Planning For Your New Life

Planning For Your New Life

Weight loss normally doesn’t just happen, you have to plan for it. When are you going to exercise, what are you going to fuel your body with? There are lots of things that will get in your way if you don’t have a plan. 

You have to carve out a little time out of your day and make it your own. Time is not an excuse- we all have the same amount of hours in each day. It’s how you choose to spend your time that counts. 

Life is nothing more than a series of choices. You have the power to choose how you want to live your life and everyday is a brand new start. 

In the next 27 days we will be talking about how your thinking effects weight loss, how to give your body what it needs to be healthy and how to slowly build exercise into your life. 

Weighless Habits day 2 is about planning so right now decide when you are going to exercise each day. This has to become part of your daily routine just like brushing your teeth. Plan for just 45 minutes a day.  We have 1,440 minutes in each day so use 45 of those minutes to make your entire life better. 

I get up very early to work out. If I don’t do it first thing in the morning, I probably will not do it. I am a morning person so waiting till later in the day doesn’t work for me. What time will be best for you? If you can barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning because you are a night owl then you need a different plan. Could you use your lunch hour? Grab a pair of tennis shoes on your way out in the morning and go for a walk at lunch or go to the closest gym. What about after work? If you have kids that you have been away from all day the thought of another hour away from them may not sound like a great idea (depending on the day- some days it might sound great) so include them. Head to the park or chase them around the backyard. Play baseball, walk or ride bikes or google playground workouts. This is a great way to play with your kids while you take care of yourself. 

You just have to schedule your workouts just like everything else in your life or it won’t get done. 

Many mornings I really do not want to get up and get moving. I just tell myself that if I get a few minutes into the workout and still not feeling it then I am allowed to take it easy. Any movement is better than no movement right? Nine times out of ten I get into it. I have never finished a workout and thought “ I wish I hadn’t done that” but if I skip it I think about it all day. Working out has become part of my routine. You just need to make a plan that works for you. 

The same planning has to happen for your food also. If you don’t make a plan you will really limit yourself. There are a lot of good fast food options now but when you are starving and pull into the drive thru are you sure you will stick to your healthy plan in your head or will your stomach take over and tell you to order the burger, fries and milkshake? 

In the beginning while you are teaching yourself healthy habits it’s best to not tempt yourself anymore than you have to. You must get into the habit of going to the store so you are prepared with healthy food. I know, I hate going to the store too but if you think about it is fast food really all that fast? You have to drive there, sit in the drive thru or go in and stand in line, they will probably get your order wrong so you have to get back in line.... wouldn’t it be easier to make a plan for things you want to eat that will make you feel better?  Make a plan of  will go to the store so you have what you need instead of the daily trips to fast food places. Use that time saved to go for a walk. 

Get a small cooler and pack what you will eat for the day- lunch, a couple of snacks maybe even a light dinner if you know you will be busy after work. Now you will be ready for the day. How great will that be to have food with you and not really have to think about it? This also helps with portion control. If it’s already packed you are less likely to eat an entire bag of chips.

In the next few weeks we will talk about how to plan for your healthy meals and snacks and how to start adding more exercise into your life. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Just plan for the habit we are working on each day. The rest will all fall into place. This is about changing habits a little at a time so they will stay with you for life. Remember this is not another diet- this is your new healthy life. 

I will never tell you not to eat something. To do so will only make you want it more. Any and all foods including junk foods are okay in moderation. As you work on each habit you will be teaching your body to limit the desire for foods that are unhealthy and make you feel bad. You will have a life full of healthy eating and you will notice that you just don’t feel well when you don’t take care of yourself. 

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”