Why, Or Why Not?

Do you have a big life event coming up, such as a vacation, family pictures, school reunion, weight loss challenge at work?  Do you want to lose weight?  The problem is, permanent weight loss only happens when there is a permanent why.  All of those life events are short term.  When the why is gone and you face those tough food choices, all you can say is “why not” to another helping of food. Unless you have a good “why” for making a change, it just won’t stick.  You (the one reading this right now) are my why.  I am passionate about what I do and when someone has the desire to make change, it only increases my passion to help them.   You are why I do this.  You desire a healthy, less chaotic life that you can be proud of.  You are already an amazing person who can do things that others cannot, but you are ready for a change.  Let me help you dig a little deeper and find your long term why.
I often take people through a little exercise and I ask them to describe their “perfect” realistic day (keyword: realistic).  Please don’t describe a day of lying on a beach in Fiji, unless you do something similar to that anyway.

1.  Write down what your “wake up” looks like.  Do you wake up with an alarm, on your own, what time, and how do you feel when you awake – in a perfect, real world.

2. Now how does your day progress? Write down everything from what you would wear (to work or at home), how you want to feel about yourself when you look in the mirror, what you eat, how your interactions with other go throughout the day, what is your mood, how does your family respond to you, how does your significant other interact with you, right down to what time you go to bed and how you feel at bed time.

3.  Now look at how that differs from what is currently happening in your life right now.  What things do you notice?  Where are the differences between what you want and what is happening?

4.  That is the beginning of your why.  It may sound something like this. “I want to make changes because I want more energy, I want to feel better in my clothes, I want confidence, I want respect and positivity in my relationships, I want to feel accomplished at the end of the day. THIS is the type of “why” that can make a lasting impact on your health. Now, I know you are thinking, how the heck does choosing blueberries over donuts get me all of that!  Choices that seem insignificant and small add up each day and have a ripple effect on your whole life.   Now is the time to dig deep within yourself to understand your why, so you can start making choices that align with it.

So, my question to you is, did you figure out your why, or are you still saying “why not”? Take a moment and tell me your why below!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Angela