Change your mindset, change your life.
A lot of people live their life with a pretty negative mindset, especially when it comes to fitness.
How many times have you promised yourself that you will lose weight? That you will stop eating junk food and drinking soda pop? Promising to get off the couch and go workout….a lot? We have all been there. Procrastinating about our health, wishing we could have those bodies we see in the Fit Magazines, and then feeling so discouraged to even start.
Here lies the problem: your mindset.
Change your mindset with these tips:
1. The first thing is you have to change your mindset by changing the way you think. ”If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Every thought we think is creating our future. We need to have self-approval and self-acceptance these are the keys to positive changes. One of the best books I have ever read was You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay. It definitely changed my way of thinking.
2. The second thing is your support system. This could mean your family, friends, or the support group on Facebook. No matter what, make sure everyone surrounding you has a positive mindset. You need people in your life that will support your decision to live a healthy lifestyle. Get rid of anything or anyone that brings you down.
EXAMPLE 1: You are on your Facebook and your news feed is full of negative stuff…. bashing other women who don’t meet everyone else’s standards, or posts that don’t motivate you, but instead bring you down. Delete that page and if my page is one of those please by all means delete me too. Don’t ever let anyone bring you down or slow your progress towards your goals.
EXAMPLE 2: You’re out for lunch with your friend and you are determined to stay on track so you order a yummy salad, but your friend “Stacy” wants to split a pasta dish with you. You have told her in the past about your new healthy life style, but maybe she forgot so you remind again. However, she keeps trying to urge you towards the pasta. Disappointing to say the least. This is where you have to know that you can not go out to eat with “Stacy” anymore. Don’t let yourself be in that situation if you are tempted.
I assume by now you get the point. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my husband’s support. The days I feel weak he keeps me on track and gives me a huge boost of motivation that keeps me pushing for my goals. SO thankful for him.
3. Third thing is truly examine how you eat. Are you eating enough? Are you eating too much? Are you eating fast food 3-4 times a week? Do you know what your caloric intake is? There are so many questions.
I know this part of the process is the hardest. Changing your mindset about eating habits is no easy task, especially with the different diets options out there. It’s not about the newest diets that will make you lose weight its about your body and your body alone. Some people choose a gluten free lifestyle because they have a wheat allergy, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, indigestion issues, or they are following the newest FAD. The best diet is not having a diet. Instead, adopt a lifestyle change. Shift the way you eat. Keep it simple. Many of us over complicate things. IF it comes in a box and has an expiration date don’t eat it. Shop on the parameters of the store. Stay out of the aisles…that’s where all the junk is.
One of my favorite meals is Salmon, asparagus, and a sweet potato. Pack your lunch to keep you on track so you are tempted to get out or meal prep on Sundays so all through the week all you have to do is grab your container full of healthy yumminess.
Do you know your caloric intake? I tracked mine and on average it stayed between 1600-1800 and that’s great for my size. You can go to this site to see how much your caloric intake should be.
4. The forth thing is getting active. Start with having a positive mindset towards exercise and take the time to find out what works for you. Anything is going to work better than sitting on the couch. It is recommended to start slow but personally as soon as I was cleared for my 6 week check up after my pregnancy I jumped into a high intensity workout that was sure to give me results, the Insanity program. This is what worked for me but may not work for everybody. You just need to listen to your body. This doesn’t mean that as soon as your feeling sore you quit, it means if you are really hurting yourself then you need to slow down, but if you can hang in there then keep going!
PLEASE REMEMBER TO REJOICE IN ALL THE SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS ALONG THE WAY TOO!
Written by Mother & Fitness contributing writer Nakita Cronauer
This post appeared first on Mother & Fitness.