The Journey To A Healthier You.
We’ve spent months, maybe even years, on our journey to lose weight, become more fit, and live a healthier lifestyle.
We’ve counted calories, tracked our exercise, kept our eyes on the prize, stayed in it for the long haul and now we’re there. For a lot of us, the question is, “Now that I’ve reached my goal, can I relax and have my old life back? It’s a tempting thought.
Of course, we already know the answer to that question. It’s a big NO! That’s why we use the word “journey” instead of the word “destination.” Your journey to a healthier you doesn’t end once you’ve reached your weight loss goal.
The “Doing” Helps Us Reach Our Goals.
So, if you have that mindset, shake it off. Now, I like how Arthur Ashe, the late, great tennis player, put it, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”
“The doing” is what helped us reach our goal. “The doing” will also help us maintain all the gains we’ve made. There is a lot of advice out there on how to keep the weight off but it just boils down to having a maintenance plan.
Focusing On The Whole Person.
The key word here is “plan.” A plan that focuses on your health as a whole – physical, mental and emotional – will improve the odds of long-term success.
Continuing to exercise, eating right and getting enough sleep should be part of a maintenance plan. However, they’re not the only part. I can tell you from experience that if you don’t focus on your mental and emotional health as well, you run the risk of reverting to old habits.
Old Habits Can Come Creeping Back.
In the past, every time I lost weight, my old habits were lurking around the corner. They waited patiently knowing that all I needed was an emotional trigger. And those old habits? They were all too happy to have me pick them back up. As a result, I regained weight. Then, I felt miserable about myself.
As they say, “I’ve been to this rodeo a few times.” The thing is, it happens to a lot of us. The key is not beating ourselves up over this. Instead, we to get back up, dust ourselves off and get back on the horse as soon as possible.
This week’s O’Nealism (with a nod to John Lennon):
“In the end, everything is going to be alright. If it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”
