5 top tips to regain your sense of self control
I know how hard it is to motivate yourself when every time you get up to exercise, your legs want to fall out from under you. Or when you reach for the fruit and nuts over the candy bar and chocolate you really want, your insides ache a little.
It takes a good amount of self discipline to make those choices, and after a while, the self discipline you have can start to fade away.
When that happens, there a few things you can do to gain back the self control you need to stick to your health and fitness regime.
These are my top 5 picks. They’re easy to implement, and simple to remember — so when you find yourself losing your cool about health and fitness, try these 5 tips.
Avoid temptation
“Out of sight, out of mind” — that age old saying we throw around sometimes… Abide by it, because that saying has a point! Removing the temptation and distraction from your everyday environment is a crucial first step when working on your discipline. When you’re trying to gain better control of your eating, toss the junk food!
Eat regularly
Not eating causes low blood sugar, and low blood sugar often weakens your resolve. When you’re hungry, your ability to concentrate suffers, and when your brain isn’t functioning at its best, you will often make terrible decisions around your eating. Stay on track by eating regularly and healthily — fuel yourself with good snacks and meals every few hours.
Embrace change
Breaking back into your good habits can feel wrong. You will resist the change in favour of what you have programmed yourself to do i.e. reach for the sweets and not go for that run. Instead of dwelling on how this feels, acknowledge the wrong. Acknowledge that it will take time for you to get back into the swing of things to feel right. Embrace that journey.
Reward yourself
Self discipline does not mean cold turkey. In fact, giving yourself no room to wriggle, or taking on the “all or nothing” attitude often results in failure and disappointment. While being aware of your choices, schedule specific breaks and treats to reward yourself. If you’re dieting, make Saturday afternoon your time to eat that dessert you always crave. Or, if you’ve been working out super hard, treat yourself to a massage.
Forgive and Forget
Plans don’t always work as you intend them to. You will have ups and downs, successes and failures. The key is to continue moving forward. Acknowledge your setbacks, what caused it, and move on. Try not to get wrapped in guilt, anger or frustration because that only feels like punishment. These emotions will not help build and improve your self discipline.
Use those down moments as learning experiences for the future.
Forgive yourself and get back on track. Keep moving forward in a positive direction and the rest will follow.
These 5 tips are what help me when I find myself veering off track — your fitness and health goals are going to be unique to you, but these tips can be applied no matter what they may be.
Just remember that you have the power to make the choice — keep at it, and you’ll be back smashing those goals in no time!
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