Partnership With Your Body: How to Create the Change You Want to See
We set goals to achieve and even have the best intentions of getting it done. But pursuing something will always be met with resistance, including our internal dialogue. No matter where we are on our fitness journey, we have all encountered times where we need to take a moment to step back to assess what am I doing and why.
No goal can be achieved without some level of partnership.
Are you in partnership with or a dictator to your body? That is the question, and the answer requires honest self-reflection.
Are you listening to your body?
Often in starting or continuing a fitness journey, we use other people’s achievements and formulas because if it worked for them that way in that time frame, it would work for me. However, you have to listen for what you can handle and be patient with yourself. Push past your comfort zone because you are stronger than you think but not at the risk of injury or malnutrition.
Awareness vs. judgment
The way you create lasting change is with awareness, not judgment. Awareness of the problem is to think about your current actions today and determine if they align with your current process. To be aware of your actions is, to be honest with yourself, but rather than judge yourself for your mistakes and shortcomings, be aware and listen for the cues that trigger unhealthy choices and make better choices for your body.
Eliminate the perfection mindset – even on our best days; we are not perfect.
Sir Winston Churchill said, “perfectionism is the enemy of progress.” If you are the one who starts strong on Monday and misses on Tuesday, get back up Wednesday and try again. Be patient with yourself and know that you can finish and finish this journey strong.
Instead:
Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) goals for yourself.
When you do the reflective work of self-awareness, you can be kind to yourself in setting objectives for the week, month, quarter, and year. Preparation is the commitment to change - to make changes to address the problem. Make small changes like drinking a gallon of water a day for a week, eating smaller portions, or trying intermittent fasting in a 14-hour window and assess how you did. Take inventory of what worked and what didn’t and ask what the barriers were. Then get up, tweak, and try again.
Be consistent work on one habit at a time to attack changes in smaller bites and celebrate those victories.
As you continue to track and make progress, not perfection, you will learn what works for your body and stick with it because the changes become a lifestyle.
Let go of the all-or-nothing mindset.
The all-or-nothing mindset is the enabler of perfectionism and the enemy of progress. So don’t go all in one week and completely stop the next. Yes, life happens to all of us, but do whatever you have to do to remain focused – stick with it because the results of a healthier you are worth it! You will make your journey more realistic and sustainable when you allow yourself grace for missteps, get back up and get back on track.
In conclusion, Downs Fitness Tips for Long-Term Healthy Living:
Results come from consistency
Routine eating can help maximize weight loss
Make exercise part of your daily schedule – put it on your calendar and block it off as do not disturb; this is your ME time
Allow yourself time to build your routine organically
Focus on small goals and daily progress
Your body is not your servant but your partner for life – treat it well and take care of yourself. Your body will perform its best when it is loved.