Trying to shape up? You’re not alone.
This whole vicious cycle of battling the scale starts in October. Do you know the real scary part about Halloween? The fun-sized snickers bar that turns into a holiday snicker doodle.
It never ends.
Yet, here it is, April, and there they are, thousands of chocolate bunnies not hopping away but rather holding their ground like delicious diet-crushing warriors. They stand tall at the end of every store aisle, staring us down, waiting to be consumed.
Peeps. We see you.
Whether you celebrate Easter or not, these bunnies don’t discriminate. They’re inviting us with their adorable, edible eyeballs, listening to our fears with their delicious ears, laughing at our first world dieting problems with their hollow bunny bellies.
Hollow bellies. If only it were that easy. Human bellies crave the good stuff.
It’s that same old new year’s resolution routine. After gorging all the cookies and chocolate humanly possible throughout hibernation, we promise ourselves, the gym gods and our hundreds of social media friends that we will be on that treadmill five times a week (starting tomorrow). We’re so serious that we even sign that creed with emoji’s so everyone knows we’re doing it for real this time.
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Except, tomorrow comes, and here it is. April. What happened to quitting chocolate cold turkey? Turkey happened. I love turkey.
Kudos to you if you’ve changed your lifestyle for the better. No shame to you if you’re still looking to find motivation to shed a few pounds. No worries if you think you can’t do it.
Don’t quit. Don’t ever give up. Make your life about setting goals and striving to achieve them. Make your life a lifestyle.
Here are five ideas to get you thinking about how to make that huge diet prophecy a lifestyle.
Find Support in Others
One of the best ways to find the motivation to succeed in anything you’re doing is to seek support from others. Wanting to lose weight doesn’t need to be a secret and friends can be great coaches.
Sometimes, it’s easy to let yourself down. It’s much more difficult to let down a friend, plus that person will likely guilt trip you if you blow off an early morning gym commitment. Joining a training team or partnering with a friend is a great way to hold one another accountable. Plus, providing support to someone else is a great confidence booster, and you’ll be reminded of why you both decided to go down this path in the first place.
We Recommend: Weight Watchers
Find Motivation in Bigger Goals
Races and long walks can seem intimidating, but the opportunity to raise money for a great cause can be inviting. It’s one thing to set a goal of losing weight, but setting a goal to help someone else in the process of building your own stamina is a happy balance.
Instead of going it alone, there are team training opportunities, dance classes and even social fitness clubs and leagues that can make your own goals fit into a bigger plan. It’s a great motivator when others are counting on you to be there.
Be Creative
Deciding to embrace an active lifestyle doesn’t have to feel like a prison sentence. Today, there are many options for people looking to get out and move. You don’t have to run a marathon to incorporate exercise into your daily life.
Go for a walk on your lunch break. Take the stairs. Park farther from your destination and stretch those joints.
If you hate the gym, think about taking a dance class instead. Learn a new skill like karate, boxing or self-defense. Go for a hike. Kayak down a river. Bike to the store. Learn how to garden and do landscaping around the yard.
If you think outside the box, you can avoid the box of a gym and still get some exercise.
Find Motivation in Bigger Goals
Races and long walks can seem intimidating, but the opportunity to raise money for a great cause can be inviting. It’s one thing to set a goal of losing weight, but setting a goal to help someone else in the process of building your own stamina is a happy balance.
Instead of going it alone, there are team training opportunities, dance classes and even social fitness clubs and leagues that can make your own goals fit into a bigger plan. It’s a great motivator when others are counting on you to be there.
Keep Yourself Busy
Idle hands will do the devil’s work. Or find their way into the cookie jar. If you find yourself on the couch every night battling cravings in the freezer, consider finding a new hobby to keep your mind and your hands occupied. A big aspect of leading a healthy lifestyle is finding inner-peace and continuing to grow as a person.
If you don’t want to keep growing in the way that keeps you too swollen to wear last year’s pants, consider taking an art class, cooking class or even music lessons. Trying something new might surprise you and you might find a new talent!
Coupon websites like Groupon and Living Social are a great avenue to supporting local businesses on a budget.
Celebrate Yourself
The most important thing to remember throughout this process is to pat yourself on the back when you accomplish a goal, no matter how small or big. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if you stray from your goals. As a human being, it’s natural to want a break from eating like a rabbit. Let those fast food stops be the exception and not the go-to choice for dinner.
The trips to the gym, deciding to take the stairs and choosing to eat right should be the habits you adopt.
You don’t have to love the gym, and not every active person does. The small decisions to move your body really can make a difference. Finding something you like and going after that is much better way to stay committed than forcing yourself to do something you hate.
If you let yourself down, let yourself know there’s always tomorrow. Except, tomorrow came, it’s here, and the time is now to tackle this very frustrating yet very admirable goal.
