Welcome to the Un-Fuck-Your-Fitness Podcast . I am your host , Christy Castillo , and I'm here to give you real talk and cut the BS so you can actually enjoy building a body you love . I'm a personal trainer obsessed with giving you simple action steps to take you from feeling stuck to feeling sexy . Let's go . Hey guys , what's up ?
Speaker 2Welcome to today's episode . We are going to be talking today about following a plan , not your mood . This is based off of an Instagram post that I did not save , so I don't know who . I don't know who the creator of this was , but it wasn't me . Okay , I did not come up with this , but I think it's genius .
Speaker 2It's kind of like this shit is not optional , which I did come up with Probably not , but I did come up with it . So follow your plan , not your mood . If you're not in the mood , do it anyway . Right , what was your plan ? You're going to stick to the plan , not your mood . Okay , this shit is not optional . You're tired , doesn't matter . You're bloated , doesn't matter . You don't want to do it , doesn't matter , right ? Okay , same idea of this shit is not optional , but in a different way .
Speaker 2So I've had a couple of client conversations lately that have kind of been based off of this , not in terms of them not wanting to do things , but they want to change things , and so I'm going to get into that a little bit later . But this is kind of , yeah , like following your plan , not your mood , doing things that you don't want to do , not sure if you're in a plateau , you know like you feel a certain way , but you have to do it anyway . That's kind of the gist of this episode , and we're going to , of course , take a couple twists and turns here . But I'm excited because this , like I said , whatever my clients are dealing with , I know if they're always like kind of dealing with the same things at the same time . I think we as women are just a lot of times dealing with the same things at the same time and if we don't talk about it , we don't know . But I have a lot of clients who are dealing with this and so I'm having this conversation on repeat and it's a really , a really good conversation to have .
Speaker 2So , when it comes to your fitness journey , do not make decisions based on how you feel . You have to look for the proof . Based on how you feel , you have to look for the proof and in order to have proof , you would have had to collect some data , entered some data for you to have , so that you have the facts . It's like when I've had clients before , you've heard people like I think I'm eating healthy enough , I think I'm hitting my macros , I think I'm doing all the right things . Well , if you think you're doing all the right things , that's unfortunately not good enough . I talked about this a couple episodes ago , where you have got to track your macros . You have got to know are you going over calories or not ? Because if you are , it would be really good to know and really simple to then cut back . But aside from the data that you need , you also do not make decisions based on how you feel . So I had posted one night I was bored , couldn't sleep in bed late scrolling social media and found this follow your plan , not your mood . I'm like that is so good , I'm going to share that . People will be motivated . Love that .
Speaker 2The next day I'm struggling to work out . I do not want to work out . I'd had some zucchini brownies a zucchini brownie that morning , my stomach kind of hurt , it was hot . I did not want to work out at all and I did . Okay . I talked myself into it . But I was in the garage and I made a video , posted that on my stories , like I do not want to do this right now . My stomach hurts , I'm not in the mood . But I conveniently posted follow your plan , not your mood . So that's exactly what I'm doing . That's exactly what I'm doing and I showed that on social media .
Speaker 2Because when you have a plan , you stick to it .
Speaker 2When you know the outcome of that plan , you do it either way .
Speaker 2You do it either way . But a lot of times , if we're feeling fluffy , right , we want to eat less . If we're feeling bigger in our genes and we're feeling , yeah , bloated , fluffy , inflamed , gross , maybe like I'm building muscle too quickly , which is not a thing . You're just not losing fat fast enough , okay . But either way , when we're feeling bigger , we're feeling fluffy , we're feeling whatever . Our first instinct is I should eat less or I should adjust my training . And that is absolutely not what you should do .
Speaker 2Because if you are trying to teach your body consistency and like this is what I'm feeding you now , these are our macros , you know , trying to love your body and do that consistently If you then back off every time your body feels a certain way , that's not good . That's not teaching your body consistency . So if you are working with a coach who has a plan for you based on the goals that you talked about with your coach , stick to that plan . If you have a plan that you know will get you to your goal , stick to it , no matter how you feel . If you feel bloated , do it anyway . If you feel tired , do it anyway . If you're on your period and you're like , oh my freaking God , hopefully your plan allowed for that , some of that flexibility .
Speaker 2Of course you don't have to like crush a workout that day when you feel like shit or you're sick or super tired . But go for a walk . You can still hit your macros , you can still drink your water , you can still do things right Even though you don't feel great . So you still have to right , get close to your macro targets . You have to hit your daily steps . You have to drink lots of water . You have to resistance train over and over and over and over for the rest of your life , consistently , anyway , not every single day . You have to do these things over and over and over , not just when you feel like it , not just when you're in the mood , not just when you oh , I have time for this , right , you have to do it , okay . So kind of got that little pep talk out
of the way .
Speaker 2Do not make decisions based on how you feel . Do not Okay , you have to do it . If you're committed to something , do it . If you're half-assed committed to something . Sorry about your luck , it's not going to work and you should be fully committed to something that is doable for you . I've talked about this many times in the podcast . You don't have to be perfect . You don't have to be working out five to seven days a week . You don't have to be absolutely perfect , but you should have a plan . Right , you're going to work out maybe four days a week . You're going to walk six days a week . You're going to hit your water goal every day . You're going to hit these macro targets pretty close to every day . Right , it should be a flexible enough plan that you can hit it consistently , and if not , that's the problem .
Speaker 2I set up my plans for my clients so that it fits consistently into their life habitually . But I do have a lot of clients especially in the beginning of them working with me they'll lose a little weight , a couple pounds , and they're feeling really good , and then they plateau , which is totally normal . But they'll ask , and not just in that situation . There are other situations where they'll ask when are we going to change up my macros ? Is it time to change up my macros ? And they tell me that they have plateaued a little bit or they feel stuck , and so I think we need to change up my macros . Maybe I need to eat less , maybe I need to eat more . Like they don't know , of course , they're coming to me to tell them the answer .
Speaker 2And what we talk about is , first of all , I'm not going to change macros unless I feel like something's really , really off . Of course . But if you have just plateaued for two weeks and haven't lost any overall weight , chances are your muscle mass is still changing , your body fat's still changing , right , that's totally fine . I will leave someone in a plateau , myself included , for six to eight weeks if you are still seeing other wins , because that overall number on the scale is unfortunately not our main priority . It's not our main priority because the things you do to get that number to move are our main priority . So , unfortunately , I have to tell these clients I'm not changing your macros , that's not the problem . Your macros are great . Keep being consistent with them . We have to work on these other things right . Or they'll say they're plateaued , like I said , or they feel stuck . Maybe it's just getting redundant . Who knows . If something's feeling redundant , that's good .
Speaker 2We don't always need that dopamine hit of a new program or a new workout move or a new gym equipment or a new right . Get used to the redundancy . You'll be fine . But the redundancy is really good for your body . So doing the same workouts three to four weeks in a row , that's fine . Your body is going to love that . Your body loves consistency . Your brain maybe not so much , because that's not really what we give it and so it wants always the next hit , always the next thing , go , go , go , go go . And that's not good . So redundancy is fine . I'm like we're going to have to get used to that . I can do a couple of things within the workout to maybe mix it up a little bit , but it's okay to be uncomfortable . It's okay to be uncomfortable and we need to know that as well .
Speaker 2But a lot of times when my clients will say I'm feeling plateaued , I just , you know , I'm feeling stuck , I'm not losing weight , I'm not all the things right , and those are physical things that they're feeling literally , physically and usually literally things that they're feeling literally , physically and usually literally . Their pant size hasn't changed or the number , the overall body weight number , on the scale hasn't gone down . But when we look back to the data , they're making huge progress . So you haven't plateaued . If the scale is down overall let's say it's been eight weeks and the scale is down that's a win . If your muscle mass is up , you're feeling strong . If your fat percentage is down , if you're taking photos and you're noticing a difference , if you're eating more , if you're feeling less bloated , if you're sleeping better , if you have more energy , if you have better habits in place that are allowing you to show up and to get your shit done and still enjoy your life , those are all wins .
Speaker 2So when I will talk about this with a client and they'll say , oh , I'm feeling stuck , I'm feeling stuck , I don't know , it's kind of this attitude of like , oh , I'm just feeling really frustrated . Well , is the scale down overall ? Maybe not as fast as you'd like it to be be , but is it down ? Is your muscle mass up ? Are you feeling really strong ? Are you eating better ? Are you learning things ? Are you tracking ? Do you understand your body better ? Are you listening to your body ? Have you been able to take days off and still see results ? Have you been able to not be perfect and still see results ? Are you sleeping better ? Do Do you have more energy right ? Like all these things in there A lot of times . It's a yes to almost every single one of those .
Speaker 2But , for whatever reason , when that goddamn body weight number doesn't move for God forbid a month or something , we freak out , right . So look at the data . If you feel like , oh my God , I'm plateaued , I'm not making any progress , look at the proof . You are making progress . You feel like you're not making progress . The proof is telling you that you freaking are making progress , right . Yes , it might be taking a little longer than you hoped and , yes , you might be focused on the wrong things when you feel like you're not making progress , but you're good , okay .
Speaker 2Something I've talked a lot about with clients , especially recently , is to notice how you feel and realize that you will likely not feel that way again tomorrow . I have my clients my one on one clients on an app called Voxer and they get to talk to me on that app . I check in there a couple of times a week , but they can leave messages in there anytime . I tell them this is where I want you to leave messages for me . Them . This is where I want you to leave messages for me Whenever you're feeling something or you have a question , or you feel literally anything . If you're feeling like I said , stuck , you need a food suggestion , you need to send me a picture , a supplement , anything . A lot of times they will send me a message and say I'm just feeling really frustrated , I'm feeling really bloated today , I feel like shit . I'm feeling kind of down and out . If I don't respond to them that day , a lot of times the next day they'll send me a message and be like disregard , I'm feeling really good today . I think that was just like a fluke and I need to calm down and I need to slow down and they kind of like auto-adjusted themselves . But I will always respond and say let's take note of that .
Speaker 2One day you probably felt great . You were kicking ass . You feel so good . The next day you wake up , you feel like shit . You're bloated , you feel gross . Maybe the scale is up a little bit and all of a sudden you feel like you're totally defeated . You're doing everything wrong . Isn't that crazy how , if you look good , the number on the scale is good , you feel good .
Speaker 2The next day , you kind of are a little bloated probably nothing to do with your fitness journey , you're . Probably your hormones are crazy . You're going to start your period right , like wherever you're at in your cycle . It's probably something to do with that . But we think , oh , I'm not doing something right Now the scale is up , whatever . Maybe you drink more water , maybe you ate a little bit later than usual who freaking cares ? But for whatever reason , that puts you in a funk and now you're like oh , I feel so bad today . I probably need to cut my macros . I probably need to stop eating so many carbs . It's probably the rice , it's probably the bread , it's probably blah , blah , blah , blah , blah , blah .
Speaker 2Right , the next day you wake up , you're probably not feeling like that anymore . You're feeling okay . Right , you have to notice . Okay , today I'm looking in the mirror and I'm feeling pretty gross . Yesterday , I looked in the mirror and I felt pretty freaking good . The only thing that's changed is my mindset , not my body . You did not gain fat overnight . That would make you look in the mirror and feel gross . Right , it's how you feel . Yes , you could be a little bloated , but who cares ? That doesn't define you , but I understand that . It's not like who cares , but you can get to a place where you will look in the mirror . I look in the mirror now and I'm like ate a little bit later last night Can't see my abs this morning . Okay , moving on , it doesn't matter , right ? I do the things , no matter what . If I want to do the things or not , I freaking do them and I notice and I want my clients to notice .
Speaker 2If you are having a rough day , if you're having even a rough week where you feel defeated and you feel like you're plateaued and you're not making any progress , chances are the next day or the next week you will feel fine . But also notice , on the weeks that you feel fine , know that you will have weeks , like this week's going to end , where I feel really good . I'm probably going to feel like shit here in a couple weeks . Just know , right , that these feelings are not going to last . Just because you feel fat doesn't mean you are fat .
Feelings are not facts . They're real but they're not facts . Just because you feel like you've plateaued doesn't mean you are fat . Feelings are not facts . They're real , but they're not facts . Just because you feel like you've plateaued doesn't mean that you are . Just because you feel bigger , your jeans are fitting a little tighter , doesn't mean anyone else can notice . It doesn't mean that you gained any fat . You could actually have lost a little bit of overall weight on the scale and feel a little more fluffy , okay . That's why it's important to know that this shit is not optional and you need to do it , no matter how you feel , because the next day you'll feel better and you'll be pissed that you didn't stick with it . So keep that in mind , just notice how you feel and know that . Okay , it's okay to feel this way . I'm noticing it . Maybe there's a pattern . Maybe you're after tuesday girl night , girls night you wake up up on Wednesday and you kind of feel like shit . Okay , yeah , that's probably going to happen . So either get used to it or make a change , but the next day you'll probably feel fine . So you need to stick with the plan , no matter what . That's why hitting your macros , drinking your water , hitting your step count , doing your training program that's why it's all important to do period consistently , no matter how you look , no matter how you feel . Okay , let me say this part again you might feel fat , but you are not fat , okay . Just because you feel something , you feel like you've plateaued , doesn't mean you've plateaued . Just because you feel like you're not doing aed doesn't mean you've plateaued Just because you feel like you're not doing a good job doesn't mean you're not doing a good job okay . That's why it's so nice to have a coach in your corner so I can say you're doing a good job . You've literally been consistent to this program this entire time . Give it a couple more weeks , right . Your body is still learning to trust you . I can walk you through these things and help you gain that confidence . But that confidence will also come from doing the things that you don't want to do when you don't want to do it .
Speaker 2When I finished my workout yesterday , I was sweaty . My knees were sweating so much . I wear those little knee bands , but my knees were just sweating . It was so hot and I'm like well dumbass . If you hadn't talked to yourself out of this workout for an hour , you would have been done already and maybe got it done before the sun came out . But now you're sweating . That was my fault , obviously , but I was so proud of myself . Had I had not done the workout , I would have got later in the day and been really annoyed with myself for not showing up , because I know that I'm going to do it . I might as well do it sooner rather than later . I know by now that I'm going to do the things I don't want to do , whether I'm happy about it or not , and that's just come with consistency of noticing right on these days I do feel like shit . The very next day I do feel fine . So I might as well do the things on the days I feel like shit and I might as well do the days when I feel fine .
Speaker 2On the other side of that , there's this other side I was talking to a client about this just earlier this week where sometimes , when we are feeling gross and bad about ourselves and we won't work out because we're just not feeling good and we don't feel like the plan is working , on the other side of that , when you really are kicking ass , you look in the mirror and you're like , wow , I'm really making some great progress . I bet I could not hit my protein goal for a couple of days . I bet I could kind of slack off for a couple of days , right , feeling so good about myself , not like in a vacation way Of course you can enjoy a vacation but in a way of where it's like kind of met my goal . I feel like I could slack off . I feel like I could add some of these crappy foods back in . When you do that , the opposite happens as well , where you do eventually go too far , and that's not good either .
Speaker 2So that's why it's important to have a plan to where you can follow it when you feel like it and when you don't . That's also why it's important to have a plan that's flexible with your life and that's also why it's important to have a plan that's flexible with the seasons . Myself and my Fit Club members , we're gearing up to get started with more progressive overload , more muscle gain throughout the fall and winter , and so I'm strategically moving these workouts and moving our plan , and myself as well , into this programming where we will be lifting a little bit heavier for those of us that want to gain muscle and work out a little bit differently for the fall and winter . And I personally love that part because it feels different . It is a little bit of a change in the plan where I get into fall and my mood's a little bit different and I do want to eat some different foods and my goals are different , and so it is nice to be able to kind of have a little bit of a change up but also know it's going to fit seamlessly into my life and I can still be very , very consistent with it . And I now have a different outlook of like yes , I do need to hit my macros . Yes , I do need to lift heavier .
Speaker 2If I'm not consistently showing up for my workouts , I won't build muscle , and my goal is to build muscle in the fall and winter . So I have to freaking show up for myself , right ? That's kind of a push in the right direction too . If I'm not eating enough , then my body won't build muscle . So I have to be eating enough . I have to be working out consistently . Obviously I have to be hitting these workouts . I have to be hitting these body parts with the right amount of weight or my muscles not going to grow , and then there's no point in any of this . So it all kind of feeds off of each other . So that's another way to follow your plan and not your mood to know exactly the point of your workouts . So that way you're like oh , if I miss this workout , then I've missed a lot of muscle building opportunity , and that's just not an option . So we're not going to do that , we're going to show up regardless . So that's a really good way for me to kind of look forward to my workouts and not have them be so much of a pain in the ass .
Speaker 2I do love to show up for them and feel like I really did build my biceps . I really did work on building my quads today . I really did work on building my glutes today and not just showed up for a workout . Right , working out with purpose and working out with a plan is really , really important . So I hope that you enjoyed this episode as usual , and I think it's a really good reminder that you need to show up no matter how you feel . You are not necessarily your feelings , your feelings are not necessarily facts , but you're allowed to feel them Absolutely and know that , like I don't feel like working out today , I'm going to freaking , do it anyway , and that's how we get shit done over here . That's how we unfuck your fitness . So I will talk to you next week .
Speaker 1Thanks for listening to today's show . Go ahead and leave a rating and a review and , of course , follow the podcast so you don't miss out on any future episodes . And I would love it so much if you came to connect with me over on Instagram at Christy Castillo Fit . I will see you next time . Bye .