Staying on track with a healthy diet and regular exercise can be hard… Very hard. It’s no surprise that chips and ice cream (for the most part) taste better than broccoli and brussel sprouts, and laying on the couch watching your favourite TV show is a lot easier than sweating like a pig and feeling like you may die during a 5K run. And if you’re anything like me, turning down a piece of triple chocolate cake can feel very similar to a breakup… So how do some people make staying motivated look so effortless?
The first and most important step is to recognize that being healthy is not a fad. The word “diet” should not exist in your vocabulary; commit to the life-changing world of healthy living and you’ll already have made this challenging experience a little bit easier for yourself.
Next, find somebody who will hold you responsible for what you eat and how often you’re exercising. Ideally, you will spend a lot of time with your healthy buddy, pushing each other during workouts and pulling them away from the fast food joints they so badly want to go into.
Get yourself a food journal to hold yourself accountable for when your friend may not be around. Write everything down. Your starting weight and goal weight (if you have one), what you’re eating and how much, what you’ve done in terms of exercise, and how you’re feeling that day. It might seem silly in the beginning, but re-reading your entries will either make you feel very good about the progress you’re making, or, on the flip side, will make you realize you have some changes to make if you want to achieve your goals.
Remember why you’re doing this: whether it be for the long rewarding life, or the hot summer body you plan on showing off for the four months of Canadian warmth. Search before and after pictures on the Internet and believe that hard work can get you there, too. Choose a healthy lifestyle and imagine how you will look and feel if you do not give up on this.
These are some ways I stay motivated, how do you?
By Ashlee Lacasse
Crave Healthy Habits
