Do you feel sluggish, tired, unhappy with your weight or body? If the answer is yes, it’s important to take a step-by-step approach to making changes to your lifestyle. The most common pitfall people make is they assume that being healthy and trim is an all or nothing approach. I’m either eating well all the time and doing “good” or I’m eating junk for dessert and feeling “bad”.
This kind of black and white thinking will sabotage you before you get started.
It’s all about little steps.
Step one is about taking a look at what you do every day.
How much sleep do you get?
What do you consume for breakfast?
(is it a highly processed, sugary something-or-other or a bowl of fruit or some kind of whole grains?)
What do you drink?
(is it coffee, cream and sugar or hot water, green tea or herbal tea?)
Are your liquids full of high fructose corn syrup?
Do you drink soda or sparkling mineral water? or regular water?
What kind of vitamins or Superfoods do you take?
How much exercise do you get?
Are your workouts varied? Do you combine cardio with stretching, toning and weights? Is excercise interesting and fun and sometimes done with a friend?
How stressed are you?
Do you practice different techniques like breathing, walking, meditation or yoga to de-stress?
How do you treat yourself? Do you ever look in the mirror and give yourself a smile?
How much encouragement do you have (healthy friends, supportive and nurturing relationships, an exercise buddy)?
After taking the time to really look at your daily routine highlight those things that might be easy to change.
Step 2: Make that one, maybe two changes for 1 month. Do not take on more than 2 changes. Make it fun, not a chore. Think of this as an experiment and an adventure in becoming better as a human being.
Step 3: At the end of each week, check in with yourself. Forget about everything accept your ability to follow through on what you’ve set out to do. Congratulate yourself for doing a good job. Reward yourself with a non-caloric gift like a movie, yummy candles, new music, or a new pair of socks (anything that feels like a reward). If you’ve slipped, acknowledge it, don’t berate yourself, just be firm in your resolve and move ahead.
Allow yourself to choose to continue with the first steps and changes you’ve made. Allow yourself to make them part of your daily practices. Acknowledge that what you’re doing isn’t easy, but you’re tough and you have the power to change your life.
Other tips:
- Get rid of your scale for a while. Checking your weight constantly isn’t going to help. Just stick with your changes one by one. In some cases your weight may not change (muscle weighs more than fat), but your dress size will. And which is better? Drop a few sizes or drop a few pounds….
- Keep a diary or journal. Include in it notes on how your feeling. Note some of your struggles. What comes up for you when you begin to make changes?
- Who’s helping, who’s hindering your progress? Some times we need to cut back on time spent with those who don’t help us on our path to be all that we can be. If a particular person always wants to commiserate rather than take action, they are a hindrance to your growth. Let go of them for a while (if not indefinitely) and invest your energy in connections and friends that support and enhance your goals. Better yet, find someone who wants to make a change with you - exercise together, eat healthy meals together and be there to encourage one another.
- Watch your words. Words have the power to vibrate through the body at a cellular level. Replace any negative words (either spoken or in thought form) with positive ones. For example, “I am too weak, too fat, too tired, too whatever” with “I am getting stronger, thinner, more energized, happier”. Pick a phrase like this and make it your mantra. Put it down on paper and stick it on the bathroom mirror.
Starting to feel good already? I am!
Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam, GlamSpirit, Wellness, Health, GlamNetwork, Meditation, Yoga, Breathing, Writing, Journaling, Weight Loss, Positive Thinking, Nutrition
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