Whether you are a person who is influenced by self-talk or self motivation, here are a few tips I’ve been using to keep myself on track to eating “healthier” and exercising more:
1. Use MyFitness Pal to track your daily caloric intake. As painstaking as it is to record EVERYTHING you consume, once you do this for a week or two you will have a pretty good idea what you can and cannot eat throughout the day in order to stay on track. (For example, I splurged for breakfast one day and ate nuts and fruit for lunch to get me back on track.)
2. Use self-talk to strengthen your mind and help change your relationship with food. We all have triggers that create urges for foods that are not good for us. For me, I craved something sweet after every meal, especially dinner. However, I have eaten only two deserts in three weeks because I am reprogramming my mind to remove that urge. I use “I would like eat ______ but I choose Live Lean” to help remind myself what the long term goal is. This leads me to the third tip…
3. Don’t be afraid to expand your comfort zone. It’s not like I will never eat deserts again but I am retraining myself to not expect sweets after a meal. As a result, the urges I talked about above have gotten less intense and less frequent as the days/weeks go on. The same is true with exercise. Some days I can 4 miles without any trouble and others I can’t even make it 1 before I’m ready to quit. But the more you push yourself, the easier it will be in the future. REMEMBER, the discomfort is only temporary and the benefits are forever.
4. Live in the moment. If you eat poorly or choose not to exercise, you have not failed. I repeat, you have NOT FAILED! You simply made a decision to Live Lardy in that moment. You have a choice every second of every day and it’s up to you whether you choose to Live Lean or Live Lardy. The choice is up to you!
5. Do it for yourself. One of the main reasons I wanted to do this competition was to be a good influence for my friends and family, especially my girls who ask for a treat after every dinner. However, you must do it first and foremost for yourself. What is the main benefit YOU will receive by Living Lean? Think about that and you will accomplish the other.
Please comment if you would like me to continue with this Living Lean stuff. I realize it’s a bit hokey, or so it seams, but it is working for me and I have never felt better about my eating as I do right now.
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