I often hear clients struggling with their health goals: struggling to eat less sugar, eat less in general, do more exercise. Forcing yourself through something rarely produces lasting results. It usually only leads to frustration, burnout and ultimately throwing in the towel. So, what can you do to stay on track with your goals? The key is to work with your body, not against it.
Listen to your body. If you're having cravings, we want to find out why your body is having cravings, not try to resist the craving with willpower (which only works for so long because it's working against your body). Uncovering imbalances that are causing cravings and addressing them so your body no longer has cravings is an example of working with your body. And yes, it can be done! I see this often in my practice and getting rid of sugar cravings is usually one of the first changes my clients see. The body is wise and will let you know what it needs. You just have to listen!
Recognize your roadblocks. Sometimes barriers can seem so small and silly that we don't think we should address them, but rather push through them. A common example is wanting to eat more vegetables and thinking it should be easy to do so you won't buy precut veggies when in reality the precut option is what's going to get vegetables on your table. So what seems to be keeping you from reaching your goal?
Are you resisting your workouts? Are you trying to do exercise that just doesn't resonate with you? Or are you trying to be the early bird when really blocking out time in the afternoon would be easier for you to get into it?
Do you seem to lack time for preparing meals? The more honest you are in your reflection the better chance you have to hit your mark by adjusting your plan.
Be nice to yourself. It’s inevitable that at some point we will have a setback. Perhaps you ate three pieces of cake at your uncle’s birthday celebration. Maybe there was downpour rain and you didn’t get out for your walk. Guess what? It’s ok! Life happens. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Shame and guilt are not productive motivators but learning from experiences is. Get curious and ask yourself: Why did I eat the 3 pieces of cake... could I have enjoyed just 1? Was I actually hungry, or anxious? Give yourself grace. Remember wellness is a marathon – not a sprint (let's make it fun 😊).
Celebrate the small victories. Applaud yourself for your efforts. Notice the small improvements. Each step and experience you learned from is leading you in the right direction of sustainable change. It can be slow-going at times, but it's ultimately long-lasting.
Have a support system. Not only do we need to listen to our physical body but we need to listen to our mind as well. Reaching a health goal (or any goal) can be difficult when going at it alone. Build a team that gets excited about you hitting your benchmarks! Team up with a family member or friend and work together on similar goals. Maybe that is a gym buddy, meal prepping with your kids or walking with a coworker at lunch. You can also work with a health professional, like myself, to help you find the path of working with your body, instead of against it.
If you're ready to work with your body and make changes with ease, let’s connect! Schedule your free 15-minute consultation here to get started.
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