It’s the start of a new year and you want to get back on track and make healthy lifestyle changes, but you may not know where to begin. Regardless of what your personal goals may be, success is right around the corner. You just have to have the right mind set and take it one step, or one small goal, at a time.
The first thing you need to do is develop a positive attitude about exercise. If you have a negative attitude, you are already setting yourself up for failure. Often, people look at exercise as: an obligation, a penalty for bad eating, time consuming, and impossible to maintain. Does this sound like a program that you are willing to stick with? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory.
Instead, think about exercise as: a way to boost your mood and energy level, a break from a stressful workday, a chance to do something solely for yourself, and a way to immediately begin improving your quality of life!
Now that you are ready to make this change, what you need to do is be real with yourself! Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Write down every thing that you eat and how much activity that you do. You are simply trying to gather a perspective of what your nutrition and exercise honestly looks like. Your journal will help reveal what may or may not be preventing you from reaching your goals. Continuing your food/activity journal will be a very important aspect in your success. Writing it down keeps you accountable whether you are the only one reading it, or if you are sharing it with your trainer or gym buddy. You will be more likely to put that candy bar back, knowing what your trainer or friend will say when they see it in your journal.
To be successful in your healthy lifestyle you will need support. Be sure to surround yourself with a positive support system.
Join a gym, if you have not already
Ask a friend or family member to be your “gym buddy”
Seek help from a Certified Personal Trainer and/or Nutritionist
Inform friends, family, and coworkers about your new endeavor- this will keep you accountable and hopefully gain more positive support.
These are all things that will get you in the right direction to a new healthy lifestyle. Making changes in your life is never easy. If you have a positive attitude, set realistic goals, and surround yourself with a support system to help you in this journey you will be successful.
*This is also posted on http://intheskirt.com/index.php/mind-body/index/ as will future posts
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