Holiday Tips: Remember Your Why

Lot's of people have been asking for tips to help them get through the holiday season without putting on the extra ten pounds that's typical for this time of year. Before we start  getting too deep into the holiday season, let’s talk about our why. The big why is the true, core reason that keeps you going above all else. It’s getting yourself healthy enough to play with your grandkids or being able to run without pain or being a role model for your family.

Let’s start thinking about your why’s. You may not come up with them completely today, but the first step in a successful healthy lifestyle change is having that why. Change is hard, and your why is the push that helps you avoid that brownie or get the workout in when you really don’t want to get off the couch.

To form a why, you have to understand your goals. What are your ultimate goals for yourself? No one just jumps on the healthy lifestyle train for the heck of it. Be specific. Do you want to successfully complete a marathon at 50 years old? Do you want to wake up in the morning without pain? Do you want to eliminate sugar from your diet? Write down what you really want from your healthy lifestyle.

Now that you have your goals, write down why you want to achieve them. Is it to be healthy and vital in an age when health tends to decline? Is it to improve your quality of life to better yourself as a person? Is it to keep you from feeling low each day because of your lifestyle choices? Generally, your big why is not a superficial reason. It’s not just to fit into a different size or hit a certain weight. Those can be part of the goal, but really they’re just arbitrary numbers. Your why is the real reason behind why you want to meet those goals. Why are they even your goals in the first place. Sometimes that takes a while; it did for me. I had to go through the process of why do I want to eat well. So I can feel well. Why? Because I want to be healthy. Why? Because I can be the best me and take care of everyone around me in the best possible way. That is my why, and it’s why I do. I am a caregiver. It is the core of who I am and the motivation behind nearly everything I do. This is why your why may not be super apparent right now. You may have to really dig deep. It may come to your while you’re bawling your eyes out to a sad movie or it may just smack you in the face while you’re in the shower. Whatever the case may be, your why is the reason you want to be the best you can be.

Now that you’re starting to think of your why’s, you’ll be able to see where I’m coming from with the rest of these strategies. I truly believe that one of the biggest failures in healthy lifestyles or diet plans is that the why isn’t the first thing that is put out there. I’ve worked for a number of weight loss companies in the past, and I didn’t really start asking WHY until I started my own company. In most diet situations, the superficial reasons is the one they feed on. When I go through the consultations with my clients, we talk about their why. If they don’t have one yet, we’re just not ready to start a coaching process, but I’m happy to help them work through it. I don’t want to set people up to fail.

Even after you have your why, it can fade. It’s ok; that’s why you have a WHY that’s important to you. But don’t let yourself fall into the trap of bargaining over your why. “Well, if I run an extra mile, I can have three cookies!” That’s not how that works. Not only can you not physically outrun the damage done by three cookies, we know it’s not just about the calories in the cookies. It’s the slippery slope behind those cookies.

Instead of bargaining with yourself, have a plan. And stick to it! If you are someone who really can handle cutting yourself off at one cookie for the evening, make it part of the plan. Most people aren’t like that, so use the following tips to set yourself up for success.