January 12, 2019

5 Tips to Simplify Your Health Goals

Well friends, New Year celebrations have come and gone. I am still picking up confetti from the TWELVE party poppers I handed out to the all the kids that celebrated at our house that night. (Yes, I might be a little crazy) But confetti sadly isn’t the only thing that was left over from the holidays. All the delish cookies, cakes and candies hung around too and beside them was a few unwanted pounds and a total lack of energy!

So, I took the question ” what are some SIMPLE ways we can hop into good health habits without feeling totally overwhelmed ” to gym owner Makenzie Higby of Fit Body Boot Camp and she was kind enough to share with me her 5 Tips to Simplify your health goals.

I promise, I have great intentions

Let’s talk a little about how ‘getting healthy’ has looked for me in the past, shall we? It goes a little like this:

I would wake up on a typical weekday and shuffle around the house, a bit groggy, reaching for my morning coffee. I’d pack lunches, get the kids off to school and head back to my room to get ready for the day. Unfortunately, there were mirrors in my room and pants that didn’t quite fit anymore and suddenly I’d be making a vow to myself to ‘get in shape’ because I was ‘tired of feeling like this’.

I’d make myself a healthy breakfast of eggs with some spinach and a few strawberries and would be feeling pretty great about myself. I’d head into my office to get started on work for the day. About midday I’d wander through the kitchen and grab a handful of whatever was closest because hey, I had a LOT of work to get done and there just wasn’t time to stop and eat (let alone cook something).

I’d plan to work out later that day though so it would be fine. I would hold up to my promise to myself and make a trip to the gym and make a healthy dinner and all in all feel pretty darn good about myself! I would go along like this being ‘in the zone’ for a week or two, all along believing in my new athleisure wearing soul that THIS WAS IT! I had FINALLY created a habit and I was sticking with it darn it.

And then life happened

Yeah, you know that life thing? Well, it’s a real fitness party pooper. Just when I’d hit my stride, a kid would get sick and I’d have to skip my workout because I’m a mom and if I leave the house while they are sick, no one would know what to do and suddenly everyone would be sick and my child would feel unloved!!! (Insert eye roll here)

And if it wasn’t a sick child it was a birthday party that interrupted my plan to get my workout in, but hey – kids first! While at the party I would indulge in a piece of cake and feel crummy afterward so going to the gym sounded terrible! When I got home, my family would be snacking on something delicious and totally unhealthy and since I had already had cake it was like “what the hey, I’ve already fallen off the wagon today”.

That wagon is really slippery

Yeah, I’m here to warn you, friend, that wagon is a slime-covered slippery slope. When I went off it, my mind decided to tell me “oh well, you might as well indulge for the day” and one day would lead to two and three and so on until one day I’d look up from the half-eaten donut in my hand, feeling terrible in my too tight pants and think ” That’s it! I’m tired of feeling like this! This time I’m REALLY going to get healthy” and the cycle would continue over and over!

Rinse and Repeat

The problem was, no matter the situation I always had an excuse for why I couldn’t stick to it – my to-do list kept me from working out, date night brought a few glasses of wine and a headache the next morning that made me sleep in instead of workout, girls night was no fun if dessert wasn’t involved… as a matter of fact, MOST interactions we have with our friends involve food in some way and very few involve us doing physical activity.

And so I set a standard for myself that quitting was okay, but I was never truly happy with how I felt.

And when I tried again I would over complicate the whole process. I’d set unrealistic goals for myself and I tried LOTS of “diets” and “eating styles” – some of which taught me things that are helpful now but none that were sustainable or long term. But, deep down I knew the answer – it was actually pretty easy. I just had to decide that I was worth the time and energy it would take to learn to love myself again and choose a healthier lifestyle. Eating didn’t have to be complicated, it just had to be intentionally simple. As a matter of fact, I would often ask Makenzie nutrition questions and at the end, we’d both agree: I already knew what to do.

And so, I asked Makenzie to share her insight into how to simplify this whole process and make getting healthy more tangible this year. This is what she had to say:

The problem

“Whether you start them [ your fitness and health goals] fresh in the new year or start randomly mid-year, being able to follow an extremely detailed daily routine is not easy for the average lifestyle. You end up coming to the conclusion that it’s a lot easier to give up than to feel disappointed each day when you don’t complete everything you had laid out in your plan. You fall behind, you skip out on the easiest things to skip first (which is usually prepping meals and hitting the gym), and you eventually come to the conclusion that it’s not possible to live this “perfect” life you had planned out.

That’s where you are wrong though! Even if your life feels like there is unplanned chaos waiting around every corner to mess up your day, it is absolutely possible to stay on track! You just have to go about it in a different way and with a different attitude.

Here are my 5 tips for simplifying your health goals

1. Don’t make extremely specific resolutions/plans

Let’s face it, most of us don’t have predictable lives and if you fall into that category, then the best way to set yourself up for failure with health & fitness goals is to make a specific plan that revolves around predictability.

It might seem easier to have a plan that tells you exactly what to do…

A meal plan with a grocery list and a guide telling you exactly what to eat for each meal and at what time.
A workout plan with a daily guide telling you exactly what muscle groups to work and for how long and each specific exercise you are supposed to complete for that “beach body”.
A sleep plan of exactly what time to start winding down, to get into bed, to fall asleep, and to wake up each day. A mental health plan to journal each morning, do breathing exercises at noon, meditate at the end of the day, read before bed, and take a long bath each Sunday at 3:00.

That all sounds great, but come on!? How many people do you know that would be able to handle a plan that is that specific and actually be successful with it? That’s an advanced level plan and until you break through the first baby steps and have success there, you are not doing yourself any favors by setting your goals at extreme specifics.

Instead of thinking in specifics, think broader…

I will shop the outside of the grocery store and grab some extra veggies this week
I will workout 3 days this week
I will try to get at least 7 hours of sleep most nights
I’m going to take a bath once a week to relax and reset

Looking at goals in a broader sense helps make it a lot less daunting and a lot easier to stay on track with.

2. Set one goal at a time

There’s nothing harder than trying to change 8 things in your life all at one time.

Talk about overwhelming!!! Start small – one at a time. You know the saying “It takes 21 days to form a habit.”? There is some truth to this but in reality, it takes anywhere from 21-66 days to form a habit that you stick with long-term. Don’t focus on your next goal in until you’ve successfully achieved the previous one to the point that it has become a regular habit.

A good way to start is to make a small list of the things you want to work on, and then put them in order of importance and start with the most important one to you.

I want to eat more veggies.
I want to cut out added sugars.
I want to sleep more.
I want to work out more.
I want to drink less alcohol.
I want to be stronger.
I want to spend more quality time with my spouse.
I want to save money for a family vacation.
I want to drink more water.

These are all examples of things that are great for physical and mental health, BOTH of which are incredibly important to your overall wellbeing.

Once you make your list, whichever one is the most important to you is the one you should heavily focus on first. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try at all to make other healthy changes as well, but if you are living the typical unpredictable life of chaos I described above, it’s important to focus only on one at a time so you don’t burn yourself out.

Once you decide on your first focus, then set your goal.

If your number one focus is to be stronger, then set a goal to workout 4-5 days per week. Maybe you’ll also add some extra veggies and cut out sugar sometimes, but first and foremost, focus on the workouts!

3. Reflect on the last day of each month

Take a look back at the end of each month and reflect on everything – the good, the amazing, the bad, the tough. What was in your control and what wasn’t? Did you make it a step forward towards your goal or did you fall backwards a little? What can you do in the next month differently from this past month that will help you be even more successful moving forward?

Taking time to reflect and being honest with yourself is key to long-term success.

This can definitely be a tough one, but if you have been struggling, then it’s important to try to understand and accept why you haven’t been able to keep up with being active and eating healthy in the past and acknowledge why you want to make changes.

If you haven’t been struggling, then it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate all the good and all the support you’ve had. Hold on to all the positives in every situation in order to keep moving forward in a positive light.

Gratitude and positivity will overpower negativity in the long run!!

4. Remember there is no secret

Here’s the deal… there are a thousand supplement companies and gyms out there claiming they are the ones who are finally going to give you the body you’ve always dreamed of. They claim they hold the secret and if you don’t use their product or facility then you’ll never get results. That is a lie.

There isn’t a secret formula for losing weight. There isn’t a magic pill that will transform you overnight. There isn’t a specific “diet” that will do you any good. There isn’t one type of workout that is the only one that will give results.

You know what you have to do. We all know it deep down, but the problem is we don’t want to hear it because we want to hear that there’s a specifically calculated solution, so we can tackle it systematically with as little effort as possible, but there’s not.

You know how to lose the excess body fat and gain muscle and be healthy? By staying active and by eating clean. It’s a simple as that!

Unless you actually want to be a bodybuilder, fitness model, Olympic athlete, etc., then that’s a whole new level that would require much more precise calculation and training. For the average person who works full-time, has a family, and household responsibilities and who just wants to look and feel good you do not need to do anything extreme to get there!

So, let’s keep it simple – stay active and eat clean.

What does stay active mean?

Aim for 3-5 days per week of strength/cardio exercises for at least 30 minutes with some additional lighter activity scattered in. If you work a job where you are at a desk all day, set an alarm for every 30 minutes to stand up and stretch and go to the bathroom just to get moving.

Park as far in the back of the parking lot as possible when you go to the store. Always take the stairs. Go on walks, hikes, etc. There are a TON of ways to add a little additional movement into every single day.

What does clean eating mean?

To put it as simply as possible, eating clean is eating mainly foods that are not found in a package ready to eat. Focus on lean proteins (salmon, chicken), fruits & veggies, healthy fats (nuts, avocados), healthy carbs (quinoa, oats).

Of course, saying “keep it simple” doesn’t make it easy to execute

But, by following the tips above and by striving each day to work on yourself and continue to be better, you can absolutely achieve those goals. Some days (maybe a lot of days) won’t be perfect and that is okay!! Don’t beat yourself up for it and just start again the next day making choices as you go as best as you can.

Find what works best for you. Find the clean foods you love to eat that fit in your budget and focus on those first. Find a workout facility that makes you feel comfortable and commit to it. Everyone is different and what works best for your friend, might not work at all for you.

Find the balance that works for you and makes you feel good.

5. Know that you deserve it

There is absolutely nothing in the world more important than taking care of yourself.

Nothing.

Life is so great and even though there’s a lot we can’t control, there’s A LOT we can. We all deserve happiness. We all deserve to be healthy. We all deserve to reach all of our goals.

None of this is just handed to us though – we have to work for it. We can’t just eat donuts and burgers and sit on the couch barely moving watching Netflix all day and expect a toned body and expect to feel good.

Just always remember – you DESERVE a life full of happiness and health and if you stay positive and grateful for the life you live and stop letting things outside of your control stand in your way then you will be able to reach all of your goals. You can 100% do anything you set your mind to!”

What’s changed for me

I FINALLY feel like I am able to approach my health and fitness goals the same way I have been handling the other areas of my life. By filtering those goals through my value system of being intentionally simple. For the first time, I feel like I am not over complicating the plan. I’m staying active. I found a gym that I really enjoy. Highland Fit Body Boot Camp offers 30 minute HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) classes that allow me to get a great workout in, in short amount of time, making it possible to fit it into my schedule without feeling time constrained.

I’m choosing healthy food options. I’m never doing both perfectly, but instead of letting the slip-ups derail me, I recognize them for what they are and remember that life is about moderation. Check out my post on how I detoxed my kids from sugar.