Is Today The Day?

Do you wake up in the morning thinking today is the day I’m going to do it?  I’m going to stay focussed, stay strong and have the perfect day when it comes to healthy eating and exercise.  By mid morning is that amazing strong feeling starting to fade as the temptation of a mid morning pick me up starts to hit.

By lunch time have you given up because either work has been to busy and stressful and therefore you deserve a nice treat, or has the day actually been so slow and boring that you need a nice treat?

If this is you, you are definitely not alone.  Let’s face it, if it was simple then everyone would be fit and healthy and a weight that they’re happy with.

How to break your bad habits and achieve the health goals you know you deserve:

1. Decide why? Decide why getting fit or losing fat is important to you.  Often people claim that it’s too look better and feel better but there is usually more to it.  Write down the first thing that comes to your mind and then keep asking yourself why that is important.

For example:

I want to lose weight to wear nice clothes.

Why is that important? Wearing nice clothes will make me feel better.

Why is that important?  It will give me more confidence?

Why is that important? I’ve never felt confident

Why?  My older sibling was always the good looking one and I was the smart one.

Once we understand the true reason we want to achieve our goals then we are more likely to succeed.  This particular example is a simple one , for some people the issue might be much deeper and emotional.

2. Set a Goal: Without a clear goal there is no definite end point.  It’s like a having a race but not deciding where the finish line is.  Set yourself clear short and long term goals.  Example.  I will lose  2 kg’s in 2 weeks and I will weigh myself using the bathroom scale.

3. Pain of Failure: Write down the consequences of not achieving your goal.  Weight gain, back pain, diabetes, coronary heart disease, low self esteem, embarrassment.  This may sound negative but for some people acknowledging the pain is more powerful than acknowledging the achievements.

4.Visualize: Visualise your life once you have achieved your goals.  How will you feel wearing the clothes you’ve always wanted?  How will you feel when friends and family see you?  Visualise the actual moments as if they have already happened.

5. Commit: Every day challenges will continue to try and throw you off your target.  Ask yourself when you are face with them if they are something that will get you once step closer to your goal or once step further away.  For example is the chocolate bar going to help you towards your goal, or put you further away.

6. Plan: How are you going to succeed?  Will you find a friend that you can work with? Join a gym? Hire a personal trainer?  Keep in mind that you may need a new approach.  Decide what hasn’t worked in the past and try something new.  Too often people use the same approach over and over only to have it fail over and over.

Remember Decide why your goal is important to you; set yourself clear goals; think of the consequences of not achieving your goal; visualize already being there; commit every day, every hour if you need to and make a plan.

Most of all remember that you deserve to succeed!