For those who'd give up if they did not see instant or fast results. ..

Your current body shape is a result of months if not years of eating and workout habits. How do you want to change that in few days? It needs time.

Be Patient and enjoy the journey

Start, Restart Circle

Does this happen to you? You decide that this is it and that today is the start of your healthy lifestyle. You stick to your healthy eating plan on breakfast, lunch and dinner and you think it's a perfect day. Then after dinner someone decides to celebrate some out of the blue occasion and they bring donuts, cake and ice-cream. You look at all this delicious, yummy sweet food that you think you'll miss for a long period of time because of your "healthy lifestyle plan" you resist for the first 5-10 minutes while watching everybody else cutting the cake and enjoying the donuts..You finally give up and you think that you can postponed your "start" to the next day so that you can have your share of that cake.

It happened to to me a lot before. That's why everyday was a "Start" day for me. I used to be a perfectionist. I used to think this way "If I messed up in one meal, then all meals should be messed up and I should not workout."  I finally got it.. That was a very wrong way of thinking. All what I was doing was trapping myself in a "Start -Restart" circle. I was not moving forward. I was just moving in circles.

I learned that I cannot always control the food available on the dinning table. I cannot always control my cravings either. I am not a robot. So I decided that instead of starting and restarting, I should have a plan in place to follow whenever unplanned extra sugary extra oily food is offered:

1-Resist: If I'm on one of those very strong will power and in-total control days. I would simply resist.
2-Junk substitute: Make a healthy snack instead and eat it with pleasure...I really emphasize pleasure.
3-Get to know what's about to get in: If I am really losing it and I have to have my share of that cake I try to know what I am about to put in my body. I try to check the nutrition fact of that unplanned food and I would try to make it within the calorie range of my daily plan or I try to workout afterward to at least burn it if it exceeded my calorie count allowance
4-Moderation: Many dietitians and doctors say that a healthy lifestyle should not deprive you from any food type. It only regulates your food intake and guide you to better choices.

Remember that everyday you mess up your plan, you will also slow down your progress from reaching your fitness goal. The more you stick to your plan, the faster you'll reach your goal. Don't we all love short cuts? 

How To Make Successful And Lasting Changes

I was a guest at a Toastmasters club last Monday. One of the club's members Mr. Mushtaq Rehman gave a presentation titled "How To Make Successful And Lasting Changes".  I found it very useful. It motivated me more to continue my journey and helped me plan how to reach my ultimate fitness goal. I still struggle with my food habits and I really want make a lasting change. I thought about posting the steps the presenter shared on how to make the change you want. Use your answers to the following questions as a guide to help you find your way to make that change.

1. What Is The One Change You Really Want To Make?

A goal, a dream that you want to achieve. What will you see, feel, smell, taste and hear? What will you say and what will others say? Make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound. 

    2. What Is Stopping You?

Limiting decisions or beliefs such as I cannot, I am not good enough, I have no control, others are responsible for my situation. Negative emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, hurt, guilt. Negative self-talk.

   3. How Can You Change? 

Empowering decisions and beliefs such as I can, I am good enough. I am in the charge. Positive emotions such as Love, Gratitude, Hope, Pride, Inspiration, Positive self-talk)

Purpose:.................

(How the change connects to something greater? God, family, nature, country) 

Identity:...................

(How the change connects to who I am?)

Values and Beliefs:............

(Why I want this change? What is my intention and motivation for change?)

Capabilities: ............

(How can I implement this change? What skills and abilities do I have/need to have?)

Behavior:.............

(What actions do I need to take?) 

Environment:...............

(Where, when and with who I need to be for this change to happen?) 

       4. Who Is Your Role Model? 

(Leader, colleague, family member, sports person, expert in his field who I can learn from)

Like most people, I know that I want to make a change , but I did not know how to make a lasting change.

You can contact Mr. Mushtaq Rehman at Mushtaqur@hotmail.com. I hope you find this post useful