This post may contain affiliate links., which means if you make a purchase using any affiliated links, I will earn a small commission at zero additional cost to you.
Enneagram Type 9 | 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 9.
Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker
As an Enneagram Type 9, you’re a mediator, a harmonizer, a connector. You’re the glue that holds the family/group/community together. You’re easy to be around, and you’re calm both inwardly and outwardly as much as you possibly can be.
Strengths For An Enneagram Type 9
As an Enneagram Type 9, you’re good at moderating and building a consensus among people. You’re accepting, inclusive, and can see from virtually anyone’s viewpoint. You’re wise, understanding, and a great listener.
You bring peace with you wherever you go, and people feel comfortable around you. You’re consistent, collaborative, and good at talking through things. You’re a quiet achiever; you can put your head down and make things happen.
Challenges For Enneagram An Type 9
As we all do, Enneagram Type 9s have some more challenging attributes as well. In your pursuit for peace, you often preserve your energy because you like to feel calm emotionally and physically at all times. You might avoid conflict, which keeps the peace initially but doesn’t get to the root of the issue.
You become stressed when you’re forced to do something you really don’t want to do, and you can be stubborn. Because you’re so good at seeing all sides of things, you can easily become distracted by the opinions of others, forgetting to take time to form your own. This can also lead to procrastination, as you’re too busy sifting through all the options.
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 9s.
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. Procrastination
Putting things off is one of the biggest challenges of an Enneagram Type 9. Because you love being at peace within your mind, emotions, and body, you likely avoid things that threaten to take that peace away.
Within your health journey, this could create a roadblock because you may put off starting. For a long time, even. You might feel the magnitude of what’s in front of you, and become overwhelmed with how stressful the process could become when you have to stick to it and don’t want to.
To overcome this roadblock, steal away. Away from everyone else, and do some major self-evaluation. Get real with yourself. Ask yourself what’s important to you.
Do you want to pursue your best health? If so, why? Ask yourself what will happen if you don’t, and what will happen if you do.
Sometimes you have to truly have a heart-to-heart with yourself so you can slip into that “quiet achiever” attribute we talked about earlier in this post.
2. Distraction
As an Enneagram Type 9, you often get distracted. Typically this is because you’re so good at taking in the opinions and values of those around you, that you forget to take time to discover your own needs and desires.
This could become a roadblock within your health or weight-loss journey because there are so many approaches to overall health. What works for one person, may not work for you, though. So avoid getting caught up with your friend who lost 8 pounds on the latest craze diet last week, and stick to whatever plan you’re already committed to.
This roadblock can pop up later in your journey. It can pop up all along the way, actually. So being aware that this is a challenge for an Enneagram Type 9 can help you to reel it back in and take charge of your choices.
3. Missing Details
Another way that distraction can create a roadblock for an Enneagram Type 9 on a health journey is in the details. While you don’t want to be hyper focused on being rigid and perfect, you do want to make sure that you’re covering all the important basis when it comes to working on your health.
This means reverting back to the guidelines of your plan of action, often. Are you forgetting anything? Is there anything you’re supposed to be doing every day that simply slipped your mind?
If you’re hitting a plateau, or a bump in the road, go back to the basics and make sure you’re covering all of them.
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.
Find What Works For YOU (not what worked for a friend)
When you’re embarking on a health journey, it’s so important to find what works best for you. As an Enneagram Type 9, you’ll likely be tempted to do what worked for someone else, or to dive into what you think someone wants you to do.
Combat this by taking some time (by yourself) to evaluate what type of plan will work best for you. This means one that is doable, sustainable, and enjoyable.
Then when someone comes along singing the praises of another great plan on the market, you’re not so tempted to jump ships. Stay focused. Stay diligent. Do what’s best for you. Remember, we’re all different. What works for one may not work for another.
Choose A Plan That Is Not Ultra Restrictive
As an Enneagram Type 9 you don’t like being forced to do things you really don’t want to do.
Now, with any health plan, there will be times when you’ll need to work your willpower and press through the desire to take the easy way out. But in order to set yourself up for success in this area, choose a plan that is not highly restrictive.
Eating like a rabbit might make you drop a few pounds quickly in those first few days, but after that you’ll become frustrated. As soon as you revert back, those pounds will come right back on.
Avoid this by choosing a plan that is balanced and well-rounded. One that allows some flexibility within the clear expectations that are laid out for the plan.
Make The Decision On Your Own
Take some time for yourself before jumping into a weight-loss plan of action. Decide on your own. This is especially important for you in staying the course and ultimately meeting your goals. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain a little. You don’t have to measure up to anyone else’s expectations. You just need to do what works for you, in the healthiest way possible
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 9
As an Enneagram Type 9, you’re motivated by consistency. The great news is, consistency is a major key to weight loss and overall health in general.
People can make all the drastic changes they want, but it’s making daily choices that point you toward you health goals that will truly bring progress.
You can use this to drive your health journey by choosing a weight-loss plan of action that fuels you for everyday life. Nothing crazy or obnoxious. Just something that guides you toward becoming a little healthier every single day.
By doing this, you’ll be able to establish that stability that you so cherish as a Type 9. This will make things doable, sustainable and enjoyable, which definitely drives an Enneagram Type 9.
Look at it as a lifestyle, because that is truly what it is. Every day you have to wake up, get dressed, go about your day… and every day you can make small changes that will ultimately transform you into the healthiest version of you.
This is my Enneagram Type! So there’s a little inspiration for ya. If I can do it, so can you. 😉 And so can ANYONE who puts their mind to it and uses their core motivators to move them forward.
