I’ve noticed recently that mental wellbeing and mindset is being mentioned more and more in the mainstream media as a catalyst for sustainable weight loss. This is awesome!
It’s awesome for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a refreshing change from the usual celebrity endorsed quick fix diet bullshit we all know and love and secondly because it’s a massively important and often overlooked aspect of ‘health’.
If you’re familiar with our blogs you’ll know that we have and continue to do so. Address this elephant in the room.
From our point of view it’s very simple. A healthy mind equals a healthy body. Now; you might be thinking I’ve got that the wrong way around but I disagree.
It’s all well and good to tell people to go out and exercise and start eating well but if that’s your answer then I’d argue you’ve never experienced some of the issues that poor mental health brings about.
If your in such a place that getting out of bed and facing the reality of another day feels like conquering Everest then getting yourself to a gym, full of other people and then exercise is in reality not going to happen.
Initially you are far better addressing the more immediate problems. If recent gain in weight has coincided with poor mental health.
Then the issue of not participating in structured exercise certainly isn’t the reason. When people become more and more overwhelmed by the world they isolate themselves and become increasing sedentary which causes them to gain weight even though they may be eating the same as always.
This combined with not having the perceived energy to cook causes them to become lazier in their food choices.
Rather than cooking a meal or going to the shops and again facing the outside world you become limited to take aways and convenient foods.
Which again only serves to aid the weight gain and make you feel even worse.
In these cases to simply say exercise will help is pretty useless advise.
Do I agree that exercise and proper diet would help?
Of course that’s irrefutable but for most people it’s just too damn difficult to make that first step.
If they do manage to make that first step they seek the wrong advise, end up focusing on the wrong things, inevitably fail and ending up in a worse place than they were when they started.
This is why a change in focus is required and much welcomed from our industry.
People are honestly better focusing on making themselves happier than thinking that exercising is going to solve all their problems.
Address those problems in your life, create a more positive day to day regime and try to make the most out of the short life we actually have.
However, if you do enjoy exercising and you feel that it’s something that will make you happier then that’s even better.
Exercise or any physical activity is awesome; especially when you find a form of it you really really enjoy.
Exercise shouldn’t come with unrealistic expectations and goals.
Focus on enjoying yourself and being as happy as you can and doing something you enjoy.
If you find a way to do this then any results you want will come as a result.
People don’t need to train harder they need to train happier and with that change in mindset they’ll become healthy and fitter as they go.
Dan
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