Hello Guys!
I decided that every now and then I am going to pen a letter to you all. I want this to be completely informal and just my honest thoughts on a specific subject matter. I am going to write how I speak (which apparently is not always the formal ways to write articles and blog posts) and since I spend most of my working hours talking this may be a bit long (sorry…).
So, in my first letter I want to talk about the importance of finding joy in the process towards any goal you set. Many of you have come to see more for weight loss or other forms of diet and lifestyle change to better yourself and your health. I see every day how hard these changes can be to not only make but sustain day in and day out for years and years on end. I have personally been going through a lot of changes in my life lately and can tell you that regardless of the change you are trying to make, whether big or small, if you do not find joy and love in the process it is almost impossible to make it stick.
Dieting and weight loss are always synonymous with deprivation. Most weight loss plans discuss which foods to cut out, portion control or cycle up and down. The secret is any diet program out there that creates a calorie deficit will help you lose weight BUT if you do not enjoy eating in that way you will most likely not adopt that style long term. Now this does not mean that changes will always be easy and if a diet style appears challenging to you initially you should not even try, but more so once you start any new lifestyle behavior, I would suggest immediately changing how you talk about it. Using words like “this sucks”, “I am starving”, and my favorite “when can I eat normally again” link a very negative connotation to your plan and starts impacting your beliefs that you can incorporate the plan effectively. Why would you want to do something every day that feels so awful? I strongly recommend changing how you say things. Use confident words and phrases like “This has been challenging but I am getting better at it every day” or “I know I can do this because I am strong and if I put my mind to something I can accomplish it”.
I encourage you to also find the small joys in the process. Some examples of this could be seeing the sunrise in the morning, after your exercise is completed, or the feeling of accomplishment when you meal plan for the week ahead, or loving how beautiful the grocery cart looks when it is full of different colored fruits and vegetables. I know these things sound silly and small, but you must choose health every day. You must choose your goals every day. You must choose to be stronger than your excuses every day and anything that helps you stay positive and attached to this process is a win. Happiness is something that is prized and needs to be cultivated daily and if you can truly embrace this concept, you will be able to find so much happiness in improved nutrition, training, meditation, improved sleep or whatever your health goal may be.
In Health & Happiness, Jessica Murgueytio