my fitness and self-development journey for almost 10 years. And every year, I fall off track at least twice.. and every year, it takes me down a spiral of depression and defeat. I’ve always had pretty weak bounce-back-ability, meaning, I don’t bounce back fast. I don’t hop back on track quickly. It usually takes me at least a few weeks. As I’m writing this, I am currently on operation bounce-back-faster. However, I gave myself 2 days to sulk and complain, and I’m coming in with a mission mindset to overcome past patterns and habits. I don’t know if you can relate to me here, but if you can, this goes out to you.
From vacations, to holidays, discouragement, to little failures, and a world wide pandemic, we have all fallen off course from our journey at some point. Since Covid-19, I’ve hopped on and fallen off at least 12 times. This time however, I refuse to spiral and stray away. I have spent the past week reflecting and keeping awareness of little habits that have taken me far off course in the past, and I want to share them with you. I want to help you overcome that period where momentum is hidden (not lost), so you can take advantage of it and bounce back immediately. Lets take a look at what usually happens when we fall off course..
The Vacation Roller Coaster
Three months prior to your beach getaway, you work extra hard in the gym so you can look and feel your best on your dream trip. As time approaches, you feel greater each day. This vacation has inspired a drive in you to work harder than ever, and you’re filled with motivation as you admire the results you worked so hard for. You promise yourself that nothing will tear you off your A-game, and you will hustle like this “even after your vacation.”
Finally, you get there. It’s been so long since you’ve relaxed and splurged on a (few) mojito(s) with tacos, so you enjoy every sip and every bite. Days 1 and 2 aren’t too bad in terms of motivation and bloat. You get your core workout in the morning before you hit the beach, and you’re feeling extra foine with your Caribbean tan….
…. And then day 3 hits.
Vacay Food Baby
Suddenly, you find yourself feeling like a puffer fish, as you hear your head pounding. You’re exhausted from partying it up the night before, and you feel all your results from the gym are lost as the late night French fries caught up to you this morning. You think to yourself, why did I work so hard prior to this trip?! Yet you still have 2 more days of day drinking and late night clubbing.
Then, you come home. At least when you felt crappy before, you were on a beautiful island. But now you’re back in your hometown, back to reality. The last thing you want to do is get back on track. You just want to sleep, and go back to the beach.
Luckily, you don’t have work the next day, so you can catch up on sleep. You think you’ll make the most of this day to get back to the gym grind. Instead, you stare in the mirror feeling gross, looking back at your pre-vacay bod, feeling discouraged and defeated. After accepting that you lost your results, the thought of working out becomes more of a drag. You say, “Ok Tomorrow I will start over”. Then tomorrow comes, and you say, “Ok Tomorrow I will start over.” And this cycle repeats for the next 5 weeks.
Bounce-Back-Ability
Here are my top tips for getting back into routine and increasing bounce-back-ability after taking a break to enjoy vacation, or ANY reason you may have fallen off your path.
Stop being so hard on yourself. The only failure is quitting entirely.
I know you’re not giving up, because you’re reading this blog.
The more that you tear yourself down, the harder its going to be to get back to it. Realize that this is all temporary. The emotions, this season of your life, and your physical body- its all just for now. Get your mind focused on your future. Visualize yourself becoming your best version instead of sulking about where you are now. Unfortunately you can not change the past, but you can accept the present, and look forward to the future- aiming to become 1% better every day.
You did not “lose all the progress you made”
If there is 1 thing I’m consistently guilty of, its assuming I’ve lost any and all progress over a 3 day eat-what-I-want-and-lounge-in-the-sand getaway. This thought process immediately puts me in a defeat mindset. As if I’ve failed, back to square one, I’ll never look or feel good ever again. This mindset made it so much harder to even want to get back to my training regimen.
Once I realized that drinking (alcohol) from 10 am to 1am will cause me to bloat, and once I understood that bloat is not the same as fat gain, it made it a lot easier to continue on with my healthy habits, instead of waving my white flag. So no, you didn’t gain a ton of weight in just a few days. Your body is holding on to water, causing you to look a little puffier than usual. All that salt, sugar, and alcohol-dehydration is causing the bloated look. If you give it a week of training and eating as you did pre-vacay, I promise, it will go down as if you didn’t even go away.
Dont starve yourself or go ham on the cardio. Eat and train just as you did prior to the trip.
Naturally, your first thought is, “If I dont eat a calorie, and simply drink lemon water and green tea for the next week, I should feel like myself again! Maybe a juice cleanse the week after? Oh and maybe I’ll run 17 miles and do abs for 2 hours. That should do the trick.” No no no no.
Not only will that cause your metabolism to cry, but you’d increase your chances of developing binge eating disorders, or other health problems. It’s not an efficient method either. You will lose more muscle than fat if anything! So don’t torture yourself as a form of punishment for enjoying a vacation. Whatever training and eating regimen you were on prior to, continue that. Don’t change a thing. If anything, increase your water intake and drink hot tea with probiotics to help aid digestion and gut health.
Ask a friend to join you so you have an accountability partner
Put out flyers for friends looking to join you on your grind. Find a partner who can keep you accountable. Knowing your friend will be at the gym waiting for you should give you a little extra push to get your booty up and meet him/her there. If your accountability partner is putting in the work, that should light a fire under you to do the same. You’ll be in the fire together, pushing each other, and making sure the other is meeting their self-made promises.
Create a new goal / Find a deeper intention
If your old goal is no longer relevant or simply not cutting it, its time to find a bigger reason why. Take an hour to yourself to ask WHY do you want to workout? Why do you want to live a certain lifestyle? What’s the reason? Is it enough to push you when motivation fades? When life gets real? Find an intention that will move you no matter what life throws at you.
Personally, “looking good” is a reason that can only push me so far. It doesn’t take long for me to fall off when physique is my only reason why.
After binging David Goggins, I’ve decided to take it a few layers deeper. Which leads me to my next tip…
Listen to David Goggins. Often.
Before or during every workout, find any video of David’s story. Trust me, it will get you moving. It’s SO easy to forget why we’re on our success journey.. Especially when we’re tired, when it’s 5am before going to work, when it’s cold or rainy, when every excuse sounds better than getting up and doing the thing. Listening to people who push you is a great way to get yourself up and out of your comfortable bed.
He also has a book called Can’t Hurt Me!
Get through day 1 and start gaining momentum again
Your first day back will always be the hardest. Mentally and physically, it is uncomfortable. Once you overcome that first day, that 1 hour, consider the most challenging step over with. (Bounce-back-ability: Unlocked) You have to defeat the demons in your head telling you not to go. Push those thoughts aside, push the excuses aside. From the wise words of my role model, “Success does not care about your excuse.” No matter how good it might be, you will not make the progress you want to make if you are not taking the action towards it. You have to prioritize this new journey. The longer you wait to start, the harder it will be.
If you’re reading this and you haven’t taken any action toward your goal, I am daring you to take the first step right now. If its getting back into training, I dare you to go for a walk, or drink a cup of water, I don’t care how small this step is as long as its in the direction of your goal.
Stop comparing yourself to someones good angle / “snapshot”.
Instagram. Is. not. Reality. And I’m a hypocrite because no matter how many times I tell myself that, I still fall into the trap of believing what I see. Girls, posing is everything. Lighting is even more. And Facetune is the most. Stop comparing yourself to a fake person and a fake body. You’re with yourself forever, you might as well learn to fall in love with you. You deserve that.
Buy a program /Hire a trainer / Join a gym.
I’ve recently joined a new gym and it has lit such a fire under me to get moving again. Having that space to zone in and escape reality for 1-2 hours is transformational! I’m not sure about you, but I’m super picky about the environment, especially somewhere that’s a little nerve racking walking into. Don’t settle on a gym, check out a few if you have to! See the vibe, ask about day passes, check out photos on google. If you don’t feel comfortable in your gym, the chances of you going consistently are very slim.
If you don’t like going to a gym because you don’t know what to do, find a program from a trainer you trust, or better yet, hire one to keep you accountable and show you the ropes! That way, you have a blueprint to follow, and you can feel confident.
Take part in a challenge
Sometimes our training routine, or day to day responsibilities can get pretty stale. If you’re feeling like your routine is becoming a drag, take part in a fitness or health challenge! Maybe find a friend who would be willing to join you, and tackle a fitness challenge together! This could be used as a kickstart to bounce back into your long term goal. Look at this challenge as something to spark your dream lifestyle.
Take a day to plan ahead (Pre-Day 1)
Preparation is key to increasing your bounce-back-ability.
Write our your workout, or study your Day 1 program. This will leave you feeling confident because you know exactly what you’ll be getting done once you walk into the gym.
Next, get a cute outfit ready! You don’t want to be digging through piles of not-yet-unpacked vacation clothes at 7am, only to settle on an outfit that you don’t feel kickass in. Prepare your outfit the night before.
Find a cute planner or calendar from TJ Maxx and plan your month out. This will help you prioritize your training so it fits in your schedule. (P.S. if you know you won’t workout after work, get it done before! Yes it will take more effort to get up earlier, but think of how good you’ll feel knowing you’re done for the day!? Again – go back to your reason why. If it’s not strong enough, it’ll be easy to sleep in..)
Buy a reusable gallon so you’re not wasting $$ on Poland Spring gallons from gas stations.
Go grocery shopping and buy food for at least the next 3 days. Fill up on fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and protein! This will decrease chances of binging on cookies and easy-to-reach-snacks.
Lastly, treat yourself on your pre-day 1. Take a bubble bath, wear a face mask, make some tea, and listen to self-love affirmations (or David Goggins) to chill out before your go HAM in the gym the next day.
Bounce-Back-Ability
Here you have 11 tips to find your fire again. To find some reason to move again. I believe in you whole heartedly because I have felt what you’re feeling. I say that because I am speaking from my experience, and if you relate to any of this, just know it gets better. If you use any of these 11 tips I promise you, you will bounce back. If 1 doesn’t work, you have 10 more to choose from. Stop saying “tomorrow” and get moving right now!
Love, Lianna
Great content! Keep up the good work!