So, what a surprise! I am officially engaged to my partner of 7 years and planning to walk down the isle in the next year or so!
This means, like many other women, I want to look my best for the big day and the preparations for an ultra-healthy me start now.
Having a goal or target for a health kick can be just the thing to get people going and motivate them to make realistic and long-term changes to their health. So often we make plans to get healthy or exercise more which just don’t stick. Having to prepare for an important event, such as a wedding, can be a great tool to really get you going and help you to reach your goals.
The first thing I need to think about is having some SMART goals:
Specific – goals that are person focused and clear cut
Measurable – goals that you can quantify and measure the success of
Achievable – well there is no point in having a goal that you know you can’t achieve!
Realistic – be honest with yourself and do not make goals and timeframes that won’t really work
Timely – Put a time on your goals e.g. 2 months before the big day but remember timings need to be realistic too.
So, if you are waiting for that motivation and have a wedding or a future event, start to think about some long-term goals that you can easily tick off as SMART goals. Remember, SMALL STEPS TO BIG CHANGE.
14/09/2012…
So, for me, being a nutritionist means that I eat pretty well. However, for a long time I have known I needed to do more exercise, tone up and get my fitness back. I have therefore made this my next goal…..
Making changes to your health and lifestyle aren’t just simply about actions. Doing something you enjoy means it is more likely you will continue doing it, so for me, finding an exercise which I enjoy taking part in is key.
Additionally, there is no point starting something that is inconvenient and doesn’t fit in with your everyday life. This will result in you giving up sooner rather than later, because, it simply doesn’t fit in. I therefore am aiming to find an exercise session or programme that fits in with my work – life balance.
Taking time over making this change is equally important. There is no point in going from doing nothing to going to the gym 7x a week as you are unlikely to be able to sustain such a dramatic change over a long time.
So the three key points for me to take forward when planning my new Health Kick are to find something:
1.) Enjoyable
2.) Convenient
3.) Realistic
The same goes for any diet or health changes that you want to make yourself…whether it be choosing a few healthier foods that you really enjoy eating or having regular food at a time that fits in with your current routine or just focusing on improving your eating on one meal a day all these changes count towards a newer, healthier You! And the more that you can make them enjoyable, convenient and realistic, the more likely they are to continue…. 🙂
To be continued…..