If you think getting started is the biggest hurdle in a fitness routine, our trainers say, to think again. Some local fitness trainers were asked to identify the greatest hurdles in staying fit and healthy. While simply getting started was in the top three, the number one reason people stop working out and fail to stick with a nutrition plan is that they don’t see the setbacks coming and they aren’t educated enough to push through them to get to their next fitness goal. Here is their advice on how to not be caught off guard when the setbacks come and how to muscle through.

Setback #1: “I’m bored and, to make matters worse, I haven’t lost any more weight in the past weeks.”

The Solution: This is going to happen no matter how motivated you were when you started. Some of it is our human nature that doesn’t love routine, and some of it is physiology – your body will plateau and you’ll need to spice things up in order to stay interested in your workout and to jumpstart your body back into a fat burning machine.

The mind is a muscle and it needs to be stimulated just like your pecks and calves. You can bust both of these setbacks at the same time by changing your workout music to something with a faster beat. This will increase your mental state and trick your body into burning more fat because it’s not expecting this new required dose of energy to keep up with you. Also try working out with a friend, a trainer, or joining a boot camp or spinning class – anything new will be a big help.

Setback #2: “I was looking so good and getting so many compliments that I started to slack. Now I’m not losing weight, I’m gaining and I don’t want to start over.”

The Solution: Set a new totally attainable short term goal right now! When you’ve accomplished that goal set another. This will remind you what it felt like to be motivated by results. You’ve got to get into the mindset that this weight loss and healthy lifestyle are for you. That way you won’t be so easily swayed by compliments. You can enjoy them just don’t sit back and rest on them!

Setback #3: “I got tired of all the planning ahead and chopping and saying no to snacks I used to enjoy. After I cheated once and didn’t notice a big difference I started cheating more and more. Now I’m gaining weight again.”

The Solution: This is a matter of mind and will power. This may be the toughest setback to overcome. Some simple and effective ways to battle this is to find healthy versions of what you like – try organic soy yogurt in chocolate or parfait flavors, get soy crisps flavored with salsa or cocoa and when you really want to have your favorite snack, have a very small amount and then finish your snack session with a healthy choice in a flavor you like. This may seem like it will never really replace snacking, but it can if you’re willing to search out tasty treats that come in healthy varieties.

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