Sticking With Healthy Changes for 2013
Better diet and exercise are popular New Year’s resolutions for a good reason: they’re excellent for the body and most people feel as though they could always do more for both. On the other hand, if these resolutions were easy to stick with, would we keep making them year after year? For every common resolution, there are plenty of common downfalls. Making a positive and healthy change is worth maintaining. Whether you’re training for a marathon, need to lose weight for your health and confidence, or you simply want to enable your body to better fight disease and discomfort, knowing how to start and stick with a diet and exercise plan is an excellent idea. To make your healthy resolution downfall resistant, stay positive, stay on track and remember these tips:
Know Yourself
Are you the type of person who works best alone or prefers having teammates? Do you benefit from a support group to which you can rely upon and are held accountable, or do you like to keep private in your focus? Knowing yourself is important when setting up a fitness plan. For some people, having a friend or group to focus on a common goal can help keep you on track and make the process more enjoyable. You can celebrate successes, motivate one another, and rebound from downfalls together. However, if you work better alone and prefer do things your own way, you may benefit from keeping your fitness routine as a solo endeavor, so you feel in control and independent. Don’t be afraid to combine the two. Rely on supportive people as needed and rely upon yourself and know that you are in charge of your own goals.
Take The Good With The Not So Good
Even if exercise and diet is the most unpleasant part of your day, find something about it that you can look forward to and make that the focus. For many people, it’s socializing with their exercise or diet buddy, listening to music, working off their stress and taking some time to themselves, or the sense of accomplishment they feel after a good workout.
Miss A Day But Don’t Give Up
If you miss a day, especially if it’s early on in your routine, you may feel like a failure and be tempted to give up altogether. Don’t get caught up in that thought. A downfall doesn’t have to mean self-sabotage. If you miss a day, or even a week, you can pick up where you left off or start over. The best way to avoid missing a day is to devote a time to your routine that’s far away from the busiest part of your day. For some people that’s early in the morning, on a lunch break, or after the kids of been put to bed. Set aside a time that’s realistic, even if it’s only fifteen minutes.
Measure Your Progress
As you plan your routine, set a time to weigh or measure yourself no more than once a week. Do so around the same time each week. Seeing periodic improvements help you understand what works best for you, where you can make adjustments, and that your efforts are adding up to positive change. Knowing that you have a weekly weigh in also keeps you accountable and helps you focus. It gives you a chance to do better next week or affirms that you’re on the right track. However, it is important to remember that all bodies are different and take time to adjust. Weighing yourself too often can feel discouraging or like your efforts are futile, especially if you feel your productivity isn’t equal to your progress. Even if you see improvement, that can set you up to take it easy and become complacent rather than gain inspiration. Give yourself a reason to say motivated, feel encouraged and be accountable, week after week. Keeping a journal along with your result data can be useful in reflecting on challenges you’ve overcome, challenges you’re facing, as well as feelings you may be experiencing. Writing down the good feelings will encourage you and help you appreciate yourself. Writing down the bad feelings will help you leave them behind and get them out of the way.
Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
Whether it’s a pair of jeans, a photo you love, or just a list of all the things you’re going to do when you reach your goal, keep that motivator handy at all times. Think of it as your lifeline when you’re ready to give up. You’d be surprised how effective your initial inspiration can be throughout efforts.
Remember, you can do it and you are worth positive, healthy changes!
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/HQ01543
http://www.ehow.com/how_4443443_keep-focused-exercise-routine.html