Believe in yourself and commit to your goals – you truly are capable of achieving them! As we learned two weeks ago, “Those who have high self-efficacy (belief in your capacity to execute certain behaviors) for exercise in particular are more successful at sustaining weight loss” (1).
At age 61, I decided to become an athlete. Fifty years ago, I was the asthmatic girl picked near-last for any sporting team. Until recently, I couldn’t jog around the block without doubling over, gasping for air. I could not climb a rope in junior high school gym class. I had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) stroke at age 54 and breast cancer at age 58. It felt like no one believed that I could run. Many people told me that I absolutely should not run. But a little voice inside told me to try!
It’s always a good idea to get medical clearance from your healthcare provider before you start a new exercise program.
In some ways, I was one of the least likely people to pursue anything athletic. Yet, by starting with easier forms of exercise and reading an inspiring book called The Slow A F Run Club by Martinus Evans, I found myself actually enjoying jogging. (I hesitate to call what I do running, but my physical therapist explained that it really is running.) I look forward to it and wish I was able to run every day – my old lady body will only allow me to jog every other day at this point.
Let’s get back to self-efficacy now. Here’s a brief video that explains the concept:
I was very lucky to happen into my exercise scheme. Walking our three dogs improved my fitness enough that I could envision doing more. Creating this blog necessitated my being open to new fitness practices so that I could properly write about them. This led me to spin/cycle classes. The improvement in cardio fitness that spin provided enabled me to try more intense exercise. And Martinus Evans’ book about non-traditional runners planted a seed. Basically, this coincidental series of small successes created self-efficacy in terms of exercise.
Can you apply any of these ideas to create a program of progressive fitness for yourself? How can you improve your belief in your weight maintenance success?
- Celebrate every weight, fitness, and health success, even when it seems small (2).
- Model the successful behavior of others who you know, observe, or follow online (2).
- Take time to learn new skills, and then find ways to step out of your comfort zone to use them (3).
- Practice self-compassion. Try to quiet your own inner critic by drowning it out with positive thoughts instead (3).
I hope this post inspires some new ideas for how you can believe in yourself and your unique ability to stick with your goals. Let’s keep developing our skills and maintain our healthy weight!
(2). https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954
Maintain Weight Loss 