Health at Home: Ways to change your mindset
We all want to be healthy, and I’m sure most of us have our “dream body” that we want to achieve. But I know just as well you do, when we don’t see progress within the first few weeks, we get frustrated and give up. And sometimes, this leads us to go immediately back to our unhealthy ways.
What I’ve found over the past few years when it comes to working out and “being healthy”, is that it’s all about your mindset. You need to have a good mindset/relationship about health and fitness, or you’re ultimately going to give up when you don’t start seeing results.
You’re probably thinking okay, but how do I change my mindset and actually make it stick?
Here are some of my tips to help change your mindset about living a healthy lifestyle.
- FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. (This is probably my biggest piece of advice).
Not everyone loves going to the gym. Not everyone enjoys working out at home. It is important to remember that you need to find what you ENJOY. You will never be consistent if you are torturing yourself just to reach a goal. Working out and eating healthy should be enjoyable – not a punishment.
I have had my fair share of trying and failing when it comes to working out. I’ve done the gym, I’ve done at home workout programs, I’ve done running. Recently I’ve been into doing my own thing and creating my own workouts at home. And I’m sure in the next few months that will change again. But you don’t have to stick to one thing forever. Switch it up and try new things. Find what you like and you will be more motivated to create a habit and stick with it. Don’t be fearful of trying new things because it might turn out to be the exact change you’ve been needing.
- Set realistic goals.
Personally, a 6 month goal for me is too far away. In my mind, this gives me a TON of wiggle room where I can stop and start over, again and again. I recommend setting goals up to 1 month MAX. I like to set short term goals as little as 1 week ahead. You can set them for 2 weeks or even 21 days. Personally, I never like to set a goal longer than 30 day out.
- Measure your progress AWAY from the scale.
The only time I EVER weigh myself is if I’m at a doctor’s appointment. And frankly, if they didn’t make me do it, I would never do it there either, lol. Tracking your numbers on a scale can be such a bummer when you see numbers you don’t like. You’ve been eating healthy for weeks, working out consistently, and your weight starts to go up. Instead of understanding that you’re building muscle, all you’re going to see is that number going up, instead of going down to the number you are wanting to see. I guarantee if you start taking progress pictures and comparing those pictures vs. comparing your numbers, you will begin to have a much healthier relationship with food and mindset that will help keep you motivated.
- Identify what you’re REALLY longing for.
I know we all have that “dream body” that we want to achieve. But is that realistic? Is that something you TRULY want? If it is, awesome. GO FOR IT. But I want you to sit and really think about what you really want. For me, it’s always been to have a better relationship with food. Sure, having a six pack would be nice, but what I REALLY WANT to achieve is being able to consistently fuel my body the proper way and develop a better relationship with food. Just because you have friends/family that are working towards their dream body, doesn’t mean that’s the exact same goal that you have. Try to pinpoint what it is you are really searching for.
- Follow accounts that inspire you, not ones that intimidate you
There are so many accounts online that can inspire someone to live a healthy lifestyle. But there are also plenty that will intimidate the shit out of you, and at some point or another, it will make you feel like you aren’t good enough and that you will never be ‘where they are’. Why would you subject yourself to follow those people who you feel are better than you will ever be? Jealousy is normal for everyone. But I have found when it comes to fitness and health, if you have someone you are jealous of, you will tell yourself every reason in the book as to why you will never be like them. Find yourself true motivation, not intimidation.
- Ask for help when you need it
Starting a health and fitness journey can be SO DIFFICULT if you are doing it alone. You may have friends and family who aren’t doing it along with you, and this may cause you to feel envious of them. Sometimes you may not know where to start – you probably aren’t an expert at this because we all start somewhere. This may mean that you need to hire a coach, or get a personal trainer. And I hope you know that there is NOTHING wrong with asking for help. It is better to do it right, than follow unhealthy habits that you see online that can potentially make you develop a terrible relationship with food. Just because your fitness inspiration girl on Instagram does Intermittent Fasting doesn’t mean that’s appropriate for you. Do you know the benefits? Do you know why she is doing this? Do you know all the details and important things that go into that lifestyle? It is important to ask a professional if you are unsure. There are SO MANY certified personal trainers on social media nowadays. They have taken the classes, they have passed the tests, they KNOW what they are doing. Please don’t ask for professional advice from people who are not certified in health and fitness. This is something that could be so detrimental to your health and can potentially make you create such an unhealthy mindset.
I hope these tips can encourage you to truly take a step back and identify your current mindset/habits on health and fitness. If you feel like you want to live a healthy lifestyle, or you’re currently trying to follow a workout/nutrition plan and you are absolutely miserable, please look back on these tips and find the things that you may be doing wrong. Health and fitness isn’t supposed to be a punishment. It’s never too late to start anything that you want in life. This goes for anything and everything you ever want to achieve. There is no time limit. The only thing that matters is that you are living the life you want to live, while enjoying everything that comes along with it.
Always remember to always find the beautiful balance in life.
