7 Pieces of Advice I Wish I Knew When I First Started My Health + Wellness Journey!
May 20, 2024
Growing up I remember going to the grocery store and all the magazines had these crazy headlines about how to lose weight. Articles about there being “magic foods” for fat burning, unrealistic claims that you can “lose 10 lbs in 10 days”, claims of “spot reducing diets” that would help you lose fat in certain areas of your body, I could go on and on!
Seeing all these headlines and growing up in the era of fat free everything and 100 calorie snack foods definitely gave me a very skewed idea of what being healthy was. Fast forward to becoming a Mom and deciding I needed to start creating a healthy lifestyle as opposed to hopping from diet to diet just to reach a number on a scale and I was lost!
Many, many years later and now a certified nutrition coach I am going to share some of the advice I wish I had known sooner on my health and wellness journey.
The Power of the Right Mindset:
Cultivating the right mindset around your health and wellness can be so much more transformative than simply focusing on what you put on your plate. It's about seeing your journey as a long-term commitment to your well-being, not just a quick fix. A positive mindset can guide you through challenges and help you stay on track.
The Importance of Setting Clear + Realistic Goals:
Setting clear goals gives you a roadmap to follow and a way to measure your progress. They should be realistic and align with your lifestyle, making them achievable and sustainable. By being clear and realistic you are setting yourself up for more success and less failure making you more likely to keep going even when it feels tough!
Embrace the Journey:
Embrace the idea that your journey is unique and may not look like anyone else's - and that's okay! Comparing yourself to others (especially those on social media) is only setting you up for disappointment when you don’t reach your goals as fast as someone else makes it seem like they did. Forget about keeping up with the highlight reels you see online. Social media typically doesn't show the struggles everyone faces.
Focus on what matters most: your own progress. Celebrate every step you take, big or small. It's all part of your personal growth journey. Remember, it's not a race, but a continuous adventure of learning and becoming your best self.
Food Choices Affect More Than Just The Scale:
When you’re only looking at your diet as a way to lose weight and see the number on the scale move, it can be so easy to miss out on the bigger picture. Food is fuel for your body, and a balanced diet goes way beyond just weight loss. It can:
- Boost your energy levels: Eating the right foods can give you the sustained energy you need to power through your day.
- Improve your mood and reduce stress: A balanced diet can contribute to better mental clarity and emotional well-being.
- Reduce your risk of chronic diseases: Eating a healthy diet can help prevent conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Join me for my FREE Online Workshop where I'll delve deeper into how to focus on your food intake to help boost your energy levels, reduce your stress, and eliminate your bloating!
The Science Behind Habits:
Creating habits is the key to making lasting and sustainable changes that can easily turn into a lifestyle. Why? Science tells us about the "habit loop" – a powerful cycle of cue, routine, and reward. By incorporating small, healthy changes into your daily routine, you create a system where repetition strengthens the connection between the behavior and a positive feeling (the reward).
Over time, these healthy choices become second nature, leading to significant improvements in your overall health and wellness. Remember, habit formation takes time and consistency.
The Importance of Focusing on Sustainable Over Quick:
Creating lasting changes doesn't lie in fad diets or quick fixes. The real magic happens when you prioritize building sustainable habits! It's not about achieving immediate results, but creating a lifestyle that supports long-term health and well-being.
The Journey is More Important Than the Destination:
By constantly fixating on the end of our health and wellness journey, it robs us of the joy and learning within it. Remember, although it's ongoing, it doesn't have to be a source of misery. Instead, it should be a source of growth, self-discovery, and empowerment.
I would love to hear which piece of advice resonates most with you and where you are on your health and wellness journey!
Hop on over to IG and find me @NourishedMomWellness send me a DM and let me know!
I can’t wait to hear from you!
Oh yea and don’t forget to register for my FREE Online Nutrition Workshop here!
