Sometimes it's the small things that add up to one big life change.1. LOVE YOURSELF. ..because this is the first and most important thing you should do. Love yourself and your body and want to get healthier because you LOVE it, not because you hate it. 2. FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ENJOY. Doing or eating things that you like is one of the best ways to convince yourself to continue doing that activity. And you all know that i preach consistency over perfection. So find stuff that makes you slightly excited to eat or exercise and stick with that. If you're bored, switch it up! 3. TRACK YOUR FOOD. PERHAPS the most important thing on this list!!!! I tell my clients to do this constantly. Plain and simple, if you aren't tracking, you don't really know what you are eating! You'd be shocked to see the contents on some food items you consider "healthy". Track for 1 week without changing a thing, and then look back over your food diaries with a professional to make some small changes. 4. MAKE SMALL, POSITIVE CHANGES FIRST. Consistency is key, right? Well so is not biting off more than you can chew. Why do so many New Year's Resolutions go unfinished? The person commits to too much, too fast and can't maintain the new life change. Start slow and make the small changes into habits and routines first. You'd be surprised how many small changes add up into one BIG change. 5. MAKE EXERCISE A ROUTINE. Like I said above... make things part of your routine. This will encourage consistency. And that's where your results start happening. Same thing goes for exercise. Schedule your workouts into your phone calendar/planner just like you would a business meeting or client. Because you are THAT important. Seriously. 6. FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDY. Find someone that has similar goals as you and keep each other accountable to those goals. Promise to track your food every day together, and that if you eat anything bad you have to call the other person and explain. The buddy system worked when you were little, why can't it work now? 7. KEEP A LIST OF YOUR GOALS ON HAND. Write your goals down. All of them. Be specific. Want to lose weight? How much. Gain muscle? Where. Eat healthier? Why. Keep them close to you so you can read them when you get down and discouraged. They will remind you why you started this journey and why you should continue it. 8. THROW OUT/GIVE AWAY THE JUNK FOOD IN YOUR HOUSE. Seriously. If it isn't in the house or close enough to grab, chances are you won't eat it. Or you are 96.5% less likely to. And I like those odds. So throw it out or give it away, but remove the source of poor choices. It will help leave room for better ones! 9. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HEALTHY INFLUENCES. If you are constantly surrounding yourself with people who drink excessively and you are a recovering alcoholic, will you succeed? Probably not. Same goes for trying to make a healthy life change. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals and ambitions and you are more likely to work harder to reach your own. That whole "mob mentality" and stuff. 10. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. I left this until last and made it bigger because it's SUPER IMPORTANT. If you want to make a change and know you have to, and have read through this list already but are still sitting there kind of clueless on where/how to start... please, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. That professional can be a trainer, or a dietician, or a health coach (certified, plz).. whatever you prefer. But if you need the help, get it. Don't worry about how much it "costs". Your health is a worthwhile investment that you will never regret. looking for a place to start? |
AuthorSMichelle and Phil are NASM Master CPT's with a combined 30+ years of experience in the fitness industry. They each have numerous specialties and have dedicated their lives to helping people become their best selves. Archives
November 2023
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