{"id":16322,"date":"2024-02-02T13:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T14:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=16322"},"modified":"2024-02-03T23:56:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T23:56:41","slug":"the-5-step-guide-to-restarting-your-fitness-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/the-5-step-guide-to-restarting-your-fitness-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5-Step Guide to Restarting Your Fitness Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3885932\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars.jpg\" alt=\"LEGO Star Wars characters, with one on the floor. \" width=\"815\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars.jpg 2037w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars-300x172-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars-713x410-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars-768x441-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars-1536x882-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-star-wars-600x345-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you know today is National Respawn Day?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is definitely true and not a holiday that I just made up.<\/p>\n<p>Okay I did make it up, and it doesn&#8217;t matter what day it is &#8211; you&#8217;ve decided you want to try again, and you&#8217;re trying to make the changes actually stick this time.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, whether this is the first time you&#8217;ve had to respawn or the 50th, you&#8217;re in the right place.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m going to share the same step-by-step strategy we&#8217;ve used to help 15,000+ nerds restart their routines in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coaching Program<\/a>, and we&#8217;re gonna have a tiny bit of fun along the way.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover<\/span>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#start_again\">Why It&#8217;s Okay to Start Again<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step_1\">Restarting Step 1: Forgive Yourself<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step_2\">Restarting Step 2: What Went Wrong?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step_3\">Restarting Step 3: Change a Variable<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step_4\">Restarting Step 4: Respawn<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step_5\">Restarting Step 5: Supercharge Your Results<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#next_steps\">Get Back in the Fight (Next Steps)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span id=\"more-24680\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"start_again\"><\/a>Why It&#8217;s Okay to Start Again<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3885943\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant.jpg\" alt=\"The Iron Giant with a flower\" width=\"789\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant-300x137-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant-713x326-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant-768x351-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant-1536x703-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iron-giant-600x275-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"font-size: 19px;\">So you already bailed on a goal or habit or routine this year.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Welcome to the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">It\u2019s called \u201cbeing human!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">There are 8 billion of us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Statistically speaking, MOST people have already abandoned the resolutions they\u2019ve set for the year, because that&#8217;s just what humans do. <a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-1\" id=\"refmark-1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We all start with hopes and dreams for what we hope to accomplish, but then we encounter this ugly thing called &#8220;reality.&#8221; We find out that maybe we picked the wrong goal, or we tried to do too much, or life managed to get in the way.<\/p>\n<p>This is amazing news!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">I like to think of life like a giant video game, which means we&#8217;ll need to get comforatble with dying, starting over, and restarting! That&#8217;s what makes a game actually fun.<\/p>\n<p>As the saying goes, &#8220;Success is moving from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.&#8221; So, congrats for already finding a strategy that doesn&#8217;t work for you\u00a0<em>right now.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s get to work on fixing that!<\/p>\n<p>First, we must&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><a name=\"step_1\"><\/a>STEP 1: FORGIVE YOURSELF<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3885934\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog.jpg\" alt=\"A LEGO and her dog\" width=\"909\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog-300x119-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog-713x284-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog-768x306-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog-1536x611-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-dog-600x239-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">We\u2019re often our own worst critic and our own worst enemy.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When we fail at a task or goal, that voice in our head will very quickly point out all the things we&#8217;ve done wrong or how we&#8217;ve screwed up.<\/p>\n<p>We might call ourself a nasty name, or berate ourselves for not having enough discipline.<\/p>\n<p><strong>There&#8217;s another way to think about this:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>You discovered a strategy or tactic that doesn&#8217;t work for you!<\/strong> For example, if you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-keto-diet-or-ketogenic-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">went Keto<\/a> and bailed, great! That&#8217;s a diet that doesn&#8217;t work for you. I personally love carbs, so Keto sounds terrible to me too!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treat the voice in your head like a roommate.<\/strong> You just both happen to occupy the same brain. Just because our brain thought something doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s true! I like to think of my thoughts as if they came from Chaz, a weird roommate. He means well but he doesn&#8217;t always know what he&#8217;s talking about. Also, he has a ferret.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">You\u2019re reading this, which means you\u2019re trying to improve your life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">You found a few methods that don&#8217;t work for you.<\/p>\n<p>And you&#8217;re ready to try again.<\/p>\n<p>This is amazing and should be celebrated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>As NF Coach Matt explains in the video below, &#8220;self compassion&#8221; is really important when attempting to fulfill New Year&#8217;s resolutions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Make New Year&#039;s resolutions that STICK (Top 10 tips!)\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oVBCF1UkXmY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><a name=\"step_2\"><\/a>STEP 2: ASK WHAT WENT WRONG?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3157205\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist.jpg\" alt=\"A LEGO scientist\" width=\"629\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist.jpg 1600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist-300x169-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist-768x432-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist-713x401-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lego-Scientist-600x338-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><strong>So, you conducted an experiment with your goals for this year, and you did not get the results you were expecting.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">That\u2019s neither a good nor a bad thing. Like any other experiment, it just&#8230; IS. You had a hypothesis (&#8220;I am going to stick with THIS diet, and THIS workout plan&#8221;), and that turned out to not be true.<\/p>\n<p>Great! That&#8217;s information we can use, my scientist friend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Let&#8217;s write down specifically what your experiment entailed.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">What were you trying to do.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">\n<li>&#8220;I was going to run a mile each morning.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I was going to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eat strictly Paleo<\/a> every day.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I was going to transform into a mythical phoenix.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Look at your list: this is a combination of variables that don\u2019t work for you <em>right now<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">IMPORTANT POINT:<\/b>\u00a0Learning from the millions of people that have come through Nerd Fitness over the past decade, my guess is that your experiment didn&#8217;t work out for one of two reasons:<\/p>\n<h3><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#1) You built an idealized goal for a romanticized view of life:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Life is chaos, and we all have a <em>lot<\/em> going on. When we expect to have a beautifully organized schedule, our kids won&#8217;t get sick, and work won&#8217;t run late&#8230;we&#8217;re setting ourselves up for failure.<\/p>\n<p>And when we set our expectation at &#8220;perfect adherence to the plan,&#8221; <em>one missed day<\/em> can be enough to derail our progress completely.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, as John Steinbeck wrote, &#8220;Now that you don&#8217;t have to be perfect, you can be good.&#8221; Perfection is a trap, so we&#8217;re instead going to focus on being pretty good, most of the time.<\/p>\n<p>We need a plan that fits into the chaos that is life, and is not built for a perfectly clear schedule! Those don&#8217;t exist.<\/p>\n<h3><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#2) You tried to change ALL the things:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Your goal was 1,800 calories a day instead of your normal 3,000.<\/li>\n<li>You tried to run 7 days a week when you don\u2019t exercise at all now.<\/li>\n<li>You said you were going to write 5,000 words a day but don&#8217;t write normally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Instead of <em>change all the things completely <\/em>or <em>don&#8217;t change anything,<\/em> what if we changed a few things, a tiny bit?<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re never going to get everything done, certainly not all at once. So like a video game, we need to stop trying to fight 10 level-100 dragons at the same time when we&#8217;re a wimpy level-1 wizard!<\/p>\n<p>We need to pick ONE target, that&#8217;s our level, and then as we level up and get stronger, tackle bigger monsters.<\/p>\n<p>So, let&#8217;s try to <em>do less<\/em> with our next experiment, okay? It&#8217;s better to succeed at ONE new habit, than it is to fail at all 10 aspirational habits!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><a name=\"step_3\"><\/a>STEP 3: CHANGE A VARIABLE IN YOUR EXPERIMENT<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><strong>You\u2019re reading this guide, which would lead me to believe you\u2019re interested in trying again to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lose weight<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">build muscle<\/a>, and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/get-in-shape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get in shape<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">To avoid getting the same results, we need to change the variables in the experiment to try and get different results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">You know, science!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Remember, any good experiment has accurate measurements for their changing factors! You don\u2019t just put \u201csome uranium\u201d in a nuclear reactor. You know the exact amount.<\/p>\n<p>For your next attempt consider adjusting one of the following variables:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><u class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#1) Change the exercise variable<\/u>:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Did you actually enjoy the exercise you attempted? If you discovered that you hate running, great! Never do that again. \u201c<a class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/exercise-sucks-heres-what-to-do-about-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Exercise sucks<\/a>,\u201d so I would pick something you actually enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>Did you try to exercise 5 days a week for 60 minutes a day? What if you instead decided to just go for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/walking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5-minute walk every day<\/a> to build the habit first, and\u00a0<em>then<\/em> increased the difficulty?<\/p>\n<h3><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><u class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#2) Try a substitution rather than addition<\/u>:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>ADDING a brand new exercise routine into a busy schedule can be really challenging. The same might be true with severely restricting your calories, which can be really uncomfortable and make you hangry and angry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let&#8217;s try this instead: Substitution!\u00a0<\/strong>Here are three examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Making healthy swaps with our diet:<\/strong> How you eat is 80-90% of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">weight-loss equation<\/a>, and you\u2019re already eating every day. So focus on substituting a vegetable for fries once a week, or swapping sparkling water for soda. You can also keep a food journal and change up your breakfast twice a week.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/too-lazy-to-work-out-try-temptation-bundling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Temptation bundling:<\/a><\/strong> combine an exercise\/activity you <em>want to do<\/em> with an activity we already love: Listening to a great audiobook, but only when we&#8217;re out for a walk or on the treadmill, or joining a friend on a bike ride (to a winery or pub!).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do ONE activity mindfully every day:<\/strong> meditation is amazing for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/meditation-building-the-superpower-you-didnt-even-know-you-had\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">developing the skill of being present<\/a> and cultivating awareness, but it might be tough for us to set aside 20 minutes to sit alone with our thoughts. So why not practice being mindful during something you&#8217;re already doing! Practice mindfulness while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes in the sink. No extra time required, all of the benefits!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><u class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#3) Adjust your \u201cwin scenario\u201d<\/u>:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>I get it. You were able to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-home-gym-the-ultimate-guide-for-garage-gym-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">train in your home gym<\/a> for the first few weeks of this year, going for at least an hour.<\/p>\n<p>But THEN&#8230;work got busy. And you only had 30 minutes, which wasn\u2019t enough time to get through your workout. So why not set the win scenario at &#8220;30 minutes,&#8221; or &#8220;15 minutes,&#8221; or just &#8220;1 exercise&#8221;? Lower the bar!<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is not an on-off switch. It&#8217;s a dial that we can turn UP or turn DOWN based on how busy our life is that day:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3934635\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch.jpg\" alt=\"Text: &quot;How we think about getting healthy:&quot; next to image of a hand on a light switch with &quot;on&quot; written above and &quot;off&quot; written below. Text: &quot;How we should:&quot; next to image of a hand on a dial numbered from 0 to 11.\" width=\"556\" height=\"521\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch.jpg 800w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch-300x281-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch-641x600-1.jpg 641w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch-768x719-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dial-vs-switch-600x562-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Let&#8217;s imagine we&#8217;re on a 10-year journey, and we&#8217;re trying out all sorts of tactics, strategies, and pace of change to see what works best for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Doing our workout today is not nearly as important as building a routine of working out that fits into your life for the next decade.<\/p>\n<p>We can stop asking, &#8220;Do I have time for my workout&#8221; and instead ask &#8220;What workout do I have time for?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing that says &#8220;a workout must be 60-minutes in a gym.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A 5-minute walk with your kids, A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/circuit-training-build-some-muscles-burn-some-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10-minute circuit workout<\/a> between zoom calls.<\/p>\n<p>It all counts!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example<\/span>:<\/strong> if you roll out your yoga mat for 1 set of 1 exercise, it counts as a win. Doesn\u2019t matter if did a full hour workout or just a 5 minute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">set of push-ups<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Feel free to turn the dial all the way down when life gets really busy, just don&#8217;t turn it off.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><a name=\"step_4\"><\/a>STEP 4: RESPAWN and try again<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3885938\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith.jpg\" alt=\"A LEGO at Blacksmith\" width=\"870\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith-300x143-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith-713x339-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith-768x365-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith-1536x730-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/lego-blacksmith-600x285-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">When you play a challenging video game, you\u2019re going to die. A lot. (I died literally thousands when playing <i class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Hollow Knight<\/i>, one of my favorite games in recent memory).<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><em>What happens after you die in a game?<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">You respawn, and try again!<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">You\u2019ve learned a new tactic or pattern. You have a new technique. You\u2019ve uncovered a secret. You also have all the knowledge of every past attempt. You&#8217;ve also just gotten <em>better<\/em>. So you try, again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">And again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">And again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">And then you succeed, and that works for a while. Until it stops working. And then you change your tactics again and keep going.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">There\u2019s no shame in failing when it comes to our health. Life is one giant experiment, we&#8217;re all disasters, and we&#8217;re all trying our best!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Here&#8217;s Joe, who made dozens of attempts to get fit until <a class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-joe-the-lawyer-lost-50-pounds-ran-a-half-marathon-and-got-engaged\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he changed the right variable and got results<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3388975 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds.png\" alt=\"Joe&#039;s before and after\" width=\"784\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds.png 1656w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds-300x170-1.png 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds-768x434-1.png 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds-713x403-1.png 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Joe_Before_After_Birds-600x339-1.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">We have hundreds of stories of normal people who kept failing, but kept reading and trying, and then finally &#8211; something clicked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">And that next attempt is the one that changed their life\u2019s path.<\/p>\n<p>This next attempt might be the one that works for you too!<\/p>\n<p>Keep trying differently, keep failing differently.<\/p>\n<p>You can do this!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><a name=\"step_5\"><\/a>STEP 5: SUPERCHARGE YOUR RESULTS<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3885947\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego.jpg\" alt=\"A LEGO Blacksmith\" width=\"913\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego-300x135-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego-713x321-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego-768x346-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego-1536x692-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blacksmith-lego-600x270-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 913px) 100vw, 913px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">I know hacking your experiments to get better data isn\u2019t exactly \u201cscientifically smart\u201d or \u201cmorally responsible,\u201d but I\u2019m the one writing this guide and we&#8217;re all friends here, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Once you start your new experiment, here\u2019s how you can stack the deck in your favor:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#1) Write everything down.<\/b> Write down your workouts. Write down what you eat. Treat it like a science experiment, and you\u2019re collecting data! Plan ahead. Be PRO-active (\u201cI will do Strength Training Workout A at 4pm and tonight I\u2019ll have roasted chicken and bacon-wrapped asparagus) instead of RE-active (\u201cWhat should I do for exercise right now?\u201d and \u201cAh, what\u2019s for dinner? Oooh, Burger King!\u201d)<\/p>\n<p><em>For more strategies here, check out our guide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-track-progress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tracking Your Fitness Progress.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#2) Recruit allies to your team.<\/b> Don\u2019t go this alone, as you\u2019re more likely to succeed based on the people you spend time with and hang around. So recruit allies. Start spending more time with healthy people that empower you (even virtually), rather than unhealthy people that enable you and drag you down. Join a running group online. Find a lifting &#8220;accountabilibuddy,&#8221; or someone you can check in with.<\/p>\n<p>We have a free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/657825014775670\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nerd Fitness Facebook group<\/a> with thousands of people ready and willing to support you!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#3) Hire a professional. <\/b>There are two types of coaches worth the investment:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">\n<li><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">An in-person trainer<\/b> if you are looking to supercharge your form on specific exercises like Olympic lifts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">squats<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-deadlift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deadlifts<\/a>, etc. An in-person trainer can be good for people that need the accountability of somebody they\u2019ve paid to meet them in the gym. Here&#8217;s <a href=\"www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-hire-a-good-personal-trainer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to find a good trainer<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">An\u00a0<a class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">online coach<\/a>\u00a0that represents mobile, worldwide accountability.<\/b> I\u2019ve had a coach for years and it\u2019s changed my life. Knowing that I have a workout and nutrition strategy to follow each day is game-changing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>As Coach Matt explains below, sometimes &#8220;outsourcing&#8221; help can be a real game-changer when trying to get in shape (or back in shape):<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Get back in shape! (And not hate it!)\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R5ClpHwMMpM?start=85&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><a name=\"next_steps\"><\/a>GET BACK IN THE FIGHT<\/h2>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><strong>An old mandrill named Rafiki once taught me:<\/strong> \u201cYes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">Okay maybe he taught that to Simba in\u00a0<i class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">The Lion King<\/i>, but I too learned the same lesson:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3498390 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Rafiki-Knows-The-Past-Can-Hurt-In-The-Lion-King.gif\" alt=\"&quot;The Past Hurts&quot; from Lion King\" width=\"347\" height=\"218\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">TO RECAP:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#1) Forgive yourself.<\/b> You wouldn\u2019t talk to somebody else the way you talk to yourself. So have some freaking compassion! You\u2019re trying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#2) Identify what experiment you JUST tried.<\/b>\u00a0Write down what you believe went wrong over the past few weeks. Congrats &#8211; you found a strategy that doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#3) Pick a new path, try a different variable.<\/b>\u00a0A good scientist meticulously tracks their data and writes down their hypothesis. I would change one of the following:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">\n<li><strong>Exercise:<\/strong> do less &#8211; focus on building the routine and doing it consistently. Here&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/25-ways-to-exercise-without-realizing-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to exercise in a way that doesn&#8217;t\u00a0<em>feel<\/em> like exercise<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nutrition:<\/strong> change less. If you couldn\u2019t stick with a diet for 3 weeks, it was too restrictive. Try a different path. For help, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Guide to Healthy Eating<\/a>. It&#8217;s designed to build on one small tiny improvement over time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Win scenario:<\/strong> don\u2019t let \u201cperfect\u201d be the enemy of \u201cgood.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">#4) Then try again.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3603676\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sheep-giving-thumbs-up.gif\" alt=\"You and this sheep both now know how to follow a plant-based diet. But you&#039;ll have to eat more than grass.\" width=\"299\" height=\"235\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>For #5 (&#8220;Supercharge your results&#8221;), I have two perfect ways to help you respawn today:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Consider our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Online Coaching program<\/a>, and I also send out a <a href=\"nerdfitness.com\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free newsletter<\/a> twice a week to help you stay motivated and entertained.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">best newsletter in the galaxy<\/span>, I promise you.<\/p>\n<p>For the Rebellion!<\/p>\n<p class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\"><b class=\"bard-text-block style-scope\">-Steve<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>PS:\u00a0<\/strong>If you want more tips and tricks on how to stick to your goals this year, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-healthy-habits-that-stick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>5 Hacks to Effortlessly Build Healthy Habits in 2024<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>###<\/p>\n<p>Photo Citation:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/bobsfever\/6816252449\/in\/photolist-bok5nX-vhnDFy-6tJPWi-91GcS5-dG9Jev-e82VHq-5qq1mL-7XwBBB-6JhWGe-Ck3UTS-216Y5nY-ejt9xY-dstW8T-SK362g-dvpVzo-SQe5tF-6WYXuX-8ANEan-FgC4HZ-NYjsSe-MZTcU5-2cjoB12-b5ipxB-rjD4En-5p1PjQ-dGoncK-dUAD3A-cnyNaf-p3nVHm-aQKKU2-8oWwyc-b9SzZM-dTYBTU-e4xzhe-b9SzmM-8tDvfB-pC83UH-9XCZ1t-9keTjx-MwWHJV-f2LxqP-xDuWT-aoMzFJ-nF5GHn-cHkiFo-5DMDp7-e4xyLa-pCby5t-6TdFsY-jGnPsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oh My Goodness! Shut Me Down<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fourbrickstall\/50890341787\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Iron Giant<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fourbrickstall\/50873428396\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Hello, old friend. Is he ready for me?&#8221;<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/blackzack00\/24220365328\/in\/dateposted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Happy Halloween!!<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fourbrickstall\/50902894767\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">At the blacksmith&#8217;s (Part 2)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/fourbrickstall\/50869710123\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Medieval Blacksmith<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"footnote-list\" style=\"display:none;\"><span id=\"fn-heading\">Footnotes<\/span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;( returns to text)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"footnote-1\" class=\"fn-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/markmurphy\/2020\/02\/11\/this-is-the-month-when-new-years-resolutions-fail-heres-how-to-save-them\/?sh=24f03e14272f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forbes<\/a> has a pretty good look at this.<a href=\"#refmark-1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/fallen-off-the-wagon-today-is-national-respawn-day\/\">The 5-Step Guide to Restarting Your Fitness Journey<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\">Nerd Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know today is National Respawn Day? This is definitely true and not a holiday that I just made up. Okay I did make it up, and it doesn\u2019t matter what day it is \u2013 you\u2019ve decided you want to try again, and you\u2019re trying to make the changes actually stick this time. Luckily, [\u2026]<br \/>\nThe post The 5-Step Guide to Restarting Your Fitness Journey first appeared on Nerd Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16322"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16322"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16371,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16322\/revisions\/16371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}