Short-term weight loss is easy.
Long-term weight loss is much harder to achieve.
However, we all know people who are permanently in beach-ready shape, so it is possible to be lean for life.
This begs the question: how can you lose the weight and keep it off?
The answer is not found in one single habit or action, but rather in the following 5 Lean for Life Habits…
Habit #1: Reimagine Yourself
As of now, you’ve accepted the shape that you are in, and even if you hate it, you’re comfortable with it. Read that again to make sure it makes sense. You are comfortable with the body that you have right now, and until you decide it’s no longer acceptable, you will stay in your current state.
Now, spend time reimagining yourself the way you really want your body to be. Let that new image sink in, until you’re more comfortable with that than you are with the image of your current body. Keep repeating this visualization exercise. The clearer you can see and feel and imagine yourself in a leaner, healthier body, the more power and desire you will have to create, achieve and maintain it.
Habit #2: Break-Up With Sugar
"Look, Sugar, we have to break up. It’s not you; it’s me. Sure, we’ve had some good times. You’ve tickled my sweet tooth and pleased my taste buds, but loving you is a double-edged sword that leaves me feeling crappy and out of shape. So this is it, we are through!"
As silly as that sounded, your relationship with sugar could be holding you back from living in a lean for life body. It’s not only refined sugar that is messing with your body composition; in order to be lean for life you might want to manage your intake of natural sugars.
The good news is that each day spent without sugar will make the next day that much easier, and your cravings will become that much weaker. Stay strong, and soon you’ll be more than happy with the occasional sweet treat rather than the all-day sugar drip that many people live with.
Habit #3: Forget Dieting
Going on a “diet” implies a start and end date, but if you really want to change your body composition for good, then there is no end to your healthy lifestyle. It’s a marathon of adapting to healthier (and healthier!) habits to maintain for the rest of your life. The day that you stop trying is the day that your body reverts to its former (less svelte) shape.
Don’t worry, the more time that you get under your belt with healthy living, the easier it becomes. Soon, your lean for life habits will feel like a normal day – just as your current habits feel like a normal day now. The key is to stick with it until the habits fully stick, and to vigorously fight the urge to give up.
Habit #4: Plan Your Treats
Being lean for life doesn’t mean swearing off pizza and ice cream for the rest of your days. (Thank goodness!) On the contrary, you’ll find that planned treats of your favorite foods are more enjoyable than ever before. The key is planning your treats in advance, and containing the excitement to a couple of treats each week.
The fun thing about enjoying a treat while living a lean lifestyle, is that there is absolutely zero guilt associated with the pleasure. Most of us experience twinges of guilt associated with most of our meals, because in the back of our mind is the thought that we should really be eating healthier in order to lose the weight that we have yet to lose. Once you’ve lost the fat and are actively living a lean life, those treat will be 100% pleasure!
Habit #5: Be Part of a Fitness Family
Belonging to a group of fellow fitness enthusiasts is key to making and maintaining your body transformation. Birds of a feather... you know. Being fit is easier achieved in a supportive and encouraging group, rather than alone. Plus, the accountability provided from your fitness peers will save you from missing workouts and will get you to push yourself a little harder.
One of the most gratifying parts of being in a fitness family is the day when your support makes an impact on a new member. To give the encouragement to someone else that was given to you is a special moment that will stick with you and will recommit you to your fitness lifestyle.
I have created a fitness family that I’d love for you to join. Call or email today to see how you can find your place here with us!
Reach out for a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and goals. Email me at healthyhabitsstudio@gmail.com or call/text 916-204-7729.
Rose
www.healthyhabitsstudio.com
