5 Tips to Help Achieve Your Health Goals

The first step to achieving your health goals is to actually WANT it. Once you have made that decision you have conquered half the battle, but we all need a little help from time to time.

With all of the information out there on diet and exercise, it can be incredibly overwhelming. Sometimes you just need to keep it simple on order to succeed. 

Here are five mantras to remember when the going gets tough and you want to stray from your plan.

1. Patience

Patience applies to everything in your life, but especially when it comes to changing your body and/or eating habits.  Recognize that you will have good days and bad.  Be kind to yourself and find an outlet (hit the gym, take a walk, sip tea) for those days when you feel like you want to eat everything in sight.

2. Practice clean eating.  You’re not going to have six-pack abs after a week of dieting.  But, you will see your abs over time if you fuel your body properly and stay the course.

3. Keep it real.  Don’t start an exercise or nutritional plan a month before a wedding or a reunion.  While these may be good motivators to get in shape or lose weight, use that kick-start as motivation to adopt a healthier lifestyle for the long haul.

4. Slow and steady wins the race. Changing your body is like building a house. Establishing a strong foundation is the first order of business. Do your research, talk to a nutritionist and/or a personal trainer for tips on how to proceed if you’re unsure.  Take it one day at a time and watch the results unfold.

5. When the going gets tough, persevere!  You will have days when you feel fatigued or unmotivated.  Keep inspirational sayings and pictures on your fridge or at your desk. (And follow Muscle & Fitness Hers’ Instagram for daily motivation and tips). 

These reminders can help prevent you giving in to cravings and keep your goals front and center. When I’m craving junk food, I make a chocolate protein shake with powdered peanut butter in the blender with ice. This tastes like a milk shake without the added fat and calories of ice cream, and I’ve just fueled my body.

You will hit bumps in the road but don’t let that derail your progress.  If you slip up and overindulge one day, get right back to your plan the next day.  Don’t beat yourself up, just accept it and move forward.  There’s no better gift to you than the gift of health. Remember, it’s called bodybuilding, not body built -- it's a process.