Hello and welcome to another edition of HELP For Mums. A platform for us to share our struggles and successes on this journey to achieving a healthy lifestyle balance. Whether you’re a stay at home mum, a working mum, a mum to be, or a mum at heart this platform is for you!
So it’s October already, 3/4 of the year is gone and there are only about 90 days left in 2016! If you are like more than 70% of people who set a fitness goal this year, you have not yet achieved your goal or you have completely abandoned it! At this junction, you have two options – you could either remain where you are, justify all the reasons why you have fallen off the wagon and admit defeat; or you could make the most of these last 3 months of the year by taking some ACTION!
If you chose to take action here are 3 tips to help you make the most of it;
1.) Don’t Get Hung Up On Numbers
I’m not saying that setting a goal weight for yourself or having a timeline is a bad thing. But as women we are notorious for setting large weight loss goals and giving ourselves tight timelines. The negative effect of this is that when we don’t see the numbers that we like as quickly as we had hoped, we are more likely to get discouraged, give up, and often times digress.
When we remain fixated on achieving a certain weight, or try to meet a certain timeline, we are less likely to notice the daily, weekly or monthly gains.
The truth is that the numbers on the scale are not the only measures of success.
Ask yourself these questions often;
“Do I have more energy, strength, endurance? ”
“Do my clothes fit better?”
“What positive changes have I made and been able to stick to”?
I’m sure that if you ask yourself some of these questions you will find that you are being successful after all.
2.) Have A Plan
As the saying goes “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. It can be very overwhelming to embark on a fitness journey without a plan. Not knowing what you are doing can cause you to do nothing all together. Winging it is not a very good idea, especially if you are just starting out.
So sit down, write out some REALISTIC goals and make a plan.
- Decide how many days in week you will exercise, for how long and at what time of the day. Then put in your day planner, phone, set a reminder – whatever you have to do to make sure you don’t “forget”.
- Decide what kind of exercises you will be doing. Do some research, find some videos, get a plan made for you by a fitness expert etc. It will reduce stress and frustration and save you time.
3.) Get Accountability
If you are struggling to stay committed/motivated to your fitness goals despite all your best efforts, you might just need a PUSH. And getting an accountability partner might be just the push you need.
It could be;
- Your spouse
- A friend
- A workout buddy
- A coach
- A personal trainer
- A boot camp
Whatever your preference, it’s always great to surround yourself with people that can motivate and encourage you and who have your best interests at heart.
This doesn’t mean that you will have to depend on someone forever, as the lifestyle becomes more a habit, you may find that you are able to motivate yourself and continue on your own.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” – 3 John 1:2
Here’s to a healthier and more successful final 1/4 of 2016!
BFM