John Lark

“Fall seven times, get up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

“Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.” – Winston Churchill

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson

These quotes all say the same thing. No matter how many obstacles you run into, what matters is that you’re able to overcome each of them, one at a time.

“Two steps forward, one step back” is usually a negative term to describe someone who is having trouble making progress. But switched around, “1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward” means that instead of grousing or feeling guilty about a misstep, you can still come out ahead if you put your head down and push forward.

And it is about this time of year that the early New Years enthusiasm begins to really be tested.

Steps back can take many forms: a family vacation, breaks in your routine, personal tragedies, injuries, or that lost weekend in front of the tube.

A big mistake people make when trying to get healthier is that when they fall off a bit or something happens, they think they “have to start over”.

Wrong! When missteps do happen, a better strategy is to simply take two steps forward. You’re still ahead of where you were before, far beyond the starting line.

In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you can consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame.

With healthy eating and exercising, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.

That is why trying to chase 100 per cent compliance is futile. We have found that 90 per cent is enough. Is that taking a step backwards? No. It is setting yourself up to take a step back allowing you to recharge your batteries and go at the diet train again the following week.

Guilt can be debilitating to your healthy habits. When you mess up (or even when things are messed up for you), it’s natural to feel guilty. At that point, you have a choice: to let that guilt plummet you into a cycle that could spit you out worse off than before, or to accept the step back and say “where do I go from here?”

Of course, consistent success is still something to strive for. You don’t want to roller-coaster up and down.

That’s an “old” habit, remember? And the 1Step/2Step strategy doesn’t lessen the need to do your best. You should still work hard to keep those steps back from happening. But it helps to be prepared with a plan and a positive attitude for when they do happen.

Many times, this means a rededication, a refocusing, and a recommitment. You might want to look at your program and see why it’s allowing those landmines to stick around. Use it as a learning process. Ask how you can keep that misstep from happening again.

* Take a walk in the woods to clear your head and regroup.

* Have a personal “bounce back” motto that will re-energize you. Put it everywhere.

* Take a break if you think you’re trying too hard.

* Return to the basics. Are you making it too complicated and tough on yourself?

* Plan ahead for irregularities in your schedule, call ahead to healthy restaurants, pack healthy snacks.

* Stay aware of what you’re doing. One meal mess up can turn into a one day mess up, a one week mess up if you’re not careful.

* Remind yourself of your success so far when you need a boost.

Unlike people who run 10 miles today because they should have run two yesterday, “2 Steps Forward” doesn’t necessarily mean doing a lot more to make up for a blunder. Just make a commitment to do things as right as possible as much as you can.

Download your free fat loss report, sample workout and menu plan at www.john-lark.com your personal training in dublin team

So – something inside of you has prompted you to take the plunge. Perhaps it is the niggling body part that just wont shift. What about the knowledge that you know you have to do it because someone told you so.

How about the spare tyre that is just bugging the life out of you? So much so that wearing an overcoat in 30 degrees of heat becomes an attractive proposition.

Taking the first step is crucial.

What is it?

Quite simple really – the first step is up to you. But only you can do it. Decide what that is and just do it.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Just do it.
Don’t wait for the rain to stop. Just do it.
Don’t wait for the right workout outfit to suddenly appear miracoulsy from the press. Just do it.
Don’t wait for the perfect time. It won’t come.

SO what can you do to kick things off?

I am a huge believer in mini-steps. The Japanese have a word for this – ‘Kaizen’ or in short continuous and never-ending improvement.  Each day take a step. Big or small. Yet over time these steps all add up.

Think of it this way. You commit to making sure you have your gym gear in the bag every evening allowing you to hit the gym before you head home. You do this for a week. BY the end of the week you feel good. Why?

Well simply put you have achieved a mini goal.  One that will serve you well and inspires you to build upon in the next week. Over the course of 12 weeks you introduce 10 new mini agreements that you manage to keep to.

See how this can build into something significant.

So what first steps can you do now to begin this journey and make significant inroads?

Set your vision by writing it down. Did you know you are 80% more likely to achieve this target if you simply write it down?  A two-minute exercise could be the difference between success or failure.

Write down what you want to achieve in specific terms with a time stamp on it. ‘Getting Fit’ is about as effective as a knitted balloon. ‘I want to lose 12 lbs of fat by September 10th -  I am going to achieve this by etc etc’.

How about just making a call? Call your friends, family or a professional. Tell them what you want to achieve and get them ‘onboard’. Can you imagine Kerry turning up to the All-Ireland Final with no Manager, Kit Man, Coach, Physical Trainer or Personal Stylist (!). My point is we all need help.

I really enjoy food but what if you are unsure about what to eat to help you towards your goals and end up popping to the Supermarket with the kids and leaving with half the contents of the biscuit aisle and all their ‘2 for 1s’.

By making a list you are likely to a) save money and b) stick to an eating plan for the week. Buy your meat and fish in bulk from a butcher who can tailor your needs.

Coupled with this, a food diary is a crucial first step. The activity of recording what you eat and putting it down on paper will highlight to you good and bad habits that you may have developed.

My first step to the day is meat and nuts for breakfast. Why? Meat or more importantly protein raises the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine; a hormone that gives stimulates energy, drive, motivation and mood. Nuts keep your blood sugars stable and maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
First steps are crucial. Choose a step that you know you will succeed in and build on this.

John Lark is a Fat Loss Specialist using Personalised Exercise, Nutrition and Supplement techniques. Go to www.spherefitnessstudio.com to download your complimentary report on Modern Fat Loss Techniques or call 01-5052131.