A question that I will ask a new client is “what is your goal”?
Almost more than half the time I will get an answer that sounds kind of like this…
“I want to be X weight because that is how much I used to weight a few years back, and I felt my best when I weighed that much.”
I admit that I told my nutrition coach the same thing too.
In the past my set point numbers was 127. My weight may have gotten a little higher every once in awhile, but it took 1 week of loose tracking to get it back down.
When I started back with a nutrition coach I weighed 132. Now, even though my goal is purely performance, I in the back of my mind had the expectation of body naturally getting back to 127.
One month later, check in rolls around. I step on the scale again. And there it is 132. I run through all the check boxes. Did I hit all my numbers this week? No. How was stress? Sleep? Training? Quality of eating?
Then I stopped myself.
Because it hit me. Why am I beating myself up over a number (body weight or body fat) that think I should be?
Who I was a few years back is very different than who I am today. The life stress is different. The training I do now is very different. The goals are different. And honestly, I need a little more mass on me to give me confidence in what I do. So if that is case, why am I holding myself to a standard?
Maybe you have gone through a pregnancy. Maybe you are now not only responsible for you but for 2 other little human beings. Maybe you work schedule switch for day to shift work. Maybe you are in college now and have to cook for yourself.
You changed!
Stop looking back to the past and setting expectation for yourself which are irrelevant to who you are now.
Instead, push to everyday to discover what makes you feel your best now.
How?
First, by letting go of past ideals.
Second, be open to change!
Third, once you are open to change take time to reflect and take note. How are you feeling? What are you accomplishing? Are you taking step to becoming the person you want to be?
Once you stop, reflect, ask questions, and answer them, then you can reassess and keep moving forward. Into the future you. Not past you, because let be honest, we can always be better than who we were in the past.
