This is the year you are going to get healthy. So now where to begin?
“The first thing you have to do is to get real with yourself and find the right mindset,” says Jillian Michaels, fitness and health guru from TV’s The Biggest Loser.
It is easy to be good, go to the gym and work hard for a week or two. But to keep it up and make it a part of your life is another story. The secret to health success is to establish a long-term goal.
“You can’t achieve success if you are not moving toward something,” says Michaels.
“Put all your goals on paper, make a life list and let that be your motivation.”
But Michaels points out that it’s not as easy as it sounds, the key is to have an ultimate goal that is both ambitious and attainable.
“If you set your goals too high that is a sure way to fail,” she warns.
The other big secret to future success is psychological. A big part of reaching goals is about changing your attitude toward yourself and your body. If you have a negative self-image and lack self-confidence, if you feel powerless and subconsciously believe you’re going to fail — you will.
“Our minds are our strongest tool and the way you think of yourself manifests as your reality. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says Michaels. “You need to make the voice inside your head say that you can do it and that you are worth it.”
Jillian’s Tips
• Keep a fitness diary. No matter what your goals are, the best way to reach them is to write them down.
• Remind yourself of your goals. Think about them when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed every night. Reaffirm your believes in your self and think of yourself as strong, healthy and happy.
• Identify your emotional triggers. Break bad habits and put yourself back in control by identifying what triggers you to overeat. It might be that you eat too much when you are sad, angry, bored or anxious. Every time you want to eat, ask yourself: Why?
