FITNESS & HEALTH CHANGES: FIND SUCCESS IN YOUR GOALS
As I related in my post last week, I recently attended the Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit at the Idea World Convention in Anaheim. I learned quite a bit about real-world solutions to lasting behavior changes during those 2 days.
Here are a couple of the tips from the lectures I attended that stuck with me as good advice for positive fitness & health changes:
Don’t make perfection your goal—such as trying to log in everything you eat “from now on.” But do become more aware of your actions—such as deciding to take the stairs rather than the elevator in a hotel or office building.
Focus on one behavior change at a time. Instead of trying to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, eating only non-processed foods for dinner every day, going to the gym at least 5 days a week, just begin with one of these. Take your time: when that one life change becomes routine, move on to the next.
Change your environment. Change out the bowl of candy or pretzels in your kitchen to a bowl of nuts or fruit. At a buffet, fill up your plate at the salad bar first. Afterwards, going back you may only be hungry enough for a couple of the other offerings.
Back at home, I found the March 2018 Mayo Clinic online article, Accentuate the positive to make lasting health changes. Here are excerpts:
Why is reaching a health goal sometimes so difficult? Is your willpower really that weak. According to the latest research, your self-discipline may not be the problem. Instead, the key to maintaining your motivation is in your approach.
Willpower shmill-power
Most people have been there — wanting to make healthier choices or start an exercise program, maybe needing to lose a little weight. You start out with good intentions, finding the willpower to exercise more and eat less. But after a while, old habits return and a goal is missed. Maybe you even put on more weight. Sound familiar? You’re not the only one.
To succeed, change your focus
Most people concentrate on the end goal and believe this will supply them with the discipline and willpower to achieve that goal. But daily life and stresses constantly interfere, blurring your ultimate goal and your resolve along with it.
Try these techniques to stay motivated.
Set clear goals
Match your daily actions to support your goal. If you want to be more active, park farther from the door.
Start small. Want to lose 25 pounds? Don’t make that your initial goal. Make small changes you can accomplish: Bring your lunch to work or take a walk several nights per week.
Set new goals based on your reality. If you only packed a healthy lunch one day last week, don’t beat yourself up. Think about how you achieved your goal once. Now aim for two days next week.
Do what you love. Like rollerblading? Do more of that. Like apples but not broccoli? Eat more apples. Selecting the right activities is the most proven way to feel good about living healthier.
Positive thinking
Practice positive self-talk. Treat yourself like you would a friend. Be gentle and encouraging. Look closer at negative thoughts and respond with affirmations about what you’re doing right.
Focus on what you can have vs. what you can’t. If you are trying to lose weight, look at foods you can eat vs. all the foods you can’t. It’s hard to stay motivated when you feel deprived.
Enjoy the process
Review your feelings. Did you genuinely like an activity? Is there something you’d like to do more? When you reflect, you’ll be more likely to leave behind what doesn’t work.
Let go of negative thoughts. This doesn’t mean ignoring them. Rather, reevaluate your response to focus on positive feelings and accomplishments.
Adopt a growth mindset
Understand the process of mastery. A “growth” mindset means you know you can develop your abilities and keep adapting. Think of a time you didn’t know how to do something, then practiced it, got better and eventually mastered it. This can help you bounce back from setbacks and mistakes. Keep in mind that you are practicing how to live a healthier lifestyle and learning more about yourself each day.
Celebrate your wins!
Success bolsters more success. As you achieve your health & fitness changes, take a moment to recognize your accomplishment. Celebrating these wins will give you momentum to go after your next goal and give you a sense of purpose and pride.
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Hopefully, these tips will give you the inspiration to initiate health & fitness changes in your life. I think my first one will be to snack wiser; I’ll stop buying Trader Joe’s ginger snaps and begin munching on carrot sticks or grapes instead.
This is my 104th post, once a week for 2 years!