"And I said to my body, softly. ' I want to be your friend.' It took a long breath and replied, ' I have been waiting my whole life.' " - Nayyirah Waheed
Let's be honest,
every new year we all set "goals" that never see the light of day,
and a very common one is to shed those extra pounds that we piled on the prior
year. In the beginning it's actually very motivating and exciting. But, It can
be overwhelming when you suddenly realize "Oh shit, I have to actually go
through with this for more than 2 weeks to see results." That’s when we
usually stop and never get the job done. Later, you feel like a failure because
you didn’t accomplish much. I know first hand since I've been down that road before. Although, I really do enjoy eating healthy, I
love ice cream, tacos, and my occasional glass of wine more. I love to run and
workout but I also love to relax and lounge with my hubby and kiddos while
watching movies. I truly do enjoy a healthy life style and it's a very
appealing thought to finally fit into those skinny jeans, nevertheless, I will not be discontinuing my treats because I enjoy them too. Now, the question
isn't if I want to shed these extra pounds because you and I both know, that
girl friend wants to fit into those jeans.
So, what to do next?
I came up with three solutions that have been resonating with me perfectly.
Maybe my tips can help and motivate you once again to start right here and now
along side with me. I am just like you, beginning this journey too.
1. DO NOT set long
term goals or "unrealistic" ones either (instead) set daily smaller
goals.
What do I mean? You
might ask. First, when you set daily goals it's most likely to follow through
and if you slip you can always start again the next day. I've been doing this
since the beginning of the new year, and I find myself grabbing the apple instead
of the cookies nine out of ten times.
(pretty impressive for someone who loves sweets) Also, working out has become a
daily thing. It varies on the daily basis since some days my goal is to do a
one hour home workout and other times it's to go around my neighborhood for a
thirty minute jog while pushing my toddler in his stroller. The best part is
that by the end of the day, I'm very proud of my accomplishment.
2. THINK POSITIVE.
The words we say to
ourselves can either inspire us or crush us. The thoughts we swirl with on the
daily are the words that we speak to ourselves. Remember that you are your very
own best friend. Speak to yourself as if you were speaking to a baby with nourishing
and loving words. I have always been pretty good at this, however, lately, I'm
like "Girl, you got it going on" and I feel incredible most of the
time. My self conversations have become my best yet, therefore, I have been
able to keep on with my journey of tightening it up.
3. LOVE YOURSELF FIRST.
This goes alongside with
thinking positive. Loving yourself is truly key to achieving anything.
Especially when it comes to physically changing your body. It's easier said
than done ( I know ) but remember that the only and main reason why you want to
lose weight is because you think you will feel better after accomplishing this.
Chances are that if you do not start with loving yourself first, you will end
up finding other things that you're still unsatisfied with even though the
extra pounds are gone. Especially when you're on the road to slimming down you must
remember to love and embrace your body now just as it is. I can honestly tell
you, that when you stop to think about how incredible your body is, a new appreciation is born. I love my body,
not because "it's perfect" in society's eyes but because my body is amazing with all it's in perfections. I have two
working legs that allow me to chase my kids. I have fingers that allow me to
type this for you, arms that I use to hug my love ones, but most importantly, an incredible working body that is full of
energy to play with my family and workout whenever I want. My body is my temple
and that is why, I choose to nourish and love it. I know, that loosing weight
might allow me to fit into my skinny jeans but I cannot forget to love it now
just as it is.
Lets all have fun
with this and remember that life is supposed to be lived with adventure. Make
it a daily priority to set a small goal, think positive, and above all love
yourself first. I will give you all an update on my progress in two months. I
also know that slow progress is better than no progress. I'm very excited that
I wont worry about breaking any huge goals this year because I will be
taking it day by day. I am learning as I go to follow my happy thoughts,
somehow, they always know exactly where I should be. Let me know if any of
these tips resonate with you or if you have any of your own tips to get that
body fitting into those jeans. Again, this is what works for me. I gladly share my tips with you
because maybe they will work for you too.
XOXO, Lety
