When is it time to Quit?

Really... lets be real... when is it time to quit... on this thing called fitness and healthy living? Here are some top 3 reasons most people throw in the towel... Trust us... you are not alone in these feelings...

1.Time

Life is so busy and fast pace that we dont often get to take time out for ourselves to work on ourselves. We usually have a tendency to get started because we got motivated, inspired, or fed up... but 2 weeks in we find that we lack the time we need to make it to the gym or meal prep.

With time comes planning... if you dont begin your week with planning then you are setting yourself up for failure on a journey your wanting to see change from.

The number 1 reason why people quit... is time... but if you plan accordingly you can actually save time and use time to your advantage. But begin with planning your week. Know what days and times you'll be hitting the gym, know what times your meal prepping and from there everything else gets penciled in.

For example... If you have work from 8-5 then a church meeting at 6 a kids game at 7... then your plan should be to get in a workout either before work, even if that means 5am, or workout during your kids game with running bleacher,squats, running around the field as you watch. Your plan will help you figure out when to workout.

We are busy YES!!!!... But trust and believe there is always some one busier than you getting it done!

So use time to your advantage... dont use time as a reason to quit.

2. Injury

Oh how we blame injury as another top reason to quit. Have you heard it before "my foot hurts... i cant anymore... its just not for me". Luckily in todays world information is at our fingertips. Very few gyms stress the importance of recovery as it is not part of society's way of making money. The fitness industry only stresses working out, the commercials, the magazines, the clothing are all geared to how hard you can hit your workout in the shortest amount of time possible...

But really recovery is more important than the workout. Yes... there will be times our body will feel like its fallling apart... but it does not mean you are broken. With technolgy at your fingertips you can now provide yourself with the knowledge and skill to heal in natural ways with pressure point, stretching, oils, ect.

Being injured means you need to nurse a certain area for a certain amount of time... and you can do it the majority of the time without cortizone shots or surgery. Use your natural options first before considering going under the knife...

If you think about it... we've seen people do amazing things... working out with one arm or 1 leg... hip replacements, fused spines... and the list goes on.... these people took time to nurse an injury or learn how to reuse their body... its their mindset that kept them going.

When injured you have to have a strong mindset and a plan... If you know you cant attack an upper body workout at the gym because of a shoulder issue... use that hour at the gym to stretch it, pressure point it, work on it. Same thing if you have a hip flexor issue or knee issue. Use your hour at the gym to nurse it rather than doing nothing about it. With all the info out there now there is no excuse and no reason why you cant treat your body the best way possible. If athletes get the best treatment... So should you too. Knowledge is power... so research your injuries as if it were something you were researching for your job.... and find methods and techniques that work for your body.

Follow joetherapy on IG for great tips on recovery: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/joetherapy/

3. Slow Progress

Dont we all expect an overnight change for the work we put in... Like... I gave 120% in one week and only lost 1lbs... Or i gave it my best for the month lost 10lbs and now this month theres no change... or i thought i would have 5 pullups by now and i still cant do 1.

As if Slow progress is a reson to quit... Progress is progress.... You CAN NOT EXPECT an overnight change... Work is Work... Once you accept and celebrate the small success in your journey it will lead to gratefulness in celebrating bigger success. Even a pound a week is better than staying the same or gaining- right?... think about it.... Last year if you stuck to a slow progress regiment (being dedicated in all areas of health and fitness) and lost "only 1lb a week"... then wouldnt you be looking back at last year and saying " Daaam, im proud of myself... I lost 52lbs last year"... Every one would ask you how you did it... and honestly the majority want an easier answer than "WORKED for it"....

The time is going to pass any ways... you mine-as-well start and continue the process... slow progress is what gets you to success... its working on pullup holds or negative pullups over a couple months time to get just 1 pullup down.... Its WORK... CONSISTENT WORK... both at the gym and in the kitchen. So enjoy the journey...

Have you seen fitness models? People say "Oh i love her body" but dont know the years it took for her to develop her look... They worked even when they didnt "feel" like putting in the work... So let your progress whether big or small speak volumes to you. Stop yo-yoing, going back and forth on your goals, stop comparing your journey to someone elses journey. You have full ability to make your goals happen in 3 months or 3 years... They choices are yours, your body is yours, and we all have different levels of WORK we are willing to put in... So if you want it go get it!!!

With that being said... our top 3 reasons/excuses for quitting is not valid enough to quit. Just because you get a Dr.s note or your on medication, or your recovering from injury, or time, or progress isnt as fast as you want it, these top 3 reasons are all INVALID Reasons to quit on the one thing you can have control of... Your BODY, Your MIND, Your LIFE.

Whatever your goal... Whatever your journey... KEEP GOING!!! You GOT THIS!!!!

In Summary: Plan your time, take care and nurse your injuries with information you can find at your fingertips, and fall in love with the process whether slow or fast because its in the journey you become the better, stronger version of yourself.