Healthy living isn't easy. For some, it comes naturally, but for others it's tough to get started. A lot of the activities that other people just pick up without trying are either impossible or feel like death. High Intensity Interval Training? Hot yoga? Insanity? Crossfit? Even jogging? You've got to be kidding. It's not those workouts don't work. It's just that doing them when you're a beginner, can be a ticket to hating and giving up early, and feeling ashamed for ever having bothered to try.
Before You Begin: Cut Yourself Some Slack
This may perhaps be the single most important tip to ensure your success:Approach everything you do from a place of self-compassion.
Popular weight loss stories on TV almost always start with someone "fed up" with their looks or health problems. While those things can be triggers, they're never motivators that stand the test of time. Dismiss the people who'll tell you to "just go to the gym," or "just put down the fork," or that it all boils down to "eat less and move more." Soundbites don't keep you motivated. Focusing on your clothes size, waistline, reflection in the mirror, and so on are all short-term motivators that don't adapt with you. Relying on them guarantees any stumbles you have along the way will make you feel horrible about yourself and set you back to square one. Instead, concentrate on the long term benefits. In short, make your fitness plans because you love yourself and want to be the best, most healthy possible you that you can be—whatever size or shape that involves.
Healthy Living Is a Skill You Improve At, Not a Thing You Just "Do"The next thing someone to remember is that a healthy lifestyle is a skill you work and get better at—not a thing you just get up and start doing one day. If you expect to just hop on a stationary bike, start lifting, or turn your diet upside down without challenges or setbacks, you're setting yourself up for trouble. Approach your health and fitness goals like you would any other skill that you're learning.
Most people don't expect to be able to do difficult things without training, whether it's a new job, playing the piano, or learning a language. There's no reason to expect that when it comes to exercise, diet, nutrition, or any other element of healthy living. Remember, the goal is to make positive changes that stand the test of time. Short term weight loss plans, bursts of exercise, and fad diets have been proven over and over again to be ineffective.
Find Something You Enjoy Doing, and Start From There
Getting into the right mindset is only half the battle. The rest, obviously, is actually putting your plans into motion. If you're already struggling with your weight, or if you have no idea where to start, this can be one of the biggest hurdles to get over. What kind of exercise should you do, and how much? How can you tell if it's working? How can you get the biggest bang for your diet and exercise buck, as it were?
Frankly, the best response to all of these questions is to ignore them. If you focus on results out of the gate, or think in terms of optimal benefit instead of building habits, you're already on the wrong track. I've known people who took up running or spinning because they thought that's what they had to do. They hated it, but kept going until something happened and they missed a day. It may have been the holidays, a late meeting, or illness, but whatever it was, that was all it took to get them off the horse. Instead, seek out exercise that rewards you mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Find things you enjoy doing, at any activity level. Don't get caught up in the "all or nothing" mindset, where you think you have to buckle down and do an hour of cardio or strength training every other day for the rest of your life—start slow with something you know you can do, even if it's once a week. It's more important, especially when you're getting started, to focus on what you can do and step up from there.
Don't Do It Alone: Track Your Progress, and Get Others to Help
Finally, whatever you do, don't do it on your own. You'll have much greater success if you work out with the help or support of friends or loved ones. There's something to be said for keeping your goals private so you don't feel bad when you have setbacks (and don't have to announce your setbacks publicly), but having a support network around you is extremely beneficial. Enroll a personal cheerleading squad, whether it's online or in person, and start tracking your activities. Don't use tracking as a way to obsess over results though.
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