Willingness to Change
“Why can’t you just force me? Isn’t that your job?”
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One thing I consistently see people assume about my job is that I can force people into behaviors. That if I just crack the whip hard enough, I can get anyone to meal prep, exercise consistently, or care about losing inches. The big secret is, that’s not my job at all. Yeah, there’s a certain degree of motivation and cheerleading, finding out appropriate measures for accountability, and creating a reality check to see if you really did your best. But I cannot force someone to do something they simply deep down do not want to do. Nor would I want to.
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My job is to help you identify what goals are important to you. We dig deep. Not a surface level “I want to lose weight”. Great, that means nothing and will get you nowhere. I want to know what holes you have in your life. Is it a lack of self-confidence? Is it the inability to use your body to its highest capacity? Is it a lack of participation in activities you love because your weight is holding you back? We identify this and then decide if weight loss is the correct answer or if you are in search of something else. Often, a desire to change our bodies is actually an easy way to gain percieved control over a chaotic life, but is not really the solution.
How can you decide if you’re ready?
We need to decide together if the body you want is worth the sacrifice it takes. Questions to ask yourself:
Are you willing and able to give up your current life in pursuit of a new level of health and fitness?
How important is this goal in comparison to the rest of your priorities?
How is your current health and fitness level affecting your day to day life?
What things are you not doing or participating in because of your weight or fitness level?
How would your life be different at a different size or fitness level?
What things in your life are holding you back from achieving this fitness level?
What among those things are you willing to give up in order to reach your goal?
What behaviors do you need to add into your life to reach your goal?
Do you see yourself sustaining those behaviors long term?
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I do not have a magic wand I can just wave and force you to do the things you say you want to do. But I will always be there to encourage you to push towards those goals, inch by inch.
