How to press on when you’re not reaching your target goals

I’ve started on a journey to shed some excess pounds, that quite frankly I could do without.

Now signed up for four obstacle course races this summer, losing this excess could make my races just that much easier.

I’m no stranger to weight-loss. Between 2002 – 2006 I lost 80 lbs. Just by diet and tons of exercise. It really did take me all of the four years to lose it too.

It starts by setting target goals, then working really hard, and being super diligent. I can do all that. We all can.

But how do we keep our motivation when you’re failing to hit your target goals you’ve set?

This week, I was looking for another 2 lbs lost. Worked super hard, sweat my buns off. But only lost 1. And that put me short of my target for this month of 10 lbs, by 1. So frustrating!!

How do we keep on striving to reach those goals if they are missed?

If you’re struggling with this too, here’s a few ideas I’ve tried, that is helping me stay on track.

1. Focus on why you’re changing your body. It may be for health, better performance, more energy, clearer mental headspace etc.

2. Reflect. When feeling defeated, it helps to take a step back and see how far you’ve come.

3. Recommit to yourself to do the actual work it takes to get results. If a small slip from your previous self commitment has happened, recognize it, and start fresh the next day, or the next hour. An analogy I like for this is: if you crash your car (like falter in diet or exercise regime), you wouldn’t keep repeating the crashing of the car. Accept it as a mistake, and start down the road again on the right path.

4. Set mini targets. Big goals are great, but mini targets help when you’re reached plateaus, or are not seeing results you’d like to. These mini targets might be to do yoga twice a week, to lose inches instead of pounds, to lift x number pounds more by set time, increase flexibility to a point where you can now do something you previously couldn’t.

5. Remember that realizing lasting fitness goals doesn’t happen overnight. They take dedication and commitment. So give yourself a reasonable amount of time to hit your big goals.

6. Reassess your big goals. Decide if they are attainable considering things like having enough time to devote to working on it with your current work schedule, lifestyle, or home life.

7. Shake up your routine. If you’re workout and diet have been the same for a long time, it might be time to add something new, or change it up! A change up is great for blasting through plateaus and reinvigorating your drive.

8. Be kind to yourself. No negative self talk. We are all only human, and as a human, encouragement and positivity are the keys to helping us along these tough paths.

I hope this helps anyone who’s hit a wall like I have.

Whats your best tip for pressing on through the rough stuff?

Have a super week!!

☮️ Love & peace ❤️