I’m thankful for bright readers who can read between my lines. In last week’s Fit Tip I told you about the beginnings of my personal journey, and how the first step in the process of changing your lifestyle, and thus your body, is to evaluate WHY you are in the ‘shape’ you are. The second step, which generally follows the first, is this: decide WHAT you will do now.
I’ve mentioned previously that we may get discouraged when physical changes don’t come as quickly as we hope. Sometimes we use the wrong gauge to determine our successes, like the bathroom scale, which will call us heavy if we are losing fat but gaining muscle, (that can be discouraging if you aren’t aware it’s actually a good thing!). Sometimes we feel as though the effort we put forth is exponentially more than the results, and it doesn’t seem worth the struggle…it’s just too hard. Sometimes we hit a plateau, and though we continue to work as hard as we feel able, we just don’t seem to make headway. We stall.
During these times, it’s important to remember: When you decide WHAT to do- you change either the way you eat or the way you move your body (hopefully improvements in both areas), because you know in your head it is right for you. You know you need to change your lifestyle and so you determine to move forward in that direction. Don’t let your feelings get in the way after the decision has been made. Don’t let discouragement stop you now! Never allow fear or discouragement to control you! Persevere! “We are all creatures of habit, and changing behaviors takes time. We must learn to praise small changes, no matter how slowly they come.” (Jeanne P. Goldberg, PhD RD)
Give yourself credit for having put your foot upon the path. Don’t fret the journey seems long. It is a long, long journey! Believe me, I know! But, if you will put one foot in front of the other, and continue to do what you’ve decided to do (exercise every day if you can, scale back on what you’re eating, try to be careful about the amount of sugar, fat and salt you put in your body, etc.), you will make forward progress on your personal journey to a healthier you! You won’t be able to help it. It will just happen. Pat yourself on the back for that! Don’t wait until you’ve reached the journey’s end to congratulate yourself for having embarked upon the path. After all, if you do it right, you’ll be on this path for the rest of your life…and that’s just too long to wait to give yourself credit for doing what needs to be done.
Sally Windham is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor in Blanco, TX. Please send questions and comments to sally.windham@yahoo.com
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