For many people, okay probably MOST people, change is just plain hard. We get into routines and habits, stuck in ruts. The days, weeks, months and then years pass. We find ourselves saying things like “I’ll start next week” or “Tomorrow won’t be as busy. I’ll start then”. Or you finally make the decision to do it right this time and blow it eating garbage out of the nearest vending machine, and frustration overtakes what you know to be right. Thoughts like “Well, I’ve already screwed up. I might as well just call this whole day a loss” enter our minds. After trying time and time again, the end of yet another year rolls around and well, it’s the holiday season, so “Might as well just start after the first of the year” or “There’s too much temptation, and it’s just too hard” is what we think to ourselves or often say out loud to our friends who often agree with us and encourage us to make a New Year’s Resolution and start then. Next year will be different. Next year will be better. Next year….
We know it doesn’t make sense. We know it’s not rational to think like this, but we all do it! What makes us think that next year will be different? The fact of the matter is that unless we put an action plan in place and resolve to do things a different way, we are likely to start strong but then slip back into the same habits we have always struggled with. Perhaps we need to rethink our motivation, rethink our “why”, regain a fresh sense of HOPE. Because isn’t that what this is really all about? If we have lost our “why” then we find ourselves kind of lost and feeling hopeless about our fitness and health. We talk ourselves into thinking thoughts like we’re just too far gone to change or we’re just too out of shape, too overweight, too weak, too old. It’s just not true! They say that the truth hurts, but in this case, it’s the lies we speak to ourselves that do all the hurting.
What will you do this time, and NOW, to find a fresh sense of motivation? If your days have turned into years and you feel like you are a lost cause, then it’s time to start TODAY, because no matter what lies you have fed to yourselves for all this time, the fact is that you are worth whatever it takes to regain your strength, your confidence, your “why”, your health.
Take a few minutes (or longer if you need it) right now to really consider your goals, both long term and short term. Write them down. Every single one of them. Now, think about your motivation for making a change. What is your “why”? Are you needing to change your nutrition (or lack thereof) because you just feel like crap all the time? It is because you’re taking handfuls of pills every day? Are you making more trips to the doctor than you are to the gym? Are you wanting to start a regular exercise routine because you’re tired all the time or because your joints ache or just because you know it’ll make you feel more energetic? Are you deciding to eat right and exercise, because you sincerely know that you are in serious danger of an early death? Is your motivation your family, kids, grandkids? What is your source of internal motivation? This all has to be for a reason or the change won’t seem worth the sacrifice to our daily cravings or our busy schedule. So, I want to challenge you to contemplate these things as you begin to move forward. For the results to be different this day, week or year, the process needs to be different. It’s too easy to stay the same.
Okay, now that you’ve considered your goals and your “why” for taking this next step, here are five simple ways to make daily changes that will steer you in the right direction. I often tell my clients that looking at the big picture is important, but it can be overwhelming if that’s all we look at. Those little things, the little every day things make a tremendous difference, so let’s start there! If you are committing to doing this right, to a new healthy start, consider today your “New Year”. Let’s do this!
1) Drink more water.
Stomach growling? Can’t wait to find the nearest bag of chips or donuts someone left in the break room? You might be mistaking hunger for boredom or thirst. Grab a big glass of water and drink up. Then, decide if you are truly hungry. And guess what? Besides just making you feel better, hydration has loads of perks including beautiful, healthy, younger looking skin!
2) Take ten minutes to exercise.
Usually the excuses for not exercising are universal. If I have found myself at the end of the day exhausted in bed and realize I failed to get in a workout, it’s because I “just didn’t have time”. The hard truth is that I didn’t make exercise a priority in my day. And most of the time, it’s not that we’re not doing important things. I have plenty to do in my day that can fill it up without exercise. “Mom”-ing, work, cooking, laundry, balancing my checkbook, dishes, projects around the house…. The list goes on and on. So, we have to look at this differently sometimes in the beginning. Let’s simplify this. Find ten minutes to just take a brisk walk if you are just starting out. Or hop on an exercise bike for those ten minutes. Or do some strength training. The idea is to make exercise a priority even if it’s just for that ten minutes starting out. I promise you will feel better at the end of that ten minutes, and once this has become a habit, you can build on it from there. It’s a start! It’s true that you’ll never regret a workout. The things we regret are the things we often don’t do.
3) Prepare in advance for cravings.
You may kick off the day strong. You may have nailed breakfast and feel like nothing can stop you. Great! But when afternoon hits and you’re wanting to dive into the candy jar at work, you need to have a plan in place, because the odds are pretty good that whatever is there is what we will go for. Convenience. That’s why vending machines are so popular, and they’re everywhere. Know your weaknesses as well as your strengths. We know ourselves better than anyone, so even as you read this, you know what can tend to derail you. Pack snacks! An apple with a little natural peanut butter or almond butter. Some veggies with hummus. A smoothie you mixed up that morning. Drink a big glass of water with your snack. Even if it doesn’t sound as good as that candy bar on day one, munching on your healthy snack and drinking some water will likely kill that craving, and what’s even better is that you’ve given your body real nutrients that it needed.
4) Ditch the soft drinks.
You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? They’re not good for us. We know that. Sometimes they just sound so good, right? There is a difference between an occasional soft drink and a soft drink habit. And if you’re thinking it’s fine because it’s diet or because there are zero calories, etc., think again. Still, it’s an easy way to make a huge difference in your results just by switching to water only and save the soda for that rare occasion rather than a daily drink.
5) Find ways to make exercise a part of everyday life.
You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can. Park a little farther away anywhere you go so you have to take a few more steps. I know it’s not convenient, but it doesn’t require much extra time, and it’s getting you a little bit more activity. Think of some other “out of the box” ways to get in some exercise. Maybe you work on your balance by standing on one leg ten seconds at a time while you’re doing dishes. Or maybe while you’re waiting on dinner to finish cooking, you do a wall sit or some body weight squats. Plank during commercials. There are lots of little ways to incorporate activity that can make a big difference over time.
Change has to start somewhere, and if it’s been a long, hard struggle for you, know that you’re not alone! Resolve to approach things differently this time and make this your year! You are in control and you have all the tools that you need to chase after it. Make this priority and find ways to keep your motivation and drive when the new fades (because it will). Prepare in advance for all the potential setbacks, and this time WILL be different.
Here’s to YOUR health!
Fit Simplified 