Starting Monday I’m going to start… exercising, dieting, getting more sleep, improve my eating habits, quit smoking…. We’ve all made one or a combination of these proclamations to ourselves and/or others throughout our lives. For how many weeks, months, years and even decades have you been making these empty promises? Are you ready to take real; sustainable steps towards a healthy lifestyle or will the rest of your life revolve around those coming “Mondays”.
I believe in mental preparation when incorporating any new habits into one’s life. Choose a date on which you would like to start your healthy lifestyle efforts… and you do not need to start on a Monday. Three main thoughts will be in mind that first day; Food, Willpower, and Exercise.
Food
The basics of a healthy meal include:
-Whole grains
-Low-fat dairy
-Low-fat protein
-Fruits and vegetables
-Polyunsaturated Fats
-Monounsaturated Fats
A combination of these basic, core food groups provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat; a healthy combination that will have you feeling full for hours.
Exercise
The gym on Mondays is a great testament to the unhealthy cycle of the Starting Monday syndrome. Gyms on Mondays are the weekend sinner’s confessional. We come to this sanctuary of health in an effort to purge, by way of sweat, steam and exercise the unhealthy demons that we fall prey to most weekends. The issue is keeping that same level of intensity, {okay, guilt} all week long. Find activities you truly enjoy in the gym or outdoors. Implement a support system to help you stay on track whether it’s a friend, spouse, sibling or personal trainer.
Willpower
Willpower is essentially a mental muscle, and certain physical and mental forces can weaken or strengthen our self-control. We can improve self-control through practice, testing ourselves on small tasks in order to strengthen our willpower for bigger challenges. Performing certain actions or activities, which you would rather avoid doing due to laziness, procrastination, weakness, shyness is an effective method for developing and improving your willpower. By doing something that you do not like doing or are too lazy to do, you overcome your subconscious resistance, train your mind to obey you, strengthen your inner powers and gain inner strength. Muscles get stronger by resisting the power of the barbells. Inner strength is attained by overcoming inner resistance.
A healthy lifestyle requires time, commitment, and pre-planning and is not just a way of living five days out of the week. Healthy living is not about deprivation, avoiding food groups, counting calories or starvation, but about making healthy food choices and providing the body with the best wellness environment possible.
Maripili Rodriguez is a National Strength and Conditioning Association-Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Health Counselor and Natural Foods Chef. Ms. Rodriguez‘s passion for healthy living is a result of her personal struggle {and triumph} with weight, poor eating habits and self image. Maripili has the knowledge, experience and education to help you attain and maintain your wellness goals.
My Health Journey-Coaching for a Healthy Lifestyle
myhealthjourney.org
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