Achieving lasting health and fitness isn’t just about meal prep and gym sessions, it’s also about mindset. Many people unknowingly fall into patterns of self-sabotage that derail their progress, despite their best intentions. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, manage a chronic condition, or build strength and endurance, recognising the behaviours that hinder your success is the first step to lasting change.
Here are eight subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways you might be self-sabotaging your health and fitness goals and what you can do instead.
1. You Keep “Starting Again on Monday”
The sign: You eat a slice of cake at a birthday party on Thursday, decide the whole week is a write-off, and promise yourself you’ll be “good” starting Monday.
Why it matters: This all-or-nothing mindset fuels inconsistency and often leads to binge-restrict cycles. Research from the University of Toronto suggests that black-and-white thinking in dieting is associated with poorer long-term outcomes (Doron et al., 2013).
What to do instead: Allow flexibility within your plan. Include room for the occasional indulgence. One less-than-perfect meal per week doesn’t negate your progress – it’s consistency over time that counts.
2. You Avoid the Gym Because You “Don’t Know What to Do”
The sign: You have a membership but rarely go because you feel intimidated by equipment or worry others are watching you.
Why it matters: Avoiding action due to fear or discomfort is a classic self-sabotage pattern. Studies show that gym intimidation is common, particularly among beginners (Winchester et al., 2022).
What to do instead: Book a session with a qualified physiotherapist or personal trainer, even one session can boost your confidence. At Destiny Health, we also offer beginner-friendly programs tailored to your needs, complete with friendly coaching support.
3. You Reward Good Behaviour with Bad Habits
The sign: You complete a tough workout and then “reward” yourself with fast food or alcohol.
Why it matters: While treating yourself is valid, undoing your hard work through habits that conflict with your goals can be counterproductive. It’s the equivalent of taking two steps forward, one step back.
Specific example: After a 10km jog, Emma regularly celebrated with a glass of wine and pizza. Over time, she noticed she wasn’t losing weight, despite her running gains.
What to do instead: Redefine “rewards”. Instead of junk food, reward yourself with a massage, a new workout outfit, or a rest day. Celebrate effort, not just results, and do it in a way that supports your wellbeing.
4. You Tell Yourself You’re “Too Busy”
The sign: You skip exercise because of work, family responsibilities, or general overwhelm: even when you spend hours scrolling your phone in the evening.
Why it matters: Perceived lack of time is one of the top barriers to exercise. But often, it’s more about priorities than true lack of time (Trost et al., 2002).What to do instead: Start small. A 10-minute bodyweight session at home or a walk after dinner still counts. Habit stacking: pairing a workout with something you already do, like listening to a podcast, can also make exercise more manageable.
5. You Let One Bad Day Define You
The sign: You miss one workout or eat poorly for a day and think, “I’ve failed — what’s the point?”
Why it matters: This mindset spirals into prolonged periods of inactivity or unhealthy eating. Psychologists call this “the abstinence violation effect” – when minor lapses lead to total abandonment of goals (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985).
What to do instead: View setbacks as data, not drama. One bad day doesn’t define your journey. Ask yourself what triggered the behaviour and how you can respond differently next time.
6. You Overtrain or Under-Recover
The sign: You exercise intensely every day without rest, push through injuries, and feel guilty for taking a day off.
Why it matters: Overtraining increases the risk of burnout, injury, and hormonal imbalance. It’s often driven by perfectionism or fear of losing progress, both of which can sabotage long-term results.
Specific example: Mark trained seven days a week for a half marathon. Without rest, he developed Achilles tendinopathy and had to stop running for three months.
What to do instead: Schedule rest like you would a workout. The body repairs and grows stronger during rest, not while you’re training. If you’re unsure whether your training load is appropriate, speak to a professional – like our experienced physiotherapist at Destiny Health.
7. You Surround Yourself with Unsupportive People
The sign: Your friends mock your healthy food choices or pressure you to skip workouts for social events.
Why it matters: Social environments significantly influence behaviour. A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that social support predicts adherence to health goals (Prestwich et al., 2014).
What to do instead: Communicate your goals clearly and seek support. Join a walking group, follow health-focused social media accounts, or work with a coach. You don’t have to ditch old friends, but it helps to balance your environment with people who uplift your goals.
8. You’re Waiting for Motivation to Strike
The sign: You constantly wait to “feel ready” to change your habits but never seem to get started.
Why it matters: Motivation is fleeting. Behavioural psychology shows that action often precedes motivation – not the other way around (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983).
What to do instead: Focus on building discipline and routine. Set small, achievable goals and build momentum. For instance, putting on your workout clothes at the same time each day creates a cue that reinforces habit. Start with the action and motivation will often follow.
Final Thoughts: Awareness Is Power
Self-sabotage isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a survival strategy our brains use to avoid discomfort or perceived failure. But left unchecked, it keeps us stuck.
The good news? Awareness is the first step to change. By recognising the ways you might be blocking your own progress, you can begin to rewrite the story. At Destiny Health, we support our clients at every stage of their fitness journey, from mindset to movement.
If you need help getting unstuck, reach out to our team. You’re capable of more than you think.
Academic Reference
- Doron, J., et al. (2013). “The Cognitive Processes Underlying Eating Disorders: A Focus on Black-and-White Thinking.” European Eating Disorders Review, 21(3), 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2201
- Winchester, L., et al. (2022). “Understanding Gym Intimidation in Exercise Avoidance: A Qualitative Study.” Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 58, 102100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102100
- Trost, S.G., et al. (2002). “Correlates of adults’ participation in physical activity: Review and update.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(12), 1996–2001.
- Marlatt, G.A., & Gordon, J.R. (1985). Relapse Prevention: Maintenance Strategies in the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors. New York: Guilford Press.
- Prestwich, A., et al. (2014). “Does social support predict health behaviour change? A meta-analysis.” British Journal of Health Psychology, 19(2), 304–318. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12046
- Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1983). “Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(3), 390–395.