Set Yourself Up for Success

Many say eating healthy and exercising is a lesson in willpower.  Willpower, to me, means tempting yourself and then forcing yourself not to give into the temptation.

No wonder it’s so hard for people to stick to a program.

If you were locked in a room full of Snickers and resisted eating one, will you lose more weight than if you stayed away form them completely? Not even close.

How about instead of setting yourself up with the possibility of failure, you set yourself up for success.  This way, failure is not an option.

Here are a few ways to fail proof your healthy lifestyle:

• Fill your house with healthy foods.  If it is around, you will eat it. This goes for both the crap food, and the healthy stuff.  If it isn’t in your home, tempting and taunting you, you can’t eat it, right?

• Don’t leave home without your workout gear. Throw a pair of old tennis shoes in the trunk of your car, along with some comfy pants and a t shirt, and you’ll be ready for a workout anywhere.  If sudden motivation strikes, you can take advantage, and if you forget something on the way to the gym, you’ll always have a backup.

• Pack your meals ahead of time, so grabbing a not so healthy choice isn’t even an option.

• Stock your purse or car with healthy, portable, non perishable snacks, so if you ever get caught without anything to eat, you have a healthy choice within reach.

• If you find yourself having trouble making time for a workout, go in the morning.  The more time you put it off, the more excuses you will make to skip it.  Plus, the morning exercise will leave you feeling energized and happy all day long.

• Lay out your workout clothes the night before so you can just get up, get dressed and go.

• Make extras of healthy meals for easy to grab left-overs.

• When going out to dinner, decide what you will choose ahead of time. Most menus are online, so you can decide on a healthy option before you go, instead of getting caught up in the moment (and appetizers) at the restaurant.

Surround yourself with an environment for success.  Living a healthy lifestyle is hard enough, don’t put extra obstacles in your own way.