By Nicola Cucuiet and Sylvia Klinger
April gets us one step closer to summer, marking the start of spring. Take a minute to look back and acknowledge all the amazing things you have accomplished. You are amazing –get used to that. April brings you one step closer to your ultimate goal: a life filled with health, happiness and joy. In order to stay motivated, take some time off to reward yourself. Start doing things that make you happy, things you maybe always wanted to do but could never find the time or energy. Well. this is your moment!
This month learn to embrace your weaknesses. If you acknowledge the fact that there will be some mistakes made along your path to getting healthier, it will make it easier for you to overcome them. Acknowledging your weaknesses is not something bad or unusual. It does not make you less capable and it is not a sign of defeat. When choosing to change your lifestyle and your food habits, mistakes will be made along the way, but that does not make for an excuse to drop everything and return to a former unhealthy lifestyle. Acknowledging your weaknesses gives you the opportunity to regroup and start all over.
This month try some new tricks that can help you overcome your weaknesses when faced with them. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Make sure you eat a healthy snack or a quick beverage before. Shopping on an empty stomach can prevent you from making the right decisions, and you will end up buying what looks good instead of what is good for you.
If you feel like eating something that is not consistent with your diet plan, try choosing the lightest option. For example choose low fat chocolate ice-cream or light fruit tarts instead of a huge piece of cake. This will surely satisfy your sweet tooth but at the same time it will save you some calories. If you save 100 calories/day every day by making the right choices, you will save 3000 calories in less that a month. So with no effort, you can shed 10 to 11 pounds in one year just by making some simple choices.
Limit going into shops that carry your favorite decadent foods just to see what products are new. Coming face to face with temptation makes for a very difficult battle. It takes a lot of determination and willpower to be able to resist, once you’re faced with your favorite high calorie foods. So do yourself a favor and stay as far away as possible from them. In time your food conscience will become stronger and all your health habits will have become well embedded within you, making temptation a thing of the past, but until that day comes, learn to protect yourself and lighten your mission.
If you do stray from your path, take responsibility! Acknowledge your mistake and try to make up for it by exercising. When realizing how much work goes into getting rid of a large piece of our favorite cake, you will think twice before making that mistake again.
‘Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time’. Thomas A. Edison
