Don’t miss the fitness forest for the trees

If you’re anything like me, you might’ve gone to great lengths to see progress in your fitness goals at some point in your life. When I first started my personal fitness journey, there were years and years of pounding myself into the ground, and I overlooked both my mental health and my quality of life.

Even when I encourage my clients to start with sustainable training programs or enjoy some treats and indulgences in moderation, I still get the occasional client who is concerned about what they’re going to do when they’re traveling or when they’re getting together with friends. I’ve been there! Have you ever read about the time my family traveled to Bali when I was a teen? I was so worried about not being able to stick to my diet, I almost made the decision to not go at all. And when we were there, I skipped almost every single family activity because I insisted that I had to be at the gym or eating my own strict meals.

For years, I spent hours and hours running, obsessing over counting macros, doing hundreds of sit-ups, and declining social invitations in fear of not being able to stick to my diet.

It was then that I realized that in many ways, I was missing the point of fitness – namely, to positively impact your life.

What I’ve learned since then (and what I’m here to share with you) is that:

• Your mental health is everything.
• Your peace of mind should be paramount.
• Your quality of life should always matter.

Not only does this apply to our fitness goals, but I’d like to argue that it also applies to other goals we might hold in our life as well. Now, it’s not my place to tell you what goals you should or should not pursue, and frankly, I understand that it’s ultimately up to you how you want to live your life. But please be mindful of what gets affected, both positively and negatively, in your journey to the finish line (whatever that may be).