You’ve seen it all. People changing by dropping half their body weight in a matter of months. People being declared free of health problems when they’ve been riddled with them for years. People changing, becoming healthy and happy. But why can’t it be you? At least that’s what you ask yourself in the mirror when you look at your skin closely and see some spots under the surface, or hold your stomach. Well, the question isn’t rhetorical. Why can’t it be YOU? Read on for Changing You: It’s the Little Things that Make the Difference!
Be aware of the quick-fix addiction
It’s important to know that it’s your pursuit of pleasure in the present that holds you back. You want quick satisfaction. It’s the very reason that drive-thrus exist. Yes, you enjoyed your order, or the chocolate bikkies on sale at Tesco, but you’re going to feel so bad about it later on and you’re going to feel so bad about yourself. Then the cycle continues. One rule you could apply is refusing to buy food outside of your weekly shop. This will encourage you to always use a shopping list, meal prep and be more conscious of what you’re eating. Going out? Eat before you go, you’ll save a lot of money in the process!
Drink more water
That’s it – water. I cannot stress enough the importance of getting enough of it. If you can, make the decision to only have water for your fluid intake. If you need to, add some squash, have flavoured water or make a fruit tea. But make sure you’re having enough water – it can increase your metabolism by up to 30%! If you drink alcohol, try to reduce how much you’re drinking – it would be great if you didn’t drink at all to avoid getting dehydrated but that’s completely up to you.
Self-control
One wise triathlete once told me: “If you can’t have just one of them, have none of them.” Self-control is a gift from above, but some of us aren’t so good with it. If that’s you, that’s okay. Of course, one day you will be put in the furnace and self-control will be the only thing to get you through. But for today, when you’re daydreaming about pop tarts, “out of sight, out of mind” sounds like the right, common-sense approach. It’s nice to have a treat once in a while – when we don’t, we end up bingeing and feeling awful for it, so definitely don’t do that. If you have enough self-control to walk past the multipacks, I think maybe you deserve to buy a single Kinder Bueno.
Changing by small, baby steps
Is it hard to train for a marathon? Heck yes. Is it hard to only eat for sport? Definitely! But is it hard to drink a lil’ bit more water? Is it hard to not get a takeaway? Can you buy just one Crunchie? I can hear the crickets as you silently twiddle your thumbs, knowing damn well that these are things anyone could do. And whilst you won’t make it as a fitness icon from avoiding fast food, you’ll feel better about yourself, and realise that it’s simply not worth it.
