The Challenge to Staying Healthy
What Motivates You?
We live in a world where media and commercials toss images of fast food and junk foods around like it’s no big deal. I have recently made friends with a gentleman very versed in hypnosis and he claims that most of the time when he works with clients, he is un-hypnotizing them from the messaging we receive in our daily lives. Is it any wonder that it is SO mentally hard to get up, get moving, eat healthy and feel good?
Deep down inside we very often know what we should be doing to get healthy. We know we should be drinking more water, eating more green and leaving the chips, pop and candy at the grocery store. So, why is it so hard? Why can we not get the “good” things in and leave the “bad” things out?
The first thing that comes to mind is comfort. When we are comfortable with the way that we are currently living and all is status quo, why change? We may have the dream of living a healthier, more active life but there’s no drive because to change would mean getting uncomfortable. This is the number one thing I want to challenge you to try. Try getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s the only way that we can justify change. If we take into account that the uncomfortable will only be short term, only until we reestablish a new comfortable routine, then it’s easier to fathom. For most of us it takes a BIG uncomfortable event to change our lives or a BIG scare of some kind. Let’s not wait! Let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable!
The second thing that stands in the way for many of us is the need to please everyone else around us. If a friend wants to eat burgers and fries because they are having a bad day, we happily oblige. If the kids want a quick Mac N’ Cheese dinner we don’t even think about making ourselves a meal that will serve our needs and goals. Most of us parents are running from activity to activity with the kids forgetting that we also need a little activity in our lives to feel good. It’s time to learn to say NO! It’s time to learn that prioritizing your health and wellness is not selfish but is actually a gift to family and friends, and who knows? Maybe they are just waiting for someone like you to make the first move and they will join right in!
Another big motivation killer is that we are so used to getting quick and fast results that are measurable. When we start to slowly change our habits and work on our health the results are slow and sometimes hard to measure at first. If I eat well and take care of myself for a day or two it’s not likely I will see much movement on the scale. What we forget is that it took time to get where we’re at. We likely didn’t wake up one morning 10 pounds heavier with flabby arms and no energy and it’s going to take the same time to work ourselves back to fitness. My advice here is that you give it 8 days. Check in with your results every 7-8 days. Take one day to prep and mentally prepare then stick to your plan for at least 7 days. Measure your results, evaluate how you feel, what you can do different or even better for the next seven days. Then plan ahead and work for another 7 days. If you break up the long-term goals into shorter periods of focused time then you are more likely to reach your target date. If you see results, even minor ones in the first seven days, you are more likely to have the motivation to stick to a plan for the next seven days. The motivation will build and after a month or two you will be well on your way to reaching your health and wellness goals!
Want to get even healthier? Are you ready to make some changes but don’t know where to start? Are you feeling overwhelmed with the idea of making little changes each week? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with on of us today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation. We work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!
