What might be holding you back from reaching your goals?  

**Some of this might seem a bit contradictory, but remember that all points don’t relate to everyone; they are suggestions that should result in modifications. Different strokes for different folks! 

 

It’s very common for people to struggle on the path to better fitness and nutrition. Often times, there are identifiable barriers and, with some dedication and HONESTY, you can overcome, correct, and be on your way to reaching your goals!  

 

Nutrition factors: 

-Overall 

–Simple sugars and carbohydrates, ultra-processed foods and beverages, processed meats, alcohol should all be eaten sparingly. Veggies, fruits, lean proteins (meats and fish), whole grains, nuts, legumes should make up the bulk of your daily food intake.  

-Pre-workout 

— Are you dehydrated? You might be feeling tired, hungry, distracted, experiencing headaches. 

— Are you over-fueled? You might be feeling full, heavy, tired, unmotivated bloated.  

— Are you under-fueled? You might be feeling hungry, thirsty, tired, unmotivated. 

In either of the above scenarios, your workout can be negatively impacted – if you make it to your workout at all!  

-Post-workout 

–Proper nutrition following a Manduu workout is just as important as proper nutrition before, especially if you have certain physique goals. You need significant protein, carbohydrate and hydration to repair and build muscle, as well as to give you the energy to accomplish whatever else you have to do that day! The jury is still out on specifics of the whole “nutrient timing”/ “eating window” window” (before and) after exercise, but aiming for a macro nutrient dense meal within 2 hours of finishing your workout had been proven ideal.  

 

Lack of Adaptation/Recovery: 

-We all know how exciting starting a new Manduu regimen can be, especially when we are going all in and we’re ready to make a change. However, it’s extremely important to give your body the time required to recover after exercise to prevent burnout 

–Sleep (8 hours a night!)  

-build and repair the body and brain  

-more easily lose fat 

-strengthen immune system, decrease risk of MANY health issues, increase mood  

–Rest days  

  -active rest (walking, slow bike riding, yoga, stretch); low impact, low intensity 

-typically a good ratio of work to rest days is 3:1 but depending on the intensity of your 

  workouts/severity of your soreness, sometimes a 2:1 might be a better idea. Manduu’s scheduling system is super convenient because you are blocked from over-working your  

muscles without ample recovery time 

–Warm-up; cool down; stretching prior to a workout 

 

Not managing your overall health and wellness – this includes your mental health!  

-Don’t punish yourself if you think you over-indulged, or if you missed a workout, especially if you missed it because you weren’t feeling well physically or mentally.  

-Are you kind to yourself? Do you build yourself up for what you’ve accomplished or tear yourself down for what you haven’t? Do you find ways to encourage yourself? Do you reward 

yourself? Negative talk has no place in your fitness/health journey!   

 

Don’t compare!  

-Everybody is different. Especially nowadays, when social media is unavoidable, we might find ourselves comparing how we look, how we exercise, our progress, our meals, to someone else’s. The list of reasons why this is a terrible move and so detrimental to your own journey is LONG but include, all the hidden factors that aren’t identified in what someone is sharing, age, health/nutrition history, hormones, etc. I repeat, every BODY is different. Do your thing and worry about you. That’s all you need to succeed! 

 

Exercise & Nutrition isn’t a priorities; you haven’t identified your “why” 

-How high does exercise and movement rank on your list of priorities? Should it be higher?  

-Identify your WHY. WHY are you working out? Is your reasoning (strictly) superficial? Is your mental and physical health a factor? Your family? The future? Are YOU a driving force behind your workout journey? 

 

Lack of planning 

-Plan your workouts and your food with the rest of your day. It’s common to miss or even forget a workout when it’s not included in the layout of your day. Being mentally and physically prepared to maintain your regimen during the week prevents you from getting derailed. Planning will simply aid in keeping you motivated and feeling accomplished at the end of the day! 

 

Are you holding yourself accountable? Do you have a support system?  

-Accountability is a huge factor in establishing responsibility and keeping track of progress. By not being honest and holding yourself responsible, it is very easy to fall off track – slip ups become more frequent and goals begin to seem more out of reach. 

-Some people can really benefit from a support system, who also often double as an “accountability” partner. If you find it difficult to keep your plan together, enlist one or two people to work with you with occasional “check-ins” and whatever else you think would help! If you choose the solo route, journaling – everything from how you’re eating to how you’re feeling and planning ingredients/meals and workouts are some great starting points. 

 

Are you consistent? 

-Are you working out to the extent that you should be? Are you shrugging off your workout every other day, or slacking off during your workouts? Inconsistency will surely contribute to a lack of progression. Even if you have a handful of workout modalities that you enjoy participating in, depending on your goal(s), ensuring that you are maintaining a schedule where you can gradually progress in 1 or 2 modalities, rather than doing something different every day might better serve you.  

-Manduu is awesome for progression as it is not self-limiting; often when we’re doing a Manduu workout, we can push ourselves a little harder, and the trainer knows that! As long as you communicate with him or her, you can entrust them with intensifying your workout to help you reach your full potential.  

 

On the contrary, are you over-working yourself? Or more specifically, are you “over-cardioing”?  

-Cardio is a great, and necessary, accompaniment to any workout but it is really easy to get carried away. Too much cardio (plus improper nutrition/eating too little to support Manduu + cardio) will derail you. It’s important to keep yourself in check and maintain a healthy balance between cardio and Manduu so that you don’t negatively affect your metabolism or start burning the muscle you’ve worked so hard for fuel during excessive, intense cardio! 

 

How realistic are your goals? 

-We know how exciting it is to get into a new workout routine, or even boosting an existing one by modifying your regimen and adding better nutrition and other healthy factors. But it’s important to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that will keep you from setting expectations too high and exhausting yourself in the process. Writing down these goals and checking in weekly will allow you to see where you need to give a bit more effort, and where you can make modifications, and set new SMART goals, to take one more step towards your main objective. This is an important time to remind you that COMPARISON is not the move here – just because someone else is setting out to do something, does not mean that you should do the same thing, in the same way. People’s bodies change at different rates, and again, there are a ton of factors that would make one goal attainable for one person in 2 months while someone else may require 6-7 months to reach the same goal.  

 

Your fitness and nutrition goals are YOURS and yours alone. YOU are your ONLY competition.   

Nicole, M.S. EXNS