January 13, 2019: Lifestyle Change
My weekly Get Your Stuff Together Sunday email series gives you one actionable focus for the week that will make your life a little easier.
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We have become a nation of instant gratification. Thanks to technology, we expect things to literally be at our fingertips at any given moment. Because of this, when we don't receive the favorable results we're after, we tend to think it's not worth it and move on. But some circumstances take time, in fact they take an entire lifetime. This week, we’re going to talk about why lifestyle changes are the most sustainable way to make a big difference in your health.
A healthy lifestyle is not something achieved through one or two actions - that is why it's a lifestyle! For example, a diet is not a lifestyle, rather it's a temporary fix to get you part or all the way to an initial goal. That’s what diets are used for and they can be effective if you see them as just one of the steps in setting new habits, but you then need to go into a maintenance mode. In other words, you will have to learn the healthy eating and active lifestyle that will maintain your progress. There will always be temptation to eat, or an excuse not to work out, but when we change our way of thinking and view it as a lifestyle change we'll see daily gratification in our new habits.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself before diving into a healthy lifestyle change of any sort, like weight loss, reducing stress, getting more exercise, and more.
What is your motivation to make this change? Get to the deep-level reasons, like you have kids and want to lead by example or you think if you lose weight and keep it off, it opens the romantic possibilities. This motivation is unique to you and has strong emotional connections.
What has stopped you from making these changes before? Do these obstacles still exist?
How can you eliminate your obstacles? If you can't, how do you move forward and get around them?
When you're faced with temptation, how do you handle it? Do you have the ability to stay on course or do you cave?
Are you happy? What makes you happy? How could you get there?
If the thought of these answers overwhelms you, you may not be ready and that's okay. You can start smaller. There is no rush. It's a lifetime of work and dedication to putting yourself as a priority. Go back in a month and ask yourself again. Taking the first step is always the hardest, but once you do, you won't look back with regret.
Next Sunday, we’ll talk about what you can eat for breakfast to give you energy and support all that you do.
Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.
Do you have a friend who could stand to G(her)ST? Feel free to forward this!
I hope you have a wonderful week,
Kelly
Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.
Tsirona - www.tsirona.com
My weekly GYSTS email give you one actionable thing to do for the week that will make you life a little easier. As "they" say, "Fail to plan; plan to fail." Get these emails (and more!) delivered right to your inbox by clicking HERE.