It's Go Time!

We’re moving into a fresh new year, and it’s a great time to think about what you really want for your health and fitness. Last week, we encouraged you to focus on how you feel and make choices that help you feel confident and content. This week, we discuss how you prepare both the mind and body to making such a commitment. Simply saying you’re going to eat better or exercise more is not enough; committing to a healthier lifestyle takes time and attention. Here’s how to prepare both the mind and the body.

Preparing the Mind
* Reflect on Your Motivation – Take some time to clarify why you want a healthier lifestyle. While there are no “right” or “wrong” reasons for changing your habits, having a good understanding of your reasons will carry you through challenging times.
* Set Goals – Your chances of success are much higher when you assess where you are, where you want to be, and your progress along the way. If you try to overhaul your entire eating and workout regimen at one time, you may end it before you ever really get going. Change one thing at a time or and set realistic, small, manageable goals that help you feel successful and continue to motivate you.
* Set an Intention – At the beginning of each day or before each exercise session, set an intention for what you want out of it. Whether it’s to deny dessert that day or feel peaceful, an intention gives you a focus for your new habits.
* Be Forgiving – Know that you may have some moments when you don’t quite hit your mark. Beating yourself up will only make you feel defeated; make sure to be flexible and forgiving with yourself. Positive self-talk will always overpower negative self-talk. Understand why it happened and what you can do next time to make a better decision.
* Be Self-Motivating – You are the only person who controls you. Be your own biggest cheerleader and value every healthy decision you make. You can increase your self-motivation by picking what fits you best, such as your favorite types of exercise, healthy foods you enjoy, or more time for mindfulness.

Preparing the Body
* Plan Ahead – To optimize your gym time, schedule your workout time and plan your workout ahead of time. To make better food choices, plan ahead for challenges like eating out or going to a party. Planning ahead prevents pitfalls and helps you monitor your progress.
* Start Slowly – In terms of exercise, you don’t want to injure yourself by doing too much. Gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts. Keep in mind that things like yoga for flexibility training and meditation for mindfulness are also really good for your body; include these in your routine as well.
* Learn Good Form – Good form does two important things for your body: prevents injury and helps you get better results. Hire a trainer to show you good form before you start your exercise routine. Utilize the mirror to check your form periodically and adjust as needed.
* Experiment – It may take some time to find the foods, exercise, and habits that work best for you. If you hate running and hate eggplant, don’t force yourself to run and eat eggplant. You will simply be miserable. Give yourself permission to experiment with lots of different things at the beginning. Try and try again until you find what makes you happiest and feel your best.
* Maintain Flexibility and Consistency – The adage that life is what happens when you’re making other plans rings very true when you’re working on your daily habits. Be flexible with your plans but aim for as much consistency as you can. Events and mishaps will often get in the way, so adjust where you can and say no when you can. Remember that the focus is your goal and how you want to feel,