We all have wants and needs in terms of our health. Some of us would like to lose 20 pounds. Some of us would like a better relationship with food. Some of us would like to reduce our dependance on medication. Some of us want to be healthy and active in our golden years. Whatever your current aspiration, the key to your success might lie in what your hiding.
With out tending to be deceitful, we often fudge the truth. “It’s normal to gain weight with age.” “I only eat candy about once a week.” “I rarely take pain medication for headaches.” “I’m going to start exercising as soon as ______ is over.” These white lies do more damage than we realize. Kidding yourself about how many chocolates you really eat, how many times a week you get a stress related headache, how little cardio you really accomplish or how many years have gone by since you told yourself you would start exercising consistently adds up to hundreds of excuses fueled by avoiding the truth. And more importantly, these lies are missed opportunities to feel better, be happier, and have fruitful energy for your life.
Now, let me be clear, I am not a “tough guy, zero compassion” kind of trainer. Quite the contrary, it is my empathy and compassion for your plight that fuels this suggestion. I am asking you an important question: What are you hiding from? Most likely, the truth and to some degree I don’t blame you. It can be very difficult to see our situation honestly. But my advice is very specific. Give objectivity a try. Dive in head first and rid yourself of the nonsense that is keeping you from good health and quite probably more happiness.
- Write it down. Whether it’s exactly what you are eating, the exact number cardio sessions, how many hours of sleep, or how often we are critical of our body, we each need an objective picture of where we are. Decide your one area of focus and write down what is really happening.
- Brace yourself. 90% of the time we are shocked by the real picture. We had no idea we ate 10 small candies from the bowl at work (or how many calories that was), we were not aware that we really hadn’t been for a walk or to our gym more than twice this month, or we had not realized that we had 15 negative body image thoughts before noon.
- Exhale. The hard part is almost over. Set a very manageable goal and strive for it. Again, the key here is to write it down. Need to drink more water? Add twenty-five percent to your current intake. Need to complete more cardio? Log every time you walk briskly for more than ten minutes. Need to stop beating yourself up? Mentally say something positive every time the habitual negative voice pops into your head whether you want to or not.
- Embrace your honesty. Applaud yourself for being brave enough to look at your situation objectively. Being willing to face some unpleasant truths about our decisions can be an incredibly powerful tool for change. The key is to see the current pattern and focus on incremental changes toward your end goal. Keep writing it down and I am certain you will arrive there soon enough.
I wish you all the best in your pursuits! You can do this!
