Health and Fitness: Lifestyle? Or Life Interruption?

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This is a powerful question, indeed. This caption is the crux of why some people are successful at permanent weight loss and others are not. It centers around how you view the actions that lead to that healthy, fit body.

Obesity is a serious problem in the U.S. today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults and one sixth of children in America are obese. In the past twenty years, obesity rates doubled for adults and tripled for children. If these trends continue, by the time today’s children reach adulthood, obesity will be the norm and healthy weight the exception. In fact, for the first time in our country’s history, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.

SO WHICH IS IT FOR YOU?

Is health & fitness a way of living for you? Something you do on an on-going basis? Do you plan your meals, at least loosely, for the entire week? Do you choose healthy meals to prepare and go to the grocery store with a list? Do you strive to make constant improvements in your decisions about what to eat and how active to be? If so, good for you! Your mindset favors a healthy lifestyle and will serve you well.

Or do you consider losing weight and becoming more fit a two week endeavor to fit into a new pair of jeans or a new outfit for a special occasion? When starting a new “diet” do you say to yourself “How long do I have to do this?” “When can I have a treat?” Does it eventually get in the way of all the other things you want to do? Does it get hard enough that you give up and retreat back to your comfort zone? If so, you view health & fitness as a temporary fix. Unfortunately, it will yield temporary results AND make it harder for you to lose weight the next time.

SO HOW DO YOU TRANSITION TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE?

To transition means to have a transformation or metamorphosis; to cease being one thing to become another. For example, a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly. You must be willing to let go of unhealthy habits you know aren’t good for you. It helps to examine why you are clinging to them in the first place. Then you have to be willing to give yourself the things you need to be the new you. You must believe deep down you deserve it.

To have a healthy lifestyle, you must decide why it is important to you to be healthier and more fit. The answer to that question is a very personal one. There are as many answers as there are people. Dig deep to determine your goals, values, beliefs and intentions. Identify roadblocks, real or imagined. Do you have any underlying beliefs that no longer serve you?

Finally, you must make it a priority. If you assign it a high priority, other things won’t get in the way of your health; your health will get in the way of the other stuff. If you are really honest with yourself, you’ll admit that you know deep down that time spent on caring for yourself is time well spent.

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