Although you’ve got a good routine of eating healthy and exercising, there will always be something to get you off track. It could be a friend’s wedding or a stressful job situation. In any case there are a few things you could have in place right now to decrease that chance of getting too far off track.
1. Keep a food and exercise Journal. This is the single most important thing you can do to stay on track. It will keep you engaged and present with everything that you’re doing and eating. It keeps you aware and gives you a chance to reflect and make changes. It can be a huge motivator when you review your week and realize how great you’ve been doing.
2. Finding Support. Staying around people who are like minded in your quest to be healthy will prove to be beneficial. There will be several times when you’ll need a shoulder to lean on or someone to lean on your shoulder. There will be times when your motivation is lacking and you’ll need a boost from a friend. Although it only takes one other person to act as support, the more people you have around the better off you’ll be. Join a support group where you can learn about what others are doing to stay on track and where you can share your valuable knowledge.
3. Get SMART. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Action Oriented, Realistic, Time Sensitive) to keep you focused and as a way to increase those positive behaviors in your life. Write them down and review them weekly. Revisit SMART goal blog.
4. Focus on the benefits but remember the negatives. It’s good to keep all the positive reasons why you chose to eat healthy and exercise within view to keep you motivated and focused. Write down in large print 3 or 4 reasons you’re eating healthy and exercising and place it on your bathroom mirror. It could say things like, “Have more energy”, “Fit into my skinny jeans” or “Lower my cholesterol”. In contrast, remember the negatives of how you felt when you’ve reverted back to old behaviors. It might have been when you got out of your routine with exercising or when you started eating out at restaurants more often which left you feeling sluggish and bloated. By remembering the negative outcomes of unhealthy behaviors you’ll be less likely to head down that path again.
5. Keep learning and help others. Stay engaged and motivated with reading nutrition and exercise information. Attend nutrition workshops and get involved in organized exercise events like signing up for a 5K walk or jog. Start a support group at your work to help others learn to eat right. Start a healthy recipe club at your work or neighborhood.
Although you may be taken off track from your usual healthy routine from time to time, by having some of these strategies in place you can minimize the time it takes to get back on track.
by Vincent Alvarez, RDN, NSCA-CPT