At some point in our lives, we’ve all wanted to make some sort of a change – cook more meals at home, exercise more, spend less time on our phones, be more productive at work, lose weight, etc. – and for most people, myself included, making a big change in your life doesn’t come easily. It can be quite daunting, and oftentimes intimidation gets the best of us, and we decide to quit before we even get started or soon after starting. This often happens because we have set our goals too high and are trying to take on a challenge that is too large to manage.
While there is nothing wrong with setting a long-term goal, setting short-term goals based on your long-term goal will help you from becoming discouraged and will provide you with the feeling of success. Perhaps you want to lose 30 pounds; rather than trying to lose 30 pounds in a month, it may be helpful to make this a long-term goal of losing 30 pounds in a year. Short-term goals may be to lose a half a pound to one pound per week or three to two to four pounds per month. Involving a friend can also help you successfully reach your goals. Maybe you have a friend, family member, or coworker who also wants to lose weight (or has a similar goal to the one you’ve set of yourself). Partnering with that person will provide you both with a support system and accountability. Supportive family and friends can be there to listen to your frustrations and encourage you when you’re feeling discouraged. Going hand in hand with surrounding yourself with supportive people, it is important to avoid being around (at least temporarily) those who may sabotage your success or will encourage bad habits. Avoiding triggers is another key to success when making a positive lifestyle change. Maybe you’re like me and have a hard time staying away from unhealthy snacks if you have them in the house, or maybe you tend to overeat when you drink alcohol. Whatever your trigger may be, it is important to avoid them in order to reach your goal(s). Taking baby steps may seem like we’re taking it slow – maybe even painfully slow – but it typically keeps us from failing and feeling worse about ourselves. Success through achieving short-term goals gives us encouragement to keep reaching toward our long-term goal. If we surround ourselves with positive individuals, people to hold us accountable, and remove triggers for unwanted behavior, we will be able to reach our long-term goal more easily and will be well on our way to a healthy lifestyle change! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/lifestyle-changes.aspx https://www.precisionnutrition.com/how-to-change-behaviour
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Allison WerresWife, nutrition coach, dog mom Archives
May 2018
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