Emma Young

Some people are great at changing their lifestyle. They can stand up, make a sweeping declaration with a twinkle in their eye, and a month later they’re at the gym four times a week and can’t remember what processed food tastes like.  Well, I applaud them.  I for one am only fantastic at that first step. Honestly, it seems a little sad when I think about how frequently I’ve declared that a lifestyle change was in order and that I was done with giving up and saying “the diet starts tomorrow.” I might be the worst perpetrator of that. Ever. The worst. I’m pretty sure the diet has been starting tomorrow for four years.

5.14.TW

And sometimes it’s funny to laugh about, but at the end of the day I have to admit it’s embarrassing. It’s tough. It’s ridiculously, unrealistically, kick-the-wall-scream-into-a-pillow frustrating. Because it all seems so simple – yet I end up in the same guilty place every night, staring at my ceiling and wondering how it all went wrong. I know better, right? I suppose for me it’s just too easy to turn my brain off when someone sets takeout down in front of me. In that moment, all that exists is me, the lo mein, and the chopsticks.

As someone who can’t just say ‘well I’ll do better tomorrow’ unless I want the rest of my life to be tomorrows, I need a concrete plan and something to hold onto when that Chinese takeout menu sits before me.

1. Take a step back

Take a few seconds to consider the situation you’re in. Ask yourself how many times you’ve had to start over, how many times you’ve regretted having messed up, how many times you’ve promised things would get better. How do you want to feel tonight? We’ve all heard it a thousand times but there’s a lot of value to the phrase “what is today but yesterday’s tomorrow?” If you look at the situation objectively, a moment of gratification hardly seems worth whatever amount of time you’d waste regretting it, or the amount of time you’d spend having to overcome that setback.

2. Use your imagination

Imagine how good you think that cupcake is going to taste. Now be realistic, and imagine how it’ll actually taste. You know, I’ve found that maybe the first few bites are good, but the rest of the experience is trying to get that initial moment back. It’s probably not going to be as great as you’re building it up to be.

But next, imagine how happy you’ll be when you’ve reached your goals and you’re living a gratifying, healthy life. Imagine how much more awake you’ll feel, how much cleaner your body will seem, and above all, how comfortable you’ll be with yourself. All of that is worth a few difficult days of rebuilding healthy habits.

3. Write a letter

 Dear future self… In those moments where you’re lamenting all your setbacks and frustration, write yourself a letter. Encourage yourself, maybe caution yourself, but remember to do so gently. Give yourself positive affirmations. This isn’t an opportunity to tell yourself off, or take out your anger. It should be helpful, and supportive, because you believe that your future self will take your lessons and do better next time. Read whenever you need to.

4. Don’t wait to start working out

I don’t know if everyone has this problem, but if some of you do I don’t want you guys to feel alone just in case. I have the terrible habit of not working out because I’ve gained weight. Somehow I manage to convince myself that it’s a better idea to go to the gym later, once I’ve lost a little, so that I won’t feel physically uncomfortable working out. And in some ways that does make sense – if I’m very uncomfortable in my body, I’ll be nervous to have to focus on it and make it do things. But let’s all try to remember – that’s silly. There’s not really a deep philosophical argument against this way of thinking. It’s simple logic. Working out is going to address the problem that makes me uncomfortable. Trust me – no one is judging you for trying to get your life in a healthier place. And at the end of the day, even if you are self-conscious, you’re going to feel better after exercising.

5. Re-appropriate the “later”

Instead of the diet starting later, decide to eat junk food later. Put it off until eventually it doesn’t get done – that’s one way to avoid filling your diet with unhealthy food. Or, designate a day where you get to eat unhealthy (I usually go with Friday as junk food day, or the weekend if I’m feeling crazy). Sometimes you can even write down the things you want for later, and then have them on a specific day so you don’t feel out of control, you don’t overeat, but you still don’t deprive yourself of treats.

6. Patience is an undervalued virtue

A lot of the time my mindless snacking happens because I’m too impatient to wait for the next real meal I’m going to have. Not only does this result in overeating, but it also ruins meals that I might be looking forward to because I’ve ruined my appetite.

But most importantly, when you’re starting a shift in your lifestyle, you have to remember to be patient when it comes to results. If you give up because nothing’s happened for a whole week, you’re never going to stick it out long enough. Your body needs time to build habits, and it’ll take a while to see changes. You might not even notice until way in the future when they’ve finally built up. But you can’t quit because you feel like it’s not gratifying, because eventually things level out and you realize that every good day meant you got to that healthy point a day sooner.

7. Simplify

At the end of the day, this is food. It’s fuel and health and necessary, and every choice you make is just that – a simple choice that’s oftentimes between a ‘yes’ and a ‘no.’ Every thing needs to be done in moderation. It’s more unhealthy to obsess over everything you eat and how often you workout than to be unaware of it, in my opinion. It’s just health, and with a few adjustments it’s a simple reflex and shift in how you view your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be a huge psychological dilemma. Health is important, but it doesn’t need to take over your life. Unfortunately it’s a tricky middle ground to balance, but once you get the hang of it it gets easier.

I hope these tips have been helpful if you’re struggling to find your way back on that wagon – and remember not to be ashamed of falling off. Believe me, I might as well be wearing a helmet at this point.

But remember that health is important because you’re important. If you prioritize yourself, you’ll see that you deserve a healthy lifestyle where you feel comfortable and happy. And most importantly, you don’t deserve to wallow in guilt every night no matter what choices you make. So put yourself first, and start adjusting your life so you can be where you want to be.

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