This post is all about the best tips to start your health journey!
There are many reasons why you would want to start a health journey: wanting to have more energy, be healthier, be stronger, fit in that little dress you keep in your closet, a wedding you are going to and where you want to shine…the list is endless.
Changing your habits can be a difficult thing, so the best way to achieve success is to go straight to the point and not waste time in the process. This will make the whole experience less frustrating and more gratifying.
How many times have I started a “diet” in the hope of changing my physic and only lasting a few days? Many times! I have thus decided since the beginning of February to take this seriously and change my life forever. Yup, no pressure.
I have listed all the steps I have taken to make this change and hope this will help in your journey!
These are the steps for your health journey!
5 great tips to start your health journey
Determine your “Why”
Why are you starting this journey? This is something very important to determine from the start! The road ahead is most likely going to be tough at times. Without a doubt and to help you through those times, you’ll have to refer back to this why to help you through.
You’ll need to dig deep to find the reasons that would make it worthwhile for you to change your habits. Changing habits can be difficult, overwhelming, and sometimes very demanding. You might wake up in the morning with a strong will to make that day a success. However as the day goes by and life challenges come up, that strong AM willpower, might dwindle down. This is when you need to refer back to your why to help you pull through. This explains why it should be something that motivates you, that you visualize very clearly and strongly in your mind.
The best way is to put it on paper and read it any time you need encouragement.
Have SMART goals
You might have heard of SMART goals, aka Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and anchored within a Time Frame goal. By defining such SMART goals, it will become very obvious for you when you achieved them. Also, you have a clear destination you are journeying towards, which is very important when changing your lifestyle. You are not wasting your time in the process and taking the most direct route to success.
If you were to define your goal as just “Lose weight”. When would you know if you achieved that goal? When should you lose weight? Is it a lifelong project? It is so vague that you do not feel concerned or responsible really.
Not going overboard with goals will make it more manageable, especially in the beginning. However if as time goes by you feel like you need to revisit some of the goals you’ve set for yourself and add new ones: feel free to commit yourself to more and as long you can juggle everything!
How to track your progress
You might have given your why and your goals a good thought. However, the best way to make sure that you keep them at the forefront of your mind and achieve said goals is to write them down! You can pick any place of your choosing to do so: a notebook, a post-it note stuck to a place you often walk by in your apartment or house, an app on your phone.
Be careful to have them easily accessible so as not to forget about them. You might need to look at your goals and why more than once throughout your health journey. iSo keep them close by!
I have had used the 90 Day Journal from Blogilates to document my Why and goals. I have been loving the way this journal is built, helping me track especially my fitness and food goals! I love the fact that it has a spiral: making turning pages super easy! If you have similar goals on your list, you might want to consider this journal. I am currently patiently waiting for my second journal to continue my tracking!
Take care of your mind
Whatever your goals are, they most likely will imply a certain change to whatever it is you are currently doing. Take care of your mind and your spirit whilst you are on this journey. They will be the ones to carry you over the finish line!
There are many things you can do, but I feel that the most important for me has been taking the time to slow down. Life is so fast-paced, you’re always on the run and you never take the time to just enjoy where you are right now and most importantly who you are right now. No one is perfect, so even if you are not 100% in love with yourself right now, you must appreciate all the things that your body and mind are letting you do in the present moment.
Depending on your preferences you could take 5 minutes in the morning and at night to list all the things you are grateful for in your life (if you like writing things down the 5 Minute journal is a great one). Or you can go for a walk. It might not seem like much but the simple act of walking has a very meditative effect. You could take a bath and let your body unwind. The list of things you could do is endless and should fit you.
Have a plan
Once you have the end goal in mind…and on paper, you’ll need a plan to get there. You’ll need to find ways to make this goal of yours a reality. In addition, you’ll have to try and anticipate potential hurdles and ways to get over them.
Anytime I have been on the verge of getting off track with some of my goals, I was saved by having a solid plan in place and organizing ahead. For example, to avoid eating junk right before dinner time, I try and start cooking 30min before I’m going to be hungry. I have the recipe ready and all the ingredients in the fridge. This means that I planned my meals out and got food delivered to my house beforehand. I am not needing to go out to fetch a missing ingredient right when it’s time to cook. That way: no excuses!
Even if organizing is not your thing, I promise you it will make a world of a difference when you’ll be in the thick of it! So take the time each week to plan your success. Also every important: take the time at the end of each week to review. What went well, what could be improved, how did you feel throughout the week, what frustrated you, what made you happy? Note everything dow. This will be very precious information to getting to know yourself better and knowing how you work!
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