I think the hardest part about making healthy lifestyle changes is the beginning. It is extremely difficult to embark on something, especially if you know it is going to be difficult. Once the decision has been made to start something new, most people fall short of completing their goal because it doesn't fit into their lifestyle or it becomes more difficult than they had originally anticipated, so they give up. This is all too common, and often leads to feelings of inadequacy. I think a huge problem with this scenario is that most people need to truly weigh their decision to start a rigorous lifestyle change. They must commit themselves fully to the change, and understand how hard the change will be.
Changing a lifestyle is much more than just changing a habit. It means changing many different aspects of your life. For instance, many people decide to eat healthier, not realizing that this will impact their relationships, time and finances. It becomes difficult to sustain when the change that is being made impacts a person's life in ways they haven't planned.
I think it is important to realize that changing an part of a lifestyle changes everything else in your life. This means sacrifice. When deciding to make a change, you must understand that you will be giving up something in order to achieve something else. This is not to be taken lightly, it must be well thought out so you can decide responsibly if this change is worth it. Once you decide that whether it is worthwhile or not, you must make yourself comply with your decision, because the drastic change will compromise your feelings and make you want to quit. It is important to keep your goal in mind, and keep reminding yourself that giving up something, such as processed and sugary foods, will in turn help you enjoy your body to its fullest physically and mentally.
Many people have a hard time giving up instant gratification for a long term goal. This means that perhaps you should make short term goals, so you feel gratification for accomplishing things at a quicker pace. This will help keep you motivated to continue, because you feel like you're making a difference. Also, a healthy change should be thought of as a lifestyle change, so make sure what you are doing is manageable in the long term. Many goals fail because people set the bar too high, and they just cannot accomplish what they had originally set out to do. Attempt to make more modest goals, and once you achieve them you can feel free to set a new goal. This will make your ultimate goal seem more in reach.
You should also make sure you have all of the tools needed to reach your goal. Make sure you have a good support system (friends and family), the right equipment and the necessary foods. You should make sure to plan ahead, because changes will be time consuming and difficult to find time to complete. I find it helpful to remember that my body is precious and I need to take care of it. I want to look and feel my best for as long as I'm alive. The changes I have made now will impact me forever, and will help me look and feel younger as I age. This is the only body I am going to get, so I want to treat it as best as I can, and so should you!
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