BABY STEPS LEAD TO HUGE TRANSFORMATION
Rather than focusing on the benefits that come from a healthy lifestyle – such as better health, vitality and energy, a longer life, more enjoyment in everyday activities and the prevention of chronic diseases, people focus on the negative aspects. Beliefs such as “It’s going to be so hard! I’m going to have to give up going to restaurants and having fun. I’m never going to be able to lose that weight or look good ever again. I’m going to have to eat like a bird! Dieting sucks and never works”. It’s not surprise that a negative mindset leads to failure — never letting you make the changes you so badly desire!
Feelings of unworthiness, not enoughness, not believing in yourself perpetuates shame and you might even find yourself emotionally eating to help fill the void, allowing dark thoughts to run the show, having zero desire to move your body ‘cause it’s probably useless anyway and not knowing how to stop the spiral!
Fortunately, the mind is flexible and with practice and subconscious reprogramming, you can shift your beliefs and manifest the life you want!
Here are some tips to help you on your journey:
Focus on attainable goals: try to avoid creating rules such as “I’m going to do an hour of cardio everyday for a month straight” or “I’m not eating carbs for dinner for 2 weeks” but rather small attainable goals such as, “I’m going to go on 20 minute walks to start and build from there” or “I’m going to measure out my portions for a few days just to create an idea of how much I should be eating to avoid overeating”. Focus on what you got done instead of what you didn’t accomplish. Ask yourself: Did you eat enough whole and nutritious foods? Did you shift stagnant energy by moving your body a bit today? Did you drink water? It’s about baby steps and progressing every week towards new goals! Small steps lead to huge transformation!!
Shift your inner critic’s voice to a more encouraging voice: You’re doing the best you can and that is good enough! Talk to yourself the way you would to a friend, or a child! We hold ourselves to unrealistic standards and punish ourselves for not being perfect (spoiler: perfect doesn’t exist). Remember: it’s important to treat yourself with respect and compassion on your journey!
Have a morning ritual: Taking a few minutes at the beginning of your day to breathe, do some mindful movement, meditate and journal will set the tone for your day and shift your limiting beliefs. It allows you to connect to your body and soothe your nervous system and ultimately manifest the life you want. Don’t know how to create a morning ritual, no problem, I made one for you: “Empowered Fitness Morning Ritual”. Invest in yourself, you won’t regret the positive shifts!
Keep in mind that making healthy choices is a way of practicing self-love. Food is not a reward or something you “earn” and exercise is not a punishment. Both are incredibly beneficial to your overall health, and are ways for you to show you care for your beautiful body. You are worthy of both.
Leave the “Good” or “bad” food mentality behind. Food isn’t measured this way. Yes, there are foods that are less nutritious than others, but when you focus on adding in nutritious foods to your diet and more on how you FEEL in your body when you eat whole foods, you’ll be more likely to eat healthier foods. Also, it’s totally OK to indulge as long as you’re consistent the majority of the time! Nothing terrible will happen, except maybe a stomach ache! Moderation is key.
Practice patience and gratitude: Losing weight and getting healthy is a process. It takes time and it takes commitment to do so in a healthy, but more importantly, a sustainable manner. Make sure to have actionable goals such as 10k steps a day, drink 1-3 L of water a day, and ditch your timeline. Alongside patience, comes gratitude! Practice gratitude for all that you already have (health, a beautiful body and life, food, friends, family, a pet, your favourite breakfast, etc.) and all that you are able to achieve right now in this moment. Don’t forget, healthy habits, overtime, lead to big changes in your body and you will without a doubt reach your goals with patience and a grateful attitude. Remember to celebrate your small wins!
Avoid weighing yourself daily! Weight does not define your worth and it doesn’t take into consideration water weight, muscle, and organs. It’s just a number that stresses you out if it goes up or doesn’t budge. Instead, measure yourself or take pictures every 2-3 weeks. Notice I said 2-3 weeks…yes because it takes time for your body to adapt to the changes you’re making. Anything worth anything, doesn’t come easy! It takes consistency and commitment. Side note: remember that it’s perfectly OK to desire your fitness goals. Don’t feel shame for wanting to build muscle and look toned! Be patient and trust the process.
Identify toxic thoughts: Catch yourself when you’re having negative thoughts about yourself and tell yourself: “Inner critic, thanks for trying to protect me but you’re actually not the reality, so I choose not to participate in these negative thoughts.” Follow up with a positive affirmation “I am beautiful. I am enough. I am doing the best I can and my best is good enough!” Be your own cheerleader. You got this!
Changing habits you’ve been used to for YEARS takes time to shift, so be gentle with yourself! Thank yourself for showing up for yourself and for wanting to improve your health. This is the ultimate act of self-love.
Remember, consistency is just you committing to yourself!
Give yourself a big, big hug and don’t forget to go get your steps in!
Xo
Sandrine