Charity Stewart is posting Mondays in December on fitness. But know that is about so much more than fitness. Caring for our physical health is just the beginning. Before reading this final part of the series, read these first: Part One and Part Two and Part Three.
FILE! As in, Keep a Journal and File away all the details about your day.
Log meals and exercise to keep you on track and be sure when you’re eating it is food for fuel – not boredom. Many times our caloric intake is way higher than we think it is because we fail to take into account all of the mindless eating we do throughout the day. How many times did you open the fridge and grab this or that, or a cookie from the counter, or another cup of coffee with fat free creamer. That stuff still adds up. Keep a journal this winter, when mindless eating is at its peak.
If you open the refrigerator and take a bite – WRITE IT DOWN! What you ate, when and why. Yes, even if it’s just a bite. Start becoming aware of when and why you’re eating and you’ll notice the cause. Are you just bored or did you not have enough at lunch? Is it stress or did you have a more intense workout today and need that extra helping? When you do choose to eat, write it down first, and then enjoy it. Savor it. Because you made the choice to have it, so have it without guilt. But note why so that when you evaluate your progress you know where your choices are taking you and if that direction is towards the goal you have set.
Tracking exercise – or lack of – is important as well. Write it down in your journal – what you did, how long, when, how you felt before and after, and why. The how you felt before and after is the most important because on a day you feel pretty lousy, you can go back and read through your journal and find that on a day you felt the same way, you felt better once you had some movement. This also helps track movements when you’re breaking it up over a few segments throughout the day so you can be sure you’re getting in at least 30 minutes of heart rate increasing activity daily.
Keep track of your WHYs. As you journal, write what motivated you to move or eat more consciously that day. Keep track of your reasons and begin to notice which ones kept you motivated and why. The more you learn what guides you to your goals, the easier it will be to stay on track.
FREEDOM
Freedom doesn’t come at the end of this journey when you’ve reached whatever goal you set. Freedom on this journey comes from realizing that you are worth the effort. Freedom comes when you find that the tiny objectives are bringing you closer to a goal. Freedom comes from realizing your goal was just a tiny part of a much bigger picture that is in store for your life. There is only freedom on these paths, not failure. Slipping up, screwing up, “falling off the wagon”, and taking a break… whatever you may call it, are just natural steps to freedom, not failure. Failure only comes if you make the decision that your health is not worth the effort. That YOU are not worth the effort. And friend, you are. You really, really are.
Charity Stewart is a married mom of 2 boys and uses her own weight loss journey to motivate others to health. After shedding 85 pounds and gaining a whole lot of confidence, she went back to school and became a certified personal trainer and group instructor. She uses a “whole you” approach to set, reach and maintain lifelong goals. For more information about goal setting, check out her upcoming classes https://www.signmeup.com/site/online-event-registration/97028,
or contact her by e-mail or on Facebook: