Why Your 30-Day Fitness Challenge Might Be Setting You Up for Failure

recording in progress. You're welcome to this week's epic Metro fitness podcast episode and today I'm talking about fitness tendencies as this has shown popular and but there are also wrong way how to do it. So, in this episode I'm talking about five benefits, how you can benefit from challenges if you are doing them in the right way, but also five negative effects if tenancies are done in a wrong way as there are many many tendencies that actually can do a lot more harm than good. Even you might be seeing results if you are able to able able to accomplish them. So this week's episode I first want to start a little bit about my own experience, experiences with challenges as far as I'm actually I'm a big believer of, of kind of tenancies and deadlines, if done in the right way because it says the fact that humans are more likely to accomplish some goal if you get the deadline. So it's a great example is Christmas. So when you have when you know that there is a Christmas, you are more likely to actually get those things done what you are prepared with your meals. You have if you are getting some presents you need to get them before that Christmas Day or otherwise you missed the deadline and it's saying if you are in a work, you have a deadline, you gotta get it done. And it makes you just push a little bit harder. And this is the same thing with fitness tenancies obviously, if if it's getting too much it's it's doing more harm than good. And when you feel like that you can't make it then you end up quitting and giving up so so there we have to be really, really careful what and how to use these kinds of deadlines and challenges that they are actually bringing more good than bad. So So my personal experience is like I tried in the past I tried some detoxes and obviously it was just a short period of time but that was a nine days and it was it gave me like how those detoxes are working you are eating very, very little real food, like just making sure that you are leaving all kinds of carbs away and and that Saudi processed foods, which are obviously helping you to get that scale moving, and I was I did it for nine days and I lost significant amount of weight. I can't remember exactly how much was it but I was like, wow, this is actually a great thing like that you get scale moving. But what did I learn from this challenge? I learned to how to be disciplined. But then when the challenge was done, like even the goal was like okay, you get skiing moving, what is what is what I'm going to do after it Don't teach me anything. It didn't teach me anything. Besides being disciplined, leave everything away, and it's not going to be sustainable. It's not going to be sustainable. So, in the end, I of course I gained all lost weight back what I what I ended up losing as most of it you know, so short period of time is any base only water rate, what you are losing when you leave, sodium, carbohydrates, all those things which are retaining water, so it's you'd see the different number on the scale, but as you hopefully know if you have listened to my podcasts and all my social media, weight loss and fat loss are two different things, other talents, what I what I did in the past and actually I did this for a couple of times it was no sugar challenge. So I was basically eliminating all sugars like which are processed forms like white sugar, so I didn't eliminate fluids or or that kind of Sucre what is like kind of with the natural foods, or I didn't leave like for example gets up away from my because it also includes some soccer but I didn't leave it away. But I was just basically restricting myself from all sweets like, which I know that are like some kind of sweets like ice cream, cookies cakes chocolate, that kind of stuff. And that and this actually it I felt so much better. I got more energy of doing it. But again, it was just I was like, obviously first couple days were really hard. But then when I was doing it longer, I started to feel like well this is doing something good. But the problem with this challenge was that I was counting days I was counting days that 30 days is over that I can finally eat cake or super again. Because it's it's it was for me it was impossible to think and imagine to live this way in in a longer period of time and obviously what happens after these 30 days, even of course I felt a lot better. I felt great of doing it increased my increased my energy. Even earlier. I thought that I needed chocolate I needed and then and but then in the end like longer I was without better I felt and it really did good for my body. But when I was thinking like how it ended up now after it's like it's a while it's a couple years when I did it last time what I actually learned from that silence is that if I pack completely some something away but I truly want to eat, it's going to be only a matter of time before I do it again. So obviously what happened after the sentence step by step when 30 days was done I started to eat more and to be honest, it was probably a little even more because it was it was I got that feeling that now when I'm allowed to do it again so I'm going to do it and even more and in the end it all like benefits step by step even I got some progress of doing it lost some weight that felt better. A couple of months after all benefits were gone. So in the end, I didn't gain anything except the understanding that okay, maybe restricting smokers some in some way like it's not completely cutting them off. Are is going to benefit and what is what it is actually doing for my body. But to be honest, it would be unrealistic to expect that I'm going to be able to live without sugar for the rest of my life. And this is why I feel like that this challenge even it was a nice little success. It was it was not doing anything good because I didn't learn a lot from doing it except that I felt great obviously when I had that willpower I had discipline to do it and be without them. But but when I think it now both this ball what effects it had in long term and those effects were close to zero. So, but this is this is what is what is the how those tendencies are benefiting you. So first First I will go with this. These five things I will tell you one good thing then one bad thing how they are affecting so. So first, first positive effect is, is obviously that increased motivation. So when you decide when you tell to yourself that yes, I'm going to do it it's it's going to increase your motivation and and when you are focusing on those short term goals and and this is this is how I felt like that. Now, when I was able to do even it was a short term form, talents. It increased my my belief that I'm actually able to do it. Another good example is is one of my Lycos I do I love doing in my coaching membership and for my coaching clients. I do weekly tenancies I do monthly tenancies and those are even they are they are sustainable. Like that I very basic stuff it's not extremes like cutting suckers or or cookies or something it's it's what I how I like to use the Seles is adding something like or focusing says to one simple thing what you probably already know what you're doing what you should be doing, but you're just not doing it. And when you are able to do this, like for example, last month, I had a 3000 Steps challenge. So it's it means that it's 10,000 steps per day, so 300,000 in a month and that and obviously it's for someone if you're cipco if you're currently having to 3000 steps a day, getting to getting it to 10,000 it's going to be very unsustainable it was but it was just the way how I was putting it in that way that who are getting first like it's 300,000 steps and it doesn't matter what time you are I need to establish motivating people to move more. And obviously that is the that is the case. What is what is the goal like with all these tenants is that you are doing something just a little bit more. And this is for me is the success and there was a three winners and it was not that Heidi was a was one of those three winners and that these kinds of tenants started to believe that this is actually helping and now in the end within past four months or not even four months you have lost 10 kilos so so these are these are like obviously at the same time focusing on nutrition, adding things like protein, being aware of calories, which is actually eating and understanding that so you don't need to have that kind of success. So you don't need to cut quote completely sucrose out or anything but when he feels like it wow, this is actually working. This is I don't need to do like because it's it's that it's most of the people who I start working with they are coming with the mindset that restriction is the only way to see results. But when you start to realize and understand and usually the best thing would probably you have heard like about importance of your steps importance of protein, but when you don't actually know how much you are doing. And then when you start to do it then you start to realize it to feel it yourself how it's going to affect and and then when it feels like well I'm able to do this. This is not the part as I thought and then you are seeing results. So this for me is the best way to stay motivated and get motivated. So then battery first bad thing what you are doing what how bad challenges are done. Is that what is negative. If it's what could be possible is risk risk of injury. So so it's I have seen a lot of these kinds of heart 75 Or or stalking tests with my my one of my clients there was there is like some hardcore bootcamp which is obviously obviously when you push yourself you go like you do insane things like doing like 1000s of burpees or getting like working out really hard Of course you feel great about accomplishing but in the end if you get if those things okay with everything is going well you're able to do it, you get really post of your confidence, but that what is what is actually when it's what is bad effect or negative effect is that it can cause injury. So if you are if you are just that doing some hardcore stuff what is at the moment, do maths for you, you might end up getting into it. And then you know, it doesn't matter if you've accomplished your 30 day heart silence by doing some extreme things. If you are if you are getting injured as a result and you are going to miss the next couple of months and you are not able to do basically anything. So this is this is one bad way how to do it. So the next way how to do it actually, in a right way. What is the benefits so you have a structured routine. So it's it's, it's when you when you know when you have a plan, you know what you are exactly what you are going to do when you are going to do it and you are increasing the likelihood that you are actually going to take x so when I when I was earlier I was working out I didn't have too much of a plan I was doing basically I was staying active. I was doing HIIT workouts I was doing kind of strength training, but not with a plan just kind of random workouts. And that I was I was working out a lot more like but I was but then it was always that there came that I had periods of time that I was motivated I felt doing it and then I started like now you know burpees PC. I have this and this to do I couldn't accomplish I didn't feel like doing it and then I ended up having basically month or months without doing anything. And now when I say is this that I have my routine I have my workouts. I have a program what I what I have created for my clients what I love to distinct them and driving myself how they feel, what they what is what is how they are what kind of changes I'm able to see obviously it's it's all you need to modify for individual goals like and for each group or everything but that in principles are still saying that you have some kind of routine so I know exactly every day what I'm going to do these exercises in which order how many reps how much weight I should be using, if it's just a tracking that you are going kind of making progress. So so this is that I know that my goal is the strength train at the moment. It's a at the moment I'm aiming for or I'm not aiming I'm starting three times a week my strength training and then activity level is just walking, walking 10 to 15,000 15,000 steps is my average and that I'm aiming to keep so this is basically all what I maybe that is more my non negotiable and then everything else what I do, it's just kind of bonus. But those are my non negotiable what I need to get done every single day and every single week. So so this is this is when you know what kind of routine and and you know you have checked exercises designed for your goals. What are going to help you to go closer to that goal. It it's a it's a great way and especially for beginners like beginners if you have had some longer break it's the goal is not if you start with too much you increase chances of injury but when you have that program, what is designed for your levels and this is this is not what I what I did structured routine. What I what I used to do this mistake all the time when I started as a coach so you can you know you can imagine if some people are coming to me they are they are very motivated. They decide to hire a coach, get some help with the workout plan to stay having some accountability, talking with their issues what they have and usually at that point you have something have happened and they have made that decision that now it's time to get started. And when I had in the beginning I had a client who is coming to me and she was motivated started to seize the told me that see want to work out five times a week and I was like that I was thinking as a young coach that I need some testimonials. So of course we are going to go for five days a week at the same time restrict calories as much as possible. And what happened was two weeks, not even two I think after 10 days I didn't hear anything anymore. It was she was wages or but he was tired. She couldn't do it. It was too much and I never looked I never heard from that client anymore. If you are listening hydron was the name. I'm sorry. I did very very bad soap as a coach. And that is my experience. But this I have I have learned with experience with working with so many people the first goal is specially if you had have had longer break is that you start with ideally a little bit less. So you have always because there is that mental aspect, especially for beginners. Like let's say that you aim to do. Ideally you would do three workouts but you know that it's kind of busy month and you start with the two workouts you feel great. You have done both workouts and then you are able to do third system as an extra or some sort of robot which is kind of extra at the same time. If other person decides that I'm going to go for three workouts, but that you are able to do only two and you had to skip that third one. How you are going to feel how what is what is are you going to feel more confident that you were doing you missed one workout or you did do workouts what you were aiming for and did even something extra. So there is there is a huge mental aspect. What is your expectations how confident you are feeling that you're actually able to do it and then if you are and let's say that usually, let's say for first month, you do little bit less than you are ideally doing and then if after a month, you still want to do something then it's time to add something because ultimate goal is to work as little as possible or that's at least the way how I like to get as little as possible just to get enough results to keep going and this is how that structured program is going to help you and when done it in in a right way. So then a negative second negative aspect that so if you have this tendency is if you focus only on those short term goals so it will have misalignment with long term goals. So all tenancies they are not like let's say that you are you are doing something like your goal is to become fitter become healthier. And if you if you do something what is what is not aligned, like to become healthier, how it's going to help you if you are going to cut all smokers or or do some extreme things you might think that you need to get that first initial progress to see to stay motivated, which is important. But in here if that it's causing you that you start to feel even less like how you feel silly about yourself if if you take in a short period of time, way too much on your plate, and then you're not able to do it. So you're thinking how the hell you're going to do it in the long term. So So I advise you to see if you are deciding to join for some kind of challenge think how those tendencies are going to impact your long term goals. So it's, it's, it's it could be due it would be doing more harm than good, actually and, and if you think the talents, what you are going to participate, what you're going to learn from Are you going to learn some skills that will benefit you the rest of your life, or is it going to be just a challenge that it teaches you nothing so it's maybe discipline, but that you don't get nothing out of it like because it's it's easy to say that now let's cut soccer for 30 days sugar free talents like I did but what you are going to learn you are not going to learn anything how you are going to structure your meals, how you are going to actually implement it. You are just learning that discipline that if you eat or you're able to be without sugar for next 30 days or you won't and it's then that's the only benefit what you are getting. So third positive effect of good way challenge and benefits is that community support. So if you have if you are participating for some challenge like that, it's so important that you are around it with same minded people. So it's in my life there are a lot of free Facebook groups. I love my Of course my my own Facebook community group, where same minded people who are aiming to accomplish exactly the same thing who are trying to complete fitness goals, you know, just sharing wins, maybe some struggles and and then getting the support what is needed because it's so easy like if you are surrounded with the people who are not in a same journey than you how you are going to feel if you go out with the friends you know let's say example that you are trying to quit alcohol and that you are your friends are always going to bar you go out with them and they are you out there in a bar the only person who is not drinking alcohol and your friends are all the time telling you that hey, come on have one more why you don't drink why you are so boring. How you think that it's going to affect your chances to be without alcohol. But let's say that you are surrounded with same minded people who are pushing you pushing motivating you that one more day. Think you can be today. Without or same thing with the fitness goals like what we often feel is that kind of killed and saying that you know you are not able to do the plan how you plan to do it everything didn't go like a plan. You ended up doing nothing. You ended up missing your workout. You ended up eating way too much than you thought. And you know when you are you are able to do something what you probably don't even think that is a win but you are sharing it and somebody is they are supporting you and and this is the importance of accountability. Because what I have to work to I have worked with so many people that they they what is the hardest part is usually because we are very good detail what is going wrong. And if something is if you are not able to do like if I ask for my one on one coaching clients that tell me one thing what you didn't do so well. If there's coming a big list like 10 different things that I missed that and I didn't do that, but the key is that you learn to recognize also those wins and celebrate them. Because if you are not if you never celebrate like obviously it's your expectations that of course I need to work out but if you haven't been consistent for ever, and you are able to actually be consistent for a month it's time to celebrate somehow. Because if you don't celebrate this is this gives that our brain that satisfaction that you are actually you are feeling good that you have accomplished something what was not easy, you might think that it's it was the expectation, but it's not easy to exceed and you need to celebrate even in a small way. Like for my own example is my workout. I don't enjoy doing strength training. I don't it there are hard the days that I am excited to work out. But I make myself to go I have my I have done my I have my reasons why I'm doing it. I know my it's today. Eight months ago my dad passed away and I have a speaker he lost his health at the age of 60. And he passed away at age of 70 so way too young it's to eight months today when he passed away and today morning and I'm recording this I was I wanted to work out or I didn't want to work out then I saw a picture of him so that that it's that today it's eight months and that this was my reminder why I need to go there even I don't feel it. I need to get started. Of course when I know that I get started something. That's the only promise what I made for myself but when I get started I know that in most days, I'm able to finish maybe I skipped one or two workouts if it's getting if I have some busy schedule but at least to get started. And this is my ultimate motivation why I'm actually doing so. So to have an I celebrate it every single day. My small celebration that I have done my workout is to drink some tasty protein smoothie after workout so I feel having a shower and I feel so great about it. And this is just a small way to celebrate recognize myself that I actually did it even I didn't feel like doing so the third negative effects of these challenges if not done in the right way is that it's it's they are going to be unsustainable things what you're going to learn it's like those hard 75 or extreme programs what you're going to do that there is no carbs, no prep, no super, no processed food. Three workouts 10,000 steps. Those are extreme things and to get some results you don't need to do all those things. Most of the people don't need to do some unsustainable things. So instead if you if you if you've got if you bought what they're going to learn like of course you know already those things if you are able to do them but how they are going to feel you are they are going to learn you something how you vote you could be actually implementing in the one year from now six months from now not only for 15 days or 30 days or two months, but the rest of your life. Is it is it going to be like when you are choosing tenants think are you going to learn something what you are going to actually be able to implement for your life for the next months, years, maybe decades. And and those extreme programs usually what I have seen and heard that how they are going to be obviously when you aren't going you're not going to make it you feel guilty, you feel shame that you don't have real power. And then it might end up that you end up having burnout or you have you might be overtraining yourself so it's doing more harm you will maybe you end up having injury so it's doing in the long term, more harm than good even that those benefits like that. If you especially if you're able to complete it, you might feel good about yourself, but think it like that how it's going to impact you in the long term. So then benefit number four is that you are if you if tennis is standing the right way you are learning some new skill or you are improving in some skill but you are going to do so in this tennis if you have that deadline. You have things to do so you you are learning something that what you are maybe it could be in a short period of time. This is how I love to use the it's only one small thing that you can do. It's not that you know you have to do 1000 things. It's one thing, one or maybe two things. So maybe maybe what is going to lead and impressive results. Like for example if you have never worked out with the personalized strength training program or workout program. It doesn't have to be strings. I always recommend even you some runner or something some form of resistance training, strength training, weight training, you got to include at least metric of time because otherwise you are like especially older we are getting we are losing muscle mass and that is our most valuable tissue. What you can have and when you are learning that new skill, how that how to actually program what kind of programs to use, and how to like which order you do exercises, what exercises because there are so many advices especially now in social media, if you look some workouts you have millions of them, but most of them they are not done in a proper way because if you look some influencer workout some apple ropes it's very popular to get like the social media algorithm to work you know if you have some surplus influencer doing some epic society, some stupid random app exercises, you know, people it they think that Oh, does he have cut apps with those exercises, what they are doing is to increase the algorithm because they are they are very popular. They get more attention and increasing engagement, which is obviously leading growing and social media and and then at some point what I'm what I'm telling someone who have millions of followers, doing some surplus exercise is that those are not actually working or they don't you could be doing so much better. Because that is how it is I don't have physical apps I don't have I am pretty healthy. I would say I'm pretty strong. I'm happy where I am but I don't have physical apps and but that is just because it hadn't been my goal and and had was I'd rather have enjoyment. I feel great. But I don't. I want to also enjoy and not. For me. It's at the moment what it takes to get visible apps. It's not just birth, but you are learning some specific skills, it could be just focusing on your nutrition. One thing what I love to use like meter, you become aware of how many calories you are eating, you become aware of how much protein you're eating as that is, I would say 90% of people who are doing it. They have no idea how much protein they're eating, or if they know that protein is important. They are not even even close what they should be eating. And it's just then learning to implement those strategies, adding protein adding something if you are inactive, adding steps, just one thing and mastering in that specific game. Skill and, and it's not it's not going to happen. Those things don't happen. Like it was for me. I didn't have any idea how much protein I was eating. But when I started to pay attention, I now I can say that after a couple years I have built my routines in that way that in my worst day without paying attention. I have 75 grams of protein before my lunch. So if my goal is to 850 160 grams protein per day, or 140 whatever, but I get I'm pretty close in even in my worst day. I would say that I get over 100 grams and without this is coming without thinking. And these are these are just skills that of course in the beginning it needed. It didn't happen overnight. It took some effort. It took some time learning like what I actually enjoy eating how much protein dose my favorite foods had, how could I implement How could I add them into my daily life so that I have some bare minimum? So now when you have that kind of skill set but so you can you can have Steve pretty okay not perfect, but pretty. Okay amount of steps even in universities and this is how this if tennis is done in the right way you learn some skill, how you can enact actually how you can improve it, how you can implement it in your life that will benefit you for the rest of your life. So then fourth, this is kind of now fourth possible negative aspect is that poor notice. So if you are doing challenges in a wrong way, you are eliminating carbs, you are eliminating your favorite foods we are eliminating your sugars. So this is this is some how these come kind of challenges that if you you are doing that kind of like to eat only meat, leave some food group away. And this is this can lead that you are not what you are going to learn you are not going to maybe learn how you are going to feel but are you learning some skill that will benefit you the rest of your life? And and rather you learn V LiPos those are tests the problem with all all diets which have some name like I can name now a couple here like Optavia what I had episode a couple of weeks ago, keto intermittent fasting, what they what they are teaching, they are made obviously all diets work with them to calorie deficit and they are just one way to create a calorie deficit. So so what you're going to learn is that those rules might have worked for someone, but if you are a person who want to be active who want to work out, I would probably not recommend to leaving cars, maybe you could maybe reuse your carbs. Finding a ways would actually work for you having maybe in your workout days higher power plays when you actually need it, or lower days, but it's kind of finding your balanced way to pour workouts for nutrition what is working in a long term and what do you feel confident of doing? Not only for a year, but are not for a month, but four year or five years. So this is this is how you when you do it in the right way it can be a good kickstart of starting your fitness journey. Then for number five for positive effects is that you are maybe trying some new ways of exercise that all forms of exercise what you have never done before. So for example, this is this is something like that if you if for strengthening like starting with some program what is let's say that you have a two month program, you have never done a workout with strength training program. And now you could give it a shot you had a program that is designed for you and then you start to feel like it's how it's actually affecting you how you are going to feel and and then this is this is that or you are someone who have I talked now about strength training, it would be obviously something else. It could be a running program. It could be yoga, but I love to talk about strength training. So it's during training that you have never played it before. You have never lifted heavier weights. You have always used the or maybe some dumbbells bodyweight exercises but you have never actually because you have thought that that those heavy weights they are for some bodybuilders or something and you have never tried lifting heavier weights. And then you do it first time how you're going to feel about yourself you become more confident you will have a lot more progress than you could ever thought. It's possible and that good example is is one of my PSP sustainable coaching client Tina, who is actually runner and she's she never she's not enjoying doing strength training. She haven't done it. She's training for running. And now what happened is that she had last week and five day grace first to be 10k And after doing implementing to wander to strength training workouts per week, and making sure that that running training is done in a right way, including some high intensity work and tone to cardio. See was going for the payment with with and she said that she didn't see what it was five Casey was first before he was married. If she's able to do it, because he obviously see no savings he had a little bit she felt a little bit her coat didn't feel good but when he did that racy don't pay that sequel to keep running for like it was just a warm up basically and and that while being see like little bit having little bit cold night if they would be too sick I would probably tell that do not participate. It's not very smart. To participate. But just an example that see feels a lot better already after two weeks or three weeks doing strength training within Iran. So swing training when done in a right way. It's improving your running, it's improving your performance, and it's just something what you maybe you have never thought maybe you have never tried and then when you when you try some new things would actually make sense. You could have you could learn some scheme what will benefit you the rest of your life. And last negative effect is your mental health. So so if you it's impacting if you if done. Challenge in a wrong way, how it's going to affect your mental health. So So you are when you aim to do two months and you are not meeting your goals how you're going to feel how you your mental energy you feel like that I'm a failure. I don't have willpower. And that is that or if you participate for let's say some weight loss challenge weight system like a biggest loser, that you your only goal is to get scale moving when and what you will do when that scale is not moving. Maybe you have been doing all right things but for something what you can't impact, like how fast scale is moving because that is something you can impact how you're going to feel about yourself. How is it going to increase or reduce your stress? So of course you feel more stressed that you don't get results. So that's why challenge is done in the right way that you have balance what is actually mattering, making sure that you first of all, the goal should be always that you become more consistent. You are doing something what you would not normally do so the goal is not to maybe not to do everything but improve where you have been last week and that is when you have realistic expectations regardless what your goal is, or or your aim is when you know what is realistic to expect. You are it's a lot likely to stay motivated and to know that this is actually a good progress this is actually normal thing. And if you compare what some influencers what they bought some testimonials of tenancies you might get feeling that there is something wrong with me when reality is that if let's say that in some influential challenge, there is going to be 1000 people participating, you're going to see maybe five testimonials of top five from those 1000 people. So it's a 0.5 process. And now you are seeing those testimonials. Now you think that well, how what is my progress if you are comparing yourself to top 1% of all participants. So if you are somewhere in the middle, which is still great, how you're going to feel about your progress, though this is why those realistic expectations is so crucial. And this is how I'm going to do it. I'm I love I'm going to start when this episode is coming out. It's only a couple of days. I'm going to start October 9 I will put a link to show notes about my upcoming sessions where I will say personalized plan personal advice that strength training call and or training program for your individually nutrition goals based on your individual goals and then we are basically just hanging out in community. And this is how my community membership coaching is working. So if you happen to listen to this after this challenge, I'm planning to do this more often. And in my membership coaching you can just basically start with this kind of challenge anytime it says that that now at this time we are doing it all together. And makes sense is probably only a couple of months away. So I will put all the details in Sonos and I hope to see you in the tennis so thank you for listening and make sure you're doing the challenge in a right way. recording stopped