Top 5 Things Holding You Back In 2018

Happy New Year! We made it to 2018!

So many possibilities.

So much to accomplish.

Do you have a fitness related goal you want to crush this year? Maybe you have a couple.

Fitness related goals always seem to be the most popular, making January peak season for diet and exercise. We’re not even a week into the New Year and you might’ve already realized that making changes to your lifestyle is tough.

It definitely is. No doubt about it.

We are creatures of habit, and anytime we try to change those habits our brain tends to fight back. This causes stress to the body. Not necessarily a bad stress, but there’s an obvious strain on your body that wasn’t there before. Life complicates things further by throwing in new stressors and curveballs daily.

How do we handle this?

For one, you must be willing to be flexible if you want to adapt to these changes without having a mental or physical breakdown. An overwhelmed body won’t make any progress inside or outside the gym. Any growth will be stunted at best.

But there are some ways to prepare and protect your body.

I’ve picked 5 errors that could make or break your goal reaching potential. Being proactive and investing in these areas will set you (and your body) up for success. Master these and you’ll be well on your way to maxing out your fitness resolutions.

Error #1: Poor Nutrition

This one can go two ways.

Either you’re eating like crap or you’re eating too little. Neither one is optimal because both are damaging.

By “crap” I mean the majority of your calories coming from low-quality, low-nutrient food sources. You’re body needs high-quality, nutrient dense fuel to achieve maximal output, whether that’s in the form of work or recovery. Your body can actually be starving even though you’re consuming more than enough calories due to a lack of vital nutrients.

Like I’ve said before, lean protein, fresh veggies, complex-carbs and nutritious fats should make up the majority of your diet.

Eating too little can land you in the same boat. Not only is your body starving for nutrients, it’s also starving for fuel. Your body can barely accomplish normal day-to-day tasks in a severe caloric deficit.

Expecting your body to recover well, build new muscle or even lose fat is out of the question if you aren’t eating enough.

Error #2: Sleep Deprivation

You can sleep when you’re dead, right?

Inadequate sleep is probably the #1 stressor in the US, and could be the number one reason why you don’t succeed in 2018.

Putting your sleeping habits on the back burner is a common mistake that always leads to disaster. You’re body performs less efficiently, repairs slower and puts every body system in a state of alarm. Imagine being in constant fight or flight mode. That's a ton of strain on the body.

Your body can only compensate for so long before it begins to shut down.

So do yourself a favor and build good sleeping habits this year. Your body will reward you for your efforts.

Error #3: No Stress Management

Stress management is a crucial piece to transforming your body, health and lifestyle. Like I said earlier, our bodies encounter an onslaught of stress daily whether you realize it or not. You can multiply that x2 if you just started weight training and multiply it x3 if you’re trying to lose fat.

There has to be some sort of stress management in your life.

Chronic stress alters the hormonal cascade and is very taxing on the body. Cortisol is one hormone that increases with stress. Excess cortisol can cause problems like anxiety, weight gain, fatigue and hypersensitivity to pain over time.

Find a relaxing activity and do it often. It can be as simple as sitting still for 15 minutes and taking slow, deep breaths. Light exercise, like walking, can be another form of relaxation.

Error #4: Prolonged Sitting

This one may seem a little strange, but I promise it has a place in your success.

Too much sitting leads to lethargy and, most importantly, lower back pain. Chronic lower back pain is a limiting factor for a lot of people. Working out and staying active is much harder to do when your back aches constantly.

Proper body mechanics are also at risk.

Sitting causes all kinds of muscle tightness and decreased mobility around the hips and spine. Improper body mechanics leads to compromised form, and that opens the body up to unnecessary injury in and out of the gym. You won’t be making any gains while you’re laid up at home nursing an injury.

*More on low back pain to come.

Error #5: Instant Gratification

This is one that gets a lot of people, including me.

I want the results yesterday. I want to be stronger now.

But that’s not how it works. You aren’t going to get results over night, at least not the ones you really want. There are no “quick fixes”. There’s only action and consistency and it all starts with small steps.

You can make the smallest improvement and you will see progress if you are taking action and remaining consistent daily. That’s how 2 bottles of water a day can translate to 100lbs of fat loss over 2 years.

Many people try to do too much at one time and this usually ends in discouragement, burnout and/or injury. For example, you can’t go from not working out in 10 years to training like an NFL athlete. You will injure yourself and most likely quit.

Play the long game. Be willing to accept slow progress and enjoy the benefits later for longer.

It’s all part of the journey!