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Summary
On episode 514 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan tackles what to do when your weight loss or fitness effort stalls completely. This is different from a plateau, where the plan is still working even though the results have temporarily stopped. Here, you have actually stopped moving, and some old habits may be creeping back in.
Allan borrows the physics term inertia, Newton's first law: an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest. He compares it to a car, it takes extra gas to get moving again after you brake, and once you are cruising, it gets easier. The same is true with habits.
He lays out three things you can do today to get moving again: don't wait, start small, and lean into your strengths. None of it requires an overnight overhaul, just one small movement to get the rock rolling.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Feeling stuck is not the same as a plateau. On a plateau you are still doing everything right and the results have just paused, that's homeostasis. Being stuck (flat footed) means you have actually stopped moving and let habits slide backward.
- Inertia works in both directions. Newton's first law says an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion. Waiting to start also has momentum, the longer you sit still or slide backward, the harder it becomes to get going again.
- Don't wait for Monday or the first of the month. Picking a future start date just adds more days of standing still, or worse, sliding backward, before you even begin.
- Start small, like rolling a snowball or starting a rock slide. One small action, a glass of water instead of a soft drink, a short walk, a better grocery pick, gets the ball rolling toward bigger changes later.
- Lean into your strengths instead of only cutting things out. Most people think getting healthy means eliminating things. Allan argues the faster path back is doing something you already enjoy and are good at, whether that's walking, dancing, batch cooking, or a sport you used to play.
- Use the five minute rule to break inertia. Put on your shoes and commit to five minutes. If you still don't want to continue after that, you can stop, but most people find five minutes turns into ten, then fifteen, and it keeps growing.
- Small wins stack quickly. Cutting out one sugary drink, adding one short walk, or picking one better meal choice compounds into bigger changes without requiring a total lifestyle overhaul on day one.
- Being stuck happens to everyone, and it is not permanent. Newton never said an object at rest can never be moved. The only thing within your control today is to start, start small, and start with something you enjoy.
“Being stuck doesn't mean you're always stuck.”
Coach Allan
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 530 – How to become a fit mess with Jeremy Grater and Zack Tucker
