Magazines and commercials make losing weight seem effortless. If you really believed those infomercials you would be working out 10 minutes a day on a seemingly effortless piece of expensive equipment and “bam” you’d have perfect abs, drop 50 pounds in six weeks! It doesn’t happen that way!
You have to realize it’s a lifestyle change. Your lifestyle and your mindset are so important. Those are the things which help you to live your life. In other words what life choices you make and those choices include, but are not limited to: not smoking, being aware of what foods you eat and exercise. Take a moment and think about and then write down how much time you spend doing the following:
o Sitting at a desk
o Sitting in a car
o Sitting in front of the TV
o Sitting in front of a computer
o Smoking
o Eating out at restaurants
o Making bad food choices (eating fast food or junk food)
o Drinking alcohol
o Being sleep deprived.
Be honest, be aware. Now, think about how much time you spend:
o Being active (taking the stairs, walking instead of driving, cleaning, gardening).
o Doing some type of cardiovascular exercise.
o Strength training.
o Preparing your own meals and snacks (eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables).
o Reading food labels.
o Dealing with stress in a healthy way. (Yoga, meditation, taking time for quite time, spending quality time with friends).
o Getting enough sleep.
o Taking time for YOU!
As humans we like routines…so much so we often keep doing the same things even when we know they aren’t good for us. Changing bad habits is a difficult process and takes so much more effort than starting something new. But changing those habits is the first step on your road to a healthier lifestyle and a new you!
One of the first steps to this new lifestyle is changing your mindset. You have to “Want” to be healthier. And it’s about being healthy! Getting that bikini or buff body is great but you must do it in a healthy way without crash diets or stimulants. One of the first steps is to make a daily food log; write down everything you eat or drink (no cheating)!! And at the end of a week carefully go through your log; you’ll be surprised how many things on that log you will see which were not healthy choices.