I have to admit it makes my “blood boil” a bit when people approach me, say they want to change, and then cop out at the first sign of struggle. Or they complain that nothing is changing when in reality they aren't making changes in order to impact change. And then there are those who act like what I've done--shed 130+ lbs.--was as easy as a walk in the park. Well, for some, a walk in the park or anywhere else IS NOT easy!
It's about perspective people; and NOT EVERYDAY OF THIS IS GOING TO BE PERFECT…wait, did you get that...because it’s important. NOT EVERYDAY OF THIS JOURNEY WILL BE PERFECT, heck not even every moment will! So stop setting that expectation and you’ll start to see more success. Now, keep in mind that your definition and my definition of success probably differ. But the intentions remain the same.
Let me make something quite clear; I had a choice at the beginning of this journey. I'd lost my mom (I was 25, she was 60), I'd lost my grandmother two weeks after losing my mom, and before these two major life occurrences I'd lost my job. Please tell me what at that point in my life made beginning this journey EASY or PERFECT? To top it all off, it was the heart of the US recession so financially, economically, etc. life was hard. I'm not one of those people who was always skinny or used to be the star athlete but just “fell off track” one day and gained a bunch of weight. I was that kid who was always bigger than the other girls (and in some cases guys) who battled this day in and day out and only made it harder on myself as the years went on.
So, without much money in my pocket, two matriarchs of my family now physically gone in my life, and nothing to really keep my life “normal” I started over. Just like we naturally do each morning, each week, each month of our ever day lives. The difference this time, everything that I knew as normal was no longer and I had to redefine my “new normal.” This isn’t a “fad” journey for us to take—it’s real life. So we need to stop being unrealistic in our attempts to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s not about the new gadget you buy, the latest workout regimen you try, or the food programs you go on. Oh and don’t even go there—it’s definitely NOT in some pill! It may sound corny as heck, but the truth of the matter is, all you need to be successful in living a healthy life is you in a right frame of mind. Wait, that’s another important part, did you get it? ALL YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE IS YOU IN A RIGHT FRAME OF MIND.
My story isn’t your story, so while my story may inspire don’t try and relive it. As much as I appreciate my story, I wouldn’t go back and relive it and it’s mine! Really stop and think/reflect about what your definition of a “successful” healthy lifestyle is and then take the time to plan for that success! This isn’t complicated people, BUT it does require TIME—remember that too, this REQUIRES TIME. Quality time at that! We are so caught up in everything and everyone else that we often neglect ourselves; which leads us to our unhealthy life and habits. I’m just as guilty of this as the next person, so I’m not taking a “holier than thou” stance here. Life is going to to keep on happening, so planning can only go so far. But it's the skills you develop in learning to plan ahead that help get you through the more challenging times.
So here are my tips towards success:
1) This isn’t easy, so stop expecting it to be
2) There’s going to be a lot of imperfect moments, so just accept
that
3) It’s not the tools that make you successful in this process, it’s
YOU
4) Success towards living a healthy life requires TIME and
planning
5) If you give up, you are GIVING UP ON YOU—something to keep in
mind
This is coming from someone who’s lived to tell about it J and strives to help other’s do so as well on a daily basis.
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