Your Challenge Today:
Eating lighter, it’s all about balance.
By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC
Eating lighter makes you lighter.
No one can wave a magic wand.
~ Martine McCutcheon
- No magic wand will produce the results you are looking for … this is true!
- You cannot out-train a bad-diet … this is true!
- Consistency is key … this is also true!
Balance is essential to creating the lasting results that you are looking for in your fitness / weight-loss program. Almost any plan you choose to invest in will work for increasing your fitness level and reducing your body-fat percentage. The most critical element in the program is YOU!
- How are you approaching the program … are you following the plan?
- Are you committed to the program … are you committed to the results?
- Are you following the program or are you improvising?
Usually, it’s not the program that ‘doesn’t work,’ it’s often ‘operator error.’ I know lots of people, myself included, that want to improvise when they don’t have all of the pieces or have forgotten something. Improvising is OK sometimes, and it depends on how far you go with the improvising. We have to use some common sense in this department when it comes to our health. YES, we are all different and need to be mindful of our differences making adjustments when necessary to accommodate our needs. YES, we all have various physical limitations and abilities, and we need to be cognizant of those differences when we are considering our fitness training. YES, we all have different tastes when it comes to foods, and we need to respect those differences when choosing our food plans.
AND, there is a difference between improvising because we think the rules don’t apply to us and we can eat that piece of candy, and it won’t matter vs. realizing that food and fitness are ultimately a matter of numbers and the numbers do matter.
Balance is the key – balance what you are eating, what you are doing for exercise, how much you are drinking to replenish and how much sleep you are getting. Every day is not going to be perfect, every meal is not going to be perfect, and every workout is not going to be perfect – do you best, and the rest will take care of itself. One foot in front of the other, day by day and bite by bite and you will reach your goal. Keep your eye on the prize and acknowledge yourself every day for all the good that you are doing, noting your successes and room for improvement.
I have a very dear friend that has a habit of weighing herself daily and posting the number on her bathroom mirror so she can monitor her weight and not let it swing too far one way or the other. She adopted this habit when she quit smoking and didn’t want to gain weight as a result. I think it’s a brilliant way to keep tabs on one’s self, much like our Daily Scorecard / Success Journal. Keeping track of your daily efforts toward your goal has long been considered a wise approach to manifesting your dreams, whatever they are.
You can employ a variety of different systems to help you with your goals. Keeping track of your actions is the best way of creating self-accountability and collecting data for analysis and evaluation. How will you know what is working and not working without this vital information? You might want to use any number of different devices to track your activities …
- Workout Journal
- Food Diary
- Meditation Journal
- Business Journal
- Travel Journal
- Wedding Planner
How are you doing with your goals?
What do you need to change to stay on track?
Keeping track of your actions is the best way of creating accountability #LivingFitLifestyle Click To Tweet
Since playing this game, I have adopted the routine of weighing myself (most days) in the morning and at night. I try to stay within a 4 lb range. Lately, being sick and unable to exercise has really played games with my head, I feel really out of shape. Getting on the scale calms me down, I can see that I haven’t really gained too much weight… I just feel flabby.
Thank you Pamela — it’s good to notice how our ‘head’ can play games with us. We can look good in one mirror and not in another, feel fat and not really appreciate the good shape we are actually in. Being under the weather is never fun and I know you will prevail — keep in mind the balance, start slow to get back into your routine so you don’t relapse.