Do you ever wonder what the missing ingredient is to getting in shape? Did you sign up for a new gym or personal training at the beginning of the year and fall off? Do you know why you gain the weight back after your personal training sessions end or when life happens? It’s because most programs don’t teach you to get your mind right. You have to makeover the inside as well as the outside. You have to constantly remind yourself to keep moving in a POSITIVE direction.
If you have an inner voice creating doubt or negativity, there is no way you can succeed. First you need to uncover your “why”. Why do you want to lose weight? Trying to get in shape for summer won’t get you life long results, your doctor telling you that you need to lose weight won’t get you results unless it’s a life and death wakeup call.
Find your WHY, then write down your goals.
Let’s get to the questions you need to answer to get to your “why”. Copy these questions into your phone or computer and write your answers.
- What is your main reason for wanting to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle? Here are a few “whys” to help you get started.
- To have enough energy to enjoy time with my family instead of feeling stressed and tired all the time.
- To love myself again and to walk into a room with confidence.
- For a strong body and flat stomach so I don’t have to wear spanx.
- Why is your reason so important to you and how will losing weight and changing your lifestyle impact your life?
- This is deeply personal, you can list what your internal struggles are and how living a healthy lifestyle helps you overcome them.
- Who are the people in your life who will support you on your journey towards a fit and healthy lifestyle?
- These are the people who are genuinely happy to celebrate your successes and will call you out when you start slipping up. They give you tough love when you need it and your best cheerleader when you think you can’t do it.
- Pick a handful of people you can count on and be accountable to each other if they are on the same journey.
- Who are the people in your life who will bring negativity and potentially derail you from your goals?
- You know who these people are, reduce your time with them until you are strong enough not to care if they are trying to pull you down to their level.
Lastly, write your why as if you’ve already achieved it, in as much detail as you can. For example, “I have lost 30 lbs by being active for an hour a day, 6 days a week and using paleo meal delivery to support my nutrition goals.”
My goal is to lose 30 lbs over the next 6 months while exercising for an hour a day and cooking paleo meals. Does this mean I’m going to the gym everyday? No, it means that I’ll incorporate 60 minutes of active time; whether it is walking, using dumb bells in front of the TV, taking a bootcamp or dance class or hitting the gym. It also means you don’t get to beat yourself up if you are only active for 45 minutes, because exercising for 45 minutes is still great!
Your goals don’t need to be that aggressive, you can be active 3 or 4 times a week for an hour or 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Pick something small and achievable to help you build a healthy habit. You can adjust this time weekly based on how you feel.
- Exercise 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week (aggressive)
- Exercise 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week (achievable)
- Eat a veggie with protein (meat) at every meal (achievable)
- Have a green smoothie with protein powder everyday for breakfast (aggressive)
- Have a green smoothie with protein powder 3 days a week for breakfast (achievable)
LOOK AT YOUR “WHY” EVERY MORNING
It takes at least 21 days to build a new habit, during this time, you’re going to surround yourself with positive people who will help keep you accountable to your healthier lifestyle. You’re going to keep your answers to the questions on your phone and look at it every morning. Do this as soon as you wakeup, BEFORE looking at Facebook or Instagram. You can create a daily calendar event that repeats everyday, copy what you wrote and look at it every morning.
BE GRATEFUL
After you’ve read your “why”, you’re going to set a timer for 5 minutes on your phone, during these 5 minutes, you’re going to write 3 things you are grateful for. It doesn’t need to be big, if you’re a new mom, you might be grateful for being able to sleep for 5 hours straight. You can be grateful for having your favorite coffee on your route on the way to work. If it’s Saturday, you might be grateful for having a free day where you don’t have to run errands. You can be excited for a vacation or trip you have planned or a concert and you can write about what you’re excited about. The goal is to start the day on a positive note.
END THE DAY WITH GRATEFULNESS
You’re going to do this exercise again at night before going to bed. Set a timer for 5 minutes, write 3 things and pretty soon, finding things you are grateful for will be easy and it won’t take you 5 minutes to write them all down.
One of my clients thought this was a weird exercise at first, then as she stuck with it, she started to feel better about herself and her life. Thinking positively is still a not her default, however, with practice, she’s been able to pull herself together without having a meltdown when she’s under stress or doubting herself. If you try this, let me know how it’s going for you.
What are your thoughts?