7. Getting Fit Isn't Actually Much Harder Than Staying Heavy
Yes, you will have to put some work into achieving your weight loss goals. But consider all the energy you currently expend wishing you had a different body and fretting about how you don't have the time or energy to make a change.
Trainers know the true secret to changing your body is shifting your attention away from what you don't have and toward what you can achieve.
"You just have to choose which one you want to put your energy into," says Robinson. "Firmly commit and put your mind to losing the weight and your body will follow."
More from Prevention: The 25 Best Diet Tips Of All Time
8. Weight Loss Isn't Your True Goal
Often, people starting a new exercise program begin because they're unhappy with what they see in the mirror. But a good trainer will ask you to drill down deeper.
"Just keeping asking yourself the question 'Why?'" Blakely advises.
Often, the fourth or fifth answer reveals your true motivation. Take Blakely's experience.
"As I get to know the client, I'll find they're not going on vacations with friends because they know they can't do the hike or the excursion as comfortably as they want," she says. "Or they're not as spontaneous as they want to be because they know that their building is under construction and it's overwhelming that now they have to walk a certain length to get somewhere."
Clarifying these higher-level goals—even writing them down and sticking them to your mirror or fridge—can give you the motivation to stick to your plan in the face of temptation, Hagendorf says. Plus, you can often detect progress even before you start to see big aesthetic or weight changes.
"The feel is the fuel," Blakely likes to say; if you notice you're not as fatigued, winded, or frightened of new challenges, you'll know you're on the right track regardless of what the scale says.
Related Articles:
- 5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Trainer
- Fitness Tips From 2015 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year
- 11 Fitness Mistakes Personal Trainers Wish You'd Stop Making
- Why Hire a Personal Trainer?
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