Healthy Attitude for Healthy Living
Unfortunately, as humans, we are bad at seeing the good we do, the work we have put in, and how far we have progressed. What we are good at is focusing on the bad: what we still haven’t done, the imperfections we possess, and the things that we haven’t accomplished yet. Keep this in mind: if you are in a place where you are wanting to make a change, you didn’t get here overnight and neither will the change that you are wanting to make. Perspective is very powerful and will allow you to acknowledge when you are being too hard on yourself with unfair or unrealistic judgments. Rome was not built in a day. Things take time, but that’s more than ok. It’s like the saying goes: when you take shortcuts in life, you end up doing it twice.
One of the great things I look forward to is seeing that expression on my clients’ faces when it all clicks and they start to become aware of how all the factors in their lives are impacting their progression forward. This is when they really dig in and find their “why” and learn to celebrate themselves more often. Mindset is SO powerful, it will set you free and make you feel like you can conquer the world OR it can put you in a pit of despair. Later I am going to give you a challenge. When you accomplish it, it’s going to give you that fuel needed to move through your health improvement journey.
Life is tough
Life is going to push you, throw you some curveballs, and test your willpower. All the more reason why you need to have that 1 thing in your life that will give you the strength to not give in. We all have responsibilities, schedules, and to-do lists. I know that, at times, I feel like I am being pulled in different directions, making it challenging to find the motivation or desire to make my health a priority. You need to roll with it, work smarter, and know when to pick your battles. By doing so, it makes you more agile and flexible, which is essential to reducing any added pressure or stress. This also brings me to my next point…
All or nothing Mindset
Being too rigid on your plan can backfire on you. Don’t get me wrong, having a plan is definitely needed, because not having one is pretty much setting yourself up for failure. This is one of the main sources of feeling discouraged or defeated in people. Failure in not accomplishing today’s eating plan or workout routine doesn’t mean that you throw in the towel. Perspective is key here. You might find yourself skipping lunch due to time but at the end of the day, you were able to hit all your other meals…SUCCESS! Also, you might have had a killer workout planned for today, setting aside 45 minutes to get it all in, but your schedule got the best of you and now you only have 25 min. Your workout is not ruined, you just need to modify it. If you had 4 upper body and 4 lower body weight lifting exercises planned, instead of those 8, pick your favorite 4 to cut downtime. Remember, getting part of the workout in is a WAY BETTER feeling than not doing it at all.
Discover what really motivates or inspires you
As mentioned earlier, it can be tough sticking to your health goals so here is the challenge that I propose:
Find your “why”
The “why” is the one thing that truly inspires and motivates you to stay on your health journey. Making changes to improve your health because “I want to weigh less” isn’t going to cut it. This has to be deeper and more personal to help you overcome the times where you want to give in or give up. Life will make you want to give up, but you can’t do that. Finding your true inspiration will give you the motivation and strength needed to stay the course. Here are some examples of people finding their “why” and what it inspired them to accomplish.
Example #1: TV show star that found his reason in the birth of his newborn.
Ben Napier is the host of the HGTV show Home Town. Napier normally tipped the scales at around 300 lbs but that all changed when his health condition sunk in. From that point on, it was his priority to make a change, making sure he was healthy for the sake of, not only himself but his “why” was for his family. He goes on to say in the article: “Bringing Helen home and getting to experience those first few weeks with her and seeing how fast things change with children, it got my attention. She was different every day, and I want to experience as much of her life as possible. I want a long life so I can be there for Erin (wife) and Helen (newborn daughter,” No matter the reasoning that inspires you to lose weight, “you need to find yours”, is what those that have been successful will tell you.
Example #2: 86 year old woman changes life due to a health scare
Jessica Slaughter was a woman that struggled with weight all her life. Growing up in Mississippi, she had been heavy all her life. She states: “Even as a kid in Mississippi, I was always the fattest kid in the class. I got teased a lot. “I didn’t know how to stop eating. Fried chicken. Bacon and eggs. Desserts, like cakes and pies.” Even though she was teased a lot, that still wasn’t powerful enough for her to make a change. It wasn’t until she was in her 70’s that she found her “why” after being diagnosed with pre-diabetes. While pre-diabetes is not immediately life-threatening, for Ms. Slaughter it was eye-opening and very personal. Her reason for changing she says: “I just want seniors to know just because we’ve gotten a certain age, we don’t have to stop living, I want to tell them that there’s a better way of life if they choose.”
Example #3: new mother lost 110 lbs with motivation as the key to her success
Sarah Moore was a new mother and found herself in her poorest state of health. She not only was concerned about her weight that had reached about 300 lbs, but she also was amazed that post-childbirth, she put on more weight instead of losing weight. On top of that her “why” was seeing, her hypertension had gotten worse, and with elevated blood sugar levels, she was at serious risk of developing type 2 diabetes. She needed to do something about it and was determined, but this time she wasn’t just going to rely on another fad diet approach, she turned to her motivation. She feels that it was the goals she set and the mindset she had was the winning factor. She states: “When it comes down to it, it’s about being disciplined and prepared. Know that you’re going to wake up one day and hate the idea of sticking to your meal plan or that getting to the gym sounds like the last thing you want to do, and plan for it.” Not only did she change her health but also her life, and is now passing on the gifts of wisdom that she learned through her process as a weight loss coach and personal trainer.
These three examples are wonderful success stories that I love to read about. Making a health change can be hard but doesn’t have to be impossible or stressful. If you go into it with the right mindset, and a plan with goals, you too can share the same success as these three amazing people!
There you have it, I am interested in hearing from you, let me know what your “why” is. Please use the email below.
Disclaimer: Information provided is intended to educate and not a prescription. Please consult with your physician, health professional, or registered dietitian beginning any type of exercise program or nutrition programming.
Thank you for reading, any questions or feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out, send to pedro@platbathlete.com.
