When it comes to making a change and actually sticking to a plan then try chunking down whatever you want to achieve into a set of behaviours.
Here are five that are tried and tested and more importantly work.
Number One – Start with Your Nutrition Before You Even Think About Lacing Up the Runners
Have you started an exercise programme in earnest only to give up at the first splattering of rain, overtime your boss dealt you or stressful event that literally threw you out of whack?
The chance is that a) you haven’t made your goal very important to you or you have lost sight of it for a minute and b) your brain chemistry is out of whack.
We have chemical messengers in our brain that determine our mood, focus, motivation and above all else ‘drive’. And yes – you can manipulate these.
Just remember if you want these to function in your favour then you have to consume a clean diet of whole foods, plenty of veggies, organic meats and clean fish.
If you want to throw a spanner in the works then throw in some processed foods, pastries, coffee and sugar and you will be surprised at how quickly your drive to do ANYTHING is like pushing a car uphill.
Number Two – Work Hard on Your Sleep
Ever felt like hitting the gym after heading to bed with the world in your head, interspersed with trips to toilet in the night and your mobile alarm throwing you out of bed?
No – didn’t think so.
Think of your body like a set of rechargeable batteries. Broken sleep is like taking those batteries out mid charge. Eventually they will just pack up.
Try and hit the sack by 10.30 to stay in tune with your repair and regeneration cycles.
Number Three – Choose Better Quality Foods Over Low Calorie Offerings
Ever followed a low calories diet only to put on weight as soon as you came off it or worse still, whilst you were on it?
The more we leaner the more it comes obvious that the calorie myth is slowly becoming obsolete in the tackle against obesity.
Our focus should always be on the quality of our foods with nutrient dense foods like meats, fish, veggies and fruits replacing the processed chemically preserved and additive riddled offerings that plague our aisles.
We are not designed to eat these franken-foods. Our body doesn’t know what to do with them.
Number Four – Screw the Rest
Ever had a friend who no matter how hard they try just can’t help but put you down or even worse question everything you do?
Screw the rest.
It has nothing to do with anyone. No one knows how much you weigh and truth be told no one really cares.
It is all to do with how you look and feel and for that to manifest itself you may need to buck the trend or go against the ‘norm’.
Number Five – The Goal is to Keep the Goal
Have you ever had a goal in the back of your mind so intense that eventually it just fades away as quickly as the X Factor Contestants?
The goal is to keep the goal not in the back of your mind but in the forefront with enough clarity that it makes you personally accountable.
One great way of doing this is writing down your goal, placing a time stamp on it and then putting it where you will see it every day.
Maybe it is on your desk, or in your diary or on your phone or a repeat calendar reminder that reminds you to ‘get off your backside because fat doesn’t move itself’.
Make yourself accountable to a group too. If you are running a marathon for the first time which route do you think would be easier a) to do the lot by yourself or b) join a running club.
These are just five of my strategies that when applied consistently yield the best results. See, nothing too sinister. Just good old fashioned common sense. But then common sense sometimes isn’t so common.
