There's a reason your workout habits fail... here's what to do about it

Every fitness journey begins with an affirmation. To lose weight. To put on muscle. To be fitter and healthier and add ten years to your life.

Unfortunately, most end after a couple of weeks and result in the originally well intentioned exerciser feeling disillusioned and devoid of self-esteem.

However, the majority of people fall short of their ambitions because they make the same basic mistakes. Few know this better than John Pirlo.

Unlike a lot of personal trainers, the 25 year veteran of the industry wasn't always blessed with a perfect physique. Until his early 20s, he was overweight.

In his formative years, he was a victim of both bullying and low self esteem. However, when he went to university, he made a conscious choice to change his lifestyle.

While he's the first to admit he had his own struggles along the way, Mr Pirlo says it was that simple action which ultimately put him on the path to success.

However, it is important to realise, he says, that a fitness journey is not short term endeavour. If you approach it as one, you will fail in the long run.

That's why you should always start small and resist the urge to overhaul your entire life. It's fool's gold.

"(Successful fitness programs) are all about picking the right activities to begin with," Mr Pirlo explained.

"You need to find something you're able to do and that you enjoy doing. Then you just build up from there. You increase the intensity over time," he continued.

"A major problem we come across in the industry is a mindset that people fall into where they just want to take an all or nothing approach.

"It could be that they've watched some Reality TV Show where someone has lost a bunch of weight or they'll see an Instagram Post promoting some miracle weight loss supplement and they'll want to lose weight in a hurry...

"The reality is, if you want your weight loss to be both sustainable and long term, you're better off starting small."

What's really important is being consistent. A lack of consistency, Mr Pirlo says, is the number one killer of fitness journeys.

"Quite often what we see is people come in and on the first week they'll do six days. Then next week it's four days. Then it's three days a week. Then they'll wear themselves out and they won't do anything for four weeks. Then they'll suddenly comeback for two days a week. Then they'll stop coming altogether," he said.

"The biggest problem with this approach is that when you chop and change and lack consistency, your body doesn't have time to get used to it. So it's not sustainable. It doesn't matter how much exercise you actually do or what level of intensity it is, you have to be consistent."

The same is true of your diet, Mr Pirlo says.

It's nearly impossible to change all of your eating habits at once, especially if you're changing from a lifestyle of indulgence to a calorie restricted, salt free, sugar free, carb free, enjoyment free diet. You're going to get sick of it... in a hurry! In fact, most people who try to diet this way are back to their old ways within four to six weeks.

That's why, he says, it's far more sustainable to start with some small dietary goals. For example, rather than doing meal prep or meal replacement, simply focus on eating one really healthy meal a day. Minimise your snacking. If you eat a lot of sweets, be conscious of it and try to cut back.

Like with your work out regime, each time you achieve a small goal, set yourself another one. Overtime, this will lead to your newer healthier habits taking hold and they will replace your bad old ways.

Another trick he suggested was hiding the sweets in the back of the cupboard, so if you want them you actually have to make a conscious effort to go looking for them as opposed to having them tempt you everytime you open the pantry. Multiple studies have proven this works.

His other top tips include:

• Increasing incidental exercise - That means increasing your physical activity throughout the day. So, if you're at the shopping centre and you have a choice between taking the stairs or the lift, take the stairs. Park further from the door. Keep moving. Avoid stagnation. Overtime, these little movements add up to sustainable long term results;
• Don't try to do it alone - It's easy to skip leg day or refuse to go to the gym in winter because it's too cold or wet or you just don't have the energy. It's harder to stand up a friend. It's harder to miss a fitness class or a paid session with a personal trainer. By taking the journey with others, it increases both your support network and personal accountability;
  
• Don't let your holiday turn into a permanent vacation - When we go on holidays, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. But, it's important not to get yourself out of your healthy routines. So, while you're away, go for a walk, play with the kids, go for a scenic bike ride, do something, and when you get home, go back to the gym;
  
• And finally, don't make exercising a chore - If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you won't do it for very long. That's why you need to figure out what you like to do. For some it's lifting weights, for others it's cardio, playing sport, crossfit, even just going for a walk is a good start for some. Just make sure it's a rewarding experience.

At the end of the day, Mr Pirlo believes if you want to enjoy sustainable weight loss or gain a healthier lifestyle, you just have to be prepared to make a long term commitment to your goal and recognise that nothing happens overnight.

"The one thing I hate hearing most is: 'I'm going to start Monday...' I always think, really? Monday? So when exactly is this Monday that you're going to start?" Mr Pirlo said.

"What you need to do is follow up on that decision immediately and take action. If you realise you need to make a change in your lifestyle it has to happen now because if you leave it until later, you're not going to do it," he continued.

"There's always some discomfort in change but I've always been a big believer that if you don't embrace change, you're going to end up with what you've always had. You've got to take a step in the right direction."

Story sponsored by Genesis Fitness.