Happy Monday…hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  Today I wanted to discuss something that’s been on my mind for a while, and I thought it would be good to write it all down in a post.

Do you find that if you try to maintain a certain amount of strictness on a health and fitness plan, that you find yourself starting to become unhappy?  This has happened to me first hand.  I don’t know whether it was the lack of carbs, intensity of training or what.  But I’ll admit…being too strict has made me pretty miserable!  I was constantly in a foul mood, always snappy, and just not as fun to be around.  I didn’t like myself at all!  The more fit I became, the more unhappy I got.  Even though I felt better about myself on the outside, I was more unhappy on the inside.  I just didn’t feel like the same, bubbly old me.

Any form of diet (no matter what it is), can put you in that state of mind.  Why do you think such a majority of people yo-yo diet and go back to their old ways?  Most people HATE being on a diet, and the restrictions they put on themselves.

I’m sure people may look at me and notice I’m not the most fit person in the fitness world.  I’m not as strict with my diet as a lot of people are.  The thing is that, its a choice.  I choose not to be super lean.  If I wanted to do it, I could. That’s not the issue.  I’m disciplined enough, and I know exactly how to get there, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.

Naturally, everyone is different, so some people can somehow manage to keep their same emotional state when on a focused eating and exercise plan, but I would assume with majority of people, it effects them in some way.

Most people when they start a new plan are very excited about it, and follow everything to a tee.  There is nothing like fresh motivation.  I’m more referring to after the initial 16 weeks…when the redundancy starts to kick in. The maintenance phase, which is where most people fall off the wagon.

I’m all about being fit, but my point is, if being happier means you’re maybe 5-10 lbs (or a 5% bodyfat) above what you would consider is your ideal is, but yet, you are more happy…why fight it?  You’re still at a healthy weight, still have your sanity, so I say, stop obsessing, and start learning how to be happy with your body!  Women are very good at being extra tough on themselves.

I think the key is finding a plan that doesn’t feel like a diet.  Something that you actually do enjoy (no pretending!), where you can still eat the things you enjoy eating in moderation, and exercise enough to get results, but without spending all your time in the gym, and have it become such a consuming factor in your life.

People can feel free to blast me for thinking this way, and I know it won’t make a difference to people who are already self-immersed and borderline obsessed with their eating and fitness plans, but these are my thoughts.

There are many “hard core” people in the industry that are overly concerned with achieving perfection (which we all know doesn’t exist), and in the meantime, balance is totally lost in the process.  What bugs me even more, is these are the same people that can turn “healthy-minded” individuals into overly-obsessed ones.  Who cares if you have a wicked body, if you’re not happy and not pleasant to be around, what kind of quality of life is that?  Of course, to each their own, but after having gone through what I have, I know that the grass is definitely greener on this side!

I’m a happier person, and setting a much better example for people around me.  You can be healthy, happy, fit and emotionally healthy.

So if you ever find yourself losing some of your spark because of it, take a step back and re-asses your goals. There is always going to be some amount of sacrifice and dedication, you just need to figure out how far you can go while staying healthy minded in the process…