I’ve talked before about focusing on things you can control in your fitness and nutrition, while avoiding getting hung up on what you can’t (missed that? Read it here!).
Building on that idea, this week I want to introduce you to the concept of a secret fitness trap called the hedonic treadmill: a fitness trap that you might not be aware to be stuck in.
What is the Hedonic Treadmill?
The hedonic treadmill is a metaphor for our tendency to chase one pleasure after another. This is because the surge of happiness we feel after a positive event tends to return to a baseline level over time.
Remember when you bought that new gym crop top and it felt awesome? How did it feel after a few weeks?
When that initial high point doesn’t feel as satisfying anymore, you might find yourself chasing something else to recapture that feeling.
This applies to happiness in general, but especially in fitness and nutrition and can trap your progress and affect your mental health.
The Hedonic Treadmill of Fitness and Nutrition
Let’s say you’re on a weight loss journey with a goal of losing 5kg (or 10ish pounds). You lose 3kg (6lbs) and feel fantastic – you look and feel better, have more energy, and your workouts are easier.
However, there are still 2kg (4lbs) to go, and that nagging feeling that “this is not enough” might start to creep in.
This is the hedonic treadmill at work. You experience a happiness peak after losing 3 kg (6lbs), but then it becomes your “new normal” making you feel dissatisfied because “just” 3 kg lost (notice the word “just”) doesn’t feel good enough anymore.
You feel like you need to lose those extra 2 kg to finally be happy.
There’s a curve here: your happiness dips, and you push harder to lose the remaining weight. When you reach that goal, you might feel good again, but then the cycle repeats.
You keep running (on the invisible treadmill), potentially even faster, but you stay in the same place where you get your results. It’s almost like you can’t see them because you’re too focused on the next results, the next 2kg, the next thing.
Even though you’re making progress, it can feel like you’re not getting anywhere. If you could just stop and look at all the progress you’ve done until now you’d be amazed.
Breaking free from the fitness trap of the Hedonic Treadmill
So, how can you break this cycle and appreciate the progress you’ve made?
Here are some strategies to help you see yourself from a more objective perspective:
- Track your physical progress: This is all about building awareness. By tracking your progress, you can see the big picture and celebrate your achievements, not just focus on what’s next. There are different ways to do this:
- Daily measure your body weight: Track your weight daily (no matter what do it daily in the morning) for at the very least 30 days to see the overall trend.
Are you gaining, losing, or maintaining your bodyweight? – all of these can be valuable goals depending on your situation.
Random weigh-ins won’t give you an accurate picture because your body weight fluctuates daily for many different – often out of your control – reasons such as: water retention due to your period (or alcohol consumption), big dinner the night before, heavy lifting session the night before, constipation, stress…. - Progress Pictures: Take pictures of yourself every month in minimal clothing (front, back, and sides). Small changes might not be noticeable day-to-day, but you’ll see them over time when you compare pictures you took today vs 6 months ago.
- Daily measure your body weight: Track your weight daily (no matter what do it daily in the morning) for at the very least 30 days to see the overall trend.
- Track your strength: If your goal is strength training, track your lifts. Write down (on an app or a notepad) the weight and reps you can handle for each exercise you practice during your workouts.
You’ll be surprised at the progress you make over time, even if it feels gradual on a weekly basis.
Realizing how strong you become over time is an amazing feeling of motivation.
There are a ton of apps for iOS or Android, just pick one. I use, for example, Fitnotes for Android and absolutely love it.
When you track your progress and review the information you have, you can see the distance you’ve traveled and appreciate the effort you’ve put in.
Being aware is the solution
The hedonic treadmill is always lurking both in fitness and in many other situations in your life. Even with the best strategies and solutions it won’t disappear completely, the examples I gave you, though, will help you recognize when you’re sliding into the trap again and it’s healthier to take a moment to realize you’re doing an amazing job.
As in many fitness things related situations (but not only), awareness is your strongest ally. When you understand a situation, you can take control of how you feel and avoid letting it control you instead.
Have you ever felt stuck on the hedonic treadmill?
Think about your fitness and nutrition goals and the progress you’ve made so far. Can you acknowledge that progress before feeling dissatisfied about where you are now?
You’re not alone, I periodically get trapped again and need to stop to refresh where I was and where I am. When you’re feeling stuck, look back at all the progress you’ve done so far and keep going.
If you feel I could help you, you can get in touch anytime