‘Diet starts tomorrow’ sounds all too familiar. We always think of a way to improve our health and change our bad habits, but there are times when we don’t follow through with it for whatever reason. Whether it is quitting smoking or eating healthy - it is not always easy to make those changes a part of your daily routine. You cannot change your behaviour overnight, you have to be strategic about it. Below we have listed 5 strategies to help you stay on track and achieve your health goals.
1. Make a plan
Creating a plan is your starting point on the road to success. Planning ahead will help you reach your goals and most importantly stick to them. Saying that, make sure that your plan is achievable. Writing 'go to the gym 7 times a week' is unrealistic and not really necessary. For example, do meal prep on Sunday and pre cook your evening meals for the week. In that way, you will not be tempted to get a quick pizza after a long day at work!
2. Change one thing at a time
It is extremely important to be realistic and take time to adjust to your new healthy behaviour. Trying to do too much and too fast at the same time can easily lead to a failure. Instead, take baby steps. Replace your white bagels with wholemeal bagels. Sweeten your tea with stevia instead of sugar. Small changes added up = big rewards.
3. Reward yourself with a day off
Being consistent is a key to achieving your health goals, but you don’t have to go overboard and commit yourself to it all the time. You are allowed to take a day off, however everything has to be in moderation. A cheat meal is a perfect example of rewarding yourself after days of hard work in the gym and in the kitchen. Just don’t let it turn into a cheat week!
4. Believe in yourself
Self-belief is important to make your goals become a reality. After all, if you don’t believe in yourself, then who else would? It is natural to have doubts or negative thoughts when you are about to do something that requires persistence and hard work. However, instead of thinking of 100 reasons why you can’t achieve something, think of 100 reasons why you are going to kick some ass and make your goals happen.
5. Buddy up with someone
Having a friend with similar goals as yours can make the whole journey to your personal success a lot less stressful and more productive. The great thing about having a buddy with the same set of goals is that you can keep each other on track, especially if you feel like giving up, whether it is going to the gym or eating healthy. You are a lot less likely to give up on doing something if you know that your friend is in the same boat and also working hard to stick to their health plan. Just pump each other up and don’t give up!
Here they are - our 5 tips to help you stick to your health goals and become a better version of yourself. At Skin Woof we believe that having goals is a stepping-stone to a more positive and healthy life and achieving your goals are a big self-confidence booster. Our #woofmovement is all about seeking purpose and chasing fulfilment in our lives and we hope that you follow that journey with us!