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Enneagram Type 7 | Drive Your Fitness Journey
How Your Personality Type Can Drive Your Weight-loss Success
There’s a good chance you’re reading this article with some skepticism. I get it. How on earth can a personality test mesh with a fitness journey?
That’s exactly what my hubby asked me as I rambled on and on about this a few weeks ago. I assured him, though, that given the information of someone’s Enneagram personality type, I could help them nail down their individual motivators for weight loss and overall fitness.
The fact of the matter is that the Enneagram has little to do with our actions, and much to do with our motivation for those actions. That’s why it’s hard to nail down someone else’s enneagram type. Because you can’t say for sure why they do what they do. But when you learn your own motivators, you can use those motivators to propel you forward. In any area of your life.
Including fitness.
We all have different motives. Different things that drive us toward where we’re going. And figuring out what that thing is for you, is vital in your fitness journey.Throughout my own massive weight-loss and health journey, I’ve lost a whopping 160 pounds. I know, crazy right?! But here’s the deal.
Most people are tempted to look at my before-and-after snapshot and assume it was a quick fix or the perfect crash diet that led me to that pic on the right.
But that’s so. so wrong.
In actuality, it all had to do with an underlying why.
A motivator.For me, it was because I was 336 pounds and absolutely miserable inside and out. That led me to complete desperation. Desperation became my why, and that led me to my weight-loss pursuit.
If you ask anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight, what made them lose all that weight, you’ll get all sorts of different answers.
But every single person has a motivator.
One of the biggest challenges people have, when I ask my clients, friends, and family? Lack of motivation. Can’t stick to it for the long haul.
But a burst of motivation won’t do it. It’s gotta be rooted more deeply than that. A zap of inspiration, or a really rad motivational quote… not gonna cut it.
BUT… If you can dig a little deeper and find what truly motivates you, at your core, then you’re golden.
Not sure what the Enneagram is? It’s an in-depth set of personality types that is ancient years old. If you’ve never determined your Enneagram type, take the test HERE. I do not receive a commission from this. I just love the enneagram. 😉
What Motivates You At Your Core?
When looking at the Enneagram, you can journey toward discovering what motivates you, but it’s not just designed for fitness or weight loss. It’s much MUCH more encompassing than that. You can use it to help you in virtually any area of your life. Your marriage, your career, your parenting… It’s such an incredibly in-depth tool.
But for the sake of not making this blog post fifty-thousand years long, we’re going to zero in on how you can use knowledge of your Enneagram type, to drive your weight-loss and fitness journey. For a glimpse at all the other types, head HERE.
But for this post, let’s focus specifically on Enneagram Type 7.
Enneagram Type 7: The Optimist
As an Enneagram Type 7 you’re an adventurer. You love to embark on new things, take risks, and just soak up life to the very fullest. You’re built for excitement, energy, and playfulness.
Strengths For An Enneagram Type 7
An Enneagram Type 7 is upbeat, interesting, and quick-minded. You’re always up for a good time and you bring joy to the people around you. You’re a great friend, you’re interesting, and you’re spontaneous.
You’re also a wonderful visionary, and you’re great at seeing the big picture. You can see possibility and opportunity, and you’re great at jumping in and finding a strategy. You’re quick-minded, an avid-learner, and thrive on mental stimulation.
Challenges For Enneagram An Type 7
As all of us do, Enneagram Type 7s have some more challenging attributes as well. You might jump into something new a little too quickly, painting a picture in your mind of how amazing it could be. Then you might end up with your hands too full, and need to pull back.
You might also become easily bored, as you want to maintain excitement and fun. You want constant freedom, and you may feel trapped, sad, or angry at the world when you don’t get it. You likely need options available as much as possible, and need newness as much as possible as well.
Weight-Loss Journey Roadblocks And How To Overcome Them
Weight loss is not easy. Each of us has specific roadblocks that tend to derail us more frequently than not. So let’s take a solid look at three of the main hindrances for weight-loss for Enneagram Type 7s.
It’s important to keep in mind that in this blog post we’re not talking about roadblocks like how dairy affects you or whether you should go gluten-free. We’re talking more about the internal side of things here. You can visit some of my other blog posts for practical ideas on how to lose the weight.
1. You Might Hop From Plan To Plan
Because you love newness and excitement, you may be tempted to jump from one diet to the next as time goes on. You may not even realize you’re doing it, but as a new plan of action is presented to you, it will likely sound enticing.
This could present a roadblock for you since consistency is key in any health journey. Making adjustments to your plan is a very important part of your journey. But switching from plan to plan to plan might not lead to making real progress.
In order to overcome this roadblock find a plan of action that is healthy and sustainable (more on this below). Something you enjoy. This will ensure you’re not jumping into a plan because it sounds exciting or promises massive results in a short amount of time.
Then, truly commit to sticking with the process. When you know it’s sustainable, you’ll be able to commit. And that will lead you all the way to your health goals.
2. You Might Want To Quit
Another roadblock might arise when your new endeavor is no longer new anymore. Reaching our health goals takes T.I.M.E. We really want a quick fix, but the fact of the matter is that in order to find success in our wellness journey, we must commit to the time it takes to get there.
As an Enneagram Type 7, you may get bored and want to quit after a while. But you can overcome this roadblock by simply changing things up within the guidelines of you health plan.
Can you try some new recipes? Can you change up your workout routine? Can you make a new goal, and push yourself harder? Can you join a community (in person or online) that will send a fresh wind of motivation your way?
There are so many ways to change things up and make things exciting. So feel free to run with it! This will ensure you keep going steadily over time.
3. You Might Join The Crowd
As an Enneagram Type 7 you love the excitement of dancing through life in the most optimistic of ways. This is such a gift. Where it could become a roadblock is when you have people around you who are talking about the amazing new diet they’re trying.
Crash diets come and go. Fad diets come and go. But overall good health… well that’s actually sustainable. So in order to combat this roadblock, make sure you’re following a wellness plan that is designed to fuel you for life, not something that promises outlandish results.
Commit to doing what will work for you. And don’t give into the temptation to jump on every bandwagon that comes your way. Remember, consistency is key.
How To Choose A Fitness Plan
There are so. many. options. *insert facepalm here*
Seriously if I get another crash diet flashed across my screen I’m gonna scream.
Here’s the deal. I may be completely bias, but I am so against dieting. There’s a ton of research that shows that restricting your food intake and jus general “dieting” in general does more harm than good, and I can totally relate.
But that doesn’t mean that weight-loss can’t be an option for you. What it means is that you don’t have to torture yourself into losing weight. Instead, you need to find a plan that works for you. One that is doable, and balanced, HEALTHY, and enjoyable. Sound crazy? I’m sure! The diet industry wants to scare you into weight-loss. But not this girl. Nope.
Realistic
As an Enneagram 7, you’re going to want something exciting. So here’s where you make the choice to find a plan of action that is realistic, sustainable, and truly doable over the long haul. You may be tempted to jump into a weight-loss plan when you see something exciting on social media or hear about it from a friend.
Let your excitement guide you! But remember that embarking on something that is doable over the long-term (even when the newness wears off), is what will truly lead you to long term results. Because who wants to do a crash diet and then gain it all back? Not us!
Choose a plan of action that will fuel you for your daily life.
Flexible
As an Enneagram Type 7 you’ll also want some freedom. Find a plan of action that fully explains the principles and guidelines to follow, and then allows you to make it your own.
This could mean developing your own workout routine, experimenting with your own meals and meal plans, and keeping things fresh and exciting.
Health-Centered
No matter what, do not go on a crazy crash diet. Don’t be allured by a high-promising protein shake or a super restrictive diet. Find an actual health-centered plan that will teach you how to fuel your body, move your body, and even love your body in the meantime.
This is what will lead you to making real progress that lasts.
Choose A Plan Of Action Not A Diet
Steer clear of crash diets. Seriously. Run the other direction. If you need some help with weight loss without the rigidity of a hardcore diet, try my six-week weight-loss program. You’ll get all the details and expectations in a simplified way, and then you’ll learn how to balance it all out so you can live your life while making progress toward the healthiest you yet.
Key Motivator For Enneagram Type 2
As an Enneagram Type 7, fitness can be an awesome way to transform into your best self.
Your biggest motivators as an Enneagram Type 7 are excitement, newness, and energy. The good news is that you can absolutely use this to your advantage within your health journey. In fact you can use this to empower your entire journey.
When you embark on a health journey, the possibilities are endless. Start thinking outside the box a little. How can you move your body in a way you’ve never tried before? Maybe a new class at the gym, or signing up for a 5k race? How can you eat some things you haven’t had in a while – or some things you’ve never even tried before?
You can change things up as much as you need to, in order to keep things exciting.
One of the best ways you can do this is by continually making new goals for yourself. This will challenge you to find new ways to meet your goals so that you don’t become bored over time.
When you do get bored, that’s when you know it’s time to switch things up.
By keeping things fresh, you’ll stay inspired to keep going and become the healthiest version of you.
