Beware Of The 5/8 Phenomenon

No matter how well things have been going on your New Year’s resolution to get fit, here is something you might have already discovered. Right around week 5 of any exercise and eating plan (and again, sometime around week 8,) there’s about an 80% chance that all of your hard-earned results and well-laid plans will suddenly come to a screeching halt.

It’s what I call The 5/8 Phenomenon, and it’s as real as that snooze button you pushed 3 times this morning. And, guess what, NO ONE is exempt.

So, if you have been humming along for weeks, keeping your head above water, and you suddenly realize that it is now Wednesday and you’ve hit the drive-thru more times than you’ve hit the gym, take heart. There is a way to work around this phenomenon and come out a winner. Here are a few cures for the 5/8 Phenom:

Awareness Is Transformative – In the 12 years I’ve spent helping thousands of folks in my work as a success coach and fitness trainer, I have observed countless numbers of men and women take a physical and psychological nose dive just around the 5-week mark of their fitness program. It’s so predictable, in fact, that you can practically set your watch to it. So, the first line of defense is simply to become aware that you too will probably feel and experience this phenomenon, no matter what program you are following, no matter what the circumstances of your life. Understand that it is not necessarily what you are doing or not doing, and that often the only thing to do is wait it out. Move through your routine as best you can, and know that this, too, shall pass.

Check Your Calendar – Since almost everyone on the face of the planet started focusing on diet and exercise at the beginning of the year (about 5 weeks ago) most everyone is approaching the danger zone. If you got a late start and didn’t begin precisely on the 1st, you can expect your patience and your focus to take a hike in the next week or so. Just be ready for it, and then brace yourself again for another lull just around March 1st.

Revisit Your Why – Anything new is exciting…a new job, new car, new relationship, even a new diet and exercise routine. It’s easy, however, once that initial excitement wears down a bit, to forget all the things that got you so fired up and ready to jump out of bed every morning when you first started. Draw back to the vision and the feeling you had when you first imagined achieving your goals. Close your eyes and recall how good you felt when you imagined fitting into those skimpy summer clothes or slipping into that nice pair jeans you’ve got hidden in the back of your closet. Pull them out, try them on, and reawaken that initial excitement.

Do The Math – Try figuring out how many weeks it will take you to feel satisfied with your progress from this point forward. Use a flat 1 pound per week formula, and create a weekly chart based on how long you believe it will take to achieve your goals. Make a commitment to keep this chart in front of you. Put it in your bathroom or in a binder that you check every morning, and designate a specific day and time each week to mark down your scale weight and body fat measurements. This will help create the forward vision you need to get back on track and keep going.

Know That You Are Not Alone – It can sometimes feel as though you are the only one who just can’t seem to get past the beginning weeks of an eating and exercise plan. Now you know the truth – it’s not just you – it’s everyone. So, armed with this reality, it might be a good time to stop telling yourself that same old worn out story, “I have always struggled to eat right, “ or “I start out strong, but always lose it after a few weeks.” Now is the best time to replace that old story with a new one…one that will serve you better than any other story you have ever told. Here it is: “Thousands of others have struggled and come through this with fly colors. Now it’s my turn to do the same.”

Then, go for it!