Are you just not built to be fit? When you’ve tried to do the exercise and diet things in the past, did you find them impossible to do? When you thought about sprinting, you started sweating. Whenever you opened your mouth to order a salad, you ordered a hamburger instead.

If this describes you, then perhaps you’ve come to the conclusion that “being fit” just isn’t for you. You’re “unfit” and you’re happy about it, or at least you tell everyone you’re happy about it.  For those that are secretly wishing that something can change, what can they do to stop being unfit, and finally get into that routine they’ve always been hoping for? To them, we’ve tailored the following tip to help you do just that.

Walk, don’t run

When you’re starting an exercise program, it’s incredibly important to start with the things you know you can do, not what you can’t. So if you want to one day be able to run around the block, but know you can only run to the stop sign at the end of the street, then run to the stop sign and walk the rest of the distance around the block. Do that today, and then rest tomorrow. Try it again the next day and rest again. When you reach the fifth day, try to go a bit past the stop sign. Rest for two days, and then start again. Slowly increase the distance you can run with goals you know you can reach, and then continue walking the rest of the block. You’ll slowly build up your endurance to be able to run the whole thing one day.

Change the way you eat

The same thing applies to healthy eating. You don’t have to change your entire meal plan altogether. You just need to start with what you know you can do. “I can eat a banana with my breakfast every morning.” Do it. “I can eat a salad instead of a burger for lunch on Wednesdays.” Do it. Determine what you can do and make it into a habit. As you get used to it, set goals to expand what you can do. Eventually you will arrive at a healthy diet, but it’ll take time.

So next time you’re tempted to become fit and you fight those instincts with an “I can’t” attitude, shift the focus to what you can do and make it happen.

photo credit: kaneda99 via photopin cc