After three inspiring months to wander through nature and reconnect with myself in Costa Rica, my feet are back on American soil.
Right now, I’m sitting at the airport on our layover to Austin thinking about the commitment I have made to myself to live a healthy and vibrant life.
I am thinking about what it took to get me here.
And what it takes to stay committed.
I promise that each of you know what you need to do to lose the weight, sleep better, smile more, relax, release stress, and create more joy in your life.
The challenge isn’t in knowing what to do, it’s in actually doing it, each and every day.
When I work with my one-on-one clients in my 6-week coaching program, our first session is spent identifying why they are making this commitment and how they are going to stay loyal to that commitment.
Here are the top 5 ways to stay committed to your healthy lifestyle:
1) Create a tribe.
Is your sister gluten-free?
Does your neightbor shop at the same health food store as you?
Pull together all of the people in your life who are living on the same path as you.
For me, it started with a weekly dinner with a friend from my nutrition program. We would get together and take turns creating new and delicious recipes.
We would talk about spirituality, nutrition, mindfulness, and our creative projects; all the things that we thought about all day but didn’t always have the choice to discuss out loud with other friends.
Who are the people in your life who you can join forces with?
2) Identify the Why behind yours actions.
Losing weight and having more energy are honorable goals, but what is the reason behind them?
Do you want to heal your digestive issues?
Do you want to be free of a food addiction that controls your daily actions?
Do you want to feel sexy and confident when you’re naked with your partner so you can give of yourself more fully and authentically?
Find the emotional tie to obtaining your goals and tap into them every single morning when you wake up.
3) Find inspiration.
There is a lot of noise in the world, and it’s very easy to get distracted.
So often, I find myself scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook page when I’m supposed to be writing a blog or emailing a client.
It’s imperative to identy the people, the books, the places, and the activities that inspire you.
For me, it’s yoga, music, and reading.
What inspires you?
Do you incorporate it into your life on a daily basis?
4) Take it easy.
So many people decide to embark on a journey of wellness and do something extreme like a 10-day juice cleanse. Then, after 4 days, they feel bad and like a failure when they can’t complete it. Extremes aren’t needed to get healthy!
Living a life of health can be easy, if you let it.
When I first started on this journey, I pretty much ate the same breakfast, green smoothie, and afternoon snacks for a year. I liked them, I knew where to buy them, and they made me feel good.
I didn’t try to reinvent the wheel every day with my meals.
I used to, and still do, eat a lot of eggs because they are inexpensive and fast, not to mention full of protein so they immediately curb my sugar cravings.
Find a handful of things you enjoy, and always have the ingredients on hand.
If you binge on oreos, get them out of the house.
If you love dark chocolate, always have a bar in the house so you can have a small piece each day for a treat.
Have a favorite lunch spot? Go as much as you like.
If it’s not easy, you won’t do it, trust me.
What can you do to make eating well easy on yourself?
5) Set attainable goals.
It is not healthy, or a good idea, to set unattainable goals like losing 10 pounds in a week.
Start with baby steps, such as changing your breakfast for one week, waking up 10 minutes earlier to do some morning stretches, having one less glass of wine with dinner, or adding a salad to your lunch instead of chips.
It’s all of the little things that add up into a powerful lifestyle shift.
Start with baby steps and have patience.
Need some extra support? Let me stand beside you on the journey.
Here are some other suggestions to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle from our community on Facebook:
- Make it fun. Sexy dance music helps.
- Know that it is a lifelong journey. Forgive yourself for the detours and get back on track.
- Don’t get to the point where you’re so hungry that you could eat your arm, because then you start craving something more unhealthy/over-eat.
- Always have healthy snack options in your purse so you don’t cave into the other stuff.
- Drive straight to the health food store for tasty options!
- Always be grateful & in the burdens see the blessings.
