You start out with all the motivation in the world to eat right and exercise. Then the next day, when it’s time to go to the gym, it doesn’t seem quite as important as checking your emails, or watching your favorite TV show. Skipping sweets doesn’t seem quite to important when you are at a friends birthday and you offered a slice of cake. Soon, you are right back to where you started, and within a few days you’ll find your motivation again, and start the whole cycle over.
Sound familiar? And where does it get you? No where.
Where people go wrong when it comes to motivation is thinking in terms of giant chunks of time. Days are even too long when it comes to making changes and will soon have you giving up. Ate something you shouldn’t have? Well, there goes today, I’ll start over tomorrow. There’s that cycle again.
You have to think in terms of choices. Each choice that comes your way is your opportunity for success. Building a pattern of successes is what is going to keep your motivation going strong and have you saying “Hey, I really can do this!”
(This is why thinking in terms of good days and bad isn’t the right mindframe- we come upon so many choices per day that making 100 smart ones gets lost when you make one “bad” one that “ruins” the day.)
EXAMPLES! you say. There are millions each of us make everyday that we never think about that are opportunities to get us nearer to our goals and build our motivation.
- Skinny latte or full fat? Sugar free syrup or regular?
- Whether or not to grab a handful of candy out of the bowl at work
- Go out to lunch or brown bag it?
- Take the elevator or the stairs?
- Drink water or soda?
- Park close or further away and walk?
- Play with your kids or watch TV with them?
- Take out for dinner or a home cooked meal?
- Watch your late night show or hit the hay?
- To go to the gym or not to go to the gym?
- Grab a beer at happy hour or opt for a calorie free beverage?
- Midnight snack- chocolate or fruit?
- To smoke or not to smoke?
- Stress about work or take a yoga class?
There are so many decisions we make everyday that effect our health for the better or worse. Every choice is an opportunity to burn calories, eat smarter or treat out bodies with respect. When you make the next right choice, you will feel better, and your drive to make more smart decisions will increase. THAT’S what they mean when they say losing weight and eating right is a lifestyle choice.
In Good Health,
Kelly Turner
Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA. Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.
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