How To Start Something New And Succeed

February 12, 2018February 11, 2018

My husband and I are in the process of moving into our new home. Moving can be very disruptive so I’m eager to get our house organized as quickly as possible.

At first, I was attempting to organize each item as I unpacked it. However, in my attempt to “stream line” the process, I ended up a bit overwhelmed and paralyzed. We have lived in this house less than two weeks. It’s going to take some time to figure out what works for us and what doesn’t.

Once I gave myself permission to arrange and rearrange for the next few months, I began unloading boxes and momentum began to occur. This method turned out to be way more productive than trying to get everything “just right” the first time.

While I was unpacking mason jars and bath supplies, I began thinking about how much my moving experience applies to health and fitness.

I believe it’s important to plan and I am most definitely a planner. However, too much planning or waiting until the timing is right can keep you from moving forward. Years ago, a wise mentor gave me some really good advice regarding working toward a goal. His advice was to just get started and figure out what works as you move forward. He wasn’t advising me to be reckless, he was simply recommending I start with what I knew I could do right away rather than not start at all.

I firmly believe his advice applies to health, fitness, and every other area of your life. If you start with one or two things you know you can do right away, then momentum is sure to follow. That may be ten minutes of exercise a day or signing up for a meal delivery service. Or, you may be ready to start cooking most nights of the week and exercising thirty minutes per day. Whatever your “getting started” looks like is personal and that’s OKAY.

Adding new things to your life like exercise, meal planning, and meal preparation usually require adjustments in your schedule and the best way to figure out what works for you is to just get started. It may seem a bit messy and chaotic at first so I recommend you remain flexible. It’s important that you give yourself permission to abandon things that are not working and stick to the things that DO work for you. Some ideas you may scrap for good, but other goals can be revisited at a later time.

If you’ve been “waiting to have all of your ducks in a row” before you get started on something, I encourage you to take your first step. Don’t be afraid to experiment, always be kind to yourself, and enjoy the journey.

Make it a great week!

Shared with love,

Jennifer

5 Ways To Create Healthy Habits That Stick

February 6, 2017May 9, 2017

How To Create Healthy Habits That Stick

Habits – some serve you well while others can keep you from meeting your goals and reaching your full potential.

Based on my own personal experience and twenty eight years of experience coaching others, I’ve learned that it is much easier to create new habits than to focus on getting rid of old ones. We tend to get more of what we focus on so it’s always best to focus on the things that will take us to where we want to go. The stronger the new healthy habit becomes, the less room you will have in your life for the old habit you’d like to see go away. What you feed will flourish, and what you ignore will usually fade away.

A habit is defined as a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition. One of the top reasons people fail to stick to a new healthy habit is lack of consistency. In the past, this lack of consistency was often blamed on a lack of willpower. This type of finger pointing has been an unfair judgement and/or assumption. While self-control and discipline certainly play a part in creating healthy habits, depending on “willpower” alone is a recipe for failure.

How to create healthy habits that stick

Be specific. When we set general goals like “getting healthy” it can seem vague and overwhelming. Take a moment to ask yourself what your end goal actually means to you and then decide on 1-2 specific actions you know you can implement right away. For example, if you want to eat out less, you can start by bringing your lunch to work for the next thirty days. Or, if you want to be more active, you can walk your dog every day before you turn on the TV.
Honor yourself. It’s important to know how you are wired to avoid setting unrealistic goals for yourself. If you know you are not a morning person then you probably want to steer clear of the 6 a.m. boot camp class and exercise later in the day. Take a moment to look at past successes for clues of what works for you and what doesn’t. Stay true to yourself and learn to say no to the things that aren’t right for you no matter how enticing the marketing makes it sound.
Give yourself a break. Priorities and/or obstacles can pop up that interrupt your day. While I always recommend planning for and expecting success, life doesn’t always go as planned. If you find yourself in the drive through or skipping a workout, don’t beat yourself up about it. Guilt can distract you from your goals. Forget about it and get back on track toward your goals. Success is about being flexible and figuring out what works, not being perfect.
Attach your new habit to one that is already established. Research suggests that when we attach a new habit to one that is already established we are more likely to stick to it. For example, if you want to drink more water, tell yourself you will drink a glass of water right after you brush your teeth in the morning and with every meal. It’s important for me to stretch daily so I do my stretches after dinner while I’m having a cup of tea or a glass of wine. I’ve attached my stretching to the habit of eating dinner every night.
Keep it fun. None of us are looking for a long list of new chores. While it’s true that any good habit worth working for is going to require effort and you will have to push through resistance at times, you should also be enjoying yourself and reaping rewards. For example, if you’ve committed to eating healthy and cooking more often, make sure you are choosing foods and recipes that taste good to you. Or, if you want to exercise more, choose activities that make you feel good and fit into your schedule. Good habits should not be causing stress in your life.

STay In The Game

It’s a good idea to remember that anyone that has a pulse has a habit or two they would like to change. Be kind to yourself and remember that this is your own personal journey. You may not be where you want to be yet. However, you are further than you were yesterday. Stay in the game and you WILL come out a winner!

Here’s to a lifetime a healthy habits!

With love,
Jennifer

Baby Steps Lead To Permanent Weight Loss

October 4, 2012October 7, 2012

Don’t Let Overwhelm Sabotage Your Weight Loss Goals

Losing weight can seem overwhelming when you’re first getting started. Dropping pounds and keeping them off for good requires lifestyle changes. It takes time to create new habits and discover what works for you.

I recommend starting off with baby steps. Avoid biting off more than you can chew as this can result in failure and lead to depression.

Five Tips to Banish Weight-loss Overwhelm:

1) Get Started! Pick one thing you know you can implement right away. For example, one of my relatives set a goal to stop eating at fast food restaurants. She lost 20 pounds without exercise!

Research is showing that being consistent with one healthy habit creates a desire to do more healthy things for our bodies. This creates a snowball effect. Before you know it, you’ve lost weight without even trying!

The most important thing to do is to choose one healthy goal and stick to it.

It’s also important to be realistic about your time when choosing what your healthy goal will be. Pick something you know you can do 5 to 6 days per week. You’re more likely to create a long term habit by walking 15 minutes per day six days a week, than if you walk for an hour two times per week.

3) Pick things you enjoy. It’s much easier to stick to something you like. If you like to get outside, try going for a walk very day. Like to cook? Start replacing your traditional fare with the lower calorie version of the recipe. Do you eat out often? Get a free calorie counting app to start tracking the food in the restaurants you frequent to help make lower calorie choices.

4) Be committed. Once you’ve determined your new goal, stick to it! It takes a minimum of 21 days to create a habit. However, after being a fitness trainer for over 22 years I’ve learned it takes about six months for it to become second nature.

Don’t be alarmed if you fall off track from time to time. It means you’re human. The trick is to get right back up again and start over! Over time your healthy habit will strengthen and falling off track will become rare.

If you find you’re continually falling off track, you may need to readjust. Ask yourself questions like:

Is it too lofty of a goal for this time in my life?
Do I like the exercise I chose?
Has something changed in my life?

This is a great way to evaluate the need for a goal change. Permanent weight loss is a journey not a sprint.

The most important thing I want you to remember is to find healthy habits you can stick to. If you have to change goals it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you are being realistic!

5) Don’t compare. This one can be tough! You are on your own personal weight loss journey. Avoid comparing yourself to others that are losing weight quicker than you. They could be using an unhealthy fad diet, using an exercise routine that’s not right for you, or simply have more time to commit to their exercise routine.

There’s no harm in asking what their secret is. But before you add anything new to your health and fitness lifestyle, make sure it’s compatible with your own personal goals and desires. Don’t allow anyone (including the media) to pressure you into how you should live and what you should look like.

We are all at different places in our journey of health and fitness. The most important thing is long term success! Slow and steady wins the race to permanent weight loss. Stick to your baby steps and you will be amazed at how far you will go!

Have a question or like to share an idea? Please leave a comment below! It’s great to hear from you!

Blessings!