How to End Bad Habits that are Inhibiting Your Fitness Goals

Do you ever feel like your own worst enemy?

If we’re being honest, that’s the reality for most of us. No one stands in your way like you do, and that’s true for everything — including your fitness goals.

You can get on the keto train or the vegan bandwagon and charge full steam ahead… but if you continue bad habits, you’re going to come to a full stop before long.

Some of the most problematic bad habits include drinking alcohol, drugs and smoking cigarettes. But there’s one bad habit that’s so common many of us don’t give it a second thought. That habit is binge-watching television. And it really can be an addiction.

But regardless of what habits you’re struggling with, if they aren’t aligned with your goals, they’ve got to go.

So, in the spirit of kicking those habits to the curb, here are some tips to get you started on the right path.

Try a 30-day challenge

It doesn’t matter what your specific vice is. You should be able to go 30 days without it. And if you can’t, that may provide the inspiration you need to get help.

If you can go 30-days without your habit, you’ll start creating new habits that will have a positive impact on your goals.

30 days isn’t terribly long, and you can decide whether you want to continue at the end of the challenge. But with any luck, you’ll be feeling so great at the end of the 30 days that you won’t go back to your old ways.

Many people are trying and loving the Whole30 diet which requires you to modify your diet for a whole month and is a great way to lose weight. You’re forced to say goodbye to carbs, sugars, and other “nutrients” for 30 days to establish a better diet. Many people dread this diet but then find that they actually love the way they feel and adopt many aspects of the diet after the 30 days are up.

Consider intermittent fasting

If you’re having trouble with late-night snacking or drinking, intermittent fasting can help. Research is still in the early stages on fasting and addiction, but anecdotally, it has been helpful for many problem drinkers and self-proclaimed sugar addicts.

Researchers are still studying the gut-brain connection and its role in addiction, but there are a few things we know. First, fasting can help improve the gut microbiome. Second, the gut microbiome does seem to play a role in alcohol addiction.

This connection may be why so many people are recommending intermittent fasting to help cut back on problematic drinking. Or it may have something to do with the ritual of fasting that takes over the ritual of nightly drinking.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter why intermittent fasting helps wean some people off of alcohol. But there’s enough anecdotal evidence to warrant giving it a shot. Because fasting has so many other health benefits, you don’t have much to lose. Of course, not everyone is a candidate for fasting, so if you have any questions, check with your doctor.

Bad habits and fitness goals do not mix. And the truth is that the two combined could be more dangerous than you realize. Look out for dangerous drug combinations when you start adding supplements to your fitness regimen because the combination of your good habits and bad ones could be deadly.

Fitness isn’t always an all or nothing game, but you probably want to take measures to ensure you’re not sabotaging your good deeds. This means cutting any bad habits at all costs.