Five steps to feeling ten out of ten

yoga

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We all need to eat healthy and to exercise more, right? We could all lose a little weight and we could all benefit from being a little bit fitter and enjoying just a little more energy. Most of all though, it seems to me, we could all do with a magic wand to actually make those things happen.

Balancing a busy life and keeping the body as fit and as healthy as we’d like isn’t easy.

There has to be a reason why film stars look like film stars and not like the rest of us, and I reckon it’s because looking like that is actually a full time job. And weirdly, as a working mom, I reckon I’ve got two of those on the go already.

In fact now I come to think about it, looking like a film star is probably about half a dozen full time jobs if you factor in the make-up artists, the personal trainers, the plastic surgeons, the dieticians, the lighting technicians and the rest of the professional glamourati.

The rest of us could all be perfect tens too, as long as we had all that help and it was the only thing we actually had to get done between now and next Christmas!

Not that I’m bitter or anything.

So, minus the film crew and the rest of the showbiz crowd, here are my tips to give yourself that little extra incentive that really is all you need to be that half a size slimmer and that one pinch fitter. The focus here is on the exercise side of the story.

Don’t go it alone: whatever you do – running, slimming, meditating or mountaineering – do it with a girlfriend. Motivation shared is a motivation made real. Sometimes all you need is that little nudge to get up off the couch. Having someone else along to provide that little push can make all the difference in the world. And if you’re as competitive as I am, that won’t do you any harm either!

Take a different angle: No-one says you have to be conventional. If you want to plan your exercise around your horoscope, who is there to tell you it’s a bad thing to do? If combining fitness and your stars is the way to get yourself motivated, you go for it. But it doesn’t have to be your faith in heavenly bodies that sets you on your way to your own firmer figure. Only you know what it is that’ll make the difference to you, so don’t hide it away – get in touch with your inner motivator.

Deal with the real you: Working to get just a little bit fitter shouldn’t feel like joining a vegan nunnery. Cut yourself some slack. Give yourself a couple of days off every now and then. Keep them under control – it’s easy to slip back into bad habits (as they say in all the best nunneries) – but we are who we are. If you get off on ice cream and apple pie, you won’t make yourself any happier if you try telling yourself you’ve had your last ever spoonful. And if you start out pretending that you’ve suddenly developed the self-control of a saint, odds are you will soon be disappointed.

Set achievable goals: This is the basis for all sorts of good outcomes. You’ve heard it a million times already, but it’s the only way that works. So make it easy on yourself. If you start out aiming too high, you’re 100% setting yourself up to fail.

Make it quick: This is so obvious I can’t believe I’ve never seen it anywhere else! Just do stuff quicker. On the one hand it’ll get your heart beating that little bit faster – and that’s all we’re taking about really – and on the other hand it’ll give you more time to enjoy that well-earned piece of apple pie. All you have to do is walk back from the store that little bit faster, or get up and down stairs just that little bit more energetically. It will make a difference, I promise.

Not much of a magic wand, I know, but hey, this isn’t the movies!

Comments

  1. Judy Cowan says

    Great tips – I think setting realistic, achievable goals is really important. Otherwise you are just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.

  2. kathy downey says

    awesome tips, I try to set achievable goals and some days that is hard

  3. These are some great tips…sometimes I feel truly down because I feel as if I’m not being the best I can be.

  4. Good tips. Setting realistic goals is important so that you don't feel like you've let yourself down and give up. Keeping a journal helps too.
    My recent post Let’s Talk Health: Essential Oils to Help Curb Cravings and Addictions

  5. Thanks for sharing. I'm currently on week two of my weight-loss journey. When I started, I made it a point to tell the world (via Facebook) just how far I had let myself go and what my goals were to get my health back on track. I felt that by letting the world in, I created accountability for myself. I also learned that I have an amazing support system and if I choose to give up, I'm not only giving up on myself, but also those who are rooting for me.
    My recent post Weight Loss Journey: Weigh-In Wednesday

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