Beating the I Can’t Mentality
Do you have the I can’t mentality? There are so many times I look at exercises and workouts and think to myself “I can’t do that”. I am fat. I have a hernia. I have PCOS, what if it causes a cyst to burst? I have back issues. What if I hurt myself? I don’t have health insurance. I can’t afford a doctor. I might lay myself up for weeks.
Maybe I should just sit down and keep wondering if I’ll ever be able to do that exercise. What? Stop! Why? Why do I do that to myself? I don’t know? But I do. The fact of the matter is there isn’t a thing I can’t do at my size with my health issues as long as I modify them to my body.
So how does one go about modifying an exercise to fit their body?
How does one get rid themselves of the I can’t mentality?
Step 1 – Make a List
What are your concerns? What is it that stops you from being active? What are your health concerns? What questions do you have about exercises do you have? What started the I can’t mentality in the first place? Make yourself be honest with yourself. That sounds easy right? Wrong.
We make up excuses not to admit to the issues that you have because…. Reasons? Now that you have your concerns and questions all written out. Take them with you when you take steps two and three.
Step 2 – Talk to Your Doctor
Speak with a doctor about what would be a problem for your body. If like me you don’t have health insurance, you can do what I did. Start looking for clinics that take scaled pay or no pay for those with low incomes. You may get a consultation appointment for free. I was able to do this for a scale pay.
During the consultation speak very frankly to your doctor about your body. You have to be honest with your doctor. These are my problems, how can I work out with these problems? Take notes while you’re there! Oh my goodness I can’t at all press enough how important it is to take notes when you talk to a doctor. How can you possibly remember everything you talked about if you don’t take notes? I’m sure you’ll walk out of that meeting with even more of the I can’t mentality.
Don’t give up… the next step will help.
Step 3 – Talk to a Trainer
Third step is speaking to a certified trainer. This will help rid yourself of the I can’t mentality. If you belong to a gym, chances are they have at least one trainer on staff that you have access to. Depending on your gym, speaking to a trainer may have a fee. It may not. Either way, what is a better investment than yourself?
Talk to the trainer about your physical condition, what the doctor said and your concerns. They are there to help you. Now, my doctor said “Don’t do squats.” Why? Bringing them as low as a squat goes irritates my hernia and my back so my trainer came up with the idea to use a ¼ squat for now. Again, take notes.
Always take notes. Unless you have a computer inside your brain that just records everything, there is no way to remember everything. Cool?
Okay, so you feel much better after speaking to a trainer.
Step 4 – Listen to Your Body
Fourth step to get over the I can’t mentality… listen to your own body. If it hurts, find a way to modify. If you’re so out of breath you can’t stand it, find a way to modify it. If you’re sore, rest.
Your body will tell you what it needs. You absolutely MUST listen to your body. Especially as a beginner in the land of fitness. If you overwork yourself to exhaustion you are not helping yourself. Always listen to your body.
Step 5 – Figure Out Why
The final step of beating the I can’t mentality is to look at why you’re saying you can’t. Is it because you have fear for your health (Steps two through three kill that.) or is it lazy? I’m the laziest human being on this planet. I would personally like to be reincarnated as a sloth. That sounds like my ideal lifestyle. Eat, sleep, sleep more, barely move, sleep some, and then eat.
In fact, I would love to be reincarnated as a sloth that lives in a zoo. Why? Because then I wouldn’t even have to move to look for the food. BLISS! Someone would totally bring it to me. Wow, that sounds amazing!
I know myself. I know that I am a sloth by nature. I have to fight my natural lazy because I know that it really wouldn’t matter if I had a personal chef making me five star healthy meals every time I sat to eat, nothing would really change in my weight if I don’t get off my ass and work for it.
There is no quick fix to weight loss. You cannot find a miracle in a pill, a wrap, a shake, a meal plan, a whatever. There is no miracle. Even liposuction, if you have it and don’t change your life to go with it. The fat comes back. You have to sweat for the loss. You have to really want it.
You have to be able to put aside the I can’t and find a way to do it. I hear you right now, “Okay, I’ll try.” To quote Yoda “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” You can do this. You can change your mind on what you’re capable of, beat the I can’t mentality. You can sweat your butt off and see results.
Good luck in your journey!
~Beck