elev8 wellness
  • Elev8 Wellness
    • About
    • Meet the team
    • Classes >
      • Women's Wellness Series
      • Elev8 Yoga
      • Elev8 Dance
      • Elev8 Kids Programs >
        • Elev8kids Summer Camp
        • Toddler Classes
    • Our Studios >
      • Rent Our Studio
    • Elev8 Recipes
  • WellBlog
  • Services
  • Virtual Coaching
  • Contact
    • Take a Tour

wellblog

Make Fate; Don't Fake Mate (THe Doldrums)

7/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Diet and exercise programs which don’t fit you are very effective in the beginning. You can mate them with your lifestyle for a short time, because the excitement of results supersedes the realities of sacrifice. One day, however, there is a natural sorting phenomenon where you “fall out of love” with the most effective of programs. It will always happen, even for the best-personally-fit programs. So you will always be confronted with the same question: is this sustainable? Why not ask it in the beginning and save everyone the heartache?

There will come a time in any fitness effort where the dopamine and oxytocin runs low. In psychology and neuroscience this is actually a measured phenomenon with new romantic relationships. For couples, peak concentrations will drop, best case scenario, 18 months after the start. Worst case scenario (and this seems to be linked to the higher the high at the beginning) is 6-12 weeks. Either way, at THAT point, THAT is where maturity BEGINS. You are no longer “high” emotionally. And when you aren’t high is the point where it’s time to grow up and execute beneficial behaviors as a consequence of MAKING fate, not faking mate. “We aren’t a good fit” was always true. But you will either make something work together (ie - mate, match, connect), or you will look for something else.

Thus it is in healthy lifestyle changes. People get a serious high every time they start a new endeavor. There is the excitement of newness and the wonder that comes from new experiences. This is a fleeting motivation. Starter inspiration, perhaps. But it isn’t mature decision-making. People try to recreate the high from the beginning by “resetting,” going on retreats, jumping on a new fad, only to discover that the lull hits anyway.

The doldrums come. That’s a given. You WILL have a day where you don’t get high. Now what?

The number one solution is having this expectation at outset. Part of the reason I and some of my peers have the only long term weight loss and fitness success stories is because we set the expectation, at the beginning, that this is not about getting high. This is about deciding, as an adult, that you are going to incorporate non-self-sabotaging variables into your life... forever.

You won’t see a ten-plus year success story on an infomercial. You won’t read about it in a New York Times bestseller. Their entire strategy IS dopamine high and oxytocin burst. They are very effective at making billions of dollars for the “creator” of whatever idea - but 99+% ineffective for people after the initial high.

What does this mean for the average person? You HAVE to get to “autopilot” on about 50 behaviors. Yes. That’s a lot. That’s why it’s so daunting. But it boils down to about 50 behaviors, most of which are never even covered in ANY health and fitness program.
But as you’ll see, and, if you’re honest right now, as you’ve already learned before, the moment the doldrums hit, you discontinue all 50 behaviors. Think about prior efforts at fitness. You rocked it out... for 3 weeks. You crushed it... for 3 months. You were going pretty strong... at month 18. Then, it didn’t “feel” like a fit anymore. You broke up with yourself.

It may sound like hairsplitting. But it’s helpful simply reminding yourself that health and fitness isn’t always going to be a euphoric ecstasy. It seldom has to be painful drudgery. It always is practical productivity.

So let’s just say you’re in the doldrums right now. You are struggling to “feel” high. Good. You’re growing up. Now think of the four categories wherein those 50 behaviors lie:

1.) sense of support (family, friends, community, mentors)

2.) stress management (creative outlets, daily activity, mindfulness practices)

3.) recovery (sufficiency of rest, sleep, micronutrients, fiber, protein)

4.) integrity (when you say you’ll do something, do it)

Notice I don’t have anything listed about dropping calories low enough or pushing hard enough in workouts.

We could peel layers for days. Obviously, when the four categories aren’t in place, the parochial “eat less, move more” is the only “foundation.” People keep futilely trying to eat less and move more without ever asking “is this sustainable?” And, therefore, you realize what the answer must be.

I encounter this with every single client. I’ve seen it over 10,000 times. I have experienced it personally many times. You “run out of steam.” You “get busy.” You “lose interest.” Yeah. Welcome to adulthood. The fact of the matter is that brutal honesty uncovers active self-sabotage, not situational disadvantage. Take food as a super simple example. The time, effort, and money it takes to be PROACTIVE about available healthy food is LESS than the time, effort, and money it takes to be REACTIVE about food in afterthought. 100% of the time, clients spend less yearly money on food when they obtain a month’s worth of supplements or food delivery or large single-visit farmer’s market, co-op, or Costco trips. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. It is the unplanned, reactive, afterthought, and frequent “pick something up” trips that sap your time, effort, and money.

If you don’t prevent emotional depression by hitting nutrient sufficiency, you’re ravenous. You think well emotionally-managed people spend MORE time, effort, and money than out-of-control emotional food addicts? Come on. Be realistic. I have plenty of people doing variant fasting techniques, and they’re LESS hungry, LESS emotional, and spending wayyyyyyy LESS on food (and other un-tallied vices).

Or look at exercise. Do you really truly believe that someone who lifts weights 90 minutes per week is spending MORE time than someone who doesn’t? We all have 168 hours in a week. It’s very basic logic. A strong person can complete more in less time than a weak person. That 90 minutes looks like a cost; but it’s actually a dividend payout. Strong people are more efficient with all the other hours in the week. And contracting skeletal muscle is an endocrine power up. You make brain cells more youthful when you exercise. You make organs function better. You are more efficient with everything you do as you train strength. More efficiency means you can attend to the four categories better.

Remind yourself it won’t always be the “falling in love” season. When the doldrums hit, simply work steps - not because you’re high or motivated or excited, but because you’re going to be a grownup and save yourself time and emotional turmoil. Decide to live in a non-self-sabotaging manner. Make fate. Don’t be a fake, mate.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Elev8 Wellness
    ​wellblog

    We strive to provide the latest articles and commentary on health, fitness, nutrition and vitality strategy.

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Active Memory
    Age
    Business
    Cancer
    Coaching
    Dementia
    Diet
    Dna
    Elev8 Wellness
    Family
    Fat
    Fish Oil
    Genetics
    Gut Health
    Health
    Jonathan Watters
    Ketosis
    Leadership
    Life
    Memory
    Muscle
    Nutrition
    Optimisim
    Parkinsons
    Pessimism
    Probiotics
    Sales
    Spatial Intelligence
    Strength Training
    Weight Loss
    Weight-loss
    Wellness

    RSS Feed

Picture

LIVE. AWESOME.

We offer the highest quality in personal  fitness, nutrition, and mindset coaching, helping you achieve your fitness, health, wellness and performance goals no matter the obstacle. With virtual online training and private, in-studio training we make it easier to reach your wellness goals safely.

​No more can't. No more not good enough. If you compete in a sport, let your mind no longer hold you back from being the greatest. If you don't, let your mind no longer hold you back from being the best version of you that you can be.

Sign-up for a Tour
Covid Screen Waiver
​Elev8 Waiver
Become an Elev8 Instructor
Space Rental
LOGIN / MEMBER REGISTER

6244 lyndale ave. s., minneapolis, mn 55423
CONTACTUS@ELEV8WELLNESS.COM
612-440-4584

© 2021 Elev8 Wellness LLC.  All Rights Reserved.                                              site map  |  contribute  |                                                           SITE BY  Sproute Creative
Photos used under Creative Commons from benzado, frankieleon, hatcher10027, Sterling College, OakleyOriginals, rawpixel.com, quinn.anya, allispossible.org.uk, wuestenigel, jeffdjevdet, Brian Legate
  • Elev8 Wellness
    • About
    • Meet the team
    • Classes >
      • Women's Wellness Series
      • Elev8 Yoga
      • Elev8 Dance
      • Elev8 Kids Programs >
        • Elev8kids Summer Camp
        • Toddler Classes
    • Our Studios >
      • Rent Our Studio
    • Elev8 Recipes
  • WellBlog
  • Services
  • Virtual Coaching
  • Contact
    • Take a Tour