The New Year is upon us and along with that brings many resolutions for a healthier life. For some that means changes in diet, for others that means quitting smoking or drinking less, for others it’s a gym membership – or any combination of all of these things.
To successfully make these changes there are a few things that are important to understand:
Ready for a new you in 2015?
Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight
It’s easy to be discouraged by not seeing immediate results or having a setback. But those things don’t have to define your journey. Take each day for what it is, celebrate the victories and see the defeats as learning opportunities.
The fact that you are recognizing it is a ‘setback’ means you have the heart for change. If you have a bad day and you could care less, you might not be willing to put in the work to make long-term changes.
Find What Works for You
We’ve all seen the infomercials and the ads for diets and workout programs that promise spectacular results. Now I will reserve my opinion about the before and after photos because the point I want to make here is that living a healthy lifestyle isn’t a one size fits all. Granted, there are components that are similar – a healthy diet, physical exercise and spiritual wellness, however, each of us has to discover how to make sustainable changes that are meaningful to us.
For instance, one year I decided that eating a healthy diet meant cutting out animal protein, of which I also imposed on my husband. Daily he became weaker and weaker and we ultimately determined, being a vegetarian wasn’t a positive change for him. Now for others, by substituting animal proteins with other forms, dropping meat isn’t a big deal and greatly helps in their quest for a healthy diet.
The same goes for physical and spiritual health – we need to find the right fit for us and not worry about how effective solutions are for others.
Set a Schedule and Stop Making Excuses
Success is largely dependent on your ability to plan. For instance, if you know that waiting to exercise until after work will result on your child tugging at your pant leg asking you not to go because they want to read a book, make a commitment to get up early or go at lunch. For any parent it is hard to walk away from a child who needs you so remove the challenge.
Plan your shopping trips. Don’t wait until there is nothing healthy to eat to hit the store, believe me your temptation foods will never look so good against fresh produce. Decide what your menu is and prep ahead of time as much as possible. I often chop up fresh veggies and clean fruit immediately after returning from the store so it is just as quick to grab a healthy snack as it is to grab a handful of chips.
Establish a Support System
You will need encouragement, especially on the bad days. Take the time to talk with your family and friends about your goals and how important they are to you. Those that love you want nothing but the best for you so they will do anything they can to help build you up to succeed. This also ensures that you have someone to talk to when you feel discouraged. If they already understand the importance of your goals, they will easily understand the hurt and frustration you are feeling when you feel like you aren’t making progress.
If weight loss and exercise are part of your new goals for 2015, drop me a line or text me at 574-387-1344. Let’s talk about writing up some short and long term goals that will help you obtain the healthy lifestyle you are striving for. Between personal training, group fitness and nutritional guidance, I’m confident that we can create a plan in 2015 to help you achieve the new you.
Personal Training by Jenn 